Chapter4

philippartedfromemmawithtears,butthejourneytoblackstableamusedhim,and,whentheyarrived,hewasresignedandcheerful.blackstablewassixtymilesfromlondon.givingtheiragetoaporter,mr.careysetouttowalkwithphiliptothevicarage;ittookthemlittlemorethanfiveminutes,and,whentheyreachedit,philipsuddenlyrememberedthegate.itwasredandfive-barred:itswungbothwaysoneasyhinges;anditwaspossible,thoughforbidden,toswingbackwardsandforwardsonit.theywalkedthroughthegardentothefront-door.thiswasonlyusedbyvisitorsandonsundays,andonspecialoccasions,aswhenthevicarwentuptolondonorcameback.thetrafficofthehousetookplacethroughaside-door,andtherewasabackdooraswellforthegardenerandforarsandtramps.itwasafairlylargehouseofyellowbrick,witharedroof,builtaboutfiveandtwentyyearsbeforeinanecclesiasticalstyle.thefront-doorwaslikeachurchporch,andthedrawing-roomwindowsweregothic.

mrs.carey,knowingbywhattraintheywerecoming,waitedinthedrawing-roomandlistenedfortheclickofthegate.whenshehearditshewenttothedoor.

“there’sauntlouisa,”saidmr.carey,whenhesawher.“runandgiveherakiss.”  philipstartedtorun,awkwardly,trailinghisclub-foot,andthenstopped.mrs.careywasalittle,shrivelledwomanofthesameageasherhusband,withafaceextraordinarilyfilledwithdeepwrinkles,andpaleblueeyes.hergrayhairwasarrangedinringletsaccordingtothefashionofheryouth.sheworeablackdress,andheronlyornamentwasagoldchain,fromwhichhungacross.shehadashymannerandagentlevoice.

“didyouwalk,william?”shesaid,almostreproachfully,asshekissedherhusband.

“ididn’tthinkofit,”heanswered,withaglanceathisnephew.

“itdidn’thurtyoutowalk,philip,didit?”sheaskedthechild.

“no.ialwayswalk.”

hewasalittlesurprisedattheirconversation.auntlouisatoldhimtocomein,andtheyenteredthehall.itwaspavedwithredandyellowtiles,onwhichalternatelywereagreekcrossandthelambofgod.animposingstaircaseledoutofthehall.itwasofpolishedpine,withapeculiarsmell,andhadbeenputinbecausefortunately,whenthechurchwasreseated,enoughwoodremainedover.thebalustersweredecoratedwithemblemsofthefourevangelists.

“i’vehadthestovelightedasithoughtyou’dbecoldafteryourjourney,”saidmrs.carey.

itwasalargeblackstovethatstoodinthehallandwasonlylightediftheweatherwasverybadandthevicarhadacold.itwasnotlightedifmrs.careyhadacold.coalwasexpensive.besides,maryann,themaid,didn’tlikefiresallovertheplace.iftheywantedallthemfirestheymustkeepasecondgirl.inthewintermr.andmrs.careylivedinthedining-roomsothatonefireshoulddo,andinthesummertheycouldnotgetoutofthehabit,sothedrawing-roomwasusedonlybymr.careyonsundayafternoonsforhisnap.buteverysaturdayhehadafireinthestudysothathecouldwritehissermon.

auntlouisatookphilipupstairsandshowedhimintoatinybed-roomthatlookedoutonthedrive.immediatelyinfrontofthewindowwasalargetree,whichphiliprememberednowbecausethebranchesweresolowthatitwaspossibletoclimbquitehighupit.

“asmallroomforasmallboy,”saidmrs.carey.“youwon’tbefrightenedatsleepingalone?”

“oh,no.”

onhisfirstvisittothevicaragehehadcomewithhisnurse,andmrs.careyhadhadlittletodowithhim.shelookedathimnowwithsomeuncertainty.

“canyouwashyourownhands,orshalliwashthemforyou?”

