The Hand of Ethelberta, by Thomas Hardy The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Hand of Ethelberta, by Thomas Hardy This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Hand of Ethelberta Author: Thomas Hardy Release Date: October 28, 2004 [eBook #3469] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HAND OF ETHELBERTA*** This eBook was produced from the 1907 Macmillan and Co edition by Les Bowler, St Ives, Dorset THE HAND OF ETHELBERTA—A COMEDY IN CHAPTERS by Thomas Hardy “Vitae post-scenia celant.”—Lucretius PREFACE This somewhat frivolous narrative was produced as an interlude between stories of a more sober design, and it was given the sub-title of a comedy to indicate— though not quite accurately—the aim of the performance A high degree of probability was not attempted in the arrangement of the incidents, and there was expected of the reader a certain lightness of mood, which should inform him with a good-natured willingness to accept the production in the spirit in which it was offered The characters themselves, however, were meant to be consistent and human On its first appearance the novel suffered, perhaps deservedly, for what was involved in these intentions—for its quality of unexpectedness in particular— that unforgivable sin in the critic’s sight—the immediate precursor of ‘Ethelberta’ having been a purely rural tale Moreover, in its choice of medium, and line of perspective, it undertook a delicate task: to excite interest in a drama —if such a dignified word may be used in the connection—wherein servants were as important as, or more important than, their masters; wherein the drawing-room was sketched in many cases from the point of view of the servants’ hall Such a reversal of the social foreground has, perhaps, since grown more welcome, and readers even of the finer crusted kind may now be disposed to pardon a writer for presenting the sons and daughters of Mr and Mrs Chickerel as beings who come within the scope of a congenial regard T H December 1895 CONTENTS A STREET IN ANGLEBURY—A HEATH NEAR IT—INSIDE THE ‘RED LION’ INN CHRISTOPHER’S HOUSE—SANDBOURNE TOWN—SANDBOURNE MOOR SANDBOURNE MOOR (continued) SANDBOURNE PIER—ROAD TO WYNDWAY—BALLROOM IN WYNDWAY HOUSE AT THE WINDOW—THE ROAD HOME THE SHORE BY WYNDWAY THE DINING-ROOM OF A TOWN HOUSE—THE BUTLER’S PANTRY CHRISTOPHER’S LODGINGS—THE GROUNDS ABOUT ROOKINGTON A LADY’S DRAWING-ROOMS—ETHELBERTA’S DRESSING-ROOM 10 LADY PETHERWIN’S HOUSE 11 SANDBOURNE AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD—SOME LONDON STREETS 12 ARROWTHORNE PARK AND LODGE 13 THE LODGE (continued)—THE COPSE BEHIND 14 A TURNPIKE ROAD 15 AN INNER ROOM AT THE LODGE 16 A LARGE PUBLIC HALL 17 ETHELBERTA’S HOUSE 18 NEAR SANDBOURNE—LONDON STREETS—ETHELBERTA’S 19 ETHELBERTA’S DRAWING-ROOM 20 THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE HALL—THE ROAD HOME 21 A STREET—NEIGH’S ROOMS—CHRISTOPHER’S ROOMS 22 ETHELBERTA’S HOUSE 23 ETHELBERTA’S HOUSE (continued) 24 ETHELBERTA’S HOUSE (continued)—THE BRITISH MUSEUM 25 THE ROYAL ACADEMY—THE FARNFIELD ESTATE 26 ETHELBERTA’S DRAWING-ROOM 27 MRS BELMAINE’S—CRIPPLEGATE CHURCH 28 ETHELBERTA’S—MR CHICKEREL’S ROOM 29 ETHELBERTA’S DRESSING-ROOM—MR DONCASTLE’S HOUSE 30 ON THE HOUSETOP 31 KNOLLSEA—A LOFTY DOWN—A RUINED CASTLE 32 A ROOM IN ENCKWORTH COURT 33 THE ENGLISH CHANNEL—NORMANDY 34 THE HÔTEL BEAU SÉJOUR, AND SPOTS NEAR IT 35 THE HOTEL (continued), AND THE QUAY IN FRONT 36 THE HOUSE IN TOWN 37 KNOLLSEA—AN ORNAMENTAL VILLA 38 ENCKWORTH COURT 39 KNOLLSEA—MELCHESTER 40 MELCHESTER (continued) 41 WORKSHOPS—AN INN—THE STREET 42 THE DONCASTLES’ RESIDENCE, AND OUTSIDE THE SAME 43 THE RAILWAY—THE SEA—THE SHORE BEYOND 44 SANDBOURNE—A LONELY HEATH—THE ‘RED LION’—THE HIGHWAY 45 KNOLLSEA—THE ROAD THENCE—ENCKWORTH 46 ENCKWORTH (continued)—THE ANGLEBURY HIGHWAY 47 ENCKWORTH AND ITS PRECINCTS—MELCHESTER SEQUEL ANGLEBURY—ENCKWORTH—SANDBOURNE A STREET IN ANGLEBURY—A HEATH NEAR IT—INSIDE THE ‘RED LION’ INN Young Mrs Petherwin stepped from the door of an old and well-appointed inn in a Wessex town to take a country walk By her look and carriage she appeared to belong to that gentle order of society which has no worldly sorrow except when its jewellery gets stolen; but, as a fact not generally known, her claim to distinction was rather one of brains than of blood She was the daughter of a gentleman who lived in a large house not his own, and began life as a baby christened Ethelberta after an infant of title who does not come into the story at all, having merely furnished Ethelberta’s mother with a subject of contemplation She became teacher in a school, was praised by examiners, admired by gentlemen, not admired by gentlewomen, was touched up with accomplishments by masters who were coaxed into painstaking by her many graces, and, entering a mansion as governess to the daughter thereof, was stealthily married by the son He, a minor like herself, died from a chill caught during the wedding tour, and a few weeks later was followed into the grave by Sir Ralph Petherwin, his unforgiving father, who had bequeathed his wealth to his wife absolutely These calamities were a sufficient reason