登陆注册
5291400000080

第80章 CHAPTER XXVIII.(1)

A week had passed, and Mrs. Charmond had left Hintock House.

Middleton Abbey, the place of her sojourn, was about twenty miles distant by road, eighteen by bridle-paths and footways.

Grace observed, for the first time, that her husband was restless, that at moments he even was disposed to avoid her. The scrupulous civility of mere acquaintanceship crept into his manner; yet, when sitting at meals, he seemed hardly to hear her remarks. Her little doings interested him no longer, while towards her father his bearing was not far from supercilious. It was plain that his mind was entirely outside her life, whereabouts outside it she could not tell; in some region of science, possibly, or of psychological literature. But her hope that he was again immersing himself in those lucubrations which before her marriage had made his light a landmark in Hintock, was founded simply on the slender fact that he often sat up late.

One evening she discovered him leaning over a gate on Rub-Down Hill, the gate at which Winterborne had once been standing, and which opened on the brink of a steep, slanting down directly into Blackmoor Vale, or the Vale of the White Hart, extending beneath the eye at this point to a distance of many miles. His attention was fixed on the landscape far away, and Grace's approach was so noiseless that he did not hear her. When she came close she could see his lips moving unconsciously, as to some impassioned visionary theme.

She spoke, and Fitzpiers started. "What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Oh! I was contemplating our old place of Buckbury, in my idle way," he said.

It had seemed to her that he was looking much to the right of that cradle and tomb of his ancestral dignity; but she made no further observation, and taking his arm walked home beside him almost in silence. She did not know that Middleton Abbey lay in the direction of his gaze. "Are you going to have out Darling this afternoon?" she asked, presently. Darling being the light-gray mare which Winterborne had bought for Grace, and which Fitzpiers now constantly used, the animal having turned out a wonderful bargain, in combining a perfect docility with an almost human intelligence; moreover, she was not too young. Fitzpiers was unfamiliar with horses, and he valued these qualities.

"Yes," he replied, "but not to drive. I am riding her. I practise crossing a horse as often as I can now, for I find that I can take much shorter cuts on horseback."

He had, in fact, taken these riding exercises for about a week, only since Mrs. Charmond's absence, his universal practice hitherto having been to drive.

Some few days later, Fitzpiers started on the back of this horse to see a patient in the aforesaid Vale. It was about five o'clock in the evening when he went away, and at bedtime he had not reached home. There was nothing very singular in this, though she was not aware that he had any patient more than five or six miles distant in that direction. The clock had struck one before Fitzpiers entered the house, and he came to his room softly, as if anxious not to disturb her.

The next morning she was stirring considerably earlier than he.

In the yard there was a conversation going on about the mare; the man who attended to the horses, Darling included, insisted that the latter was "hag-rid;" for when he had arrived at the stable that morning she was in such a state as no horse could be in by honest riding. It was true that the doctor had stabled her himself when he got home, so that she was not looked after as she would have been if he had groomed and fed her; but that did not account for the appearance she presented, if Mr. Fitzpiers's journey had been only where he had stated. The phenomenal exhaustion of Darling, as thus related, was sufficient to develop a whole series of tales about riding witches and demons, the narration of which occupied a considerable time.

Grace returned in-doors. In passing through the outer room she picked up her husband's overcoat which he had carelessly flung down across a chair. A turnpike ticket fell out of the breast- pocket, and she saw that it had been issued at Middleton Gate. He had therefore visited Middleton the previous night, a distance of at least five-and-thirty miles on horseback, there and back.

During the day she made some inquiries, and learned for the first time that Mrs. Charmond was staying at Middleton Abbey. She could not resist an inference--strange as that inference was.

