One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

George Meredith
man: endow him with language too. He was as if unlocked;
he met Nesta’s eyes and ran in a voluble interchange, that
gave him flattering after-thoughts; and at the moment sensibly
a new and assured, or to some extent assured, station
beside a girl so vivid; by which the young lady would be
helped to perceive his unvoiced solider gifts.
Nataly observed them, thinking of Victor’s mastering
subtlety. She had hoped (having clearly seen the sheep’s eye
in the shepherd) that Mr. Barmby would be watchful to act
as a block between them; and therefore she had stipulated
for his presence on the journey. She remembered Victor’s
rapid look of readiness to consent:—he reckoned how naturally
Mr. Barmby would serve as a foil to any younger man.
Mr. Barmby had tried all along to perform his part: he had
always been thwarted; notably once at Gisors, where by some
cunning management he and mademoiselle found themselves
in the cell of the prisoner’s Nail-wrought work while Nesta
had to take Sowerby’s hand for help at a passage here and
there along the narrow outer castle-walls. And Mr. Barmby,
upon occasions, had set that dimple in Nesta’s cheek quivering,
though Simeon Fenellan was not at hand, and there was
no telling how it was done, beyond the evidence that Victor
willed it so.
From the day of the announcement of Lakelands, she had
been brought more into contact with his genius of dexterity
and foresight than ever previously: she had bent to the burden
of it more; had seen herself and everybody else outstripped—herself,
of course; she did not count in a struggle
with him. But since that red dawn of Lakelands, it was almost
as if he had descended to earth from the skies. She now
saw his mortality in the miraculous things he did. The reason
of it was, that through the perceptible various arts and
shifts on her level, an opposing spirit had plainer view of his
aim, to judge it. She thought it a mean one.
The power it had to hurry her with the strength of a torrent
to an end she dreaded, impressed her physically; so far
subduing her mind, in consequence, as to keep the idea of
absolute resistance obscure, though her bosom heaved with
the breath; but what was her own of a mind hung hovering
above him, criticizing; and involuntarily, discomfortingly. She
could have prayed to be led blindly or blindly dashed on:
she could trust him for success; and her critical mind seemed
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