第七章 – CHAPTER X
Chapter VII opens with the long-awaited reunion of former adversaries Honoria St. Quentin and Richard Calmady at the Calmady estate during a Sunday luncheon, a gathering marked by warm, chaotic family interactions centered around the Ormiston boys. The meeting is emotionally charged and awkward for both parties: Honoria is struck by the shock of seeing the previously unseen Richard materialize in the mundane space of the meal, forcing her to confront the harsh judgments and physical repulsion she had long held toward him, and she winces at the sight of his crutches, which she perceives as a cruel indignity. Richard, meanwhile, observes her transparent sincerity and striking, unconventional character, noting her unguarded enthusiasm for his late mother’s care and her unflinching honesty about her past dislike of him. The luncheon closes with Richard’s gentle, public promise to host young Dick Ormiston for the summer, including plans to teach him to ride a thoroughbred, a moment that highlights the quiet tenderness beneath Richard’s reserved exterior; later that night, he briefly considers asking the Ormistons to let him keep Dick permanently, but rejects the idea as selfish, consistent with his vow to avoid egoism. Honoria delays further interaction with Richard as long as possible, retreating to the Gun-Room after dinner and then to evening chapel, where she stays after the men-servants depart to stand at the oriel window. Stirred by a mild, westerly spring wind that signals the end of frost and snow, she senses a deeper, unnameable transformative drama unfolding both in her surroundings and in her own inner thoughts, marking the first shift in her long-held aversion to Richard.
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