pgw.adamselindistress-第17部分

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s　embarrassed　him。
　There　now　remained　the　disposal　of　the　duplicate　note。　It　was　hardly　worth　while；　perhaps；　taking　such　a　precaution；　but　George　knew　that　victories　are　won　by　those　who　take　no　chances。　　He　had　wandered　perhaps　a　hundred　yards　from　the　rose…garden　when　he　encountered　a　small　boy　in　the　many…buttoned　uniform　of　a　page。　The　boy　had　appeared　from　behind　a　big　cedar；　where；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he　had　been　smoking　a　stolen　cigarette。
　〃Do　you　want　to　earn　half　a　crown？〃　asked　George。
　The　market　value　of　messengers　had　slumped。
　The　stripling　held　his　hand　out。
　〃Give　this　note　to　Lady　Maud。〃
　〃Right　ho！〃
　〃See　that　it　reaches　her　at　once。〃
　George　walked　off　with　the　consciousness　of　a　good　day's　work　done。　Albert　the　page；　having　bitten　his　half…crown；　placed　it　in　his　pocket。　Then　he　hurried　away；　a　look　of　excitement　and　gratification　in　his　deep　blue　eyes。
　
　CHAPTER　9。
　
　While　George　and　Billie　Dore　wandered　to　the　rose　garden　to　interview　the　man　in　corduroys；　Maud　had　been　seated　not　a　hundred　yards　awayin　a　very　special　haunt　of　her　own；　a　cracked　stucco　temple　set　up　in　the　days　of　the　Regency　on　the　shores　of　a　little　lily…covered　pond。　She　was　reading　poetry　to　Albert　the　page。
　Albert　the　page　was　a　recent　addition　to　Maud's　inner　circle。　　She　had　interested　herself　in　him　some　two　months　back　in　much　the　same　spirit　as　the　prisoner　in　his　dungeon　cell　tames　and　pets　the　conventional　mouse。　To　educate　Albert；　to　raise　him　above　his　groove　in　life　and　develop　his　soul；　appealed　to　her　romantic　nature　as　a　worthy　task；　and　as　a　good　way　of　filling　in　the　time。　It　is　an　exceedingly　moot　pointand　one　which　his　associates　of　the　servants'　hall　would　have　bated　hotlywhether　Albert　possessed　a　soul。　The　most　one　could　say　for　certain　is　that　he　looked　as　if　he　possessed　one。　To　one　who　saw　his　deep　blue　eyes　and　their　sweet；　pensive　expression　as　they　searched　the　middle　distance　he　seemed　like　a　young　angel。　　How　was　the　watcher　to　know　that　the　thought　behind　that　far…off　gaze　was　simply　a　speculation　as　to　whether　the　bird　on　the　cedar　tree　was　or　was　not　within　range　of　his　catapult？　Certainly　Maud　had　no　such　suspicion。　She　worked　hopefully　day　by　day　to　rouse　Albert　to　an　appreciation　of　the　nobler　things　of　life。
　Not　but　what　it　was　tough　going。　Even　she　admitted　that。　Albert's　soul　did　not　soar　readily。　It　refused　to　leap　from　the　earth。　His　reception　of　the　poem　she　was　reading　could　scarcely　have　been　called　encouraging。　Maud　finished　it　in　a　hushed　voice；　and　looked　pensively　across　the　dappled　water　of　the　pool。　　A　gentle　breeze　stirred　the　water…lilies；　so　that　they　seemed　to　sigh。
　〃Isn't　that　beautiful；　Albert？〃　she　said。
　Albert's　blue　eyes　lit　up。　His　lips　parted　eagerly；
　〃That's　the　first　hornet　I　seen　this　year；〃　he　said　pointing。
　Maud　felt　a　little　damped。
　〃Haven't　you　been　listening；　Albert？〃
　〃Oh；　yes；　m'lady！　Ain't　he　a　wopper；　too？〃
　〃Never　mind　the　hornet；　Albert。〃
　〃Very　good；　m'lady。〃
