ragged lady, v1-第11节

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were　some　students　among　them；　and　several　graduates　just　going　into
business；　who　chose　to　take　their　outing　there　instead　of　going　to　the
sea…side　or　the　North　Woods。　　This　was　a　chance　that　might　not　happen　in
years　again；　and　it　made　the　house　very　gay　for　the　young　ladies；　they
ceased　to　pay　court　to　the　clerk；　and　asked　him　for　letters　only　at　mail…
time。　　Five　or　six　couples　were　often　on　the　floor　together；　at　the　hops；
and　the　young　people　sat　so　thick　upon　the　stairs　that　one　could　scarcely
get　up　or　down。

So　many　young　men　made　it　gay　not　only　for　the　young　ladies；　but　also　for
a　certain　young　married　lady；　when　she　managed　to　shirk　her　rather　filial
duties　to　her　husband；　who　was　much　about　the　verandas；　purblindly
feeling　his　way　with　a　stick；　as　he　walked　up　and　down；　or　sitting　opaque
behind　the　glasses　that　preserved　what　was　left　of　his　sight；　while　his
wife　read　to　him。　　She　was　soon　acquainted　with　a　good　many　more　people
than　he　knew；　and　was　in　constant　request　for　such　occasions　as　needed　a
chaperon　not　averse　to　mountain　climbing；　or　drives　to　other　hotels　for
dancing　and　supper　and　return　by　moonlight；　or　the　more　boisterous　sorts
of　charades；　no　sheet　and　pillow　case　party　was　complete　without　her；　for
welsh…rarebits　her　presence　was　essential。　　The　event　of　the　conflict
between　these　social　claims　and　her　duties　to　her　husband　was　her　appeal
to　Mrs。　Atwell　on　a　point　which　the　landlady　referred　to　Clementina。

〃She　wants　somebody　to　read　to　her　husband；　and　I　don't　believe　but　what
you　could　do　it；　Clem。　　You're　a　good　reader；　as　good　as　I　want　to　hear；
and　while　you　may　say　that　you　don't　put　in　a　great　deal　of　elocution；　I
guess　you　can　read　full　well　enough。　　All　he　wants　is　just　something　to
keep　him　occupied；　and　all　she　wants　is　a　chance　to　occupy　herself　with
otha　folks。　　Well；　she　is　moa　their　own　age。　　I　d'know　as　the's　any　hahm
in　her。　　And　my　foot's　so　much　betta；　now；　that　I　don't　need　you　the
whole　while；　any　moa。〃

〃Did　you　speak　to　her　about　me？〃　asked　the　girl。

〃Well；　I　told　her　I'd　tell　you。　　I　couldn't　say　how　you'd　like。〃

〃Oh；　I　guess　I　should　like；〃　said　Clementina；　with　her　eyes　shining。
〃ButI　should　have　to　ask　motha。〃

〃I　don't　believe　but　what　your　motha'd　be　willin'；〃　said　Mrs。　Atwell。
〃You　just　go　down　and　see　her　about　it。〃

The　next　day　Mrs。　Milray　was　able　to　take　leave　of　her　husband；　in
setting　off　to　matronize　a　coaching　party；　with　an　exuberance　of　good
conscience　that　she　shared　with　the　spectators。　　She　kissed　him　with
lively　affection；　and　charged　him　not　to　let　the　child　read　herself　to
death　for　him。　　She　captioned　Clementina　that　Mr。　Milray　never　knew　when
he　was　tired；　and　she　had　better　go　by　the　clock　in　her　reading；　and　not
trust　to　any　sign　from　him。

Clementina　promised；　and　when　the　public　had　followed　Mrs。　Milray　away；
to　watch　her　ascent　to　the　topmost　seat　of　the　towering　coach；　by　means
of　the　ladder　held　in　place　by　two　porters；　and　by　help　of　the　down…
stretched　hands　of　all　the　young　men　on　the　coach；　Clementina　opened　the
book　at　the　mark　she　found　in　it；　and　began　to　read　to　Mr。　Milray。

