SuddenlyElfridebecameconsciousofwhatshewasdoing,andwaspainfullyconfused。
  'Whatwereyousointentuponinme?'heinquired。
  'AsfarasIwasthinkingofyouatall,Iwasthinkinghowcleveryouare,'shesaid,withawantofpremeditationthatwasstartlinginitshonestyandsimplicity。
  Feelingrestlessnowthatshehadsounwittinglyspoken,shearoseandsteppedtothewindow,havingheardthevoicesofherfatherandMrs。Swancourtcomingupbelowtheterrace。'Heretheyare,'
  shesaid,goingout。Knightwalkedoutuponthelawnbehindher。
  Shestoodupontheedgeoftheterrace,closetothestonebalustrade,andlookedtowardsthesun,hangingoveragladejustnowfairasTempe'svale,upwhichherfatherwaswalking。
  Knightcouldnothelplookingather。Thesunwaswithintendegreesofthehorizon,anditswarmlightfloodedherfaceandheightenedthebrightrosecolourofhercheekstoavermilionred,theirmoderatepinkhuebeingonlyseeninitsnaturaltonewherethecheekcurvedroundintoshadow。Theendsofherhanginghairsoftlydraggedthemselvesbackwardsandforwardsuponhershoulderaseachfaintbreezethrustagainstorrelinquishedit。
  Fringesandribbonsofherdress,movedbythesamebreeze,lickedliketonguesuponthepartsaroundthem,andflutteringforwardfromshadyfoldscaughtlikewisetheirshareofthelustrousorangeglow。
  Mr。SwancourtshoutedoutawelcometoKnightfromadistanceofaboutthirtyyards,andafterafewpreliminarywordsproceededtoaconversationofdeepearnestnessonKnight'sfineoldfamilyname,andtheoriesastolineageandintermarriageconnectedtherewith。Knight'sportmanteauhavinginthemeantimearrived,theysoonretiredtopreparefordinner,whichhadbeenpostponedtwohourslaterthantheusualtimeofthatmeal。
  AnarrivalwasaneventinthelifeofElfride,nowthattheywereagaininthecountry,andthatofKnightnecessarilyanengrossingone。AndthateveningshewenttobedforthefirsttimewithoutthinkingofStephenatall。
  ChapterXVIII
  'Heheardhermusicalpants。'
  TheoldtowerofWestEndelstowChurchhadreachedthelastweeksofitsexistence。ItwastobereplacedbyanewonefromthedesignsofMr。Hewby,thearchitectwhohadsentdownStephen。
  Planksandpoleshadarrivedinthechurchyard,ironbarshadbeenthrustintothevenerablecrackextendingdownthebelfrywalltothefoundation,thebellshadbeentakendown,theowlshadforsakenthishomeoftheirforefathers,andsixiconoclastsinwhitefustian,towhomacrackededificewasaspeciesofMumboJumbo,hadtakenlodgingsinthevillageprevioustobeginningtheactualremovalofthestones。
  ThiswasthedayafterKnight'sarrival。Toenjoyforthelasttimetheprospectseawardfromthesummit,thevicar,Mrs。
  Swancourt,Knight,andElfride,allascendedthewindingturret——
  Mr。Swancourtsteppingforwardwithmanyloudbreaths,hiswifestrugglingalongsilently,butsufferingnonetheless。Theyhadhardlyreachedthetopwhenalargeluridcloud,palpablyareservoirofrain,thunder,andlightning,wasseentobeadvancingoverheadfromthenorth。
  Thetwocautiouselderssuggestedanimmediatereturn,andproceededtoputitinpracticeasregardedthemselves。
  'Dearme,IwishIhadnotcomeup,'exclaimedMrs。Swancourt。
  'Weshallbeslowerthanyoutwoingoingdown,'thevicarsaidoverhisshoulder,'andso,don'tyoustarttillwearenearlyatthebottom,oryouwillrunoverusandbreakourneckssomewhereinthedarknessoftheturret。'
  AccordinglyElfrideandKnightwaitedontheleadstillthestaircaseshouldbeclear。Knightwasnotinatalkativemoodthatmorning。Elfridewasratherwilful,byreasonofhisinattention,whichsheprivatelysetdowntohisthinkinghernotworthtalkingto。WhilstKnightstoodwatchingtheriseofthecloud,shesaunteredtotheothersideofthetower,andthererememberedagiddyfeatshehadperformedtheyearbefore。Itwastowalkroundupontheparapetofthetower——whichwasquitewithoutbattlementorpinnacle,andpresentedasmoothflatsurfaceabouttwofeetwide,formingapathwayonallthefoursides。Withoutreflectingintheleastuponwhatshewasdoingshenowsteppedupontheparapetintheoldway,andbeganwalkingalong。
  'Wearedown,cousinHenry,'criedMrs。Swancourtuptheturret。
  'Followuswhenyoulike。'
  KnightturnedandsawElfridebeginningherelevatedpromenade。
  Hisfaceflushedwithmingledconcernandangeratherrashness。
  'Icertainlygaveyoucreditformorecommonsense,'hesaid。
  Shereddenedalittleandwalkedon。
  'MissSwancourt,Iinsistuponyourcomingdown,'heexclaimed。
  'Iwillinaminute。Iamsafeenough。Ihavedoneitoften。'
  Atthatmoment,byreasonofaslightperturbationhiswordshadcausedinher,Elfride'sfootcaughtitselfinalittletuftofgrassgrowinginajointofthestone-work,andshealmostlostherbalance。Knightsprangforwardwithafaceofhorror。BywhatseemedthespecialinterpositionofaconsiderateProvidenceshetotteredtotheinneredgeoftheparapetinsteadoftotheouter,andreeledoverupontheleadrooftwoorthreefeetbelowthewall。
  Knightseizedherasinavice,andhesaid,panting,'ThateverI
  shouldhavemetawomanfoolenoughtodoathingofthatkind!
