第8章

The lady who had been sitting with Mrs.Ambient was a jolly ruddy personage in velveteen and limp feathers, whom I guessed to be the vicar's wife--our hostess didn't introduce me--and who immediately began to talk to Ambient about chrysanthemums.This was a safe subject, and yet there was a certain surprise for me in seeing the author of "Beltraffio" even in such superficial communion with the Church of England.His writings implied so much detachment from that institution, expressed a view of life so profane, as it were, so independent and so little likely in general to be thought edifying, that I should have expected to find him an object of horror to vicars and their ladies--of horror repaid on his own part by any amount of effortless derision.This proved how little I knew as yet of the English people and their extraordinary talent for keeping up their forms, as well as of some of the mysteries of Mark Ambient's hearth and home.I found afterwards that he had, in his study, between nervous laughs and free cigar-puffs, some wonderful comparisons for his clerical neighbours; but meanwhile the chrysanthemums were a source of harmony, he and the vicaress were equally attached to them, and I was surprised at the knowledge they exhibited of this interesting plant.The lady's visit, however, had presumably been long, and she presently rose for departure and kissed Mrs.Ambient.

Mark started to walk with her to the gate of the grounds, holding Dolcino by the hand.

"Stay with me, darling," Mrs.Ambient said to the boy, who had surrendered himself to his father.

Mark paid no attention to the summons but Dolcino turned and looked at her in shy appeal, "Can't I go with papa?""Not when I ask you to stay with me."

"But please don't ask me, mamma," said the child in his small clear new voice.

"I must ask you when I want you.Come to me, dearest." And Mrs.

Ambient, who had seated herself again, held out her long slender slightly too osseous hands.

Her husband stopped, his back turned to her, but without releasing the child.He was still talking to the vicaress, but this good lady, I think, had lost the thread of her attention.She looked at Mrs.

Ambient and at Dolcino, and then looked at me, smiling in a highly amused cheerful manner and almost to a grimace.

"Papa," said the child, "mamma wants me not to go with you.""He's very tired--he has run about all day.He ought to be quiet till he goes to bed.Otherwise he won't sleep." These declarations fell successively and very distinctly from Mrs.Ambient's lips.

Her husband, still without turning round, bent over the boy and looked at him in silence.The vicaress gave a genial irrelevant laugh and observed that he was a precious little pet."Let him choose," said Mark Ambient."My dear little boy, will you go with me or will you stay with your mother?""Oh it's a shame!" cried the vicar's lady with increased hilarity.

"Papa, I don't think I can choose," the child answered, making his voice very low and confidential."But I've been a great deal with mamma to-day," he then added.

"And very little with papa! My dear fellow, I think you HAVEchosen!" On which Mark Ambient walked off with his son, accompanied by re-echoing but inarticulate comments from my fellow-visitor.

His wife had seated herself again, and her fixed eyes, bent on the ground, expressed for a few moments so much mute agitation that anything I could think of to say would be but a false note.Yet she none the less quickly recovered herself, to express the sufficiently civil hope that I didn't mind having had to walk from the station.Ireassured her on this point, and she went on: "We've got a thing that might have gone for you, but my husband wouldn't order it."After which and another longish pause, broken only by my plea that the pleasure of a walk with our friend would have been quite what Iwould have chosen, she found for reply: "I believe the Americans walk very little.""Yes, we always run," I laughingly allowed.

She looked at me seriously, yet with an absence in her pretty eyes.

"I suppose your distances are so great."

"Yes, but we break our marches! I can't tell you the pleasure to me of finding myself here," I added."I've the greatest admiration for Mr.Ambient.""He'll like that.He likes being admired.""He must have a very happy life, then.He has many worshippers.""Oh yes, I've seen some of them," she dropped, looking away, very far from me, rather as if such a vision were before her at the moment.

It seemed to indicate, her tone, that the sight was scarcely edifying, and I guessed her quickly enough to be in no great intellectual sympathy with the author of "Beltraffio." I thought the fact strange, but somehow, in the glow of my own enthusiasm, didn't think it important it only made me wish rather to emphasise that homage.

"For me, you know," I returned--doubtless with a due suffisance--"he's quite the greatest of living writers.""Of course I can't judge.Of course he's very clever," she said with a patient cheer.