an open-eyed conspiracy-第19节

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Gage？〃

〃No；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　think　I　could　invent　it。〃　　And　he　dashed　down
an　extremely　probable　marquis；　while　Miss　Gage　clapped　her　hands　for
joy。

〃Oh；　how　glorious！　how　splendid！〃

I　asked；　〃Will　you　ever　give　me　away　the　longest　day　you　live？〃

〃Never；〃　she　promised；　and　I　added　the　name　of　a　South　American
doctor；　one　of　those　doctors　who　seem　to　be　always　becoming　the
presidents　of　their　republics；　and　ordering　all　their　patients　of
opposite　politics　to　be　shot　in　the　plaza。

Kendricks　entered　a　younger　son　of　an　English　duke；　and　I
contributed　the　hyphenated　surname　of　a　New　York　swell；　and　between
us　we　soon　had　all　the　dances　on　Miss　Gage's　card　taken　by　the　most
distinguished　people。　　We　really　studied　probability　in　the　forgery；
and　we　were　proud　of　the　air　of　reality　it　wore　in　the　carefully
differenced　handwritings；　with　national　traits　nicely　accented　in
each。



CHAPTER　XVI



The　fun　of　it　all　was　that　Mrs。　March　was　not　deceived　for　an
instant。　　〃Oh；　nonsense！〃　she　said；　when　she　glanced　at　our　pretty
deception；　which　we　presented　with　perhaps　too　perfect　seriousness。
〃Then　you　danced　only　the　first　dance？〃

〃No；　no！〃　Miss　Gage　protested。　　〃I　danced　every　dance　as　long　as　I
stayed。〃　　She　laughed　with　her　handkerchief　to　her　mouth　and　her
eyes　shining　above。

〃Yes；　I　can　testify　to　that；　Mrs。　March；〃　said　Kendricks；　and　he
laughed　wildly；　too。　　I　must　say　their　laughter　throughout　was　far
beyond　the　mirthfulness　of　the　facts。　　They　both　protested　that　they
had　had　the　best　time　in　the　world；　and　the　gayest　time；　that　I　had
been　a　mirror　of　chaperons；　and　followed　them　round　with　my　eyes
wherever　they　went　like　a　family　portrait；　and　that　they　were　the
most　exemplary　young　couple　at　the　hop　in　their　behaviour。　　Mrs。
March　asked　them　all　about　it；　and　she　joined　in　their　fun　with　a
hilarity　which　I　knew　from　long　experience　boded　me　no　good。

When　Kendricks　had　gone　away；　and　Miss　Gage　had　left　us　for　the
night　with　an　embrace；　whose　fondness　I　wondered　at；　from　Mrs。
March；　an　awful　silence　fell　upon　us　in　the　deserted　parlour　where
she　had　waited　up。

I　knew　that　when　she　broke　the　silence　she　would　begin　with；　〃Well；
my　dear！〃　and　this　was　what　she　did。　　She　added；　〃I　hope　you're
convinced　NOW！〃

I　did　not　even　pretend　not　to　understand。　　〃You　mean　that　they　are
in　love？　　I　suppose　that　their　we…ing　and　us…ing　so　much　would
indicate　something　of　the　kind。〃

〃It　isn't　that　alone；　everything　indicates　it。　　She　would　hardly　let
go　of　him　with　her　eyes。　　I　wish；〃　sighed　Mrs。　March；　and　she　let
her　head　droop　upon　her　hand　a　moment；　〃I　could　be　as　sure　of　him　as
I　am　of　her。〃

''Wouldn't　that　double　the　difficulty？〃　I　ventured　to　suggest；
though　till　she　spoke　I　had　not　doubted　that　it　was　the　case。

〃I　should　make　you　speak　to　him　if　I　were　sure　of　him；　but　as　it　is
I　shall　speak　to　her；　and　the　sooner　the　better。〃