  GoodGod,yououghttobeashamedofyourself!'
  ThecloseproximityoftheShadowofDeathhadmadehersickandpaleasacorpsebeforehespoke。Alreadyloweredtothatstate,hiswordscompletelyover-poweredher,andsheswoonedawayasheheldher。
  Elfride'seyeswerenotclosedformorethanfortyseconds。Sheopenedthem,andrememberedthepositioninstantly。Hisfacehadaltereditsexpressionfromsternangertopity。Buthissevereremarkshadratherfrightenedher,andshestruggledtobefree。
  'Ifyoucanstand,ofcourseyoumay,'hesaid,andloosenedhisarms。'Ihardlyknowwhethermosttolaughatyourfreakortochideyouforitsfolly。'
  Sheimmediatelysankuponthelead-work。Knightliftedheragain。
  'Areyouhurt?'hesaid。
  Shemurmuredanincoherentexpression,andtriedtosmile;saying,withafitfulaversionofherface,'Iamonlyfrightened。Putmedown,doputmedown!'
  'Butyoucan'twalk,'saidKnight。
  'Youdon'tknowthat;howcanyou?Iamonlyfrightened,Itellyou,'sheansweredpetulantly,andraisedherhandtoherforehead。Knightthensawthatshewasbleedingfromaseverecutinherwrist,apparentlywhereithaddescendeduponasalientcornerofthelead-work。Elfride,too,seemedtoperceiveandfeelthisnowforthefirsttime,andforaminutenearlylostconsciousnessagain。Knightrapidlyboundhishandkerchiefroundtheplace,andtoaddtothecomplication,thethundercloudhehadbeenwatchingbegantoshedsomeheavydropsofrain。Knightlookedupandsawthevicarstridingtowardsthehouse,andMrs。
  Swancourtwaddlingbesidehimlikeahard-drivenduck。
  'Asyouaresofaint,itwillbemuchbettertoletmecarryyoudown,'saidKnight;'oratanyrateinsideoutoftherain。'Butherobjectiontobeliftedmadeitimpossibleforhimtosupportherformorethanfivesteps。
  'Thisisfolly,greatfolly,'heexclaimed,settingherdown。
  'Indeed!'shemurmured,withtearsinhereyes。'IsayIwillnotbecarried,andyousaythisisfolly!'
  'Soitis。'
  'No,itisn't!'
  'Itisfolly,Ithink。Atanyrate,theoriginofitallis。'
  'Idon'tagreetoit。Andyouneedn'tgetsoangrywithme;Iamnotworthit。'
  'Indeedyouare。Youareworththeenmityofprinces,aswassaidofsuchanother。Now,then,willyouclaspyourhandsbehindmyneck,thatImaycarryyoudownwithouthurtingyou?'
  'No,no。'
  'Youhadbetter,orIshallforeclose。'
  'What'sthat!'
  'Depriveyouofyourchance。'
  Elfridegavealittletoss。
  'Now,don'twrithesowhenIattempttocarryyou。'
  'Ican'thelpit。'
  'Thensubmitquietly。'
  'Idon'tcare。Idon'tcare,'shemurmuredinlanguidtonesandwithclosedeyes。
  Hetookherintohisarms,enteredtheturret,andwithslowandcautiousstepsdescendedroundandround。Then,withthegentlenessofanursingmother,heattendedtothecutonherarm。
  Duringhisprogressthroughtheoperationsofwipingitandbindingitupanew,herfacechangeditsaspectfrompainedindifferencetosomethinglikebashfulinterest,interspersedwithsmalltremorsandshuddersofatriflingkind。
  Inthecentreofeachpalecheekasmallredspotthesizeofawaferhadnowmadeitsappearance,andcontinuedtogrowlarger。
  Elfridemomentarilyexpectedarecurrencetothelectureonherfoolishness,butKnightsaidnomorethanthis——
  'PromisemeNEVERtowalkonthatparapetagain。'
  'Itwillbepulleddownsoon:soIdo。'Inafewminutesshecontinuedinalowertone,andseriously,'Youarefamiliarofcourse,aseverybodyis,withthosestrangesensationswesometimeshave,thatourlifeforthemomentexistsinduplicate。'
  'Thatwehavelivedthroughthatmomentbefore?'
