an open-eyed conspiracy-第13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！



〃Oh；　the　taint　doesn't　show　itself　at　once


'If　nature　put　not　forth　her　power
About　the　opening　of　the　flower；
Who　is　it　that　would　live　an　hour？'


and　she　is　a　flower；　beautiful；　exquisite〃

〃Yes；　and　she　had　a　mother　as　well　as　this　father　of　hers。　　Why
shouldn't　she　be　like　her　mother？〃

I　laughed。　　〃That　is　true！　　I　wonder　why　we　always　leave　the　mother
out　of　the　count　when　we　sum　up　the　hereditary　tendencies？　　I
suppose　the　mother　is　as　much　a　parent　as　the　father。〃

〃Quite。　　And　there　is　no　reason　why　this　girl　shouldn't　have　her
mother's　nature。〃

〃We　don't　actually　KNOW　anything　against　her　father's　nature　yet；〃　I
suggested；　〃but　if　her　mother　lived　a　starved　and　stunted　life　with
him；　it　may　account　for　that　effect　of　disappointed　greed　which　I
fancied　in　her　when　I　first　saw　her。〃

〃I　don't　call　it　greed　in　a　young　girl　to　want　to　see　something　of
the　world。〃

〃What　do　you　call　it？〃

Kendricks　and　the　girl　were　stopping　at　the　gate　of　the　pavilion；
and　looking　round　at　us。　　〃Ah；　he's　got　enough　for　one　day！　　He's
going　to　leave　her　to　us　now。〃

When　we　came　up　he　said；　〃I'm　going　to　run　off　a　moment；　I'm　going
up　to　the　book…store　there；〃　and　he　pointed　toward　one　that　had
spread　across　the　sidewalk　just　below　the　Congress　Hall　verandah；
with　banks　and　shelves　of　novels；　and　a　cry　of　bargains　in　them　on
signs　sticking　up　from　their　rows。　　〃I　want　to　see　if　they　have　the
Last　Days　of　Pompeii。〃

〃We　will　find　the　ladies　inside　the　park；〃　I　said。　　〃I　will　go　with
you〃

〃Mr。　March　wants　to　see　if　they　have　the　last　number　of　Every　Other
Week；〃　my　wife　mocked　after　us。　　This　was；　indeed；　commonly　a　foible
of　mine。　　I　had　newly　become　one　of　the　owners　of　the　periodical　as
well　as　the　editor；　and　I　was　all　the　time　looking　out　for　it　at　the
news…stands　and　book…stores；　and　judging　their　enterprise　by　its
presence　or　absence。　　But　this　time　I　had　another　motive；　though　I
did　not　allege　it。

〃I　suppose　it's　for　Miss　Gage？〃　I　ventured　to　say；　by　way　of
prefacing　what　I　wished　to　say。　　〃Kendricks；　I'm　afraid　we're
abusing　your　good　nature。　　I　know　you're　up　here　to　look　about；　and
you're　letting　us　use　all　your　time。　　You　mustn't　do　it。　　Women　have
no　conscience　about　these　things；　and　you　can't　expect　a　woman　who
has　a　young　lady　on　her　hands　to　spare　you。　　I　give　you　the　hint。
Don't　count　upon　Mrs。　March　in　this　matter。〃

〃Oh；　I　think　you　are　very　good　to　allow　me　to　bother　round；〃　said
the　young　fellow；　with　that　indefatigable　politeness　of　his。　　He
added　vaguely；　〃It's　very　interesting。〃

〃Seeing　it　through　such　a　fresh　mind？〃　I　suggested。　　〃Well；　I'll　own
that　I　don't　think　you　could　have　found　a　much　fresher　one。　　Has　she
read　the　Last　Days　of　Pompeii？〃

〃She　thought　she　had　at　first；　but　it　was　the　Fall　of　Granada。〃

〃How　delightful！　　Don't　you　wish　we　could　read　books　with　that
utterly　unliterary　sense　of　them？〃

