ragged lady, v1-第12节

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malice。　　I　can　hear　the　grudge　in　your　voice；　but　I　didn't　mean　to　laugh
at　you。　　You　don't　like　being　made　fun　of；　do　you？〃

〃I　don't　believe　anybody　does；〃　said　Clementina。

〃No；　indeed；〃　said　Milray。　　〃If　I　had　tried　such　a　thing　I　should　be
afraid　you　would　make　it　uncomfortable　for　me。　　But　I　haven't；　have　I？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Clementina；　reluctantly。

Milray　laughed　gleefully。　　〃Well；　you'll　forgive　me；　because　I'm　an　old
fellow。　　If　I　were　young；　you　wouldn't；　would　you？〃

Clementina　thought　of　the　clerk；　she　had　certainly　never　forgiven　him。
〃Shall　I　read　on？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes；　yes。　　Read　on；〃　he　said；　respectfully。　　Once　he　interrupted　her　to
say　that　she　pronounced　admirable；　but　he　would　like　now　and　then　to
differ　with　her　about　a　word　if　she　did　not　mind。　　She　answered；　Oh　no；
indeed；　she　should　like　it　ever　so　much；　if　he　would　tell　her　when　she
was　wrong。　　After　that　he　corrected　her；　and　he　amused　himself　by
studying　forms　of　respect　so　delicate　that　they　should　not　alarm　her
pride；　Clementina　reassured　him　in　terms　as　fine　as　his　own。　　She　did　not
accept　his　instructions　implicitly；　she　meant　to　bring　them　to　the　bar　of
Gregory's　knowledge。　　If　he　approved　of　them；　then　she　would　submit。

Milray　easily　possessed　himself　of　the　history　of　her　life　and　of　all　its
circumstances；　and　he　said　he　would　like　to　meet　her　father　and　make　the
acquaintance　of　a　man　whose　mind；　as　Clementina　interpreted　it　to　him；　he
found　so　original。

He　authorized　his　wife　to　arrange　with　Mrs。　Atwell　for　a　monopoly　of
Clementina's　time　while　he　stayed　at　Middlemount；　and　neither　he　nor　Mrs。
Milray　seemed　surprised　at　the　good　round　sum；　as　the　landlady　thought
it；　which　she　asked　in　the　girl's　behalf。




IX。

The　Milrays　stayed　through　August；　and　Mrs。　Milray　was　the　ruling　spirit
of　the　great　holiday　of　the　summer；　at　Middlemount。　　It　was　this　year
that　the　landlords　of　the　central　mountain　region　had　decided　to　compete
in　a　coaching　parade；　and　to　rival　by　their　common　glory　the　splendor　of
the　East　Side　and　the　West　Side　parades。　　The　boarding…houses　were　to
take　part；　as　well　as　the　hotels；　the　farms　where　only　three　or　four
summer　folks　were　received；　were　to　send　their　mountain…wagons；　and　all
were　to　be　decorated　with　bunting。　　An　arch　draped　with　flags　and　covered
with　flowers　spanned　the　entrance　to　the　main　street　at　Middlemount
Centre；　and　every　shop　in　the　village　was　adorned　for　the　event。

Mrs。　Milray　made　the　landlord　tell　her　all　about　coaching　parades；　and
the　champions　of　former　years　on　the　East　Side　and　the　West　Side；　and
then　she　said　that　the　Middlemount　House　must　take　the　prize　from　them
all　this　year；　or　she　should　never　come　near　his　house　again。　　He
answered；　with　a　dignity　and　spirit　he　rarely　showed　with　Mrs。　Milray's
class　of　custom；　〃I'm　goin'　to　drive　our　hossis　myself。〃

She　gave　her　whole　time　to　imagining　and　organizing　the　personal　display
on　the　coach。　　She　consulted　with　the　other　ladies　as　to　the　kind　of
dresses　that　were　to　be　worn；　but　she　decided　everything　herself；　and
when　the　time　came　she　had　all　the　young　men　ravaging　the　lanes　and
pastures　for　the　goldenrod　and　asters　which　formed　the　keynote　of　her
decoration　for　the　coach。

She　made　peace　and　kept　it　between　factions　that　declared　themselves
early　in　the　affair；　and　of　all　who　could　have　criticized　her　for　taking
the　lead　perhaps　none　would　have　willingly　relieved　her　of　the　trouble。
She　freely　declared　that　it　was　killing　her；　and　she　sounded　her　accents
of　despair　all　over　the　place。　　When　their　dresses　were　finished　she　made
the　persons　of　her　drama　rehearse　it　on　the　coach　top　in　the　secret　of
the　barn；　where　no　one　but　the　stable　men　were　suffered　to　see　the
effects　she　aimed　at。　　But　on　the　eve　of　realizing　these　in　public　she
was　overwhelmed　by　disaster。　　The　crowning　glory　of　her　composition　was
to　be　a　young　girl　standing　on　the　highest　seat　of　the　coach；　in　the
character　of　the　Spirit　of　Summer；　wreathed　and　garlanded　with　flowers；
and　invisibly　sustained　by　the　twelve　months　of　the　year；　equally　divided
as　to　sex；　but　with　the　more　difficult　and　painful　attitudes　assigned　to
the　gentlemen　who　were　to　figure　as　the　fall　and　winter　months。　　It　had
been　all　worked　out　and　the　actors　drilled　in　their　parts；　when　the
Spirit　of　Summer；　who　had　been　chosen　for　the　inoffensiveness　of　her
extreme　youth；　was　taken　with　mumps；　and　withdrawn　by　the　doctor's
orders。　　Mrs。　Milray　had　now　not　only　to　improvise　another　Spirit　of
Summer；　but　had　to　choose　her　from　a　group　of　young　ladies；　with　the
chance　of　alienating　and　embittering　those　who　were　not　chosen。　　In　her
calamity　she　asked　her　husband　what　she　should　do；　with　but　the　least
hope　that　he　could　tell　her。　　But　he　answered　promptly；　〃Take　Clementina；
I'll　let　you　have　her　for　the　day；〃　and　then　waited　for　the　storm　of　her
renunciations　and　denunciations　to　spend　itself。

