One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

George Meredith
hand at the house. His meaning was hidden; evidently he
wanted victims. Sight of Lakelands had gripped him with
the fell satiric itch; and it is a passion to sting and tear, on
rational grounds. His face meanwhile, which had points of
the handsome, signified a smile asleep, as if beneath a cloth.
Only those who knew him well were aware of the claw-like
alertness under the droop of eyelids.
Admiration was the common note, in the various keys. The
station selected for the South-eastward aspect of the dark-red
gabled pile on its white shell-terrace, backed by a plantation
of tall pines, a mounded and full-plumed company, above the
left wing, was admired, in files and in volleys. Marvellous,
effectively miraculous, was the tale of the vow to have the
great edifice finished within one year: and the strike of workmen,
and the friendly colloquy with them, the good reasoning,
the unanimous return to duty; and the doubling, the trebling
of the number of them; and the most glorious of sights-
0the grand old English working with a will! as Englishmen do
when they come at last to heat; and they conquer, there is
then nothing that they cannot conquer. So the conqueror
said.—And admirable were the conservatories running three
long lines, one from the drawing-room, to a central dome for
tropical growths. And the parterres were admired; also the
newly-planted Irish junipers bounding the West-walk; and the
three tiers of stately descent from the three green terrace banks
to the grassy slopes over the lake. Again the lake was admired,
the house admired. Admiration was evoked for great orchidhouses
‘over yonder,’ soon to be set up.
Off we go to the kitchen-garden. There the admiration is
genial, practical. We admire the extent of the beds marked
out for asparagus, and the French disposition of the planting
at wide intervals; and the French system of training peach,
pear, and plum trees on the walls to win length and catch
sun, we much admire. We admire the gardener. We are induced
temporarily to admire the French people. They are
sagacious in fruit-gardens. They have not the English Constitution,
you think rightly; but in fruit-gardens they grow
for fruit, and not, as Victor quotes a friend, for wood, which
the valiant English achieve. We hear and we see examples of
sagacity; and we are further brought round to the old confession,
that we cannot cook; Colney Durance has us there;
we have not studied herbs and savours; and so we are shocked
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