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David Elginbrod
投诉 阅读记录

第4章

BOOKII。

ARNSTEAD。

Theearthhathbubblesasthewaterhas。

MACBETH——I。3

CHAPTERI。

ANEWHOME。

Awiseman"shomeiswhereso"erhe"swise。

JOHNMARSTON——Antonio"sRevenge。

HughlefttheNorthdeadinthearmsofgreywinter,andfoundhisnewabodealreadyaliveinthebreathofthewestwind。Ashewalkeduptheavenuetothehouse,hefeltthatthebudswerebreakingallabout,though,thenightbeingdarkandcloudy,thegreenshadowsofthecomingspringwereinvisible。

Hewasreceivedatthehall-door,andshowntohisroom,byanold,apparentlyconfidential,andcertainlyimportantbutler;whoseimportance,however,wasinoffensive,asfounded,toallappearance,onasenseoffamilyandnotofpersonaldignity。Refreshmentwasthenbroughthim,withthemessagethat,asitwaslate,Mr。Arnoldwoulddeferthepleasureofmeetinghimtillthemorningatbreakfast。

Lefttohimself,Hughbegantolookaroundhim。EverythingsuggestedacontrastbetweenhispresentpositionandthatwhichhehadfirstoccupiedaboutthesametimeoftheyearatTurriepuffit。

Hewasinanoldhandsomeroomofdarkwainscot,furnishedlikealibrary,withbook-casesaboutthewalls。Oneofthem,withglassdoors,hadanancientescritoireunderneath,whichwasopen,andevidentlyleftemptyforhisuse。Afirewasburningcheerfullyinanoldhighgrate;butitslight,thoughassistedbythatoftwowaxcandlesonthetable,failedtoshowtheoutlinesoftheroom,itwassolargeanddark。Theceilingwasratherlowinproportion,andahugebeamcrossedit。Atoneend,anopendoorrevealedaroombeyond,likewiselightedwithfireandcandles。Entering,hefoundthistobeanequallyold-fashionedbedroom,towhichhisluggagehadbeenalreadyconveyed。

“Asfarascreaturecomfortsgo,“thoughtHugh,“Ihavefallenonmyfeet。“Herangthebell,hadthetrayremoved,andthenproceededtoexaminethebook-cases。Hefoundthemtocontainmuchoftheliteraturewithwhichhewasmostdesirousofmakinganacquaintance。Afewbooksofthedaywereinterspersed。Thesenseofhavinggoodcompanionsintheauthorsaroundhim,addedgreatlytohisfeelingofcomfort;andheretiredforthenightfilledwithpleasantanticipationsofhissojournatArnstead。Allthenight,however,hisdreamswereofwindandsnow,andMargaretoutinthemalone。Janetwaswaitinginthecottageforhimtobringherhome。

Hehadfoundher,butcouldnotmoveher;forthespiritofthestormhadfrozenhertoice,andshewasheavyasamarblestatue。

Whenheawoke,theshadowsofboughsandbuddingtwigswerewavinginchangefulnetwork-tracery,acrossthebrightsunshineonhiswindow-curtains。Beforehewascalledhewasreadytogodown;andtoamusehimselftillbreakfast-time,heproceededtomakeanothersurveyofthebooks。Heconcludedthatthesemustbeacolonyfromthemother-library;andalsothattheroommust,notwithstanding,beintendedforhisespecialoccupation,seeinghisbedroomopenedoutofit。Next,helookedfromallthewindows,todiscoverintowhatkindofafurrowonthefaceoftheoldearthhehadfallen。Allhecouldseewastreesandtrees。Butoh!howdifferentfromthesombre,dark,changelessfir-woodatTurriepuffit!whosetreeslookedsmallandshrunkeninhismemory,besidethisgloryofboughs,breakingoutintotheirprophecyofaninfinitegreeneryathand。Hisroomsseemedtooccupytheendofasmallwingatthebackofthehouse,aswellashecouldjudge。Hissitting-roomwindowslookedacrossasmallspacetoanotherwing;andthewindowsofhisbedroom,whichwereatright-anglestothoseoftheformer,lookedfullintowhatseemedanorderedancientforestofgracioustreesofallkinds,comingalmostclosetotheverywindows。Theywerethetreeswhichhadbeenthrowingtheirshadowsonthesewindowsfortwoorthreehoursofthesilentspringsunlight,atoncesoliquidandsodazzling。Thenheresolvedtotesthisfacultyfordiscovery,byseeingwhetherhecouldfindhiswaytothebreakfast-roomwithoutaguide。Inthishewouldhavesucceededwithoutmuchdifficulty,foritopenedfromthemain-entrancehall,towhichthehugesquare-turnedoakstaircase,bywhichhehadascended,led;haditnotbeenforthesomewhatintricatenatureofthepassagesleadingfromthewinginwhichhisroomswere(evidentlyanolderandmoreretiredportionofthehouse)tothemainstaircaseitself。Afteropeningmanydoorsandfindingnothoroughfare,hebecameconvincedthat,inplaceoffindingawayon,hehadlostthewayback。Atlengthhecametoasmallstair,whichledhimdowntoasingledoor。Thisheopened,andstraightwayfoundhimselfinthelibrary,along,low,silent-lookingroom,everyfootofthewallsofwhichwasoccupiedwithbooksinvariedandrichbindings。Thelozenge-panedwindows,withthickstonemullions,weremuchovergrownwithivy,throwingacoolgreenshadowinessintotheroom。Oneofthem,however,hadbeenalteredtoamoremoderntaste,andopenedwithfolding-doorsuponafewsteps,descendingintoanold-fashioned,terracedgarden。

Toapproachthiswindowhehadtopassatable,lyingonwhichhesawapaperwithversesonit,evidentlyinawoman"shand,andapparentlyjustwritten,fortheinkofthecorrectivescoresstillglittered。Justashereachedthewindow,whichstoodopen,aladyhadalmostgaineditfromtheotherside,comingupthestepsfromthegarden。Shegaveaslightstartwhenshesawhim,lookedaway,andasinstantlyglancedtowardshimagain。Thenapproachinghimthroughthewindow,forhehadretreatedtoallowhertoenter,shebowedwithakindofstudiedease,andaslightshadeofsomethingFrenchinhermanner。Hervoicewasverypleasing,almostbewitching;yethad,atthesametime,somethingassumed,ifnotaffected,inthetone。Allthiswasdiscoverable,orratherspirituallypalpable,inthetwowordsshesaid——merely,“Mr。

Sutherland?”interrogatively。Hughbowed,andsaid:

“Iamverygladyouhavefoundme,forIhadquitelostmyself。I

doubtwhetherIshouldeverhavereachedthebreakfast-room。“

“Comethisway,“sherejoined。

Astheypassedthetableonwhichtheverseslay,shestoppedandslippedthemintoawriting-case。Leadinghimthroughasuccessionofhandsome,evidentlymodernpassages,shebroughthimacrossthemainhalltothebreakfast-room,whichlookedintheoppositedirectiontothelibrary,namely,tothefrontofthehouse。Sherangthebell;theurnwasbroughtin;andsheproceededatoncetomakethetea;whichshedidwell,risinginHugh"sestimationthereby。Beforehehadtime,however,tomakehisprivateremarksonherexterior,orhisconjecturesonherpositioninthefamily,Mr。Arnoldenteredtheroom,withaslow,somewhatdignifiedstep,andadulloutlookofgreyeyesfromagreyheadwell-balancedonatall,ratherslenderframe。Theladyrose,and,addressinghimasuncle,badehimgoodmorning;agreetingwhichhereturnedcordially,withakissonherforehead。ThenaccostingHugh,withamannerwhichseemedthemorepoliteandcoldafterthetoneinwhichhehadspokentohisniece,hebadehimwelcometoArnstead。

“Itrustyouwereproperlyattendedtolastnight,Mr。Sutherland?