〃To　be　sure；〃　she　said；　when　this　had　happened；　〃it　isn't　as　if　she　were
a　servant　in　the　house；　and　the　position　can　be　regarded　as　a　kind　of
public　function；　anyhow。　　I　can't　say　that　I've　hired　her　to　take　the
part；　but　I　can　give　her　a　present　afterwards；　and　it　will　be　the　same
thing。〃

The　question　of　clothes　for　Clementina　Mrs。　Milray　declared　was　almost　as
sweeping　in　its　implication　as　the　question　of　the　child's　creation。〃
She　has　got　to　be　dressed　new　from　head　to　foot；〃　she　said；　〃every
stitch；　and　how　am　I　to　manage　it　in　twenty…four　hours？〃

By　a　succession　of　miracles　with　cheese…cloth；　and　sashes　and　ribbons；　it
was　managed；　and　ended　in　a　triumph　so　great　that　Mrs。　Milray　took　the
girl　in　her　arms　and　kissed　her　for　looking　the　Spirit　of　Summer　to　a
perfection　that　the　victim　of　the　mumps　could　not　have　approached。　　The
victory　was　not　lastingly　marred　by　the　failure　of　Clementina's　shoes　to
look　the　Spirit　of　Summer　as　well　as　the　rest　of　her　costume。　　No　shoes
at　all　world　have　been　the　very　thing；　but　shoes　so　shabby　and　worn　down
at　one　side　of　the　heel　as　Clementina's　were　very　far　from　the　thing。
Mrs。　Milray　decided　that　another　fold　of　cheese…cloth　would　add　to　the
statuesque　charm　of　her　figure；　and　give　her　more　height；　and　she　was
richly　satisfied　with　the　effect　when　the　Middlemount　coach　drove　up　to
the　great　veranda　the　next　morning；　with　all　the　figures　of　her　picture
in　position　on　its　roof；　and　Clementina　supreme　among　them。　　She　herself
mounted　in　simple；　undramatized　authority　to　her　official　seat　beside　the
landlord；　who　in　coachman's　dress；　with　a　bouquet　of　autumnal　flowers　in
his　lapel；　sat　holding　his　garlanded　reins　over　the　backs　of　his　six
horses；　and　then　the　coach　as　she　intended　it　to　appear　in　the　parade　set
out　as　soon　as　the　turnouts　of　the　other　houses　joined　it。　　They　were　all
to　meet　at　the　Middlemount；　which　was　thickly　draped　and　festooned　in
flags；　with　knots　of　evergreen　and　the　first　red　boughs　of　the　young
swamp　maples　holding　them　in　place　over　its　irregular　facade。　　The　coach
itself　was　amass　of　foliage　and　flowers；　from　which　it　defined　itself　as
a　wheeled　vehicle　in　vague　and　partial　outline；　the　other　wagons　and
coaches；　as　they　drove　tremulously　up；　with　an　effect　of　having　been
mired　in　blossoms　about　their　spokes　and　hubs；　had　the　unwieldiness　which
seems　inseparable　from　spectacularity。　　They　represented　motives　in　color
and　design　sometimes　tasteless　enough；　and　sometimes　so　nearly　very　good
that　Mrs。　Milray's　heart　was　a　great　deal　in　her　mouth；　as　they　arrived；
each　with　its　hotel…cry　roared　and　shrilled　from　a　score　of　masculine　and
feminine　throats；　and　finally　spelled　for　distinctness　sake；　with　an
ultimate　yell　or　growl。　　But　she　had　not　finished　giving　the　lady…
representative　of　a　Sunday　newspaper　the　points　of　her　own　tableau；
before　she　regained　the　courage　and　the　faith　in　which　she　remained
serenely　steadfast　throughout　the　parade。

It　was　when　all　the　equipages　of　the　neighborhood　had　arrived　that　she
climbed　to　her　place；　the　ladder　was　taken　away；　the　landlord　spoke　to
his　horses；　and　the　Middlemount　coach　led　the　parade；　amid　the　renewed
slogans；　and　the　cries　and　fluttered　handkerchiefs　of　the　guests　crowding
the　verandas。

The　line　of　march　was　by　one　road　to　Middlemount　Centre；　where　the　prize
was　to　be　awarded　at　the　judges'　stand；　and　then　the　coaches　were　to
escort　the　triumphant　vehicle　homeward　by　another　route；　so　as　to　pass　as
many　houses　on　the　way　as　possible。　　It　was　a　curious　expression　of　the
carnival　spirit　in　a　region　immemorially　starved　of　beauty　in　the　lives
of　its　people；　and　whatever　was　the　origin　of　the　mountain　coaching
parade；　or　from　whatever　impulse　of　sentimentality　or　advertising　it
came；　the　effect　was　of　undeniable　splendor；　and　of　phantasmagoric
strangeness。

Gregory　watched　its　progress　from　a　hill…side　pasture　as　it　trailed
slowly　along　the　rising　and　falling　road。　　The　songs　of　the　young　girls；
interrupted　by　the　explosion　of　hotel　slogans　and　college　cries　from　the
young　men；　floated　off　to　him　on　the　thin　breeze　of　the　cloudless　August
morning；　like　the　hymns　and　shouts　of　a　saturnalian　rout　going　in　holiday
processional　to　sacrifice　to　their　gods。