登陆注册
15474100000004

第4章 CHAPTER I(4)

"It's eagerness dissimulated," the young man returned as the subject of their observation lingered before his Gainsborough. "He edges toward us shyly. Does he mean that she saved him by burning that book?""That book? what book did she burn?" The girl quickly turned her face to him.

"Hasn't he told you then?"

"Not a word."

"Then he doesn't tell you everything!" Paul had guessed that she pretty much supposed he did. The great man had now resumed his course and come nearer; in spite of which his more qualified admirer risked a profane observation: "St. George and the Dragon is what the anecdote suggests!"His companion, however, didn't hear it; she smiled at the dragon's adversary. "He IS eager - he is!" she insisted.

"Eager for you - yes."

But meanwhile she had called out: "I'm sure you want to know Mr. Overt. You'll be great friends, and it will always be delightful to me to remember I was here when you first met and that I had something to do with it."There was a freshness of intention in the words that carried them off; nevertheless our young man was sorry for Henry St. George, as he was sorry at any time for any person publicly invited to be responsive and delightful. He would have been so touched to believe that a man he deeply admired should care a straw for him that he wouldn't play with such a presumption if it were possibly vain. In a single glance of the eye of the pardonable Master he read - having the sort of divination that belonged to his talent -that this personage had ever a store of friendly patience, which was part of his rich outfit, but was versed in no printed page of a rising scribbler. There was even a relief, a simplification, in that: liking him so much already for what he had done, how could one have liked him any more for a perception which must at the best have been vague? Paul Overt got up, trying to show his compassion, but at the same instant he found himself encompassed by St.

George's happy personal art - a manner of which it was the essence to conjure away false positions. It all took place in a moment.

Paul was conscious that he knew him now, conscious of his handshake and of the very quality of his hand; of his face, seen nearer and consequently seen better, of a general fraternising assurance, and in particular of the circumstance that St. George didn't dislike him (as yet at least) for being imposed by a charming but too gushing girl, attractive enough without such danglers. No irritation at any rate was reflected in the voice with which he questioned Miss Fancourt as to some project of a walk - a general walk of the company round the park. He had soon said something to Paul about a talk - "We must have a tremendous lot of talk; there are so many things, aren't there?" - but our friend could see this idea wouldn't in the present case take very immediate effect. All the same he was extremely happy, even after the matter of the walk had been settled - the three presently passed back to the other part of the gallery, where it was discussed with several members of the party; even when, after they had all gone out together, he found himself for half an hour conjoined with Mrs. St. George. Her husband had taken the advance with Miss Fancourt, and this pair were quite out of sight. It was the prettiest of rambles for a summer afternoon - a grassy circuit, of immense extent, skirting the limit of the park within. The park was completely surrounded by its old mottled but perfect red wall, which, all the way on their left, constituted in itself an object of interest. Mrs. St.

George mentioned to him the surprising number of acres thus enclosed, together with numerous other facts relating to the property and the family, and the family's other properties: she couldn't too strongly urge on him the importance of seeing their other houses. She ran over the names of these and rang the changes on them with the facility of practice, making them appear an almost endless list. She had received Paul Overt very amiably on his breaking ground with her by the mention of his joy in having just made her husband's acquaintance, and struck him as so alert and so accommodating a little woman that he was rather ashamed of his MOTabout her to Miss Fancourt; though he reflected that a hundred other people, on a hundred occasions, would have been sure to make it. He got on with Ms. St. George, in short, better than he expected; but this didn't prevent her suddenly becoming aware that she was faint with fatigue and must take her way back to the house by the shortest cut. She professed that she hadn't the strength of a kitten and was a miserable wreck; a character he had been too preoccupied to discern in her while he wondered in what sense she could be held to have been the making of her husband. He had arrived at a glimmering of the answer when she announced that she must leave him, though this perception was of course provisional.