Yourpupilwantedverymuchtosituptillyouarrived,butheisaltogethertoodelicate,Iamsorrytosay,forlatehours,thoughhehasanunfortunatepreferenceforthemhimself。Jacob,“(tothemaninwaiting),“isnotMasterHarryupyet?”

MasterHarry"sentranceatthatmomentrenderedreplyunnecessary。

“Goodmorning,Euphra,“hesaidtothelady,andkissedheronthecheek。

“Goodmorning,dear,“wasthereply,accompaniedbyapretenceofreturningthekiss。Butshesmiledwithakindofconfectionarysweetnessonhim;and,droppinganadditionallumpofsugarintohisteaatthesamemoment,placeditforhimbesideherself;whilehewentandshookhandswithhisfather,andthenglancingshylyupatHughfromapairoflargedarkeyes,puthishandinhis,andsmiled,revealingteethofapearlywhiteness。Thelips,however,didnotcontrastthemsufficiently,beingpaleandthin,withindicationofsufferingintheirtremulouslines。Takinghisplaceattable,hetrifledwithhisbreakfast;andaftermakingpretenceofeatingforawhile,askedEuphraifhemightgo。Shegivinghimleave,hehastenedaway。

Mr。ArnoldtookadvantageofhisretreattoexplaintoHughwhatheexpectedofhimwithregardtotheboy。

“HowoldwouldyoutakeHarrytobe,Mr。Sutherland?”

“Ishouldsayabouttwelvefromhissize,“repliedHugh;“butfromhisevidentbadhealth,andintelligentexpression——“

“Ah!youperceivethestateheisin,“interruptedMr。Arnold,withsomesadnessinhisvoice。“Youareright;heisnearlyfifteen。Hehasnotgrownhalf-an-inchinthelasttwelvemonths。“

“Perhapsthatisbetterthangrowingtoofast,“saidHugh。

“Perhaps——perhaps;wewillhopeso。ButIcannothelpbeinguneasyabouthim。Hereadstoomuch,andIhavenotyetbeenabletohelpit;forheseemsmiserable,andwithoutanyobjectinlife,ifI

compelhimtoleavehisbooks。“

“Perhapswecanmanagetogetoverthatinalittlewhile。“

“Besides,“Mr。Arnoldwenton,payingnoattentiontowhatHughsaid,“Icangethimtotakenoexercise。Hedoesnotevencareforriding。Iboughthimasecondponyamonthago,andhehasnotbeentwiceonitsbackyet。“

Hughcouldnothelpthinkingthattoincreasethesupplywasnotalwaysthebestmodeofincreasingthedemand;andthatonewhowouldnotridethefirstpony,wouldhardlybelikelytoridethesecond。Mr。Arnoldconcludedwiththewords:

“Idon"twanttostoptheboy"sreading,butIcan"thavehimamilksop。“

“WillyouletmemanagehimasIplease,Mr。Arnold?”Hughventuredtosay。

Mr。Arnoldlookedfullathim,withaveryslightbutquitemanifestexpressionofsurprise;andHughwasawarethattheeyesofthelady,calledbytheboyEuphra,werelikewisefixeduponhimpenetratingly。AsifhewerethenforthefirsttimestruckbythemanlydevelopmentofHugh"sframe,Mr。Arnoldanswered:

“Idon"twantyoutooverdoit,either。YoucannotmakeamuscularChristianofhim。“(Thespeakersmiledathisownimaginedwit。)

“Theboyhastalents,andIwanthimtousethem。“

“Iwilldomybestforhimbothways,“answeredHugh,“ifyouwilltrustme。Formypart,Ithinktheonlywayistomaketheoperationoftheintellectualtendencyontheoneside,revealtotheboyhimselfhisdeficiencyontheother。Thisoncedone,allwillbewell。“

Ashesaidthis,Hughcaughtsightofacloudy,inscrutabledissatisfactionslightlycontractingtheeyebrowsofthelady。Mr。

Arnold,however,seemednottobealtogetherdispleased。

“Well,“heanswered,“Ihavemyplans;butletusseefirstwhatyoucandowithyours。Iftheyfail,perhapsyouwillobligemebytryingmine。“

Thiswassaidwiththedecisivepolitenessofonewhoisaccustomedtohavehisownway,andfullyintendstohaveit——everywordasarticulateanddeliberateasorgansofspeechcouldmakeit。ButheseemedatthesametimesomewhatimpressedbyHugh,andnotunwillingtoyield。

Throughouttheconversation,theladyhadsaidnothing,buthadsatwatching,orratherscrutinizing,Hugh"scountenance,withafarkeenerandmorefrequentglancethan,Ipresume,hewasatallawareof。Whetherornotshewassatisfiedwithherconclusions,sheallowednosigntodisclose;but,breakfastbeingover,roseandwithdrew,turning,however,atthedoor,andsaying:

“Whenyouplease,Mr。Sutherland,IshallbegladtoshowyouwhatHarryhasbeendoingwithme;fortillnowIhavebeenhisonlytutor。“

“Thankyou,“repliedHugh;“butforsometimeweshallbequiteindependentofschool-books。Perhapswemayrequirenoneatall。

Hecanread,Ipresume,fairlywell?”

“Readingisnotonlyhisfortebuthisfault,“repliedMr。Arnold;

whileEuphra,fixingonemorepiercinglookuponhim,withdrew。

“Yes,“respondedHugh;“butaboymayshufflethroughabookveryquickly,andhavenosuchaccurateperceptionsofeventhemerewords,astobeabletoreadaloudintelligibly。“

HowlittlethisappliedtoHarry,Hughwassoontolearn。

“Well,youknowbestaboutthesethings,Idaresay。Ileaveittoyou。Withsuchtestimonialsasyouhave,Mr。Sutherland,Icanhardlybewronginlettingyoutryyourownplanswithhim。Now,I

mustbidyougoodmorning。Youwill,inallprobability,findHarryinthelibrary。“

CHAPTERII。

HARRY"SNEWHORSE。

SpielenderUnterrichtheisstnicht,demKindeAnstrengungenersparenundabnehmen,sonderneineLeidenschaftinihmerwecken,welcheihmdiest鋜kstenaufn鰐higtunderleichtert。

JEANPAUL——DieUnsichtbareLoge。

Itisnottheintentionofsportiveinstructionthatthechildshouldbesparedeffort,ordeliveredfromit;butthattherebyapassionshouldbewakenedinhim,whichshallbothnecessitateandfacilitatethestrongestexertion。

Hughmadenohastetofindhispupilinthelibrary;thinkingitbetter,withsuchaboy,nottopounceuponhimasifheweregoingtoeducatehimdirectly。Hewenttohisownroomsinstead;gothisbooksoutandarrangedthem,——supplyingthus,inaverysmalldegree,thescarcityofmodernonesinthebook-cases;thenarrangedhissmallwardrobe,lookedabouthimalittle,andfinallywenttoseekhispupil。

Hefoundhiminthelibrary,ashehadbeengiventoexpect,coileduponthefloorinacorner,withhisbackagainstthebook-shelves,andanoldfolioonhisknees,whichhewasreadinginsilence。

“Well,Harry,“saidHugh,inahalf-indifferenttone,ashethrewhimselfonacouch,“whatareyoureading?”