　〃I　wish　you　wouldn't　say　'Very　good；　m'lady'。　It's　likelike〃　She　paused。　She　had　been　about　to　say　that　it　was　like　a　butler；　but；　she　reflected　regretfully；　it　was　probably　Albert's　dearest　ambition　to　be　like　a　butler。　〃It　doesn't　sound　right。　Just　say　'Yes'。〃
　〃Yes；　m'lady。〃
　Maud　was　not　enthusiastic　about　the　'M'lady'；　but　she　let　it　go。　After　all；　she　had　not　quite　settled　in　her　own　mind　what　exactly　she　wished　Albert's　attitude　towards　herself　to　be。　　Broadly　speaking；　she　wanted　him　to　be　as　like　as　he　could　to　a　medieval　page；　one　of　those　silk…and…satined　little　treasures　she　had　read　about　in　the　Ingoldsby　Legends。　And；　of　course；　they　presumably　said　'my　lady'。　And　yetshe　feltnot　for　the　first　timethat　it　is　not　easy；　to　revive　the　Middle　Ages　in　these　curious　days。　Pages　like　other　things；　seem　to　have　changed　since　then。
　〃That　poem　was　written　by　a　very　clever　man　who　married　one　of　my　ancestresses。　He　ran　away　with　her　from　this　very　castle　in　the　seventeenth　century。〃
　〃Lor'〃；　said　Albert　as　a　concession；　but　he　was　still　interested　n　the　hornet。
　〃He　was　far　below　her　in　the　eyes　of　the　world；　but　she　knew　what　a　wonderful　man　he　was；　so　she　didn't　mind　what　people　said　about　her　marrying　beneath　her。〃
　〃Like　Susan　when　she　married　the　pleeceman。〃
　〃Who　was　Susan？〃
　〃Red…'eaded　gel　that　used　to　be　cook　'ere。　Mr。　Keggs　says　to　'er；　'e　says；　'You're　marrying　beneath　you；　Susan'；　'e　says。　I　'eard　'im。　I　was　listenin'　at　the　door。　And　she　says　to　'im；　she　says；　'Oh；　go　and　boil　your　fat　'ead'；　she　says。〃
　This　translation　of　a　favourite　romance　into　terms　of　the　servants'　hall　chilled　Maud　like　a　cold　shower。　She　recoiled　from　it。
　〃Wouldn't　you　like　to　get　a　good　education；　Albert；〃　she　said　perseveringly；　〃and　bee　a　great　poet　and　write　wonderful　poems？〃
　Albert　considered　the　point；　and　shook　his　head。
　〃No；　m'lady。〃
　It　was　discouraging。　But　Maud　was　a　girl　of　pluck。　You　cannot　leap　into　strange　cabs　in　Piccadilly　unless　you　have　pluck。　　She　picked　up　another　book　from　the　stone　seat。
　〃Read　me　some　of　this；〃　she　said；　〃and　then　tell　me　if　it　doesn't　make　you　feel　you　want　to　do　big　things。〃
　Albert　took　the　book　cautiously。　He　was　getting　a　little　fed　up　with　all　this　sort　of　thing。　True；　'er　ladyship　gave　him　chocolates　to　eat　during　these　sessions；　but　for　all　that　it　was　too　much　like　school　for　his　taste。　He　regarded　the　open　page　with　disfavour。
　〃Go　on；〃　said　Maud；　closing　her　eyes。　〃It's　very　beautiful。〃
　Albert　began。　He　had　a　husky　voice；　due；　it　is　to　be　feared；　to　precocious　cigarette　smoking；　and　his　enunciation　was　not　as　good　as　it　might　have　been。
　　　　〃Wiv'　blekest　morss　the　flower…ports　　　　　　　Was…I　mean　were…crusted　one　and　orl；　　　　　Ther　rusted　niles　fell　from　the　knorts　　　　　　　That　'eld　the　pear　to　the　garden…worll。　　　　　Ther　broken　sheds　looked　sed　and　stringe；　　　　　　　Unlifted　was　the　clinking　latch；　　　　　　　Weeded　and　worn　their　ancient　thatch　　　　　Er…pon　ther　lownely　moated　gringe；　　　　　　　She　only　said　'Me　life　is　dreary；　　　　　　　　　'E　eth　not；'　she　said。〃
