the cost-第3节

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〃Father；〃　said　she；　when　they　were　alone　on　the　side　porch　after　supper；　〃have　you　noticed　how　hard　Polly　is　taking　IT？〃

His　eyes　and　the　sudden　deepening　of　the　lines　in　his　face　answered　her。

〃Don't　you　think　maybe　we've　been　a　littletoosevere？〃

〃I've　tried　to　think　so；　but〃　　He　shook　his　head。　　〃Maggie；　he's　hopeless；　hopeless。〃

〃I　don't　know　much　about　those　things。〃　　This　was　a　mere　form　of　speech。　　She　thought　she　knew　all　there　was　to　be　known；　and　as　she　was　an　intelligent　woman　who　had　lived　a　long　time　and　had　a　normal　human　curiosity　she　did　know　a　great　deal。　　But；　after　the　fashion　of　many　of　the　women　of　the　older　generation；　she　had　left　undisturbed　his　delusion　that　her　goodness　was　the　result　not　of　intelligence　but　of　ignorance。　　〃But　I　can't　help　fearing　it　isn't　right　to　condemn　a　young　man　forever　because　he　was　led　away　as　a　boy。〃

〃I　can't　discuss　it　with　you；　Maggieit's　a　degradation　even　to　speak　of　him　before　a　good　woman。　　You　must　rely　upon　my　judgment。　　Polly　must　put　him　out　of　her　head。〃

〃But　what　am　I　to　tell　her？　　You　can't　make　a　woman　like　our　Pauline　put　a　man　out　of　her　life　when　she　loves　him　unless　you　give　her　a　reason　that　satisfies　her。　　And　if　you　don't　give　ME　a　reason　that　satisfies　me　how　can　I　give　HER　a　reason　that　will　satisfy　her？〃

〃I'll　talk　to　her；〃　said　the　colonel；　after　a　long　pause。　　〃She　mustshe　shall　give　him　up；　mother。〃

〃I've　tried　to　persuade　her　to　go　to　visit　Olivia；〃　continued　Mrs。　Gardiner。　　〃But　she　won't。　　And　she　doesn't　want　me　to　ask　Olivia　here。〃

〃I'll　ask　Olivia　before　I　speak　to　her。〃

Mrs。　Gardiner　went　up　to　her　daughter's　roomit　had　been　her　play…room；　then　her　study；　and　was　now　graduated　into　her　sitting…room。　　She　was　dreaming　over　a　bookTennyson's　poems。　　She　looked　up；　eyes　full　of　hope。

〃He　has　some　good　reason；　dear；〃　began　her　mother。

〃What　is　it？〃　demanded　Pauline。

〃I　can't　tell　you　any　more　than　I've　told　you　already；〃　replied　her　mother；　trying　not　to　show　her　feelings　in　her　face。

〃Why　does　he　treat　metreat　youlike　two　naughty　little　children？〃　said　Pauline；　impatiently　tossing　the　book　on　the　table。

〃Pauline！〃　　Her　mother's　voice　was　sharp　in　reproof。　　〃How　can　you　place　any　one　before　your　father！〃

Pauline　was　silentshe　had　dropped　the　veil　over　herself。　　〃IIwhere　did　you　place　fatherwhenwhen〃　　Her　eyes　were　laughing　again。

〃You　know　he'd　never　oppose　your　happiness；　Polly。〃　　Mrs。　Gardiner　was　smoothing　her　daughter's　turbulent　red…brown　hair。　　〃You'll　only　have　to　wait　under　a　little　more　trying　circumstances。　　And　if　he's　right；　the　truth　will　come　out。　　And　if　he's　mistaken　and　John's　all　you　think　him；　then　that　will　come　out。〃

Pauline　knew　her　father　was　not　opposing　her　through　tyranny　or　pride　of　opinion　or　sheer　prejudice；　but　she　felt　that　this　was　another　case　of　age's　lack　of　sympathy　with　youth；　felt　it　with　all　the　intensity　of　infatuated　seventeen　made　doubly　determined　by　opposition　and　concealment。　　The　next　evening　he　and　she　were　walking　together　in　the　garden。　　He　suddenly　put　his　arm　round　her　and　drew　her　close　to　him　and　kissed　her。

