april hopes-第9节

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lavish。　　And　he　came　here　with　a　reputation　for　popularity　from　a　very
good　school；　and　that　always　goes　a　very　great　way　in　college。〃

〃Yes？〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　feeling　herself　getting　hopelessly　adrift　in
these　unknown　waters；　but　reposing　a　pious　confidence　in　her　pilot。

〃Yes；　if　a　sufficient　number　of　his　class　said　he　was　the　best　fellow　in
the　world；　he　would　be　pretty　sure　to　be　chosen　one　of　the　First　Ten　in
the　'Dickey'。〃

〃What　mysteries！〃　gasped　Mrs。　Pasmer；　disposed　to　make　fun　of　them；　but　a
little　overawed　all　the　same。　　〃What　in　the　world　is　the　'Dickey'？〃

〃It's　the　society　that　the　Freshmen　are　the　most　eager　to　get　into。
They're　chosen；　ten　at　a　time；　by　the　old　members；　and　to　be　one　of　the
first　tenthe　only　Freshmen　chosenis　something　quite　ineffable。〃

〃I　see。〃　　Mrs。　Pasmer　fanned　herself；　after　taking　a　long　breath。　　〃And
when　he　had　got　into　the　　〃

〃Then　it　would　depend　upon　himself；　how　he　spent　his　money；　and　all　that；
and　what　sort　of　society　success　he　was　in　Boston。　　That　has　a　great　deal
to　do　with　it　from　the　first。　　Then　another　thing　is　caution
discreetness；　not　saying　anything　censorious　or　critical　of　other　men；　no
matter　what　they　do。　　And　Dan　Mavering　is　the　perfection　of　prudence；
because　he's　the　perfection　of　good…nature。〃

Mrs。　Pasmer　had　apparently　got　all　of　these　facts　that　she　could　digest。
〃And　who　are　the　Maverings？〃

〃Why；　it's　an　old　Boston　name〃

〃It's　too　old；　isn't　it？　　Like　Pasmer。　　There　are　no　Maverings　in　Boston
that　I　ever　heard　of。〃

〃No；　the　name's　quite　died　out　just　here；　I　believe：　but　it's　old；　and　it
bids　fair　to　be　replated　at　Ponkwasset　Falls。〃

〃At　Ponk〃

〃That's　where　they　have　their　mills；　or　factories；　or　shops；　or　whatever
institution　they　make　wall…paper　in。〃

〃Wall…paper！〃　cried　Mrs。　Pasmer；　austerely。　　After　a　moment　she　asked：
〃And　is　wall…paper　the　'thing'　now？　　I　mean〃　　She　tried　to　think　of
some　way　of　modifying　the　commonness　of　her　phrase；　but　did　not。　　After
all；　it　expressed　her　meaning。

〃It　isn't　the　extreme　of　fashion；　of　course。　　But　it's　manufacturing；　and
it　isn't　disgraceful。　　And　the　Mavering　papers　are　very　pretty；　and　you
can　live　with　them　without　becoming　anaemic；　or　having　your　face　twitch。〃

〃Face　twitch？〃　echoed　Mrs。　Pasmer。

〃Yes；　arsenical　poisoning。〃

〃Oh！　　Conscientious　as　well　as　aesthetic。　　I　see。　　And　does　Mr。　Mavering
put　his　artistic　temperament　into　them？〃

〃His　father　does。　　He's　a　very　interesting　man。　　He　has　the　best　taste　in
certain　thingshe　knows　more　about　etchings；　I　suppose；　than　any　one
else　in　Boston。〃

〃Is　it　possible！　　And　does　he　live　at　Ponkwasset　Falls？　　It's　in　Rhode
Island；　isn't　it？〃

〃New　Hampshire。　　Yes；　the　whole　family　live　there。〃

〃The　whole　family？　　Are　there　many　of　them？　　I'd　fancied；　somehow；　that
Mr。　Mavering　was　the　onlyDo　tell　me　about　them；　Etta；〃　said　Mrs。
Pasmer；　leaning　back　in　her　chair；　and　fanning　herself　with　an　effect　of
impartial　interest；　to　which　the　dim　light　of　the　room　lent　itself。

