And thus this narrow man, who did not easily forgive, expanded and forgave, and the secret of the subsidence of the quarrel, and of the Christian5 solution of the “difficulty,” was simply Mr. Vane Etherage’s hundred and thirty votes in the county.
What a blessing6 to these counties is representative government, with its attendant institution of the canvass7! It is the one galvanism which no material can resist. It melts every heart, and makes the coldest, hardest, and heaviest metals burst into beautiful flame. Granted that at starting, the geniality8, repentance9, kindness, are so many arrant10 hypocrisies11; yet who can tell whether these repentances, in white sheets, taper12 in hand, these offerings of birds and fruits, these smiles and compliments, and “Christian courtesies,” may not end in improving the man who is compelled to act like a good fellow and accept his kindly13 canons, and improve him also with whom these better relations are established? As muscle is added to the limb, so strength is added to the particular moral quality we exercise, and kindness is elicited14, and men perhaps end by having some of the attributes which they began by affecting. At all events, any recognition of the kindly and peaceable social philosophy of Christianity is, so far as it goes, good.
“What a sensible, nice, hospitable15 old man Lord Verney is; I think him the most sensible and the nicest man I ever met,” said Miss Charity, in an enthusiasm which was quite genuine, for she was, honestly, no respecter of persons. “And young Mr. Verney certainly looked very handsome, but I don’t like him.”
“Don’t like him! Why?” said Agnes, looking up.
“Because I think him perfectly16 odious17,” replied Miss Charity.
Agnes was inured18 to Miss Charity’s adjectives, and even the fierce flush that accompanied some of them failed to alarm her.
“Well, I rather like him,” she said, quietly.
“You can’t like him, Agnes. It is not a matter of opinion at all; it’s just simply a matter of fact— and you know that he is a most worldly, selfish, cruel, and I think, wicked young man, and you need not talk about him, for he’s odious. And here comes Thomas Sedley again.”
Agnes smiled a faint and bitter smile.
“And what do you think of him?” she asked.
“Thomas Sedley? Of course I like him; we all like him. Don’t you?” answered Charity.
“Yes, pretty well — very well. I suppose he has faults, like other people. He’s good-humoured, selfish, of course — I fancy they all are. And papa likes him, I think; but really, Charrie, if you want to know, I don’t care if I never saw him again.”
“Hush!”
“Well! You’ve got rid of the Verneys, and here I am again,” said Tom, approaching. “They are going up to Hazelden to see your father.”
And so they were — up that pretty walk that passes the mills and ascends19 steeply by the precipitous side of the wooded glen, so steep, that in two places you have to mount by rude flights of steps — a most sequestered20 glen, and utterly21 silent, except for the sound of the mill-stream tinkling22 and crooning through the rocks below, unseen through the dense23 boughs24 and stems of the wood beneath.
If Lord Verney in his conciliatory condescension25 was grand, so was Vane Etherage on the occasion of receiving and forgiving him at Hazelden. He had considered and constructed a little speech, with some pomp of language, florid and magnanimous. He had sat in his bath-chair for half an hour at the little iron gate of the flower-garden of Hazelden, no inmate26 of which had ever seen him look, for a continuance, so sublimely27 important, and indeed solemn, as he had done all that morning.
Vane Etherage had made his arrangements to receive Lord Verney with a dignified28 deference29. He was to be wheeled down the incline about two hundred yards, to “the bower30,” to meet the peer at that point, and two lusty fellows were to push him up by Lord Verney’s side to the house, where wine and other comforts awaited him.
John Evans had been placed at the mill to signal to the people above at Hazelden, by a musket31-shot, the arrival of Lord Verney at that stage of his progress. The flagstaff and rigging on the green platform at Hazelden were fluttering all over with all the flags that ever were invented, in honour of the gala.
Lord Verney ascended32, leaning upon the arm of his nephew, with Mr. Larkin and the mayor for supporters, Captain Shrapnell, Doctor Lyster, and two or three other distinguished33 inhabitants of Cardyllian bringing up the rear.
Lord Verney carried his head high, and grew reserved and rather silent as they got on, and as they passed under the solemn shadow of the great trees by the mill, an overloaded34 musket went off with a sound like a cannon35, as Lord Verney afterwards protested, close to the unsuspecting party, and a loud and long whoop36 from John Evans completed the concerted signal.
The Viscount actually jumped, and Cleve felt the shock of his arm against his side.
“D—— you, John Evans, what the devil are you doing?” exclaimed Captain Shrapnell, who, turning from white to crimson37, was the first of the party to recover his voice.
“Yes, sir, thank you — very good,” said Evans, touching38 his hat, and smiling incessantly39 with the incoherent volubility of Welsh politeness. “A little bit of a squib, sir, if you please, for Captain Squire40 Etherage — very well, I thank you — to let him know Lord Verney — very much obliged, sir — was at the mill — how do you do, sir? — and going up to Hazelden, if you please, sir.”
