One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

George Meredith
visited Mr. Posterley at the Wells, and she put it just as flatly.
Her principal concern, to judge by her writing, was, to know
what Mr. Durance had done, during her absence, with the
group of emissary-advocates of the various tongues of Europe
on board the steam-Liner conducting them the first
stage of their journey to the Court of Japan.
Mr. Simeon Fenellan had written his opinion, that all these
delegates of the different European nationalities were nothing
other than dupes of a New-York Syndicate of American
Humorists, not without an eye on the mainchance; and he
was sure they would be set to debate publicly, before an audience
of high-priced tickets, in the principal North American
Cities, previous to the embarcation for Japan at San Francisco.
Mr. Fenellan eulogized the immense astuteness of Dr.
Gannius in taking his daughter Delphica with him. Dr.
Gannius had singled forth poor Dr. Bouthoin for the object
of his attacks; but Nesta was chiefly anxious to hear of
Delphica’s proceedings; she was immensely interested in
Delphica, and envied her; and the girl’s funny speculations
over the play of Delphica’s divers arts upon the Greek, and
upon the Russian, and upon the English curate Mr. Semhians,
and upon M. Falarique—set Gallically pluming and crowing
out of an Alsace-Lorraine growl—were clever. Only, in
such a letter, they were amazing.
Nataly received it at Campiglio, when about to start for an
excursion down the Sarca Valley to Arco. Her letter of reply
was delayed. One to Victor from Dudley Sowerby, awaited
them, on their return. ‘Confirms Fredi,’ he said, showing it,
and praising it as commendable, properly fervid. She made
pretence to read, she saw the words.
Her short beat of wings was over. She had joined herself
with Victor’s leap for a change, thirsting for the scenery of
the white peaks in heaven, to enjoy through his enjoyment,
if her own capacity was dead: and she had found it revive, up
to some recovery of her old songful readiness for invocations
of pleasure. Escape and beauty beckoned ahead; behind were
the chains. These two letters of the one fact plucked her back.
The chained body bore the fluttering spirit: or it was the
spirit in bonds, that dragged the body. Both were abashed
before the image of her girl. Out of the riddle of her strange
Nesta, one thing was clear: she did not love the man: and
Nataly tasted gladness in that, from the cup of poisonous
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