下载辰思小说免费APP
alsoitcomesbeforeP，doesn’tit？“
“Well，let’ssee。Youhaven’tason，haveyou？Thenperhapsitmightbemanaged，“repliedtheWhipwithgentlebutpointedinsolence，forMr。Blakeannoyedhim。“I’llmakeinquiries，andnow，shallwejointheladies？Iwanttocontinuemyconversationwithyourdaughteraboutthecorruptionwhichsomeenemy，takingadvantageofherinnocence，haspersuadedherexistsintheConservativeParty。Sheisacleveryoungladyandmakesoutagoodcaseagainstus，thoughIamsureIdonotknowwhenceshegotherinformation。Notfromyou，I
suppose，SirJohn——Ibegyourpardon，Mr。Blake。“
Sothematterwassettled，asbothofthemknewitwouldbewhentheylefttheroom。Thecashfounditswayintosomenebulousaccountthatnobodycouldhaveidentifiedwithanyparty，andintheDissolutionHonours，JohnBlake，Esq。，J。P。，wastransformedintoSirJohnBlake，Bart。；informationthatlefttensofthousandsofthestudentsofthelistmildlymarvellingwhy。Asthesamewonderstruckthemregardingthevastmajorityofthenameswhichappearedtherein，this，however，didnotmatter。Theypresumed，good，easysouls，thatJohnBlake，Esq。，J。P。，andtherestwerepatriotswhoforlongyearshadbeenworkingforthegoodoftheircountry，andthatwhattheyhaddoneinsecrethadbeendiscoveredinhighplacesandwasnowproclaimedfromthehousetops。
LadyJanewasinclinedtosharethisview。Sheknewthatagreatdealofherhusband’smoneywentintomysteriouschannelsofwhichshewasunabletotracetheends，andconcludedinherVictorian-wifekindoffashion，oratanyratehoped，thatitwasspentinalleviatingthedistressofthe“SubmergedTenth“whichatthattimewasmuchinevidence。Hencenodoubtthegraciousrecognitionthathadcometohim。JohnBlakehimself，whopaidoverthecash，naturallyhadnosuchdelusions，andunfortunatelyinthatmomentofexultation，whenhecontemplatedhisownnameadorningthelistsineverynewspaper，letoutthetruthatbreakfastatwhichIsobelwashissolecompanion。ForbythistimeLadyJanehadgrowntoodelicatetocomedownearly。
“Well，you’vegotabaronetforafathernow，mygirl“——tobeaccuratehecalledita“bart。“——hesaidpuffinghimselfoutlikeagreattoadbeforethefire，ashethrewdownthe/DailyNews/inwhichhisnamewasicilyignoredinaspitefulleaderetteabouttheHonoursList，uponthetopof/TheTimes/，/TheStandard/，and/TheMorningPost/。
“Oh!“saidIsobelinaninterestedvoiceandpaused。
“It’swonderfulwhatmoneycando，“wentonherfather，whowasinclinedforadiscussion，andsawnootherwayofopeningupthesubject。“Certainqualificationsofwhichitdoesnotbecomemetospeak，andagoodsubscriptiontothePartyfunds，andthereyouarewithBart。insteadofEsq。afteryournameandSirbeforeit。IwonderwhenIshallgetthePatent？Youknowbaronetsdonotreceivetheaccolade。“
“Don’tthey？“commentedIsobel。“Well，thatsavestheQueensometroubleofwhichshemustbegladasshedoesnotgetthesubscription。Iknowallabouttheaccolade，“sheadded；“forGodfreyhastoldme。OnlytheotherdayhewasshowingmeintheAbbeyChurchwherethewarriorswhoweretoreceiveit，kneltallnightbeforethealtar。Buttheydidn’tgivesubscriptions，theyprayedandafterwardstookacoldbath。“
“Timesarechanged，“heanswered。
“Yes，ofcourse。Ican’tsee/you/kneelingallnightwithawhiterobeon，Father，inprayerbeforeanaltar。Buttellme，wouldtheyhavemadeyouabaronetifyouhadn’tgiventhesubscription？“
SirJohnchuckledtillhisgreatformshook——hehadgrownverystoutoflateyears。
“Ithinkyouaresharpenoughtoanswerthatquestionforyourself。I
haveobserved，Isobel，thatyouknowasmuchoftheworldasmostyounggirlsofyourage。“
“Soyouboughtthething，“sheexclaimedwithaflashofhergreyeyes。“Ithoughtthathonoursweregivenbecausetheywereearned。“
“Didyou？“saidSirJohn，chucklingagain。“Well，nowyouknowbetter。
Lookhere，Isobel，don’tbeafool。Honours，ormostofthem，likeotherthings，areforthosewhocanpayfortheminthiswayorthat。
Nobodybothershowtheycomesolongasthey/do/come。Now，listen。
Unfortunately，asagirl，youcan’tinheritthistitle。Butitdoesn’tmattermuch，sinceitwillbeeasyforyoutogetoneforyourself。“
Isobelturnedredandutteredanexclamation，butenjoiningsilenceonherwithawaveofhisfathand，herfatherwenton：
“Ihaven’tdonesobadly，mydear，consideringmychances。Idon’tmindtellingyouthatIamarichmannow，indeedaveryrichmanasthingsgo，andIshallbemuchricher，fornothingpayslikeships，especiallyifyoumanthemwithforeigncrews。AlsoIamaBart，“andhepointedtothepileofnewspapersonthefloor，“andifmyPartygetsinagain，beforelongIshallbeaLord，whichwouldmakeyouanHonourable。Anyway，mygirl，althoughyouain’texactlyabeauty，“