Harryhadnotheardhimcomein。Hestarted,andalmostshuddered;

thenlookedup,hesitated,rose,and,asifashamedtoutterthenameofthebook,broughtittoHugh,openingitatthetitle-pageashehelditouttohim。ItwastheoldromanceofPolexander。

Hughknewnothingaboutit;but,glancingoversomeofthepages,couldnothelpwonderingthattheboyshouldfinditinteresting。

“Doyoulikethisverymuch?”saidhe。

“Well——no。Yes,rather。“

“IthinkIcouldfindyousomethingmoreinterestinginthebook-shelves。“

“Oh!please,sir,mayn"tIreadthis?”pleadedHarry,withsignsofdistressinhispaleface。

“Oh,yes,certainly,ifyouwish。Buttellmewhyyouwanttoreaditsoverymuch。“

“BecauseIhavesetmyselftoreaditthrough。“

Hughsawthatthechildwasinadiseasedstateofmind,aswellasofbody。

“Youshouldnotsetyourselftoreadanything,beforeyouknowwhetheritisworthreading。“

“Icouldnothelpit。IwasforcedtosayIwould。“

“Towhom?”

“Tomyself。Mayn"tIreadit?”

“Certainly,“wasallHugh"sanswer;forhesawthathemustnotpursuethesubjectatpresent:theboywasquitehypochondriacal。

Hisfacewaskeen,withthatcleardefinitionoffeaturewhichsuggestssuperiorintellect。Hewas,thoughverysmallforhisage,wellproportioned,exceptthathisheadandfaceweretoolarge。

Hisforeheadindicatedthought;andHughcouldnotdoubtthat,howeveruninterestingthebookswhichhereadmightbe,theymusthaveaffordedhimsubjectsofmentalactivity。Buthecouldnothelpseeingaswell,thatthisactivity,ifnotalteredinitsdirectionandmodifiedinitsdegree,wouldsoondestroyitself,eitherbyruininghisfeebleconstitutionaltogether,or,whichwasmoretobefeared,byirremediablyinjuringtheactionofthebrain。

Heresolved,however,tolethimsatisfyhisconsciencebyreadingthebook;hoping,bytheintroductionofotherobjectsofthoughtandfeeling,torenderitsodistasteful,thathewouldbeinlittledangerofyieldingasimilarpledgeagain,evenshouldthetemptationreturn,whichHughhopedtoprevent。

“Butyouhavereadenoughforthepresent,haveyounot?”saidhe,rising,andapproachingthebook-shelves。

“Yes;Ihavebeenreadingsincebreakfast。“

“Ah!there"sacapitalbook。Haveyoueverreadit——Gulliver"sTravels?”

“No。Theoutsidelookedalwayssouninteresting。“

“SodoesPolexander"soutside。“

“Yes。ButIcouldn"thelpthatone。“

“Well,comealong。Iwillreadtoyou。“

“Oh!thankyou。Thatwillbedelightful。Butmustwenotgotoourlessons?”

“I"mgoingtomakealessonofthis。Ihavebeentalkingtoyourpapa;andwe"regoingtobeginwithaholiday,insteadofendingwithone。Imustgetbetteracquaintedwithyoufirst,Harry,beforeIcanteachyouright。Wemustbefriends,youknow。“

Theboycreptcloseuptohim,laidonethinhandonhisknee,lookedinhisfaceforamoment,andthen,withoutaword,satdownonthecouchclosebesidehim。Beforeanhourhadpassed,HarrywaslaughingheartilyatGulliver"sadventuresamongsttheLilliputians。

Havingarrivedatthispointofsuccess,Hughceasedreading,andbegantotalktohim。

“Isthatladyyourcousin?”

“Yes。Isn"tshebeautiful?”

“Ihardlyknowyet。Ihavenotgotusedtoherenoughyet。Whatishername?”

“Oh!suchaprettyname——Euphrasia。“

“Isshetheonlyladyinthehouse?”

“Yes;mymammaisdead,youknow。Shewasillforalongtime,theysay;andshediedwhenIwasborn。“

Thetearscameinthepoorboy"seyes。Hughthoughtofhisownfather,andputhishandonHarry"sshoulder。HarrylaidhisheadonHugh"sshoulder。

“But,“hewenton,“Euphraissokindtome!Andsheissoclevertoo!Sheknowseverything。“

“Haveyounobrothersorsisters?”

“No,none。IwishIhad。“

“Well,I"llbeyourbigbrother。OnlyyoumustmindwhatIsaytoyou;elseIshallstopbeinghim。Isitabargain?”

“Yes,tobesure!”criedHarryindelight;and,springingfromthecouch,hebeganhoppingfeeblyabouttheroomononefoot,toexpresshispleasure。

“Well,then,that"ssettled。Now,youmustcomeandshowmethehorses——yourponies,youknow——andthepigs——“

“Idon"tlikethepigs——Idon"tknowwheretheyare。“

“Well,wemustfindout。PerhapsIshallmakesomediscoveriesforyou。Haveyouanyrabbits?”

“No。“

“Adogthough,surely?”

“No。Ihadacanary,butthecatkilledit,andIhaveneverhadapetsince。“

“Well,getyourcap,andcomeoutwithme。Iwillwaitforyouhere。“

Harrywalkedaway——heseldomran。Hesoonreturnedwithhiscap,andtheysalliedouttogether。

Happeningtolookbackatthehouse,whenafewpacesfromit,HughthoughthesawEuphrastandingatthewindowofabackstaircase。

Theymadetheroundofthestables,andthecow-house,andthepoultry-yard;andeventhepigs,asproposed,cameinforashareoftheirattention。Astheyapproachedthestye,Harryturnedawayhisheadwithalookofdisgust。Theywereeatingoutofthetrough。

“Theymakesuchanastynoise!”hesaid。

“Yes,butjustlook:don"ttheyenjoyit?”saidHugh。

Harrylookedatthem。Thenotionoftheirenjoymentseemedtodawnuponhimassomethingquitenew。Hewentnearerandnearertothestye。Atlastasmilebrokeoutoverhiscountenance。

“Howtightthatonecurlshistail!”saidhe,andburstoutlaughing。

“Howdreadfullythisboymusthavebeenmismanaged!”thoughtHughtohimself。“Butthereisnofearofhimnow,Ihope。“

Bythistimetheyhadbeenwanderingaboutformorethananhour;

andHughsaw,byHarry"sincreasedpaleness,thathewasgettingtired。

“Here,Harry,getonmyback,myboy,andhavearide。You"retired。“

AndHughkneltdown。

Harryshrunkback。

“Ishallspoilyourcoatwithmyshoes。“

“Nonsense!Rubthemwellonthegrassthere。Andthengetonmybackdirectly。“

Harrydidashewasbid,andfoundhistutor"sbroadbackandstrongarmsaverycomfortablesaddle。Soawaytheywent,wanderingaboutforalongtime,intheirnewrelationofhorseandhisrider。Atlengththeygotintothemiddleofalongnarrowavenue,quiteneglected,overgrownwithweeds,andobstructedwithrubbish。Butthetreeswerefinebeeches,ofgreatgrowthandconsiderableage。

Oneendledfarintoawood,andtheothertowardsthehouse,asmallportionofwhichcouldbeseenattheend,theavenueappearingtoreachcloseuptoit。

“Don"tgodownthis,“saidHarry。

“Well,it"snotaverygoodroadforahorsecertainly,butIthinkIcangoit。Whatabeautifulavenue!Whyisitsoneglected?”

