the pit-第31节

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　know；　and　I　thought　how　beautiful　it　would　be　to　leave　all　this　world；　and　soar　and　soar；　right　up　to　higher　planes　and　be　at　peace。　　Laura；　dearest；　do　you　think　I　ever　ought　to　marry？〃

〃Why　not；　girlie？　　Why　shouldn't　you　marry。　　Of　course　you'll　marry　some　day；　if　you　find〃

〃I　should　like　to　be　a　nun；〃　Page　interrupted；　shaking　her　head；　mournfully。

〃if　you　find　the　man　who　loves　you；〃　continued　Laura；　〃and　whom　youyou　admire　and　respectwhom　you　love。　　What　would　you　say；　honey；　ifif　your　sister；　if　I　should　be　married　some　of　these　days？〃

Page　wheeled　about　in　her　chair。

〃Oh；　Laura；　tell　me；〃　she　cried；　〃are　you　joking？　　Are　you　going　to　be　married？　　Who　to？　　I　hadn't　an　idea；　but　I　thoughtI　suspected〃

〃Well；〃　observed　Laura；　slowly；　〃I　might　as　well　tell　yousome　one　will　if　I　don'tMr。　Jadwin　_wants_　me　to　marry　him。〃

〃And　what　did　you　say？　　What　did　you　say？　　Oh；　I'll　never　tell。　　Oh；　Laura；　tell　me　all　about　it。〃

〃Well；　why　shouldn't　I　marry　him？　　YesI　promised。　　I　said　yes。　　Why　shouldn't　I？　　He　loves　me；　and　he　is　rich。　　Isn't　that　enough？〃

〃Oh；　no。　　It　isn't。　　You　must　loveyou　do　love　him？〃

〃I？　　Love？　　Pooh！〃　cried　Laura。　　〃Indeed　not。　　I　love　nobody。〃

〃Oh；　Laura；〃　protested　Page　earnestly。　　〃Don't；　don't　talk　that　way。　　You　mustn't。　　It's　wicked。〃

Laura　put　her　head　in　the　air。

〃I　wouldn't　give　any　man　that　much　satisfaction。　　I　think　that　is　the　way　it　ought　to　be。　　A　man　ought　to　love　a　woman　more　than　she　loves　him。　　It　ought　to　be　enough　for　him　if　she　lets　him　give　her　everything　she　wants　in　the　world。　　He　ought　to　serve　her　like　the　old　knightsgive　up　his　whole　life　to　satisfy　some　whim　of　hers；　and　it's　her　part；　if　she　likes；　to　be　cold　and　distant。　　That's　my　idea　of　love。〃

〃Yes；　but　they　weren't　cold　and　proud　to　their　knights　after　they'd　promised　to　marry　them；〃　urged　Page。　〃They　loved　them　in　the　end；　and　married　them　for　love。〃

〃Oh；　'love'！〃　mocked　Laura。　　〃I　don't　believe　in　love。　You　only　get　your　ideas　of　it　from　trashy　novels　and　matinees。　　Girlie；〃　cried　Laura；　〃I　am　going　to　have　the　most　beautiful　gowns。　　They're　the　last　things　that　Miss　Dearborn　shall　buy　for　herself；　and〃she　fetched　a　long　breath〃I　tell　you　they　are　going　to　be　creations。〃

When　at　length　the　lunch　bell　rang　Laura　jumped　to　her　feet；　adjusting　her　coiffure　with　thrusts　of　her　long；　white　hands；　the　fingers　extended；　and　ran　from　the　room　exclaiming　that　the　whole　morning　had　gone　and　that　half　her　bureau　drawers　were　still　in　disarray。

Page；　left　alone；　sat　for　a　long　time　lost　in　thought；　sighing　deeply　at　intervals；　then　at　last　she　wrote　in　her　journal：

〃A　world　without　Loveoh；　what　an　awful　thing　that　would　be。　　Oh；　love　is　so　beautifulso　beautiful；　that　it　makes　me　sad。　　When　I　think　of　love　in　all　its　beauty　I　am　sad；　sad　like　Romola　in　George　Eliot's　well…known　novel　of　the　same　name。〃

