april hopes-第70节

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ovn。　　This　is；　perhaps；　a　hint　from　the　infinite　sympathy　which　feels　for
us　all　that　none　of　us　can　hope　to　free　himself　from　the　troubles　of
others；　that　we　are　each　bound　to　each　by　ties　which；　for　the　most　part；
we　cannot　perceive；　but　which；　at　the　moment　their　stress　comes；　we　cannot
break。

Mrs。　Brinkley　lay　awake　and　raged　impotently　against　her　complicity　with
the　unhappiness　of　that　distasteful　girl　and　her　more　than　distasteful
mother。　　In　her　revolt　against　it　she　renounced　the　interest　she　had　felt
in　that　silly　boy；　and　his　ridiculous　love　business；　so　really　unimportant
to　her　whatever　turn　it　took。　　She　asked　herself　what　it　mattered　to　her
whether　those　children　marred　their　lives　one　way　or　another　way。　　There
was　a　lurid　moment　before　she　slept　when　she　wished　Brinkley　to　go　down
and　recall　her　telegram；　but　he　refused　to　be　a　fool　at　so　much
inconvenience　to　himself。

Mrs。　Brinkley　came　to　breakfast　feeling　so　much　more　haggard　than　she
found　either　of　the　Pasmers　looking；　that　she　was　able　to　throw　off　her
lingering　remorse　for　having　told　Mavering　not　to　come。　　She　had　the
advantage　also　of　doubt　as　to　her　precise　motive　in　having　done　so；　she
had　either　done　so　because　she　had　judged　it　best　for　him　not　to　see　Miss
Pasmer　again；　or　else　she　had　done　so　to　relieve　the　girl　from　the　pain　of
an　encounter　which　her　mother　evidently　dreaded　for　her。　　If　one　motive
seemed　at　moments　outrageously　meddling　and　presumptuous；　the　other　was　so
nobly　good　and　kind　that　it　more　than　counterbalanced　it　in　Mrs。
Brinkley's　mind；　who　knew　very　well　in　spite　of　her　doubt　that　she　had；
acted　from　a　mixture　of　both。　　With　this　conviction；　it　was　both　a　comfort
and　a　pang　to　find　by　the　register　of　the　hotel；　which　she　furtively
consulted；　that　Dan　had　not　arrived　by　the　morning　boat；　as　she
groundlessly　feared　and　hoped　he　might　have　done。

In　any　case；　however；　and　at　the　end　of　all　the　ends；　she　had　that　girl　on
her　hands　more　than　ever；　and　believing　as　she　did　that　Dan　and　Alice　had
only　to　meet　in　order　to　be　reconciled；　she　felt　that　the　girl　whom　she
had　balked　of　her　prey　was　her　innocent　victim。　　What　right　had　she　to
interfere？　　Was　he　not　her　natural　prey？　　If　he　liked　being　a　prey；　who
was　lawfully　to　forbid　him？　　He　was　not　perfect；　he　would　know　how　to　take
care　of　himself　probably；　in　marriage　things　equalised　themselves。　　She
looked　at　the　girl's　thin　cheeks　and　lack…lustre　eyes；　and　pitied　and
hated　her　with　that　strange　mixture　of　feeling　which　our　victims　aspire　in
us。

She　walked　out　on　the　verandah　with　the　Pasmers　after　breakfast；　and
chatted　a　while　about　indifferent　things；　and　Alice　made　an　effort　to
ignore　the　event　of　the　night　before　with　a　pathos　which　wrung　Mrs。
Brinkley's　heart；　and　with　a　gay　resolution　which　ought　to　have　been　a
great　pleasure　to　such　a　veteran　dissembler　as　her　mother。　　She　said　she
had　never　found　the　air　so　delicious；　she　really　believed　it　would　begin
to　do　her　good　now；　but　it　was　a　little　fresh　just　there；　and　with　her
eyes　she　invited　her　mother　to　come　with　her　round　the　corner　into　that
sheltered　recess；　and　invited　Mrs。　Brinkley　not　to　come。

