第80部分(第1/7 页)

sed；　and　all　was　in　readiness。

St。　John　arrived　first。　I　had　entreated　him　to　keep　quite　clear　of　the　house　till　everything　was　arranged：　and；　indeed；　the　bare　idea　of　the　motion；　at　once　sordid　and　trivial；　going　on　within　its　walls　sufficed　to　scare　him　to　estrangement。　He　found　me　in　the　kitchen；　watching　the　progress　of　certain　cakes　for　tea；　then　baking。　Approaching　the　hearth；　he　asked；　“If　I　was　at　last　satisfied　with　housemaid’s　work？”　I　answered　by　inviting　him　to　acpany　me　on　a　general　inspection　of　the　result　of　my　labours。　With　some　difficulty；　I　got　him　to　make　the　tour　of　the　house。　He　just　looked　in　at　the　doors　I　opened；　and　when　he　had　wandered　upstairs　and　downstairs；　he　said　I　must　have　gone　through　a　great　deal　of　fatigue　and　trouble　to　have　effected　such　considerable　changes　in　so　short　a　time：　but　not　a　syllable　did　he　utter　indicating　pleasure　in　the　improved　aspect　of　his　abode。

This　silence　damped　me。　I　thought　perhaps　the　alterations　had　disturbed　some　old　associations　he　valued。　I　inquired　whether　this　was　the　case：　no　doubt　in　a　somewhat　crest…fallen　tone。

“Not　at　all；　he　had；　on　the　contrary；　remarked　that　I　had　scrupulously　respected　every　association：　he　feared；　indeed；　I　must　have　bestowed　more　thought　on　the　matter　than　it　was　worth。　How　many　minutes；　for　instance；　had　I　devoted　to　studying　the　arrangement　of　this　very　room？—By…the…bye；　could　I　tell　him　where　such　a　book　was？”

I　showed　him　the　volume　on　the　shelf：　he　took　it　down；　and　withdrawing　to　his　accustomed　window　recess；　he　began　to　read　it。

Now；　I　did　not　like　this；　reader。　St。　John　was　a　good　man；　but　I　began　to　feel　he　had　spoken　truth　of　himself　when　he　said　he　was　hard　and　cold。　The　humanities　and　amenities　of　life　had　no　attraction　for