第9章

\'WhatmustIsay，then？\'

\'"LadiesandMEN"always。\'

Atthismomentappearedinthestreamofvehiclesmovinginthecontrarydirectionachariotpresentinginitsgeneralsurfacetherichindigohueofamidnightsky，thewheelsandmarginsbeingpickedoutindelicatelinesofultramarine；theservants\'

liveriesweredark-bluecoatsandsilverlace，andbreechesofneutralIndianred。Thewholeconcernformedanorganicwhole，andmovedalongbehindapairofdarkchestnutgeldings，whoadvancedinanindifferentlyzealoustrot，verydaintilyperformed，andoccasionallyshruggeddiverspointsoftheirveinysurfaceasiftheywereratherabovethebusiness。

Inthissatagentlemanwithnodecidedcharacteristicsmorethanthathesomewhatresembledagood-naturedcommercialtravellerofthesuperiorclass。Besidehimwasaladywithskim-milkyeyesandcomplexion，belongingtothe"interesting"classofwomen，wherethatclassmergesinthesickly，hergreatestpleasurebeingapparentlytoenjoynothing。Oppositethispairsattwolittlegirlsinwhitehatsandbluefeathers。

TheladysawElfride，smiledandbowed，andtouchedherhusband\'selbow，whoturnedandreceivedElfride\'smovementofrecognitionwithagallantelevationofhishat。ThenthetwochildrenhelduptheirarmstoElfride，andlaughedgleefully。

\'Whoisthat？\'

\'Why，LordLuxellian，isn\'tit？\'saidMrs。Swancourt，whowiththevicarhadbeenseatedwithherbacktowardsthem。

\'Yes，\'repliedElfride。\'HeistheonemanofthoseIhaveseenherewhomIconsiderhandsomerthanpapa。\'

\'Thankyou，dear，\'saidMr。Swancourt。

\'Yes；butyourfatherissomucholder。WhenLordLuxelliangetsalittlefurtheroninlife，hewon\'tbehalfsogood-lookingasourman。\'

\'Thankyou，dear，likewise，\'saidMr。Swancourt。

\'See，\'exclaimedElfride，stilllookingtowardsthem，\'howthoselittledearswantme!Actuallyoneofthemiscryingformetocome。\'

\'Weweretalkingofbraceletsjustnow。LookatLadyLuxellian\'s，\'saidMrs。Swancourt，asthatbaronessliftedupherarmtosupportoneofthechildren。\'Itisslippingupherarm——

toolargebyhalf。Ihatetoseedaylightbetweenabraceletandawrist；Iwonderwomenhaven\'tbettertaste。\'

\'Itisnotonthataccount，indeed，\'Elfrideexpostulated。\'Itisthatherarmhasgotthin，poorthing。Youcannotthinkhowmuchshehasalteredinthislasttwelvemonth。\'

Thecarriageswerenownearertogether，andtherewasanexchangeofmorefamiliargreetingsbetweenthetwofamilies。ThentheLuxellianscrossedoveranddrewupundertheplane-trees，justintherearoftheSwancourts。LordLuxellianalighted，andcameforwardwithamusicallaugh。

Itwashisattractionasaman。Peoplelikedhimforthosetones，andforgotthathehadnotalents。AcquaintancesrememberedMr。

Swancourtbyhismanner；theyrememberedStephenSmithbyhisface，LordLuxellianbyhislaugh。

Mr。Swancourtmadesomefriendlyremarks——amongothersthingsupontheheat。

\'Yes，\'saidLordLuxellian，\'weweredrivingbyafurrier\'swindowthisafternoon，andthesightfilledusallwithsuchasenseofsuffocationthatweweregladtogetaway。Ha-ha!\'HeturnedtoElfride。\'MissSwancourt，Ihavehardlyseenorspokentoyousinceyourliteraryfeatwasmadepublic。IhadnoideaachielwastakingnotesdownatquietEndelstow，orIshouldcertainlyhaveputmyselfandfriendsuponourbestbehaviour。Swancourt，whydidn\'tyougivemeahint!\'

Elfridefluttered，blushed，laughed，saiditwasnothingtospeakof，&c。&c。

\'Well，IthinkyouwereratherunfairlytreatedbythePRESENT，I

certainlydo。WritingaheavyreviewlikethatuponaneleganttrifleliketheCOURTOFKELLYONCASTLEwasabsurd。\'

\'What？\'saidElfride，openinghereyes。\'WasIreviewedinthePRESENT？\'

\'Ohyes；didn\'tyouseeit？Why，itwasfourorfivemonthsago!\'

\'No，Ineversawit。HowsorryIam!Whatashameofmypublishers!Theypromisedtosendmeeverynoticethatappeared。\'

\'Ah，then，IamalmostafraidIhavebeengivingyoudisagreeableinformation，intentionallywithheldoutofcourtesy。Dependuponittheythoughtnogoodwouldcomeofsendingit，andsowouldnotpainyouunnecessarily。\'

\'Ohno；Iamindeedgladyouhavetoldme，LordLuxellian。Itisquiteamistakenkindnessontheirpart。Isthereviewsomuchagainstme？\'sheinquiredtremulously。

\'No，no；notthatexactly——thoughIalmostforgetitsexactpurportnow。Itwasmerely——merelysharp，youknow——ungenerous，I

mightsay。Butreallymymemorydoesnotenablemetospeakdecidedly。\'

\'We\'lldrivetothePRESENToffice，andgetonedirectly；shallwe，papa？\'