〃He's　the　only　son。　　But　there　are　daughters；　of　coursevery　cultivated
girls。〃

〃And　is　heis　the　elder　Mr。　Mavering　aI　don't　know　what　made　me　think
soa　widower？〃

〃Well；　nonot　exactly。〃

〃Not　exactly！　　He's　not　a　grass…widower；　I　hope？〃

〃No；　indeed。　　But　his　wife's　a　helpless　invalid；　and　always　has　been。
He's　perfectly　devoted　to　her；　and　he　hurried　home　yesterday；　though　he
wanted　very　much　to　stay　for　Commencement。　　He's　never　away　from　her
longer　than　he　can　help。　　She's　bedridden；　and　you　can　see　from　the
moment　you　enter　it　that　it's　a　man's　house。　　Daughters　can't　change
that；　you　know。〃

〃Have　you　been　there？〃　asked　Mrs。　Pasmer；　surprised　that　she　was　getting
so　much　information；　but　eager　for　more。　　〃Why；　how　long　have　you　known
them；　Etta？〃

〃Only　since　Dan　came　to　Harvard。　　Mr。　Saintsbury　took　a　fancy　to　him　from
the　start；　and　the　boy　was　so　fond　of　him　that　they　were　always　insisting
upon　a　visit；　and　last　summer　we　stopped　there　on　our　way　to　the
mountains。〃

〃And　the　sistersdo　they　stay　there　the　whole　year　round？　　Are　they
countrified？〃

〃One　doesn't　live　in　the　country　without　being　countrified；〃　said　Mrs。
Saintsbury。　　〃They're　rather　quiet　girls；　though　they've　been　about　a
good　dealto　Europe　with　friends；　and　to　New　York　in　the　winter。
They're　older　than　Dan；　they're　more　like　their　father。　　Are　you　afraid
of　that　draught　at　the　windows？〃

〃Oh　no；　it's　delicious。　　And　he's　like　the　mother？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Then　it's　the　father　who　has　the　artistic　tastehe　gets　that　from　him；
and　the　mother　who　has　the〃

〃Temperamentyes。〃

〃How　extremely　interesting！　　And　so　he's　going　to　be　a　lawyer。　　Why
lawyer；　if　he's　got　the　talent　and　the　temperament　of　an　artist？　　Does
his　father　wish　him　to　be　a　lawyer？〃

〃His　father　wishes　him　to　be　a　wall…paper　maker。〃

〃And　the　young　man　compromises　on　the　law。　　I　see；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer。
〃And　you　say　he's　been　going　into　Boston　a　great　deal？　　Where　does　he
go？〃

The　ladies　entered　into　this　social　inquiry　with　a　zest　which　it　would　be
hard　to　make　the　reader　share；　or　perhaps　to　feel　the　importance　of。
It　is　enough　that　it　ended　in　the　social　vindication　of　Dan　Mavering。
It　would　not　have　been　enough　for　Mrs　Pasmer　that　he　was　accepted　in　the
best　Cambridge　houses；　she　knew　of　old　how　people　were　accepted　in
Cambridge　for　their　intellectual　brilliancy　or　solidity；　their　personal
worth；　and　all　sorts　of　things；　without　consideration　of　the　mystical
something　which　gives　vogue　in　Boston。

〃How　superb　Alice　was！〃　Mrs。　Saintsbury　broke　off　abruptly。　　〃She　has
such　a　beautiful　manner。　Such　repose。〃

〃Repose！　　Yes；〃　said　her　mother；　thoughtfully。　　〃But　she's　very　intense。
And　I　don't　see　where　she　gets　it。　　Her　father　has　repose　enough；　but　he
has　no　intensity；　and　I'm　all　intensity；　and　no　repose。　　But　I'm　no　more
like　my　mother　than　Alice　is　like　me。〃

