tales of trail and town-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



open　question。　　There　were　those；　too；　who　believed　that　Peter　had

never　sacrificed　himself　and　his　sister　for　the　sake　of　another；

but　had　provoked　and　incensed　the　savages　by　the　blind　arrogance　of

a　reformer。　　There　were　wild　stories　by　scouts　and　interpreters　how

he　had　challenged　his　fate　by　an　Indian　bravado；　how　himself　and

his　sister　had　met　torture　with　an　Indian　stoicism；　and　how　the

Indian　braves　themselves　at　last　in　a　turmoil　of　revulsion　had

dipped　their　arrows　and　lances　in　the　heroic　heart's　blood　of　their

victims；　and　worshiped　their　still　palpitating　flesh。



But　there　was　one　honest　loyal　little　heart　that　carried　back

three　thousand　milesto　England　the　man　as　it　had　known　and　loved

him。　　Lady　Elfrida　Runnybroke　never　married；　neither　did　she　go

into　retirement；　but　lived　her　life　and　fulfilled　her　duties　in　her

usual　clear…eyed　fashion。　　She　was　particularly　kind　to　all

Americans；barring；　I　fear；　a　few　pretty…faced；　finely…frocked

title…hunters；told　stories　of　the　Far　West；　and　had　theories　of　a

people　of　which　they　knew　little；　cared　less；　and　believed　to　be

vulgar。　　But　I　think　she　found　a　new　pleasure　in　the　old　church　at

Ashley　Grange；　and　loved　to　linger　over　the　effigy　of　the　old

Crusader；her　kinsman；　the　swashbuckler　De　Bracy；with　a　vague

but　pretty　belief　that　devotion　and　love　do　not　die　with　brave　men；

but　live　and　flourish　even　in　lands　beyond　the　seas。





TWO　AMERICANS





Perhaps　if　there　was　anything　important　in　the　migration　of　the

Maynard　family　to　Europe　it　rested　solely　upon　the　singular　fact

that　Mr。　Maynard　did　not　go　there　in　the　expectation　of　marrying

his　daughter　to　a　nobleman。　　A　Charleston　merchant；　whose　house

represented　two　honorable　generations；　had；　thirty　years　ago；　a

certain　self…respect　which　did　not　require　extraneous　aid　and

foreign　support；　and　it　is　exceedingly　probable　that　his　intention

of　spending　a　few　years　abroad　had　no　ulterior　motive　than　pleasure

seeking　and　the　observation　of　many　thingsprincipally　of　the

pastwhich　his　own　country　did　not　possess。　　His　future　and　that

of　his　family　lay　in　his　own　land；　yet　with　practical　common　sense

he　adjusted　himself　temporarily　to　his　new　surroundings。　　In　doing

so；　he　had　much　to　learn　of　others；　and　others　had　something　to

learn　of　him；　he　found　that　the　best　people　had　a　high　simplicity

equal　to　his　own；　he　corrected　their　impressions　that　a　Southerner

had　more　or　less　negro　blood　in　his　veins；　and　that；　although　a

slave　owner；　he　did　not　necessarily　represent　an　aristocracy。　　With

a　distinguishing　dialect　of　which　he　was　not　ashamed；　a　frank

familiarity　of　approach　joined　to　an　invincible　courtesy　of　manner；

which　made　even　his　republican　〃Sir〃　equal　to　the　ordinary　address

to　royalty；　he　was　always　respected　and　seldom　misunderstood。　　When

he　wasit　was　unfortunate　for　those　who　misunderstood　him。　　His

type　was　as　distinctive　and　original　as　his　cousin's；　the

Englishman；　whom　it　was　not　the　fashion　then　to　imitate。　　So　that；

whether　in　the　hotel　of　a　capital；　the　Kursaal　of　a　Spa；　or　the

humbler　pension　of　a　Swiss　village；　he　was　always　characteristic。

Less　so　was　his　wife；　who；　with　the　chameleon　quality　of　her

transplanted　countrywomen；　was　already　Parisian　in　dress；　still

less　so　his　daughter；　who　had　by　this　time　absorbed　the

peculiarities　of　her　French；　German；　and　Italian　governesses。　　Yet

neither　had　yet　learned　to　evade　their　nationalityor　apologize

for　it。



Mr。　Maynard　and　his　family　remained　for　three　years　in　Europe；　his

stay　having　been　prolonged　by　political　excitement　in　his　own　State

of　South　Carolina。　　Commerce　is　apt　to　knock　the　insularity　out　of

people；　distance　from　one's　own　distinctive　locality　gives　a　wider

range　to　the　vision；　and　the　retired　merchant　foresaw　ruin　in　his

State's　politics；　and　from　the　viewpoint　of　all　Europe　beheld

instead　of　the　usual　collection　of　individual　Stateshis　whole

country。　　But　the　excitement　increasing；　he　was　finally　impelled　to

return　in　a　faint　hope　of　doing　something　to　allay　it；　taking　his

wife　with　him；　but　leaving　his　daughter　at　school　in　Paris。　　At

about　this　time；　however；　a　single　cannon　shot　fired　at　the

national　flag　on　Fort　Sumter　shook　the　whole　country；　reverberated

even　in　Europe；　sending　some　earnest　hearts　back　to　do　battle　for

State　or　country；　sending　others　less　earnest　into　inglorious

exile；　but；　saddest　of　all！　knocking　over　the　school　bench　of　a