〃To…night？〃　I　quaked。

〃No；　I　shall　let　the　poor　thing　have　her　sleep　to…night。　　But　the
first　thing　in　the　morning　I　shall　speak；　and　I　want　you　to　send　her
up　to　me　as　soon　as　she's　had　her　breakfast。　　Tell　her　I'm　not　well；
and　shall　not　be　down；　I　shall　not　close　my　eyes　the　whole　night。
And　now；〃　she　added；　〃I　want　you　to　tell　me　everything　that　happened
this　evening。　　Don't　omit　a　word；　or　a　look；　or　a　motion。　　I　wish　to
proceed　intelligently。〃

I　hope　I　was　accurate　in　the　history　of　the　hop　which　I　gave　Mrs。
March；　I　am　sure　I　was　full。　　I　think　my　account　may　be　justly
described　as　having　a　creative　truthfulness；　if　no　other　merit。　　I
had　really　no　wish　to　conceal　anything　except　the　fact　that　I　had
not；　in　my　utter　helplessness；　even　tried　to　get　Miss　Gage　any　other
partners。　　But　in　the　larger　interest　of　the　present　situation；　Mrs。
March　seemed　to　have　lost　the　sense　of　my　dereliction　in　this
respect。　　She　merely　asked；　〃And　it　was　after　you　went　back　to　the
parlour；　just　before　you　came　home；　that　you　wrote　those　names　on
her　card？〃

〃Kendricks　wrote　half　of　them；〃　I　said。

〃I　dare　say。　　Well；　it　was　very　amusing；　and　if　the　circumstances
were　different；　I　could　have　entered　into　the　spirit　of　it　too。　　But
you　see　yourself；　Basil；　that　we　can't　let　this　affair　go　any
further　without　dealing　frankly　with　her。　　YOU　can't　speak　to　her；
and　_I_　MUST。　　Don't　you　see？〃

I　said　that　I　saw；　but　I　had　suddenly　a　wild　wish　that　it　were
practicable　for　me　to　speak　to　Miss　Gage。　　I　should　have　liked　to
have　a　peep　into　a　girl's　heart　at　just　such　a　moment；　when　it　must
be　quivering　with　the　unconfessed　sense　of　love；　and　the　confident
hope　of　being　loved；　but　while　as　yet　nothing　was　assured；　nothing
was　ascertained。　　If　it　would　not　have　been　shocking；　if　it　would
not　have　been　sacrilegious；　it　would　have　been　infinitely
interesting；　and　from　an　aesthetic　point　of　view　infinitely
important。　　I　thought　that　I　should　have　been　willing　to　undergo　all
the　embarrassment　of　such　an　inquiry　for　the　sake　of　its　precious
results；　if　it　had　been　at　all　possible；　but　I　acquiesced　that　it
would　not　be　possible。　　I　felt　that　I　was　getting　off　pretty　lightly
not　to　have　it　brought　home　to　me　again　that　I　was　the　cause　of　all
this　trouble；　and　that　if　it　had　not　been　for　me　there　would　have
been；　as　far　as　Mrs。　March　was　concerned；　no　Miss　Gage；　and　no　love…
affair　of　hers　to　deal　with。　　I　debated　in　my　mind　a　moment　whether
I　had　better　urge　her　to　let　me　speak　to　Kendricks　after　all；　but　I
forbore；　and　in　the　morning　I　waited　about　in　much　perturbation；
after　I　had　sent　Miss　Gage　to　her；　until　I　could　know　the　result　of
their　interview。　　When　I　saw　the　girl　come　away　from　her　room；　which
she　did　rather　trippingly；　I　went　to　her；　and　found　her　by　no　means
the　wreck　I　had　expected　the　ordeal　to　leave　her。

〃Did　you　meet　Miss　Gage？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes；〃　I　returned；　with　tremulous　expectation。

〃Well；　don't　you　think　she　looks　perfectly　divine　in　that　gown？
It's　one　of　Mme。　Cody's；　and　we　got　it　for　thirty　dollars。　　It　would
have　been　fifty　in　New　York；　and　it　was；　here；　earlier　in　the
season。　　I　shall　always　come　here　for　some　of　my　things；　as　soon　as
the　season's　a　little　past　they　simply　FLING　them　away。　　Well；　my
dear！〃