  'Orshallagain。Well,Ifeltonthetowerthatsomethingsimilartothatsceneisagaintobecommontousboth。'
  'Godforbid!'saidKnight。'Promisemethatyouwillneveragainwalkonanysuchplaceonanyconsideration。'
  'Ido。'
  'Thatsuchathinghasnotbeenbefore,weknow。Thatitshallnotbeagain,youvow。Thereforethinknomoreofsuchafoolishfancy。'
  Therehadfallenagreatdealofrain,butunaccompaniedbylightning。Afewminuteslonger,andthestormhadceased。
  'Now,takemyarm,please。'
  'Ohno,itisnotnecessary。'Thisrelapseintowilfulnesswasbecausehehadagainconnectedtheepithetfoolishwithher。
  'Nonsense:itisquitenecessary;itwillrainagaindirectly,andyouarenothalfrecovered。'AndwithoutmoreadoKnighttookherhand,drewitunderhisarm,andheldittheresofirmlythatshecouldnothaveremoveditwithoutastruggle。Feelinglikeacoltinahalterforthefirsttime,atthusbeingledalong,yetafraidtobeangry,itwastohergreatreliefthatshesawthecarriagecomingroundthecornertofetchthem。
  Herfallupontheroofwasnecessarilyexplainedtosomeextentupontheirenteringthehouse;butbothforboretomentionawordofwhatshehadbeendoingtocausesuchanaccident。DuringtheremainderoftheafternoonElfridewasinvisible;butatdinner-
  timesheappearedasbrightasever。
  Inthedrawing-room,afterhavingbeenexclusivelyengagedwithMr。andMrs。Swancourtthroughtheinterveninghour,KnightagainfoundhimselfthrownwithElfride。Shehadbeenlookingoverachessprobleminoneoftheillustratedperiodicals。
  'Youlikechess,MissSwancourt?'
  'Yes。Itismyfavouritescientificgame;indeed,excludeseveryother。Doyouplay?'
  'Ihaveplayed;thoughnotlately。'
  'Challengehim,Elfride,'saidthevicarheartily。'Sheplaysverywellforalady,Mr。Knight。'
  'Shallweplay?'askedElfridetentatively。
  'Oh,certainly。Ishallbedelighted。'
  Thegamebegan。Mr。SwancourthadforgottenasimilarperformancewithStephenSmiththeyearbefore。Elfridehadnot;butshehadbeguntotakeforhermaximtheundoubtedtruththatthenecessityofcontinuingfaithfultoStephen,withoutsuspicion,dictatedaficklebehaviouralmostasimperativelyasficklenessitself;afact,however,whichwouldgiveastartlingadvantagetothelatterqualityshoulditeverappear。
  Knight,byoneofthoseinexcusableoversightswhichwillsometimesafflictthebestofplayers,placedhisrookinthearmsofoneofherpawns。Itwasherfirstadvantage。Shelookedtriumphant——evenruthless。
  'ByGeorge!whatwasIthinkingof?'saidKnightquietly;andthendismissedallconcernathisaccident。
  'Clublawswe'llhave,won'twe,Mr。Knight?'saidElfridesuasively。
  'Ohyes,certainly,'saidMr。Knight,athought,however,justoccurringtohismind,thathehadtwoorthreetimesallowedhertoreplaceamanonherreligiouslyassuringhimthatsuchamovewasanabsoluteblunder。
  Sheimmediatelytookuptheunfortunaterookandthecontestproceeded,Elfridehavingnowratherthebetterofthegame。Thenhewontheexchange,regainedhisposition,andbegantopressherhard。Elfridegrewflurried,andplacedherqueenonhisremainingrook'sfile。
  'There——howstupid!Uponmyword,Ididnotseeyourrook。Ofcoursenobodybutafoolwouldhaveputaqueenthereknowingly!'
  Shespokeexcitedly,halfexpectingherantagonisttogiveherbackthemove。
  'Nobody,ofcourse,'saidKnightserenely,andstretchedouthishandtowardshisroyalvictim。
  'Itisnotverypleasanttohaveittakenadvantageof,then,'shesaidwithsomevexation。
  'Clublaws,Ithinkyousaid?'returnedKnightblandly,andmercilesslyappropriatingthequeen。
  Shewasonthebrinkofpouting,butwasashamedtoshowit;tearsalmoststoodinhereyes。Shehadbeentryingsohard——soveryhard——thinkingandthinkingtillherbrainwasinawhirl;anditseemedsoheartlessofhimtotreatherso,afterall。
  'Ithinkitis——'shebegan。
  'What?'——
  'UnkindtotakeadvantageofapuremistakeImakeinthatway。'
  'Ilostmyrookbyevenapurermistake,'saidtheenemyinaninexorabletone,withoutliftinghiseyes。
  'Yes,but——'However,ashislogicwasabsolutelyunanswerable,shemerelyregisteredaprotest。'Icannotendurethosecold-
  bloodedwaysofclubsandprofessionalplayers,likeStauntonandMorphy。Justasifitreallymatteredwhetheryouhaveraisedyourfingersfromamanorno!'
