ragged lady, v1-第16节

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novels　she　read；　the　affair　might　be　trusted　to　come　out　all　right　of
itself　in　time。　　She　was　rather　thoughtfuller　for　it；　and　once　her　mother
asked　her　what　was　the　matter　with　her。　　〃Oh；　I　guess　I'm　getting　old；
motha；〃　she　said；　and　turned　the　question　off。　　She　would　not　have　minded
telling　her　mother　about　Gregory；　but　it　would　not　have　been　the　custom；
and　her　mother　would　have　worried；　and　would　have　blamed　him。　　Clementina
could　have　more　easily　trusted　her　father　with　the　case；　but　so　far　as
she　knew　fathers　never　were　trusted　with　anything　of　the　kind。　　She　would
have　been　willing　that　accident　should　bring　it　to　the　knowledge　of　Mrs。
Richling；　but　the　moment　never　came　when　she　could　voluntarily　confide　in
her；　though　she　was　a　great　deal　with　her　that　winter。　　She　was　Mrs。
Richling's　lieutenant　in　the　social　affairs　of　the　parish；　which　the
rector's　wife　took　under　her　care。　　She　helped　her　get　up　entertainments
of　the　kind　that　could　be　given　in　the　church　parlor；　and　they　managed
together　some　dances　which　had　to　be　exiled　to　the　town　hall。　　They
contrived　to　make　the　young　people　of　the　village　feel　that　they　were
having　a　gay　time；　and　Clementina　did　not　herself　feel　that　it　was　a　dull
one。　　She　taught　them　some　of　the　new　steps　and　figures　which　the　help
used　to　pick　up　from　the　summer　folks　at　the　Middlemount；　and　practise
together；　she　liked　doing　that；　her　mother　said　the　child　would　rather
dance　than　eat；　any　time。　　She　was　never　sad；　but　so　much　dignity　got
into　her　sweetness　that　the　rector　now　and　then　complained　of　feeling　put
down　by　her。

She　did　not　know　whether　she　expected　Gregory　to　write　to　her　or　not；　but
when　no　letters　came　she　decided　that　she　had　not　expected　them。　　She
wondered　if　he　would　come　back　to　the　Middlemount　the　next　summer；　but
when　the　summer　came；　she　heard　that　they　had　another　student　in　his
place。　　She　heard　that　they　had　a　new　clerk；　and　that　the　boarders　were
not　so　pleasant。　　Another　year　passed；　and　towards　the　end　of　the　season
Mrs。　Atwell　wished　her　to　come　and　help　her　again；　and　Clementina　went
over　to　the　hotel　to　soften　her　refusal。　　She　explained　that　her　mother
had　so　much　sewing　now　that　she　could　not　spare　her；　and　Mrs。　Atwell
said：　Well；　that　was　right；　and　that　she　must　be　the　greatest　kind　of
dependence　for　her　mother。　　〃You　ah'　going　on　seventeen　this　year；　ain't
you？〃

〃I　was　nineteen　the　last　day　of　August；〃　said　Clementina；　and　Mrs。　Atwell
sighed；　and　said；　How　the　time　did　fly。

It　was　the　second　week　of　September；　but　Mrs。　Atwell　said　they　were　going
to　keep　the　house　open　till　the　middle　of　October；　if　they　could；　for　the
autumnal　foliage；　which　there　was　getting　to　be　quite　a　class　of　custom
for。

〃I　presume　you　knew　Mr。　Landa　was　dead；〃　she　added；　and　at　Clementina's
look　of　astonishment；　she　said　with　a　natural　satisfaction；　〃Mm！　died　the
thutteenth　day　of　August。　　I　presumed　somehow　you'd　know　it；　though　you
didn't　see　a　great　deal　of　'em；　come　to　think　of　it。　　I　guess　he　was　a
good　man；　too　good　for　her；　I　guess；〃　she　concluded；　in　the　New　England
necessity　of　blaming　some　one。　　〃She　sent　us　the　papah。〃

