The White Peacock

ot awful, for the men were on the whole wise and well-conditioned, but there was a dejection over the face of the country-side, and some suffered keenly. Everywhere, along the lanes and in the streets

always the people talked and filled the months with bitter, and then hopeless, resenting. Schools gave breakfasts, chapels gave soup, well-to-do people gave teas-

y. One man was at home with a leg supposed to be wounded by a fall on the slippery roads-but really, by a

were posted notices that trespassers on the drive or in the grounds would be l

hich Leslie had given her, and their remarks were pungent. She heard them, and they burned in her heart.

of feeling; men must look at a thing all round, then make a decision-nothing hasty and impetuous-careful, long-thought-out, correct decisions. Women could not be expec

th a quiet, hopele

hing Water-So laugh again, darling, and don't worry about

mo

ere-pooh, the wood is thick and lonely! Look, there is no

d h

re!-it gives me little shivers when y

el

don't want your cheek-kiss me your

saying anything when there'

re off

snow to-day,"

gather her limbs, to rise, and dri

sed. It was a gentle way of telling them

idity, and swung soft tassels. All through the day sounded long, sweet whistlings

hadows as if companies of angels were gently sweeping past; adorned with resting, silken shadows like those of a full white breast. All day the clouds had moved on to their vast destination, and I had clung to the earth yearning and impatient. I took a brush and tried to paint them, the

the empty sky, like a blue bubble o

him, under the darkening wonderful bubble. She bade

hollows of the hills. But over the slanting shoulders of t

atkins, Leslie," said Lettie,

r the skin. Look, tassels of crimson and gold!" She pointed to the dusty hazel catkins min

look pretty? Like a group of orange and scarlet fungi in a fairy picture. Do

do. It is half past five-more! I

he

ng manure-I m

to you-did you

t the same, brick colour-stolid. Mind that ston

t I usually

one, the fresh spring brook hastening t

and see them,

he brook tinkling, do

it's full

he said, impatie

up in a minu

Emily putting some

for a walk

tell mother-I

and her red tam-o-shanter. As we wen

e back,"

, and telling him excitedly to stand still, and steady her while she turned. She turned round, and leaped with a great flutter, like a big bird launching, down from the top of the stile to the ground and into his arms. Then we climbed the steep hill-side-Sunny Bank, that had once shone yellow with wheat, an

nds blindly on the hill-brow. Half way along is the old White House farm, with its green mounting steps moulder

ries, and looked in

of the quarry," said Leslie. "I hav

spassing,"

ss," he replied

ll the ground was white with snowdrops, like drops of manna scattered over the red earth, on the grey-green clusters of leaves. There was a deep little dell, sharp sloping like a cup, and white sprinkling of flowers all the way down, with white flowers showing pale among the first inpouring of shadow at the bottom. The earth was red and warm, pricked with the dark, succulent green of bluebell sheaths, and embroidered with grey-green clusters of spears, and many white flowerets. High above, above the light tracery of hazel, the weird oaks tangled in the sunset. Below, in the first shadows, drooped h

e in a low voice, as her white fingers touche

so many this ye

which is never ours, though

-what do they make you thin

ld lost religion. They were the symbol of tears, per

they are so still. Something out of an old relig

u have to fear?

osed up, retreating, powerless. They belong to some knowledge we have lost, that I have lost and that I need. I feel afraid. They seem like some

nst my cree

ave lost somet

me to the bottom of this cup, and see how strange it will

steep side of the pit, crying, "A

, "I am being

her fingers wandering white among the shadowed grey spaces of leaves, pluck

re for me?" h

laughed strangely. "You do not seem rea

s "skirred" off from the bushes, and Emily looked up wit

s th' birds. Come on, sweethearts, it's th' wrong place for billin' an' coo

answered Leslie from be

m of light, darkly; fine, powerful form, menacing us. He did no

ue, two and two makes four. Come on, come on out o'

ie, standing up and helping Lettie with her furs.

a lady from a woman at this dista

ong, Lettie, you ca

bed into

wn on a man he never looks the same. I though

Leslie-"I beg your pardon, L

wearing a long coat which fitted close; she had a small

own the dell with great strides, and returned, sayi

shrinking to Leslie. The

fetch my

drops that lay among the roots

. "But I've nearly forgot the sight o' one-save th

have seen many-unless-! Ha

hink I'd rather groom a horse than a lady, fo

eserved it

One's more a man here in th' wood, though

eslie, indulgent in his amuse

l you walk int

y smart for

er watch th' rabbits an' th' birds; an' it's easie

ours, are t

they a pretty bag o' ferrets?-natural as weasels-that's what I said the

d they kept aloof from the

y trapped, one of

d for themselves like wild be

duty, it strikes me," pu

an la

eight, and one not far off. She breeds well, the ow'd lass-one

pretty badl

d animal, says I, whether it's man or woman. You, Sir, a good natural male

what

ole, every one. They shan't learn to dirty themselves wi' smirking deviltry-not if I can help it. They ca

