Her whole air had that indefinable grace which is the sign of high-breeding; to this there was added exceeding loveliness, with great animation of face and elegance of manner. She was a perfect lady, yet not of the English stamp; for her looks and manner had not that cold and phlegmatic air which England fosters. She looked rather like some Italian beauty--like those which enchant us as they smile from the walls of the picture-galleries of Italy.
"I am so glad you have come!" said she. "It is so stupid here, and I expected you an hour ago."
"Oh, if I had only known that!" said Despard. "For, do you know, I have been dying of ennui."
"I hope that I may be the means of dispelling it."
"As surely so as the sun disperses the clouds."
"You are never at a loss for a compliment."
"Never when I am with you."
These few words were spoken with a smile by each, and a slightly melodramatic gesture, as though each was conscious of a little extravagance.
"You must be glad to get to your old home," she resumed. "You lived here fifteen, no, sixteen years, you know."
"Eighteen."
"So it was. I was sixteen when you left."
"Never to see you again till I came back," said Despard, with some mournfulness, looking at the floor.
"And since then all has changed."
"But I have not," rejoined Despard, in the same tone.
Mrs. Thornton said nothing for a moment.
"By-the-way, I"ve been reading such a nice book," she resumed. "It has just come out, and is making a sensation. It would suit you, I know."
"What is it?"
She rose and lifted a book from the table, which she handed to him. He took it, and read the t.i.tle out loud.
"Christian"s Cross."
A strange expression pa.s.sed over his face. He looked at her, holding the book out at arms"-length with feigned consternation.
"And do you have the heart to recommend this book to me, Mrs. Thornton?"
"Why not?"
"Why, it"s religious. Religious books are my terror. How could I possibly open a book like this?"
She laughed.
"You are mistaken," she said. "It is an ordinary novel, and for the sake of your peace of mind I a.s.sure you that there is not a particle of religion in it. But why should you look with such repugnance upon it?
The expression of your face is simply horror."
"Pietistic books have been the bane of my life. The emotional, the rhapsodical, the meditative style of book, in which one garrulously addresses one"s soul from beginning to end, is simply torture to me.
You see religion is a different thing. The rhapsody may do for the Tabernacle people, but thoughtful men and women need something different."
"I am so delighted to hear such sentiments from a clergyman! They entirely accord with my own. Still I must own that your horror struck me as novel, to say the least of it."
"Would you like me to try to proselytize you?"
"You may try if you wish. I am open to conviction; but the Church of all the ages, the Apostolic, the Catholic, has a strong hold on me."
"You need not fear that I will ever try to loosen it. I only wish that I may see your face in Trinity Church every Sunday."
"That happiness shall be yours," answered Mrs. Thornton. "As there is no Catholic church here, I will give you the honor of my presence at Trinity."
"If that is the case it will be a place of worship to me."
He smiled away the extravagance of this last remark, and she only shook her head.
"That is a compliment, but it is awfully profane."
"Not profanity; say rather justifiable idolatry."
"Really, I feel overcome; I do not know what to say. At any rate, I hope you will like the book; I know you will find it pleasant."
"Any thing that comes from you could not be otherwise," said Despard.
"At the same time it is not my habit to read novels singly."
"Singly! Why how else can one read them?"
"I always read several at a time."
Mrs. Thornton laughed at the whimsical idea.
"You see," said Despard, "one must keep up with the literature of the day. I used to read each book as it came out, but at last found satiety.
The best novel palls. For my own comfort I had to invent a new plan to stimulate my interest. I will tell you about it. I take ten at a time, spread them on the table in front of me, and read each chapter in succession."
"Isn"t that a little confusing?"
"Not at all," said Despard, gravely. "Practice enables one to keep all distinct."
"But what is the good of it?"
"This," replied Despard; "you see in each novel there are certain situations. Perhaps on an average there may be forty each. Interesting characters also may average ten each. Thrilling scenes twenty each.
Overwhelming catastrophes fifteen each. Now by reading novels singly the effect of all this is weakened, for you only have the work of each in its divided, isolated state, but where you read according to my plan you have the aggregate of all these effects in one combined--that is to say, in ten books which I read at once I have two hundred thrilling scenes, one hundred and fifty overwhelming catastrophes, one hundred interesting characters, and four hundred situations of absorbing fascination. Do you not see what an advantage there is in my plan? By following this rule I have been able to stimulate a somewhat faded appet.i.te, and to keep abreast of the literature of the day."
"What an admirable plan! And do you read all books in that way? Why, one could write ten novels at a time on the same principle, and if so he ought to write very much better."
"I think I will try it some day. At present I am busily engaged with a learned treatise on the Symbolical Nature of the Mosaic Economy, and--"
"The--what?" cried Mrs. Thornton, breathlessly. "What was that?"