\'Ifyouaresoanxious，dear，wewill，orsend。Butto-morrowwilldo。\'

\'Anddoobligemeinalittlematternow，Elfride，\'saidLordLuxellianwarmly，andlookingasifheweresorryhehadbroughtnewsthatdisturbedher。\'IaminrealitysenthereasaspecialmessengerbymylittlePollyandKatietoaskyoutocomeintoourcarriagewiththemforashorttime。IamjustgoingtowalkacrossintoPiccadilly，andmywifeisleftalonewiththem。Iamafraidtheyareratherspoiltchildren；butIhavehalfpromisedthemyoushallcome。\'

Thestepswereletdown，andElfridewastransferred——totheintensedelightofthelittlegirls，andtothemildinterestofloungerswithredskinsandlongnecks，whocursorilyeyedtheperformancewiththeirwalking-stickstotheirlips，occasionallylaughingfromfardowntheirthroatsandwiththeireyes，theirmouthsnotbeingconcernedintheoperationatall。LordLuxellianthentoldthecoachmantodriveon，liftedhishat，smiledasmilethatmisseditsmarkandalightedonatotalstranger，whobowedinbewilderment。LordLuxellianlookedlongatElfride。

Thelookwasamanly，open，andgenuinelookofadmiration；amomentarytributeofakindwhichanyhonestEnglishmanmighthavepaidtofairnesswithoutbeingashamedofthefeeling，orpermittingittoencroachintheslightestdegreeuponhisemotionalobligationsasahusbandandheadofafamily。ThenLordLuxellianturnedaway，andwalkedmusinglytotheupperendofthepromenade。

Mr。SwancourthadalightedatthesametimewithElfride，crossingovertotheRowforafewminutestospeaktoafriendherecognizedthere；andhiswifewasthusleftsoletenantofthecarriage。

Now，whilstthislittleacthadbeenincourseofperformance，therestoodamongthepromenadingspectatorsamanofsomewhatdifferentdescriptionfromtherest。Behindthegeneralthrong，intherearofthechairs，andleaningagainstthetrunkofatree，helookedatElfridewithquietandcriticalinterest。

ThreepointsaboutthisunobtrusivepersonshowedpromptlytotheexercisedeyethathewasnotaRowmanpursang。First，anirrepressiblewrinkleortwointhewaistofhisfrock-coat——

denotingthathehadnotdamnedhistailorsufficientlytodrivethattradesmanuptotheorthodoxhighpressureofcunningworkmanship。Second，aslightslovenlinessofumbrella，occasionedbyitsowner\'shabitofrestingheavilyuponit，andusingitasaveritablewalking-stick，insteadoflettingitspointtouchthegroundinthemostcoquettishofkisses，asistheproperRowmannertodo。Third，andchiefreason，thattryhowyoumight，youcouldscarcelyhelpsupposing，onlookingathisface，thatyoureyeswerenotfarfromawell-finishedmind，insteadofthewell-finishedskinetpraetereanihil，whichisbyrightstheMarkoftheRow。

Theprobabilityisthat，hadnotMrs。Swancourtbeenleftaloneinhercarriageunderthetree，thismanwouldhaveremainedinhisunobservedseclusion。Butseeingherthus，hecameroundtothefront，stoopedundertherail，andstoodbesidethecarriage-door。

Mrs。Swancourtlookedreflectivelyathimforaquarterofaminute，thenheldoutherhandlaughingly:

\'Why，HenryKnight——ofcourseitis!My——second——third——fourthcousin——whatshallIsay？Atanyrate，mykinsman。\'

\'Yes，oneofaremnantnotyetcutoff。Iscarcelywascertainofyou，either，fromwhereIwasstanding。\'

\'IhavenotseenyousinceyoufirstwenttoOxford；considerthenumberofyears!Youknow，Isuppose，ofmymarriage？\'

Andtheresprangupadialogueconcerningfamilymattersofbirth，death，andmarriage，whichitisnotnecessarytodetail。Knightpresentlyinquired:

\'Theyoungladywhochangedintotheothercarriageis，then，yourstepdaughter？\'

\'Yes，Elfride。Youmustknowher。\'

\'AndwhowastheladyinthecarriageElfrideentered；whohadanill-definedandwaterylook，asifshewereonlythereflectionofherselfinapool？\'

\'LadyLuxellian；veryweakly，Elfridesays。Myhusbandisremotelyconnectedwiththem；butthereisnotmuchintimacyonaccountof。However，Henry，you\'llcomeandseeus，ofcourse。24ChevronSquare。Comethisweek。Weshallonlybeintownaweekortwolonger。\'

\'Letmesee。I\'vegottorunuptoOxfordto-morrow，whereI

shallbeforseveraldays；sothatImust，Ifear，losethepleasureofseeingyouinLondonthisyear。\'

\'ThencometoEndelstow；whynotreturnwithus？\'

\'IamafraidifIweretocomebeforeAugustIshouldhavetoleaveagaininadayortwo。Ishouldbedelightedtobewithyouatthebeginningofthatmonth；andIcouldstayanicelongtime。

Ihavethoughtofgoingwestwardallthesummer。\'

\'Verywell。Nowrememberthat\'sacompact。Andwon\'tyouwaitnowandseeMr。Swancourt？Hewillnotbeawaytenminuteslonger。\'

\'No；I\'llbegtobeexcused；forImustgettomychambersagainthiseveningbeforeIgohome；indeed，Ioughttohavebeentherenow——Ihavesuchapressofmatterstoattendtojustatpresent。