looking at thin

d his voice for the girls to hear. "Pretty, isn't he? What for?-And what for do you wear a fancy vest and twist your moustache, Sir! Wha

off into th

eslie when he had rejoined Le

ed. "But yet you are interested i

lack somethin

rather a fine f

callous-no soul," remarked L

ly. "No soul-and a

houghtful, a

g wistfully back to the east. Dark purple woods lay around us, painting out the distance. The near, w

ong, with a flutter and a breathless laughter, till we were hap

d!" sai

Kennels,

he mad yelling and yelping of children, a

he firelight and howled, while scattered in various groups, with the leaping firelight twinkling over their tears and their open mouths, were the other children, crying too. The mother was in a state of hysteria; her hair streamed over her face, and her eyes were fixed in a stare of overwrought irritation. Up and down went her long arm like a windmill sail. I ran and held it. When she could hit no more, the woman d

n she saw the speck of blood on the cloth. But presently she became quiet too, and Emily

to the passage. After a while I saw him in a corner, lying whimpering with little savage cries of pain. I cut of

wincing boy. Then his mother caught him in her arms, and kissed him passionately, and cried with abandon. The boy let himself be kissed-then he too began to sob, till his little body was all shaken. They folded them

e-I dunna know what to do wi' 'em. An' niver a 'and does 'e lift ter 'elp me-no-'

s feet, and holding up his trailing nightgown behind

his hands as he went, and laughing, while his large hazel eyes glowed with pleasure. His mother

man, no, my duckie. 'E's got no 'art ter care for nobody, 'e 'asn

seated on his knee, looking at him with solemn blue eyes, her solemni

ll gone, so I wouldna gie 't 'im,"-she clutched in her fat little hand a piece of red c

orner piled with a child's rubbish, and hauled out a hideous carven caricature of

, what my Dad make me-

d are these her cheeks? S

Dad says sh'

you her rou

!" she

uldn't let

ays, Dun gie 't 'i

l your fa

Da

n the mother, "an' say as

aid Leslie

s not like another man-niver tells yer nowt. He's more a stran

that?" as

read an' talk like a gentleman-but 'e tells me nothing-Oh no-what am I in 'is eyes but a sludge bump?-

a corner, and began to lay the table. The cloth was s

ar. I saw his massive figure in the doorway, and the

serpine-had

in 'earin' th' childer cryin

Ah, it's always the woman bears t

n now-splendid? But she's dragged to bits. Men are bru

r sample of marriage," replied Lesli

A

hat do you think of Greym

!" exclaimed Lettie, and

ubstantial. Occasionally a moonbeam would trace out a suave white branch that the rabbits had gnawed quite bare in the hard winter. We came out of th

d Emily, "I feel so strange-half eerie

ke you wonder, and look

and looked up, and saw me smiling, and

Emily begged them just to step into the mi

ng honeysuckle. George and Alice were sitting at the table playing chess; the mother was mending a coat, and the fa

d entered. George rose heavily,

u are a stranger," said Alic

her nowadays," added the

furs and snowdrops. Look at her, George, yo

ed at her apparel and at her

he said, and retu

drops," said Lettie, fingeri

l you?" said Alice, holding out he

id George d

ey suit me, an innocent little soul like me? Lettie won't wear the

like-w

ourse, and to show you an

n check,"

t. Aw!-there!"-she stuck a few flowers in his ru

with a strain

m and the ass's

a lovely fairy queen, Bully Bot

a Gabler-crowned with vine leaves-

mpest?" George asked, taking no n

oon be all r

" put in the father, and he

ice, returning to the game. She

emedied!"-she moved her piece, a

ation moved. Alice pounced on him; with

you may have the

ver a woman any more. Stale-m

and felt among his hair, and

said the mother, coming in

we all

s! When I went to wash it, there sat Nickie Ben

laughed till he was tired. Lettie loo

e'd feel with half a yard of mu

n the father began-and in walked Nickie Ben, stepping disconsolately-we all roared again, till the rafters shook. Only Lettie look

hame!" excla

owers? Do you feel sorry for them?-you'r

dumb animals, an

s a little dumb animal

utting away

dear?" said Le

," he replied, ri

," she said

r with little ten

lked too fa

ps, and the man, and the children-and e

ce, and Emily,

fault we're strangers. You know-really-I'm just the s

and looked at him through a

She had gone home with tears shaken from her eyes unkn

along on our arms. We laughed and said many preposterous things. George wanted to kiss her at parting, but she tipped him un

ittle devil

ome by Greymede, and p

go in the 'Ram Inn,' and ha

George's grand-uncle, but since his decease it had declined, under the governance of the widow and a man-of-all-work. The old grand-aunt was propped and su

the red head of Bill poked out of the b

o forward-'er's

or. The great-aunt was seated in her little,

ce. "Tha' niver says it's thai, does ter? That's com'n

com ter see thee, now

come ter see me?-Ha-wheer's Meg!

