the riverman-第29节

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unfolded　her　napkin。　　The　silent　butler　drew　forward　a　chair　for　

Orde；　and　stood　looking　impassively　in　Mrs。　Bishop's　direction。



〃You　will　have　some　breakfast　with　us？〃　she　inquired。　　〃No？　　A　cup　

of　coffee；　at　least？〃



She　began　to　manipulate　the　coffee　pot；　without　paying　the　slightest　

attention　to　Orde's　disclaimer。　　The　general　puffed　out　his　cheeks；　

and　coughed　a　bit　in　embarrassment。



〃A　good　cup　of　coffee　is　never　amiss　to　an　old　campaigner；〃　he　said　

to　Orde。　　〃It's　as　good　as　a　full　meal　in　a　pinch。　　I　remember　when　

I　was　a　major　in　the　Eleventh；　down　near　the　City　of　Mexico；　in　'48；　

the　time　Hardy's　command　was　so　nearly　wiped　out　by　that　viaduct〃　　

He　half　turned　toward　Orde；　his　face　lighting　up；　his　fingers　

reaching　for　the　fork　with　which；　after　the　custom　of　old　soldiers；　

to　trace　the　chart　of　his　reminiscences。



Mrs。　Bishop　rattled　her　cup　and　saucer　with　an　uncontrollably　

nervous　jerk　of　her　slender　body。　　For　some　moments　she　had　awaited　

a　chance　to　get　the　general's　attention。　　〃Spare　us；　father；〃　she　

said　brusquely。　　〃Will　you　have　another　cup　of　coffee？〃



The　old　gentleman；　arrested　in　mid…career；　swallowed；　looked　a　

trifle　bewildered；　but　subsided　meekly。



〃No；　thank　you；　my　dear；〃　said　he；　and　went　furiously　at　his　

breakfast。



Orde；　overwhelmed　by　embarrassment；　discovered　that　none　of　the　

others　had　paid　the　incident　the　slightest　attention。　　Only　on　the　

lips　of　Gerald　Bishop　he　surprised　a　fine；　detached　smile。



At　this　moment　the　butler　entered　bearing　the　mail。　　Mrs。　Bishop　

tore　hers　open　rapidly；　dropping　the　mangled　envelopes　at　her　side。　　

The　contents　of　one　seemed　to　vex　her。



〃Oh！〃　she　cried　aloud。　　〃That　miserable　Marie！　　She　promised　me　to　

have　it　done　to…day；　and　now　she　puts　it　off　until　Monday。　　It's　too　

provoking！〃　　She　turned　to　Orde　for　sympathy。　　〃Do　you　know　ANYTHING　

more　aggravating　than　to　work　and　slave　to　the　limit　of　endurance；　

and　then　have　everything　upset　by　the　stupidity　of　some　one　else？〃



Orde　murmured　an　appropriate　reply；　to　which　Mrs。　Bishop　paid　no　

attention　whatever。　　She　started　suddenly　up　from　the　table。



〃I　must　see　about　it！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　plainly　see　I　shall　have　to　do　

