april hopes-第8节

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look　in　all　their　eyes；　he　handed　the　tattered　nosegay　to　his　father。

〃Oh；　how　delightful！　how　delicate！　how　perfect！〃　　Mrs。　Pasmer　confided　to
herself。

〃I　think　this　must　be　for　you；　Mrs。　Pasmer；〃　said　the　elder　Mavering；
offering　her　the　bouquet；　with　a　grave　smile　at　his　son's　whim。

〃Oh　no；　indeed！〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer。　　〃For　Mrs。　Saintsbury；　of　course。〃

She　gave　it　to　her；　and　Mrs。　Saintsbury　at　once　transferred　it　to　Miss
Pasmer。

〃They　wished　me　to　pass　this　to　you；　Alice；〃　and　at　this　consummation　Dan
Mavering　broke　into　another　happy　laugh。

〃Mrs。　Saintsbury；　you　always　do　the　right　thing　at　once；〃　he　cried。

〃That's　more　than　I　can　say　of　you；　Mr。　Mavering；〃　she　retorted。

〃Oh；　thank　you；　Mr。　Mavering！〃　said　the　girl；　receiving　the　flowers。　　It
was　as　if　she　had　been　too　intent　upon　them　and　him　to　have　noticed　the
little　comedy　that　had　conveyed　them　to　her。




VIII。

As　soon　after　Class　Day　as　Mrs。　Pasmer's　complaisant　sense　of　the
decencies　would　let　her；　she　went　out　from　Boston　to　call　on　Mrs。
Saintsbury　in　Cambridge；　and　thank　her　for　her　kindness　to　Alice　and
herself。　　〃She　will　know　well　enough　what　I　come　for；〃　she　said　to
herself；　and　she　felt　it　the　more　important　to　ignore　Mrs。　Saintsbury's
penetration　by　every　polite　futility；　this　was　due　to　them　both：　and　she
did　not　go　till　the　second　day　after。

Mrs。　Saintsbury　came　down　into　the　darkened；　syringa…scented　library　to
find　her；　and　give　her　a　fan。

〃You　still　live；　Jenny；〃　she　said；　kissing　her　gaily。

They　called　each　other　by　their　girl　names；　as　is　rather　the　custom　in
Boston　with　ladies　who　are　in　the　same　set；　whether　they　are　great
friends　or　not。　　In　the　more　changeful　society　of　Cambridge；　where　so
many　new　people　are　constantly　coming　and　going　in　connection　with　the
college；　it　is　not　so　much　the　custom；　but　Mrs。　Saintsbury　was　Boston
born；　as　well　as　Mrs。　Pasmer；　and　was　Cantabrigian　by　marriagethough
this　is　not　saying　that　she　was　not　also　thoroughly　so　by　convincement
and　usage　she　now　rarely　went　into　Boston　society。

〃Yes；　Ettajust。　　But　I　wasn't　sure　of　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　〃when　I
woke　yesterday。　　I　was　a　mere　aching　jelly！〃

〃And　Alice？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　think　she　had　any　physical　consciousness。　　She　was　a　mere
rapturous　memory！〃

〃She　did　have　a　good　time；　didn't　she？〃　said　Mrs。　Saintsbury；　in　a
generous　retrospect。　　〃I　think　she　was　on　her　feet　every　moment　in　the
evening。　　It　kept　me　from　getting　tired；　to　watch　her。〃

〃I　was　afraid　you'd　be　quite　worn　out。　　I'd　no　idea　it　was　so　late。　　It
must　have　been　nearly　half　past　seven　before　we　got　away　from　the　Beck
Hall　spread；　and　then　by　the　time　we　had　walked　round　the　college
groundshow　extremely　pretty　the　lanterns　were；　and　how　charming　the
whole　effect　was！it　must　have　been　nine　before　the　dancing　began。
Well；　we　owe　it　all　to　you；　Etta。〃

〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean　by　owing。　　I'm　always　glad　of　an　excuse　for
Class　Day。　　And　it　was　Dan　Mavering　who　really　managed　the　affair。〃