She　locked　up　her　journal　in　the　desk　drawer；　and　wiped　her　pen　point　until　it　shone；　upon　a　little　square　of　chamois　skin。　　Her　writing…desk　was　a　miracle　of　neatness；　everything　in　its　precise　place；　the　writing…　paper　in　geometrical　parallelograms；　the　pen　tray　neatly　polished。

On　the　hearth　rug；　where　Laura　had　sat；　Page's　searching　eye　discovered　traces　of　her　occupancya　glove　button；　a　white　thread；　a　hairpin。　　Page　was　at　great　pains　to　gather　them　up　carefully　and　drop　them　into　the　waste　basket。

〃Laura　is　so　fly…away；〃　she　observed；　soberly。

When　Laura　told　the　news　to　Aunt　Wess'　the　little　old　lady　showed　no　surprise。

〃I've　been　expecting　it　of　late；〃　she　remarked。　　〃Well；　Laura；　Mr。　Jadwin　is　a　man　of　parts。　　Though；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　thought　at　first　it　was　to　be　that　Mr。　Corthell。　　He　always　seemed　so　distinguished…looking　and　elegant。　　I　suppose　now　that　that　young　Mr。　Court　will　have　a　regular　conniption　fit。〃

〃Oh；　Landry；〃　murmured　Laura。

〃Where　are　you　going　to　live；　Laura？　　Here？　　My　word；　child；　don't　be　afraid　to　tell　me　I　must　pack。　　Why；　bless　you〃

〃No；　no；〃　exclaimed　Laura；　energetically；　〃you　are　to　stay　right　here。　　We'll　talk　it　all　over　just　as　soon　as　I　know　more　decidedly　what　our　plans　are　to　be。　　No；　we　won't　live　here。　　Mr。　Jadwin　is　going　to　buy　a　new　houseon　the　corner　of　North　Avenue　and　State　Street。　It　faces　Lincoln　Parkyou　know　it；　the　Farnsworth　place。〃

〃Why；　my　word；　Laura；〃　cried　Aunt　Wess'　amazed；　〃why；　it's　a　palace！　Of　course　I　know　it。　　Why；　it　takes　in　the　whole　block；　child；　and　there's　a　conservatory　pretty　near　as　big　as　this　house。　　_Well！_〃

〃Yes；　I　know；〃　answered　Laura；　shaking　her　head。　　〃It　takes　my　breath　away　sometimes。　　Mr。　Jadwin　tells　me　there's　an　art　gallery；　too；　with　an　organ　in　ita　full…sized　church　organ。　　Think　of　it。　　Isn't　it　beautiful；　beautiful？　　Isn't　it　a　happiness？　　And　I'll　have　my　own　carriage　and　coupe；　and　oh；　Aunt　Wess'；　a　saddle　horse　if　I　want　to；　and　a　box　at　the　opera；　and　a　country　placethat　is　to　be　bought　day　after　to…　morrow。　　It's　at　Geneva　Lake。　　We're　to　go　there　after　we　are　married；　and　Mr。　Jadwin　has　bought　the　dearest；　loveliest；　daintiest　little　steam　yacht。　　He　showed　the　photograph　of　her　yesterday。　　Oh；　honey；　honey！　It　all　comes　over　me　sometimes。　　Think；　only　a　year　ago；　less　than　that；　I　was　vegetating　there　at　Barrington；　among　those　wretched　old　blue…noses；　helping　Martha　with　the　preserves　and　all　and　all；　and　now〃she　threw　her　arms　wide〃I'm　just　going　to　live。　　Think　of　it；　that　beautiful　house；　and　servants；　and　carriages；　and　paintings；　and；　oh；　honey；　how　I　will　dress　the　part！〃

〃But　I　wouldn't　think　of　those　things　so　much；　Laura；〃　answered　Aunt　Wess'；　rather　seriously。　　〃Child；　you　are　not　marrying　him　for　carriages　and　organs　and　saddle　horses　and　such。　　You're　marrying　this　Mr。　Jadwin　because　you　love　him。　　Aren't　you？〃

〃Oh；〃　cried　Laura；　〃I　would　marry　a　ragamuffin　if　he　gave　me　all　these　thingsgave　them　to　me　because　he　loved　me。〃

Aunt　Wess'　stared。　　〃I　wouldn't　talk　that　way；　Laura；〃　she　remarked。　　〃Even　in　fun。　　At　least　not　before　Page。〃