it　myself。　　I　WILL　do　it　myself。　　I　promised　it　for　Sunday。〃



〃You　mustn't　do　another　stitch；　mother；〃　put　in　Carroll　Bishop　

decidedly。　　〃You　know　what　the　doctor　told　you。　　You'll　have　

yourself　down　sick。〃



〃Well；　see　for　yourself！〃　cried　Mrs。　　Bishop。　　〃That's　what　comes　of　

leaving　things　to　others！　　If　I'd　done　it　myself；　it　would　have　

saved　me　all　this　bother　and　fuss；　and　it　would　have　been　done。　　And　

now　I've　got　to　do　it　anyway。〃



〃My　dear；〃　put　in　the　general；　〃perhaps　Carroll　can　see　Marie　about　

it。　　In　any　case；　there's　nothing　to　work　yourself　up　into　such　an　

excitement　about。〃



〃It's　very　easy　for　you　to　talk；　isn't　it？〃　cried　Mrs。　Bishop；　

turning　on　him。　　〃I　like　the　way　you　all　sit　around　like　lumps　and　

do　nothing；　and　then　tell　me　how　I　ought　to　have　done　it。　　John；　

have　the　carriage　around　at　once。〃　　She　turned　tensely　to　Orde。　　〃I　

hope　you'll　excuse　me；〃　she　said　very　briefly；　〃I　have　something　

very　important　to　attend　to。〃



Carroll　had　also　risen。　　Orde　held　out　his　hand。



〃I　must　be　going；〃　said　he。



〃Well；〃　she　conceded；　〃I　suppose　I'd　better　see　if　I　can't　help　

mother　out。　　But　you'll　come　in　again。　　Come　and　dine　with　us　this　

evening。　　Mother　will　be　delighted。〃



As　Mrs。　Bishop　had　departed　from　the　room；　Orde　had　to　take　for　

granted　the　expression　of　this　delight。　　He　bowed　to　the　other　

occupants　of　the　table。　　The　general　was　eating　nervously。　　Gerald's　

eyes　were　fixed　amusedly　on　Orde。



To　Orde's　surprise；　he　was　almost　immediately　joined　on　the　street　

by　young　Mr。　Bishop；　most　correctly　appointed。



〃Going　anywhere　in　particular？〃　he　inquired。　　〃Let's　go　up　the　

avenue；　then。　　Everybody　will　be　out。〃



They　turned　up　the　great　promenade；　a　tour　of　which　was　then；　even　

more　than　now；　considered　obligatory　on　the　gracefully　idle。　　

Neither　said　anythingOrde　because　he　was　too　absorbed　in　the　

emotions　this　sudden　revelation　of　Carroll's　environment　had　aroused　

in　him；　Gerald；　apparently；　because　he　was　too　indifferent。　　

Nevertheless　it　was　the　young　exquisite　who　finally　broke　the　

silence。



〃It　was　an　altar　cloth；〃　said　he　suddenly。



〃What？〃　asked　Orde；　rather　bewildered。



〃Mother　is　probably　the　most　devout　woman　in　New　York；〃　went　on　

Gerald's　even　voice。　　〃She　is　one　of　the　hardest　workers　in　the　

church。　　She　keeps　all　the　fast　days；　and　attends　all　the　services。　　

Although　she　has　no　strength　to　speak　of；　she　has　just　completed　an　

elaborate　embroidered　altar　cloth。　　The　work　she　accomplished　while　

on　her　knees。　　Often　she　spent　five　or　six　hours　a　day　in　that　

position。　　It　was　very　devout；　but　against　the　doctor's　orders；　and　

she　is　at　present　much　pulled　down。　　Finally　she　gave　way　to　

persuasion　to　the　extent　of　sending　the　embroidery　out　to　be　bound　

and　corded。　　As　a　result；　the　altar　cloth　will　not　be　done　for　next　

Sunday。〃



He　delivered　this　statement　in　a　voice　absolutely　colourless；　

without　the　faintest　trace　discernible　of　either　approval　or　

disapproval；　without　the　slightest　irony；　yet　Orde　felt　vaguely　

uncomfortable。



〃It　must　have　been　annoying　to　her；〃　he　said　gravely；　〃and　I　hope　

she　will　get　it　done　in　time。　　Perhaps　Miss　Bishop　will　be　able　to　

do　it。〃



〃That；〃　said　Gerald；　〃is　Madison　Squareor　perhaps　you　know　New　