　Albert　rather　liked　this　part。　He　was　never　happy　in　narrative　unless　it　could　be　sprinkled　with　a　plentiful　supply　of　〃he　said's〃　and　〃she　said's。〃　He　finished　with　some　gusto。
　　　　〃She　said　…　I　am　aweary；　aweary；　　　　　　I　would　that　I　was　dead。〃
　Maud　had　listened　to　this　rendition　of　one　of　her　most　adored　poems　with　much　the　same　feeling　which　a　poser　with　an　over…sensitive　ear　would　suffer　on　hearing　his　pet　opus　assassinated　by　a　schoolgirl。　Albert；　who　was　a　willing　lad　and　prepared；　if　such　should　be　her　desire；　to　plough　his　way　through　the　entire　seven　stanzas；　began　the　second　verse；　but　Maud　gently　took　the　book　away　from　him。　Enough　was　sufficient。
　〃Now；　wouldn't　you　like　to　be　able　to　write　a　wonderful　thing　like　that；　Albert？〃
　〃Not　me；　m'lady。〃
　〃You　wouldn't　like　to　be　a　poet　when　you　grow　up？〃
　Albert　shook　his　golden　head。
　〃I　want　to　be　a　butcher　when　I　grow　up；　m'lady。〃
　Maud　uttered　a　little　cry。
　〃A　butcher？〃
　〃Yus；　m'lady。　Butchers　earn　good　money；〃　he　said；　a　light　of　enthusiasm　in　his　blue　eyes；　for　he　was　now　on　his　favourite　subject。　〃You've　got　to　'ave　meat；　yer　see；　m'lady。　It　ain't　like　poetry；　m'lady；　which　no　one　wants。〃
　〃But；　Albert；〃　cried　Maud　faintly。　〃Killing　poor　animals。　　Surely　you　wouldn't　like　that？〃
　Albert's　eyes　glowed　softly；　as　might　an　acolyte's　at　the　sight　of　the　censer。
　〃Mr。　Widgeon　down　at　the　'ome　farm；〃　he　murmured　reverently；　〃he　says；　if　I'm　a　good　boy；　'e'll　let　me　watch　'im　kill　a　pig　Toosday。〃
　He　gazed　out　over　the　water…lilies；　his　thoughts　far　away。　　Maud　shuddered。　She　wondered　if　medieval　pages　were　ever　quite　as　earthy　as　this。
　〃Perhaps　you　had　better　go　now；　Albert。　They　may　be　needing　you　in　the　house。〃
　〃Very　good；　m'lady。〃
　Albert　rose；　not　unwilling　to　call　it　a　day。　He　was　conscious　of　the　need　for　a　quiet　cigarette。　He　was　fond　of　Maud；　but　a　man　can't　spend　all　his　time　with　the　women。
　〃Pigs　squeal　like　billy…o；　m'lady！〃　he　observed　by　way　of　adding　a　parting　treasure　to　Maud's　stock　of　general　knowledge。　　〃Oo！　'Ear　'em　a　mile　orf；　you　can！〃
　Maud　remained　where　she　was；　thinking；　a　wistful　figure。　Tennyson's　〃Mariana〃　always　made　her　wistful　even　when　rendered　by　Albert。　In　the　occasional　moods　of　sentimental　depression　which　came　to　vary　her　normal　cheerfulness；　it　seemed　to　her　that　the　poem　might　have　been　written　with　a　prophetic　eye　to　her　special　case；　so　nearly　did　it　crystallize　in　magic　words　her　own　story。
　　　　　　　　〃With　blackest　moss　the　flower…pots　　　　　　　　　　Were　thickly　crusted；　one　and　all。〃
　Well；　no；　not　that　particular　part；　perhaps。　If　he　had　found　so　much　as　one　flower…pot　of　his　even　thinly　crusted　with　any　foreign　substance；　Lord　Marshmoreton　would　have　gone　through　the　place　like　an　east　wind；　dismissing　gardeners　and　under…gardeners　with　every　breath。　But
　　　　　　　　　〃She　only　said　'My　life　is　dreary；　　　　　　　　　　　　　He　eth　not；'　she　said。　　　　　　　　　　She　said　'I　am　aweary；　aweary。　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　would　that　I　were　dead！〃
　How　exactlyat　these　moments　when　she　was　not　out　on　the　links　picking　them　off　the　turf　with　a　midiron　or　engaged　in　one　of　those　other　healthful　sports　which　tend　to　take　the　mind　off　its