〃You　know　I　shouldn't　if　I　didn't　think　it　the　only　coursedon't　you；　Pauline？〃　he　said　in　a　broken　voice　that　went　straight　to　her　heart。

〃Yes；　father。〃　　Then；　after　a　silence：　　〃Butwewe've　been　sweethearts　since　we　were　children。　　AndIfather；　I　MUST　stand　by　him。〃

〃Won't　you　trust　me；　child？　　Won't　you　believe　ME　rather　than　him？〃

Pauline's　only　answer　was　a　sigh。　　They　loved　each　the　other；　he　adored　her；　she　reverenced　him。　　But　between　them；　thick　and　high；　rose　the　barrier　of　custom　and　training。　　Comradeship；　confidence　were　impossible。



II。

OLIVIA　TO　THE　RESCUE。


With　the　first　glance　into　Olivia's　dark　gray　eyes　Pauline　ceased　to　resent　her　as　an　intruder。　　And　soon　she　was　feeling　that　some　sort　of　dawn　was　assailing　her　night。

Olivia　was　the　older　by　three　years。　　She　seemedand　for　her　years；　wasserious　and　wise　because；　as　the　eldest　of　a　large　family；　she　was　lieutenant…general　to　her　mother。　　Further；　she　had　always　had　her　own　waywhen　it　was　the　right　way　and　did　not　conflict　with　justice　to　her　brothers　and　sisters。　　And　often　her　parents　let　her　have　her　own　way　when　it　was　the　wrong　way；　nor　did　they　spoil　the　lesson　by　mitigating　disagreeable　consequences。

〃Do　as　you　please；〃　her　mother　used　to　say；　when　doing　as　she　pleased　would　involve　less　of　mischief　than　of　valuable　experience；　〃and　perhaps　you'll　learn　to　please　to　do　sensibly。〃　　Again。　her　father　would　restrain　her　mother　from　interference〃Oh；　let　the　girl　alone。　　She's　got　to　teach　herself　how　to　behave；　and　she　can't　begin　a　minute　too　young。〃　　This　training　had　produced　a　self…reliant　and　self…governing　Olivia。

She　wondered　at　the　change　in　PaulinePauline；　the　light…hearted；　the　effervescent　of　laughter　and　life；　now　silent　and　almost　somber。　　It　was　two　weeks　before　she；　not　easily　won　to　the　confiding　mood　for　all　her　frankness；　let　Olivia　into　her　secret。　　Of　course；　it　was　at　night；　of　course；　they　were　in　the　same　bed。　　And　when　Olivia　had　heard　she　came　nearer　to　the　truth　about　Dumont　than　had　Pauline's　mother。　　But；　while　she　felt　sure　there　was　a　way　to　cure　Pauline；　she　knew　that　way　was　not　the　one　which　had　been　pursued。　　〃They've　only　made　her　obstinate；〃　she　thought；　as　she；　lying　with　hands　clasped　behind　her　head；　watched　Pauline；　propped　upon　an　elbow；　staring　with　dreamful　determination　into　the　moonlight。

〃It'll　come　out　all　right；〃　she　said；　her　voice　always　suggested　that　she　knew　what　she　was　talking　about。　　〃Your　father'll　give　in　sooner　or　laterif　YOU　don't　change。〃

〃But　he's　so　bitter　against　Jack；〃　replied　Pauline。　　〃He　won't　listen　to　his　sideto　our　sideof　it。〃

〃Anyhow；　what's　the　use　of　anticipating　trouble？　　You　wouldn't　get　married　yet。　　And　if　he's　worthwhile　he'll　wait。〃

Pauline　had　been　even　gentler　than　her　own　judgment　in　painting　her　lover　for　her　cousin's　inspection。　　So；　she　could　not　explain　to　her　why　there　was　necessity　for　haste；　could　not　confess　her　conviction　that　every　month　he　lived　away　from　her　was　a　month　of　peril　to　him。

