lady baltimore-第13节

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ese　parting　sentences　with　the　girl　behind　the　counter：

〃They　will　have　to　shake　hands。　He　was　not　very　willing；　but　he　listened　to　me。　Of　course；　the　chastisement　was　rightbut　it　does　not　affect　my　opinion　of　his　keeping　on　with　the　position。〃

〃No；　indeed；　Aunt　Josephine！〃　the　girl　agreed。　〃I　wish　he　wouldn't。　Did　you　say　it　was　his　right　eye？〃

〃His　left。〃　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　inclined　her　head　once　more　to　me　and　went　out　of　the　Exchange。　I　retired　to　my　usual　table；　and　the　girl　read　in　my　manner；　quite　correctly；　the　feelings　which　I　had　not　supposed　I　had　allowed　to　be　evident。　She　said：

〃Aunt　Josephine　always　makes　strangers　think　she's　displeased　with　them。〃

I　replied　like　the　young　ass　which　I　constantly　tell　myself　I　have　ceased　to　be：　〃Oh；　displeasure　is　as　much　notice　as　one　is　entitled　to　from　Miss　St。　Michael。〃

The　girl　laughed　with　her　delightful　sweet　mockery。

〃I　declare；　you're　huffed！　Now　don't　tell　me　you're　not。　But　you　mustn't　be。　When　you　know　her；　you'll　know　that　that　awful　manner　means　Aunt　Josephine　is　just　being　shy。　Why；　even　I'm　not　afraid　of　her　George　Washington　glances　any　more！〃

〃Very　well；〃　I　laughed；　〃I'll　try　to　have　your　courage。〃　Over　my　chocolate　and　sandwiches　I　sat　in　curiosity　discreditable；　but　natural。　Who　was　in　bedwho　would　have　to　shake　hands？　And　why　had　they　stopped　talking　when　I　came　in？　Of　course；　I　found　myself　hoping　that　John　Mayrant　had　put　the　owner　of　the　Hermana　in　bed　at　the　slight　cost　of　a　bruise　above　his　left　eye。　I　wondered　if　the　cake　was　again　countermanded；　and　I　started　upon　that　line。　〃I　think　I'll　have　to…day；　if　you　please；　another　slice　of　that　Lady　Baltimore。〃　And　I　made　ready　for　another　verbal　skirmish。

〃I'm　so　sorry！　It's　a　little　stale　to…day。　You　can　have　the　last　slice；　if　you　wish。〃

〃Thank　you；　I　will。〃　She　brought　it。　〃It's　not　so　very　stale；〃　I　said。　〃How　long　since　it　has　been　made？〃

〃Oh；　it's　the　same　you've　been　having。　You're　its　only　patron　just　now。〃

〃Well；　no。　There's　Mr。　Mayrant。〃

〃Not　for　a　week　yet；　you　remember。〃

So　the　wedding　was　on　yet。　Still；　John　might　have　smashed　the　owner　of　the　Hermana。

〃Have　you　seen　him　lately？〃　I　asked。

There　was　something　special　in　the　way　she　looked。　〃Not　to…day。　Have　you？〃

〃Never　in　the　forenoon。　He　has　his　duties　and　I　have　mine。〃

She　made　a　little　pause；　and　then；　〃What　do　you　think　of　the　President？〃

〃The　President？〃　I　was　at　a　loss。

〃But　I'm　afraid　you　would　take　his　viewthe　Northern　view；〃　she　mused。

It　gave　me；　suddenly；　her　meaning。　〃Oh；　the　President　of　the　United　States！　How　you　do　change　the　subject！〃

Her　eyes　were　upon　me；　burning　with　sectional　indignation；　but　she　seemed　to　be　thinking　too　much　to　speak。　Now；　here　was　a　topic　that　I　had　avoided；　and　she　had　plumped　it　at　me。　Very　well；　she　should　have　my　view。

〃If　you　mean　that　a　gentleman　cannot　invite　any　respectable　member　of　any　race　he　pleases　to　dine　privately　in　his　house〃