“Don"tgodownthere,please,dearhorse。“

HarrywasgettingwonderfullyathomewithHughalready。

“Why?”askedHugh。

“TheycallittheGhost"sWalk,andIdon"tmuchlikeit。Ithasastrangedistractedlook!”

“That"salongword,andadescriptiveonetoo,“thoughtHugh;but,consideringthattherewouldcomemanyabetteropportunityofcombatingtheboy"sfearsthannow,hesimplysaid:“Verywell,Harry,“——andproceededtoleavetheavenuebytheotherside。ButHarrywasnotyetsatisfied。

“Please,Mr。Sutherland,don"tgoonthatside,justnow。Ridemeback,please。Itisnotsafe,theysay,tocrossherpath。Shealwaysfollowsanyonewhocrossesherpath。“

Hughlaughed;butagainsaid,“Verywell,myboy;“and,returning,lefttheavenuebythesidebywhichhehadenteredit。

“Shallwegohometoluncheonnow?”saidHarry。

“Yes,“repliedHugh。“Couldwenotgobythefrontofthehouse?I

shouldlikeverymuchtoseeit。“

“Oh,certainly,“saidHarry,andproceededtodirectHughhowtogo;

butevidentlydidnotknowquitetohisownsatisfaction。Therebeing,however,butlittlefoliageyet,Hughcoulddiscoverhiswayprettywell。Hepromisedhimselfmanyadelightfulwanderinthewoodyregionsintheevenings。

Theymanagedtogetroundtothefrontofthehouse,notwithoutsomedifficulty;andthenHughsawtohissurprisethat,althoughnotimposinginappearance,itwasinextentmorelikeabaronialresidencethanthatofasimplegentleman。Thefrontwasverylong,apparentlyofallages,andofallpossiblestylesofarchitecture,theresultbeingsomewhatmysteriousandeminentlypicturesque。Allkindsofwindows;allkindsofprojectionsandrecesses;ahousehere,joinedtoahallthere;hereapointedgable,theverybellonthetopovergrownandapparentlychokedwithivy;thereawidefrontwithlargebaywindows;andnextaturretofoldstone,withnotashredofivyuponit,butcrowdedoverwithgrey-greenlichens,whichlookedasifthestoneitselfhadtakentogrowing;multitudesofroofs,ofallshapesandmaterials,sothatonemightveryeasilybelostamongstthechimneysandguttersanddormerwindowsandpinnacles——madeuptheappearanceofthehouseontheoutsidetoHugh"sfirstinquiringglance,ashepausedatalittledistancewithHarryonhisback,andscannedthewonderfulpilebeforehim。

ButashelookedatthehouseofArnstead,Euphrawaslookingathimwiththeboyonhisback,fromoneofthesmallerwindows。Wasshemakinguphermind?

“YouareaskindtomeasEuphra,“saidHarry,asHughsethimdowninthehall。“I"veenjoyedmyrideverymuch,thankyou,Mr。

Sutherland。IamsureEuphrawilllikeyouverymuch——shelikeseverybody。“

CHAPTERIII。

EUPHRASIA。

thenpurgedwithEuphrasyandRueThevisualnerve,forhehadmuchtosee。

ParadiseLost,b。xi。

Softmusiccametomineear。Itwasliketherisingbreeze,thatwhirls,atfirst,thethistle"sbeard;thenflies,dark-shadowy,overthegrass。ItwasthemaidofFu鋜fedwild:sheraisedthenightlysong;forsheknewthatmysoulwasastream,thatflowedatpleasantsounds。

Ossian——Oina-Morul。

HarryledHughbythehandtothedining-room,alargeoakhallwithGothicwindows,andanopenroofsupportedbyrichlycarvedwoodwork,inthesquaresamidstwhichwerepaintedmanyescutcheonspartedbyfancifuldevices。Overthehighstonecarvingabovethechimneyhunganoldpieceoftapestry,occupyingthewholespacebetweenthatandtheroof。Itrepresentedahunting-partyofladiesandgentlemen,justsettingout。Thetablelookedverysmallinthecentreoftheroom,thoughitwouldhaveseatedtwelveorfourteen。

Itwasalreadycoveredforluncheon;andinaminuteEuphraenteredandtookherplacewithoutaword。HughsatononesideandHarryontheother。Euphra,havinghelpedbothtosoup,turnedtoHarryandsaid,“Well,Harry,Ihopeyouhaveenjoyedyourfirstlesson。“

“Verymuch,“answeredHarrywithasmile。“Ihavelearnedpigsandhorseback。“

“Theboyispositivelyclever,“thoughtHugh。

“Mr。Sutherland“——hecontinued,“hasbeguntoteachmetolikecreatures。“

“ButIthoughtyouwereveryfondofyourwild-beastbook,Harry。“

“Oh!yes;butthatwasonlyinthebook,youknow。Ilikethestoriesaboutthem,ofcourse。Buttolikepigs,youknow,isquitedifferent。Theyaresouglyandill-bred。Ilikethemthough。“

“YouseemtohavequitegainedHarryalready,“saidEuphra,glancingatHugh,andlookingawayasquickly。

“Weareverygoodfriends,andshallbe,Ithink,“repliedhe。

Harrylookedathimaffectionately,andsaidtohim,nottoEuphra,“Oh!yes,thatweshall,Iamsure。“Thenturningtothelady——“Doyouknow,Euphra,heismybigbrother?”

“Youmustmindhowyoumakenewrelations,though,Harry;foryouknowthatwouldmakehimmycousin。“

“Well,youwillbeakindcousintohim,won"tyou?”

“Iwilltry,“repliedEuphra,lookingupatHughwithana飗eexpressionofshyness,andtheslightestpossibleblush。

Hughbegantothinkherpretty,almosthandsome。Hisnextthoughtwastowonderhowoldshewas。Butaboutthishecouldnotatoncemakeuphismind。Shemightbefour-and-twenty;shemightbetwo-and-thirty。Shehadblack,lustrelesshair,andeyestomatch,asfarascolourwasconcerned——buttheycouldsparkle,andprobablyflashuponoccasion;alowforehead,butveryfinelydevelopedinthefacultiesthatdwellabovetheeyes;slenderbutverydarkeyebrows——justblackarchedlinesinherrathersallowcomplexion;

nosestraight,andnothingremarkable——“anexcellentthinginwoman,“amouthindifferentwhenatrest,butcapableofabeautifullaugh。Shewasrathertall,andofaprettyenoughfigure;handsgood;feetinvisible。Hughcametotheseconclusionsrapidlyenough,nowthathisattentionwasdirectedtoher;for,thoughnaturallyunobservant,hisperceptionwasveryacuteassoonashisattentionwasroused。

“Thankyou,“herepliedtoherprettyspeech。“Ishalldomybesttodeserveit。“

“Ihopeyouwill,Mr。Sutherland,“rejoinedshe,withanotherarchlook。“Takesomewine,Harry。“

Shepouredoutaglassofsherry,andgaveittotheboy,whodrankitwithsomeeagerness。Hughcouldnotapproveofthis,butthoughtittooearlytointerfere。TurningtoHarry,hesaid:

“Now,Harry,youhavehadratheratiringmorning。Ishouldlikeyoutogoandliedownawhile。“

“Verywell,Mr。Sutherland,“repliedHarry,whoseemedratherdeficientincombativeness,aswellasotherboyishvirtues。“ShallIliedowninthelibrary?”

