第44章

He sate up in bed, and endeavoured to clear his brain of the phantoms which had disturbed it during this weary night.The beams of the morning sun streamed through the half-closed shutters, and admitted a distinct light into the apartment.He looked round upon the hangings,--but the mixed groups of silken and worsted huntsmen were as stationary as tenter-hooks could make them, and only trembled slightly as the early breeze, which found its way through an open crevice of the latticed window, glided along their surface.Lovel leapt out of bed, and, wrapping himself in a morning-gown, that had been considerately laid by his bedside, stepped towards the window, which commanded a view of the sea, the roar of whose billows announced it still disquieted by the storm of the preceding evening, although the morning was fair and serene.The window of a turret, which projected at an angle with the wall, and thus came to be very near Lovel's apartment, was half-open, and from that quarter he heard again the same music which had probably broken short his dream.With its visionary character it had lost much of its charms--it was now nothing more than an air on the harpsichord, tolerably well performed--such is the caprice of imagination as affecting the fine arts.A female voice sung, with some taste and great simplicity, something between a song and a hymn, in words to the following effect:--``Why sitt'st thou by that ruin'd hill, Thou aged carle so stern and grey?

Dost thou its former pride recall, Or ponder how it passed away?

``Know'st thou not me!'' the Deep Voice cried, ``So long enjoyed, so oft misused--Alternate, in thy fickle pride, Desired, neglected, and accused?

``Before my breath, like, blazing flax, Man and his marvels pass away;And changing empires wane and wax, Are founded, flourish and decay.

``Redeem mine hours--the space is brief--While in my glass the sand-grains shiver, And measureless thy joy or grief, When =Time= and thou shalt part for ever!''

While the verses were yet singing, Lovel had returned to his bed; the train of ideas which they awakened was romantic and pleasing, such as his soul delighted in, and, willingly adjourning till more broad day the doubtful task of determining on his future line of conduct, he abandoned himself to the pleasing languor inspired by the music, and fell into a sound and refreshing sleep, from which he was only awakened at a late hour by old Caxon, who came creeping into the room to render the offices of a valet-de-chambre.

``I have brushed your coat, sir,'' said the old man, when he perceived Lovel was awake; ``the callant brought it frae Fairport this morning, for that ye had on yesterday is scantly feasibly dry, though it's been a' night at the kitchen fire; and I hae cleaned your shoon.I doubt ye'll no be wanting me to tie your hair, for'' (with a gentle sigh) ``a' the young gentlemen wear crops now; but I hae the curling tangs here to gie it a bit turn ower the brow, if ye like, before ye gae down to the leddies.''

Lovel, who was by this time once more on his legs, declined the old man's professional offices, but accompanied the refusal with such a douceur as completely sweetened Caxon's mortification.

``It's a pity he disna get his hair tied and pouthered,'' said the ancient friseur, when he had got once more into the kitchen, in which, on one pretence or other, he spent three parts of his idle time--that is to say, of his _whole_ time--``it's a great pity, for he's a comely young gentleman.''

``Hout awa, ye auld gowk,'' said Jenny Rintherout, ``would ye creesh his bonny brown hair wi' your nasty ulyie, and then moust it like the auld minister's wig? Ye'll be for your breakfast, I'se warrant?--hae, there's a soup parritch for ye--it will set ye better tae be slaistering at them and the lapper-milk than meddling wi' Mr.Lovel's head--ye wad spoil the maist natural and beautifaest head o' hair in a' Fairport, baith burgh and county.''

The poor barber sighed over the disrespect into which his art had so universally fallen, but Jenny was a person too important to offend by contradiction; so, sitting quietly down in the kitchen, he digested at once his humiliation, and the contents of a bicker which held a Scotch pint of substantial oatmeal porridge.