That　same　evening　Jadwin　came　to　dinner　with　the　two　sisters　and　their　aunt。　　The　usual　evening　drive　with　Laura　was　foregone　for　this　occasion。　　Jadwin　had　stayed　very　late　at　his　office；　and　from　there　was　to　come　direct　to　the　Dearborns。　　Besides　that；　Nipthe　trotters　were　named　Nip　and　Tuckwas　lame。

As　early　as　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Laura；　suddenly　moved　by　an　unreasoning　caprice；　began　to　prepare　an　elaborate　toilet。　　Not　since　the　opera　night　had　she　given　so　much　attention　to　her　appearance。　　She　sent　out　for　an　extraordinary　quantity　of　flowers；　flowers　for　the　table；　flowers　for　Page　and　Aunt　Wess'；　great　〃American　beauties〃　for　her　corsage；　and　a　huge　bunch　of　violets　for　the　bowl　in　the　library。　　She　insisted　that　Page　should　wear　her　smartest　frock；　and　Mrs。　Wessels　her　grenadine　of　great　occasions。　　As　for　herself；　she　decided　upon　a　dinner　gown　of　black；　decollete；　with　sleeves　of　lace。　　Her　hair　she　dressed　higher　than　ever。　　She　resolved　upon　wearing　all　her　jewelry；　and　to　that　end　put　on　all　her　rings；　secured　the　roses　in　place　with　an　amethyst　brooch；　caught　up　the　little　locks　at　the　back　of　her　head　with　a　heart…　shaped　pin　of　tiny　diamonds；　and　even　fastened　the　ribbon　of　satin　that　girdled　her　waist；　with　a　clasp　of　flawed　turquoises。

Until　five　in　the　afternoon　she　was　in　the　gayest　spirits；　and　went　down　to　the　dining…room　to　supervise　the　setting　of　the　table；　singing　to　herself。

Then；　almost　at　the　very　last；　when　Jadwin　might　be　expected　at　any　moment；　her　humour　changed　again；　and　again；　for　no　discoverable　reason。

Page；　who　came　into　her　sister's　room　after　dressing；　to　ask　how　she　looked；　found　her　harassed　and　out　of　sorts。　　She　was　moody；　spoke　in　monosyllables；　and　suddenly　declared　that　the　wearing　anxiety　of　house…　keeping　was　driving　her　to　distraction。　　Of　all　days　in　the　week；　why　had　Jadwin　chosen　this　particular　one　to　come　to　dinner。　　Men　had　no　sense；　could　not　appreciate　a　woman's　difficulties。　　Oh；　she　would　be　glad　when　the　evening　was　over。

Then；　as　an　ultimate　disaster；　she　declared　that　she　herself　looked　〃Dutchy。〃　　There　was　no　style；　no　smartness　to　her　dress；　her　hair　was　arranged　unbecomingly；　she　was　growing　thin；　peaked。　　In　a　word；　she　looked　〃Dutchy。〃


All　at　once　she　flung　off　her　roses　and　dropped　into　a　chair。

〃I　will　not　go　down　to…night；〃　she　cried。　　〃You　and　Aunt　Wess'　must　make　out　to　receive　Mr。　Jadwin。　　I　simply　will　not　see　any　one　to…night；　Mr。　Jadwin　least　of　all。　　Tell　him　I'm　gone　to　bed　sickwhich　is　the　truth；　I　am　going　to　bed；　my　head　is　splitting。〃

All　persuasion；　entreaty；　or　cajolery　availed　nothing。　Neither　Page　nor　Aunt　Wess'　could　shake　her　decision。　At　last　Page　hazarded　a　remonstrance　to　the　effect　that　if　she　had　known　that　Laura　was　not　going　to　be　at　dinner　she　would　not　have　taken　such　pains　with　her　own　toilet。

Promptly　thereat　Laura　lost　her　temper。

〃I　do　declare；　Page；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　I　get　very　little　thanks　for　ever　taking　any　interest　in　your　personal　appearance。　　There　is　not　a　girl　in　Chicagono　millionaire's　daughterhas　any　prettier　gowns　than　you。　　I　plan　and　plan；　and　go　to　the　most　expensive　dressmakers　so　that　you　will　be　well　dressed；　and　just　as　s