It　was　that　effect　of　resentment　which　is　lighter　even　than　a　touch；　the
waft　of　the　arrow's　feather；　but　it　could　wound　a　guilty　heart；　and　Mrs。
Brinkley　sat　down　where　she　was；　realising　with　a　pang　that　the　time　when
she　might　have　been　everything　to　this　unhappy　girl　had　just　passed　for
ever；　and　henceforth　she　could　be　nothing。　　She　remained　musing　sadly　upon
the　contradictions　she　had　felt　in　the　girl's　character；　the　confusion　of
good　and　evil；　the　potentialities　of　misery　and　harm；　the　potentialities
of　bliss　and　good；　and　she　felt　less　and　less　satisfied　with　herself。　　She
had　really　presumed　to　interfere　with　Fate；　perhaps　she　had　interfered
with　Providence。　　She　would　have　given　anything　to　recall　her　act；　and
then　with　a　flash　she　realised　that　it　was　quite　possible　to　recall　it。
She　could　telegraph　Mavering　to　come；　and　she　rose；　humbly　and　gratefully；
as　if　from　an　answered　prayer；　to　go　and　do　so。

She　was　not　at　all　a　young　woman；　and　many　things　had　come　and　gone　in　her
life　that　ought　to　have　fortified　her　against　surprise；　but　she　wanted　to
scream　like　a　little　frightened　girl　as　Dan　Mavering　stepped　out　of　the
parlour　door　toward　her。　　The　habit　of　not　screaming；　however；　prevailed；
and　she　made　a　tolerably　successful　effort　to　treat　him　with　decent
composure。　　She　gave　him　a　rigid　hand。　　〃Where　in　the　world　did　you　come
from？　　Did　you　get　my　telegram？〃

〃No。　　Did　you　get　my　letter？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　I　took　a　notion　to　come　right　on　after　I　wrote；　and　I　started　on
the　same　train　with　it。　　But　they　said　it　was　no　use　trying　to　get　into
the　Hygeia；　and　I　stopped　last　night　at　the　little　hotel　in　Hampton。　　I've
just　walked　over；　and　Mr。　Brinkley　told　me　you　were　out　here　somewhere。
That's　the　whole　story；　I　believe。〃　　He　gave　his　nervous　laugh；　but　it
seemed　to　Mrs。　Brinkley　that　it　had　not　much　joy　in　it。

〃Hush！〃　she　said　involuntarily；　receding　to　her　chair　and　sinking　back
into　it　again。　　He　looked　surprised。　　〃You　know　the　Van　Hooks　are　gone？〃

He　laughed　harshly。　　〃I　should　think　they　were　dead　from　your　manner；　Mrs。
Brinkley。　　But　I　didn't　come　to　see　the　Van　Hooks。　　What　made　you　think　I
did？〃

He　gave　her　a　look　which　she　found　so　dishonest；　so　really　insincere；　that
she　resolved　to　abandon　him　to　Providence　as　soon　as　she　could。　　〃Oh；　I
didn't　know　but　there　had　been　some　little　understanding　at　Washington。〃

〃Perhaps　on　their　part。　　They　were　people　who　seemed　to　take　a　good　many
things　for　granted；　but　they　could　hardly　expect　to　control　other　people's
movements。〃

He　looked　sharply　at　Mrs。　Brinkley；　as　if　to　question　how　much　she　knew；
but　she　had　now　measured　him；　and　she　said；　〃Oh！　then　the　visit's　to　me？〃