And the speech subsided41 in a little, gratified laugh of delighted politeness.
“You’d better not do that again, though,” said the Captain, with a menacing wag of his head, and availing himself promptly42 of the opportunity of improving his relations with Lord Verney, he placed himself by his side, and assured him that though he was an old campaigner, and had smelt43 powder in all parts of the world, he had never heard such a report from a musket in all his travels and adventures before; and hoped Lord Verney’s hearing was not the worse of it. He had known a general officer deafened44 by a shot, and, by Jove! his own ears were singing with it still, accustomed as he was, by Jupiter! to such things.
His lordship, doing his best on the festive45 occasion, smiled uncomfortably, and said —
“Yes — thanks — ha, ha! I really thought it was a cannon, or the gas-works — about it.”
And Shrapnell called back and said —
“Don’t you be coming on with that thing, John Evans — do you mind? — Lord Verney’s had quite enough of that. You’ll excuse me, Lord Verney, I thought you’d wish so much said,” and Lord Verney bowed graciously.
The answering shot and cheer which were heard from above announced to John Evans that the explosion had been heard at Hazelden, and still smiling and touching his heart, he continued his voluble civilities —“Very good, sir, very much obliged, sir, very well, I thank you; I hope you are very well, sir, very good indeed, sir,” and so forth46, till they were out of hearing.
The shot, indeed, was distinctly heard at the gay flagstaff up at Hazelden, and the Admiral got under weigh, and proceeded down the incline charmingly till they had nearly reached the little platform at the bower, where, like Christian in his progress, he was to make a halt.
But his plans at this point were disturbed. Hardly twenty yards before they reached it, one of his men let go, the drag upon the other suddenly increased, and resulted in a pull, which caused him to trip, and tripping as men while in motion downhill will, he butted47 forward, charging headlong, and finally tumbling on his face, he gave to the rotatory throne of Mr. Etherage such an impulse as carried him quite past the arbour, and launched him upon the steep descent of the gravel-walk with a speed every moment accelerated.
“Stop her! — ease her! — d —— you, Williams!” roared the Admiral, little knowing how idle were his orders. The bath-chair had taken head, the pace became furious; the running footmen gave up pursuit in despair, and Mr. Vane Etherage was obliged to concentrate his severest attention, as he never did before, on the task of guiding his flying vehicle, a feat48 which was happily favoured by the fact that the declivity49 presented no short turns.
The sounds were heard below — a strange ring of wheels, and a powerful voice bawling50, “Ease her! stop her!” and some stronger expressions.
“Can’t be a carriage, about it, here?” exclaimed Lord Verney, halting abruptly51, and only restrained from skipping upon the side bank by a sense of dignity.
“Never mind, Lord Verney! don’t mind — I’ll take care of you — I’m your vanguard,” exclaimed Captain Shrapnell, with a dare-devil gaiety, inspired by the certainty that it could not be a carriage, and the conviction that the adventure would prove nothing more than some children and nursery maids playing with a perambulator.
His feelings underwent a revulsion, however, when old Vane Etherage, enveloped52 in cloak, and shawls, his hat gone, and his long grizzled hair streaming backward, with a wild countenance, and both hands working the directing handle, came swooping53 into sight, roaring, maniacally54, “Ease her! back her!” and yawing frightfully in his descent upon them.
Captain Shrapnell, they say, turned pale at the spectacle; but he felt he must now go through with it, or for ever sacrifice that castle-inthe-air, of which the events of the day had suggested the ground-plan and elevation55.
“Good heaven! he’ll be killed, about it!” exclaimed Lord Verney, peeping from behind a tree, with unusual energy; but whether he meant Shrapnell, or Etherage, or both, I don’t know, and nobody in that moment of sincerity56 minded much what he meant. I dare say a front-rank man in a square at Waterloo did not feel before the gallop57 of the Cuirassiers as the gallant58 Captain did before the charge of the large invalid59 who was descending60 upon him. All he meditated61 was a decent show of resistance, and as he had a stout62 walking-stick in his hand, something might be done without risking his bones. So, as the old gentleman thundered downward, roaring, “Keep her off — keep her clear,” Shrapnell, roaring “I’m your man!” nervously63 popped the end of his stick under the front wheel of the vehicle, himself skipping to one side, unhappily the wrong one, for the chair at this check spun64 round, and the next spectacle was Mr. Vane Etherage and Captain Shrapnell, enveloped in cloaks and mufflers, and rolling over and over in one another’s arms, like athletes in mortal combat, the Captain’s fist being visible, as they rolled round, at Mr. Vane Etherage’s back, with his walking-stick still clutched in it.