〃He　was　very　kind；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　with　a　feeling　which　was　chiefly
gratitude　to　her　friend　for　bringing　in　his　name　so　soon。　　Now　that　it
had　been　spoken；　she　felt　it　decorous　to　throw　aside　the　outer　integument
of　pretense；　which　if　it　could　have　been　entirely　exfoliated　would　have
caused　Mrs。　Pasmer　morally　to　disappear；　like　an　onion　stripped　of　its
successive　laminae。

〃What　did　you　mean；〃　she　asked；　leaning　forward；　with；　her　face　averted；
〃about　his　having　the　artistic　temperament？　　Is　he　going　to　be　an　artist？
I　should　hope　not。〃　　She　remembered　without　shame　that　she　had　strongly
urged　him　to　consider　how　much　better　it　would　be　to　be　a　painter　than　a
lawyer；　in　the　dearth　of　great　American　painters。

〃He　could　be　a　painter　if　he　likedup　to　a　certain　point；〃　said　Mrs。
Saintsbury。　　〃Or　he　could　be　any　one　of　half　s　dozen　other　thingshis
last　craze　was　journalism；　but　you　know　what　I　mean　by　the　artistic
temperament：　it's　that　inability　to　be　explicit；　that　habit　of　leaving
things　vague　and　undefined；　and　hoping　they'll　somehow　come　out　as　you
want　them　of　themselves；　that　way　of　taking　the　line　of　beauty　to　get　at
what　you　wish　to　do　or　say；　and　of　being　very　finicking　about　little
things　and　lag　about　essentials。　　That's　what　I　mean　by　the　artistic
temperament。〃

〃Yes；　that's　terrible；〃　sighed　Mrs。　Pasmer；　with　the　abstractly　severe
yet　personally　pitying　perception　of　one　whose　every　word　and　act　was
sincere　and　direct。　　〃I　know　just　what　you　mean。　　But　how　does　it　apply
to　Mr。　Mavering？〃

〃It　doesn't；　exactly；〃　returned　her　friend。　　〃And　I'm　always　ashamed　when
I　say；　or　even　think；　anything　against　Dan　Mavering。　　He's　sweetness
itself。　　We've　known　him　ever　since　he　came　to　Harvard；　and　I　must　say
that　a　more　constant　and　lovely　follow　I　never　saw。　　It　wasn't　merely
when　he　was　a　Freshman；　and　he　had　that　home　feeling　hanging　about　him
still　that　makes　all　the　Freshmen　so　appreciative　of　anything　you　do　for
them；　but　all　through　the　Sophomore　and　Junior　years；　when　they're　so
taken　up　with　their　athletics　and　their　societies　and　their　college　life
generally　that　they　haven't　a　moment　for　people　that　have　been　kind　to
them；　he　was　just　as　faithful　as　ever。〃

〃How　nice！〃　cried　Mrs。　Pasmer。

Yes；　indeed！　　And　all　the　allurements　of　Boston　society　haven't　taken　him
from　us　altogether。　　You　can't　imagine　how　much　this　means　till　you've
been　at　home　a　while　and　seen　how　the　students　are　petted　and　spoiled
nowadays　in　the　young　society。〃

〃Oh；　I've　heard　of　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer。　　〃And　is　it　his　versatility　and
brilliancy；　or　his　amiability；　that　makes　him　such　a　universal
favourite？〃

〃Universal　favourite？　　I　don't　know　that　he's　that。〃

〃Well；　popular；　then。〃

〃Oh；　he's　certainly　very　much　liked。　　But；　Jenny；　there　are　no　universal
favourites　in　Harvard　now；　if　there　ever　were：　the　classes　are　altogether
too　big。　　And　it　wouldn't　be　ability；　and　it　wouldn't　be　amiability
alone；　that　would　give　a　man　any　sort　of　leadership。〃