to Lady Petherwin for pardoning all concerned She took by the hand the forlorn Ethelberta—who seemed rather a detached bride than a widow—and finished her education by placing her for two or three years in a boarding-school at Bonn Latterly she had brought the girl to England to live under her roof as daughter and companion, the condition attached being that Ethelberta was never openly to recognize her relations, for reasons which will hereafter appear The elegant young lady, as she had a full right to be called if she cared for the definition, arrested all the local attention when she emerged into the summerevening light with that diadem-and-sceptre bearing—many people for reasons of heredity discovering such graces only in those whose vestibules are lined with ancestral mail, forgetting that a bear may be taught to dance While this air of hers lasted, even the inanimate objects in the street appeared to know that she was there; but from a way she had of carelessly overthrowing her dignity by versatile moods, one could not calculate upon its presence to a certainty when she was round corners or in little lanes which demanded no repression of animal spirits ‘Well to be sure!’ exclaimed a milkman, regarding her ‘We should freeze in our beds if ’twere not for the sun, and, dang me! if she isn’t a pretty piece A man could make a meal between them eyes and chin—eh, hostler? Odd nation dang my old sides if he couldn’t!’ The speaker, who had been carrying a pair of pails on a yoke, deposited them upon the edge of the pavement in front of the inn, and straightened his back to an excruciating perpendicular His remarks had been addressed to a rickety person, wearing a waistcoat of that preternatural length from the top to the bottom button which prevails among men who have to do with horses He was sweeping straws from the carriage-way beneath the stone arch that formed a passage to the stables behind ‘Never mind the cursing and swearing, or somebody who’s never out of hearing may clap yer name down in his black book,’ said the hostler, also pausing, and lifting his eyes to the mullioned and transomed windows and moulded parapet above him—not to study them as features of ancient architecture, but just to give as healthful a stretch to the eyes as his acquaintance had done to his back ‘Michael, a old man like you ought to think about other things, and not be looking two ways at your time of life Pouncing upon young flesh like a carrion crow—’tis a vile thing in a old man.’ ‘’Tis; and yet ’tis not, for ’tis a naterel taste,’ said the milkman, again surveying Ethelberta, who had now paused upon a bridge in full view, to look down the river ‘Now, if a poor needy feller like myself could only catch her alone when she’s dressed up to the nines for some grand party, and carry her off to some lonely place—sakes, what a pot of jewels and goold things I warrant he’d find about her! ’Twould pay en for his trouble.’ ‘I don’t dispute the picter; but ’tis sly and untimely to think such roguery Though I’ve had thoughts like it, ’tis true, about high women—Lord forgive me for’t.’ ‘And that figure of fashion standing there is a widow woman, so I hear?’ ‘Lady—not a penny less than lady Ay, a thing of twenty-one or thereabouts.’ ‘A widow lady and twenty-one ’Tis a backward age for a body who’s so forward in her state of life.’ ‘Well, be that as ’twill, here’s my showings for her age She was about the figure of two or three-and-twenty when a’ got off the carriage last night, tired out wi’ boaming about the country; and nineteen this morning when she came downstairs after a sleep round the clock and a clane-washed face: so I thought to myself, twenty-one, I thought.’ ‘And what’s the young woman’s name, make so bold, hostler?’ ‘Ay, and the house were all in a stoor with her and the old woman, and their boxes and camp-kettles, that they carry to wash in because hand-basons bain’t big enough, and I don’t know what all; and t’other folk stopping here were no more than dirt thencefor’ard.’ ‘I suppose they’ve come out of some noble city a long way herefrom?’ ‘And there was her hair up in buckle as if she’d never seen a clay-cold man at all However, to cut a long story short, all I know besides about ’em is that the name upon their luggage is Lady Petherwin, and she’s the widow of a city gentleman, who was a man of valour in the Lord Mayor’s Show.’ ‘Who’s that chap in the gaiters and pack at his back, come out of the door but now?’ said the milkman, nodding towards a figure of that description who had just emerged from the inn and trudged off in the direction taken by the lady— now out of sight ‘Chap in the gaiters? Chok’ it all—why, the father of that nobleman that you call chap in the gaiters used to be hand in glove with half the Queen’s court.’ ‘What d’ye tell o’?’ ‘That man’s father was one of the mayor and corporation of Sandbourne, and was that familiar with men of money, that he’d slap ’em upon the shoulder as you or I or any other poor fool would the clerk of the parish.’ ‘O, what’s my lordlin’s name, make so bold, then?’ ‘Ay, the toppermost class nowadays have left off the use of wheels for the good of their constitutions, so they traipse and walk for many years up foreign hills, where you can see nothing but snow and fog, till there’s no more left to walk up; and if they reach home alive, and ha’n’t got too old and weared out, they walk and see a little of their own parishes So they tower about with a pack and a stick and a clane white pocket-handkerchief over their hats just as you see he’s got on his He’s been staying here a night, and is off now again “Young man, young man,” I think to myself, “if your shoulders were bent like a bandy and your knees bowed out as mine be, till there is not an inch of straight bone or gristle in ’ee, th’ wouldstn’t go doing hard work for play ’a b’lieve.”’ ‘True, true, upon my song Such a pain as I have had in my lynes all this day to be sure; words don’t know what shipwreck I suffer in these lynes o’ mine—that they do not! And what was this young widow lady’s maiden name, then, hostler? Folk have been peeping after her, that’s true; but they don’t seem to know much about her family.’ ‘And while I’ve tended horses fifty year that other folk might straddle ’em, here I be now not a penny the better! Often-times, when I see so many good things about, I feel inclined to help myself in common justice to my pocket “Work hard and be poor, Do nothing and get more.” But I draw in the horns of my mind and think to myself, “Forbear, John Hostler, forbear!”—Her maiden name? Faith, I don’t know the woman’s maiden name, though she said to me, “Good evening, John;” but I had no memory of ever seeing her afore—no, no more than the dead inside church-hatch—where I shall soon be likewise—I had not “Ay, my nabs,” I think to myself, “more know Tom Fool than Tom Fool knows.”’ ‘More know Tom Fool—what rambling old canticle is it you say, hostler?’ inquired the milkman, lifting his ear ‘Let’s have it again—a good saying well spit out is a Christmas fire to my withered heart More know Tom Fool—’ ‘Than Tom Fool knows,’ said the hostler ‘Ah! That’s the very feeling I’ve feeled over and over again, hostler, but not in such gifted language ’Tis a thought I’ve had in me for years, and never could lick into shape!—O-ho-ho-ho! Splendid! Say it again, hostler, say it again! To hear my own poor notion that had no name brought into form like that—I wouldn’t ha’ lost it for the world! More know Tom Fool than—than—h-ho-hoho-ho!’ ‘Don’t let your sense o’ vitness break out in such uproar, for heaven’s sake, or folk will surely think you’ve been laughing at the lady and gentleman Well, here’s at it again—Night t’ee, Michael.’ And the hostler went on with his sweeping ‘Night t’ee, hostler, I must move too,’ said the milkman, shouldering his yoke, and walking off; and there reached the inn in a gradual diminuendo, as he receded up the street, shaking his head convulsively, ‘More know—Tom Fool— than Tom Fool—ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!’ The ‘Red Lion,’ as the inn or hotel was called which of late years had become the fashion among tourists, because of the absence from its precincts of all that was fashionable and new, stood near the middle of the town, and formed a corner where in winter the winds whistled and assembled their forces previous to plunging helter-skelter along the streets In summer it was a fresh and pleasant spot, convenient for such quiet characters as sojourned there to study the geology and beautiful natural features of the country round The lady whose appearance had asserted a difference between herself and the Anglebury people, without too clearly showing what that difference was, passed out of the town in a few moments and, following the highway across meadows fed by the Froom, she crossed the railway and soon got into a lonely heath She had been watching the base of a cloud as it closed down upon the line of a distant ridge, like an upper upon a lower eyelid, shutting in the gaze of the evening sun She was about to return before dusk came on, when she heard a commotion in the air immediately behind and above her head The saunterer looked up and saw a wild-duck flying along with the greatest violence, just in its rear being another large bird, which a countryman would have pronounced to be one of the biggest duck-hawks that he had ever beheld The hawk neared its intended victim, and the duck screamed and redoubled its efforts Ethelberta impulsively started off in a rapid run that would have made a little dog bark with delight and run after, her object being, if possible, to see the end of this desperate struggle for a life so small and unheard-of Her stateliness went away, and it could be forgiven for not remaining; for her feet suddenly became as quick as fingers, and she raced along over the uneven ground with such force of tread that, being a woman slightly heavier than gossamer, her patent heels punched little D’s in the soil with unerring accuracy wherever it was bare, crippled the heather-twigs where it was not, and sucked the swampy places with a sound of quick kisses altogether Well, the idea of Lucy’s will containing our names! I am sure I would have gone to the funeral had I known.’ ‘I wish it were a thousand.’ ‘O no—it doesn’t matter at all But, certainly, three hundred for two is a tantalizing sum: not enough to enable us to change our condition, and enough to make us dissatisfied with going on as we are.’ ‘We must forget we have it, and let it increase.’ ‘It isn’t enough to increase much We may as well use it But how? Take a bigger house—what’s the use? Give up the organ?—then I shall be rather worse off than I am at present Positively, it is the most provoking amount anybody could have invented had they tried ever so long Poor Lucy, to do that, and not even to come near us when father died Ah, I know what we’ll do We’ll go abroad—we’ll live in Italy.’ SEQUEL ANGLEBURY—ENCKWORTH— SANDBOURNE Two years and a half after the marriage of Ethelberta and the evening adventures which followed it, a man young in years, though considerably older in mood and expression, walked up to the ‘Red Lion’ Inn at Anglebury The anachronism sat not unbecomingly upon him, and the voice was precisely that of the Christopher Julian of heretofore His way of entering the inn and calling for a conveyance was more off-hand than formerly; he was much less afraid of the sound of his own voice now than when he had gone through the same performance on a certain chill evening the last time that he visited the spot He wanted to be taken to Knollsea to meet the steamer there, and was not coming back by the same vehicle It was a very different day from that of his previous journey along the same road; different in season; different in weather; and the humour of the observer differed yet more widely from its condition then than did the landscape from its former hues In due time they reached a commanding situation upon the road, from which were visible knots and plantations of trees on the Enckworth manor Christopher broke the silence ‘Lord Mountclere is still alive and well, I am told?’ ‘O ay He’ll live to be a hundred Never such a change as has come over the man of late years.’ ‘Indeed!’ ‘O, ’tis my lady She’s a one to put up with! Still, ’tis said here and there that marrying her was the best day’s work that he ever did in his life, although she’s got to be my lord and my lady both.’ ‘Is she happy with him?’ ‘She is very sharp with the pore man—about happy I don’t know He was a good-natured old man, for all his sins, and would sooner any day lay out money in new presents than pay it in old debts But ’tis altered now ’Tisn’t the same place Ah, in the old times I have seen the floor of the servants’ hall over the vamp of your boot in solid beer that we had poured aside from the horns because we couldn’t see straight enough to pour it in See? No, we couldn’t see a hole in a ladder! And now, even at Christmas or Whitsuntide, when a man, if ever he desires to be overcome with a drop, would naturally wish it to be, you can walk out of Enckworth as straight as you walked in All her doings.’ ‘Then she holds the reins?’ ‘She do! There was a little tussle at first; but how could a old man hold his own against such a spry young body as that! She threatened to run away from him, and kicked up Bob’s-a-dying, and I don’t know what all; and being the woman, of course she was sure to beat in the long run Pore old nobleman, she marches him off to church every Sunday as regular as a clock, makes him read family prayers that haven’t been read in Enckworth for the last thirty years to my certain knowledge, and keeps him down to three glasses of wine a day, strict, so that you never see him any the more generous for liquor or a bit elevated at all, as it used to be There, ’tis true, it has done him good in one sense, for they say he’d have been dead in five years if he had gone on as he was going.’ ‘So that she’s a good wife to him, after all.’ ‘Well, if she had been a little worse ’twould have been a little better for him in one sense, for he would have had his own way more But he was a curious feller at one time, as we all know and I suppose ’tis as much as he can expect; but ’tis a strange reverse for him It is said that when he’s asked out to dine, or to anything in the way of a jaunt, his eye flies across to hers afore he answers: and if her eye says yes, he says yes: and if her eye says no, he says no ’Tis a sad condition for one who ruled womankind as he, that a woman should lead him in a string whether he will or no.’ ‘Sad indeed!’ ‘She’s steward, and agent, and everything She has got a room called “my lady’s office,” and great ledgers and cash-books you never see the like In old times there were bailiffs to look after the workfolk, foremen to look after the tradesmen, a building-steward to look after the foremen, a land-steward to look after the building-steward, and a dashing grand agent to look after the landsteward: fine times they had then, I assure ye My lady said they were eating out the property like a honeycomb, and then there was a terrible row Half of ’em were sent flying; and now there’s only the agent, and the viscountess, and a sort of surveyor man, and of the three she does most work so ’tis said She marks the trees to be felled, settles what horses are to be sold and bought, and is out in all winds and weathers There, if somebody hadn’t looked into things ’twould soon have been all up with his lordship, he was so very extravagant In one sense ’twas lucky for him that she was born in humble life, because owing to it she knows the ins and outs of contriving, which he never did.’ ‘Then a man on the verge of bankruptcy will do better to marry a poor and sensible wife than a rich and stupid one Well, here we are at the tenth milestone I will walk the remainder of the distance to Knollsea, as there is ample time for meeting the last steamboat.’ When the man was gone Christopher proceeded slowly on foot down the hill, and reached that part of the highway at which he had stopped in the cold November breeze waiting for a woman who never came He was older now, and he had ceased to wish that he had not been disappointed There was the lodge, and around it were the trees, brilliant in the shining greens of June Every twig sustained its bird, and every blossom its bee The roadside was not muffled in a garment of dead leaves as it had been then, and the lodge-gate was not open as it always used to be He paused to look through the bars The drive was well kept and gravelled; the grass edgings, formerly marked by hoofs and ruts, and otherwise trodden away, were now green and luxuriant, bent sticks being placed at intervals as a protection While he looked through the gate a woman stepped from the lodge to open it In her haste she nearly swung the gate into his face, and would have completely done so had he not jumped back ‘I beg pardon, sir,’ she said, on perceiving him ‘I was going to open it for my lady, and I didn’t see you.’ Christopher moved round the corner The perpetual snubbing that he had received from Ethelberta ever since he had known her seemed about to be continued through the medium of her dependents A trotting, accompanied by the sound of light wheels, had become perceptible; and then a vehicle came through the gate, and turned up the road which he had come down He saw the back of a basket carriage, drawn by a pair of piebald ponies A lad in livery sat behind with folded arms; the driver was a lady He saw her bonnet, her shoulders, her hair—but no more She lessened in his gaze, and was soon out of sight He stood a long time thinking; but he did not wish her his In this wholesome frame of mind he proceeded on his way, thankful that he had escaped meeting her, though so narrowly But perhaps at this remote season the embarrassment of a rencounter would not have been intense At Knollsea he entered the steamer for Sandbourne Mr Chickerel and his family now lived at Firtop Villa, in that place, a house which, like many others, had been built since Julian’s last visit to the town He was directed to the outskirts, and into a fir plantation where drives and intersecting roads had been laid out, and where new villas had sprung up like mushrooms He entered by a swing gate, on which ‘Firtop’ was painted, and a maid-servant showed him into a neatly-furnished room, containing Mr Chickerel, Mrs Chickerel, and Picotee, the matron being reclined on a couch, which improved health had permitted her to substitute for a bed He had been expected, and all were glad to see again the sojourner in foreign lands, even down to the ladylike tabby, who was all purr and warmth towards him except when she was all claws and nippers But had the prime sentiment of the meeting shown itself it would have been the unqualified surprise of Christopher at seeing how much Picotee’s face had grown to resemble her sister’s: it was less a resemblance in contours than in expression and tone They had an early tea, and then Mr Chickerel, sitting in a patriarchal chair, conversed pleasantly with his guest, being well acquainted with him through other members of the family They talked of Julian’s residence at different Italian towns with his sister; of Faith, who was at the present moment staying with some old friends in Melchester: and, as was inevitable, the discourse hovered over and settled upon Ethelberta, the prime ruler of the courses of them all, with little exception, through recent years ‘It was a hard struggle for her,’ said Chickerel, looking reflectively out at the fir trees ‘I never thought the girl would have got through it When she first entered the house everybody was against her She had to fight a whole host of them single-handed There was the viscount’s brother, other relations, lawyers, ladies, servants, not one of them was her friend; and not one who wouldn’t rather have seen her arrive there in evil relationship with him than as she did come But she stood her ground She was put upon her mettle; and one by one they got to feel there was somebody among them whose little finger, if they insulted her, was thicker than a Mountclere’s loins She must have had a will of iron; it was a situation that would have broken the hearts of a dozen ordinary women, for everybody soon knew that we were of no family, and that’s what made it so hard for her But there she is as mistress now, and everybody respecting her I sometimes fancy she is occasionally too severe with the servants and I know what service is But she says it is necessary, owing to her birth; and perhaps she is right.’ ‘I suppose she often comes to see you?’ ‘Four or five times a year,’ said Picotee ‘She cannot come quite so often as she would,’ said Mrs Chickerel, ‘because of her lofty position, which has its juties Well, as I always say, Berta doesn’t take after me I couldn’t have married the man even though he did bring a coronet with him.’ ‘I shouldn’t have cared to let him ask ye,’ said Chickerel ‘However, that’s neither here nor there—all ended better than I expected He’s fond of her.’ ‘And it is wonderful what can be done with an old man when you are his darling,’ said Mrs Chickerel ‘If I were Berta I should go to London oftener,’ said Picotee, to turn the conversation ‘But she lives mostly in the library And, O, what do you think? She is writing an epic poem, and employs Emmeline as her reader.’ ‘Dear me And how are Sol and Dan? You mentioned them once in your letters,’ said Christopher ‘Berta has set them up as builders in London.’ ‘She bought a business for them,’ said Chickerel ‘But Sol wouldn’t accept her help for a long time, and now he has only agreed to it on condition of paying her back the money with interest, which he is doing They have just signed a contract to build a hospital for twenty thousand pounds.’ Picotee broke in—‘You knew that both Gwendoline and Cornelia married two years ago, and went to Queensland? They married two brothers, who were farmers, and left England the following week Georgie and Myrtle are at school.’ ‘And Joey?’ ‘We are thinking of making Joseph a parson,’ said Mrs Chickerel ‘Indeed! a parson.’ ‘Yes; ’tis a genteel living for the boy And he’s talents that way Since he has been under masters he knows all the strange sounds the old Romans and Greeks used to make by way of talking, and the love stories of the ancient women as if they were his own I assure you, Mr Julian, if you could hear how beautiful the boy tells about little Cupid with his bow and arrows, and the rows between that pagan apostle Jupiter and his wife because of another woman, and the handsome young gods who kissed Venus, you’d say he deserved to be made a bishop at once!’ The evening advanced, and they walked in the garden Here, by some means, Picotee and Christopher found themselves alone ‘Your letters to my sister have been charming,’ said Christopher ‘And so regular, too It was as good as a birthday every time one arrived.’ Picotee blushed and said nothing Christopher had full assurance that her heart was where it always had been A suspicion of the fact had been the reason of his visit here to-day ‘Other letters were once written from England to Italy, and they acquired great celebrity Do you know whose?’ ‘Walpole’s?’ said Picotee timidly ‘Yes; but they never charmed me half as much as yours You may rest assured that one person in the world thinks Walpole your second.’ ‘You should not have read them; they were not written to you But I suppose you wished to hear of Ethelberta?’ ‘At first I did,’ said Christopher ‘But, oddly enough, I got more interested in the writer than in her news I don’t know if ever before there has been an instance of loving by means of letters If not, it is because there have never been such sweet ones written At last I looked for them more anxiously than Faith.’ ‘You see, you knew me before.’ Picotee would have withdrawn this remark if she could, fearing that it seemed like a suggestion of her love long ago ‘Then, on my return, I thought I would just call and see you, and go away and think what would be best for me to do with a view to the future But since I have been here I have felt that I could not go away to think without first asking you what you think on one point—whether you could ever marry me?’ ‘I thought you would ask that when I first saw you.’ ‘Did you Why?’ ‘You looked at me as if you would.’ ‘Well,’ continued Christopher, ‘the worst of it is I am as poor as Job Faith and I have three hundred a year between us, but only half is mine So that before I get your promise I must let your father know how poor I am Besides what I mention, I have only my earnings by music But I am to be installed as chief organist at Melchester soon, instead of deputy, as I used to be; which is something.’ ‘I am to have five hundred pounds when I marry That was Lord Mountclere’s arrangement with Ethelberta He is extremely anxious that I should marry well.’ ‘That’s unfortunate A marriage with me will hardly be considered well.’ ‘O yes, it will,’ said Picotee quickly, and then looked frightened Christopher drew her towards him, and imprinted a kiss upon her cheek, at which Picotee was not so wretched as she had been some years before when he mistook her for another in that performance ‘Berta will never let us come to want,’ she said, with vivacity, when she had recovered ‘She always gives me what is necessary.’ ‘We will endeavour not to trouble her,’ said Christopher, amused by Picotee’s utter dependence now as ever upon her sister, as upon an eternal Providence ‘However, it is well to be kin to a coach though you never ride in it Now, shall we go indoors to your father? You think he will not object?’ ‘I think he will be very glad,’ replied Picotee ‘Berta will, I know.’ ***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HAND OF ETHELBERTA*** ***** This file should be named 3469-h.htm or 3469-h.zip****** This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/4/6/3469 Updated editions will replace the previous one the old editions will be renamed Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research They may be modified and printed and given away you may do practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution *** START: FULL LICENSE *** THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at http://gutenberg.net/license) Section 1 General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works 1.A By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8 1.B "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement See paragraph 1.C below There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works See paragraph 1.E below 1.C The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States If an individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others 1.D The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg-tm work The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United States 1.E Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1.E.1 The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net 1.E.2 If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9 1.E.3 If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work 1.E.4 Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm 1.E.5 Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg-tm License 1.E.6 You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.net), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1 1.E.7 Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9 1.E.8 You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided that - You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm License You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm works - You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work - You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works 1.E.9 If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below 1.F 1.F.1 Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm collection Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment 1.F.2 LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3 YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE 1.F.3 LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem 1.F.4 Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE 1.F.5 Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions 1.F.6 INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause Section Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will remain freely available for generations to come In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation web page at http://www.gutenberg.net/fundraising/pglaf Section 3 Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541 Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S federal laws and your state's laws The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr S Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous locations Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email business@pglaf.org Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official page at http://www.gutenberg.net/about/contact For additional contact information: Dr Gregory B Newby Chief Executive and Director gbnewby@pglaf.org Section 4 Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit http://www.gutenberg.net/fundraising/donate While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States U.S laws alone swamp our small staff Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation methods and addresses Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including including checks, online payments and credit card donations To donate, please visit: http://www.gutenberg.net/fundraising/donate Section 5 General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works Professor Michael S Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S unless a copyright notice is included Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: http://www.gutenberg.net This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks ... prey, upon which grim pastime it was so intent that by creeping along softly she was enabled to get very near the edge of the pool and witness the conclusion of the episode Whenever the duck was under the necessity of showing its head to breathe, the other bird would dart towards it, invariably too late, however; for the. .. A STREET—NEIGH’S ROOMS—CHRISTOPHER’S ROOMS 22 ETHELBERTA S HOUSE 23 ETHELBERTA S HOUSE (continued) 24 ETHELBERTA S HOUSE (continued) THE BRITISH MUSEUM 25 THE ROYAL ACADEMY THE FARNFIELD ESTATE 26 ETHELBERTA S DRAWING-ROOM... He just lifted his hat, and put the only question he could think of as a beginning: ‘Have I the pleasure of addressing the author of a book of very melodious poems that was sent me the other day?’ The girl’s forefinger twirled rapidly the loop of braid that it had previously been