girl　at　the　Paris　pensionnat。　　For　that　shot　had　also　sunk

Maynard's　ships　at　the　Charleston　wharves；　scattered　his　piled

Cotton　bales　awaiting　shipment　at　the　quays；　and　drove　him；　a

ruined　man；　into　the　〃Home　Guard〃　against　his　better　judgment。

Helen　Maynard；　like　a　good　girl；　had　implored　her　father　to　let　her

return　and　share　his　risks。　　But　the　answer　was　〃to　wait〃　until

this　nine　days'　madness　of　an　uprising　was　over。　　That　madness

lasted　six　years；　outlived　Maynard；　whose　gray；　misdoubting　head

bit　the　dust　at　Ball's　Bluff；　outlived　his　colorless　widow；　and

left　Kelly　a　penniless　orphan。



Yet　enough　of　her　country　was　left　in　her　to　make　her　courageous

and　independent　of　her　past。　　They　say　that　when　she　got　the　news

she　cried　a　little；　and　then　laid　the　letter　and　what　was　left　of

her　last　monthly　allowance　in　Madame　Ablas'　lap。　　Madame　was

devastated。　　〃But　you；　impoverished　and　desolated　angel；　what　of

you？〃　　〃I　shall　get　some　of　it　back；〃　said　the　desolated　angel　with

ingenuous　candor；　〃for　I　speak　better　French　and　English　than　the

other　girls；　and　I　shall　teach　THEM　until　I　can　get　into　the

Conservatoire；　for　I　have　a　voice。　　You　yourself　have　told　papa

so。〃　　From　such　angelic　directness　there　was　no　appeal。　　Madame

Ablas　had　a　heart；more；　she　had　a　French　manageress's

discriminating　instinct。　　The　American　schoolgirl　was　installed　in

a　teacher's　desk；　her　bosom　friends　and　fellow　students　became　her

pupils。　　To　some　of　the　richest；　and　they　were　mainly　of　her　own

country；　she　sold　her　smartest；　latest　dresses；　jewels；　and

trinkets　at　a　very　good　figure；　and　put　the　money　away　against　the

Conservatoire　in　the　future。　　She　worked　hard；　she　endured

patiently　everything　but　commiseration。　　〃I'd　have　you　know；　Miss；〃

she　said　to　Miss　de　Laine；　daughter　of　the　famous　house　of　Musslin；

de　Laine　&　Co。；　of　New　York；　〃that　whatever　my　position　HERE　may

be；　it　is　not　one　to　be　patronized　by　a　tapeseller's　daughter。　　My

case　is　not　such　a　very　'sad　one；'　thank　you；　and　I　prefer　not　to

be　spoken　of　as　having　seen　'better　days'　by　people　who　haven't。

There！　　Don't　rap　your　desk　with　your　pencil　when　you　speak　to　me；

or　I　shall　call　out　'Cash！'　before　the　whole　class。〃　　So

regrettable　an　exhibition　of　temper　naturally　alienated　certain　of

her　compatriots　who　were　unduly　sensitive　of　their　origin；　and　as

they　formed　a　considerable　colony　who　were　then　reveling　in　the

dregs　of　the　Empire　and　the　last　orgies　of　a　tottering　court；

eventually　cost　her　her　place。　　A　republican　so　aristocratic　was

not　to　be　tolerated　by　the　true…born　Americans　who　paid　court　to　De

Morny　for　the　phosphorescent　splendors　of　St。　Cloud　and　the

Tuileries；　and　Miss　Helen　lost　their　favor。　　But　she　had　already

saved　enough　money　for　the　Conservatoire　and　a　little　attic　in　a

very　tall　house　in　a　narrow　street　that　trickled　into　the　ceaseless

flow　of　the　Rue　Lafayette。　　Here　for　four　years　she　trotted

backwards　and　forwards　regularly　to　work　with　the　freshness　of

youth　and　the　inflexible　set　purpose　of　maturity。　　Here；　rain　or

shine；　summer　or　winter；　in　the　mellow　season　when　the　large　cafes

expanded　under　the　white　sunshine　into　an　overflow　of　little　tables

on　the　pavement；　or　when　the　red　glow　of　the　Brasserie　shone

through　frosty　panes　on　the　turned…up　collars　of　pinched　Parisians

who　hurried　by；　she　was　always　to　be　seen。



Half　Paris　had　looked　into　her　clear；　gray　eyes　and　passed　on；　a

smaller　and　not　very　youthful　portion　of　Paris　had　turned　and

followed　her　with　small　advantage　to　itself　and　happily　no　fear　to

her。　　For　even　in　her　young　womanhood　she　kept　her　child's　loving

knowledge　of　that　great　city；　she　even　had　an　innocent　camaraderie

with　street　sweepers；　kiosk　keepers；　and　lemonade　venders；　and　the

sternness　of　conciergedom　melted　before　her。　　In　this　wholesome；

practical　child's　experience　she　naturally　avoided　or　overlooked

what　would　not　have　interested　a　child；　and　so　kept　her　freshness

and　a　certain　national　shrewd　simplicity　invincible。　　There　is　a

story　told　of　her　girlhood　that；　one　day　playing　in　the　Tuileries

gardens；　she　was　approached　by　a　gentleman　with　a　waxed　mustache

and　a　still　more　waxen　cheek　beneath　his　heavy…lidded　eyes。　　There

was　an　exchange　of　polite　amenities。



〃And　your　name；　ma　petite？〃



〃Helen；〃　responded　the　young　girl　naively。　　〃What's　yours？〃



〃Ah；〃　said　the　kind　gentleman；　gallantly　pulling　at　his　mustache；

〃if　you　are　Helen　I　am　Paris。〃



The　young