in the cage-第21节

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remarkable　was　already　so　strong　that；　while　she　bridled　a　little；

this　held　her　auditor　in　a　momentary　muteness　of　submission。　　〃Mr。

Drake　has　rendered　his　lordship　for　several　years　services　that　his

lordship　has　highly　appreciated　and　that　make　it　all　the　morea

unexpected　that　they　should；　perhaps　a　little　suddenly；　separate。〃



〃Separate？〃　　Our　young　lady　was　mystified；　but　she　tried　to　be

interested；　and　she　already　saw　that　she　had　put　the　saddle　on　the

wrong　horse。　　She　had　heard　something　of　Mr。　Drake；　who　was　a

member　of　his　lordship's　circlethe　member　with　whom；　apparently；

Mrs。　Jordan's　avocations　had　most　happened　to　throw　her。　　She　was

only　a　little　puzzled　at　the　〃separation。〃　　〃Well；　at　any　rate；〃

she　smiled；　〃if　they　separate　as　friends！〃



〃Oh　his　lordship　takes　the　greatest　interest　in　Mr。　Drake's　future。

He'll　do　anything　for　him；　he　has　in　fact　just　done　a　great　deal。

There　MUST；　you　know；　be　changes！〃



〃No　one　knows　it　better　than　I；〃　the　girl　said。　　She　wished　to　draw

her　interlocutress　out。　　〃There　will　be　changes　enough　for　me。〃



〃You're　leaving　Cocker's？〃



The　ornament　of　that　establishment　waited　a　moment　to　answer；　and

then　it　was　indirect。　　〃Tell　me　what　YOU'RE　doing。〃



〃Well；　what　will　you　think　of　it？〃



〃Why　that　you've　found　the　opening　you　were　always　so　sure　of。〃



Mrs。　Jordan；　on　this；　appeared　to　muse　with　embarrassed　intensity。

〃I　was　always　sure；　yesand　yet　I　often　wasn't！〃



〃Well；　I　hope　you're　sure　now。　　Sure；　I　mean；　of　Mr。　Drake。〃



〃Yes；　my　dear；　I　think　I　may　say　I　AM。　　I　kept　him　going　till　I

was。〃



〃Then　he's　yours？〃



〃My　very　own。〃



〃How　nice！　　And　awfully　rich？〃　our　young　woman　went　on。



Mrs。　Jordan　showed　promptly　enough　that　she　loved　for　higher

things。　　〃Awfully　handsomesix　foot　two。　　And　he　HAS　put　by。〃



〃Quite　like　Mr。　Mudge；　then！〃　that　gentleman's　friend　rather

desperately　exclaimed。



〃Oh　not　quite！〃　Mr。　Drake's　was　ambiguous　about　it；　but　the　name　of

Mr。　Mudge　had　evidently　given　her　some　sort　of　stimulus。　　〃He'll

have　more　opportunity　now；　at　any　rate。　　He's　going　to　Lady

Bradeen。〃



〃To　Lady　Bradeen？〃　　This　was　bewilderment。　　〃'Going'？〃



The　girl　had　seen；　from　the　way　Mrs。　Jordan　looked　at　her；　that　the

effect　of　the　name　had　been　to　make　her　let　something　out。　　〃Do　you

know　her？〃



She　floundered；　but　she　found　her　feet。　　〃Well；　you'll　remember

I've　often　told　you　that　if　you've　grand　clients　I　have　them　too。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Jordan；　〃but　the　great　difference　is　that　you　hate

yours；　whereas　I　really　love　mine。　　DO　you　know　Lady　Bradeen？〃　she

pursued。



〃Down　to　the　ground！　　She's　always　in　and　out。〃



Mrs。　Jordan's　foolish　eyes　confessed；　in　fixing　themselves　on　this

sketch；　to　a　degree　of　wonder　and　even　of　envy。　　But　she　bore　up

and；　with　a　certain　gaiety；　〃Do　you　hate　HER？〃　she　demanded。



Her　visitor's　reply　was　prompt。　　〃Dear　no！not　nearly　so　much　as

some　of　them。　　She's　too　outrageously　beautiful。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　continued　to　gaze。　　〃Outrageously？〃



