"Not envy, sure! for if you gave me
Leave to take or to refuse
In earnest, do you think I'd choose
That sort of new love to enslave me?"--R. BROWNING.
So, instead of going to Belfast, here was Colonel Keith actually
taking a lodging and settling himself into it; nay, even going over to
Avoncester on a horse-buying expedition, not merely for the Temples, but
for himself.
This time Rachel did think herself sure of Miss Williams' ear in peace,
and came down on her with two fat manuscripts upon Human Reeds and
Military Society, preluding, however, by bitter complaints of the
"Traveller" for never having vouchsafed her an answer, nor having even
restored "Curatocult," though she had written three times, and sent a
directed envelope and stamps for the purpose. The paper must be ruined
by so discourteous an editor, indeed she had not been nearly so much
interested as usual by the last few numbers. If only she could get her
paper back, she should try the "Englishwoman's Hobby-horse," or some
other paper of more progress than that "Traveller." "Is it not very
hard to feel one's self shut out from the main stream of the work of the
world when one's heart is burning?"
"I think you overrate the satisfaction."
"You can't tell! You are contented with that sort of home peaceful
sunshine that I know suffices many. Even intellectual as you are, you
can't tell what it is to feel power within, to strain at the leash, and
see others in the race."
"I was thinking whether you could not make an acceptable paper on the
lace system, which you really know so thoroughly."
"The fact is," said Rachel, "it is much more difficult to describe from
one's own observation than from other sources."
"But rather more original," said Ermine, quite overcome by the naivete
of the confession.
"I don't see that," said Rachel. "It is abstract reasoning from given
facts that I aim at, as you will understand when you have heard my
'Human Reeds,' and my other--dear me, there's your door bell. I thought
that Colonel was gone for the day."
"There are other people in the world besides the Colonel," Ermine began
to say, though she hardly felt as if there were, and at any rate a
sense of rescue crossed her. The persons admitted took them equally by
surprise, being Conrade Temple and Mr. Keith.
"I thought," said Rachel, as she gave her unwilling hand to the latter,
"that you would have been at Avoncester to-day."
"I always get out of the way of horse-dealing. I know no greater bore,"
he answered.
"Mamma sent me down," Conrade was explaining; "Mr. Keith's uncle found
out that he knew Miss Williams--no, that's not it, Miss Williams' uncle
found out that Mr. Keith preached a sermon, or something of that sort,
so mamma sent me down to show him the way to call upon her; but I need
not stay now, need I?"