The Bell - Iris Murdoch [10]
'Nearly there now,' said James. 'That's the wall of the estate we're just coming to. We follow it for about a mile before we reach the gates.'
An enormous stone wall appeared on the right of the car. Dora looked away to the left. The hedge ended, and she saw across a golden stubble field to a feathery copse. Beyond was a shallow blue line of distant hills. She felt it was her last glimpse of the outside world.
'There's a fine view of the house when we turn in,' said James. 'Can you see all right from where you are, Toby?'
'Very well, thanks,' came Toby's voice from just behind Dora's head.
The Land-Rover slowed down. 'The gates appear to be shut,' said Paul. 'I left them open, but someone has obligingly shut them.' He stopped the car beside the wall, its wheels deep in the grass, and hooted the horn twice. Dora could see two immense globe-surmounted pillars and tall iron gates a little further on in the wall.
'Don't hoot,' said James. 'Toby will open the gates.'
'Oh, yes!' said Toby, scrabbling hastily to get out of the car.
As he busied himself with the gates, lifting the huge pin out of its hole in the concrete, two sheets of newspaper blew out of the drive, one wrapping itself round his legs, and the other rearing and cavorting across the road. Paul, whose glance remained sternly ahead, not turning toward Dora, said, 'I wish Brother Nicholas could be persuaded to make the place look less like a slum.'
James was silent. Toby returned and jumped in. Paul swung the car wide into the road and round at right angles into the drive. Dora saw that there was a little stone-built Lodge cottage on the left as they came in. The door stood open and another sheet of newspaper was in process of making its escape. A dog began to bark somewhere inside. A further movement caught her eye and she turned round to see that a thick-set man with long straggling dark hair had emerged from the door and was looking after the car. James was turning round too. Paul, looking into the driving mirror, said 'Well, well.'
Dora turned back to the front and gave a gasp of surprise. A large house faced them, from a considerable distance away, down an avenue of trees. The avenue was dark, but the house stood beyond it with the declining sun slanting across its front. It was a very pale grey, and with a colourless sky of evening light behind it, it had the washed brilliance of a print. In the centre of the façade a high pediment supported by four pillars rose over the line of the roof. A green copper dome curved above. At the first floor level the pillars ended at a balustrade, and from there a pair of stone staircases swept in two great curves to the ground.
'That's Imber Court,' said James. 'It's very fine, isn't it? Can you see, Toby?'
'Palladian,' said Paul.
'Yes,' said Dora. It was their first exchange since the railway station.
'That's where we live,' said James. 'Us straight ahead, and them away to the left. The drive doesn't go right on to the house, of course. The lake lies in between. You'll see it in a moment. Over there you'll get a glimpse of the Abbey wall. The Abbey itself is quite hidden in trees. The tower can be seen from our side of the lake, but you can't see anything from here, except in winter.'
Dora and Toby looked to the left and saw distantly between tree trunks a high wall, like the one which skirted the road. As they looked the car turned away to the right, following the drive, and a stretch of water came into view.
'I didn't realize the Abbey would be so close,' said Toby. 'Oh look, there's the lake! Can one swim in it?'
'One can if one doesn't mind the mud!' said James. 'It's not very safe in parts, actually, because of the weeds. Better get Michael to advise you, he's the lake expert.'
The Land-Rover was running along now close to the water,