〃Well；　yes；　deliciously。〃　　What　was　really　delicious　was　Mrs。

Jordan's　vagueness。　　〃You　don't　know　heryou've　not　seen　her？〃　her

guest　lightly　continued。



〃No；　but　I've　heard　a　great　deal　about　her。〃



〃So　have　I！〃　our　young　lady　exclaimed。



Jordan　looked　an　instant　as　if　she　suspected　her　good　faith；　or　at

least　her　seriousness。　　〃You　know　some　friend？〃



〃Of　Lady　Bradeen's？　　Oh　yesI　know　one。〃



〃Only　one？〃



The　girl　laughed　out。　　〃Only　onebut　he's　so　intimate。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　just　hesitated。　　〃He's　a　gentleman？〃



〃Yes；　he's　not　a　lady。〃



Her　interlocutress　appeared　to　muse。　　〃She's　immensely　surrounded。〃



〃She　WILL　bewith　Mr。　Drake！〃



Mrs。　Jordan's　gaze　became　strangely　fixed。　　〃Is　she　VERY　good…

looking？〃



〃The　handsomest　person　I　know。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　continued　to　brood。　　〃Well；　I　know　some　beauties。〃

Then　with　her　odd　jerkiness：　　〃Do　you　think　she　looks　GOOD？〃



〃Because　that's　not　always　the　case　with　the　good…looking？〃the

other　took　it　up。　　〃No；　indeed；　it　isn't：　　that's　one　thing

Cocker's　has　taught　me。　　Still；　there　are　some　people　who　have

everything。　　Lady　Bradeen；　at　any　rate；　has　enough：　　eyes　and　a

nose　and　a　mouth；　a　complexion；　a　figure〃



〃A　figure？〃　Mrs。　Jordan　almost　broke　in。



〃A　figure；　a　head　of　hair！〃　　The　girl　made　a　little　conscious

motion　that　seemed　to　let　the　hair　all　down；　and　her　companion

watched　the　wonderful　show。　　〃But　Mr。　Drake　IS　another？〃



〃Another？〃Mrs。　Jordan's　thoughts　had　to　come　back　from　a

distance。



〃Of　her　ladyship's　admirers。　　He's　'going；'　you　say；　to　her？〃



At　this　Mrs。　Jordan　really　faltered。　　〃She　has　engaged　him。〃



〃Engaged　him？〃our　young　woman　was　quite　at　sea。



〃In　the　same　capacity　as　Lord　Rye。〃



〃And　was　Lord　Rye　engaged？〃







CHAPTER　XXVI







Mrs。　Jordan　looked　away　from　her　nowlooked；　she　thought；　rather

injured　and；　as　if　trifled　with；　even　a　little　angry。　　The　mention

of　Lady　Bradeen　had　frustrated　for　a　while　the　convergence　of　our

heroine's　thoughts；　but　with　this　impression　of　her　old　friend's

combined　impatience　and　diffidence　they　began　again　to　whirl　round

her；　and　continued　it　till　one　of　them　appeared　to　dart　at　her；　out

of　the　dance；　as　if　with　a　sharp　peck。　　It　came　to　her　with　a

lively　shock；　with　a　positive　sting；　that　Mr。　Drake　wascould　it

be　possible？　　With　the　idea　she　found　herself　afresh　on　the　edge　of

laughter；　of　a　sudden　and　strange　perversity　of　mirth。　　Mr。　Drake

loomed；　in　a　swift　image；　before　her；　such　a　figure　as　she　had　seen

in　open　doorways　of　houses　in　Cocker's　quartermajestic；　middle…

aged；　erect；　flanked　on　either　side　by　a　footman　and　taking　the

name　of　a　visitor。　　Mr。　Drake　then　verily　WAS　a　person　who　opened

the　door！　　Before　she　had　time；　however；　to　recover　from　the　effect

of　her　evocation；　she　was　offered　a　vision　which　quite　engulfed　it。

It　was　communicated　to　her　somehow　that　the　face　with　which　she　had

seen　it　rise　prompted　Mrs。　Jordan　to　dash；　a　bit　wildly；　at

something；　at　anything；　that　might　attenuate　criticism。　　〃Lady

Bradeen's　re…arrangingshe's　going　to　be　married。〃



〃Married？〃　　The　girl　echoed　it　ever　so　softly；　but　there　it　was　at

last。



〃Didn't　you　know　it？〃



She　summoned　all　her　sturdiness。　　〃No；　she　hasn't　told　me。〃



〃And　her　friendshaven't　they？〃



〃I　haven't　seen　any　of　them　lately。　　I'm　not　so　fortunate　as　you。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　gathered　herself。　　〃Then　you　haven't　even　heard　of　Lord

Bradeen's　death？〃



Her　comrade；　unable　for　a　moment　to　speak；　gave　a　slow　headshake。

〃You　know　it　from　Mr。　Drake？〃　　It　was　better　surely　not　to　learn

things　at　all　than　to　learn　them　by　the　butler。



〃She　tells　him　everything。〃



〃And　he　tells　YOUI　see。〃　　Our　young　lady　got　up；　recovering　her

muff　and　her　gloves　she　smiled。　　〃Well；　I　haven't　unfortunately　any

Mr。　Drake。　　I　congratulate　you　with　all　my　heart。　　Even　without

your　sort　of　assistance；　however；　there's　a　trifle　here　and　there

that　I　do　pick　up。　　I　gather　that　if　she's　to　marry　any　one　it　must

quite　necessarily　be　my　friend。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　was　now　also　on　her　feet。　　〃Is　Captain　Everard　your

friend？〃



The　girl　considered；　drawing　on　a　glove。　　〃I　saw；　at　one　time；　an

immense　deal　of　him。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　looked　hard　at　the　glove；　but　she　hadn't　after　all

waited　for　that　to　be　sorry　it　wasn't　cleaner。　　〃What　time　was

that？〃



〃It　must　have　been　the　time　you　were　seeing　so　much　of　Mr。　Drake。〃

She　had　now　fairly　taken　it　in：　　the　distinguished　person　Mrs。

Jordan　was　to　marry　would　answer　bells　and　put　on　coals　and

superintend；　at　least；　the　cleaning　of　boots　for　the　other

distinguished　person　whom　she　mightwell；　whom　she　might　have　had；

if　she　had　wished；　so　much　more　to　say　to。　　〃Good…bye；〃　she　added；

〃good…bye。〃



Mrs。　Jordan；　however；　again　taking　her　muff　from　her；　turned　it

over；　brushed　it　off　and　thoughtfully　peeped　into　it。　　〃Tell　me

this　before　you　go。　　You　spoke　just　now　of　your　own　changes。　　Do

you　mean　that　Mr。　Mudge？〃



〃Mr。　Mudge　has　had　great　patience　with　mehe　has　brought　me　at

last　to　the　point。　　We're　to　be　married　next　month　and　have　a　nice

little　home。　　But　he's　only　a　grocer；　you　know〃the　girl　met　her

friend's　intent　eyes〃so　that　I'm　afraid　that；　with　the　set　you've

got　into；　you　won't　see　your　way　to　keep　up　our　friendship。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　for　a　moment　made　no　answer　to　this；　she　only　held　the

muff　up　to　her　face；　after　which　she　gave　it　back。　　〃You　don't　like

it。　　I　see；　I　see。〃



To　her　guest's　astonishment　there　were　tears　now　in　her　eyes。　　〃I

don't　like　what？〃　the　girl　asked。



〃Why　my　engagement。　　Only；　with　your　great　cleverness；〃　the　poor

lady　quavered　out；　〃you　put　it　in　your　own　way。　　I　mean　that　you'll

cool　off。　　You　already　have！〃　　And　on　this；　the　next　instant；　her

tears　began　to　flow。　　She　succumbed　to　them　an