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incident as a stock anecdote ceased long before he had decided to
ask her to marry him she had no doubt； but it showed that his love
for her was of that sort in which passion makes war upon judgment；
and prevails in spite of will。 Moreover； he might have been
speaking ironically when he alluded to the act as a virtue in a
woman； which seemed the more likely when she remembered his cool
bearing towards her in the drawing…room。 Possibly it was an
antipathetic reaction； induced by the renewed recollection of her
proceeding。
'I will never marry Mr。 Neigh！' she said； with decision。 'That
shall settle it。 You need not think over any such contingency；
Picotee。 He is one of those horrid men who love with their eyes；
the remainder part of him objecting all the time to the feeling； and
even if his objections prove the weaker； and the man marries； his
general nature conquers again by the time the wedding trip is over；
so that the woman is miserable at last； and had better not have had
him at all。'
'That applies still more to Lord Mountclere； to my thinking。 I
never saw anything like the look of his eyes upon you。'
'O no； noyou understand nothing if you say that。 But one thing be
sure of； there is no marriage likely to take place between myself
and Mr。 Neigh。 I have longed for a sound reason for disliking him；
and now I have got it。 Well； we will talk no more of thislet us
think of the nice little pleasure we have in storeour stay at
Knollsea。 There we will be as free as the wind。 And when we are
down there； I can drive across to Corvsgate Castle if I wish to
attend the Imperial Association meeting； and nobody will know where
I came from。 Knollsea is not more than five miles from the Castle；
I think。'
Picotee was by this time beginning to yawn； and Ethelberta did not
feel nearly so wakeful as she had felt half…an…hour earlier。 Tall
and swarthy columns of smoke were now soaring up from the kitchen
chimneys around； spreading horizontally when at a great height； and
forming a roof of haze which was turning the sun to a copper colour；
and by degrees spoiling the sweetness of the new atmosphere that had
rolled in from the country during the night； giving it the usual
city smell。 The resolve to make this rising the beginning of a long
and busy day； which should set them beforehand with the rest of the
world； weakened with their growing weariness； and an impulse to lie
down just for a quarter of an hour before dressing； ended in a sound
sleep that did not relinquish its hold upon them till late in the
forenoon。
31。 KNOLLSEA … A LOFTY DOWN … A RUINED CASTLE
Knollsea was a seaside village lying snug within two headlands as
between a finger and thumb。 Everybody in the parish who was not a
boatman was a quarrier； unless he were the gentleman who owned half
the property and had been a quarryman； or the other gentleman who
owned the other half； and had been to sea。
The knowledge of the inhabitants was of the same special sort as
their pursuits。 The quarrymen in white fustian understood practical
geology； the laws and accidents of dips； faults； and cleavage； far
better than the ways of the world and mammon； the seafaring men in
Guernsey frocks had a clearer notion of Alexandria； Constantinople；
the Cape； and the Indies than of any inland town in their own
country。 This； for them； consisted of a busy portion； the Channel；
where they lived and laboured； and a dull portion； the vague
unexplored miles of interior at the back of the ports； which they
seldom thought of。
Some wives of the village； it is true； had learned to let lodgings；
and others to keep shops。 The doors of these latter places were
formed of an upper hatch； usually kept open； and a lower hatch； with
a bell attached； usually kept shut。 Whenever a stranger went in； he
would hear a whispering of astonishment from a back room； after
which a woman came forward； looking suspiciously at him as an
intruder； and advancing slowly enough to allow her mouth to get
clear of the meal she was partaking of。 Meanwhile the people in the
back room would stop their knives and forks in absorbed curiosity as
to the reason of the stranger's entry； who by this time feels
ashamed of his unwarrantable intrusion into this hermit's cell； and
thinks he must take his hat off。 The woman is quite alarmed at
seeing that he is not one of the fifteen native women and children
who patronize her； and nervously puts her hand to the side of her
face； which she carries slanting。 The visitor finds himself saying
what he wants in an apologetic tone； when the woman tells him that
they did keep that article once； but do not now； that nobody does；
and probably never will again； and as he turns away she looks
relieved that the dilemma of having to provide for a stranger has
passed off with no worse mishap than disappointing him。
A cottage which stood on a high slope above this townlet and its bay
resounded one morning with the notes of a merry company。 Ethelberta
had managed to find room for herself and her young relations in the
house of one of the boatmen； whose wife attended upon them all。
Captain Flower； the husband； assisted her in the dinner
preparations； when he slipped about the house as lightly as a girl
and spoke of himself as cook's mate。 The house was so small that
the sailor's rich voice； developed by shouting in high winds during
a twenty years' experience in the coasting trade； could be heard
coming from the kitchen between the chirpings of the children in the
parlour。 The furniture of this apartment consisted mostly of the
painting of a full…rigged ship； done by a man whom the captain had
specially selected for the purpose because he had been seven…and…
twenty years at sea before touching a brush； and thereby offered a
sufficient guarantee that he understood how to paint a vessel
properly。
Before this picture sat Ethelberta in a light linen dress； and with
tightly…knotted hairnow again Berta Chickerel as of oldserving
out breakfast to the rest of the party； and sometimes lifting her
eyes to the outlook from the window； which presented a happy
combination of grange scenery with marine。 Upon the irregular slope
between the house and the quay was an orchard of aged trees wherein
every apple ripening on the boughs presented its rubicund side
towards the cottage； because that building chanced to lie upwards in
the same direction as the sun。 Under the trees were a few Cape
sheep； and over them the stone chimneys of the village below：
outside these lay the tanned sails of a ketch or smack； and the
violet waters of the bay； seamed and creased by breezes insufficient
to raise waves； beyond all a curved wall of cliff； terminating in a
promontory； which was flanked by tall and shining obelisks of chalk
rising sheer from the trembling blue race beneath。
By one sitting in the room that commanded this prospect； a white
butterfly among the apple…trees might be mistaken for the sails of a
yacht far away on the sea； and in the evening when the light was
dim； what seemed like a fly crawling upon the window…pane would turn
out to be a boat in the bay。
When breakfast was over；