There　was　an　early　frost；　and　people　said　there　was　going　to　be　a　hard
winter；　but　it　was　not　this　that　made　Clementina's　father　set　to　work
finishing　his　house。　　His　turning　business　was　well　started；　now；　and　he
had　got　together　money　enough　to　pay　for　the　work。　　He　had　lately
enlarged　the　scope　of　his　industry　by　turning　gate…posts　and　urns　for　the
tops　of　them；　which　had　become　very　popular；　for　the　front　yards　of　the
farm　and　village　houses　in　a　wide　stretch　of　country。　　They　sold　more
steadily　than　the　smaller　wares；　the　cups；　and　tops；　and　little　vases　and
platters　which　had　once　been　the　output　of　his　lathe；　after　the　first
season　the　interest　of　the　summer　folks　in　these　fell　off；　but　the　gate
posts　and　the　urns　appealed　to　a　lasting　taste　in　the　natives。

Claxon　wished　to　put　the　finishing　touches　on　the　house　himself；　and　he
was　willing　to　suspend　more　profitable　labors　to　do　so。　　After　some
attempts　at　plastering　he　was　forced　to　leave　that　to　the　plasterers；　but
he　managed　the　clap…boarding；　with　Clementina　to　hand　him　boards　and
nails；　and　to　keep　him　supplied　with　the　hammer　he　was　apt　to　drop　at
critical　moments。　　They　talked　pretty　constantly　at　their　labors；　and　in
their　leisure；　which　they　spent　on　the　brown　needles　under　the　pines　at
the　side　of　the　house。　　Sometimes　the　hammering　or　the　talking　would　be
interrupted　by　a　voice　calling；　from　a　passing　vehicle　in　the　hidden
roadway；　something　about　urns。　　Claxon　would　answer；　without　troubling
himself　to　verify　the　inquirer；　or　moving　from　his　place；　that　he　would
get　round　to　them；　and　then　would　hammer　on；　or　talk　on　with　Clementina。

One　day　in　October　a　carriage　drove　up　to　the　door；　after　the　work　on　the
house　had　been　carried　as　far　as　Claxon's　mood　and　money　allowed；　and　he
and　Clementina　were　picking　up　the　litter　of　his　carpentering。　　He　had
replaced　the　block　of　wood　which　once　served　at　the　front　door　by　some
steps　under　an　arbor　of　rustic　work；　but　this　was　still　so　novel　that　the
younger　children　had　not　outgrown　their　pride　in　it　and　were　playing　at
house…keeping　there。　　Clementina　ran　around　to　the　back　door　and　out
through　the　front　entry　in　time　to　save　the　visitor　and　the　children　from
the　misunderstanding　they　began　to　fall　into；　and　met　her　with　a　smile　of
hospitable　brilliancy；　and　a　recognition　full　of　compassionate　welcome。

Mrs。　Lander　gave　way　to　her　tears　as　she　broke　out；　〃　Oh；　it　ain't　the
way　it　was　the　last　time　I　was　he'a！　　You　hea'd　that　hethat　Mr。　Landa〃

〃Mrs。　Atwell　told　me；〃　said　Clementina。　　〃Won't　you　come　in；　and　sit
down？〃

〃Why；　yes。〃　　Mrs。　Lander　pushed　in　through　the　narrow　door　of　what　was　to
be　the　parlor。　　Her　crapes　swept　about　her　and　exhaled　a　strong　scent　of
their　dyes。　　Her　veil　softened　her　heavy　face；　but　she　had　not　grown
thinner　in　her　bereavement。

