Part 25 (2/2)
* Read the Oxford Essays.
”Certainly not,” said Mrs. Bazalgette, sharply.
”Excuse us, dear,” said Lucy in the same breath.
”Well, Lucy,” said Mrs. Bazalgette, ”am I wrong about your uncle's selfishness! I have tried in vain ever since I came here to make you see it where _you_ were the only sufferer.”
”Not quite in vain, aunt,” said Lucy sadly; ”you have shown me defects in my poor uncle that I should never have discovered.”
Mrs. Bazalgette smiled grimly.
”Only, as you hate him, and I love him, and always mean to love him, permit me to call his defects 'thought-lessness.' _You_ can apply the harsh term 'selfish-ness' to the most good-natured, kind, indulgent--oh!”
”Ha! ha! Don't cry, you silly girl. Thoughtless? a calculating old goose, who is eternally aiming to be a fox--never says or does anything without meaning something a mile off. Luckily, his veil is so thin that everybody sees through it but you. What do you think of his _thought-less-ness_ in getting a tutor gratis? Poor Mr. Dodd!”
”I will answer for it, it is a pleasure to Mr. Dodd to be of service to his little friend,” said Lucy, warmly.
”How do you know a bore is a pleasure to Mr. Dodd?”
”Mr. Dodd is a new acquaintance of yours, aunt, but I have had opportunities of observing his character, and I a.s.sure you all this pity is wasted.”
”Why, Lucy, what did you say to Arthur just now. You are contradicting _yourself.”_
”What a love of opposition I must have. Are you not tired of in-doors?
Shall we go into the village?”
”No; I exhausted the village yesterday.”
”The garden?”
”No.”
”Well, then, suppose we sketch the church together. There is a good light.”
”No. Let us go on the downs, Lucy.”
”Why, aunt, it--it is a long walk.”
”All the better.”
”But we said 'No.'”
”What has that to do with it?”
Arthur was right; the kites that are sold by shops of prey are not proportioned nor balanced; this is probably in some way connected with the circ.u.mstance that they are made to sell, not fly. The monster kite, constructed by the light of Euclid, rose steadily into the air like a balloon, and eventually, being attached to the chair, drew Mr.
Arthur at a reasonable pace about half a mile over a narrow but level piece of turf that was on the top of the downs. Q.E.D. This done, these two patient creatures had to wind the struggling monster in, and go back again to the starting point. Before they had quite achieved this, two petticoats mounted the hill and moved toward them across the plateau. At sight of them David thrilled from head to foot, and Arthur cried, ”Oh, bother!” an unjust e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, since it was by his invitation they came. His alarms were verified. The ladies made themselves No. 1 directly, and the poor kite became a s.h.i.+eld for flirtation. Arthur was so cross.
<script>