第2章

Afterhisintroductioneventsmovedswiftly。FirstHelenandMaryappeared，theirfacesshiningandsolemnandmysterious——Helenself-

consciousandMarystaringthroughherspectacleslikeaprofoundowl。

BecauseJeremyhadknownMaryeversincehecouldremember，hewasunawarethattherewasanythingverypeculiarabouther。Butintruthshewasastrangelookingchild。Verythin，shehadalargehead，withbigoutstandingears，spectacles，andyellowhairpulledbackand“stringy。“Herlargehandswerealwaysred，andherforeheadwasfreckled。Shewasasplainachildasyouwereeverlikelytosee，buttherewascharacterinhermouthandeyes，andalthoughshewasonlysevenyearsold，shecouldreadquitedifficultbooks(shewasengagedatthisparticulartimeupon“Ivanhoe“)，andshewasageniusatsums。

Thepassionofherlife，asthefamilywereallaware，wasJeremy，butitwasanunfortunateanduncomfortablepassion。Shebotheredandworriedhim，shewasinsanelyjealous；shewouldsulkfordaysdidheeverseemtopreferHelentoherself。Nooneunderstoodher；

shewasconsidereda“difficultchild，“quiteunlikeanyothermemberofthefamily，exceptpossiblySamuel，Mr。Cole’sbrother-

in-law，whowasanunsuccessfulpainterandtherefore“odd。“

AsMarywasatpresentonlysevenyearsofageitwouldbetoomuchtosaythatthefamilywasafraidofher。AuntAmy’sattitudewas：

“Well，afterall，she’ssuretobecleverwhenshegrowsup，poorchild；“andalthoughtheparishionersofMary’sfatheralwaysalludedtoheras“theludicrousColechild，“theytoldawedlittlestoriesabouttheinfant’smentalcapacities，andconcludedcomfortably，“I’mgladAlice(orJaneorMatildaorAnabel)isn’tcleverlikethat。Theyoverworkwhentheyareyoung，andthenwhentheygrowup——“

MeanwhileMaryledherprivatelife。SheattachedherselftonoonebutJeremy；shewasdelicateandsufferedfromperpetualcolds；shethereforespentmuchofhertimeinthenurseryreading，herhugespectaclesclosetothepage，herthinlegslikeblacksticksstuckuponthefenderinfrontofthefireorcurledupunderheronthewindow-seat。

VerydifferentwasHelen。Helenhadamassofdarkblackhair，bigblackeyeswiththickeye-lashes，athinwhiteneck，littlefeet，andalreadyaneyeto“effects“indress。Shewascharmingtostrangers，tothequeercurateswhohauntedthefamilyhall，topoorpeopleandrichpeople，tooldpeopleandyoungpeople。Shewaswarm-heartedbutnotimpulsive，intelligentbutnotclever，sympatheticbutnotsentimental，impatientbutneveruncontrolled。

Shelikedalmosteveryoneandalmosteverything，butnooneandnothingmatteredtoherverydeeply；shelikedgoingtochurch，alwayslearntherCollectfirstonSunday，andgavehalfherpocket-

moneytothemorningcollection。Shewasgenerousbutneverextravagant，enjoyedfoodbutwasnotgreedy。Shewasquiteawarethatshewasprettyandmightonedaybebeautiful，andshewasgladofthat，butshewasneversillyaboutherlooks。

WhenAuntAmy，whowasalwayssillyabouteverything，saidinherpresencetovisitors，“Isn’tHelentheloveliestthingyoueversaw？“shemanagedbyhershyself-confidencetosuggestthatshewaspretty，thatAuntAmywasafool，andlifewasaltogetherveryagreeable，butthatnoneofthesethingswasofanygreatimportance。ShewasverygoodfriendswithJeremy，butsheplayednopartinhislifeatall。Atthesametimesheoftenfoughtwithhim，simplyfromherrealdeepconsciousnessofhersuperioritytohim。

Shevaluedherauthorityandasserteditincessantly。Thatauthorityhaduntillastyearbeenunchallenged，butJeremynowwasgrowing。

Shehad，althoughshedidnotasyetrealiseit，adifficulttimebeforeher。

HelenandMaryadvancedwiththeirpresents，laidthemonthebreakfast-table，andthenretreatedtowatchtheeffectofitall。