, and shook the clammy co

cap and its scarlet geraniums sadly: "Cum now, s

d about uncomfortably. The old lady sat peering at nothing, in reverie. She was a hard-visaged, bosomless da

vy, quick fo

e footsteps came downstairs-quickly, then cautiously round the ben

fresh, frank way. I think I have never seen a woman who had more physical charm; there was a voluptuous fascination in her ever

' whiskey, Meg-yo

irmly, but d

ha'e none o' thy no's. Should ter like

ot say

ostess, "though it's thin-bellied stuff

The grand-aunt sighed, and sighed again,

a chance next time you come'n;-No-I'm all gone but my cap--" She shook t

s'll be thankful to be gone,

old lady clung to life like a louse to a pig's back. Dying, she faintly, but emp

-I canna abear to think o' leavin 'er-come drink up, my lad, drink up-na

n preference to

till 'er's settled-an' 'er's that tickle o' choos

nned and looked conscious; as he swallowed a gulp of whiske

at," she said. "Tha' niver 'a

s. He frowned with irritation, half fille

thy life-not proper"-and she tossed the la

ame along

d. "I'm sure it's time a

a drop wi's-it's not ivry

ou to bed-I'm sure

, an' get thee a drop o' p

ly. Her cheeks gleamed like satin when she laughed, save when the dimples held the shadow. Her suave, tawny neck was bare and bewitching. She turned suddenly t

ried the old woman in delight,

he cried, "all tog

t off. He was getting excited, and all the energy and passion that norm

ting his tumbler, "here's

d. "Tha' nobbut wanted warmin' up. I'll see as you'r

e before he put his

ain's that

t George, who, with his lips wet with wi

is-that

h her big pinafore, an

min', gran'ma?

me off-what's thai say, Ge

nt, dunna be

Yah, tha' 'rt a slow un, an' no mist

ll brought in the money in a tin box, and d

to the ugly, wizened serving-man. He s

herself up heavily, she leaned on Meg and went upstairs. She had been a big woman, one could see, but now her shapeless, broken figure looked pitiful beside Meg's luxuriant form. We heard them slowly, laboriously clim

eady!" I a

ndulging himself like a s

hole in his stocking, drained his glass, and

own, and I rose and

e door after you," said she

table to steady himself; then he got his

d to her. "Come here, I w

He put his arm round her and looking down into h

ha'e

oking at him intently with her bright brown eye

to marry th

ed, softly, half g

epeated, pressing he

king out into the night. It seemed a long time. Then I hea

end 'im off

ere was a murmur of voices, and

k to thee!" cried the voice l

ed a rather hurried g

, watching him retreat. Then we

ar his throat. His voice was husky and st

she-she's

ly, but he to

ated. "What did I

silence-his excitem

' the curves as she stands. It's whe

but it was unnec

women-you know-it's always Meg; she seem

e the colliery railway crossed the road, he stumbled, and pitche

yril, am I dr

uite,"

ttered, "co

ide to side. I took hold of his arm. He murmured angrily-t

it to drop

, and we made a fairly still entry into the farm. He dropped with all his weight on the sofa, and leaning down, began to unfasten his leggings. In the midst of his fumblings he fell asleep, and I was afraid he would pitch forward on to his head. I took off his leggings and his wet boots and h

at him. His head had drop

audible, and dangerous. He lifted his head

n bewilderment and fear. His

hrinking away, and looking at m

. I too

! I must get him to be

. He snarled incoherently, and swore. She caught her breath. He look

could see him taking heavy breaths, and the veins of hi

ely, and she went, still h

tairs. I lit a candle in his bedroom. There was no sound from the other rooms. So I undressed him, and got him in bed at last, somehow. I covered him up and put over him the calf-skin

bed, and a little yellow chest of drawers by the windows, that was all the furniture, save the calf-skin rug on the floor. In the drawers I no

m again. As I crept on to the landing, Emily p

red good-night. Then

ry effort to bring her close to him, submissive. Gradually she yielded, and submitted to him. She folded round her and him the snug curtain of the present, and they sat like children playing a game behind the

nothing would be able to draw her away; or she sat in her room looking out of the window for hours together. She ple