A few days later he prepared to start again, at the same time and in the same direction. She knew that the state of the cottager who lived that way was a mere pretext; she was quite sure he was going to Mrs. Charmond. Grace was amazed at the mildness of the passion which the suspicion engendered in her. She was but little excited, and her jealousy was languid even to death. It told tales of the nature of her affection for him. In truth, her antenuptial regard for Fitzpiers had been rather of the quality of awe towards a superior being than of tender solicitude for a lover. It had been based upon mystery and strangeness--the mystery of his past, of his knowledge, of his professional skill, of his beliefs. When this structure of ideals was demolished by the intimacy of common life, and she found him as merely human as the Hintock people themselves, a new foundation was in demand for an enduring and stanch affection--a sympathetic interdependence, wherein mutual weaknesses were made the grounds of a defensive alliance. Fitzpiers had furnished none of that single-minded confidence and truth out of which alone such a second union could spring; hence it was with a controllable emotion that she now watched the mare brought round.

"I'll walk with you to the hill if you are not in a great hurry," she said, rather loath, after all, to let him go.

同类推荐
  • 台湾旅行记

    台湾旅行记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重修凤山县志

    重修凤山县志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天台风俗志

    天台风俗志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三天易髓

    三天易髓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Road to Oz

    The Road to Oz

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 睡错魔王:飙悍娘亲惹不得

    睡错魔王:飙悍娘亲惹不得

    二十一世纪的头牌杀手,却因过于强大,而让家族毁灭,穿越而来莫名的就成了人这娘亲,却竟然不知道谁才是她家宝宝的爹爹啦!实在太坑爹了,谁来告诉她,她到底招谁惹谁了啊?
  • 二的

    二的

    我们的故事从始至终都和一个叫二的的人有联系,这真是一件很古怪的事情。小白在厨房将热水管开到最大,接了满满一盆热水,打开冰箱,从里面取出一条冻得梆梆硬的非洲鲫鱼,丢到热水盆里。鱼身冒出袅袅雾气,遇到热水,鱼皮啪啪裂开,露出皮下粉红色的肉,然后,鱼皮脱落了。热水很贵,一吨十二块钱。给鱼化冻不可以用热水,得让它在凉水里浸着,慢慢解冻。女主人嘱咐过多少次,这些小白都懂。小白可不是个愚钝的人,别看在乡下念书的时候只念到初二,可在学校的时候没有哪个女生或者男生读书读得过小白。小白领悟力强,想像力更是非凡,但小白偏要这么干。
  • 酒店管理制度表格流程规范大全

    酒店管理制度表格流程规范大全

    从思想上来说,管理是哲学的;从理论上来说,管理是科学的;从操作上来说,管理是艺术的。然而,不论管理是哲学的、科学的还是艺术的,首先它都需要健全规范的管理制度作为支撑。制度是一切管理运行的标尺与准则。因此,建立一套体系完备、规范化的管理制度和操作表格在现代酒店管理中就显得尤为重要。为此酒店管理制度表格流程规范大全酒店管理制度表格流程规范大全,我们总结了许多成功酒店先进的管理经验与做法,借鉴了同类书籍的相关知识,在此基础上,编写了本书。
  • 谋后千韵

    谋后千韵

    一国无名皇后,原是准备褪去一身血腥。却在一点点地走进四国之争,皇权独霸,储君之争。终究走上原本不属于她自己的路。是那个暗中推手,将她推上一个个……路上是暗鬼狰狞,步步红莲。群雄逐鹿,计定时局。
  • 六十种曲玉镜台记

    六十种曲玉镜台记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 吉宽的马车

    吉宽的马车

    上世纪90年代中期,所有乡村男人都进城当民工的时候,吉宽依然留在乡下优哉游哉地赶着马车,成为歇马山庄公认的懒汉。本书以第一人称的视角讲述了这个农村懒汉的爱情故事,并以这个懒汉的视角揭示了一群民工的心灵史……
  • 萌妻好香:腹黑总裁闻不够