“No——haveachange。“

“Inmybed-room?”

“No,Ithinknot。Gotomyroom,andlieonthecouchtillIcometoyou。“

Harrywent;andHugh,partlyforthesakeofsayingsomething,andpartlytojustifyhistreatmentofHarry,toldEuphra,whosesurnamehedidnotyetknow,whattheyhadbeenaboutallthemorning,endingwithsomeremarkontheviewofthehouseinfront。Sheheardtheaccountoftheirproceedingswithapparentindifference,replyingonlytotheremarkwithwhichheclosedit:

“Itisratheralargehouse,isitnot,forthree——Ibegyourpardon,forfourpersonstolivein,Mr。Sutherland?”

“Itis,indeed;itquitebewildersme。“

“Totellthetruth,Idon"tquiteknowabovethehalfofitmyself。“

Hughthoughtthisratherastrangeassertion,largeasthehousewas;butshewenton:

“Ilostmyselfbetweenthehousekeeper"sroomandmyown,nolaterthanlastweek。“

Isupposetherewasaparticleoftruthinthis;andthatshehadtakenawrongturninginanabstractedfit。Perhapsshedidnotmeanittobetakenasabsolutelytrue。

“Youhavenotlivedherelong,then?”

“Notlongforsuchagreatplace。Afewyears。Iamonlyapoorrelation。“

Sheaccompaniedthisstatementwithanotherswiftupliftingoftheeyelids。ButthistimehereyesrestedforamomentonHugh"s,withsomethingofapleadingexpression;andwhentheyfell,aslightsighfollowed。Hughfeltthathecouldnotquiteunderstandher。A

vaguesuspicioncrossedhismindthatshewasbewitchinghim,butvanishedinstantly。Herepliedtohercommunicationbyasmile,andtheremark:

“Youhavethemorefreedom,then——DidyouknowHarry"smother?”headded,afterapause。

“No。ShediedwhenHarrywasborn。Shewasverybeautiful,and,theysay,veryclever,butalwaysinextremelydelicatehealth。

Betweenourselves,Idoubtiftherewasmuchsympathy——thatis,ifmyuncleandshequiteunderstoodeachother。Butthatisanoldstory。“

Apausefollowed。Euphraresumed:

“Astothefreedomyouspeakof,Mr。Sutherland,Idonotquiteknowwhattodowithit。Ilivehereasiftheplaceweremyown,andgivewhatordersIplease。ButMr。Arnoldshowsmelittleattention——heissooccupiedwithonethingandanother,Ihardlyknowwhat;andifhedid,perhapsIshouldgettiredofhim。So,exceptwhenwehavevisitors,whichisnotveryoften,thetimehangsratherheavyonmyhands。“

“Butyouarefondofreading——andwriting,too,Isuspect;“Hughventuredtosay。

Shegavehimanotherofherglances,inwhichtheapparentshynesswasmingledwithsomethingforwhichHughcouldnotfindaname。

Nordidhesuspect,tilllongafter,thatitwasinrealityslyness,sotemperedwitharchness,that,ifdiscovered,itmighteasilypassforanexpressionplayfullyassumed。

“Oh!yes,“shesaid;“onemustreadabooknowandthen;andifaverse“——againaglanceandaslightblush——“shouldcomeupfromnobodyknowswhere,onemayaswellwriteitdown。But,please,donottakemeforaliterarylady。Indeed,Imakenottheslightestpretensions。Idon"tknowwhatIshoulddowithoutHarry;andindeed,indeed,youmustnotstealhimfromme,Mr。Sutherland。“

“Ishouldbeverysorry,“repliedHugh。“Letmebegyou,asfarasI

havearighttodoso,tojoinusasoftenandaslongasyouplease。Iwillgoandseehowheis。Iamsuretheboyonlywantsthoroughrousing,alternatedwithperfectrepose。“

Hewenttohisownroom,wherehefoundHarry,tohissatisfaction,fastasleeponthesofa。Hetookcarenottowakehim,butsatdownbesidehimtoreadtillhissleepshouldbeover。But,amomentafter,theboyopenedhiseyeswithastartandashiver,andgaveaslightcry。WhenhesawHughhejumpedup,andwithasmilewhichwaspitifultoseeuponascaredface,said:

“Oh!Iamsogladyouarethere。“

“Whatisthematter,dearHarry?”

“Ihadadreadfuldream。“

“Whatwasit?”

“Idon"tknow。Italwayscomes。Itisalwaysthesame。Iknowthat。AndyetIcanneverrememberwhatitis。“

Hughsoothedhimaswellashecould;andheneededit,forthecolddropswerestandingonhisforehead。Whenhehadgrowncalmer,hewentandfetchedGulliver,and,totheboy"sgreatdelight,readtohimtilldinner-time。Beforethefirstbellrang,hehadquiterecovered,andindeedseemedratherinterestedintheapproachofdinner。

DinnerwasanaffairofsomestateatArnstead。Almostimmediatelyafterthesecondbellhadrung,Mr。Arnoldmadehisappearanceinthedrawing-room,wheretheotherswerealreadywaitingforhim。

ThisroomhadnothingofthedistinctivecharacterofthepartsofthehousewhichHughhadalreadyseen。Itwasmerelyahandsomemodernroom,ofnogreatsize。Mr。ArnoldledEuphratodinner,andHughfollowedwithHarry。

Mr。Arnold"smannertoHughwasthesameasinthemorning——studiouslypolite,withoutthesmallestapproachtocordiality。Headdressedhimasanequal,itistrue;butanequalwhocouldneverbeinthesmallestdangerofthinkinghemeantit。

Hugh,who,withouthavingseenagreatdealoftheworld,yetfeltmuchthesamewhereverhewas,tookcaretogivehimallthatheseemedtolookfor,asfaratleastaswasconsistentwithhisownself-respect。Hesoondiscoveredthathewasoneofthosemen,who,ifyouwillonlygranttheirposition,andacknowledgetheirauthority,willallowyoutohavemuchyourownwayineverything。

Hisservantshadfoundthisoutlongago,andalmosteverythingaboutthehousewasmanagedastheypleased;butastheoldestofthemwererespectablefamilyservants,nothingwentveryfarwrong。

Theyall,however,waitedonEuphrawithanassiduitythatshowedshewas,orcouldbe,quitemistresswhenandwhereshepleased。

PerhapstheyhadfoundoutthatshehadgreatinfluencewithMr。

Arnold;andcertainlyheseemedveryfondofherindeed,afterastatelyfashion。Shespoketotheservantswithpeculiargentleness;neversaid,ifyouplease;butalways,thankyou。Harryneveraskedforanything,butalwayslookedtoEuphra,whogavethenecessaryorder。Hughsawthattheboywasquitedependentuponher,seemingofhimselfscarcelycapableoforiginatingthesimplestaction。Mr。Arnold,however,dullashewas,couldnothelpseeingthatHarry"smannerwaslivelierthanusual,andseemedpleasedattheslightchangealreadyvisibleforthebetter。TurningtoHughhesaid:

“DoyoufindHarryverymuchbehindwithhisstudies,Mr。

Sutherland?”

