第7章

Melodious birds sing madrigals

That first repast in Endelstow Vicarage was a very agreeable one to young Stephen Smith.The table was spread,as Elfride had suggested to her father,with the materials for the heterogeneous meal called high tea--a class of refection welcome to all when away from men and towns,and particularly attractive to youthful palates.The table was prettily decked with winter flowers and leaves,amid which the eye was greeted by chops,chicken,pie,&c.,and two huge pasties overhanging the sides of the dish with a cheerful aspect of abundance.

At the end,towards the fireplace,appeared the tea-service,of old-fashioned Worcester porcelain,and behind this arose the slight form of Elfride,attempting to add matronly dignity to the movement of pouring out tea,and to have a weighty and concerned look in matters of marmalade,honey,and clotted cream.Having made her own meal before he arrived,she found to her embarrassment that there was nothing left for her to do but talk when not assisting him.She asked him if he would excuse her finishing a letter she had been writing at a side-table,and,after sitting down to it,tingled with a sense of being grossly rude.However,seeing that he noticed nothing personally wrong in her,and that he too was embarrassed when she attentively watched his cup to refill it,Elfride became better at ease;and when furthermore he accidentally kicked the leg of the table,and then nearly upset his tea-cup,just as schoolboys did,she felt herself mistress of the situation,and could talk very well.In a few minutes ingenuousness and a common term of years obliterated all recollection that they were strangers just met.Stephen began to wax eloquent on extremely slight experiences connected with his professional pursuits;and she,having no experiences to fall back upon,recounted with much animation stories that had been related to her by her father,which would have astonished him had he heard with what fidelity of action and tone they were rendered.Upon the whole,a very interesting picture of Sweet-and-Twenty was on view that evening in Mr.Swancourts house.

Ultimately Stephen had to go upstairs and talk loud to the vicar,receiving from him between his puffs a great many apologies for calling him so unceremoniously to a strangers bedroom.But,continued Mr.Swancourt,I felt that I wanted to say a few words to you before the morning,on the business of your visit.Ones patience gets exhausted by staying a prisoner in bed all day through a sudden freak of ones enemy--new to me,though--for I have known very little of gout as yet.However,hes gone to my other toe in a very mild manner,and I expect hell slink off altogether by the morning.I hope you have been well attended to downstairs?

Perfectly.And though it is unfortunate,and I am sorry to see you laid up,I beg you will not take the slightest notice of my being in the house the while.

I will not.But I shall be down to-morrow.My daughter is an excellent doctor.A dose or two of her mild mixtures will fetch me round quicker than all the drug stuff in the world.Well,now about the church business.Take a seat,do.We cant afford to stand upon ceremony in these parts as you see,and for this reason,that a civilized human being seldom stays long with us;

and so we cannot waste time in approaching him,or he will be gone before we have had the pleasure of close acquaintance.This tower of ours is,as you will notice,entirely gone beyond the possibility of restoration;but the church itself is well enough.

You should see some of the churches in this county.Floors rotten:ivy lining the walls.

Dear me!

Oh,thats nothing.The congregation of a neighbour of mine,whenever a storm of rain comes on during service,open their umbrellas and hold them up till the dripping ceases from the roof.

Now,if you will kindly bring me those papers and letters you see lying on the table,I will show you how far we have got.

Stephen crossed the room to fetch them,and the vicar seemed to notice more particularly the slim figure of his visitor.

I suppose you are quite competent?he said.

Quite,said the young man,colouring slightly.

You are very young,I fancy--I should say you are not more than nineteen?

I am nearly twenty-one.

Exactly half my age;I am forty-two.

By the way,said Mr.Swancourt,after some conversation,you said your whole name was Stephen Fitzmaurice,and that your grandfather came originally from Caxbury.Since I have been speaking,it has occurred to me that I know something of you.You belong to a well-known ancient county family--not ordinary Smiths in the least.

I dont think we have any of their blood in our veins.

Nonsense!you must.Hand me the "Landed Gentry."Now,let me see.There,Stephen Fitzmaurice Smith--he lies in St.Marys Church,doesnt he?Well,out of that family Sprang the Leaseworthy Smiths,and collaterally came General Sir Stephen Fitzmaurice Smith of Caxbury----

Yes;I have seen his monument there,shouted Stephen.But there is no connection between his family and mine:there cannot be.

There is none,possibly,to your knowledge.But look at this,my dear sir,said the vicar,striking his fist upon the bedpost for emphasis.Here are you,Stephen Fitzmaurice Smith,living in London,but springing from Caxbury.Here in this book is a genealogical tree of the Stephen Fitzmaurice Smiths of Caxbury Manor.You may be only a family of professional men now--I am not inquisitive:I dont ask questions of that kind;it is not in me to do so--but it is as plain as the nose in your face that theres your origin!And,Mr.Smith,I congratulate you upon your blood;blue blood,sir;and,upon my life,a very desirable colour,as the world goes.

I wish you could congratulate me upon some more tangible quality,said the younger man,sadly no less than modestly.