ywouldsay,"sodistinguishedlooking—andyetsoawkward."ThentheywouldapplythemselvestoJacobandvacillateeternallybetweenthetwoextremes.Herodetohounds—afterafashion,forhehadn'tapenny.
"Didyoueverhearwhohisfatherwas?"askedJuliaEliot.
"Hismother,theysay,issomehowconnectedwiththeRocksbiers,"repliedMr.Bowley.
"Hedoesn'toverworkhimselfanyhow."
"Hisfriendsareveryfondofhim."
"DickBonamy,youmean?"
"No,Ididn'tmeanthat.It'sevidentlytheotherwaywithJacob.Heispreciselytheyoungmantofallheadlonginloveandrepentitfortherestofhislife."
"Oh,Mr.Bowley,"saidMrs.Durrant,sweepingdownupontheminherimperiousmanner,"yourememberMrs.Adams?Well,thatisherniece."AndMr.Bowley,gettingup,bowedpolitelyandfetchedstrawberries.
Sowearedrivenbacktoseewhattheothersidemeans—themeninclubsandCabinets—whentheysaythatcharacter-drawingisafrivolousfiresideart,amatterofpinsandneedles,exquisiteoutlinesenclosingvacancy,flourishes,andmerescrawls.
ThebattleshipsrayoutovertheNorthSea,keepingtheirstationsaccuratelyapart.Atagivensignalallthegunsaretrainedonatargetwhich(themastergunnercountstheseconds,watchinhand—atthesixthhelooksup)flamesintosplinters.Withequalnonchalanceadozenyoungmenintheprimeoflifedescendwithcomposedfacesintothedepthsoftheseaandthereimpassively(thoughwithperfectmasteryofmachinery)suffocateuncomplaininglytogether.Likeblocksoftinsoldiersthearmycoversthecornfield,movesupthehillside,stops,reelsslightlythiswayandthat,andfallsflat,savethat,throughfieldglasses,itcanbeseenthatoneortwopiecesstillagitateupanddownlikefragmentsofbrokenmatch-stick.
Theseactions,togetherwiththeincessantcommerceofbanks,laboratories,chancellories,andhousesofbusiness,arethestrokeswhichoartheworldforward,theysay.AndtheyaredealtbymenassmoothlysculpturedastheimpassivepolicemanatLudgateCircus.Butyouwillobservethatfarfrombeingpaddedtorotundityhisfaceisstifffromforceofwill,andleanfromtheeffortsofkeepingitso.Whenhisrightarmrises,alltheforceinhisveinsflowsstraightfromshouldertofinger-tipsnotanounceisdivertedintosuddenimpulses,sentimentalregrets,wire-drawndistinctions.Thebusespunctuallystop.
Itisthusthatwelive,theysay,drivenbyanunseizableforce.Theysaythatthenovelistsnevercatchitthatitgoeshurtlingthroughtheirnetsandleavesthemtorntoribbons.This,theysay,iswhatweliveby—thisunseizableforce.
"Wherearethemen?"saidoldGeneralGibbons,lookingroundthedrawing-room,fullasusualonSundayafternoonsofwell-dressedpeople."Wherearetheguns?"
Mrs.Durrantlookedtoo.
Clara,thinkingthathermotherwantedher,cameinthenwentoutagain.
TheyweretalkingaboutGermanyattheDurrants,andJacob(drivenbythisunseizableforce)walkedrapidlydownHermesStreetandranstraightintotheWilliamses.
"Oh!"criedSandra,withacordialitywhichshesuddenlyfelt.AndEvanadded,"Whatluck!"
ThedinnerwhichtheygavehiminthehotelwhichlooksontotheSquareoftheConstitutionwasexcellent.Platedbasketscontainedfreshrolls.Therewasrealbutter.Andthemeatscarcelyneededthedisguiseofinnumerablelittleredandgreenvegetablesglazedinsauce.
Itwasstrange,though.TherewerethelittletablessetoutatintervalsonthescarletfloorwiththeGreekKing'smonogramwroughtinyellow.Sandradinedinherhat,veiledasusual.Evanlookedthiswayandthatoverhisshoulderimperturbableyetsuppleandsometimessighed.Itwasstrange.FortheywereEnglishpeoplecometogetherinAthensonaMayevening.Jacob,helpinghimselftothisandthat,answeredintelligently,yetwitharinginhisvoice.
TheWilliamsesweregoingtoConstantinopleearlynextmorning,theysaid.
"Beforeyouareup,"saidSandra.
TheywouldleaveJacobalone,then.Turningveryslightly,Evanorderedsomething—abottleofwine—fromwhichhehelpedJacob,withakindofsolicitude,withakindofpaternalsolicitude,ifthatwerepossible.Tobeleftalone—thatwasgoodforayoungfellow.Neverwasthereatimewhenthecountryhadmoreneedofmen.Hesighed.
"AndyouhavebeentotheAcropolis?"askedSandra.
"Yes,"saidJacob.Andtheymovedofftothewindowtogether,whileEvanspoketotheheadwaiteraboutcallingthemearly.
"Itisastonishing,"saidJacob,inagruffvoice.
Sandraopenedhereyesveryslightly.Possiblyhernostrilsexpandedalittletoo.
"Athalf-pastsixthen,"saidEvan,comingtowardsthem,lookingasifhefacedsomethinginfacinghiswifeandJacobstandingwiththeirbackstothewindow.
Sandrasmiledathim.
And,ashewenttothewindowandhadnothingtosaysheadded,inbrokenhalf-sentences:
"Well,buthowlovely—wouldn'titbe?TheAcropolis,Evan—orareyoutootired?"
AtthatEvanlookedatthem,or,sinceJacobwasstaringaheadofhim,athiswife,surlily,sullenly,yetwithakindofdistress—notthatshewouldpityhim.Norwouldtheimplacablespiritoflove,foranythinghecoulddo,ceaseitstortures.
Theylefthimandhesatinthesmoking-room,whichlooksoutontothe
SquareoftheConstitution.
"Evanishappie