“Ihavenotyetattemptedtofindout,“repliedHugh。

“Not?”saidMr。Arnold,withsurprise。

“No。Ifhebebehind,Ifeelconfidentitwillnotbeforlong。“

“But,“beganMr。Arnold,pompously;andthenhepaused。

“Youwerekindenoughtosay,Mr。Arnold,thatImighttrymyownplanswithhimfirst。Ihavebeendoingso。“

“Yes——certainly。But——“

HereHarrybrokeinwithsomeanimation:

“Mr。Sutherlandhasbeenmyhorse,carryingmeaboutonhisbackallthemorning——no,notallthemorning——butanhour,oranhourandahalf——orwasittwohours,Mr。Sutherland?”

“Ireallydon"tknow,Harry,“answeredHugh;“Idon"tthinkitmattersmuch。“

Harryseemedrelieved,andwenton:

“HehasbeenreadingGulliver"sTravelstome——oh,suchfall!Andwehavebeentoseethecowsandthepigs;andMr。Sutherlandhasbeenteachingmetojump。Doyouknow,papa,hejumpedrightoverthepony"sbackwithouttouchingit。“

Mr。Arnoldstaredattheboywithlustrelesseyesandhangingchecks。Thesegrewred,asifheweregoingtochoke。SuchbehaviourwasquiteinconsistentwiththedignityofArnsteadanditstutor,whohadbeenrecommendedtohimasathoroughgentleman。

Butforthepresenthesaidnothing;probablybecausehecouldthinkofnothingtosay。

“CertainlyHarryseemsbetteralready,“interposedEuphra。

“IcannothelpthinkingMr。Sutherlandhasmadeagoodbeginning。“

Mr。Arnolddidnotreply,butthecloudworeawayfromhisfacebydegrees;andatlengthheaskedHughtotakeaglassofwinewithhim。

WhenEuphrarosefromthetable,andHarryfollowedherexample,Hughthoughtitbettertoriseaswell。Mr。Arnoldseemedtohesitatewhetherornottoaskhimtoresumehisseatandhaveaglassofclaret。Hadhebeenalittlewizenedpedagogue,nodoubthewouldhaveinsistedonhiscompany,sureofacquiescencefromhimineverysentimenthemighthappentoutter。ButHughreallylookedsoverymuchlikeagentleman,andstatedhisownviews,oradoptedhisownplans,withsomuchindependence,thatMr。Arnoldjudgeditsafertokeephimatarm"slengthforaseasonatleast,tillheshouldthoroughlyunderstandhisposition——notthatofaguest,butthatofhisson"stutor,belongingtothehouseholdofArnsteadonlyonapproval。

Onleavingthedining-room,Hughhesitated,inhisturn,whethertobetakehimselftohisownroom,ortoaccompanyEuphratothedrawing-room,thedoorofwhichstoodopenontheoppositesideofthehall,revealingabrightnessandwarmth,whichthechilloftheevening,andthelownessofthefireinthedining-room,renderedquiteenticing。ButEuphra,whowashalf-acrossthehall,seemingtodivinehisthoughts,turned,andsaid,“Areyounotgoingtofavouruswithyourcompany,Mr。Sutherland?”

“Withpleasure,“repliedHugh;but,tocoverhishesitation,added,“Iwillbewithyoupresently;“andranupstairstohisownroom。

“Theoldgentlemansitsonhisdignity——canhardlybesaidtostandonit,“thoughthe,ashewent。“Thepoorrelation,asshecallsherself,treatsmelikeaguest。Sheismistresshere,however;

thatisclearenough。“

Ashedescendedthestairstothedrawing-room,avoicerosethroughthehouse,likethevoiceofanangel。AtleastsothoughtHugh,hearingitforthefirsttime。Itseemedtotakehisbreathaway,ashestoodforamomentonthestairs,listening。ItwasonlyEuphrasingingTheFlowersoftheForest。Thedrawing-roomdoorwasstillopen,andhervoicerangthroughthewideloftyhall。Heenteredalmostontip-toe,thathemightlosenothreadofthefinetones——HadshechosenthesongofScotlandoutofcomplimenttohim?——Shesawhimenter,butwentonwithouthesitatingeven。Inthehighnotes,hervoicehadthatpeculiarvibratoryrichnesswhichbelongstothenightingale"s;buthecouldnothelpthinkingthatthelowtonesweredeficientbothinqualityandvolume。Theexpressionandexecution,however,wouldhavemadeupforathousanddefects。HerverysoulseemedbroodingoverthedeaduponFloddenfield,asshesangthismostwailfulofmelodies——thisembodimentofanation"sgrief。Thesongdiedawayasifthelastbreathhadgonewithit;failingasitfailed,andceasingwithitsinspiration,asifthevoicethatsanglivedonlyforandinthesong。Amomentofintensesilencefollowed。Then,beforeHughhadhalfrecoveredfromtheformer,withanalmostgranddramaticrecoil,asifthesecondsprangoutofthefirst,likeaneagleofmightoutofanoceanofweeping,sheburstintoScotswhahae。ShemighthavebeenanewDeborah,heraldinghernationtobattle。Hughwastransfixed,turnedicycold,withtheexcitementofhisfavouritesongsosung——WasthataglanceofsatisfiedtriumphwithwhichEuphralookedathimforasinglemoment?——Shesangtherestofthesongasifthebattlewerealreadygained;butlookednomoreatHugh。

Theexcellenceofhertones,andthelambentfluidityofhertransitions,ifImaybeallowedthephrase,weremadebyherartquitesubservienttotheexpression,andowedtheirchiefvaluetothesharetheyboreinproducingit。Possiblytherewasalittletoomuchofthedramaticinhersinging,butitwasallingoodtaste;and,inaword,Hughhadneverheardsuchsingingbefore。Assoonasshehadfinished,sherose,andshutthepiano。

“Donot,donot,“falteredHugh,seekingtoarrestherhand,assheclosedtheinstrument。

“Icansingnothingafterthat,“shesaidwithemotion,orperhapsexcitement;forthetremblingofhervoicemightbeattributedtoeithercause。“Donotaskme。“

Hughrespectfullydesisted;butafterafewminutes"pauseventuredtoremark:

“IcannotunderstandhowyoushouldbeabletosingScotchsongssowell。IneverheardanybutScotchwomensingthem,evenendurably,before:yoursingingofthemisperfect。“

“Itseemstome,“saidEuphra,speakingasifshewouldratherhaveremainedsilent,“thatatruemusicalpenetrationisindependentofstylesandnationalities。Itcanperceive,orratherfeel,andreproduce,atthesamemoment。IfthemusicspeaksScotch,themusicalnaturehearsScotch。Itcantakeanyshape,indeedcannothelptakinganyshape,presentedtoit。“

Hughwasyetfurtherastonishedbythiscriticismfromonewhomhehadbeencriticisingwithsomuchcarelessnessthatveryday。

“Youthink,then,“saidhe,modestly,notasifhewouldbringhertobook,butasreallyseekingtolearnfromher,“thatatruemusicalnaturecanpouritselfintothemouldofanysong,inentireindependenceofassociationandeducation?”

