第18章

The man at once slung his gun over his shoulder,and came forward with the same curious swift,yet soft movements,as if keeping invisible.He was moderately tall and lean,and was silent.He did not look at Connie at all,only at the chair.

'Connie,this is the new game-keeper,Mellors.You haven't spoken to her ladyship yet,Mellors?'

'No,Sir!'came the ready,neutral words.

The man lifted his hat as he stood,showing his thick,almost fair hair.

He stared straight into Connie's eyes,with a perfect,fearless,impersonal look,as if he wanted to see what she was like.He made her feel shy.She bent her head to him shyly,and he changed his hat to his left hand and made her a slight bow,like a gentleman;but he said nothing at all.He remained for a moment still,with his hat in his hand.

'But you've been here some time,haven't you?'Connie said to him.

'Eight months,Madam...your Ladyship!'he corrected himself calmly.

'And do you like it?'

She looked him in the eyes.His eyes narrowed a little,with irony,perhaps with impudence.

'Why,yes,thank you,your Ladyship!I was reared here...'

He gave another slight bow,turned,put his hat on,and strode to take hold of the chair.His voice on the last words had fallen into the heavy broad drag of the dialect...perhaps also in mockery,because there had been no trace of dialect before.He might almost be a gentleman.Anyhow,he was a curious,quick,separate fellow,alone,but sure of himself.

Clifford started the little engine,the man carefully turned the chair,and set it nose-forwards to the incline that curved gently to the dark hazel thicket.

'Is that all then,Sir Clifford?'asked the man.

'No,you'd better come along in case she sticks.The engine isn't really strong enough for the uphill work.'The man glanced round for his dog...a thoughtful glance.The spaniel looked at him and faintly moved its tail.

A little smile,mocking or teasing her,yet gentle,came into his eyes for a moment,then faded away,and his face was expressionless.They went fairly quickly down the slope,the man with his hand on the rail of the chair,steadying it.He looked like a free soldier rather than a servant.

And something about him reminded Connie of Tommy Dukes.

When they came to the hazel grove,Connie suddenly ran forward,and opened the gate into the park.As she stood holding it,the two men looked at her in passing,Clifford critically,the other man with a curious,cool wonder;impersonally wanting to see what she looked like.And she saw in his blue,impersonal eyes a look of suffering and detachment,yet a certain warmth.But why was he so aloof,apart?

Clifford stopped the chair,once through the gate,and the man came quickly,courteously,to close it.

'Why did you run to open?'asked Clifford in his quiet,calm voice,that showed he was displeased.'Mellors would have done it.'

'I thought you would go straight ahead,'said Connie.'And leave you to run after us?'said Clifford.

'Oh,well,I like to run sometimes!'

Mellors took the chair again,looking perfectly unheeding,yet Connie felt he noted everything.As he pushed the chair up the steepish rise of the knoll in the park,he breathed rather quickly,through parted lips.

He was rather frail really.Curiously full of vitality,but a little frail and quenched.Her woman's instinct sensed it.

Connie fell back,let the chair go on.The day had greyed over;the small blue sky that had poised low on its circular rims of haze was closed in again,the lid was down,there was a raw coldness.It was going to snow.

All grey,all grey!the world looked worn out.

The chair waited at the top of the pink path.Clifford looked round for Connie.

'Not tired,are you?'he said.

'Oh,no!'she said.

But she was.A strange,weary yearning,a dissatisfaction had started in her.Clifford did not notice:those were not things he was aware of.

But the stranger knew.To Connie,everything in her world and life seemed worn out,and her dissatisfaction was older than the hills.

They came to the house,and around to the back,where there were no steps.Clifford managed to swing himself over on to the low,wheeled house-chair;he was very strong and agile with his arms.Then Connie lifted the burden of his dead legs after him.

The keeper,waiting at attention to be dismissed,watched everything narrowly,missing nothing.He went pale,with a sort of fear,when he saw Connie lifting the inert legs of the man in her arms,into the other chair,Clifford pivoting round as she did so.He was frightened.

'Thanks,then,for the help,Mellors,'said Clifford casually,as he began to wheel down the passage to the servants'quarters.

'Nothing else,Sir?'came the neutral voice,like one in a dream.

'Nothing,good morning!'

'Good morning,Sir.'

'Good morning!it was kind of you to push the chair up that hill...Ihope it wasn't heavy for you,'said Connie,looking back at the keeper outside the door.

His eyes came to hers in an instant,as if wakened up.He was aware of her.

'Oh no,not heavy!'he said quickly.Then his voice dropped again into the broad sound of the vernacular:'Good mornin'to your Ladyship!'

'Who is your game-keeper?'Connie asked at lunch.

'Mellors!You saw him,'said Clifford.

'Yes,but where did he come from?'

'Nowhere!He was a Tevershall boy...son of a collier,I believe.'

'And was he a collier himself?'

'Blacksmith on the pit-bank,I believe:overhead smith.But he was keeper here for two years before the war...before he joined up.My father always had a good Opinion of him,so when he came back,and went to the pit for a blacksmith's job,I just took him back here as keeper.I was really very glad to get him...its almost impossible to find a good man round here for a gamekeeper...and it needs a man who knows the people.'

'And isn't he married?'

'He was.But his wife went off with...with various men...but finally with a collier at Stacks Gate,and I believe she's living there still.'

'So this man is alone?'

'More or less!He has a mother in the village...and a child,I believe.'