Youwillexplaintohim，please。Good-bye。\'

\'Andletusknowthedayofyourappearanceassoonasyoucan。\'

\'Iwill\'

ChapterXV

\'Awanderingvoice。\'

Thoughsheerandintelligiblegriefsarenotcharmedawaybybeingconfidedtomereacquaintances，theprocessisapalliativetocertainill-humours。Amongthese，perplexedvexationisone——aspeciesoftroublewhich，likeastream，getsshallowerbythesimpleoperationofwideningitinanyquarter。

OntheeveningofthedaysucceedingthatofthemeetinginthePark，ElfrideandMrs。Swancourtwereengagedinconversationinthedressing-roomofthelatter。Suchatreatmentofsuchacasewasincourseofadoptionhere。

ElfridehadjustbeforereceivedanaffectionateletterfromStephenSmithinBombay，whichhadbeenforwardedtoherfromEndelstow。Butsincethisisnotthecasereferredto，itisnotworthwhiletopryfurtherintothecontentsoftheletterthantodiscoverthat，withrashthoughpardonableconfidenceincomingtimes，headdressedherinhighspiritsashisdarlingfuturewife。Probablytherecannotbeinstancedabrieferandsurerrule-

of-thumbtestofaman\'stemperament——sanguineorcautious——thanthis:didheordoesheante-datethewordwifeincorrespondingwithasweet-hearthehonestlyloves？

Shehadtakenthisepistleintoherownroom，readalittleofit，thenSAVEDtherestforto-morrow，notwishingtobesoextravagantastoconsumethepleasureallatonce。Nevertheless，shecouldnotresistthewishtoenjoyyetalittlemore，sooutcametheletteragain，andinspiteofmisgivingsastoprodigalitythewholewasdevoured。Theletterwasfinallyreperusedandplacedinherpocket。

Whatwasthis？AlsoanewspaperforElfride，whichshehadoverlookedinherhurrytoopentheletter。ItwastheoldnumberofthePRESENT，containingthearticleuponherbook，forwardedashadbeenrequested。

Elfridehadhastilyreaditthrough，shrunkperceptiblysmaller，andhadthengonewiththepaperinherhandtoMrs。Swancourt\'sdressing-room，tolightenoratleastmodifyhervexationbyadiscriminatingestimatefromherstepmother。

Shewasnowlookingdisconsolatelyoutofthewindow。

\'Nevermind，mychild，\'saidMrs。Swancourtafteracarefulperusalofthematterindicated。\'Idon\'tseethatthereviewissuchaterribleone，afterall。Besides，everybodyhasforgottenaboutitbythistime。I\'msuretheopeningisgoodenoughforanybookeverwritten。Justlisten——itsoundsbetterreadaloudthanwhenyouporeoveritsilently:"THECOURTOFKELLYONCASTLE。

AROMANCEOFTHEMIDDLEAGES。BYERNESTFIELD。Inthebeliefthatwewereforawhileescapingthemonotonousrepetitionofwearisomedetailsinmodernsocialscenery，analysesofuninterestingcharacter，ortheunnaturalunfoldingsofasensationplot，wetookthisvolumeintoourhandswithafeelingofpleasure。Weweredisposedtobeguileourselveswiththefancythatsomenewchangemightpossiblyberungupondonjonkeeps，chainandplatearmour，deeplyscarredcheeks，tendermaidensdisguisedaspages，towhichwehadnotlistenedlongago。”Now，that\'saverygoodbeginning，inmyopinion，andonetobeproudofhavingbroughtoutofamanwhohasneverseenyou。\'

\'Ah，yes，\'murmuredElfridewofully。\'But，then，seefurtheron!\'

\'Wellthenextbitisratherunkind，Imustown，\'saidMrs。

Swancourt，andreadon。\'"Insteadofthiswefoundourselvesinthehandsofsomeyounglady，hardlyarrivedatyearsofdiscretion，tojudgebythesillydeviceithasbeenthoughtworthwhiletoadoptonthetitle-page，withtheideaofdisguisinghersex。”\'

\'Iamnot"silly"!\'saidElfrideindignantly。\'Hemighthavecalledmeanythingbutthat。\'

\'Youarenot，indeed。Well:——"Handsofayounglady……whosechaptersaresimplydevotedtoimpossibletournaments，towers，andescapades，whichreadlikeflatcopiesoflikescenesinthestoriesofMr。G。P。R。James，andthemostunrealportionsofIVANHOE。Thebaitissopalpablyartificialthatthemostcredulousgudgeonturnsaway。”Now，mydear，Idon\'tseeovermuchtocomplainofinthat。ItprovesthatyouwerecleverenoughtomakehimthinkofSirWalterScott，whichisagreatdeal。\'

\'Ohyes；thoughIcannotromancemyself，Iamabletoremindhimofthosewhocan!\'Elfrideintendedtohurlthesewordssarcasticallyatherinvisibleenemy，butasshehadnomoresatiricalpowerthanawood-pigeon，theymerelyfellinaprettymurmurfromlipsshapedtoapout。

