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A Laodicean
A STORY OF TO…DAY
by Thomas Hardy
CONTENTS。
PREFACE CHAPTERS
BOOK THE FIRST。 GEORGE SOMERSET。 I … XV。
BOOK THE SECOND。 DARE AND HAVILL。 I … VII。
BOOK THE THIRD。 DE STANCY。 I … XI。
BOOK THE FOURTH。 SOMERSET； DARE； AND DE STANCY。 I … V。
BOOK THE FIFTH。 DE STANCY AND PAULA。 I … XIV。
BOOK THE SIXTH。 PAULA。 I … V。
PREFACE
The changing of the old order in country manors and mansions
may be slow or sudden； may have many issues romantic or
otherwise； its romantic issues being not necessarily
restricted to a change back to the original order； though this
admissible instance appears to have been the only romance
formerly recognized by novelists as possible in the case。
Whether the following production be a picture of other
possibilities or not； its incidents may be taken to be fairly
well supported by evidence every day forthcoming in most
counties。
The writing of the tale was rendered memorable to two persons；
at least； by a tedious illness of five months that laid hold
of the author soon after the story was begun in a well…known
magazine； during which period the narrative had to be
strenuously continued by dictation to a predetermined cheerful
ending。
As some of these novels of Wessex life address themselves more
especially to readers into whose souls the iron has entered；
and whose years have less pleasure in them now than
heretofore； so 〃A Laodicean〃 may perhaps help to while away an
idle afternoon of the comfortable ones whose lines have fallen
to them in pleasant places； above all； of that large and happy
section of the reading public which has not yet reached
ripeness of years； those to whom marriage is the pilgrim's
Eternal City； and not a milestone on the way。
T。H。
January 1896。
BOOK THE FIRST。 GEORGE SOMERSET。
I。
The sun blazed down and down； till it was within half…an…hour
of its setting； but the sketcher still lingered at his
occupation of measuring and copying the chevroned doorwaya
bold and quaint example of a transitional style of
architecture； which formed the tower entrance to an English
village church。 The graveyard being quite open on its western
side； the tweed…clad figure of the young draughtsman； and the
tall mass of antique masonry which rose above him to a
battlemented parapet； were fired to a great brightness by the
solar rays； that crossed the neighbouring mead like a warp of
gold threads； in whose mazes groups of equally lustrous gnats
danced and wailed incessantly。
He was so absorbed in his pursuit that he did not mark the
brilliant chromatic effect of which he composed the central
feature； till it was brought home to his intelligence by the
warmth of the moulded stonework under his touch when
measuring； which led him at length to turn his head and gaze
on its cause。
There are few in whom the sight of a sunset does not beget as
much meditative melancholy as contemplative pleasure； the
human decline and death that it illustrates being too obvious
to escape the notice of the simplest observer。 The sketcher；
as if he had been brought to this reflection many hundreds of
times before by the same spectacle； showed that he did not
wish to pursue it just now； by turning away his face after a
few moments； to resume his architectural studies。
He took his measurements carefully； and as if he reverenced
the old workers whose trick he was endeavouring to acquire six
hundred years after the original performance had ceased and
the performers passed into the unseen。 By means of a strip of
lead called a leaden tape； which he pressed around and into
the fillets and hollows with his finger and thumb； he
transferred the exact contour of each moulding to his drawing；
that lay on a sketching…stool a few feet distant； where were
also a sketching…block； a small T…square； a bow…pencil； and
other mathematical instruments。 When he had marked down the
line thus fixed； he returned to the doorway to copy another as
before。
It being the month of August； when the pale face of the
townsman and the stranger is to be seen among the brown skins
of remotest uplanders； not only in England； but throughout the
temperate zone； few of the homeward…bound labourers paused to
notice him further than by a momentary turn of the head。 They
had beheld such gentlemen before； not exactly measuring the
church so accurately as this one seemed to be doing； but
painting it from a distance； or at least walking round the
mouldy pile。 At the same time the present visitor； even
exteriorly； was not altogether commonplace。 His features were
good； his eyes of the dark deep sort called eloquent by the
sex that ought to know； and with that ray of light in them
which announces a heart susceptible to beauty of all kinds；
in woman； in art； and in inanimate nature。 Though he would
have been broadly characterized as a young man； his face bore
contradictory testimonies to his precise age。 This was
conceivably owing to a too dominant speculative activity in
him； which； while it had preserved the emotional side of his
constitution； and with it the significant flexuousness of
mouth and chin； had played upon his forehead and temples till；
at weary moments； they exhibited some traces of being over…
exercised。 A youthfulness about the mobile features； a mature
foreheadthough not exactly what the world has been familiar
with in past agesis now growing common； and with the advance
of juvenile introspection it probably must grow commoner
still。 Briefly； he had more of the beautyif beauty it ought
to be calledof the future human type than of the past； but
not so much as to make him other than a nice young man。
His build was somewhat slender and tall； his complexion；
though a little browned by recent exposure； was that of a man
who spent much of his time indoors。 Of beard he had but small
show； though he was as innocent as a Nazarite of the use of
the razor； but he possessed a moustache all…sufficient to hide
the subtleties of his mouth； which could thus be tremulous at
tender moments without provoking inconvenient criticism。
Owing to his situation on high ground； open to the west； he
remained enveloped in the lingering aureate haze till a time
when the eastern part of the churchyard was in obscurity； and
damp with rising dew。 When it was too dark to sketch further
he packed up his drawing； and； beckoning to a lad who had been
idling by the gate； directed him to carry the stool and
implements to a roadside inn which he named； lying a mile or
two ahead。 The draughtsman leisurely followed the lad out of
the churchyard； and along a lane in the direction signified。
The spectacle of a summer traveller from London sketching
mediaeval details in these neo…Pagan days； when a lull has
come over the study of English Gothic architecture； through a
re…awakening to the art…forms of times that more nearly
neighbour our own； is accounted for by the fact that George
Somerset； son of the Academician of that name； was a man of
independe