…” 42 1 fancied her voice was a little sardonic and I wondered whether she was suggesting that I could not possibly under stand the traditions which belonged to a family such as theirs.
Ruth’s cool welcome was increasing my apprehension and I wondered afresh what Gabriel’s reason had been for withholding the news of our marriage.
A manservant appeared, to ask about our luggage, and Gabriel said: “
Take it up to my room, William.”
” Aye, master,” was the answer.
He mounted the stairs with my trunk on his shoulder and Gabriel took my arm and we followed him. Ruth came after us and I could feel her eyes on my back, taking in every detail. I was never more pleased with Uncle Dick than at the moment. My smart travelling costume of dark blue gaberdine gave me confidence.
At the top of the flight of stairs was a door and Gabriel said: “
That’s the door to the minstrels’ gallery.” I hoped he would throw it open and that I should see whether someone were there, because I was certain that I had seen a movement in the gallery, and I wondered what member of the household had preferred to hide there to take a glimpse of me instead of coming down to welcome me.
It was a wide staircase of great beauty, but in the light of oil-lamps it seemed full of shadows. I had an uncanny feeling as I went up that all the members of this family who had lived in the house over the last three hundred years were watching me with disapproval the girl whom Gabriel had brought into the house without consulting his family.
” My rooms,” Gabriel told me, ” are at the top of the house. It’s a long climb.”
” Will you keep those rooms now that you have a wife?” asked Ruth from behind me.
” I certainly shall. Unless of course Catherine does not like them.”
” I feel sure I shall.”
” There are others to choose from if you are not satisfied,” Ruth told me.
We had climbed to the second floor when a young man appeared. He was tall and slim and very like Ruth. He had cried: ” Are they here yet.
Mother? What’s she . ” before he saw us. He paused, not in the least embarrassed, laughing at himself, while his eyes went to me.
” This is Luke … my nephew,” said Gabriel.
” My son,” murmured Ruth. 43 “I am delighted to meet you,” I said, and held out my hand.
He took it and bowed over it so that a lock of his long fair hair fell forward over his face.
” The delight then is mutual,” he said with a faint drawl. ” It’s amusing to have a wedding in the family.”
He was very like his mother, and that meant that he was like Gabriel too. The same rather prominent, aristocratic features, the delicate fairness, the almost languid air.
” What do you’ think of the house?” he asked eagerly.
” She has been in it less than ten minutes and has not seen a tenth of it and what she has seen has not been in day light,” his mother reminded him.
” To-morrow I will take you on a tour of inspection,” he promised me, and I thanked him.
He bowed once more and stood aside for us to pass; but when we went on he joined the procession and accompanied us to the rooms on the third floor which I gathered had always been Gabriel’s.
We came to a circular gallery, and the feeling that I was being watched was stronger than ever; for here were the family portraits, life-sized; three or four roze-quartz lamps were burning and in this dim light the figures had the appearance of reality.
” Here we are,” said Gabriel, and I felt the pressure on my arm; I heard Friday in his basket then; he whimpered faintly as though reminding me of his presence. I believed that Friday sensed my moods and knew that I felt as though I were being enclosed in an alien prison, and that I was resented here. Of course, I reminded myself, it was due to the fact that we had arrived in the twilight. It would have been quite different if we had come on a bright and sunny morning.
There was too much
Ruth’s cool welcome was increasing my apprehension and I wondered afresh what Gabriel’s reason had been for withholding the news of our marriage.
A manservant appeared, to ask about our luggage, and Gabriel said: “
Take it up to my room, William.”
” Aye, master,” was the answer.
He mounted the stairs with my trunk on his shoulder and Gabriel took my arm and we followed him. Ruth came after us and I could feel her eyes on my back, taking in every detail. I was never more pleased with Uncle Dick than at the moment. My smart travelling costume of dark blue gaberdine gave me confidence.
At the top of the flight of stairs was a door and Gabriel said: “
That’s the door to the minstrels’ gallery.” I hoped he would throw it open and that I should see whether someone were there, because I was certain that I had seen a movement in the gallery, and I wondered what member of the household had preferred to hide there to take a glimpse of me instead of coming down to welcome me.
It was a wide staircase of great beauty, but in the light of oil-lamps it seemed full of shadows. I had an uncanny feeling as I went up that all the members of this family who had lived in the house over the last three hundred years were watching me with disapproval the girl whom Gabriel had brought into the house without consulting his family.
” My rooms,” Gabriel told me, ” are at the top of the house. It’s a long climb.”
” Will you keep those rooms now that you have a wife?” asked Ruth from behind me.
” I certainly shall. Unless of course Catherine does not like them.”
” I feel sure I shall.”
” There are others to choose from if you are not satisfied,” Ruth told me.
We had climbed to the second floor when a young man appeared. He was tall and slim and very like Ruth. He had cried: ” Are they here yet.
Mother? What’s she . ” before he saw us. He paused, not in the least embarrassed, laughing at himself, while his eyes went to me.
” This is Luke … my nephew,” said Gabriel.
” My son,” murmured Ruth. 43 “I am delighted to meet you,” I said, and held out my hand.
He took it and bowed over it so that a lock of his long fair hair fell forward over his face.
” The delight then is mutual,” he said with a faint drawl. ” It’s amusing to have a wedding in the family.”
He was very like his mother, and that meant that he was like Gabriel too. The same rather prominent, aristocratic features, the delicate fairness, the almost languid air.
” What do you’ think of the house?” he asked eagerly.
” She has been in it less than ten minutes and has not seen a tenth of it and what she has seen has not been in day light,” his mother reminded him.
” To-morrow I will take you on a tour of inspection,” he promised me, and I thanked him.
He bowed once more and stood aside for us to pass; but when we went on he joined the procession and accompanied us to the rooms on the third floor which I gathered had always been Gabriel’s.
We came to a circular gallery, and the feeling that I was being watched was stronger than ever; for here were the family portraits, life-sized; three or four roze-quartz lamps were burning and in this dim light the figures had the appearance of reality.
” Here we are,” said Gabriel, and I felt the pressure on my arm; I heard Friday in his basket then; he whimpered faintly as though reminding me of his presence. I believed that Friday sensed my moods and knew that I felt as though I were being enclosed in an alien prison, and that I was resented here. Of course, I reminded myself, it was due to the fact that we had arrived in the twilight. It would have been quite different if we had come on a bright and sunny morning.
There was too much
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