\'Certainly:andthat\'ssomething。Yourbookisgoodenoughtobebadinanordinaryliterarymanner，anddoesn\'tstandbyitselfinamelancholypositionaltogetherworsethanassailable——"Thatinterestinanhistoricalromancemaynowadayshaveanychanceofbeingsustained，itisindispensablethatthereaderfindhimselfundertheguidanceofsomenearlyextinctspeciesoflegendary，who，inadditiontoanimpulsetowardsantiquarianresearchandanunweakenedfaithinthemediaevalhalo，shallpossessaninventivefacultyinwhichdelicacyofsentimentisfarovertoppedbyapowerofweldingtostirringincidentaspiritedvarietyoftheelementaryhumanpassions。”Well，thatlong-windedeffusiondoesn\'trefertoyouatall，Elfride，merelysomethingputintofillup。Letmesee，whendoeshecometoyouagain；……nottilltheveryend，actually。Hereyouarefinallypolishedoff:

\'"Buttoreturntothelittleworkwehaveusedasthetextofthisarticle。Wearefarfromaltogetherdisparagingtheauthor\'spowers。Shehasacertainversatilitythatenableshertousewitheffectastyleofnarrationpeculiartoherself，whichmaybecalledamurmuringofdelicateemotionaltrifles，theparticulargiftofthosetowhomthesocialsympathiesofapeacefultimeareasdailyfood。Hence，wheremattersofdomesticexperience，andthenaturaltoucheswhichmakepeoplereal，canbeintroducedwithoutanachronismstoostriking，sheisoccasionallyfelicitous；

anduponthewholewefeeljustifiedinsayingthatthebookwillbearlookingintoforthesakeofthoseportionswhichhavenothingwhatevertodowiththestory。”

\'Well，Isupposeitisintendedforsatire；butdon\'tthinkanythingmoreofitnow，mydear。Itisseveno\'clock。\'AndMrs。

Swancourtrangforhermaid。

Attackismorepiquantthanconcord。Stephen\'sletterwasconcerningnothingbutonenesswithher:thereviewwastheveryreverse。Andastrangerwithneithernamenorshape，agenorappearance，butamightyvoice，isnaturallyratheraninterestingnoveltytoaladyhechoosestoaddress。WhenElfridefellasleepthatnightshewaslovingthewriteroftheletter，butthinkingofthewriterofthatarticle。

ChapterXVI

\'Thenfancyshapes——asfancycan。\'

Onadayaboutthreeweekslater，theSwancourttrioweresittingquietlyinthedrawing-roomofTheCrags，Mrs。Swancourt\'shouseatEndelstow，chatting，andtakingeasefulsurveyoftheirpreviousmonthortwooftown——atangiblewearinesseventopeoplewhoseacquaintancestheremightbecountedonthefingers。

AmereseasoninLondonwithherpractisedstep-motherhadsoadvancedElfride\'sperceptions，thathercourtshipbyStephenseemedemotionallymeagre，andtohavedriftedbackseveralyearsintoachildishpast。Inregardingourmentalexperiences，asinvisualobservation，ourownprogressreadslikeadwindlingofthatweprogressfrom。

Shewasseatedonalowchair，lookingoverherromancewithmelancholyinterestforthefirsttimesinceshehadbecomeacquaintedwiththeremarksofthePRESENTthereupon。

\'Stillthinkingofthatreviewer，Elfie？\'

\'Notofhimpersonally；butIamthinkingofhisopinion。Really，onlookingintothevolumeafterthislongtimehaselapsed，heseemstohaveestimatedonepartofitfairlyenough。\'

\'No，no；Iwouldn\'tshowthewhitefeathernow!Fancythatofallpeopleintheworldthewriterherselfshouldgoovertotheenemy。HowshallMonmouth\'smenfightwhenMonmouthrunsaway？\'

\'Idon\'tdothat。ButIthinkheisrightinsomeofhisarguments，thoughwronginothers。AndbecausehehassomeclaimtomyrespectIregretallthemorethatheshouldthinksomistakenlyofmymotivesinoneortwoinstances。Itismorevexingtobemisunderstoodthantobemisrepresented；andhemisunderstandsme。IcannotbeeasywhilstapersongoestorestnightafternightattributingtomeintentionsIneverhad。\'

\'Hedoesn\'tknowyourname，oranythingaboutyou。Andhehasdoubtlessforgottenthereissuchabookinexistencebythistime。\'

\'Imyselfshouldcertainlylikehimtobeputrightupononeortwomatters，\'saidthevicar，whohadhithertobeensilent。\'Yousee，criticsgoonwriting，andarenevercorrectedorarguedwith，andthereforeareneverimproved。\'

\'Papa，\'saidElfridebrightening，\'writetohim!\'

\'Iwouldassoonwritetohimaslookathim，forthematterofthat，\'saidMr。Swancourt。

\'Do!Andsay，theyoungpersonwhowrotethebookdidnotadoptamasculinepseudonyminvanityorconceit，butbecauseshewasafraiditwouldbethoughtpresumptuoustopublishhername，andthatshedidnotmeanthestoryforsuchashe，butasasweetenerofhistoryforyoungpeople，whomighttherebyacquireatasteforwhatwentonintheirowncountryhundredsofyearsago，andbetemptedtodivedeeperintothesubject。Oh，thereissomuchtoexplain；IwishImightwritemyself!\'

\'Now，Elfie，I\'lltellyouwhatwewilldo，\'answeredMr。

Swancourt，tickledwithasortofbucolichumourattheideaofcriticizingthecritic。\'Youshallwriteaclearaccountofwhatheiswrongin，andIwillcopyitandsenditasmine。\'

\'Yes，now，directly!\'saidElfride，jumpingup。\'Whenwillyousendit，papa？\'

\'Oh，inadayortwo，Isuppose，\'hereturned。Thenthevicarpausedandslightlyyawned，andinthemannerofelderlypeoplebegantocoolfromhisardourfortheundertakingnowthatitcametothepoint。\'But，really，itishardlyworthwhile，\'hesaid。