“ShallInow？“askedJeremy。

“Yes，now，“saidHelenandMary。

Therewerethreeparcels，onelargeand“shoppy，“twosmallandboundwithfamilypaper，tiedbyfamilyhandswithfamilystring。Hegraspedimmediatelythesituation。Theshoppyparcelwasboughtwithmother’smoneyandonly“pretended“tobefromhissisters；thetwosmallparcelsweretheveryhandiworkoftheladiesthemselves，thesamehavingbeenseenbyalleyesatworkforthelastsixmonths，sometimes，indeed，underthecloakofattemptedsecrecy，butmoreoften——becausewearinessorill-tempermadethemcareless——inthefulllightofday。

Hisinterestwascentredalmostentirelyinthe“shoppy“parcel，whichbyitsshapemightbe“soldiers“；butheknewtherulesofthegame，anddisregardingthelarge，ostentatiousbrown-paperedthing，hewentmagnificentlyforthetwosmallincoherentbundles。

Heopenedthem。Aflatgreentable-centrewitharedpatternofroses，athicktable-napkinringworkedinyellowworsted，thesewererevealed。

“Oh！“hecried，“justwhatIwanted。“(Fatheralwayssaidthatonhisbirthday。)

“Isit？“saidMaryandHelen。

“Mine’sthering，“saidMary。“It’sdirtyrather，butitwouldhavegotdirty，anyway，afterwards。“ShewatchedanxiouslytoseewhetherhepreferredHelen’s。

Hewatchedthemnervously，lestheshouldbeexpectedtokissthem。

Hewipedhismouthwithhishandinstead，andbeganrapidlytotalk：

“Jampotwillknownowwhichmineis。She’salwaysgivingmethewrongone。I’llhaveitalways，andthegreenthingtoo。“

“It’sforthemiddleofatable，“Heleninterrupted。

“Yes，Iknow，“saidJeremyhurriedly。“I’llalwayshaveittoo——likeMary’s——whenI’mgrownupandall……Isay，shallIopentheotheronenow？“

“Yes，youcan，“saidHelenandMary，ceasingtotakethecentralplaceintheceremony，spectatorsnowandeagerlyexcited。

ButMaryhadalastword。

“Youdolikemine，don’tyou？“

“Ofcourse，likeanything。“

Shewantedtosay“BetterthanHelen’s？“butrestrainedherself。

“Iwaseversolongdoingit；IthoughtIwouldn’tfinishitintime。“

Hesawwithterrorthatshemeditatedadescentuponhim；akisswasintheair。Shemovedforward；then，tohisextremerelief，thedooropenedandtheeldersarrivingsavedhim。

TherewereFatherandMother，UncleSamuelandAuntAmy，allwithpresents，facesofbirthdaytoleranceand“do-as-you-please-to-day，dear“expressions。

TheRev。HerbertColewasfortyyearsofage，rectorofSt。James’s，Polchester，duringthelasttenyears，andmarkedoutforgreaterprefermentinthenearfuture。Tobearectoratthirtyisunusual，buthehadgreatreligiousgifts，preachedanadmirable“as-man-to-

man“sermon，anddidnotbelieveinthinkingaboutmorethanhecouldsee。Hewasanexcellentfatherintheabstractsense，buttheparishabsorbedtoomuchofhistimetoallowofintimacieswithanyone。

Mrs。ColewasthemostplacidladyinEurope。Shehadacomfortablefigure，butwasnotstout，hereadimpleandthereadimple。Nothingcoulddisturbher。Children，servants，herhusband’ssermons，districtvisiting，herTuesday“athomes，“thebutcher，thedean’swife，thewivesofthecanons，thePolchesterclimate，bills，clothes，otherwomen’sclothes——overalltheserocksofperilintheseaofdailylifeherbarquehappilyfloated。Someill-naturedpeoplethoughtherstupid，butinheryoungerdaysshehadlikedTrollope’snovelsintheCornhill，disapprovedplacidlyof“JaneEyre，“andadmiredTennyson，sothatshecouldnotbeconsideredunliterary。