York？　　My　sister　would；　of　course；　be　only　too　glad　to　finish　the　

work；　but　I　fear　that　my　mother's　peculiarly　ardent　temperament　will　

now　insist　on　her　own　accomplishment　of　the　task。　　But　perhaps　you　

do　not　understand　temperaments？〃



〃Very　little；　I'm　afraid；〃　confessed　Orde。



They　walked　on　for　some　distance　farther。



〃Your　father　was　in　the　Mexican　War？〃　said　Orde；　to　change　the　trend　

of　his　own　thoughts。



〃He　was　a　most　distinguished　officer。　　I　believe　he　received　the　

Medal　of　Honour　for　a　part　in　the　affair　of　the　Molina　del　Rey。〃



〃What　command　had　he　in　the　Civil　War？〃　asked　Orde。　　〃I　fooled　

around　the　outskirts　of　that　a　little　myself。〃



〃My　father　resigned　from　the　army　in　'54；〃　replied　Gerald；　with　his　

cool；　impersonal　courtesy。



〃That　was　too　bad；　just　before　the　chance　for　more　service；〃　said　

Orde。



〃Army　life　was　incompatible　with　my　mother's　temperament；〃　stated　

Gerald。



Orde　said　nothing　more。　　It　was　Gerald's　turn　to　end　the　pause。



〃You　are　from　Redding；　of　course；〃　said　he。　　〃My　sister　is　very　

enthusiastic　about　the　place。　　You　are　in　business　there？〃



Orde　replied　briefly；　but；　forced　by　the　direct；　cold；　and　polite　

cross…questioning　of　his　companion；　he　gave　the　latter　a　succinct　

idea　of　the　sort　of　operations　in　which　he　was　interested。



〃And　you；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃I　suppose　you're　either　a　broker　or　

lawyer；　most　men　are　down　here。〃



〃I　am　neither　one　nor　the　other；〃　stated　Gerald。　　〃I　am　possessed　of　

a　sufficient　income　from　a　legacy　to　make　business　unnecessary。〃



〃I　don't　believe　I'd　care　tobe　idle；〃　said　Orde　vaguely。



〃There　is　plenty　to　occupy　one's　time；〃　replied　Gerald。　　〃I　have　my　

clubs；　my　gymnasium；　my　horse；　and　my　friends。〃



〃Isn't　there　anything　that　particularly　attracts　you？〃　asked　Orde。



The　young　man's　languid　eyes　grew　thoughtful；　and　he　puffed　more　

strongly　on　his　cigarette。



〃I　should　like；〃　said　he　slowly；　at　last；　〃to　enter　the　navy。〃



〃Why　don't　you？〃　asked　Orde　bluntly。



〃Certain　family　reasons　make　it　inexpedient　at　present；〃　said　

Gerald。　　〃My　mother　is　in　a　very　nervous　state；　she　depends　on　us；　

and　any　hint　of　our　leaving　her　is　sufficient　to　render　her　

condition　serious。〃



By　this　time　the　two　young　men　were　well　uptown。　　On　Gerald's　

initiative；　they　turned　down　a　side　street；　and　shortly　came　to　a　

stop。



〃That　is　my　gymnasium；〃　said　Gerald；　pointing　to　a　building　across　

the　way。　　〃Won't　you　come　in　with　me？　　I　am　due　now　for　my　

practice。〃







XVII





Orde's　evening　was　a　disappointment　to　him。　　Mrs。　Bishop　had；　by　

Carroll's　report；　worked　feverishly　at　the　altar　cloth　all　the　

afternoon。　　As　a　consequence；　she　had　gone　to　bed　with　a　bad　

headache。　　This　state　of　affairs　seemed　to　throw　the　entire　family　

into　a　state　of　indecision。　　It　was　divided　in　mind　as　to　what　to　

do；　the　absolute　inutility　of　any　effort　balancing　strongly　against　

a　sense　of　what　the　invalid　expected。



〃I　wonder　if　mother　wouldn't　like　just　a　taste　of　this　beef；〃　

speculated　the　general；　moving　fussily　in　his　chair。　　〃I　believe　

somebody　ought　to　take　some　up。　　She　MIGHT　want　it。〃



The　man　departed　with　the　plate；　but　returned　a　few　moments　later；　

impassivebut　still　with　the　plate。



〃Has　she　got　her　hot…water　bag？〃　asked　the　boy　un