The chair was lying on its side, the gentlemen were separated, and Captain Shrapnell jumped to his feet.
“Well, Lord Verney, I believe I did something there!” said the gallant Captain, with the air of a man who has done his duty, and knows it.
“Done something! you’ve broke my neck, you lubber!” panted Mr. Vane Etherage, who, his legs not being available, had been placed sitting with some cloaks about him, on the bank.
Shrapnell grinned and winked65 expressively66, and confidentially67 whispered, “Jolly old fellow he is — no one minds the Admiral; we let him talk.”
“Lord Verney,” said his lordship, introducing himself with a look and air of polite concern.
“No, my name’s Etherage,” said the invalid, mistaking — he fancied that Jos. Larkin, who was expounding68 his views of the accident grandly to Cleve Verney in the background, could not be less than a peer —“I live up there, at Hazelden — devilish near being killed here, by that lubber there. Why I was running at the rate of five-and-twenty knots an hour, if I was making one; and I remember it right well, sir, there’s a check down there, just before you come to the mill-stile, and the wall there; and I’d have run my bows right into it, and not a bit the worse, sir, if that d —— fellow had just kept out of the — the — king’s course, you know; and egad! I don’t know now how it is — I suppose I’m smashed, sir.”
“I hope not, sir. I am Lord Verney — about it; and it would pain me extremely to learn that any serious injuries, or — or — things — had been sustained, about it.”
“I’ll tell that in a moment,” said Doctor Lyster, who was of the party, briskly.
So after a variety of twists and wrenches69 and pokes70, Vane Etherage was pronounced sound and safe.
“I don’t know how the devil I escaped!” exclaimed the invalid.
“By tumbling on me— very simply,” replied Captain Shrapnell with a spirited laugh.
“You may set your mind at rest, Shrapnell,” said the Doctor, walking up to him, with a congratulatory air. “He’s all right, this time; but you had better mind giving the old fellow any more rolls of that sort — the pitcher71 to the well, you know — and the next time might smash him.”
“I’m more concerned about smashing myself, thank you. The next time he may roll to the devil — and through whoever he pleases for me — knocked down with that blackguard old chair, and that great hulking fellow on top of me — all for trying to be of use, egad! when everyone of you funked it — and not a soul asks about my bones, egad! or my neck either.”
“Oh! come, Shrapnell, you’re not setting up for an old dog yet. There’s a difference between you and Etherage,” said the Doctor.
“I hope so,” answered the Captain, sarcastically72, “but civility is civility all the world over; and I can tell you, another fellow would make fuss enough about the pain I’m suffering.”
It was found, further, that one wheel of the bath-chair was disorganised, and the smith must come from the town to get it to rights, and that Vane Etherage, who could as soon have walked up a rainbow as up the acclivity to Hazelden, must bivouac for a while where he sat.
So there the visit was paid, and the exciting gala of that day closed, and the Viscount and his party marched down, with many friends attendant, to the jetty, and embarked73 in the yacht for Ware.
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1
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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writs
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| n.书面命令，令状( writ的名词复数 ) | |
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grouse
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| n.松鸡；v.牢骚，诉苦 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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canvass
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| v.招徕顾客，兜售；游说；详细检查，讨论 | |
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geniality
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| n.和蔼，诚恳；愉快 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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arrant
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| adj.极端的；最大的 | |
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hypocrisies
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| n.伪善，虚伪( hypocrisy的名词复数 ) | |
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taper
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| n.小蜡烛，尖细，渐弱；adj.尖细的；v.逐渐变小 | |
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13
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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14
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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17
odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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18
inured
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| adj.坚强的，习惯的 | |
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19
ascends
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的第三人称单数 ) | |
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20
sequestered
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| adj.扣押的；隐退的；幽静的；偏僻的v.使隔绝，使隔离( sequester的过去式和过去分词 )；扣押 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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23
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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24
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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25
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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inmate
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| n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人 | |
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sublimely
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| 高尚地，卓越地 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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29
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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30
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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31
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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32
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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overloaded
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| a.超载的，超负荷的 | |
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35
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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44
deafened
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| 使聋( deafen的过去式和过去分词 )； 使隔音 | |
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festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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butted
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| 对接的 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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49
declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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50
bawling
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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51
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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52
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
swooping
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的现在分词 ) | |
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54
maniacally
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55
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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56
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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57
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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60
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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61
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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64
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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65
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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66
expressively
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| ad.表示(某事物)地；表达地 | |
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confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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68
expounding
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| 论述，详细讲解( expound的现在分词 ) | |
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69
wrenches
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| n.一拧( wrench的名词复数 )；（身体关节的）扭伤；扳手；（尤指离别的）悲痛v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的第三人称单数 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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70
pokes
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| v.伸出( poke的第三人称单数 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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71
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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72
sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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73
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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