〃Well；　what？〃

〃I　didn't　speak　to　her　after　all。〃

〃You　didn't！　　Don't　you　think　she's　in　love　with　him；　then？〃

〃Dead。〃

〃Well？〃

〃Well；　I　couldn't　somehow　seem　to　approach　the　subject　as　I　had
expected　to。　　She　was　so　happy；　and　so　good；　and　so　perfectly
obedient；　that　I　couldn't　get　anything　to　take　hold　of。　　You　see；　I
didn't　know　but　she　might　be　a　little　rebellious；　or　resentful　of　my
interference；　but　in　the　little　gingerly　attempts　I　did　make　she　was
so　submissive；　don't　you　understand？　　And　she　was　very　modest　about
Mr。　Kendricks'　attentions；　and　so　self…depreciatory　that；　well〃

〃Look　here；　Isabel；〃　I　broke　in；　〃this　is　pretty　shameless　of　you。
You　pretend　to　be　in　the　greatest　kind　of　fidge　about　this　girl；　and
you　make　me　lie　awake　all　night　thinking　what　you're　going　to　say　to
her；　and　now　you　as　much　as　tell　me　you　were　so　fascinated　with　the
modest　way　she　was　in　love　that　you　couldn't　say　anything　to　her
against　being　in　love　on　our　hands　in　any　sort　of　way。　　Do　you　call
this　business？〃

〃Well；　I　don't　care　if　I　DID　encourage　her〃

〃Oh；　you　even　encouraged　her！〃

〃I　DIDN'T　encourage　her。　　I　merely　praised　Mr。　Kendricks；　and　said
how　much　you　thought　of　him　as　a　writer。〃

〃Oh！　then　you　gave　the　subject　a　literary　cast。　　I　see！　　Do　you
think　Miss　Gage　was　able　to　follow　you？〃

〃That　doesn't　matter。〃

〃And　what　do　you　propose　to　do　now？〃

〃I　propose　to　do　nothing。　　I　think　that　I　have　done　all　my　duty
requires；　and　that　now　I　can　leave　the　whole　affair　to　you。　　It　was
your　affair　in　the　beginning。　　I　don't　see　why　I　should　worry　myself
about　it。〃

〃It　seems　to　me　that　this　is　a　very　strange　position　for　a　lady　to
take　who　was　not　going　to　close　an　eye　last　night　in　view　of　a
situation　which　has　not　changed　in　the　least；　except　for　the　worse。
Don't　you　think　you　are　rather　culpably　light…hearted　all　of　a
sudden？〃

〃I　am　light…hearted；　but　if　there　is　any　culpability　it　is　yours；
Basil。〃

I　reflected；　but　I　failed　to　find　any　novelty　in　the　fact。　　〃Very
well；　then；　what　do　you　propose　that　I　should　do？〃

〃I　leave　that　entirely　to　your　own　conscience。〃

〃And　if　my　conscience　has　no　suggestion　to　make？〃

〃That's　your　affair。〃

I　reflected　again；　and　then　I　said；　more　than　anything　to　make　her
uncomfortable；　I'm　afraid：　　〃I　feel　perfectly　easy　in　my　conscience；
personally；　but　I　have　a　social　duty　in　the　matter；　and　I　hope　I
shall　perform　it　with　more　fidelity　and　courage　than　you　have　shown。
I　shall　speak　to　Kendricks。〃

She　said：　　〃That　is　just　what　you　ought　to　do。　　I'm　quite
surprised。〃　　After　this　touch　of　irony　she　added　earnestly；　〃And　I
do　hope；　my　dear；　you　will　use　judgment　in　speaking　to　him；　and
tact。　　You　mustn't　go　at　it　bluntly。　　Remember　that　Mr。　Kendricks　is
not　at　all　to　blame。　　He　began　to　show　her　attention　to　oblige　us；
and　if　she　has　fallen　in　love　with　him　it　is　our　fault。〃

〃I　shall　handle　him　without　gloves；〃　I　said。　　〃I　shall　tell　him　he
had　better　go　away。〃

I　was