april hopes-第59节

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absent…mindedness。

A　heavy　step　sounded　on　the　verandah　without。

〃There's　father！〃　she　cried　vividly；　jumping　to　her　feet　and　running　to
the　door；　while　Minnie；　in　a　nervous　bewilderment；　ran　off　upstairs　to　her
room。　　Eunice　flung　the　door　open。　　〃Well；　father；　we've　got　Dan　back
again。〃　　And　at　a　look　of　quiet　question　in　his　eye　she　hurried　on：　〃His
engagement's　broken；　and　he's　come　up　here　to　tell　us；　and　brought　Mr。
Boardman　along　to　help。〃

〃Where　is　he？〃　asked　the　father；　with　his　ruminant　quiet；　pulling　off
first　one　sleeve　of　his　overcoat；　and　pausing　for　Eunice's　answer　before
he　pulled　off　the　other。




XLVI。

〃He's　up　in　his　room；　resting　from　the　effort。〃　　She　laughed　nervously；
and　her　father　made　no　comment。　　He　took　off　his　articles；　and　then　went
creaking　upstairs　to　Dan's　room。　　But　at　the　door　he　paused；　with　his　hand
on　the　knob；　and　turned　away　to　his　own　room　without　entering。

Dan　must　have　heard　him；　in　a　few　minutes　he　came　to　him。

〃Well；　Dan；〃　said　his　father；　shaking　hands。

〃I　suppose　Eunice　has　told　you？〃　　Well；　I　want　to　tell　you　why　it
happened。〃

There　was　something　in　his　father　that　always　steadied　Dan　and　kept　him　to
the　point。　　He　now　put　the　whole　case　fairly　and　squarely；　and　his　candour
and　openness　seemed　to　him　to　react　and　characterise　his　conduct
throughout。　　He　did　not　realise　that　this　was　not　so　till　his　father　said
at　the　close；　with　mild　justice；　〃You　were　to　blame　for　letting　the　thing
run　on　so　at　loose　ends。〃

〃Yes；　of　course；〃　said　Dan；　seeing　that　he　was。　　〃But　there　was　no
intention　of　deceiving　any　one　of　bad　faith〃

〃Of　course　not。〃

〃I　thought　it　could　be　easily　arranged　whenever　it　came　to　the　point。〃

〃If　you'd　been　older；　you　wouldn't　have　thought　that。　　You　had　women　to
deal　with　on　both　sides。　　But　if　it's　all　over；　I'm　not　sorry。　　I　always
admired　Miss　Pasmer；　but　I've　been　more　and　more　afraid　you　were　not
suited　to　each　other。　　Your　mother　doesn't　know　you're　here？〃

〃No；　sir；　I　suppose　not。　　Do　you　think　it　will　distress　her？〃

〃How　did　your　sisters　take　it？〃

Dan　gave　a　rueful　laugh。　　〃It　seemed　to　be　rather　a　popular　move　with
them。〃

〃I　will　see　your　mother　first；〃　said　the　father。

He　left　them　when　they　went　into　the　library　after　supper；　and　a　little
later　Dan　and　Eunice　left　Boardman　in　charge　of　Minnie　there。

He　looked　after　their　unannounced　withdrawal　in　comic　consciousness。
〃It's　no　use　pretending　that　I'm　not　a　pretty　large　plurality　here；〃　he
said　to　Minnie。

〃Oh；　I'm　so　glad　you　came！〃　she　cried；　with　a　kindness　which　was　as　real
as　if　it　had　been　more　sincere。

〃Do　you　think　mother　will　feel　it　much？〃　asked　Dan　anxiously；　as　he　went
upstairs　with　Eunice。

〃Well；　she'll　hate　to　lose　a　correspondentsuch　a　regular　one；〃　said
Eunice；　and　the　affair　being　so　far　beyond　any　other　comment；　she　laughed
the　rest　of　the　way　to　their　mother's　room。