    萌妻好香:腹黑总裁闻不够

    对于林默默来说,墨深就是不怀好意的腹黑狼。对于墨深来说,林默默就是可抱可宠肆待采摘的小青梅。“总裁,夫人的调香室炸了!”“再建一个!”“总裁,夫人的爬墙了!”“去扶好梯子!”"总裁,夫人站在新开的婚纱店前看了好久……”“买了!”“他的是男模特!”话刚说完,男人已经一阵风跑了出去……这是一个十年养成,一朝开吃的故事!
  • 祠庙陵墓对联(下)

    祠庙陵墓对联(下)

    对联,汉族传统文化之一,又称楹联或对子,是写在纸、布上或刻在竹子、木头、柱子上的对偶语句,对仗工整,平仄协调,是一字一音的中文语言独特的艺术形式;它是中国汉民族的文化瑰宝。本书介绍了一些地方的对联。
  • 一生有你暖堇为年

    一生有你暖堇为年

    如果全世界背叛你,那我站在你的身后背叛全世界。一直认为遇上你是我今生最大的幸运,可为何我在你的眼里找不到我的身影。既然如此为何不走?时隔两年他的身边已经有了其他人,转身再次逃走。他却追了上来“苏暖夏,是你再次来招惹我的,所以你别想在逃!”反手握住了他的手“好,不逃……”
  • 娘子,洞房在隔壁

    娘子,洞房在隔壁

    魂穿异世沦为不受宠的嫡女?没关系,只要她愿意,照样可以过的风生水起。被父亲活活的说成死人?赶尽杀绝?没关系,只要她还有一口气在,她便会夺回那属于自己的一切。中了毒?没关系,只要有万年灵芝便可以解毒了。什么?万年灵芝只有她的指腹为婚的夫君家里有?没关系,只要她想要,法子多的是。与那男人不对眼?没关系,契约成亲,拿了东西想走便走。“喂,你拉着我做什么?”她不乐意了,这男人怎么跟牛皮膏药似地,踹都踹不走。“娘子,洞房在隔壁,你走错地方了。”一勾手,一拉,两人便撞入了隔壁的房间,春光绮旎,一片好景色。【片段欣赏一】“小姐,小姐,不好了,你死了,你死了。”“瞎说八道。”“他们,他们居然说小姐你死了,正在为你办丧事呢。”东方亦紫眯起了眼睛,有些人做的太绝,居然都不给自己留一条后路,既如此,“你做初一,我做十五,走着瞧好了,看谁能够笑到最后。“【片段欣赏二】夏侯灏躬身瞅着她,抬手捏住了她红扑扑小脸蛋转了一圈,“东方小姐,虽然你的脸红扑扑的看起来还挺可爱的,不过,你不是我的菜,我要的是那种有料的。”他伸出双手在她的身上上下比量了一下,不住的摇头。顿了顿,他又接着道:“更何况,你已经是残花败柳了,你还有何颜面嫁入夏侯家?我实话告诉你好了,我就是娶一头猪都不会娶你的。”望着那夏侯灏那得意的神情,东方亦紫眯起了眼睛,垫高了脚跟,俯首轻蔑的瞅着他,“夏侯灏,那我也告诉你,你这辈子注定是要做猪公了!”【片段欣赏三】”你们两个在做什么?”一道怒吼声响起,恶狠狠的瞪着树底下抱成一团的两个人。东方亦紫推开了身边的人,抬起头灿烂一笑,“夫君,我跟小叔子爬树摘果子吃呢。”他一把捞起了东方亦紫,“以后不准再上树,想上去也只能找我陪着你。”她摸了他的脸一把,“你不陪我,那我自然要找个人陪我了?”他眯起了眼睛,邪邪一笑,“我现在就好好的陪陪你。”一把将她甩在肩头,扛着便跑。【片段欣赏四】“七王爷,你怎么会在这里?”他推门进来,一脸邪火的看着那两个贴的很近的男人。她走到他面前,轻轻的拍了拍他的胸口,“夫君,七王爷只是过来看看我。"“看人何须贴的如此之近?”她一脸无辜的翻着白眼,“有吗,有吗?”