You entered the mansion by a court that was enclosed on two sides altogether, and on the two others partially18. Facing you, as you drove in, was the body of the building, with the huge porch projecting on the right so as to give the appearance of a portion of the house standing19 out on that side. On the left was that old mythic Tudor remnant of the monastery, of which the back wall seen from the court was pierced only with a small window here and there, and was covered with ivy20. Those lattice windows, from which Emily Hotspur loved to think that the monks of old had looked into their trim gardens, now looked on to a bowling-green which was kept very trim in honour of the holy personages who were supposed to have played there four centuries ago. Then, at the end of this old building, there had been erected kitchens, servants' offices, and various rooms, which turned the corner of the court in front, so that only one corner had, as it were, been left for ingress and egress21. But the court itself was large, and in the middle of it there stood an old stone ornamental22 structure, usually called the fountain, but quite ignorant of water, loaded with griffins and satyrs and mermaids23 with ample busts24, all overgrown with a green damp growth, which was scraped off by the joint25 efforts of the gardener and mason once perhaps in every five years.
It often seems that the beauty of architecture is accidental. A great man goes to work with great means on a great pile, and makes a great failure. The world perceives that grace and beauty have escaped him, and that even magnificence has been hardly achieved. Then there grows up beneath various unknown hands a complication of stones and brick to the arrangement of which no great thought seems to have been given; and, lo, there is a thing so perfect in its glory that he who looks at it declares that nothing could be taken away and nothing added without injury and sacrilege and disgrace. So it had been, or rather so it was now, with the Hall at Humblethwaite. No rule ever made for the guidance of an artist had been kept. The parts were out of proportion. No two parts seemed to fit each other. Put it all on paper, and it was an absurdity26. The huge hall and porch added on by the builder of Queen Anne's time, at the very extremity27 of the house, were almost a monstrosity. The passages and staircases, and internal arrangements, were simply ridiculous. But there was not a portion of the whole interior that did not charm; nor was there a corner of the exterior28, nor a yard of an outside wall, that was not in itself eminently29 beautiful.
Lord Alfred Gresley, as he was driven into the court in the early dusk of a winter evening, having passed through a mile and a half of such park scenery as only Cumberland and Westmoreland can show, was fully30 alive to the glories of the place. Humblethwaite did not lie among the lakes,—was, indeed, full ten miles to the north of Keswick; but it was so placed that it enjoyed the beauty and the luxury of mountains and rivers, without the roughness of unmanageable rocks, or the sterility31 and dampness of moorland. Of rocky fragments, indeed, peeping out through the close turf, and here and there coming forth32 boldly so as to break the park into little depths, with now and again a real ravine, there were plenty. And there ran right across the park, passing so near the Hall as to require a stone bridge in the very flower-garden, the Caldbeck, as bright and swift a stream as ever took away the water from neighbouring mountains. And to the south of Humblethwaite there stood the huge Skiddaw, and Saddleback with its long gaunt ridge33; while to the west, Brockleband Fell seemed to encircle the domain34. Lord Alfred, as he was driven up through the old trees, and saw the deer peering at him from the knolls35 and broken fragments of stone, felt that he need not envy his elder brother if only his lines might fall to him in this very pleasant place.
He had known Humblethwaite before; and, irrespective of all its beauties, and of the wealth of the Hotspurs, was quite willing to fall in love with Emily Hotspur. That a man with such dainties offered to him should not become greedy, that there should be no touch of avarice36 when such wealth was shown to him, is almost more than we may dare to assert. But Lord Alfred was a man not specially37 given to covetousness38. He had recognized it as his duty as a man not to seek for these things unless he could in truth love the woman who held them in her hands to give. But as he looked round him through the gloaming of the evening, he thought that he remembered that Emily Hotspur was all that was loveable.
But, reader, we must not linger long over Lord Alfred's love. A few words as to the father, a few as to the daughter, and a few also as to the old house where they dwelt together, it has been necessary to say; but this little love story of Lord Alfred's,—if it ever was a love story,—must be told very shortly.
He remained five weeks at Humblethwaite, and showed himself willing to receive amusement from old Mrs. Crutchley and from young Mrs. Latheby. The shooting was quite good enough for him, and he won golden opinions from every one about the place. He made himself acquainted with the whole history of the house, and was prepared to prove to demonstration39 that Henry VII.'s monks had looked out of those very windows, and had played at bowls on that very green. Emily became fond of him after a fashion, but he failed to assume any aspect of divinity in her eyes.
Of the thing to be done, neither father nor mother said a word to the girl; and she, though she knew so well that the doing of it was intended, said not a word to her mother. Had Lady Elizabeth known how to speak, had she dared to be free with her own child, Emily would soon have told her that there was no chance for Lord Alfred. And Lady Elizabeth would have believed her. Nay40, Lady Elizabeth, though she could not speak, had the woman's instinct, which almost assured her that the match would never be made. Sir Harry, on the other side, thought that things went prosperously; and his wife did not dare to undeceive him. He saw the young people together, and thought that he saw that Emily was kind. He did not know that this frank kindness was incompatible41 with love in such a maiden's ways. As for Emily herself, she knew that it must come. She knew that she could not prevent it. A slight hint or two she did give, or thought she gave, but they were too fine, too impalpable to be of avail.