Shewaseconomical，warm-hearted，lovedherchildren，talkedonlythegentlestscandal，andwasacompletelyhappywoman——allthisintheplacidestwayintheworld。MissAmyTrefusis，hersister，wasverydifferent，beingthinbothinherfigureandheremotions。Sheskirtedtempestuouslyoverthesurfaceofthings，wasthemostsentimentalofhumanbeings，wasoftenintearsoverreminiscencesofbooksortheweather，wasdeeplyreligiousinasuperficialway，andreally——althoughshewouldhavebeenentirelyastonishedhadyoutoldherso——caredfornooneintheworldbutherself。Shewasdressedalwaysindarkcolours，withthehighshouldersoftheday，elegantbonnetsandlittlechainsthatjingledasshemoved。Inhersoulshefearedanddistrustedchildren，butshedidnotknowthis。

Shedidknow，however，thatshefearedanddistrustedherbrotherSamuel。

HerbrotherSamuelwasallthattheTrefusisfamily，asaconservativebodywhobelievedintradition，hadleastreasonforunderstanding。HehadbeenafailurefromthefirstmomentofhisentryintotheGrammarSchoolinPolchesterthirty-fiveyearsbeforethisstory。HehadcontinuedafailureatWinchesterandatChristChurch，Oxford。Hehaddesiredtobeapainter；hehadbrokenfromthefamilyandgonetostudyArtinParis。Hehadstarvedandstarved，wasatdeath’sdoor，wasdraggedhome，andtheresuddenlyhadrelapsedintoPolchester，livedfirstonhisfather，thenonhisbrother-in-law，paintedaboutthetown，painted，madecynicalremarksaboutthePolcastrians，painted，madeblasphemousremarksaboutthebishop，thedeanandallthecanons，painted，andrefusedtoleavehisbrother-in-law’shouse。Hewasascandal，ofcourse；hewasfat，untidy，woreabluetam-o’-shanterwhenhewas“out，“andsometimeswentdownOrangeStreetincarpetslippers。

Hewasascandal，butwhatareyoutodoifarelativeisobstinateandrefusestogo？Atleastmakehimshave，saythewivesofthecanons。ButnoonehadevermadeSamuelTrefusisdoanythingthathedidnotwanttodo。Hewassometimesnotshavedforthreewholedaysandnights。Atanyrate，thereheis。Itisofnousesayingthathedoesnotexist，asmanyoftheCloseladiestrytodo。Andatleasthedoesnotpaintstrangewomen；heprefersflowersandcowsandthePolchesterwoods，althoughanythinglesslikecows，flowersandwoods，Mrs。Sampson，wifeoftheDean，whooncehadawater-colourintheAcademy，saysshehasneverseen。SamuelTrefusisisafailure，and，whatistrulyawful，hedoesnotmind；nobodybuyshispicturesandhedoesnotcare；and，worsttasteofall，helaughsathisrelations，althoughhelivesonthem。Nothingfurtherneedbesaid。

ToHelen，MaryandJeremyhehadalwaysbeenafascinatingobject，althoughtheyrealised，withthatsharpworldlywisdomtobefoundinallinfantsoftenderyears，thathewasafailure，adirtyman，anddislikedchildren。Heveryrarelyspoketothem；wasoncequitewildlyenragedwhenMarywasdiscoveredlickinghispaints。(Itwasthepaintsheseemedanxiousabout，notintheleastthepoorlittlething’shealth，ashissisterAmysaid)，andhadpubliclybeenheardtosaythathisbrother-in-lawhadonlygotthechildrenhedeserved。

NeverthelessJeremyhadalwaysbeeninterestedinhim。Helikedhisfatroundshape，hisrough，untidygreyhair，hisscarletslippers，hisbluetam-o’-shanter，thesmudgesofpaintsometimestobediscoveredonhischeeks，andthejinglingnoiseshemadeinhispocketwithhismoney。HewascertainlymorefunthanAuntAmy。

There，then，theyallwerewiththeirpresentsandtheirbirthdayfaces。

“ShallIundothemforyou，darling？“ofcoursesaidAuntAmy。

Jeremyshookhishead(hedidnotsaywhathethoughtofher)andcontinuedtotugatthestring。Hewasgivenalargepairofscissors。Hereceived(fromFather)asilverwatch，(fromMother)apaint-box，adarkblueandgoldprayerbookwithathicksquashyleathercover(fromAuntAmy)。