“icanwashmyself,”heansweredfirmly.

“well,ishalllookatthemwhenyoucomedowntotea,”saidmrs.carey.

sheknewnothingaboutchildren.afteritwassettledthatphilipshouldcomedowntoblackstable,mrs.careyhadthoughtmuchhowsheshouldtreathim;shewasanxioustodoherduty;butnowhewasthereshefoundherselfjustasshyofhimashewasofher.shehopedhewouldnotbenoisyandrough,becauseherhusbanddidnotlikeroughandnoisyboys.mrs.careymadeanexcusetoleavephilipalone,butinamomentcamebackandknockedatthedoor;sheaskedhim,withoutcomingin,ifhecouldpouroutthewaterhimself.thenshewentdownstairsandrangthebellfortea.

thedining-room,largeandwell-proportioned,hadwindowsontwosidesofit,withheavycurtainsofredrep;therewasabigtableinthemiddle;andatoneendanimposingmahoganysideboardwithalooking-glassinit.inonecornerstoodaharmonium.oneachsideofthefireplacewerechairscoveredinstampedleather,eachwithanantimacassar;onehadarmsandwascalledthehusband,andtheotherhadnoneandwascalledthewife.mrs.careyneversatinthearm-chair:shesaidshepreferredachairthatwasnottoocomfortable;therewasalwaysalottodo,andifherchairhadhadarmsshemightnotbesoreadytoleaveit.

mr.careywasmakingupthefirewhenphilipcamein,andhepointedouttohisnephewthatthereweretwopokers.onewaslargeandbrightandpolishedandunused,andwascalledthevicar;andtheother,whichwasmuchsmallerandhadevidentlypassedthroughmanyfires,wascalledthecurate.

“whatarewewaitingfor?”saidmr.carey.

“itoldmaryanntomakeyouanegg.ithoughtyou’dbehungryafteryourjourney.”

mrs.careythoughtthejourneyfromlondontoblackstableverytiring.sheseldomtravelledherself,forthelivingwasonlythreehundredayear,and,whenherhusbandwantedaholiday,sincetherewasnotmoneyfortwo,hewentbyhimself.hewasveryfondofchurchcongressesandusuallymanagedtogouptolondononceayear;andoncehehadbeentoparisfortheexhibition,andtwoorthreetimestoswitzerland.maryannbroughtintheegg,andtheysatdown.thechairwasmuchtoolowforphilip,andforamomentneithermr.careynorhiswifeknewwhattodo.

“i’llputsomebooksunderhim,”saidmaryann.

shetookfromthetopoftheharmoniumthelargebibleandtheprayer-bookfromwhichthevicarwasaccustomedtoreadprayers,andputthemonphilip’schair.

“oh,william,hecan’tsitonthebible,”saidmrs.carey,inashockedtone.“couldn’tyougethimsomebooksoutofthestudy?”

mr.careyconsideredthequestionforaninstant.

“idon’tthinkitmattersthisonceifyouputtheprayer-bookonthetop,maryann,”hesaid.“thebookofcommonprayeristhecompositionofmenlikeourselves.ithasnoclaimtodivineauthorship.”

“ihadn’tthoughtofthat,william,”saidauntlouisa.

philipperchedhimselfonthebooks,andthevicar,havingsaidgrace,cutthetopoffhisegg.

“there,”hesaid,handingittophilip,“youcaneatmytopifyoulike.”

philipwouldhavelikedaneggtohimself,buthewasnotofferedone,sotookwhathecould.

“howhavethechickensbeenlayingsinceiwentaway?”askedthevicar.

“oh,they’vebeendreadful,onlyoneortwoaday.”

“howdidyoulikethattop,philip?”askedhisuncle.

“verymuch,thankyou.”

“youshallhaveanotheroneonsundayafternoon.”

mr.careyalwayshadaboiledeggatteaonsunday,sothathemightbefortifiedfortheeveningservice.