〃What　in　the　world　would　it　be？〃

〃That　question；　more　than　anything　else；　shows　how　long　you've　been　away；
Jenny。　　It　would　be　familyfamily；　with　a　judicious　mixture　of　the
others；　and　with　money。〃

〃Is　it　possible？　　But　of　courseI　remember！　　Only　at　their　age　one
thinks　of　students　as　being　all　hail…fellow…well…met　with　each　other〃

〃Yes；　it's　hard　to　realise　how　conventional　they　arehow　very　much
worldlier　than　the　worldtill　one　sees　it　as　one　does　in　Cambridge。
They　pique　themselves　on　it。　　And　Mr。　Saintsbury〃she　was　one　of　those
women　whom　everything　reminds　of　their　husbands　〃says　that　it　isn't　a　bad
thing　altogether。　　He　says　that　Harvard　is　just　like　the　world；　and　even
if　it's　a　little　more　so；　these　boys　have　got　to　live　in　the　world；　and
they　had　better　know　what　it　is。　　You　may　not　approve　of　the　Harvard
spirit；　and　Mr。　Saintsbury　doesn't　sympathise　with　it；　he　only　says　it's
the　world's　spirit。　　Harvard　menthe　swellsare　far　more　exclusive　than
Oxford　men。　　A　student；　'comme　il　faut'；　wouldn't　at　all　like　to　be
supposed　to　know　another　student　whom　we　valued　for　his　brilliancy；
unless　he　was　popular　and　well　known　in　college。〃

〃Dear　me！〃　cried　Mrs。　Pasmer。　　〃But　of　course！　　It's　perfectly　natural；
with　young　people。　　And　it's　well　enough　that　they　should　begin　to
understand　how　things　really　are　in　the　world　early；　it　will　save　them
from　a　great　many　disappointments。〃

〃I　assure　you　we　have　very　little　to　teach　Harvard　men　in　those　matters。
They　could　give　any　of　us　points。　　Those　who　are　of　good　family　and
station　know　how　to　protect　themselves　by　reserves　that　the　others
wouldn't　dare　to　transgress。　　But　a　merely　rich　man　couldn't　rise　in
their　set　any　more　than　a　merely　gifted　man。　　He　could　get　on　to　a
certain　point　by　toadying；　and　some　do；　but　he　would　never　get　to　be
popular；　like　Dan　Mavering。〃

〃And　what　makes　him　popular？to　go　back　to　the　point　we　started　from；〃
said　Mrs。　Pasmer。

〃Ah；　that's　hard　to　say。　　It'squality；　I　suppose。　　I　don't　mean　social
quality；　exactly；　but　personal　charm。　　He　never　had　a　mean　thought；　of
course　we're　all　full　of　mean　thoughts；　and　Dan　is　too；　but　his　first
impulse　is　always　generous　and　sweet；　and　at　his　age　people　act　a　great
deal　from　impulse。　　I　don't　suppose　he　ever　met　a　human　being　without
wanting　to　make　him　like　him；　and　trying　to　do　it。〃

〃Yes；　he　certainly　makes　you　like　him；〃　sighed　Mrs。　Pasmer。　　〃But　I
understand　that　he　can't　make　people　like　him　without　family　or　money；
and　I　don't　understand　that　he's　one　of　those　'nouveaux　riches'　who　are
giving　Harvard　such　a　reputation　for　extravagance　nowadays。〃

There　was　an　inquiring　note　in　Mrs。　Pasmer's　voice；　and　in　the　syringa…
scented　obscurity；　which　protected　the　ladies　from　the　expression　of　each
other's　faces；　Mrs。　Saintsbury　gave　a　little　laugh　of　intelligence；　to
which　Mrs。　Pasmer　responded　by　a　murmur　of　humorous　enjoyment　at　being
understood。

〃Oh　no！　　He　isn't　one　of　those。　　But　the　Maverings　have　plenty　of　money；〃
said　Mrs。　Saintsbury；　〃and　Dan's　been　very　free　with　it；　though　not
lavish。　　And　he　came　here　with　a　reputation　for　popularity　from　a　very
good　school；　and　that　alwa