  Knightsmiledaspitilesslyasbefore,andtheywentoninsilence。
  'Checkmate,'saidKnight。
  'Anothergame,'saidElfrideperemptorily,andlookingverywarm。
  'Withallmyheart,'saidKnight。
  'Checkmate,'saidKnightagainattheendoffortyminutes。
  'Anothergame,'shereturnedresolutely。
  'I'llgiveyoutheoddsofabishop,'Knightsaidtoherkindly。
  'No,thankyou,'Elfriderepliedinatoneintendedforcourteousindifference;but,asafact,verycavalierindeed。
  'Checkmate,'saidheropponentwithouttheleastemotion。
  Oh,thedifferencebetweenElfride'sconditionofmindnow,andwhenshepurposelymadeblundersthatStephenSmithmightwin!
  Itwasbedtime。Hermindasdistractedasifitwouldthrobitselfoutofherhead,shewentofftoherchamber,fullofmortificationatbeingbeatentimeaftertimewhensheherselfwastheaggressor。Havingfortwoorthreeyearsenjoyedthereputationthroughouttheglobeofherfather'sbrain——whichalmostconstitutedherentireworld——ofbeinganexcellentplayer,thisfiascowasintolerable;forunfortunatelythepersonmostdoggedinthebeliefinafalsereputationisalwaysthatone,thepossessor,whohasthebestmeansofknowingthatitisnottrue。
  Inbednosleepcametosootheher;thatgentlethingbeingtheverymiddle-of-summerfriendinthisrespectofflyingawayatthemeresttroublouscloud。Afterlyingawaketilltwoo'clockanideaseemedtostrikeher。Shesoftlyarose,gotalight,andfetchedaChessPraxisfromthelibrary。Returningandsittingupinbed,shediligentlystudiedthevolumetilltheclockstruckfive,andhereyelidsfeltthickandheavy。Shethenextinguishedthelightandlaydownagain。
  'Youlookpale,Elfride,'saidMrs。Swancourtthenextmorningatbreakfast。'Isn'tshe,cousinHarry?'
  Ayounggirlwhoisscarcelyillatallcanhardlyhelpbecomingsowhenregardedassuchbyalleyesturninguponheratthetableinobediencetosomeremark。EverybodylookedatElfride。Shecertainlywaspale。
  'AmIpale?'shesaidwithafaintsmile。'Ididnotsleepmuch。
  Icouldnotgetridofarmiesofbishopsandknights,tryhowI
  would。'
  'Chessisabadthingjustbeforebedtime;especiallyforexcitablepeoplelikeyourself,dear。Don'teverplaylateagain。'
  'I'llplayearlyinstead。CousinKnight,'shesaidinimitationofMrs。Swancourt,'willyouobligemeinsomething?'
  'Eventohalfmykingdom。'
  'Well,itistoplayonegamemore。'
  'When?'
  'Now,instantly;themomentwehavebreakfasted。'
  'Nonsense,Elfride,'saidherfather。'Makingyourselfaslavetothegamelikethat。'
  'ButIwantto,papa!Honestly,Iamrestlessathavingbeensoignominiouslyovercome。AndMr。Knightdoesn'tmind。Sowhatharmcantherebe?'
  'Letusplay,byallmeans,ifyouwishit,'saidKnight。
  So,whenbreakfastwasover,thecombatantswithdrewtothequietofthelibrary,andthedoorwasclosed。Elfrideseemedtohaveanideathatherconductwasratherill-regulatedandstartlinglyfreefromconventionalrestraint。Andworse,shefancieduponKnight'sfaceaslightlyamusedlookatherproceedings。
  'Youthinkmefoolish,Isuppose,'shesaidrecklessly;'butI
  wanttodomyverybestjustonce,andseewhetherIcanovercomeyou。'
  'Certainly:nothingmorenatural。ThoughIamafraiditisnottheplanadoptedbywomenoftheworldafteradefeat。'
  'Why,pray?'
  'Becausetheyknowthatasgoodasovercomingisskillineffacingrecollectionofbeingovercome,andturntheirattentiontothatentirely。'
  'Iamwrongagain,ofcourse。'
  'Perhapsyourwrongismorepleasingthantheirright。'
  'Idon'tquiteknowwhetheryoumeanthat,orwhetheryouarelaughingatme,'shesaid,lookingdoubtinglyathim,yetincliningtoacceptthemoreflatteringinterpretation。'IamalmostsureyouthinkitvanityinmetothinkIamamatchforyou。Well,ifyoudo,Isaythatvanityisnocrimeinsuchacase。'
  'Well,perhapsnot。Thoughitishardlyavirtue。'
  'Ohyes,inbattle!Nelson'sbraverylayinhisvanity。'
  'Indeed!Thensodidhisdeath。'
  Ohno,no!ForitiswritteninthebookoftheprophetShakespeare——
  "Fearandbeslain?noworsecancometofight;
  Andfightanddie,isdeathdestroyingdeath!"