〃Don't　you　think　women　generally　do？〃　he　asked　evasively。

〃I　daresay　they　do　at　De　Witt　Point。〃

He　did　not　answer；　I　saw　that　he　was　not　willing　to　talk　the　young
lady　over；　and　I　could　not　help　praising　his　taste　to　myself　at　the
cost　of　my　own。　　His　delicacy　forbade　him　the　indulgence　which　my
own　protested　against　in　vain。　　He　showed　his　taste　again　in　buying
a　cheap　copy　of　the　book；　which　he　meant　to　give　her；　and　of　course
he　had　to　be　all　the　more　attentive　to　her　because　of　my　deprecating
his　self…devotion。



CHAPTER　XI



In　the　intimacy　that　grew　up　between　my　wife　and　Miss　Gage　I　found
myself　less　and　less　included。　　It　seemed　to　me　at　times　that　I
might　have　gone　away　from　Saratoga　and　not　been　seriously　missed　by
any　one；　but　perhaps　this　was　not　taking　sufficient　account　of　my
value　as　a　spectator；　by　whom　Mrs。　March　could　verify　her　own
impressions。

The　girl　had　never　known　a　mother's　care；　and　it　was　affecting　to
see　how　willing　she　was　to　be　mothered　by　the　chance　kindness　of　a
stranger。　　She　probably　felt　more　and　more　her　ignorance　of　the
world　as　it　unfolded　itself　to　her　in　terms　so　altogether　strange　to
the　life　of　De　Witt　Point。　　I　was　not　sure　that　she　would　have　been
so　grateful　for　the　efforts　made　for　her　enjoyment　if　they　had
failed；　but　as　the　case　stood　she　was　certainly　grateful；　my　wife
said　that；　and　I　saw　it。　　She　seemed　to　have　written　home　about　us
to　her　father；　for　she　read　my　wife　part　of　a　letter　from　him
conveying　his　〃respects；〃　and　asking　her　to　thank　us　for　him。　　She
came　to　me　with　the　cheque　it　enclosed；　and　asked　me　to　get　it
cashed　for　her；　it　was　for　a　handsome　amount。　　But　she　continued　to
go　about　at　our　cost；　quite　unconsciously；　till　one　day　she　happened
to　witness　a　contest　of　civility　between　Kendricks　and　myself　as　to
which　should　pay　the　carriage　we　were　dismissing。　　That　night　she
came　to　Mrs。　March；　and；　with　many　blushes；　asked　to　be　allowed　to
pay　for　the　past　and　future　her　full　share　of　the　expense　of　our
joint　pleasures。　　She　said　that　she　had　never　thought　of　it　before；
and　she　felt　so　much　ashamed。　　She　could　not　be　consoled　till　she
was　promised　that　she　should　be　indulged　for　the　future；　and　that　I
should　be　obliged　to　average　the　outlay　already　made　and　let　her　pay
a　fourth。　　When　she　had　gained　her　point；　Mrs。　March　said　that　she
seemed　a　little　scared；　and　said；　〃I　haven't　offended　you；　Mrs。
March；　have　I？　　Because　if　it　isn't　right　for　me　to　pay〃

〃It's　quite　right；　my　dear；〃　said　my　wife；　〃and　it's　very　nice　of
you　to　think　of　it。〃

〃You　know；〃　the　girl　explained；　〃I've　never　been　out　a　great　deal　at
home　even；　and　it's　always　the　custom　there　for　the　gentlemen　to　pay
for　a　rideor　danceor　anything；　but　this　is　different。〃

Mrs　March　said　〃Yes；〃　and；　in　the　interest　of　civilisation；　she　did
a　little　missionary　work。　　She　told　her　that　in　Boston　the　young
ladies　paid　for　their　tickets　to　the　Harvard　assemblies；　and
preferred　to　do　it；　because　it　left　them　without　even　a　tacit
obligation。