hereheconsideredherwithacriticaleye，“you’llmakeafinefigureofawomanandwithyourmoney，youshouldbeabletogetanyhusbandyoulike。What’smore，“andhebangedhisfistuponthetable，“I
expectyoutodoit；that’syourpartofthefamilybusiness。Doyouunderstand？“
“Iunderstand，Father，thatyouexpectmetogetanyhusbandIlike。
Well，I’llpromisethat。“
“Ithinkyououghttocomeintotheoffice，youaresosmart，“repliedSirJohnwithsarcasm。“Butdon’tyoutryitonme，forI’msmarter。
YouknowverywellthatImeananyhusband/I/like，whenIsay’anyhusbandyoulike。’Nowdoyouunderstand？“
“Yes，“repliedIsobelicily。“Iunderstandthatyouwanttobuymeahusbandasyouhaveboughtatitle。Well，titlesandhusbandsarealikeinonething；oncetakenyoucanneverberidofthemdayornight。SoI’llsayatonce，tosavetroubleafterwards，thatIwouldratherearnmylivingasafarmgirl，andasforyourmoney，Father，youcandowhatyouwishwithit。“
Thenlookinghimstraightintheeyes，sheturnedandlefttheroom。
“Anoddchild!“thoughtSirJohntohimselfashestaredafterher。
“Anyway，shehasgotspiritandnodoubtwillcomeallrightintimewhenshelearnswhat’swhat。“
Inthecourseoftheseyearsofadolescence，GodfreyKnighthaddevelopedintoaratherunusualstampofyouth。Insomewayshewasclever，forinstanceattheclassicsandhistorywhichhehadalwaysliked；inothersandespeciallywherefigureswereconcerned，hewasstupid，orashisfathercalledhim，idle。Incompanyhewasapttobeshyanddull，unlesssomesubjectinterestedhim，whentotheastonishmentofthosepresent，hewouldholdforthandshowknowledgeandpowersofreflectionbeyondhisyears。Bynaturehewasintenselyproud；theonethingheneverforgotwasarebuff，orforgave，wasaninsult。SirJohnBlakesoonfoundthisout，andnotlikingthelad，whosecharacterwasantagonistictohisownineveryway，neverlostanopportunityofwhathecalled“puttinghiminhisplace，“perhapsbecausesomethingwarnedhimthatthisawkward，handsomeboywouldbecomeastumbling-blocktohissuccessfulfeet。
GodfreyandIsobelwerebothgreatreaders。Nordidtheylackforbooks，forasitchancedtherewasagoodlibraryatHawk’sHall，whichhadbeenformedbythepreviousownerandtakenoverlikethepictures，whenMr。Blakeboughtthehouse。Alsoitwasaddedtoconstantly，asanorderwasgiventoalargeLondonbooksellertosupplyalltheimportantnewworksthatcameout。Althoughheneveropenedabookhimself，SirJohnlikedtoappearintellectualbydisplayingthemabouttheroomsforthebenefitofhisvisitors。ThesepublicationsIsobelreadandlenttoGodfrey；indeedtheyperusedagreatdealwhichyoungpeoplegenerallyaresupposedtoleavealone，andthisinvariousschoolsofthought，includingthosethatareknownas“free。“
Itwasseldomthatsuchstudiesledtounanimitybetweenthem，buttoargument，whichsharpenedtheirintellects，theydidlead，followedinvariablybyacharitableagreementtodiffer。
AboutthetimeoftheadditionofthenameofJohnBlaketotherollofBritishChivalry，abookonMarscametheirway——itwasonebyaspeculativeastronomerwhichsuggeststhattheredplanetisthehomeofreasoningbeingsakintohumanity。Isobelreaditandwasnotimpressed。Indeed，inthevigorouslanguageofyouth，sheopinedthatitwasall“made-uprot。“
Godfreyreaditalsoandcametoquiteadifferentconclusion。Theideafiredhimandopenedawidedoorinhisimagination，aqualitywithwhichhewaswellprovided。HestaredatMarsthroughthelargeHalltelescope，andsaw，orimaginedthathesawthecanals，alsothesnow-capsandtheredherbage。Isobelstaredtooandsaw，orsworethatshesaw——nothingatall——afterwhichtheyargueduntiltheirthroatsweredry。
“It’sallnonsense，“saidIsobel。“Ifonlyyou’llstudytherocksandbiology，andDarwin’s’OriginofSpecies，’andlotsofotherthings，youwillseehowmancametodeveloponthisplanet。HeisjustanaccidentofNature，that’sall。“
“Andwhyshouldn’ttherebeanaccidentofNatureonMarsandelsewhere？“queriedGodfrey。
“Perhaps，butifso，itisquiteanotheraccidentandhasnothingtodowithus。“
“Idon’tknow，“heanswered。“Sometimes，“herehisvoicebecamedreamyasithadawayofdoing，“Ithinkthatwepasson，allofus，fromstartostar。AtleastIknowIoftenfeelasifIhaddoneso。“
“Youmeanfromplanettoplanet，Godfrey；starsarehotplaces，youknow。Youshouldnotswallowallthattheosophicalboshwhichisbasedonnothing。“
“There’stheBible，“wentonGodfrey，“whichtellsusthesamething，thatweliveeternally“