The　whole　family　had　in　some　degree　that　foible　which　affects　people　who
lead　isolated　lives；　they　come　to　think　that　they　are　the　only　people　who
have　their　virtues；　they　exaggerate　these；　and　they　conceive　a　kindness
even　for　the　qualities　which　are　not　their　virtues。　　Mrs。　Mavering's　life
was　secluded　again　from　the　family　seclusion；　and　their　peculiarities　were
intensified　in　her。　　Besides；　she　had　some　very　marked　peculiarities　of
her　own；　and　these　were　also　intensified　by　the　solitude　to　which　she　was
necessarily　left　so　much。　　She　meditated　a　great　deal　upon　the　character
of　her　children；　and　she　liked　to　analyse　and　censure　it　both　in　her　own
mind　and　openly　in　their　presence。　　She　was　very　trenchant　and　definite　in
these　estimates　of　them；　she　liked　to　ticket　them；　and　then　ticket　them
anew。　　She　explored　their　ancestral　history　on　both　sides　for　the　origin
of　their　traits；　and　there　were　times　when　she　reduced　them　in　formula　to
mere　congeries　of　inherited　characteristics。　　If　Eunice　was　self…willed
and　despotic；　she　was　just　like　her　grandmother　Mavering；　if　Minnie　was
all　sentiment　and　gentle　stubbornness；　it　was　because　two　aunts　of　hers；
one　on　either　side；　were　exactly　so；　if　Dan　loved　pleasure　and　beauty；　and
was　sinuous　and　uncertain　in　so　many　ways；　and　yet　was　so　kind　and
faithful　and　good；　as　well　as　shilly…shallying　and　undecided；　it　was
because　her　mother；　and　her　mother's　father；　had　these　qualities　in　the
same　combination。

When　she　took　her　children　to　pieces　before　their　faces；　she　was　sharp　and
admonitory　enough　with　them。　　She　warned　them　to　what　their　characters
would　bring　them　to　if　they　did　not　look　out；　but　perhaps　because　she
beheld　them　so　hopelessly　the　present　effect　of　the　accumulated　tendencies
of　the　family　past；　she　was　tender　and　forgiving　to　their　actions。　　The
mother　came　in　there；　and　superseded　the　student　of　heredity：　she　found
excuse　for　them　in　the　perversity　of　circumstance；　in　the　peculiar
hardship　of　the　case；　in　the　malignant　misbehaviour　of　others。

As　Dan　entered；　with　the　precedence　his　father　and　sister　yielded　him　as
the　principal　actor　in　the　scene　which　must　follow；　she　lifted　herself
vigorously　in　bed；　and　propped　herself　on　the　elbow　of　one　arm　while　she
stretched　the　other　towards　him。

〃I'm　glad　of　it；　Dan！〃　she　called；　at　the　moment　he　opened　the　door；　and
as　he　came　toward　her　she　continued；　with　the　amazing　velocity　of
utterance　peculiar　to　nervous　sufferers　of　her　sex：　〃I　know　all　about　it；
and　I　don't　blame　you　a　bit！　　And　I　don't　blame　her！　　Poor　helpless　young
things！　　But　it's　a　perfect　mercy　it's　all　over；　it's　the　greatest
deliverance　I　ever　heard　of！　　You'd　have　been　eaten　up　alive。　　I　saw　it；
and　I　knew　it　from　the　very　first　moment；　and　I've　lived　in　fear　and
trembling　for　you。　　You　could　have　got　on　well　enough　if　you'd　been　left
to　yourselves；　but　that　you　couldn't　have　been　nor　hope　to　be　as　long　as
you　breathed；　from　the　meddling　and　the　machinations　and　the　malice　of
that　unscrupulous　and　unconscionable　old　Cat！〃

By　the　time　Mrs。　Mavering　had　hissed　out　the　last　word　she　had　her　arm
round　her　boy's　neck　and　was　clutching　him；　safe　and　sound　after　his
peril；　to　her　breast；　and　between　her　kissing　and　crying　she　repeated　her
accusals　and　denunciations　with　violent　volubility。

