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the daisy chain, or aspirations-第124部分

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towards this side; there was a tender respect in Dr。 Spencer's manner
that was most beautiful; though this evening such subjects were
scrupulously kept at the utmost distance; by the constant interchange
of new and old jokes and stories。

Only when bed…time had come; and Margaret had been carried offdid a
silence fall on the two friends; unbroken till Dr。 May rose and
proposed going upstairs。  When he gave his hand to wish good…night;
Dr。 Spencer held it this time most carefully; and said; 〃Oh; May!  I
did not expect this!〃

〃I should have prepared you;〃 said his host; 〃but I never recollected
that you knew nothing〃

〃I had dwelt on your happiness!〃

〃There never were two happier creatures for twenty…two years;〃 said
Dr。 May; his voice low with emotion。  〃Sorrow spared her!  Yes; think
of her always in undimmed brightnessalways smiling as you remember
her。  She was happy。  She is;〃 he concluded。  His friend had turned
aside and hidden his face with his hands; then looked up for a
moment; 〃And you; Dick;〃 he said briefly。

〃Sorrow spared her;〃 was Dr。 May's first answer。  〃And hers are very
good children!〃

There was a silence again; ending in Dr。 May's saying; 〃What do you
think of my poor girl?〃

They discussed the nature of the injury: Dr。 Spencer could not feel
otherwise than that it was a very hopeless matter。  Her father owned
that he had thought so from the first; and had wondered at Sir
Matthew Fleet's opinion。  His subdued tone of patience and
resignation; struck his guest above all; as changed from what he had
once been。

〃You have been sorely tried;〃 he said; when they parted at his room
door。

〃I have received much good!〃 simply answered Dr。 May。  〃Goodnight!  I
am glad to have you hereif you can bear it。〃

〃Bear it?  Dick! how like that girl is to you!  She is yourself!〃

〃Such a self as I never was!  Good…night。〃

Ethel overcame the difficulty of giving the account of the newspaper
alarm with tolerable success; by putting the story of Meta's
conversation foremost。  Margaret did not take it to heart as much as
she had feared; nor did she appear to dwell on it afterwards。  The
truth was perhaps that Dr。 Spencer's visit was to every one more of
an excitement and amusement than it was to Ethel。  Not that she did
not like him extremely; but after such a week as she had been
spending; the home…world seemed rather stale and unprofitable。

Miss Bracy relapsed into a state of 〃feelings;〃 imagining that Ethel
had distrusted her capabilities; and therefore returned; or as Ethel
herself sometimes feared; there might be irritability in her own
manner that gave cause of annoyance。  The children were inclined to
be riotous with their new friend; who made much of them continually;
and especially patronised Aubrey; Mary was proud of showing how much
she had learned to do for Margaret in her sister's absence; Dr。 May
was so much taken up with his friend; that Ethel saw less of him than
usual; and she began to believe that it had been all a mistake that
every one was so dependent on her; for; in fact; they did much better
without her。

Meantime; she heard of the gaieties which the others were enjoying;
and she could not feel heroic when they regretted her。  At the end of
a week; Meta Rivers was escorted home from Warwick by two servants;
and came to Stoneborough; giving a lively description of all the
concluding pleasures; but declaring that Ethel's departure had taken
away the zest of the whole; and Mr。 Ogilvie had been very
disconsolate。  Margaret had not been prepared to hear that Mr。
Ogilvie had been so constant a companion; and was struck by finding
that Ethel had passed over one who had evidently been so great an
ingredient in the delights of the expedition。  Meta had; however
observed nothingshe was a great deal too simple and too much
engrossed for such notions to have crossed her mind; but Margaret
inferred something; and hoped to learn more when she should see
Flora。  This would not be immediately。  George and his wife were gone
to London; and thence intended to pay a round of visits; and Norman
had accompanied his namesake to Glenbracken。