\'Opapa!\'saidElfride，withmuchdisappointment。\'Yousaidyouwould，andnowyouwon\'t。Thatisnotfair!\'

\'Buthowcanwesenditifwedon\'tknowwhomtosenditto？\'

\'Ifyoureallywanttosendsuchathingitcaneasilybedone，\'

saidMrs。Swancourt，comingtoherstep-daughter\'srescue。\'Anenvelopeaddressed，"TotheCriticofTHECOURTOFKELLYONCASTLE，careoftheEditorofthePRESENT，"wouldfindhim。\'

\'Yes，Isupposeitwould。\'

\'Whynotwriteyouransweryourself，Elfride？\'Mrs。Swancourtinquired。

\'Imight，\'shesaidhesitatingly；\'andsenditanonymously:thatwouldbetreatinghimashehastreatedme。\'

\'Nouseintheworld!\'

\'ButIdon\'tliketolethimknowmyexactname。SupposeIputmyinitialsonly？Thelessyouareknownthemoreyouarethoughtof。\'

\'Yes；youmightdothat。\'

Elfridesettoworkthereandthen。Heronedesireforthelastfortnightseemedlikelytoberealized。Ashappenswithsensitiveandsecludedminds，acontinualdwellinguponthesubjecthadmagnifiedtocolossalproportionsthespacesheassumedherselftooccupyortohaveoccupiedintheoccultcritic\'smind。Atnoonandatnightshehadbeenpesteringherselfwithendeavourstoperceivemoredistinctlyhisconceptionofherasawomanapartfromanauthor:whetherhereallydespisedher；whetherhethoughtmoreorlessofherthanofordinaryyoungwomenwhoneverventuredintothefireofcriticismatall。Nowshewouldhavethesatisfactionoffeelingthatatanyrateheknewhertrueintentincrossinghispath，andannoyinghimsobyherperformance，andbetaughtperhapstodespiseitalittleless。

Fourdayslateranenvelope，directedtoMissSwancourtinastrangehand，madeitsappearancefromthepost-bag。

\'0h，\'saidElfride，herheartsinkingwithinher。\'Canitbefromthatman——alectureforimpertinence？AndactuallyoneforMrs。

Swancourtinthesamehand-writing!\'Shefearedtoopenhers。

\'Yethowcanheknowmyname？No；itissomebodyelse。\'

\'Nonsense!\'saidherfathergrimly。\'Yousentyourinitials，andtheDirectorywasavailable。Thoughhewouldn\'thavetakenthetroubletolookthereunlesshehadbeenthoroughlysavagewithyou。Ithoughtyouwrotewithrathermoreasperitythansimpleliterarydiscussionrequired。\'Thistimelyclausewasintroducedtosavethecharacterofthevicar\'sjudgmentunderanyissueofaffairs。

\'Well，hereIgo，\'saidElfride，desperatelytearingopentheseal。

\'Tobesure，ofcourse，\'exclaimedMrs。Swancourt；andlookingupfromherownletter。\'Christopher，Iquiteforgottotellyou，whenImentionedthatIhadseenmydistantrelative，HarryKnight，thatIinvitedhimhereforwhateverlengthoftimehecouldspare。AndnowhesayshecancomeanydayinAugust。\'

\'Write，andsaythefirstofthemonth，\'repliedtheindiscriminatevicar。

Shereadom\'Goodnessme——andthatisn\'tall。HeisactuallythereviewerofElfride\'sbook。Howabsurd，tobesure!IhadnoideahereviewednovelsorhadanythingtodowiththePRESENT。Heisabarrister——andIthoughtheonlywroteintheQuarterlies。Why，Elfride，youhavebroughtaboutanoddentanglement!Whatdoeshesaytoyou？\'

Elfridehadputdownherletterwithadissatisfiedflushonherface。\'Idon\'tknow。Theideaofhisknowingmynameandallaboutme!……Why，hesaysnothingparticular，onlythis——

\'"MYDEARMADAM，——ThoughIamsorrythatmyremarksshouldhaveseemedharshtoyou，itisapleasuretofindthattheyhavebeenthemeansofbringingforthsuchaningeniouslyarguedreply。

Unfortunately，itissolongsinceIwrotemyreview，thatmymemorydoesnotservemesufficientlytosayasinglewordinmydefence，evensupposingthereremainsonetobesaid，whichisdoubtful。You，willfindfromaletterIhavewrittentoMrs。

Swancourt，thatwearenotsuchstrangerstoeachotheraswehavebeenimagining。Possibly，Imayhavethepleasureofseeingyousoon，whenanyargumentyouchoosetoadvanceshallreceivealltheattentionitdeserves。”

\'Thatisdimsarcasm——Iknowitis。\'

\'Ohno，Elfride。\'

\'Andthen，hisremarksdidn\'tseemharsh——ImeanIdidnotsayso。\'

\'Hethinksyouareinafrightfultemper，\'saidMr。Swancourt，chucklinginundertones。

\'Andhewillcomeandseeme，andfindtheauthoressascontemptibleinspeechasshehasbeenimpertinentinmanner。I

doheartilywishIhadneverwrittenawordtohim!\'

\'Nevermind，\'saidMrs。Swancourt，alsolaughinginlowquietjerks；\'itwillmakethemeetingsuchacomicalaffair，andaffordsplendidby-playforyourfatherandmyself。TheideaofourrunningourheadsagainstHarryKnightallthetime!Icannotgetoverthat。\'