Lord Alfred spoke42 nothing of love till he made his offer in form. At last he was not hopeful himself. He had found it impossible to speak to this girl of love. She had been gracious with him, and almost intimate, and yet it had been impossible. He thought of himself that he was dull, stupid, lethargic43, and miserably44 undemonstrative. But the truth was that there was nothing for him to demonstrate. He had come there to do a stroke of business, and he could not throw into this business a spark of that fire which would have been kindled45 by such sympathy had it existed. There are men who can raise such sparks, the pretence46 of fire, where there is no heat at all;—false, fraudulent men; but he was not such an one. Nevertheless he went on with his business.
"Miss Hotspur," he said to her one morning between breakfast and lunch, when, as usual, opportunity had been given him to be alone with her, "I have something to say to you, which I hope at any rate it will not make you angry to hear."
"I am sure you will say nothing to make me angry," she replied.
"I have already spoken to your father, and I have his permission. I may say more. He assures me that he hopes I may succeed." He paused a moment, but she remained quite tranquil47. He watched her, and could see that the delicate pink on her cheek was a little heightened, and that a streak48 of colour showed itself on her fair brow; but there was nothing in her manner to give him either promise of success or assurance of failure. "You will know what I mean?"
"Yes, I know," she said, almost in a whisper.
"And may I hope? To say that I love you dearly seems to be saying what must be a matter of course."
"I do not see that at all," she replied with spirit.
"I do love you very dearly. If I may be allowed to think that you will be my wife, I shall be the happiest man in England. I know how great is the honour which I seek, how immense in every way is the gift which I ask you to give me. Can you love me?"
"No," she said, again dropping her voice to a whisper.
"Is that all the answer, Miss Hotspur?"
"What should I say? How ought I to answer you? If I could say it without seeming to be unkind, indeed, indeed, I would do so."
"Perhaps I have been abrupt49."
"It is not that. When you ask me—to—to—love you, of course I know what you mean. Should I not speak the truth at once?"
"Must this be for always?"
"For always," she replied. And then it was over.
He did not himself press his suit further, though he remained at Humblethwaite for three days after this interview.
Before lunch on that day the story had been told by Emily to her mother, and by Lord Alfred to Sir Harry. Lady Elizabeth knew well enough that the story would never have to be told in another way. Sir Harry by no means so easily gave up his enterprise. He proposed to Lord Alfred that Emily should be asked to reconsider her verdict. With his wife he was very round, saying that an answer given so curtly50 should go for nothing, and that the girl must be taught her duty. With Emily herself he was less urgent, less authoritative51, and indeed at last somewhat suppliant52. He explained to her how excellent would be the marriage; how it would settle this terrible responsibility which now lay on his shoulders with so heavy a weight; how glorious would be her position; and how the Hotspurs would still live as a great family could she bring herself to be obedient. And he said very much in praise of Lord Alfred, pointing out how good a man he was, how moral, how diligent53, how safe, how clever,—how sure, with the assistance of the means which she would give him, to be one of the notable men of the country. But she never yielded an inch. She said very little,—answered him hardly a word, standing close to him, holding by his arm and his hand. There was the fact, that she would not have the man, would not have the man now or ever, certainly would not have him; and Sir Harry, let him struggle as he might, and talk his best, could not keep himself from giving absolute credit to her assurance.
The visit was prolonged for three days, and then Lord Alfred left Humblethwaite Hall, with less appreciation54 of all its beauties than he had felt as he was first being driven up to the Hall doors. When he went, Sir Harry could only bid God bless him, and assure him that, should he ever choose to try his fortune again, he should have all the aid which a father could give him.
"It would be useless," said Lord Alfred; "she knows her own mind too well."
And so he went his way.
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1
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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manors
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| n.庄园（manor的复数形式） | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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monastery
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| n.修道院，僧院，寺院 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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sanitary
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| adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的 | |
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banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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egress
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| n.出去；出口 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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mermaids
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| n.（传说中的）美人鱼( mermaid的名词复数 ) | |
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busts
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| 半身雕塑像( bust的名词复数 )； 妇女的胸部； 胸围； 突击搜捕 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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31
sterility
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| n.不生育，不结果，贫瘠，消毒，无菌 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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knolls
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| n.小圆丘，小土墩( knoll的名词复数 ) | |
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avarice
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| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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covetousness
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demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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40
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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incompatible
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| adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的 | |
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42
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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43
lethargic
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| adj.昏睡的，懒洋洋的 | |
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miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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45
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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46
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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47
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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48
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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49
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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50
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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51
authoritative
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| adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的 | |
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52
suppliant
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| adj.哀恳的；n.恳求者，哀求者 | |
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53
diligent
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| adj.勤勉的，勤奋的 | |
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54
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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