〃His　house！〃　She　was　glowing　now　with　it。　I　think　he　isI　think　he　is　to　have　one　of　themand　even　if　he　likes　it；　not　to　remembercannot　speak　about　him！〃　she　wound　up　〃I　should　say　unbecoming　things。〃　She　had　walked　out；　during　these　words；　from　behind　the　counter　and　as　she　stood　there　in　the　middle　of　the　long　room　you　might　have　thought　she　was　about　to　lead　a　cavalry　charge。　Then；　admirably；　she　put　it　all　under；　and　spoke　on　with　perfect　self…control。　〃Why　can't　somebody　explain　it　to　him？　If　I　knew　him；　I　would　go　to　him　myself；　and　I　would　say；　Mr。　President；　we　need　not　discuss　our　different　tastes　as　to　dinner　company。　Nor　need　we　discuss　how　much　you　benefit　the　colored　race　by　an　act　which　makes　every　member　of　it　immediately　think　that　be　is　fit　to　dine　with　any　king　in　the　world。　But　you　are　staying　in　a　house　which　is　partly　our　house；　ours；　the　South's；　for　we；　too；　pay　taxes；　you　know。　And　since　you　also　know　our　deep　feelingyou　may　even　call　it　a　prejudice；　if　it　so　pleases　youdo　you　not　think　that；　so　long　as　you　are　residing　in　that　house；　you　should　not　gratuitously　shock　our　deep　feeling？〃　She　swept　a　magnificent　low　curtsy　at　the　air。

〃By　Jove；　Miss　La　Heu！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃you　put　it　so　that　it's　rather　hard　to　answer。〃

〃I'm　glad　it　strikes　you　so。〃

〃But　did　it　make　them　all　think　they　were　going　to　dine？〃

〃Hundreds　of　thousands。　It　was　proof　to　them　that　they　were　as　good　as　anybodyjust　as　good；　without　reading　or　writing　or　anything。　The　very　next　day　some　of　the　laziest　and　dirtiest　where　we　live　had　a　new　strut；　like　the　monkey　when　you　put　a　red　flannel　cap　on　himonly　the　monkey　doesn't　push　ladies　off　the　sidewalk。　And　that　state　of　mind；　you　know；〃　said　Miss　La　Heu；　softening　down　from　wrath　to　her　roguish　laugh；　〃isn't　the　right　state　of　mind　for　racial　progress！　But　I　wasn't　thinking　of　this。　You　know　he　has　appointed　one　of　them　to　office　here。〃

A　light　entered　my　brain：　John　Mayrant　had　a　position　at　the　Custom　House！　John　Mayrant　was　subordinate　to　the　President's　appointee！　She　hadn't　changed　the　subject　so　violently；　after　all。

I　came　squarely　at　it。　〃And　so　you　wish　him　to　resign　his　position？〃

But　I　was　ahead　of　her　this　time。

〃The　Chief　of　Customs？〃　she　wonderingly　murmured。

I　brought　her　up　with　me　now。　〃Did　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　say　it　was　over　his　left　eye？〃

The　girl　instantly　looked　everything　she　thought。　〃I　believe　you　were　present！〃　This　was　her　highly　comprehensive　exclamation；　accompanied　also　by　a　blush　as　splendidly　young　as　John　Mayrant　had　been　while　he　so　stammeringly　brought　out　his　wishes　concerning　the　cake。　I　at　once　decided　to　deceive　her　utterly；　and　therefore　I　spoke　the　exact　truth：　〃No；　I　wasn't　present。〃

They　did　their　work；　my　true　words；　the　false　impression　flowed　out　of　them　as　smoothly　as　California　claret　from　a　French　bottle。

〃I　wonder　who　told　you？〃　my　victim　remarked。　〃But　it　doesn't　really　matter。　Everybody　is　bound　to　know　it。　You　surely　were　the　last　person　with　him　in　the　churchyard？〃

〃Gracious！〃　I　admitted　again　with　splendidly　mendacious　veracity。　〃How　we　do　find　each　other　out　in　Kings　Port！〃