“Yes;inindependenceofanybutwhatitmayprovideforitself。“

Euphrasia,however,hadleftoneimportantelementunrepresentedintheconstructionofhertheory——namely,thedegreeofcapabilitywhichamindmaypossessofsympathywithanygivenclassoffeelings。Theblossomofthemind,whetheritflowerinpoetry,music,oranyotherart,mustbetheexponentofthenatureandconditionofthatwhoseblossomitis。Nomind,therefore,incapableofsympathisingwiththefeelingswhenceitsprings,caninterpretthemusicofanother。AndEuphraherselfwasratheraremarkableinstanceofthisforgottenfact。

FurtherconversationonthesubjectwasinterruptedbytheentranceofMr。Arnold,wholookedratherannoyedatfindingHughinthedrawing-room,andorderedHarryofftobed,withsomelittleasperityoftone。Theboyroseatonce,rangthebell,badethemallgoodnight,andwent。Aservantmethimatthedoorwithacandle,andaccompaniedhim。

ThoughtHugh:“Hereareseveralthingstoberightedatonce。Theboymustnothavewine;andhemusthaveonlyonedinnera-day——especiallyifheisorderedtobedsoearly。ImustmakeamanofhimifIcan。“

Hemadeinquiries,and,withsomedifficulty,foundoutwheretheboyslept。DuringthenighthewasseveraltimesinHarry"sroom,andonceinhappytimetowakehimfromanightmaredream。Theboywassoovercomewithterror,thatHughgotintobedbesidehimandcomfortedhimtosleepinhisarms。Nordidheleavehimtillitwastimetogetup,whenhestolebacktohisownquarters,which,happily,wereatnoverygreatdistance。

Imaymentionhere,thatitwasnotlongbeforeHughsucceededinstoppingthewine,andreducingthedinnertoamouthfulofsupper。

Harry,asfarashewasconcerned,yieldedatonce;andhisfatheronlyheldoutlongenoughtosatisfyhisownsenseofdignity。

CHAPTERIV。

THECAVEINTHESTRAW。

Allknowledgeandwonder(whichistheseedofknowledge)isanimpressionofpleasureinitself。

LORDBACON——AdvancementofLearning。

Thefollowingmorningdawnedinacloud;which,swathedaboutthetrees,wettedthemdowntotheroots,withouthavingtimetobecomerain。Theydrankitinlikesorrow,theonlymaterialoutofwhichtruejoycanbefashioned。Thiscloudofmistwouldyetglimmerinanewheaven,namely,inthecloudofbloomswhichwouldclothethelimesandthechestnutsandthebeechesalongtheghost"swalk。Buttherewasgloomyweatherwithindoorsaswell;forpoorHarrywasespeciallysensitivetovariationsofthebarometer,withoutbeingintheleastawareofthefacthimself。AgainHughfoundhiminthelibrary,seatedinhisusualcorner,withPolexanderonhisknees。

HehalfdroppedthebookwhenHughentered,andmurmuredwithasigh:

“It"snouse;Ican"treadit。“

“What"sthematter,Harry?”saidhistutor。

“Ishouldliketotellyou,butyouwilllaughatme。“

“Ishallneverlaughatyou,Harry。“

“Never?”

“No,never。“

“ThentellmehowIcanbesurethatIhavereadthisbook。“

“Idonotquiteunderstandyou。“

“All!IwassurenobodycouldbesostupidasIam。Doyouknow,Mr。Sutherland,Iseemtohavereadapagefromtoptobottomsometimes,andwhenIcometothebottomIknownothingaboutit,anddoubtwhetherIhavereaditatall;andthenIstareatitalloveragain,tillIgrowsoqueer,andsometimesnearlyscream。YouseeImustbeabletosayIhavereadthebook。“

“Why?Nobodywilleveraskyou。“

“Perhapsnot;butyouknowthatisnothing。IwanttoknowthatI

havereadthebook——reallyandtrulyreadit。“

Hughthoughtforamoment,andseemedtoseethattheboy,notbeingstrongenoughtobealawtohimself,justneededabenignlawfromwithout,tolifthimfromthechaosoffeebleandconflictingnotionsandimpulseswithin,whichgeneratedafalselawofslavery。

Sohesaid:

“Harry,amIyourbigbrother?”

“Yes,Mr。Sutherland。“

“Then,oughtyoutodowhatIwish,orwhatyouwishyourself?”

“Whatyouwish,sir。“

“ThenIwantyoutoputawaythatbookforamonthatleast。“

“Oh,Mr。Sutherland!Ipromised。“

“Towhom?”

“Tomyself。“

“ButIamaboveyou;andIwantyoutodoasItellyou。Willyou,Harry?”

“Yes。“

“Putawaythebook,then。“

Harrysprangtohisfeet,putthebookonitsshelf,and,goinguptoHugh,said,“Youhavedoneit,notme。“

“Certainly,Harry。“

Thenotionsofahypochondriacalchildwillhardlybeinterestingtothegreaterpartofmyreaders;butHughlearnedfromthisalittlelessonaboutdivinelawwhichheneverforgot。

“Now,Harry,“addedhe,“youmustnotopenabooktillIallowyou。“

“Nopoetry,either?”saidpoorHarry;andhisfacefell。

“Idon"tmindpoetrysomuch;butofproseIwillreadasmuchtoyouaswillbegoodforyou。Come,letushaveabitofGulliveragain。“

“Oh,howdelightful!”criedHarry。“Iamsogladyoumademeputawaythattiresomebook。Iwonderwhyitinsistedsoonbeingread。“

Hughreadforanhour,andthenmadeHarryputonhiscloak,notwithstandingtherain,whichfellinaslowthoughtfulspringshower。Takingtheboyagainonhisback,hecarriedhimintothewoods。Therehetoldhimhowthedropsofwetsankintotheground,andthenwentrunningaboutthroughitineverydirection,lookingforseeds:whichwereallthirstylittlethings,thatwantedtogrow,andcouldnot,tilladropcameandgavethemdrink。Andhetoldhimhowtherain-dropsweremadeupintheskies,andthencamedown,likemillionsofangels,todowhattheyweretoldinthedarkearth。Thegooddropswentintoallthecellarsanddungeonsoftheearth,toletouttheimprisonedflowers。Andhetoldhimhowtheseeds,whentheyhaddrunktherain-drops,wantedanotherkindofdrinknext,whichwasmuchthinnerandmuchstronger,butcouldnotdothemanygoodtilltheyhaddrunktherainfirst。

“Whatisthat?”saidHarry。“IfeelasifyouwerereadingoutoftheBible,Mr。Sutherland。“

“Itisthesunlight,“answeredhistutor。“Whenaseedhasdrunkofthewater,andisnotthirstyanymore,itwantstobreathenext;

andthenthesunsendsalong,smallfingeroffiredownintothegravewheretheseedislying;andittouchestheseed,andsomethinginsidetheseedbeginstomoveinstantlyandtogrowbiggerandbigger,tillitsendstwogreenbladesoutofitintotheearth,andthroughtheearthintotheair;andthenitcanbreathe。

Andthenitsendsrootsdownintotheearth;andtherootskeepdrinkingwater,andtheleaveskeepbreathingtheair,andthesunkeepsthemaliveandbusy;andsoagreattreegrowsup,andGodlooksatit,andsaysitisgood。“

“Thentheyreallyarelivingthings?”saidHarry。

“Certainly。“

“Thankyou,Mr。Sutherland。Idon"tthinkIshalldislikerainsomuchanymore。“

Hughtookhimnextintothebarn,wheretheyfoundagreatheapofstraw。Recallinghisownboyishamusements,hemadehimputoffhiscloak,andhelptomakeatunnelintothisheap。Harrywasdelighted——thestrawwassonice,andbright,anddry,andclean。

Theydrewitoutbyhandfuls,andthusexcavatedaroundtunneltothedistanceofsixfeetorso;whenHughproceededtomoreextendedoperations。Beforeitwastimetogotolunch,theyhadclearedhalfofahollowsphere,sixfeetindiameter,outoftheheartoftheheap。

Afterlunch,forwhichHarryhadbeenveryunwillingtorelinquishthestrawhut,Hughsenthimtoliedownforawhile;whenhefellfastasleepasbefore。Afterhehadlefttheroom,Euphrasaid:

“HowdoyougetonwithHarry,Mr。Sutherland?”