〃I　think　she　has　the　Hibbins　face；〃　said　Mrs。　Saintsbury。

〃Oh！　she's　got　the　Hibbins　face；〃　said　Mrs　Pasmer；　with　a　disdain　of　tone
which　she　did　not　at　all　feel；　the　tone　was　mere　absent…mindedness。

She　was　about　to　revert　to　the　question　of　Mavering's　family；　when　the
door…bell　rang；　and　another　visitor　interrupted　her　talk　with　Mrs。
Saintsbury。




IX。

Mrs。　Pasmer's　husband　looked　a　great　deal　older　than　herself；　and；　by
operation　of　a　well…known　law　of　compensation；　he　was　lean　and　silent；
while　she　was　plump　and　voluble。　　He　had　thick　eyebrows；　which　remained
black　after　his　hair　and　beard　had　become　white；　and　which　gave　him　an
aspect　of　fierceness；　expressive　of　nothing　in　his　character。　　It　was
from　him　that　their　daughter　got　her　height；　and；　as　Mrs。　Pasmer　freely
owned；　her　distinction。

Soon　after　their　marriage　the　Pasmers　had　gone　to　live　in　Paris；　where
they　remained　faithful　to　the　fortunes　of　the　Second　Empire　till　its
fall；　with　intervals　of　return　to　their　own　country　of　a　year　or　two
years　at　a　time。　　After　the　fall　of　the　Empire　they　made　their　sojourn　in
England；　where　they　lived　upon　the　edges　and　surfaces　of　things；　as
Americans　must　in　Europe　everywhere；　but　had　more　permanency　of　feeling
than　they　had　known　in　France；　and　something　like　a　real　social　status。
At　one　time　it　seemed　as　if　they　might　end　their　days　there；　but　that
which　makes　Americans　different　from　all　other　peoples；　and　which　finally
claims　their　allegiance　for　their　own　land；　made　them　wish　to　come　back
to　America；　and　to　come　back　to　Boston。　　After　all；　their　place　in
England　was　strictly　inferior；　and　must　be。　　They　knew　titles；　and
consorted　with　them；　but　they　had　none　themselves；　and　the　English
constancy　which　kept　their　friends　faithful　to　them　after　they　had　become
an　old　story；　was　correlated　with　the　English　honesty　which　never
permitted　them　to　mistake　themselves　for　even　the　lowest　of　the　nobility。
They　went　out　last；　and　they　did　not　come　in　first；　ever。

The　invitations；　upon　these　conditions；　might　have　gone　on　indefinitely；
but　they　did　not　imply　a　future　for　the　young　girl　in　whom　the　interests
of　her　parents　centred。　　After　being　so　long　a　little　girl；　she　had
become　a　great　girl；　and　then　all　at　once　she　had　become　a　young　lady。
They　had　to　ask　themselves；　the　mother　definitely　and　the　father
formlessly；　whether　they　wished　their　daughter　to　marry　an　Englishman；
and　their　hearts　answered　them；　like　true　Republican　hearts；　Not　an
untitled　Englishman；　while　they　saw　no　prospect　of　her　getting　any　other。
Mrs。　Pasmer　philosophised　the　case　with　a　clearness　and　a　courage　which
gave　her　husband　a　series　of　twinges　analogous　to　the　toothache；　for　a
man　naturally　shrinks　from　such　bold　realisations。　　She　said　Alice　had
the　beauty　of　a　beauty；　and　she　had　the　distinction　of　a　beauty；　but　she
had　not　the　principles　of　a　beauty；　there　was　no　use　pretending　that　she
had。　　For　this　reason　the　Prince　of　Wales's　set；　so　accessible　to
American　loveliness　with　the　courage　of　its　convictions；　was　beyond　her；
and　the　question　was　whether　there　was　money　enough　for　a　younger　son；　or
whether；　if　there　was；　a　younger　son　was　worth　it。

However　this　might　be；　there　was　no　question　but　there　was　now　less　money
than　there　had　been；　and