It　was　not　by　any　means　the　least　of　the　delights　which　I　took　in　the　company　of　this　charming　girl　that　sometimes　she　was　too　much　for　me；　and　sometimes　I　was　too　much　for　her。　It　was；　of　course；　just　the　accident　of　our　ages；　in　a　very　few　years　she　would　catch　up；　would　pass；　would　always　be　too　much　for　me。　Well；　to…day　it　was　happily　my　turn；　I　wasn't　going　to　finish　lunch　without　knowing　all　she；　at　any　rate；　could　tell　me　about　the　left　eye　and　the　man　in　bed。

〃Forty　years　ago；〃　I　now；　with　ingenuity；　remarked；　〃I　suppose　it　would　have　been　pistols。〃

〃She　assented。　〃And　I　like　that　betterdon't　youfor　gentlemen？〃

〃Well；　you　mean　that　fists　are〃

〃Yes；〃　she　finished　for　me。

〃All　the　same；〃　I　maintained；　〃don't　you　think　that　there　ought　to　be　some　correspondence；　some　proportion；　between　the　gravity　of　the　cause　and　the　gravity　of〃

〃Let　the　coal…heavers　take　to　their　fists！〃　she　scornfully　cried。　〃People　of　our　class　can't　descend〃

〃Well；　but；〃　I　interrupted；　〃then　you　give　the　coal…heavers　the　palm　for　discrimination。〃

〃How's　that？〃

〃Why；　perfectly！　Your　coal…heaver　kills　for　some　offenses；　while　for　lighter　ones　hegets　a　bruise　over　the　left　eye。〃

〃You　don't　meet　it；　you　don't　meet　it！　What　is　an　insult　ever　but　an　insult？〃

〃Oh；　we　in　the　North　notice　certain　degreesinsolence；　impudence；　impertinence；　liberties；　rudenessall　different。〃

She　took　up　my　phrase　with　a　sudden　odd　quietness。　〃You　in　the　North。〃

〃Why；　yes。　We　have；　alas！　to　expect　and　allow　for　rudeness　sometimes；　even　in　our　chosen　few；　and　for　liberties　in　their　chosen　few；　it's　only　the　hotel　clerk　and　the　head　waiter　from　whom　we　usually　get　impudence；　while　insolence　is　the　chronic　condition　of　the　Wall　Street　rich。〃

〃You　in　the　North！〃　she　repeated。　〃And　so　your　Northern　eyes　can't　see　it；　after　all！〃　At　these　words　my　intelligence　sailed　into　a　great　blank；　while　she　continued：　〃Franklyand　forgive　me　for　saying　itI　was　hoping　that　you　were　one　Northerner　who　would　see　it。〃

〃But　see　what？〃　I　barked　in　my　despair。

She　did　not　help　me。　〃If　I　had　been　a　man；　nothing　could　have　insulted　me　more　than　that。　And　that's　what　you　don't　see；〃　she　regretfully　finished。　〃It　seems　so　strange。〃

I　sat　in　the　midst　of　my　great　blank；　while　her　handsome　eyes　rested　upon　me。　In　them　was　that　look　of　a　certain　inquiry　and　a　certain　remoteness　with　which　one　pauses；　in　a　museum；　before　some　specimen　of　the　cave…dwelling　man。

〃You　comprehend　so　much；〃　she　meditated　slowly；　aloud；　〃you've　been　such　an　agreeable　disappointment；　because　your　point　of　view　is　so　often　the　same　as　ours。〃　She　was　still　surveying　me　with　the　specimen　expression；　when　it　suddenly　left　her。　〃Do　you　mean　to　sit　there　and　tell　me；〃　she　broke　out；　〃that　you　wouldn't　have　resented　it　yourself？〃

〃O　dear！〃　my　mind　lamentably　said　to　itself；　inside。　Of　what　may　have　been　the　exterior　that　I　presented　to　her；　sitting　over　my　slice　of　Lady　Baltimore；　I　can　form　no　impression。

〃Put　yourself　in　his　place；〃　the　girl　continued。

〃Ah；〃　I　gasped；　〃that　is　always　so　easy　to　say　and　so　hard　to　do。〃

My　remark　proved　no