Miss　Gage　said　she　had　never　heard　of　such　a　thing　before；　but　she
could　see　how　much　better　it　was。

I　do　not　think　she　got　on　with　the　Last　Days　of　Pompeii　very
rapidly；　its　immediate　interest　was　superseded　by　other　things。　　But
she　always　had　the　book　about　with　her；　and　I　fancied　that　she　tried
to　read　it　in　those　moments　of　relaxation　from　our　pleasuring　when
she　might　better　have　been　day…dreaming；　though　I　dare　say　she　did
enough　of　that　too。

What　amused　me　in　the　affair　was　the　celerity　with　which　it　took
itself　out　of　our　hands。　　In　an　incredibly　short　time　we　had　no
longer　the　trouble　of　thinking　what　we　should　do　for　Miss　Gage；　that
was　provided　for　by　the　forethought　of　Kendricks；　and　our　concern
was　how　each　could　make　the　other　go　with　the　young　people　on　their
excursions　and　expeditions。　　We　had　seen　and　done　all　the　things
that　they　were　doing；　and　it　presently　bored　us　to　chaperon　them。
After　a　good　deal　of　talking　we　arrived　at　a　rough　division　of　duty；
and　I　went　with　them　walking　and　eating　and　drinking；　and　for
anything　involving　late　hours；　and　Mrs。　March　presided　at　such
things　as　carriage　exercise；　concerts；　and　shopping。

There　are　not　many　public　entertainments　at　Saratoga；　except　such　as
the　hotels　supply；　but　a　series　of　Salvation　Army　meetings　did　duty
as　amusements；　and　there　was　one　theatrical　performancea
performance　of　East　Lynne　entirely　by　people　of　colour。　　The
sentiments　and　incidents　of　the　heart…breaking　melodrama；　as　the
coloured　mind　interpreted　them；　were　of　very　curious　effect。　　It　was
as　if　the　version　were　dyed　with　the　same　pigment　that　darkened　the
players'　skins：　　it　all　came　out　negro。　　Yet　they　had　tried　to　make
it　white；　I　could　perceive　how　they　aimed　not　at　the　imitation　of
our　nature；　but　at　the　imitation　of　our　convention；　it　was　like　the
play　of　children　in　that。　　I　should　have　said　that　nothing　could　be
more　false　than　the　motives　and　emotions　of　the　drama　as　the　author
imagined　them；　but　I　had　to　own　that　their　rendition　by　these
sincere　souls　was　yet　more　artificial。　　There　was　nothing
traditional；　nothing　archaic；　nothing　autochthonic　in　their　poor
art。　　If　the　scene　could　at　any　moment　have　resolved　myself　into　a
walk…round；　with　an　interspersion　of　spirituals；　it　would　have　had
the　charm　of　these；　it　would　have　consoled　and　edified；　but　as　it
was　I　have　seldom　been　so　bored。　　I　began　to　make　some　sad
reflections；　as　that　our　American　society；　in　its　endeavour　for　the
effect　of　European　society；　was　of　no　truer　ideal　than　these
coloured　comedians；　and　I　accused　myself　of　a　final　absurdity　in
having　come　there　with　these　young　people；　who；　according　to　our
good　native　usage；　could　have　come　perfectly　well　without　me。　　At
the　end　of　the　first　act　I　broke　into　their　talk　with　my　conclusion
that　we　must　not　count　the　histrionic　talent　among　the　gifts　of　the
African　race　just　yet。　　We　could　concede　them　music；　I　supposed；　and
there　seemed　to　be　hope　for　them；　from　what　they　had　some　of　them
done；　in　the　region　of　the　plastic　arts；　but　apparently　the　stage
was　not　for　them；　and　this　was　all　the　stranger　because　they　were　so
imitative。　　Perhaps；　I　said；　it　was　an　excess　of　self…consciousness
which　prevented　their　givi