第142章

第142章astrangeplacewasthishumblekitchenforsuchoccupants!whowerethey?theycouldnotbethedaughtersoftheelderlypersonatthetable;forshelookedlikearustic,andtheywerealldelicacyandcultivation.ihadnowhereseensuchfacesastheirs:andyet,asigazedonthem,iseemedintimatewitheverylineament.icannotcallthemhandsome—theyweretoopaleandgravefortheword:astheyeachbentoverabook,theylookedthoughtfulalmosttoseverity.astandbetweenthemsupportedasecondcandleandtwogreatvolumes,towhichtheyfrequentlyreferred,comparingthem,seemingly,withthesmallerbookstheyheldintheirhands,likepeopleconsultingadictionarytoaidtheminthetaskoftranslation.thisscenewasassilentasifallthefigureshadbeenshadowsandthefirelitapartmentapicture:sohushedwasit,icouldhearthecindersfallfromthegrate,theclocktickinitsobscurecorner;andievenfanciedicoulddistinguishtheclick-clickofthewoman’sknitting-needles.when,therefore,avoicebrokethestrangestillnessatlast,itwasaudibleenoughtome.

“listen,diana,”saidoneoftheabsorbedstudents;“franzandolddanielaretogetherinthenight-time,andfranzistellingadreamfromwhichhehasawakenedinterror—listen!”andinalowvoiceshereadsomething,ofwhichnotonewordwasintelligibletome;foritwasinanunknowntongue—neitherfrenchnorlatin.whetheritweregreekorgermanicouldnottell.

“thatisstrong,”shesaid,whenshehadfinished:“irelishit.”theothergirl,whohadliftedherheadtolistentohersister,repeated,whileshegazedatthefire,alineofwhathadbeenread.atalaterday,iknewthelanguageandthebook;therefore,iwillherequotetheline:though,whenifirstheardit,itwasonlylikeastrokeonsoundingbrasstome—conveyingnomeaning:—

“‘datrathervoreiner,anzusehenwiediesternennacht.’good!good!”sheexclaimed,whileherdarkanddeepeyesparkled.“thereyouhaveadimandmightyarchangelfitlysetbeforeyou!thelineisworthahundredpagesoffustian.‘ichw?gediegedankeninderschalemeineszornesunddiewerkemitdemgewichtemeinesgrimms.’ilikeit!”

bothwereagainsilent.

“isthereonycountrywheretheytalki’thatway?”askedtheoldwoman,lookingupfromherknitting.

“yes,hannah—afarlargercountrythanengland,wheretheytalkinnootherway.”

“well,forsurecase,iknawn’thowtheycanunderstandt’onet’other:andifeithero’yewentthere,yecouldtellwhattheysaid,iguess?”

“wecouldprobablytellsomethingofwhattheysaid,butnotall—forwearenotascleverasyouthinkus,hannah.wedon’tspeakgerman,andwecannotreaditwithoutadictionarytohelpus.”

“andwhatgooddoesitdoyou?”

“wemeantoteachitsometime—oratleasttheelements,astheysay;andthenweshallgetmoremoneythanwedonow.”

“varrylike:butgiveowerstudying;ye’vedoneenoughforto-night.”

“ithinkwehave:atleasti’mtired.mary,areyou?”

“mortally:afterall,it’stoughworkingawayatalanguagewithnomasterbutalexicon.”

“itis,especiallysuchalanguageasthiscrabbedbutgloriousdeutsch.iwonderwhenst.johnwillcomehome.”

“surelyhewillnotbelongnow:itisjustten(lookingatalittlegoldwatchshedrewfromhergirdle).itrainsfast,hannah:willyouhavethegoodnesstolookatthefireintheparlour?”

thewomanrose:sheopenedadoor,throughwhichidimlysawapassage:sooniheardherstirafireinaninnerroom;shepresentlycameback.

“ah,childer!”saidshe,“itfairtroublesmetogointoyond’roomnow:itlookssolonesomewi’thechairemptyandsetbackinacorner.”

shewipedhereyeswithherapron:thetwogirls,gravebefore,lookedsadnow.

“butheisinabetterplace,”continuedhannah:“weshouldn’twishhimhereagain.andthen,nobodyneedtohaveaquieterdeathnorhehad.”

“yousayhenevermentionedus?”inquiredoneoftheladies.

“hehadn’ttime,bairn:hewasgoneinaminute,wasyourfather.hehadbeenabitailinglikethedaybefore,butnaughttosignify;andwhenmr.st.johnaskedifhewouldlikeeithero’yetobesentfor,hefairlaughedathim.hebeganagainwithabitofaheavinessinhisheadthenextday—thatis,afortnightsin’—andhewenttosleepandniverwakened:hewora’moststarkwhenyourbrotherwentintot’chamberandfandhim.ah,childer!that’st’lasto’t’oldstock—foryeandmr.st.johnislikeofdifferentsoarttothem’at’sgone;forallyourmotherwormichi’yourway,anda’mostasbook-learned.sheworthepictur’o’ye,mary:dianaismorelikeyourfather.”

ithoughtthemsosimilaricouldnottellwheretheoldservant(forsuchinowconcludedhertobe)sawthedifference.bothwerefaircomplexionedandslenderlymade;bothpossessedfacesfullofdistinctionandintelligence.one,tobesure,hadhairashadedarkerthantheother,andtherewasadifferenceintheirstyleofwearingit;mary’spalebrownlockswerepartedandbraidedsmooth:diana’sduskiertressescoveredherneckwiththickcurls.theclockstruckten.

“ye’llwantyoursupper,iamsure,”observedhannah;“andsowillmr.st.johnwhenhecomesin.”

andsheproceededtopreparethemeal.theladiesrose;theyseemedabouttowithdrawtotheparlour.tillthismoment,ihadbeensointentonwatchingthem,theirappearanceandconversationhadexcitedinmesokeenaninterest,ihadhalf-forgottenmyownwretchedposition:nowitrecurredtome.moredesolate,moredesperatethanever,itseemedfromcontrast.andhowimpossiblediditappeartotouchtheinmatesofthishousewithconcernonmybehalf;tomakethembelieveinthetruthofmywantsandwoes—toinducethemtovouchsafearestformywanderings!asigropedoutthedoor,andknockedatithesitatingly,ifeltthatlastideatobeamerechimera.hannahopened.

“whatdoyouwant?”sheinquired,inavoiceofsurprise,asshesurveyedmebythelightofthecandlesheheld.

“mayispeaktoyourmistresses?”isaid.