ThevicarhadimmediatelyrememberedthenametobethatofStephenSmith\'spreceptorandfriend；buthavingceasedtoconcernhimselfinthematterhemadenoremarktothateffect，consistentlyforbearingtoalludetoanythingwhichcouldrestorerecollectionofthe(tohim)disagreeablemistakewithregardtopoorStephen\'slineageandposition。Elfridehadofcourseperceivedthesamething，whichaddedtothecomplicationofrelationshipameshthatherstepmotherknewnothingof。

TheidentificationscarcelyheightenedKnight\'sattractionsnow，thoughatwelvemonthagoshewouldonlyhavecaredtoseehimfortheinteresthepossessedasStephen\'sfriend。FortunatelyforKnight\'sadvent，suchareasonforwelcomehadonlybeguntobeawkwardtoheratatimewhentheinteresthehadacquiredonhisownaccountmadeitnolongernecessary。

Thesecoincidences，incommonwithallrelatingtohim，tendedtokeepElfride\'sminduponthestretchconcerningKnight。Aswashercustomwhenuponthehornsofadilemma，shewalkedoffbyherselfamongthelaurelbushes，andthere，standingstillandsplittingupaleafwithoutremovingitfromitsstalk，fetchedbackrecollectionsofStephen\'sfrequentwordsinpraiseofhisfriend，andwishedshehadlistenedmoreattentively。Then，stillpullingtheleaf，shewouldblushatsomefanciedmortificationthatwouldaccruetoherfromhiswordswhentheymet，inconsequenceofherintrusiveness，asshenowconsideredit，inwritingtohim。

Thenextdevelopmentofhermeditationswasthesubjectofwhatthisman\'spersonalappearancemightbe——washetallorshort，darkorfair，gayorgrim？ShewouldhaveaskedMrs。Swancourtbutfortheriskshemighttherebyincurofsometeasingremarkbeingreturned。UltimatelyElfridewouldsay，\'Oh，whataplaguethatrevieweristome!\'andturnherfacetowheresheimaginedIndialay，andmurmurtoherself，\'Ah，mylittlehusband，whatareyoudoingnow？Letmesee，whereareyou——south，east，where？Behindthathill，eversofarbehind!\'

ChapterXVII

\'Herwelcome，spokeinfalteringphrase。\'

\'ThereisHenryKnight，Ideclare!\'saidMrs。Swancourtoneday。

TheyweregazingfromthejuttingangleofawildenclosurenotfarfromTheCrags，whichalmostoverhungthevalleyalreadydescribedasleadingupfromtheseaandlittleportofCastleBoterel。Thestonyescarpmentuponwhichtheystoodhadthecontourofaman\'sface，anditwascoveredwithfurzeaswithabeard。Peopleinthefieldabovewerepreservedfromanaccidentalrolldowntheseprominencesandhollowsbyahedgeontheverycrest，whichwasdoingthatkindlyserviceforElfrideandhermothernow。

Scramblinghigherintothehedgeandstretchingherneckfurtheroverthefurze，Elfridebeheldtheindividualsignified。Hewaswalkingleisurelyalongthelittlegreenpathatthebottom，besidethestream，asatchelslunguponhislefthip，astoutwalking-stickinhishand，andabrown-hollandsun-hatuponhishead。Thesatchelwaswornandold，andtheouterpolishedsurfaceoftheleatherwascrackedandpeelingoff。

KnighthavingarrivedoverthehillstoCastleBotereluponthetopofacrazyomnibus，preferredtowalktheremainingtwomilesupthevalley，leavinghisluggagetobebroughton。

Behindhimwandered，helter-skelter，aboyofwhomKnighthadbrieflyinquiredthewaytoEndelstow；andbythatnaturallawofphysicswhichcauseslesserbodiestogravitatetowardsthegreater，thisboyhadkeptneartoKnight，andtrottedlikealittledogcloseathisheels，whistlingashewent，withhiseyesfixeduponKnight\'sbootsastheyroseandfell。

WhentheyhadreachedapointpreciselyoppositethatinwhichMrs。andMissSwancourtlayinambush，Knightstoppedandturnedround。

\'Lookhere，myboy，\'hesaid。

Theboypartedhislips，openedhiseyes，andanswerednothing。

\'Here\'ssixpenceforyou，onconditionthatyoudon\'tagaincomewithintwentyyardsofmyheels，allthewayupthevalley。\'

Theboy，whoapparentlyhadnotknownhehadbeenlookingatKnight\'sheelsatall，tookthesixpencemechanically，andKnightwentonagain，wraptinmeditation。

\'Anicevoice，\'Elfridethought；\'butwhatasingulartemper!\'

\'Nowwemustgetindoorsbeforeheascendstheslope，\'saidMrs。

Swancourtsoftly。Andtheywentacrossbyashortcutoverastile，enteringthelawnbyasidedoor，andsoontothehouse。

Mr。Swancourthadgoneintothevillagewiththecurate，andElfridefelttoonervoustoawaittheirvisitor\'sarrivalinthedrawing-roomwithMrs。Swancourt。Sothatwhentheelderladyentered，Elfridemadesomepretenceofperceivinganewvarietyofcrimsongeranium，andlingeredbehindamongtheflowerbeds。

Therewasnothinggainedbythis，afterall，shethought；andafewminutesafterboldlycameintothehousebytheglassside-

door。Shewalkedalongthecorridor，andenteredthedrawing-

room。Nobodywasthere。

Awindowattheangleoftheroomopeneddirectlyintoanoctagonalconservatory，enclosingthecornerofthebuilding。