Ethel fought hard with her own petulance and sense of tedium at home;
which was; as she felt; particularly uncalled for at present; when
Dr。 Spencer was enlivening them so much。  He was never in the way; he
was always either busy in the dining…room in the morning with books
and papers; or wandering about his old school…boy haunts in the town;
or taking Adam's place; and driving out Dr。 May; or sometimes joining
the children in a walk; to their supreme delight。  His sketches; for
he drew most beautifully; were an endless pleasure to Margaret; with
his explanations of themshe even tried to sit up to copy them; and
he began to teach Blanche to draw。  The evenings; when there was
certain to be some entertaining talk going on between the two
doctors; were very charming; and Margaret seemed quite revived by
seeing her father so happy with his friend。  Ethel knew she ought to
be happy also; and if attention could make her so; she had it; for
kind and courteous as Dr。 Spencer was to all; she seemed to have a
double charm for him。  It was as if he found united in her the quaint
brusquerie; that he had loved in her father; with somewhat of her
mother; for though Ethel had less personal resemblance to Mrs。 May
than any other of the family; Dr。 Spencer transferred to her much of
the chivalrous distant devotion; with which he had regarded her
mother。  Ethel was very little conscious of it; but he was certainly
her sworn knight; and there was an eagerness in his manner of
performing every little service for her; a deference in his way of
listening to her; over and above his ordinary polish of manner。

Ethel lighted up; and enjoyed herself when talking was going onher
periods of ennui were when she had to set about any home employment
when Aubrey's lessons did not go wellwhen she wanted to speak to
her father; and could not catch him; and even when she had to go to
Cocksmoor。

She did not seem to make any progress therethe room was very full;
and very close; the children were dull; and she began to believe she
was doing no goodit was all a weariness。  But she was so heartily
ashamed of her feelings; that she worked the more vehemently for
them; and the utmost show that they outwardly made was; that Margaret
thought her less vivacious than her wont; and she was a little too
peremptory at times with Mary and Blanche。  She had so much disliked
the display that Flora had made about Cocksmoor; that she had imposed
total silence on it upon her younger sisters; and Dr。 Spencer had
spent a fortnight at Stoneborough without being aware of their
occupation; when there occurred such an extremely sultry day; that
Margaret remonstrated with Ethel on her intention of broiling herself
and Mary by walking to Cocksmoor; when the quicksilver stood at 80?
in the shade。

Ethel was much inclined to stay at home; but she did not know whether
this was from heat or from idleness; and her fretted spirits took the
turn of determinationso she posted off at a galloping pace; that
her brothers called her 〃Cocksmoor speed;〃 and Mary panted by her
side; humbly petitioning for the plantation path; when she answered
〃that it was as well to be hot in the sun as in the shade。〃

The school…room was unusually full; all the haymaking mothers made it
serve as an infant school; and though as much window was opened as
there could be; the effect was not coolness。  Nevertheless; Ethel sat
down and gathered her class round her; and she had just heard the
chapter once read; when there was a little confusion; a frightened
cry of 〃Ethel!〃 and before she could rise to her feeta flump upon
the floorpoor Mary had absolutely fainted dead away。

Ethel was much terrified; and very angry with herself; Mary was no
light weight; but Mrs。 Elwood coming at their cry; helped Ethel to
drag her into the outer room; where she soon began to recover; and to
be excessively puzzled as to what had happened to her。  She said the
sea was roaring; and where was Harry? and then she looked much
surprised to find herself lying on Mrs。 Elwood's damp flagsa
circumstance extremely distressing to Mrs。 Elwood; who wanted to
carry her upstairs into Cherry's room; very clean and very white; but
with such a sun shining full into it!

Ethel lavished all care; and reproached herself greatly; though to be
sure nothing had ever been supposed capable of hurting Mary; and Mary
herself protested that nothing at all had ailed her till the
children's voices began to sound funny; and turned into the waves of
the sea; and therewith poor Mary burst into a great flood of tears;
and asked whether Harry would ever come back。  The tears did her a
great deal of good; though not so much as the being petted by Ethel;
and she soon declared herself perfectly well; but Ethel could not
think of letting her walk home; and sent off a boywho she trusted
would not faintwith a note to Margaret; desiring her to send the
gig; which fortunately was at home to…day。

Mary had partaken of some of Mrs。 Elwood's tea; which; though
extremely bitter; seemed a great
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