〃I　just　got　to　the　Middlemount　last　night；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　wanted　to
see　you　and　your　payrents；　both；　Miss　Claxon。　　It　doos　bring　him　back　so！
You　won't　neva　know　how　much　he　thought　of　you；　and　you'll　all　think　I'm
crazy。　　I　wouldn't　come　as　long　as　he　was　with　me；　and　now　I　have　to　come
without　him；　I　held　out　ag'inst　him　as　long　as　I　had　him　to　hold　out
ag'inst。　　Not　that　he　was　eva　one　to　push；　and　I　don't　know　as　he　so　much
as　spoke　of　it；　afta　we　left　the　hotel　two　yea's　ago；　but　I　presume　it
wa'n't　out　of　his　mind　a　single　minute。　　Time　and　time　again　I'd　say　to
him；　'Now；　Albe't；　do　you　feel　about　it　just　the　way　you　done？'　and　he'd
say；　'I　ha'r't　had　any　call　to　charge　my　mind　about　it；'　and　then　I'd
begin　tryin'　to　ahgue　him　out　of　it；　and　keep　a　hectorin'；　till　he'd　say；
'Well；　I'm　not　askin'　you　to　do　it；'　and　that's　all　I　could　get　out　of
him。　　But　I　see　all　the　while　't　he　wanted　me　to　do　it；　whateva　he　asked；
and　now　I've　got　to　do　it　when　it　can't　give　him　any　pleasure。〃　　Mrs。
Lander　put　up　her　black…bordered　handkerchief　and　sobbed　into　it；　and
Clementina　waited　till　her　grief　had　spent　itself；　then　she　gave　her　a
fan；　and　Mrs。　Lander　gratefully　cooled　her　hot　wet　face。　　The　children
had　found　the　noises　of　her　affliction　and　the　turbid　tones　of　her
monologue　annoying；　and　had　gone　off　to　play　in　the　woods；　Claxon　kept
incuriously　about　the　work　that　Clementina　had　left　him　to；　his　wife
maintained　the　confidence　which　she　always　felt　in　Clementina's　ability
to　treat　with　the　world　when　it　presented　itself；　and　though　she　was
curious　enough；　she　did　not　offer　to　interrupt　the　girl's　interview　with
Mrs。　Lander；　Clementina　would　know　how　to　behave。

Mrs。　Lander；　when　she　had　refreshed　herself　with　the　fan；　seemed　to　get　a
fresh　grip　of　her　theme；　and　she　told　Clementina　all　abort　Mr。　Lander's
last　sickness。　　It　had　been　so　short　that　it　gave　her　no　time　to　try　the
climate　of　Colorado　upon　him；　which　she　now　felt　sure　would　have　brought
him　right　up；　and　she　had　remembered；　when　too　late；　to　give　him　a　liver…
medicine　of　her　own；　though　it　did　not　appear　that　it　was　his　liver　which
was　affected；　that　was　the　strange　part　of　it。　　But；　brief　as　his
sickness　was；　he　had　felt　that　it　was　to　be　his　last；　and　had　solemnly
talked　over　her　future　with　her；　which　he　seemed　to　think　would　be
lonely。　　He　had　not　named　Clementina；　but　Mrs。　Lander　had　known　well
enough　what　he　meant；　and　now　she　wished　to　ask　her；　and　her　father　and
mother；　how　they　would　all　like　Clementina　to　come　and　spend　the　winter
with　her　at　Boston　first；　and　then　further　South；　and　wherever　she　should
happen　to　go。　　She　apologized　for　not　having　come　sooner　upon　this
errand；　she　had　resolved　upon　it　as　soon　as　Mr。　Lander　was　gone；　but　she
had　been　sick　herself；　and　had　only　just　now　got　out　of　bed。

Clementina　was　too　young　to　feel　the　pathos　of　the　case　fully；　or　perhaps
even　to　follow　the　tortuous　course　of　Mrs。　Lander's　motives；　but　she　was
moved　by　her　grief；　and　she　could　not　help　a　thrill　of　pleasure　in　the
vague　splendor　of　the　future　outlined　by　Mrs。　Lander's　proposal。　　For　a
time　she　had　thought　that　Mrs。　Milray　was　going　to　ask　her　to　visit　her
in　New　York；　Mr