While he was in the very act of placing himself at her disposal for the return the situation underwent a change; Lord Masham had suddenly turned up, coming back to them, overtaking them, emerging from the shrubbery - Overt could scarcely have said how he appeared - and Mrs. St. George had protested that she wanted to be left alone and not to break up the party. A moment later she was walking off with Lord Masham. Our friend fell back and joined Lady Watermouth, to whom he presently mentioned that Mrs. St. George had been obliged to renounce the attempt to go further.

"She oughtn't to have come out at all," her ladyship rather grumpily remarked.

"Is she so very much of an invalid?"

"Very bad indeed." And his hostess added with still greater austerity: "She oughtn't really to come to one!" He wondered what was implied by this, and presently gathered that it was not a reflexion on the lady's conduct or her moral nature: it only represented that her strength was not equal to her aspirations.

同类推荐
  • 七元璇玑召魔品经

    七元璇玑召魔品经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 金箓设醮仪

    金箓设醮仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 三命通会

    三命通会

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 芦浦笔记

    芦浦笔记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 修西辑要

    修西辑要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 早恋学院

    早恋学院

    校园是我们最美好的回忆!同时也是我们最痛苦的经历!
  • 任务就是成长的机会

    任务就是成长的机会

    那么如何才能做好任务,如何才能把握机会,如何才能达到我们心中的目标?在本书中,作者通过深入浅出的分析和大量的实例展示,向我们指出了详尽的办法与操作步骤。抓住成长的每一步,就在此中。
  • 自动自发

    自动自发

    自动自发就是没人要求你、强迫你,你却能主动而出色地做好自己的事情。本书阐述了做一名自动自发员工的重要性,以及怎样做一名自动自发的员工,书中有具体的工作事例与理论相印证,非常利于读者理解本书的内容,并可使读者在具体的工作实践中运用。本书指导读者在工作中为企业、为自己创造更多的价值和财富。
  • 沸血战神

    沸血战神

    实力为尊的世界。弱者,受人欺凌。强者,俯瞰天下!林阳,神州的一位催眠师。来到实力为尊的世界,得到修魂者的传承。从此炼魂力,修武道。一路碾压对手,打败妖孽,强势崛起!沸血战神交流群:472855257
  • 小安生

    小安生

    她原本是一个普通家庭的普通大学生,安安静静的,不爱表现,不喜欢与人争繁荣。而他是大名鼎鼎的大牌明星,处于太阳正中,享受着太阳的直射。原本毫无交集的两人,似乎处于平行线的两人,正在慢慢靠近……
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 巅峰造诣的科学家(2)(世界名人成长历程)

    巅峰造诣的科学家(2)(世界名人成长历程)

    《世界名人成长历程——巅峰造诣的科学家(2)》本书分为罗伯特·胡克、依撒克·牛顿、雅格布·伯努利等部分。
  • 终之幻想

    终之幻想

    当漆黑的羽毛再次落下,我无力挽回。那就让一切逝去。【大概会有百合?】
  • 成功的起跑线(走向成功丛书)

    成功的起跑线(走向成功丛书)

    怎样走向成功?成功的要素有哪些?有理想的青少年朋友都会思考这样的问题。为此,我们组织编译了世界著名的成功学大师们的代表作,希望用大师们自己的成功实例和经验,帮助青少年朋友塑造自己,一步步走向成功之路,成为人生的赢家。
  • 樱翼皇家学院王子部

    樱翼皇家学院王子部

    宜予市,凌雪乔以全国第一名的成绩考入樱翼皇家学院,在樱翼皇家学院遇到了女生们所崇拜的王子部。她从来没有妄想过得到爱情,爱情?呵,这只是人们虚构出来的东西,并不是实物,即使真的有,也不会是一生一世、一辈子的!世上哪有天长地久,情侣之间总有分手的时候,她不信爱!他们一个个打开了她的心扉,当她愿意相信爱情的时候,却发现原来自己喜欢的人早已经有未婚妻了!她的记忆渐渐被敲开,原本是孤儿的她也揭开了身世之谜。