第3章
TheLadyMaryElkinghornmadethingsalittlemorecomplicatedforhim。
HowTHATbeganwasasubjectofinexhaustiblespeculationtoHicks。
Probablyinthebeginningshewasjustalittle“nice“tohimwiththatimpartialpartialityofhers，anditmaybethattohereyes，standingoutconspicuouslyashedidrulinghismonsterintheupperair，hehadadistinctionthatHickswasnotdisposedtofind。Andsomehowtheymusthavehadamomentofsufficientisolation，andthegreatDiscovereramomentofsufficientcourageforsomethingjustalittlepersonaltobemumbledorblurted。Howeveritbegan，thereisnodoubtthatitdidbegin，andpresentlybecamequiteperceptibletoaworldaccustomedtofindintheproceedingsoftheLadyMaryElkinghornamatterofentertainment。Itcomplicatedthings，becausethestateofloveinsuchavirginmindasFilmer’swouldbracehisresolution，ifnotsufficiently，atanyrateconsiderablytowardsfacingadangerhefeared，andhamperedhiminsuchattemptsatevasionaswouldotherwisebenaturalandcongenial。
ItremainsamatterforspeculationjusthowtheLadyMaryfeltforFilmerandjustwhatshethoughtofhim。Atthirty-eightonemayhavegatheredmuchwisdomandstillbenotaltogetherwise，andtheimaginationstillfunctionsactivelyenoughincreatingglamoursandeffectingtheimpossible。Hecamebeforehereyesasaverycentralman，andthatalwayscounts，andhehadpowers，uniquepowersasitseemed，atanyrateintheair。Theperformancewiththemodelhadjustatouchofthequalityofapotentincantation，andwomenhaveeverdisplayedanunreasonabledispositiontoimaginethatwhenamanhaspowershemustnecessarilyhavePower。Givensomuch，andwhatwasnotgoodinFilmer’smannerandappearancebecameanaddedmerit。Hewasmodest，hehateddisplay，butgivenanoccasionwhereTRUEqualitiesareneeded，then——thenonewouldsee！
ThelateMrs。BamptonthoughtitwisetoconveytoLadyMaryheropinionthatFilmer，allthingsconsidered，wasrathera“grub。““He’scertainlynotasortofmanIhaveevermetbefore，“saidtheLadyMary，withaquiteunruffledserenity。AndMrs。Bampton，afteraswift，imperceptibleglanceatthatserenity，decidedthatsofarassayinganythingtoLadyMarywent，shehaddoneasmuchascouldbeexpectedofher。Butshesaidagreatdealtootherpeople。
Andatlast，withoutanyunduehasteorunseemliness，thedaydawned，thegreatday，whenBanghursthadpromisedhispublic——
theworldinfact——thatflyingshouldbefinallyattainedandovercome。
Filmersawitdawn，watchedeveninthedarknessbeforeitdawned，watcheditsstarsfadeandthegreyandpearlypinksgiveplaceatlasttotheclearblueskyofasunny，cloudlessday。Hewatcheditfromthewindowofhisbedroominthenew-builtwingofBanghurst’sTudorhouse。Andasthestarswereoverwhelmedandtheshapesandsubstancesofthingsgrewintobeingoutoftheamorphousdark，hemusthaveseenmoreandmoredistinctlythefestivepreparationsbeyondthebeechclumpsnearthegreenpavilionintheouterpark，thethreestandsfortheprivilegedspectators，theraw，newfencingoftheenclosure，theshedsandworkshops，theVenetianmastsandflutteringflagsthatBanghursthadconsideredessential，blackandlimpinthebreezelessdawn，andamidstallthesethingsagreatshapecoveredwithtarpauling。Astrangeandterribleportentforhumanitywasthatshape，abeginningthatmustsurelyspreadandwidenandchangeanddominatealltheaffairsofmen，buttoFilmeritisverydoubtfulwhetheritappearedinanythingbutanarrowandpersonallight。Severalpeopleheardhimpacinginthesmallhours——forthevastplacewaspackedwithguestsbyaproprietoreditorwho，beforeallunderstoodcompression。
Andaboutfiveo’clock，ifnotbefore，Filmerlefthisroomandwanderedoutofthesleepinghouseintothepark，alivebythattimewithsunlightandbirdsandsquirrelsandthefallowdeer。MacAndrew，whowasalsoanearlyriser，methimnearthemachine，andtheywentandhadalookatittogether。
ItisdoubtfulifFilmertookanybreakfast，inspiteoftheurgencyofBanghurst。Sosoonastheguestsbegantobeaboutinsomenumberheseemstohaveretreatedtohisroom。Thenceabouttenhewentintotheshrubbery，veryprobablybecausehehadseentheLadyMaryElkinghornthere。Shewaswalkingupanddown，engagedinconversationwithheroldschoolfriend，Mrs。Brewis-Craven，andalthoughFilmerhadnevermetthelatterladybefore，hejoinedthemandwalkedbesidethemforsometime。TherewereseveralsilencesinspiteoftheLadyMary’sbrilliance。Thesituationwasadifficultone，andMrs。Brewis-Cravendidnotmasteritsdifficulty。“Hestruckme，“