〃We　want　it　settled；〃　she　said　evasively。

〃I　haven't　seen　him　around　anywhere；〃　went　on　Olivia。　　〃Is　he　here　now？〃

〃He's　in　Chicagoin　charge　of　his　father's　office　there。　　He　may　stay　all　winter。〃

〃No；　there's　no　hurry；〃　went　on　Olivia。　　〃Besides；　you　ought　to　meet　other　men。　　It　isn't　a　good　idea　for　a　girl　to　marry　the　man　she's　been　brought　up　with　before　she's　had　a　chance　to　get　acquainted　with　other　men。〃　　Olivia　drew　this　maxim　from　experienceshe　had　been　engaged　to　a　school…days　lover　when　she　went　away　to　Battle　Field　to　college；　she　broke　it　off　when；　going　home　on　vacation；　she　saw　him　again　from　the　point　of　wider　view。

But　Pauline　scorned　this　theory；　if　Olivia　had　confessed　the　broken　engagement　she　would　have　thought　her　shallow　and　untrustworthy。　　She　was　confident；　with　inexperience's　sublime　incapacity　for　self…doubt；　that　in　all　the　wide　world　there　was　only　one　man　whom　she　could　have　loved　or　could　love。

〃Oh；　I　shan't　change；〃　she　said　in　a　tone　that　warned　her　cousin　against　discussion。

〃At　any　rate；〃　replied　Olivia；　〃a　little　experience　would　do　you　no　harm。〃　　She　suddenly　sat　up　in　bed。　　〃A　splendid　idea！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Why　not　come　to　Battle　Field　with　me？〃

〃I'd　like　it；〃　said　Pauline；　always　eager　for　self…improvement　and　roused　by　Olivia's　stories　of　her　college　experiences。　　〃But　father'd　never　let　me　go　to　Battle　Field　College。〃

〃Battle　Field　UNIVERSITY；〃　corrected　Olivia。　　〃It　has　classical　courses　and　scientific　courses　and　a　preparatory　schooland　a　military　department　for　men　and　a　music　department　for　women。　　And　it's　going　to　have　lots　and　lots　of　real　university　schoolswhen　it　gets　the　money。　　And　there's　a　healthy；　middle…aged　wagon…maker　who's　said　to　be　thinking　of　leaving　it　a　million　or　soif　he　should　ever　die　and　if　they　should　change　its　name　to　his。〃

〃But　it's　coeducation；　isn't　it？　　Father　would　never　consent。　　It　was　all　mother　could　do　to　persuade　him　to　let　me　go　to　public　school。〃

〃But　maybe　he'd　let　you　go　with　me；　where　he　wouldn't　let　you　go　all　alone。〃

And　so　it　turned　out。　　Colonel　Gardiner；　anxious　to　get　his　daughter　away　from　Saint　X　and　into　new　scenes　where　Dumont　might　grow　dim；　consented　as　soon　as　Olivia　explained　her　plan。


Instead　of　entering　〃senior　prep〃；　Pauline　was　able　to　make　freshman　with　only　three　conditions。　　In　the　first　week　she　was　initiated　into　Olivia's　fraternity；　the　Kappa　Alpha　Kappa；　joined　the　woman's　literary　and　debating　society；　and　was　fascinated　and　absorbed　by　crowding　new　events；　associations；　occupations；　thoughts。　　In　spite　of　herself　her　old…time　high　spirits　came　flooding　back。　　She　caught　herself　hummingand　checked　herself　reproachfully。　　She　caught　herself　singingand　lowered　it　to　humming。　　She　caught　herself　whistlingand　decided　that　she　might　as　well　be　cheerful　while　she　waited　for　fate　to　befriend　her　and　Jack。　　And　she　found　that　she　thought　about　him　none　the　less　steadfastly　for　thinking　hopefully。

Battle　Field　put　no　more　restraint　upon　its　young　women　than　it　put　upon　its　young　menand　it　put　no　restraint　upon