Fromtheconservatorycamevoicesinconversation——Mrs。

Swancourt\'sandthestranger\'s。

Shehadexpectedhimtotalkbrilliantly。Tohersurprisehewasaskingquestionsinquitealearner\'smanner，onsubjectsconnectedwiththeflowersandshrubsthatshehadknownforyears。Whenafterthelapseofafewminuteshespokeatsomelength，sheconsideredtherewasahardsquaredecisivenessintheshapeofhissentences，asif，unlikeherownandStephen\'s，theywerenotthereandthennewlyconstructed，butweredrawnforthfromalargestoreready-made。Theywerenowapproachingthewindowtocomeinagain。

\'Thatisaflesh-colouredvariety，\'saidMrs。Swancourt。\'Butoleanders，thoughtheyaresuchbulkyshrubs，aresoveryeasilywoundedastobeunprunable——giantswiththesensitivenessofyoungladies。Oh，hereisElfride!\'

ElfridelookedasguiltyandcrestfallenasLadyTeazleatthedroppingofthescreen。Mrs。Swancourtpresentedhimhalfcomically，andKnightinaminuteortwoplacedhimselfbesidetheyounglady。

AcomplexityofinstinctscheckedElfride\'sconventionalsmilesofcomplaisanceandhospitality；and，tomakeherstilllesscomfortable，Mrs。Swancourtimmediatelyafterwardsleftthemtogethertoseekherhusband。Mr。Knight，however，didnotseematallincommodedbyhisfeelings，andhesaidwithlighteasefulness:

\'So，MissSwancourt，Ihavemetyouatlast。YouescapedmebyafewminutesonlywhenwewereinLondon。\'

\'Yes。IfoundthatyouhadseenMrs。Swancourt。\'

\'Andnowreviewerandreviewedarefacetoface，\'headdedunconcernedly。

\'Yes:thoughthefactofyourbeingarelationofMrs。Swancourt\'stakesofftheedgeofit。Itwasstrangethatyoushouldbeoneofherfamilyallthetime。\'Elfridebegantorecoverherselfnow，andtolookintoKnight\'sface。\'IwasmerelyanxioustoletyouknowmyREALmeaninginwritingthebook——extremelyanxious。\'

\'Icanquiteunderstandthewish；andIwasgratifiedthatmyremarksshouldhavereachedhome。Theyveryseldomdo，Iamafraid。\'

Elfridedrewherselfin。Herehewas，stickingtohisopinionsasfirmlyasiffriendshipandpolitenessdidnotintheleastrequireanimmediaterenunciationofthem。

\'Youmademeveryuneasyandsorrybywritingsuchthings!\'shemurmured，suddenlydroppingthemerecacueterieofafashionablefirstintroduction，andspeakingwithsomeofthedudgeonofachildtowardsasevereschoolmaster。

\'Thatisrathertheobjectofhonestcriticsinsuchacase。Nottocauseunnecessarysorrow，but:"Tomakeyousorryafterapropermanner，thatyemayreceivedamagebyusinnothing，"asapowerfulpenoncewrotetotheGentiles。Areyougoingtowriteanotherromance？\'

\'Writeanother？\'shesaid。\'Thatsomebodymaypenacondemnationand"nail\'twi\'Scripture"again，asyoudonow，Mr。Knight？\'

\'Youmaydobetternexttime，\'hesaidplacidly:\'Ithinkyouwill。ButIwouldadviseyoutoconfineyourselftodomesticscenes。\'

\'Thankyou。Butneveragain!\'

\'Well，youmayberight。Thatayoungwomanhastakentowritingisnotbyanymeansthebestthingtohearabouther。\'

\'Whatisthebest？\'

\'Iprefernottosay。\'

\'Doyouknow？Then，dotellme，please。\'

\'Well\'——(Knightwasevidentlychanginghismeaning)——\'Isupposetohearthatshehasmarried。\'

Elfridehesitated。\'Andwhatwhenshehasbeenmarried？\'shesaidatlast，partlyinordertowithdrawherownpersonfromtheargument。

\'Thentohearnomoreabouther。ItisasSmeatonsaidofhislighthouse:hergreatestrealpraise，whenthenoveltyofherinaugurationhaswornoff，isthatnothinghappenstokeepthetalkofheralive。\'

\'Yes，Isee，\'saidElfridesoftlyandthoughtfully。\'Butofcourseitisdifferentquitewithmen。Whydon\'tyouwritenovels，Mr。Knight？\'

\'BecauseIcouldn\'twriteonethatwouldinterestanybody。\'

\'Why？\'

\'Forseveralreasons。Itrequiresajudiciousomissionofyourrealthoughtstomakeanovelpopular，foronething。\'

\'Isthatreallynecessary？Well，Iamsureyoucouldlearntodothatwithpractice，\'saidElfridewithanex-cathedraair，asbecameapersonwhospokefromexperienceintheart。\'Youwouldmakeagreatnameforcertain，\'shecontinued。

\'Somanypeoplemakeanamenowadays，thatitismoredistinguishedtoremaininobscurity。\'

\'Tellmeseriously——apartfromthesubject——whydon\'tyouwriteavolumeinsteadofloosearticles？\'sheinsisted。

