CHAPTER XXVII. THE FIRST BLUESTOCKING.

emenarestillattable." "Theywillnotlingerlong.SirPhilipNunnelyisnowine-bibber,andIhearhimjustnowpassfromthedining-roomtothedrawing-room." "Itisaservant." "ItisSirPhilipIknowhisstep." "Yourhearingisacute." "Itisneverdull,andthesenseseemssharpenedatpresent.SirPhilipwasheretotealastnight.Iheardyousingtohimsomesongwhichhehadbroughtyou.Iheardhim,whenhetookhisdepartureateleveno'clock,callyououtontothepavement,tolookattheeveningstar." "Youmustbenervouslysensitive." "Iheardhimkissyourhand." "Impossible!" "No:mychamberisoverthehall,thewindowjustabovethefrontdoorthesashwasalittleraised,forIfeltfeverish.Youstoodtenminuteswithhimonthesteps.Iheardyourdiscourse,everyword,andIheardthesalute.—Henry,givemesomewater." "Letmegiveithim." ButhehalfrosetotaketheglassfromyoungSympson,anddeclinedherattendance. "AndcanIdonothing?" "Nothingforyoucannotguaranteemeanight'speacefulrest,anditisallIatpresentwant." "Youdonotsleepwell?" "Sleephasleftme." "Yetyousaidyouwerenotveryill?" "Iamoftensleeplesswheninhighhealth." "IfIhadpower,Iwouldlapyouinthemostplacidslumber—quitedeepandhushed,withoutadream." "Blankannihilation!Idonotaskthat." "Withdreamsofallyoumostdesire." "Monstrousdelusions!Thesleepwouldbedelirium,thewakingdeath." "Yourwishesarenotsochimericalyouarenovisionary." "MissKeeldar,Isupposeyouthinksobutmycharacterisnot,perhaps,quiteaslegibletoyouasapageofthelastnewnovelmightbe." "Thatispossible.Butthissleep—Ishouldliketowooittoyourpillow,towinforyouitsfavour.IfItookabookandsatdownandreadsomepages?Icanwellsparehalfanhour." "Thankyou,butIwillnotdetainyou." "Iwouldreadsoftly." "Itwouldnotdo.Iamtoofeverishandexcitabletobearasoft,cooing,vibratingvoicecloseatmyear.Youhadbetterleaveme." "Well,Iwillgo." "Andnogood-night?" "Yes,sir,yes.Mr.Moore,good-night."(ExitShirley.) "Henry,myboy,gotobednowitistimeyouhadsomerepose." "Sir,itwouldpleasemetowatchatyourbedsideallnight." "Nothinglesscalledfor.Iamgettingbetter.There,go." "Givemeyourblessing,sir." "Godblessyou,mybestpupil!" "Younevercallmeyourdearestpupil!" "No,norevershall." PossiblyMissKeeldarresentedherformerteacher'srejectionofhercourtesy.Itiscertainshedidnotrepeattheofferofit.Oftenasherlightsteptraversedthegalleryinthecourseofaday,itdidnotagainpauseathisdoornordidher"cooing,vibratingvoice"disturbasecondtimethehushofthesickroom.Asickroom,indeed,itsoonceasedtobeMr.Moore'sgoodconstitutionquicklytriumphedoverhisindisposition.Inafewdaysheshookitoff,andresumedhisdutiesastutor. That"auldlangsyne"hadstillitsauthoritybothwithpreceptorandscholarwasprovedbythemannerinwhichhesometimespromptlypassedthedistancesheusuallymaintainedbetweenthem,andputdownherhighreservewithafirm,quiethand. OneafternoontheSympsonfamilyweregoneouttotakeacarriageairing.Shirley,neversorrytosnatchareprievefromtheirsociety,hadremainedbehind,detainedbybusiness,asshesaid.Thebusiness—alittleletter-writing—wassoondispatchedaftertheyardgateshadclosedonthecarriageMissKeeldarbetookherselftothegarden. Itwasapeacefulautumnday.ThegildingoftheIndiansummermellowedthepasturesfarandwide.Therussetwoodsstoodripetobestripped,butwereyetfullofleaf.Thepurpleofheath-bloom,fadedbutnotwithered,tingedthehills.ThebeckwandereddowntotheHollow,throughasilentdistrictnowindfolloweditscourseorhaunteditswoodyborders.Fieldheadgardensborethesealofgentledecay.Onthewalks,sweptthatmorning,yellowleaveshadfluttereddownagain.Itstimeofflowers,andevenoffruits,wasoverbutascantlingofapplesenrichedthetrees.Onlyablossomhereandthereexpandedpaleanddelicateamidstaknotoffadedleaves. Thesesingleflowers—thelastoftheirrace—Shirleyculledasshewanderedthoughtfullyamongstthebeds.Shewasfasteningintohergirdleahuelessandscentlessnosegay,whenHenrySympsoncalledtoherashecamelimpingfromthehouse. "Shirley,Mr.MoorewouldbegladtoseeyouintheschoolroomandtohearyoureadalittleFrench,ifyouhavenomoreurgentoccupation." Themessengerdeliveredhiscommissionverysimply,asifitwereamerematterofcourse. "DidMr.Mooretellyoutosaythat?" "Certainlywhynot?Andnow,docome,andletusoncemorebeaswewereatSympsonGrove.Weusedtohavepleasantschool-hoursinthosedays." MissKeeldarperhapsthoughtthatcircumstanceswerechangedsincethenhowever,shemadenoremark,butafteralittlereflectionquietlyfollowedHenry. Enteringtheschoolroom,sheinclinedherheadwithadecentobeisance,ashadbeenherwontinformertimes.Sheremovedherbonnet,andhungitupbesideHenry'scap.LouisMooresatathisdesk,turningtheleavesofabook,openbeforehim,andmarkingpassageswithhispencil.Hejustmoved,inacknowledgmentofhercurtsy,butdidnotrise. "Youproposedtoreadtomeafewnightsago,"saidhe."Icouldnothearyouthen.Myattentionisnowatyourservice.AlittlerenewedpracticeinFrenchmaynotbeunprofitable.Youraccent,Ihaveobserved,beginstorust." "WhatbookshallItake?" "HerearetheposthumousworksofSt.Pierre.Readafewpagesofthe'Fragmentsdel'Amazone.'" Sheacceptedthechairwhichhehadplacedinreadinessnearhisownthevolumelayonhisdesk—therewasbutonebetweenthemhersweepingcurlsdroppedsolowastohidethepagefromhim. "Putbackyourhair,"hesaid. ForonemomentShirleylookednotquitecertainwhethershewouldobeytherequestordisregardit.Aflickerofhereyebeamedfurtiveontheprofessor'sface.Perhapsifhehadbeenlookingatherharshlyortimidly,orifoneundecidedlinehadmarkedhiscountenance,shewouldhaverebelled,andthelessonhadendedthereandthenbuthewasonlyawaitinghercompliance—ascalmasmarble,andascool.Shethrewtheveiloftressesbehindherear.Itwaswellherfaceownedanagreeableoutline,andthathercheekpossessedthepolishandtheroundnessofearlyyouth,or,thusrobbedofasofteningshade,thecontoursmighthavelosttheirgrace.Butwhatmatteredthatinthepresentsociety?NeitherCalypsonorEuchariscaredtofascinateMentor. Shebegantoread.Thelanguagehadbecomestrangetohertongueitfalteredthelectureflowedunevenly,impededbyhurriedbreath,brokenbyAnglicizedtones.Shestopped. "Ican'tdoit.Readmeaparagraph,ifyouplease,Mr.Moore." Whathereadsherepeated.Shecaughthisaccentinthreeminutes. "Trèsbien,"wastheapprovingcommentatthecloseofthepiece. "C'estpresqueleFran?aisrattrapé,n'est-cepas?" "YoucouldnotwriteFrenchasyouoncecould,Idaresay?" "Ohno!Ishouldmakestrangeworkofmyconcordsnow." "Youcouldnotcomposethedevoirof'LaPremièreFemmeSavante'?" "Doyoustillrememberthatrubbish?" "Everyline." "Idoubtyou." "Iwillengagetorepeatitwordforword." "Youwouldstopshortatthefirstline." "Challengemetotheexperiment." "Ichallengeyou." Heproceededtorecitethefollowing.HegaveitinFrench,butwemusttranslate,onpainofbeingunintelligibletosomereaders. "Anditcametopass,whenmenbegantomultiplyonthefaceoftheearth,anddaughterswerebornuntothem,thatthesonsofGodsawthedaughtersofmenthattheywerefairandtheytookthemwivesofallwhichtheychose." Thiswasinthedawnoftime,beforethemorningstarswereset,andwhiletheyyetsangtogether. Theepochissoremote,themistsanddewygrayofmatintwilightveilitwithsovagueanobscurity,thatalldistinctfeatureofcustom,allclearlineoflocality,evadeperceptionandbaffleresearch.Itmustsufficetoknowthattheworldthenexistedthatmenpeopleditthatman'snature,withitspassions,sympathies,pains,andpleasures,informedtheplanetandgaveitsoul. Acertaintribecolonizedacertainspotontheglobeofwhatracethistribe—unknowninwhatregionthatspot—untold.WeusuallythinkoftheEastwhenwerefertotransactionsofthatdatebutwhoshalldeclarethattherewasnolifeintheWest,theSouth,theNorth?Whatistodisprovethatthistribe,insteadofcampingunderpalmgrovesinAsia,wanderedbeneathislandoakwoodsrootedinourownseasofEurope? Itisnosandyplain,noranycircumscribedandscantoasisIseemtorealize.Aforestvalley,withrockysidesandbrownprofundityofshade,formedbytreecrowdingontree,descendsdeepbeforeme.Here,indeed,dwellhumanbeings,butsofew,andinalleyssothickbranchedandoverarched,theyareneitherheardnorseen.Aretheysavage?Doubtless.Theylivebythecrookandthebowhalfshep