“Perfectlytomysatisfaction,“answeredHugh。

“Doyounotfindhimveryslow?”

“Quitethecontrary。“

“Yousurpriseme。Butyouhavenotgivenhimanylessonsyet。“

“Ihavegivenhimagreatmany,andheislearningthemveryfast。“

“Ifearhewillhaveforgottenallmypoorlaboursbeforeyoutakeuptheworkwhereweleftit。Whenwillyougivehimanybook-lessons?”

“Notforawhileyet。“

Euphradidnotreply。Hersilenceseemedintendedtoexpressdissatisfaction;atleastsoHughinterpretedit。

“IhopeyoudonotthinkitistoindulgemyselfthatImanageMasterHarryinthispeculiarfashion,“hesaid。“Thefactis,heisaverypeculiarchild,andmayturnoutageniusoraweakling,justasheismanaged。Atleastsoitappearstomeatpresent。MayI

askwhereyoulefttheworkyouweredoingwithhim?”

“HewasgoingthroughtheEtongrammarforthethirdtime,“answeredEuphra,withadefiantglance,almostofdislike,atHugh。“ButI

neednotenumeratehisstudies,forIdaresayyouwillnottakethemupatallaftermyfashion。IonlyassureyouIhavebeenaveryexactdisciplinarian。Whatheknows,Ithinkyouwillfindheknowsthoroughly。“

Sosaying,Euphrarose,andwithaflushonhercheek,walkedoutoftheroominamorestatelymannerthanusual。

Hughfeltthathehad,somehoworother,offendedher。But,totellthetruth,hedidnotmuchcare,forhermannerhadratherirritatedhim。Heretiredtohisownroom,wrotetohismother,and,whenHarryawoke,carriedhimagaintothebarnforanhour"sworkinthestraw。Beforeitgrewdusk,theyhadfinishedalittle,silent,darkchamber,asroundastheycouldmakeit,intheheartofthestraw。Alltheexcavatedmaterialtheyhadthrownonthetop,reservingonlyalittletocloseuptheentrancewhentheypleased。

Thenextmorningwasstillrainy;andwhenHughfoundHarryinthelibraryasusual,hesawthatthecloudshadagaingatheredovertheboy"sspirit。Hewaspacingabouttheroominaveryoddmanner。

Thecarpetwasdivideddiamond-wiseinaregularpattern。Harry"sstepswere,forthemostpart,planteduponeverythirddiamond,asheslowlycrossedthefloorinavarietyofdirections;for,asonpreviousoccasions,hehadnotperceivedtheentranceofhistutor。

But,everynowandthen,theboywouldmakethemostsuddenandirregularchangeinhismodeofprogression,settinghisfootonthemostunexpecteddiamond,atonetimethenearesttohim,atanotherthefarthestwithinhisreach。Whenhelookedup,andsawhistutorwatchinghim,heneitherstartednorblushed:but,stillretainingonhiscountenancetheperplexed,anxiousexpressionwhichHughhadremarked,saidtohim:

“HowcanGodknowonwhichofthosediamondsIamgoingtosetmyfootnext?”

“IfyoucouldunderstandhowGodknows,Harry,thenyouwouldknowyourself;butbeforeyouhavemadeupyourmind,youdon"tknowwhichyouwillchoose;andeventhenyouonlyknowonwhichyouintendtosetyourfoot;foryouhaveoftenchangedyourmindaftermakingitup。“

Harrylookedaspuzzledasbefore。

“Why,Harry,tounderstandhowGodunderstands,youwouldneedtobeaswiseasheis;soitisnousetrying。Youseeyoucan"tquiteunderstandme,thoughIhavearealmeaninginwhatIsay。“

“Ah!Iseeitisnouse;butIcan"tbeartobepuzzled。“

“Butyouneednotbepuzzled;youhavenobusinesstobepuzzled。

Youaretryingtogetintoyourlittlebrainwhatisfartoograndandbeautifultogetintoit。Wouldyounotthinkitverystupidtopuzzleyourselfhowtoputahundredhorsesintoastablewithtwelvestalls?”

Harrylaughed,andlookedrelieved。

“Itismoreunreasonableathousandtimestotrytounderstandsuchthings。Formypart,itwouldmakememiserabletothinkthattherewasnothingbutwhatIcouldunderstand。IshouldfeelasifIhadnoroomanywhere。Shallwegotoourcaveagain?”

“Oh!yes,please,“criedHarry;andinamomenthewasonHugh"sbackoncemore,canteringjoyouslytothebarn。

Aftervariousimprovements,includingsomeenlargementoftheinterior,HughandHarrysatdowntogetherinthelowyellowtwilightoftheircave,toenjoytheresultoftheirlabours。Theycouldjustsee,bythelightfromthetunnel,theglimmerofthegoldenhollowallaboutthem。Therainwasfallingheavilyout-of-doors;andtheycouldhearthesoundofthemultitudinousdropsofthebrokencataractoftheheavenslikethemurmuroftheinsectsinasummerwood。Theyknewthateverythingoutsidewasrainedupon,andwasagainrainingoneverythingbeneathit,whiletheyweredryandwarm。

“Thisisnice!”exclaimedHarry,afterafewmomentsofsilentenjoyment。

“Thisisyourfirstlessoninarchitecture,“saidHugh。

“AmItolearnarchitecture?”askedHarry,inaruefultone。

“Itiswelltoknowhowthingscametobedone,ifyoushouldknownothingmoreaboutthem,Harry。Menlivedinthecellarsfirstofall,andnextonthegroundfloor;buttheycouldgetnofurthertilltheyjoinedthetwo,andthentheycouldbuildhigher。“

“Idon"tquiteunderstandyou,sir。“

“Ididnotmeanyoushould,Harry。“

“ThenIdon"tmind,sir。ButIthoughtarchitecturewasbuilding。“

“Soitis;andthisisonewayofbuilding。Itisonlymakinganoutsidebypullingoutaninside,insteadofmakinganinsidebysettingupanoutside。“

Harrythoughtforawhile,andthensaidjoyfully:

“Iseeit,sir!Iseeit。Theinsideisthechiefthing——nottheoutside。“

“Yes,Harry;andnotinarchitectureonly。Neverforgetthat。“

Theylayforsometimeinsilence,listeningtotherain。AtlengthHarryspoke:

“Ihavebeenthinkingofwhatyoutoldmeyesterday,Mr。Sutherland,abouttheraingoingtolookfortheseedsthatwerethirstyforit。

AndnowIfeeljustasifIwereaseed,lyinginitslittleholeintheearth,andhearingtherain-dropspatteringdownallaboutit,waiting——oh,sothirsty!——forsomekinddroptofindmeout,andgivemeitselftodrink。IwonderwhatkindofflowerIshouldgrowup,“addedhe,laughing。

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