〃Entirely；〃　cried　Dan。　　The　old　sweetness　came　into　his　laughing　eyes
again；　and　went　to　Mrs。　Brinkley's　heart。　　She　wished　him　to　be　happy；
somehow；　she　would　have　done　anything　for　him；　she　wished　she　knew　what　to
do。　　Ought　she　to　tell　him　the　Pasmers　were　there？　　Ought　she　to　make　up
some　excuse　and　get　him　away　before　he　met　them？　　She　felt　herself　getting
more　and　more　bewildered　and　helpless。　　Those　women　might　come　round　that
corner　any　moment　and　then　she　know　the　first　sight　of　Alice's　face　would
do　or　undo　everything　with　Dan。　　Did　she　wish　them　reconciled？　　Did　she
wish　them　for　ever　parted？　　She　no　longer　knew　what　she　wished；　she　only
knew　that　she　had　no　right　to　wish　anything。　　She　continued　to　talk　on
with　Dan；　who　grew　more　and　more　at　ease；　and　did　most　of　the　talking；
while　Mrs。　Brinkley's　whole　being　narrowed　itself　to　the　question。　　Would
the　Pasmers　come　back　that　way；　or　would　they　go　round　the　further　corner；
and　get　into　the　hotel　by　another　door？

The　suspense　seemed　interminable；　they　must　have　already　gone　that　other
way。　　Suddenly　she　heard　the　pushing　back　of　chairs　in　that　recess。　　She
could　not　bear　it。　　She　jumped　to　her　feet。

〃Just　wait　a　moment；　Mr。　Mavering！　　I'll　join　you　again。　　Mr。　Brinkley　is
expectingI　must〃

　　　　　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

One　morning　of　the　following　June　Mrs。　Brinkley　sat　well　forward　in　the
beautiful　church　where　Dan　and　Alice　were　to　be　married。　　The　lovely　day
became　a　still　lovelier　day　within；　enriched　by　the　dyes　of　the　stained
windows　through　which　it　streamed；　the　still　place　was　dim　yet　bright　with
it；　the　figures　painted　on　the　walls　had　a　soft　distinctness；　a　body　of
light　seemed　to　irradiate　from　the　depths　of　the　dome　like　lamp…light。

There　was　a　subdued　murmur　of　voices　among　the　people　in　the　pews：　they
were　in　a　sacred　edifice　without　being　exactly　at　church；　and　they　might
talk；　now　and　then　a　muffled；　nervous　laugh　escaped。　　A　delicate　scent　of
flowers　from　the　masses　in　the　chancel　mixed　with　the　light　and　the
prevailing　silence。　　There　was　a　soft；　continuous　rustle　of　drapery　as　the
ladies　advanced　up　the　thickly　carpeted　aisles　on　the　arms　of　the　young
ushers　and　compressed　themselves　into　place　in　the　pews。

Two　or　three　people　whom　she　did　not　know　were　put　into　the　pew　with　Mrs。
Brinkley；　but　she　kept　her　seat　next　the　aisle；　presently　an　usher　brought
up　a　lady　who　sat　down　beside　her；　and　then　for　a　moment　or　two　seemed　to
sink　and　rise；　as　if　on　the　springs　of　an　intense　excitement。

It　was　Miss　Cotton；　who；　while　this　process　of　quiescing　lasted；　appeared
not　to　know　Mrs。　Brinkley。　　When　she　became　aware　of　her；　all　was　lost
again。　　〃Mrs。　Brinkley！〃　she　cried；　as　well　as　one　can　cry　in　whisper。
〃Is　it　possible？〃

〃I　have　my　doubts；〃　Mrs。　Brinkley　whispered　back。　　〃But　we'll　suppose　the
case。〃

〃Oh；　it's　all　too　good　to　he　true！　　How　I　envy　you　being　the　means　of
bringing　them　together；　Mrs。　Brinkley！〃

〃Means？〃

〃Yesthey　owe　it　all　to　you；　you　needn't　try　to　deny　it；　he's　told　every
one！〃

〃I　was　sure　she　hadn't；〃　said　Mrs。　Brinkley；　remembering　how　Alice　had
marked　an　increasing　ignorance　of　any　part　she　might　have　had　in　the
affair　from　the　first　moment　of　her　reconciliation　with　Dan；　she　had　the
effect　of　feeling　tha