Dan　could　not　have　replied　to　them　in　that　effusion　of　gratitude　and
tenderness　he　felt　for　his　mother's　partisanship；　and　when　she　went　on　in
almost　the　very　terms　of　his　self…defence；　and　told　him　that　he　had　done
as　he　had　because　it　was　easy　for　him　to　yield；　and　he　could　not　imagine　a
Cat　who　would　put　her　daughter　up　to　entrapping　him　into　a　promise　that
she　knew　must　break　his　mother's　heart；　he　found　her　so　right　on　the　main
point　that　he　could　not　help　some　question　of　Mrs。　Pasmer　in　his　soul。
Could　she　really　have　been　at　the　bottom　of　it　all？　　She　was　very　sly；　and
she　might　be　very　false；　and　it　was　certainly　she　who　had　first　proposed
their　going　abroad　together。　　It　looked　as　if　it　might　be　as　his　mother
said；　and　at　any　rate　it　was　no　time　to　dispute　her；　and　he　did　not　say　a
word　in　behalf　of　Mrs。　Pasmer；　whom　she　continued　to　rend　in　a　thousand
pieces　and　scatter　to　the　winds　till　she　had　to　stop　breathless。

〃Yes！　it's　quite　as　I　expected！　　She　did　everything　she　could　to　trap　you
into　it。　　She　fairly　flung　that　poor　girl　at　you。　　She　laid　her　plans　so
that　you　couldn't　say　noshe　understood　your　character　from　the　start！
and　then；　when　it　came　out　by　accident；　and　she　saw　that　she　had　older
heads　to　deal　with；　and　you　were　not　going　to　be　quite　at　her　mercy；　she
dropped　the　mask　in　an　instant；　and　made　Alice　break　with　you。　　Oh；　I
could　see　through　her　from　the　beginning！　　And　the　next　time；　Dan；　I
advise　you；　as　you　never　suspect　anybody　yourself；　to　consult　with
somebody　who　doesn't　take　people　for　what　they　seem；　and　not　to　let
yourself　be　flattered　out　of　your　sensor；　even　if　you　see　your　father　is。〃

Mrs。　Mavering　dropped　back　on　her　pillow；　and　her　husband　smiled　patiently
at　their　daughter。

Dan　saw　his　patient　smile　and　understood　it；　and　the　injustice　which　his
father　bore　made　him　finally　unwilling　to　let　another　remain　under　it。
Hard　as　it　was　to　oppose　his　mother　in　anything　when　she　was　praising　him
so　sweetly　and　comforting　him　in　the　moment　of　his　need；　he　pulled　himself
together　to　protest：　〃No；　no；　mother！　　I　don't　think　Mrs。　Pasmer　was　to
blame；　I　don't　believe　she　had　anything　to　do　with　it。　　She's　always　stood
my　friend〃

〃Oh；　I've　no　doubt　she's　made　you　think　so；　Dan；〃　said　his　mother；　with
unabated　fondness　for　him；　〃and　you　think　so　because　you're　so　simple　and
good；　and　never　suspect　evil　of　any　one。　　It's　this　hideous　optimism
that's　killing　everything'

A　certain　note　in　the　invalid's　falling　voice　seemed　to　warn　her　hearers
of　an　impending　change　that　could　do　no　one　good。　　Eunice　rose　hastily　and
interrupted：　〃Mother；　Mr。　Boardman's　here。　　He　came　up　with　Dan。　　May
Minnie　come　in　with　him？〃

Mrs。　Mavering　shot　a　glance　of　inquiry　at　Dan；　and　then　let　a　swift
inspection　range　over　all　the　details　of　the　room；　and　finally　concentrate
itself　on　the　silk　and　lace　of　her　bed；　over　which　she　passed　a　smoothing
hand。　　〃Mr。　Boardman？〃　she　cried；　with　i