The　book　was　a　metaphysical　essay；　which　he　professed　to　find　a　lighter
sort　of　reading　than　fiction；　he　said　most　novelists　were　too　seriously
employed　in　preventing　the　marriage　of　the　lovers；　up　to　a　certain　point；
to　be　amusing；　but　you　could　always　trust　a　metaphysician　for
entertainment　if　he　was　very　much　in　earnest；　and　most　metaphysicians
were。　　He　let　Clementina　read　on　a　good　while　in　her　tender　voice；　which
had　still　so　many　notes　of　childhood　in　it；　before　he　manifested　any
consciousness　of　being　read　to。　　He　kept　the　smile　on　his　delicate　face
which　had　come　there　when　his　wife　said　at　parting；　〃I　don't　believe　I
should　leave　her　with　you　if　you　could　see　how　prettty　she　was；〃　and　he
held　his　head　almost　motionlessly　at　the　same　poise　he　had　given　it　in
listening　to　her　final　charges。　　It　was　a　fine　head；　still　well　covered
with　soft　hair；　which　lay　upon　it　in　little　sculpturesque　masses；　like
chiseled　silver；　and　the　acquiline　profile　had　a　purity　of　line　in　the
arch　of　the　high　nose　and　the　jut　of　the　thin　lips　and　delicate　chin；
which　had　not　been　lost　in　the　change　from　youth　to　age。　　One　could　never
have　taken　it　for　the　profile　of　a　New　York　lawyer　who　had　early　found
New　York　politics　more　profitable　than　law；　and　after　a　long　time　passed
in　city　affairs；　had　emerged　with　a　name　shadowed　by　certain　doubtful
transactions。　　But　this　was　Milray's　history；　which　in　the　rapid　progress
of　American　events；　was　so　far　forgotten　that　you　had　first　to　remind
people　of　what　he　had　helped　do　before　you　could　enjoy　their　surprise　in
realizing　that　this　gentle　person；　with　the　cast　of　intellectual
refinement　which　distinguished　his　face；　was　the　notorious　Milray；　who
was　once　in　all　the　papers。　　When　he　made　his　game　and　retired　from
politics；　his　family　would　have　sacrificed　itself　a　good　deal　to　reclaim
him　socially；　though　they　were　of　a　severer　social　than　spiritual
conscience；　in　the　decay　of　some　ancestral　ideals。　　But　be　had　rendered
their　willingness　hopeless　by　marrying；　rather　late　in　life；　a　young　girl
from　the　farther　West　who　had　come　East　with　a　general　purpose　to　get　on。
She　got　on　very　well　with　Milray；　and　it　was　perhaps　not　altogether　her
own　fault　that　she　did　not　get　on　so　well　with　his　family；　when　she　began
to　substitute　a　society　aim　for　the　artistic　ambition　that　had　brought
her　to　New　York。　　They　might　have　forgiven　him　for　marrying　her；　but　they
could　not　forgive　her　for　marrying　him。　　They　were　of　New　England　origin
and　they　were　perhaps　a　little　more　critical　with　her　than　if　they　had
been　New　Yorkers　of　Dutch　strain。　　They　said　that　she　was　a　little
Western　hoyden；　but　that　the　stage　would　have　been　a　good　place　for　her
if　she　could　have　got　over　her　Pike　county　accent；　in　the　hush　of　family
councils　they　confided　to　one　another　the　belief　that　there　were　phases
of　the　variety　business　in　which　her　accent　would　have　been　no　barrier　to
her　success；　since　it　could　not　have　been　heard　in　the　dance；　and　might
have　been　disguised　in　the　song。

〃Will　you　kindly　read　that　passage　over　again？〃　Milray　asked　as
Clementina　paused　at　the　end　of　a　certain　paragraph。　　She　read　it；　while
he　listened　attentively。　　〃Could　you　tell　me　just　what　you　understand　by
that？〃　　he　pursued；　as　if　he　really　expected　Clementina　to　instruct　him。