shesaidafterwardswithaluminousself-contradiction，“asaveryunhappypersonwhohadsomethingtosay，andwantedbeforeallthingstobehelpedtosayit。Buthowwasonetohelphimwhenonedidn’tknowwhatitwas？“
Athalf-pasteleventheenclosuresforthepublicintheouterparkwerecrammed，therewasanintermittentstreamofequipagesalongthebeltwhichcirclestheouterpark，andthehousepartywasdottedoverthelawnandshrubberyandthecorneroftheinnerpark，inaseriesofbrilliantlyattiredknots，allmakingfortheflyingmachine。FilmerwalkedinagroupofthreewithBanghurst，whowassupremelyandconspicuouslyhappy，andSirTheodoreHickle，thepresidentoftheAeronauticalSociety。Mrs。BanghurstwasclosebehindwiththeLadyMaryElkinghorn，GeorginaHickle，andtheDeanofStays。Banghurstwaslargeandcopiousinspeech，andsuchintersticesasheleftwerefilledinbyHicklewithcomplimentaryremarkstoFilmer。AndFilmerwalkedbetweenthemsayingnotawordexceptbywayofunavoidablereply。Behind，Mrs。BanghurstlistenedtotheadmirablysuitableandshapelyconversationoftheDeanwiththatflutteredattentiontotheamplerclergytenyearsofsocialascentandascendencyhadnotcuredinher；andtheLadyMarywatched，nodoubtwithanentireconfidenceintheworld’sdisillusionment，thedroopingshouldersofthesortofmanshehadnevermetbefore。
Therewassomecheeringasthecentralpartycameintoviewoftheenclosures，butitwasnotveryunanimousnorinvigoratingcheering。
TheywerewithinfiftyyardsoftheapparatuswhenFilmertookahastyglanceoverhisshouldertomeasurethedistanceoftheladiesbehindthem，anddecidedtomakethefirstremarkhehadinitiatedsincethehousehadbeenleft。Hisvoicewasjustalittlehoarse，andhecutinonBanghurstinmid-sentenceonProgress。
“Isay，Banghurst，“hesaid，andstopped。
“Yes，“saidBanghurst。
“Iwish——“Hemoistenedhislips。“I’mnotfeelingwell。“
Banghurststoppeddead。“Eh？“heshouted。
“Aqueerfeeling。“Filmermadetomoveon，butBanghurstwasimmovable。
“Idon’tknow。Imaybebetterinaminute。Ifnot——perhaps……
MacAndrew——“
“You’renotfeelingWELL？“saidBanghurst，andstaredathiswhiteface。
“Mydear！“hesaid，asMrs。Banghurstcameupwiththem，“Filmersaysheisn’tfeelingWELL。“
“Alittlequeer，“exclaimedFilmer，avoidingtheLadyMary’seyes。
“Itmaypassoff——“
Therewasapause。
ItcametoFilmerthathewasthemostisolatedpersonintheworld。
“Inanycase，“saidBanghurst，“theascentmustbemade。Perhapsifyouweretositdownsomewhereforamoment——“
“It’sthecrowd，Ithink，“saidFilmer。
Therewasasecondpause。Banghurst’seyerestedinscrutinyonFilmer，andthensweptthesampleofpublicintheenclosure。
“It’sunfortunate，“saidSirTheodoreHickle；butstill——Isuppose——
Yourassistants——Ofcourse，ifyoufeeloutofconditionanddisinclined——“
“Idon’tthinkMr。FilmerwouldpermitTHATforamoment，“saidLadyMary。
“ButifMr。Filmer’snerveisrun——Itmightevenbedangerousforhimtoattempt——“Hicklecoughed。
“It’sjustbecauseit’sdangerous，“begantheLadyMary，andfeltshehadmadeherpointofviewandFilmer’splainenough。
ConflictingmotivesstruggledforFilmer。
“IfeelIoughttogoup，“hesaid，regardingtheground。HelookedupandmettheLadyMary’seyes。“Iwanttogoup，“hesaid，andsmiledwhitelyather。HeturnedtowardsBanghurst。“IfIcouldjustsitdownsomewhereforamomentoutofthecrowdandsun——“
Banghurst，atleast，wasbeginningtounderstandthecase。“Comeintomylittleroominthegreenpavilion，“hesaid。“It’squitecoolthere。“HetookFilmerbythearm。
FilmerturnedhisfacetotheLadyMaryElkinghornagain。“Ishallbeallrightinfiveminutes，“hesaid。“I’mtremendouslysorry——“
TheLadyMaryElkinghornsmiledathim。“Icouldn’tthink——“hesaidtoHickle，andobeyedthecompulsionofBanghurst’spull。
Therestremainedwatchingthetworecede。
“Heissofragile，“saidtheLadyMary。
“He’scertainlyahighlynervoustype，“saidtheDean，whoseweaknessitwastoregardthewholeworld，exceptmarriedclergymenwithenormousfamilies，as“neurotic。“
“Ofcourse，“saidHickle，“itisn’tabsolutelynecessaryforhimtogoupbecausehehasinvented——“
“HowCOULDheavoidit？“askedtheLadyMary，withthefaintestshadowofscorn。
“It’scertainlymostunfortunateifhe’sgoingtobeillnow，“saidMrs。Banghurstalittleseverely。
“He’snotgoingtobeill，“saidtheLadyMary，andcertainlyshehadmetFilmer’seye。
“YOU’LLbeallright，“saidBanghurst，astheywenttowardsthepavilion。
“Allyouwantisanipofbrandy。Itoughttobeyou，youknow。
You’llbe——you’dgetitrough，youknow，ifyouletanotherman——“
“Oh，Iwanttogo，“saidFilmer。“Ishallbeallright。AsamatteroffactI’malmostinclinedNOW。No！IthinkI’llhavethatnipofbrandyfirst。“