  Anddowntheysat,andthecontestbegan,Elfridehavingthefirstmove。Thegameprogressed。Elfride'sheartbeatsoviolentlythatshecouldnotsitstill。Herdreadwaslestheshouldhearit。Andhediddiscoveritatlast——someflowersuponthetablebeingsetthrobbingbyitspulsations。
  'Ithinkwehadbettergiveover,'saidKnight,lookingathergently。'Itistoomuchforyou,Iknow。Letuswritedowntheposition,andfinishanothertime。'
  'No,pleasenot,'sheimplored。'IshouldnotrestifIdidnotknowtheresultatonce。Itisyourmove。'
  Tenminutespassed。
  Shestartedupsuddenly。'Iknowwhatyouaredoing?'shecried,anangrycolouruponhercheeks,andhereyesindignant。'Youwerethinkingoflettingmewintopleaseme!'
  'Idon'tmindowningthatIwas,'Knightrespondedphlegmatically,andappearingallthemoresobycontrastwithherownturmoil。
  'Butyoumustnot!Iwon'thaveit。'
  'Verywell。'
  'No,thatwillnotdo;Iinsistthatyoupromisenottodoanysuchabsurdthing。Itisinsultingme!'
  'Verywell,madam。Iwon'tdoanysuchabsurdthing。Youshallnotwin。'
  'Thatistobeproved!'shereturnedproudly;andtheplaywenton。
  Nothingisnowheardbutthetickingofaquaintoldtimepieceonthesummitofabookcase。Tenminutespass;hecapturesherknight;shetakeshisknight,andlooksaveryRhadamanthus。
  Moreminutestickaway;shetakeshispawnandhastheadvantage,showinghersenseofitratherprominently。
  Fiveminutesmore:hetakesherbishop:shebringsthingsevenbytakinghisknight。
  Threeminutes:shelooksbold,andtakeshisqueen:helooksplacid,andtakeshers。
  Eightortenminutespass:hetakesapawn;sheuttersalittlepooh!butnottheghostofapawncanshetakeinretaliation。
  Tenminutespass:hetakesanotherpawnandsays,'Check!'Sheflushes,extricatesherselfbycapturinghisbishop,andlookstriumphant。Heimmediatelytakesherbishop:shelookssurprised。
  Fiveminuteslonger:shemakesadashandtakeshisonlyremainingbishop;herepliesbytakingheronlyremainingknight。
  Twominutes:hegivescheck;hermindisnowinapainfulstateoftension,andsheshadesherfacewithherhand。
  Yetafewminutesmore:hetakesherrookandchecksagain。Sheliterallytremblesnowlestanartfulsurpriseshehasinstoreforhimshallbeanticipatedbytheartfulsurpriseheevidentlyhasinstoreforher。
  Fiveminutes:'Checkmateintwomoves!'exclaimsElfride。
  'Ifyoucan,'saysKnight。
  'Oh,Ihavemiscalculated;thatiscruel!'
  'Checkmate,'saysKnight;andthevictoryiswon。
  Elfridearoseandturnedawaywithoutlettinghimseeherface。
  Onceinthehallsheranupstairsandintoherroom,andflungherselfdownuponherbed,weepingbitterly。
  'WhereisElfride?'saidherfatheratluncheon。
  Knightlistenedanxiouslyfortheanswer。Hehadbeenhopingtoseeheragainbeforethistime。
  'Sheisn'twell,sir,'wasthereply。
  Mrs。Swancourtroseandlefttheroom,goingupstairstoElfride'sapartment。
  AtthedoorwasUnity,whooccupiedinthenewestablishmentapositionbetweenyounglady'smaidandmiddle-housemaid。
  'Sheissoundasleep,ma'am,'Unitywhispered。
  Mrs。Swancourtopenedthedoor。Elfridewaslyingfull-dressedonthebed,herfacehotandred,herarmsthrownabroad。Atintervalsofaminuteshetossedrestlesslyfromsidetoside,andindistinctlymoanedwordsusedinthegameofchess。
  Mrs。Swancourthadaturnfordoctoring,andfeltherpulse。Itwastwanginglikeaharp-string,attherateofnearlyahundredandfiftyaminute。Softlymovingthesleepinggirltoalittlelesscrampedposition,shewentdownstairsagain。
  'Sheisasleepnow,'saidMrs。Swancourt。'Shedoesnotseemverywell。CousinKnight,whatwereyouthinkingof?hertenderbrainwon'tbearcudgellinglikeyourgreathead。Youshouldhavestrictlyforbiddenhertoplayagain。'
  Intruth,theessayist'sexperienceofthenatureofyoungwomenwasfarlessextensivethanhisabstractknowledgeofthemledhimselfandotherstobelieve。Hecouldpackthemintosentenceslikeaworkman,butpracticallywasnowhere。
  'Iamindeedsorry,'saidKnight,feelingevenmorethanheexpressed。'Butsurely,theyoungladyknowsbestwhatisgoodforher!'
  'Blessyou,that'sjustwhatshedoesn'tknow。Sheneverthinksofsuchthings,doesshe,Christopher?HerfatherandIhavetocommandherandkeepherinorder,asyouwouldachild。ShewillsaythingsworthyofaFrenchepigrammatist,andactlikearobininagreenhouse。ButIthinkwewillsendforDr。Granson——therecanbenoharm。'
  AmanwasstraightwaydespatchedonhorsebacktoCastleBoterel,andthegentlemanknownasDr。Gransoncameinthecourseoftheafternoon。Hepronouncedhernervoussystemtobeinadecidedstateofdisorder;forwardedsomesoothingdraught,andgaveordersthatonnoaccountwhateverwasshetoplaychessagain。
  ThenextmorningKnight,muchvexedwithhimself,waitedwithacuriouslycompoundedfeelingforherentrytobreakfast。Thewomenservantscameintoprayersatirregularintervals,andaseachentered,hecouldnot,tosavehislife,avoidturninghisheadwiththehopethatshemightbeElfride。Mr。Swancourtbeganreadingwithoutwaitingforher。Thensomebodyglidedinnoiselessly;Knightsoftlyglancedup:itwasonlythelittlekitchen-maid。Knightthoughtreadingprayersabore。
  Hewentoutalone,andforalmostthefirsttimefailedtorecognizethatholdingconversewithNature'scharmswasnotsolitude。Onnearingthehouseagainheperceivedhisyoungfriendcrossingaslopebyapathwhichranintotheonehewasfollowingintheangleofthefield。Heretheymet。Elfridewasatonceexultantandabashed:comingintohispresencehaduponhertheeffectofenteringacathedral。
  Knighthadhisnote-bookinhishand,andhad,infact,beenintheveryactofwritingthereinwhentheycameinviewofeachother。Heleftoffinthemidstofasentence,andproceededtoinquirewarmlyconcerningherstateofhealth。Shesaidshewasperfectlywell,andindeedhadneverlookedbetter。Herhealthwasasinconsequentasheractions。Herlipswerered,WITHOUT
  thepolishthatcherrieshave,andtheirrednessmarginedwiththewhiteskininaclearlydefinedline,whichhadnothingofjaggedconfusioninit。Altogethershestoodasthelastpersonintheworldtobeknockedoverbyagameofchess,becausetooephemeral-lookingtoplayone。
  'Areyoutakingnotes?'sheinquiredwithanalacrityplainlyarisinglessfrominterestinthesubjectthanfromawishtodiverthisthoughtsfromherself。
  'Yes;Iwasmakinganentry。AndwithyourpermissionIwillcompleteit。'Knightthenstoodstillandwrote。Elfrideremainedbesidehimamoment,andafterwardswalkedon。
  'Ishouldliketoseeallthesecretsthatareinthatbook,'shegailyflungbacktohimoverhershoulder。
  'Idon'tthinkyouwouldfindmuchtointerestyou。'
  'IknowIshould。'
  'ThenofcourseIhavenomoretosay。'
  'ButIwouldaskthisquestionfirst。Isitabookofmerefactsconcerningjourneysandexpenditure,andsoon,orabookofthoughts?'
  'Well,totellthetruth,itisnotexactlyeither。Itconsistsforthemostpartofjottingsforarticlesandessays,disjointedanddisconnected,ofnopossibleinteresttoanybodybutmyself。'
  'Itcontains,Isuppose,yourdevelopedthoughtsinembryo?'
  'Yes。'
  'Iftheyareinterestingwhenenlargedtothesizeofanarticle,whatmusttheybeintheirconcentratedform?Purerectifiedspirit,aboveproof;beforeitisloweredtobefitforhumanconsumption:"wordsthatburn"indeed。'
  'Ratherlikeaballoonbeforeitisinflated:flabby,shapeless,dead。Youcouldhardlyreadthem。'
  'MayItry?'shesaidcoaxingly。'Iwrotemypoorromanceinthatway——Imeaninbits,outofdoors——andIshouldliketoseewhetheryourwayofenteringthingsisthesameasmine。'
  'Really,that'sratheranawkwardrequest。IsupposeIcanhardlyrefusenowyouhaveaskedsodirectly;but——'
  'Youthinkmeill-manneredinasking。Butdoesnotthisjustifyme——yourwritinginmypresence,Mr。Knight?IfIhadlighteduponyourbookbychance,itwouldhavebeendifferent;butyoustandbeforeme,andsay,"Excuseme,"withoutcaringwhetherIdoornot,andwriteon,andthentellmetheyarenotprivatefactsbutpublicideas。'
  'Verywell,MissSwancourt。Ifyoureallymustsee,theconsequencesbeuponyourownhead。Remember,myadvicetoyouistoleavemybookalone。'
  'ButwiththatcautionIhaveyourpermission?'
  'Yes。'
  Shehesitatedamoment,lookedathishandcontainingthebook,thenlaughed,andsaying,'Imustseeit,'withdrewitfromhisfingers。
  Knightrambledontowardsthehouse,leavingherstandinginthepathturningovertheleaves。Bythetimehehadreachedthewicket-gatehesawthatshehadmoved,andwaitedtillshecameup。
  Elfridehadclosedthenote-book,andwascarryingitdisdainfullybythecornerbetweenherfingerandthumb;herfaceworeanettledlook。Shesilentlyextendedthevolumetowardshim,raisinghereyesnohigherthanherhandwaslifted。
  'Takeit,'saidElfridequickly。'Idon'twanttoreadit。'
  'Couldyouunderstandit?'saidKnight。
  'AsfarasIlooked。ButIdidn'tcaretoreadmuch。'
  'Why,MissSwancourt?'