She　hesitated　a　moment　before　she　answered；　〃　I　don't　believe　I　undastand
anything　at　all。〃

〃Do　you　know；〃　said　Milray；　〃that's　exactly　my　own　case？　　And　I've　an
idea　that　the　author　is　in　the　same　box；〃　and　Clementina　perceived　she
might　laugh；　and　laughed　discreetly。

Milray　seemed　to　feel　the　note　of　discreetness　in　her　laugh；　and　he
asked；　smiling；　〃How　old　did　you　tell　me　you　were？〃

〃I'm　sixteen；〃　said　Clementina。

〃It's　a　great　age；〃　said　Milray。　　〃I　remember　being　sixteen　myself；　I
have　never　been　so　old　since。　　But　I　was　very　old　for　my　age；　then。　　Do
you　think　you　are？〃

〃I　don't　believe　I　am；〃　said　Clementina；　laughing　again；　but　still　very
discreetly。

〃Then　I　should　like　to　tell　you　that　you　have　a　very　agreeable　voice。　　Do
you　sing？〃

〃No'mno；　sirno；〃　said　Clementina；　〃I　can't　sing　at　all。〃

〃Ah；　that's　very　interesting；〃　said　Milray；　〃but　it's　not　surprising。
I　wish　I　could　see　your　face　distinctly；　I've　a　great　curiosity　about
matching　voices　and　faces；　I　must　get　Mrs。　Milray　to　tell　me　how　you
look。　　Where　did　you　pick　up　your　pretty　knack　at　reading？　　In　school；
here？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　Clementina。　　〃Do　I　read…the　way　you　want？〃

〃Oh；　perfectly。　　You　let　the　meaning　come　throughwhen　there　is　any。〃

〃Sometimes；〃　said　Clementina　ingenuously；　〃I　read　too　fast；　the　children
ah'　so　impatient　when　I'm　reading　to　them　at　home；　and　they　hurry　me。
But　I　can　read　a　great　deal　slower　if　you　want　me　to。〃

〃No；　I'm　impatient；　too；〃　said　Milray。　　〃Are　there　many　of　them；the
children？〃

〃There　ah'　six　in　all。〃

〃And　are　you　the　oldest？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Clementina。　　She　still　felt　it　very　blunt　not　to　say　sir；
too；　but　she　tried　to　make　her　tone　imply　the　sir；　as　Mr。　Gregory　had
bidden　her。

〃You've　got　a　very　pretty　name。〃

Clementina　brightened。　　〃Do　you　like　it？　　Motha　gave　it　to　me；　she　took
it　out　of　a　book　that　fatha　was　reading　to　her。〃

〃I　like　it　very　much；〃　said　Milray。　　〃Are　you　tall　for　your　age？〃

〃I　guess　I　am　pretty　tall。〃

〃You're　fair；　of　course。　　I　can　tell　that　by　your　voice；　you've　got　a
light…haired　voice。　　And　what　are　your　eyes？〃

〃Blue！〃　Clementina　laughed　at　his　pursuit。

〃Ah；　of　course！　　It　isn't　a　gray…eyed　blonde　voice。　　Do　you　thinkhas
anybody　ever　told　you…that　you　were　graceful？〃

〃I　don't　know　as　they　have；〃　said　Clementina；　after　thinking。

〃And　what　is　your　own　opinion？〃　　Clementina　began　to　feel　her　dignity
infringed；　she　did　not　answer；　and　now　Milray　laughed。　　〃I　felt　the
little　tilt　in　your　step　as　you　came　up。　　It's　all　right。　　Shall　we　try
for　our　friend's　meaning；　now？〃

Clementina　began　again；　and　again　Milray　stopped　her。　　〃You　mustn't　bear
malice。　　I　can　hear　the　grudge　in　your　voice；　but　I　didn't