\'Sinceyouarepleasedtomakemetalkofmyself，Iwilltellyouseriously，\'saidKnight，notlessamusedatthiscatechismbyhisyoungfriendthanhewasinterestedinherappearance。\'AsIhaveimplied，Ihavenotthewish。AndifIhadthewish，Icouldnotnowconcentratesufficiently。Weallhaveonlyouronecruseofenergygivenustomakethebestof。Andwherethatenergyhasbeenleakedawayweekbyweek，quarterbyquarter，asminehasforthelastnineortenyears，thereisnotenoughdammedbackbehindthemillatanygivenperiodtosupplytheforceacompletebookonanysubjectrequires。Thenthereistheself-confidenceandwaitingpower。Wherequickresultshavegrowncustomary，theyarefataltoalivelyfaithinthefuture。\'

\'Yes，Icomprehend；andsoyouchoosetowriteinfragments？\'

\'No，Idon\'tchoosetodoitinthesenseyoumean；choosingfromawholeworldofprofessions，allpossible。Itwasbytheconstraintofaccidentmerely。NotthatIobjecttotheaccident。\'

\'Whydon\'tyouobject——Imean，whydoyoufeelsoquietaboutthings？\'Elfridewashalfafraidtoquestionhimso，butherintensecuriositytoseewhattheinsideofliteraryMr。Knightwaslike，kepthergoingon。

Knightcertainlydidnotmindbeingfrankwithher。Instancesofthistraitinmenwhoarenotwithoutfeeling，butarereticentfromhabit，mayberecalledbyallofus。Whentheyfindalistenerwhocanbynopossibilitymakeuseofthem，rivalthem，orcondemnthem，reservedandevensuspiciousmenoftheworldbecomefrank，keenlyenjoyingtheinnersideoftheirfrankness。

\'WhyIdon\'tmindtheaccidentalconstraint，\'hereplied，\'isbecause，inmakingbeginnings，achancelimitationofdirectionisoftenbetterthanabsolutefreedom。\'

\'Isee——thatis，IshouldifIquiteunderstoodwhatallthosegeneralitiesmean。\'

\'Why，this:Thatanarbitraryfoundationforone\'swork，whichnolengthofthoughtcanalter，leavestheattentionfreetofixitselfontheworkitself，andmakethebestofit。\'

\'Lateralcompressionforcingaltitude，aswouldbesaidinthattongue，\'shesaidmischievously。\'AndIsupposewherenolimitexists，asinthecaseofarichmanwithawidetastewhowantstodosomething，itwillbebettertochoosealimitcapriciouslythantohavenone。\'

\'Yes，\'hesaidmeditatively。\'Icangoasfarasthat。\'

\'Well，\'resumedElfride，\'Ithinkitbetterforaman\'snatureifhedoesnothinginparticular。\'

\'Thereissuchacaseasbeingobligedto。\'

\'Yes，yes；Iwasspeakingofwhenyouarenotobligedforanyotherreasonthandelightintheprospectoffame。Ihavethoughtmanytimeslatelythatathinwidespreadhappiness，commencingnow，andofapiecewiththedaysofyourlife，ispreferabletoananticipatedheapfarawayinthefuture，andnonenow。\'

\'Why，that\'stheverythingIsaidjustnowasbeingtheprincipleofallephemeraldoerslikemyself。\'

\'Oh，Iamsorrytohaveparodiedyou，\'shesaidwithsomeconfusion。\'Yes，ofcourse。Thatiswhatyoumeantaboutnottryingtobefamous。\'Andsheadded，withthequicknessofconvictioncharacteristicofhermind:\'Thereismuchlittlenessintryingtobegreat。Amanmustthinkagooddealofhimself，andbeconceitedenoughtobelieveinhimself，beforehetriesatall。\'

\'Butitissoonenoughtosaythereisharminaman\'sthinkingagooddealofhimselfwhenitisprovedhehasbeenthinkingwrong，andtoosoonthensometimes。Besides，weshouldnotconcludethatamanwhostrivesearnestlyforsuccessdoessowithastrongsenseofhisownmerit。Hemayseehowlittlesuccesshastodowithmerit，andhismotivemaybehisveryhumility。\'

ThismanneroftreatingherratherprovokedElfride。Nosoonerdidsheagreewithhimthanheceasedtoseemtowishit，andtooktheotherside。\'Ah，\'shethoughtinwardly，\'Ishallhavenothingtodowithamanofthiskind，thoughheisourvisitor。\'

\'Ithinkyouwillfind，\'resumedKnight，pursuingtheconversationmoreforthesakeoffinishingoffhisthoughtsonthesubjectthanforengagingherattention，\'thatinactuallifeitismerelyamatterofinstinctwithmen——thistryingtopushon。Theyawaketoarecognitionthattheyhave，withoutpremeditation，beguntotryalittle，andtheysaytothemselves，"SinceIhavetriedthusmuch，Iwilltryalittlemore。”Theygoonbecausetheyhavebegun。\'

Elfride，inherturn，wasnotparticularlyattendingtohiswordsatthismoment。Shehad，unconsciouslytoherself，awayofseizinganypointintheremarksofaninterlocutorwhichinterestedher，anddwellinguponit，andthinkingthoughtsofherownthereupon，totallyobliviousofallthathemightsayincontinuation。Onsuchoccasionssheartlesslysurveyedthepersonspeaking；andthentherewasatimeforapainter。Hereyesseemedtolookatyou，andpastyou，asyouwerethen，intoyourfuture；andpastyourfutureintoyoureternity——notreadingit，butgazinginanunused，unconsciousway——hermindstillclingingtoitsoriginalthought。

ThisishowshewaslookingatKnight。