  'OnlybecauseIdidn'twishto——that'sall。'
  'Iwarnedyouthatyoumightnot。'
  'Yes,butIneversupposedyouwouldhaveputmethere。'
  'Yournameisnotmentionedoncewithinthefourcorners。'
  'Notmyname——Iknowthat。'
  'Noryourdescription,noranythingbywhichanybodywouldrecognizeyou。'
  'Exceptmyself。Forwhatisthis?'sheexclaimed,takingitfromhimandopeningapage。'August7。That'sthedaybeforeyesterday。ButIwon'treadit,'Elfridesaid,closingthebookagainwithprettyhauteur。'WhyshouldI?Ihadnobusinesstoasktoseeyourhook,anditservesmeright。'
  Knighthardlyrecollectedwhathehadwritten,andturnedoverthebooktosee。Hecametothis:
  'Aug。7。Girlgetsintoherteens,andherself-consciousnessisborn。Afteracertainintervalpassedininfantinehelplessnessitbeginstoact。Simple,young,andinexperiencedatfirst。
  Personsofobservationcantelltoanicetyhowoldthisconsciousnessisbytheskillithasacquiredintheartnecessarytoitssuccess——theartofhidingitself。Generallybeginscareerbyactionswhicharepopularlytermedshowing-off。Methodadopteddependsineachcaseuponthedisposition,rank,residence,oftheyoungladyattemptingit。Town-bredgirlwilluttersomemoralparadoxonfastmen,orlove。Countrymissadoptsthemorematerialmediaoftakingaghastlyfence,whistling,ormakingyourbloodruncoldbyappearingtoriskherneck。MEM。OnEndelstowTower。
  'Aninnocentvanityisofcoursetheoriginofthesedisplays。
  "Lookatme,"saytheseyouthfulbeginnersinwomanlyartifice,withoutreflectingwhetherornotitbetotheiradvantagetoshowsoverymuchofthemselves。AmplifyandcorrectforpaperonArtlessArts。'
  'Yes,Iremembernow,'saidKnight。'Thenoteswerecertainlysuggestedbyyourmanoeuvreonthechurchtower。Butyoumustnotthinktoomuchofsuchrandomobservations,'hecontinuedencouragingly,ashenoticedherinjuredlooks。'Amerefancypassingthroughmyheadassumesafactitiousimportancetoyou,becauseithasbeenmadepermanentbybeingwrittendown。Allmankindthinkthoughtsasbadasthoseofpeopletheymostloveonearth,butsuchthoughtsnevergettingembodiedonpaper,itbecomesassumedthattheyneverexisted。Idaresaythatyouyourselfhavethoughtsomedisagreeablethingorotherofme,whichwouldseemjustasbadasthisifwritten。Ichallengeyou,now,totellme。'
  'TheworstthingIhavethoughtofyou?'
  'Yes。'
  'Imustnot。'
  'Ohyes。'
  'Ithoughtyouwereratherround-shouldered。'
  Knightlookedslightlyredder。
  'Andthattherewasalittlebaldspotonthetopofyourhead。'
  'Heh-heh!Twoineradicabledefects,'saidKnight,therebeingafaintghastlinessdiscernibleinhislaugh。'Theyaremuchworseinalady'seyethanbeingthoughtself-conscious,Isuppose。'
  'Ah,that'sveryfine,'shesaid,tooinexperiencedtoperceiveherhit,andhencenotquitedisposedtoforgivehisnotes。'YoualludedtomeinthatentryasifIweresuchachild,too。
  Everybodydoesthat。Icannotunderstandit。Iamquiteawoman,youknow。HowolddoyouthinkIam?'
  'Howold?Why,seventeen,Ishouldsay。Allgirlsareseventeen。'
  'Youarewrong。Iamnearlynineteen。Whichclassofwomendoyoulikebest,thosewhoseemyounger,orthosewhoseemolderthantheyare?'
