Concerning Love "Your kinsman doesn't much care for beautiful buildings, then," said I, as we entered the rather dreary classical house; which indeed was as bare as need be, except for some big pots of the June flowers which stood about here and there; though it was very clean and nicely whitewashed.
"O, I don't know," said Dick, rather absently, "He is getting old, certainly, for he is over a hundred and five, and no doubt he doesn't care about moving. But of course he could live in a prettier house if he liked: he is not obliged to live in any one place any more than any one else. This way, Guest."And he led the way upsteairs, and opening a door we went into a fair-sized rom of the old type, as plain as the rest of the house, with a few necessary pieces of furniture, and those very simple and even rude, but solid and with a good deal of carving about them, well designed but rather crudely executed. At the furthest corner of the room, at a desk near the window, sat a little old man in a roomy oak chair, well be-cushioned. He was dressed in a sort of Norfolk jacket of blue serge worn threadbare, with breeches of the same, and grey worsted stockings. He jumpped up from his chair, and cried out in a voice of considerable volume for such an old man, "Welcome, Dick, my lad; Clara is here, and will be more than glad to see you; so keep your heart up.""Clara here?" quoth Dick; "if I had known, I would not have brought--At least I mean I would--"He was stuttering and confused, clearly because he was anxious to say nothing to make me feel one too many. But the old man, who had not seen me at first, helped him out by coming forward and saying to me in a kind tone:
"Pray pardon me, for I did not notice that Dick, who is big enough to hade anybody, you know, had brought a friend with him. A most hearty welcome to you! All the more, as I almost hope that you are going to amuse an old man by giving him news from over sea for I can see that you are come from over the water and far-off countries."He looked at me thoughtfully, almost anxiously, as he said in a changed voice, "Might I ask you where you come from, as you are so clearly a stranger?"I said in an absent way: "I used to live in England, and now I am come back again; and I slept last night at Hammersmith Guest House."He bowed gravely, but seemed, I thought, a little disappointed with my answer. As for me, I was now looking at him harder than good manners allowed of, perhaps; for in truth his face, dried-apple-like as it was seemed strangely familiar to me; as if I had seen it before--in a looking-glass it might be, said I to myself.
"Well," said the old man, "wherever you come from, you are among friends. And I see my kinsman Richard Hammond has an air about him as if he had brought you here for me to do something for you. Is that so, Dick? "Dick, who was getting still more absent-minded and kept looking uneasily at the door, managed to say,"Well, yes, kiinsman: our guest finds things much altered, and cannot understand it; nor can I; so Ithought I would bring him to you since you know more of all that has happened withing the last two hundred years than anybody else does.--What's that?"And he turned toward the door again. We heard footsteps outside; the door opened, and in came a very beautiful young woman, who stopped short on seeing Dick, and fllushed as red as a rose, but faced him nevertheless. Dick looked at her hard, and half reached out his hand toward her, and his whole face quivered with emotion.
The old man did not leave them long in this shy discomfort, but said, smiling with an old man's mirth: "Dick, my lad, and you, my dear Clara, I rather think that we two oldsters are in your way; for Ithink you will have plenty to say to each other. You had better go into Nelson's room up above; I know he has gone out; and he has just been covering the walls all over with medieval books, so it will be pretty enough even for you two and your renewed pleasure."The girl reached out her hand to Dick, and taking his led him out of the room, looking straight before her; but it was easy to see that her blushes came from happiness, not anger; as, indeed love is far more self-conscious than wrath.
When the door had shut on them the old man turned to me, still smiling, and said:
"Frankly, my dear guest, you will do me a great service if you are come to set my old tongue wagging. My love of talk still abides with me, or rather grows on me; and though it is pleasant enough to see these youngsters moving about and playing together so seriously, as if the whole world depended on their kisses (as indeed it does somewhat), yet I don't think my tales of the past interest them much. The last harvest, the last baby, the last knot of carving in the market-place is history enough for them. It was different, I think, when I was a lad, when we were not so assured of peace and continuous plenty as we are now-- Well,well! Without putting you to the question, let me ask you this: Am I to consider you as an enquirer who knows a little of our modern ways of life, or as one who comes from some place where the very foudations of life are different from ours,--do you know anything or nothing about us?
He looked at me keenly and with growing wonder in his eyes as he spoke; and I answered in a low voice:
"I know only so much of your modern life as I could gather from using my eyes on the way here from Hammersmith and from asking some questions of Richard Hammond, most of which he could hardly understand."The old man smiled at this. "Then," said he, "I am to speak to you as--""As if I were a being from another planet," said I.
The old man, whose name, by the bye, like his kinsman's was Hammond, smiled and nodded, and wheeling his seat round to me, bade me sit in a heavy oak chair, and said, as he saw my eyes fix on its curious carving:
