in the cage-第6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！



young　men；　and　anything　like　a　margin　so　absent；　that　it　needed

more　art　than　she　should　ever　possess　to　pretend　in　the　least　to

compass；　with　any　one　in　the　nature　of　an　acquaintancesay　with

Mrs。　Jordan　herself；　flying　in；　as　it　might　happen；　to　wire

sympathetically　to　Mrs。　Bubban　approach　to　a　relation　of　elegant

privacy。　　She　remembered　the　day　when　Mrs。　Jordan　HAD；　in　fact；　by

the　greatest　chance；　come　in　with　fifty…three　words　for　Lord　Rye

and　a　five…pound　note　to　change。　　This　had　been　the　dramatic　manner

of　their　reuniontheir　mutual　recognition　was　so　great　an　event。

The　girl　could　at　first　only　see　her　from　the　waist　up；　besides

making　but　little　of　her　long　telegram　to　his　lordship。　　It　was　a

strange　whirligig　that　had　converted　the　clergyman's　widow　into

such　a　specimen　of　the　class　that　went　beyond　the　sixpence。



Nothing　of　the　occasion；　all　the　more；　had　ever　become　dim；　least

of　all　the　way　that；　as　her　recovered　friend　looked　up　from

counting；　Mrs。　Jordan　had　just　blown；　in　explanation；　through　her

teeth　and　through　the　bars　of　the　cage：　　〃I　DO　flowers；　you　know。〃

Our　young　woman　had　always；　with　her　little　finger　crooked　out；　a

pretty　movement　for　counting；　and　she　had　not　forgotten　the　small

secret　advantage；　a　sharpness　of　triumph　it　might　even　have　been

called；　that　fell　upon　her　at　this　moment　and　avenged　her　for　the

incoherence　of　the　message；　an　unintelligible　enumeration　of

numbers；　colours；　days；　hours。　　The　correspondence　of　people　she

didn't　know　was　one　thing；　but　the　correspondence　of　people　she　did

had　an　aspect　of　its　own　for　her　even　when　she　couldn't　understand

it。　　The　speech　in　which　Mrs。　Jordan　had　defined　a　position　and

announced　a　profession　was　like　a　tinkle　of　bluebells；　but　for

herself　her　one　idea　about　flowers　was　that　people　had　them　at

funerals；　and　her　present　sole　gleam　of　light　was　that　lords

probably　had　them　most。　　When　she　watched；　a　minute　later；　through

the　cage；　the　swing　of　her　visitor's　departing　petticoats；　she　saw

the　sight　from　the　waist　down；　and　when　the　counter…clerk；　after　a

mere　male　glance；　remarked；　with　an　intention　unmistakeably　low；

〃Handsome　woman！〃　she　had　for　him　the　finest　of　her　chills：　　〃She's

the　widow　of　a　bishop。〃　　She　always　felt；　with　the　counter…clerk；

that　it　was　impossible　sufficiently　to　put　it　on；　for　what　she

wished　to　express　to　him　was　the　maximum　of　her　contempt；　and　that

element　in　her　nature　was　confusedly　stored。　　〃A　bishop〃　was

putting　it　on；　but　the　counter…clerk's　approaches　were　vile。　　The

night；　after　this；　when；　in　the　fulness　of　time；　Mrs。　Jordan

mentioned　the　grand　long　talks；　the　girl　at　last　brought　out：

〃Should　I　see　them？I　mean　if　I　WERE　to　give　up　everything　for

you。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　at　this　became　most　arch。　　〃I'd　send　you　to　all　the

bachelors！〃



Our　young　lady　could　be　reminded　by　such　a　remark　that　she　usually

struck　her　friend　as　pretty。　　〃Do　THEY　have　their　flowers？〃



〃Oceans。　　And　they're　the　most　particular。〃　　Oh　it　was　a　wonderful

world。　　〃You　should　see　Lord　Rye's。〃



〃His　flowers？〃



〃Yes；　and　his　letters。　　He　writes　me　pages　on　pageswith　the　most

adorable　little　drawings　and　plans。　　You　should　see　his　diagrams！〃







CHAPTER　VIII







The　girl　had　in　course　of　time　every　opportunity　to　inspect　these

documents；　and　they　a　little　disappointed　her；　but　in　the　mean

while　there　had　been　more　talk；　and　it　had　led　to　her　saying；　as　if

her　friend's　guarantee　of　a　life　of　elegance　were　not　quite

definite：　　〃Well；　I　see　every　one　at　MY　place。〃



〃Every　one？〃



〃Lots　of　swells。　　They　flock。　　They　live；　you　know；　all　round；　and

the　place　is　filled　with　all　the　smart　people；　all　the　fast　people；

those　whose　names　are　in　the　papersmamma　has　still　The　Morning

Postand　who　come　up　for　the　season。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　took　this　in　with　complete　intelligence。　　〃Yes；　and　I

dare　say　it's　some　of　your　people　that　I　do。〃



Her　companion　assented；　but　discriminated。　　〃I　doubt　if　you　'do'

them　as　much　as　I！　　Their　affairs；　their　appointments　and

arrangements；　their　little　games　and　secrets　and　vicesthose

things　all　pass　before　me。〃



This　was　a　picture　that　could　make　a　clergyman's　widow　not

imperceptibly　gasp；　it　was　in　intention　moreover　something　of　a

retort　to　the　thousand　tulips。　　〃Their　vices？　　Have　they　got

vices？〃



Our　young　critic　even　more　overtly　stared　then　with　a　touch　of

contempt　in　her　amusement：　　〃Haven't　you　found　THAT　out？〃　　The

homes　of　luxury　then　hadn't　so　much　to　give。　　〃I　find　out

everything。〃



Mrs。　Jordan；　at　bottom　a　very　meek　person；　was　visibly　struck。　　〃I

see。　　You　do　'have'　them。〃



〃Oh　I　don't　care！　　Much　good　it　does　me！〃



Mrs。　Jordan　after　an　instant　recovered　her　superiority。　　〃Noit

doesn't　lead　to　much。〃　　Her　own　initiations　so　clearly　did。　　Still…

…after　all；　and　she　was　not　jealous：　　〃There　must　be　a　charm。〃



〃In　seeing　them？〃　　At　this　the　girl　suddenly　let　herself　go。　　〃I

hate　them。　　There's　that　charm！〃



Mrs。　Jordan　gaped　again。　　〃The　REAL　'smarts'？〃



〃Is　that　what　you　call　Mrs。　Bubb？　　Yesit　comes　to　me；　I've　had

Mrs。　Bubb。　　I　don't　think　she　has　been　in　herself；　but　there　are

things　her　maid　has　brought。　　Well；　my　dear！〃and　the　young　person

from　Cocker's；　recalling　these　things　and　summing　them　up；　seemed

suddenly　to　have　much　to　say。　　She　didn't　say　it；　however；　she

checked　it；　she　only　brought　out：　　〃Her　maid；　who's　horridSHE

must　have　her！〃　　Then　she　went　on　with　indifference：　　〃They're　TOO

real！　　They're　selfish　brutes。〃



Mrs。　Jordan；　turning　it　over；　adopted　at　last　the　plan　of　treating

it　with　a　smile。　　She　wished　to　be　liberal。　　〃Well；　of　course；　they

do　lay　it　out。〃



〃They　bore　me　to　death；〃　her　companion　pursued　with　slightly　more

temperance。



But　this　was　going　too　far。　　〃Ah　that's　because　you've　no

sympathy！〃



The　girl　gave　an　ironic　laugh；　only　retorting　that　nobody　could

have　any　who　had　to　count　all　day　all　the　words　in　the　dictionary；

a　contention　Mrs。　Jordan　quite　granted；　the　more　that　she　shuddered

at　the　notion　of　ever　failing　of　the　very　gift　to　which　she　owed

the　voguethe　rage　she　might　call　itthat　had　caught　her　up。

Without　sympathyor　without　imagination；　for　it　came　back　again　to

thathow　should　she　get；　for　big　dinners；　down　the　middle　and

toward　the　far　corners　at　all？　　It　wasn't　the　combinations；　which

were　easily　managed：　　the　strain　was　over　the　ineffable

simplicities；　those　that　the　bachelors　above　all；　and　Lord　Rye

perhaps　most　of　any；　threw　offjust　blew　off　like　cigarette…puffs…

…such　sketches　of。　　The　betrothed　of　Mr。　Mudge　at　all　events

accepted　the　explanation；　which　had　the　effect；　as　almost　any　turn

of　their　talk　was　now　apt　to　have；　of　bringing　her　round　to　the

terrific　question　of　that　gentleman。　　She　was　tormented　with　the

desire　to　get　out　of　Mrs。　Jordan；　on　this　subject；　what　she　was

sure　was　at　the　back　of　Mrs。　Jordan's　head；　and　to　get　it　out　of

her；　queerly　enough；　if　only　to　vent　a　certain　irritation　at　it。

She　knew　that　what　her　friend　would　already　have　risked　if　she

hadn't　been　timid　and　tortuous　was：　　〃Give　him　upyes；　give　him

up：　　you'll　see　that　with　your　sure　chances　you'll　be　able　to　do

much　better。〃



Our　young　woman　had　a　sense　that　if　that　view　could　only　be　put

before　her　with　a　particular　sniff　for　poor　Mr。　Mudge　she　should

hate　it　as　much　as　she　morally　ought。　　She　was　conscious　of　not；　as

yet；　hating　it　quite　so　much　as　that。　　But　she　saw　that　Mrs。　Jordan

was　conscious　of　something　too；　and　that　there　was　a　degree　of

confidence　she　was　waiting　little　by　little　to　arrive　at。　　The　day

came　when　the　girl　caught　a　glimpse　of　what　was　still　wanting　to

make　her　friend　feel　strong；　which　was　nothing　less　than　the

prospect　of　being　able　to　announce　the　climax　of　sundry　private

dreams。　　The　associate　of　the　aristocracy　had　personal

calculationsmatter　for　brooding　and　dreaming；　even　for　peeping

out　not　quite　hopelessly　from　behind　the　window…curtains　of　lonely

lodgings。　　If　she　did　the　flowers　for　the　bachelors；　in　short；

didn't　she　expect　that　to　have　consequences　very　different　from

such　an　outlook　at　Cocker's　as　she　had　pronounced　wholly　desperate？

There　seemed　in　very　truth　something　auspicious　in　the　mixture　of

bachelors　and　flowers；　though；　when　looked　hard　in　the　eye；　Mrs。

Jordan　was　not　quite　prepared　to　say　she　had　expected　a　positive

proposal　from　Lord　Rye　to　pop　out　of　it。　　Our　young　woman　arrived

at　last；　none　the　less；　at　a　definite　vision　of　what　was　in　her

mind。　　This　was　a　vivid　foreknowledge　that　the　betrothed　of　Mr。

Mudge　would；　unless　conciliated　in　advance　by　a　successful　rescue；

almost　hate　her　on　the　day　she　should　break　a　particular　piece　of

news。　　How　could　that　unfortunate　otherwise　endure　to　hear　of　what；

under　the　protection　of　Lady　Ventnor；　was　after　all　so　possible







CHAPTER　IX







Meanwhile；　since　irritation　somet