  'Off-handIshouldbeinclinedtosaythosewhoseemolder。'
  SoitwasnotElfride'sclass。
  'Butitiswellknown,'shesaideagerly,andtherewassomethingtouchingintheartlessanxietytobethoughtmuchofwhichsherevealedbyherwords,'thatthesloweranatureistodevelop,thericherthenature。Youthsandgirlswhoaremenandwomenbeforetheycomeofagearenobodiesbythetimethatbackwardpeoplehaveshowntheirfullcompass。'
  'Yes,'saidKnightthoughtfully。'Thereisreallysomethinginthatremark。ButattheriskofoffenceImustremindyouthatyoutheretakeitforgrantedthatthewomanbehindhertimeatagivenagehasnotreachedtheendofhertether。Herbackwardnessmaybenotbecausesheisslowtodevelop,butbecauseshesoonexhaustedhercapacityfordeveloping。'
  Elfridelookeddisappointed。Bythistimetheywereindoors。
  Mrs。Swancourt,towhommatch-makingbyanyhonestmeanswasmeatanddrink,hadnowalittleschemeofthatnatureconcerningthispair。Themorning-room,inwhichtheybothexpectedtofindher,wasempty;theoldladyhaving,fortheabovereason,vacateditbytheseconddoorastheyenteredbythefirst。
  Knightwenttothechimney-piece,andcarelesslysurveyedtwoportraitsonivory。
  'Thoughthesepinkladieshadveryrudimentaryfeatures,judgingbywhatIseehere,'heobserved,'theyhadunquestionablybeautifulheadsofhair。'
  'Yes;andthatiseverything,'saidElfride,possiblyconsciousofherown,possiblynot。
  'Noteverything;thoughagreatdeal,certainly。'
  'Whichcolourdoyoulikebest?'sheventuredtoask。
  'Moredependsonitsabundancethanonitscolour。'
  'Abundancesbeingequal,mayIinquireyourfavouritecolour?'
  'Dark。'
  'Imeanforwomen,'shesaid,withtheminutestfallofcountenance,andahopethatshehadbeenmisunderstood。
  'SodoI,'Knightreplied。
  ItwasimpossibleforanymannottoknowthecolourofElfride'shair。Inwomenwhowearitplainlysuchafeaturemaybeoverlookedbymennotgiventoocularintentness。Butherswasalwaysintheway。Yousawherhairasfarasyoucouldseehersex,andknewthatitwasthepalestbrown。SheknewinstantlythatKnight,beingperfectlyawareofthis,hadanindependentstandardofadmirationinthematter。
  Elfridewasthoroughlyvexed。Shecouldnotbutbestruckwiththehonestyofhisopinions,andtheworstofitwas,thatthemoretheywentagainsther,themoresherespectedthem。Andnow,likearecklessgambler,shehazardedherlastandbesttreasure。
  Hereyes:theywereherallnow。
  'Whatcolouredeyesdoyoulikebest,Mr。Knight?'shesaidslowly。
  'Honestly,orasacompliment?'
  'Ofcoursehonestly;Idon'twantanybody'scompliment!'
  AndyetElfrideknewotherwise:thatacomplimentorwordofapprovalfromthatmanthenwouldhavebeenlikeawelltoafamishedArab。
  'Ipreferhazel,'hesaidserenely。
  Shehadplayedandlostagain。
  ChapterXIX
  'Lovewasinthenextdegree。'
  Knighthadnoneofthoselightfamiliaritiesofspeechwhich,byjudicioustouchesofepigrammaticflattery,obliterateawoman'srecollectionofthespeaker'sabstractopinions。Sonomorewassaidbyeitheronthesubjectofhair,eyes,ordevelopment。
  Elfride'smindhadbeenimpregnatedwithsentimentsofherownsmallnesstoanuncomfortabledegreeofdistinctness,andherdiscomfortwasvisibleinherface。Thewholetendencyoftheconversationlatterlyhadbeentoquietlybutsurelydisparageher;andshewasfaintotakeStephenintofavourinself-defence。
  Hewouldnothavebeensounloving,shesaid,astoadmireanidiosyncrasyandfeaturesdifferentfromherown。True,Stephenhaddeclaredhelovedher:Mr。Knighthadneverdoneanythingofthesort。Somehowthisdidnotmendmatters,andthesensationofhersmallnessinKnight'seyesstillremained。Hadthepositionbeenreversed——hadStephenlovedherinspiteofadifferingtaste,andhadKnightbeenindifferentinspiteofherresemblancetohisideal,itwouldhaveengenderedfarhappierthoughts。Asmattersstood,Stephen'sadmirationmighthaveitsrootinablindnesstheresultofpassion。Perhapsanykeenman'sjudgmentwascondemnatoryofher。
  DuringtheremainderofSaturdaytheyweremoreorlessthrownwiththeirseniors,andnoconversationarosewhichwasexclusivelytheirown。WhenElfridewasinbedthatnightherthoughtsrecurredtothesamesubject。Atonemomentsheinsistedthatitwasill-naturedofhimtospeaksodecisivelyashehaddone;thenext,thatitwassterlinghonesty。
  'Ah,whatapoornobodyIam!'shesaid,sighing。'Peoplelikehim,whogoaboutthegreatworld,don'tcareintheleastwhatI
  amlikeeitherinmoodorfeature。'
  Perhapsamanwhohasgotthoroughlyintoawoman'smindinthismanner,ishalfwaytoherheart;thedistancebetweenthosetwostationsisproverbiallyshort。
  'Andareyoureallygoingawaythisweek?'saidMrs。SwancourttoKnightonthefollowingevening,whichwasSunday。
  Theywereallleisurelyclimbingthehilltothechurch,wherealastservicewasnowtobeheldattheratherexceptionaltimeofeveninginsteadofintheafternoon,previoustothedemolitionoftheruinousportions。