lady baltimore-第19节
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he honeymooners hectically effervesced into small talk。 I presently found myself eating our last course amid a reestablished calm； when； with a rustle； Juno swept out from among us； to return （I suppose） to the bedside。 As she passed behind the Briton's chair； that invaluable person kicked me under the table； and on my raising my eyes to him he gave me a large； robust wink。
X： High Walk and the Ladies
I now burned to put many questions to the rest of the company。 If； through my foolish and outreaching slyness with the girl behind the counter； the door of my comprehension had been shut； Juno had now opened it sufficiently wide for a number of facts to come crowding in； so to speak； abreast。 Indeed； their simultaneous arrival was not a little confusing； as if several visitors had burst in upon me and at once begun speaking loudly； each shouting a separate and important matter which demanded my intelligent consideration。 John Mayrant worked in the custom house； and Kings Port frowned upon this； not merely Kings Port in generalwhich counted little with the boy； if indeed he noticed general opinion at allbut the boy's particular Kings Port； his severe old aunts； and his cousins； and the pretty girl at the Exchange； and the men he played cards with； all these frowned upon it； too； yet even this condemnation one could disregard if some lofty personal principle； some pledge to one's own sacred honor； were at stakebut here was no such thing： John Mayrant hated the position himself。 The salary？ No； the salary would count for nothing in the face of such a prejudice as I had seen glitter from his eye！ A strong； clever youth of twenty…three； with the world before him； and no one to supportstop！ Hortense Rieppe！ There was the lofty personal principle； the sacred pledge to honor； he was engaged presently to endow her with all his worldly goods； and to perform this faithfully a bridegroom must not； no matter how little he liked 〃taking orders from a negro；〃 fling away his worldly goods some few days before he was to pronounce his bridegroom's vow。 So here； at Mrs。 Trevise's dinner…table； I caught for one moment； to the full； a vision of the unhappy boy's plight； he was sticking to a task which he loathed that he might support a wife whom he no longer desired。 Such； as he saw it； was his duty； and nobody； not even a soul of his kin or his kind； gave him a word or a thought of understanding； gave him anything except the cold shoulder。 Yes； from one soul he had got a signfrom aged Daddy Ben； at the churchyard gate； and amid my jostling surmises and conclusions； that quaint speech of the old negro； that little act of fidelity and affection from the heart of a black man； took on a strange pathos in its isolation amid the general harshness of his white superiors。 Over this it was that I was pausing when； all in a second； perplexity again ruled my meditations。 Juno had said that the engagement was broken。 Well； if that were the caseBut was it likely to be the case？ Juno's agreeable habit； a habit grown familiar to all of us in the house； was to sprinkle about； along with her vitriol； liberal quantities of the by…product of inaccuracy。 Mingled with her latest illustrations； she had poured out for us one good dose of falsehood； the antidote for which it had been my happy office to administer on the spot。 If John Mayrant wasn't in bed from the wounds of combat； as she had given us to suppose； perhaps Hortense Rieppe hadn't released him from his plighted troth； as Juno had also announced； and distinct relief filled me when I reasoned this out。 I leave others to reason out why it was relief； and why a dull disappointment had come over me at the news that the match was off。 This； for me； should have been good news； when you consider that I had been so lately telling myself such a marriage must not be； that I must myself； somehow （since no one else would）； step in and arrest the calamity； and it seems odd that I should have felt this blankness and regret upon learning that the parties had happily settled it for themselves； and hence my difficult and delicate assistance was never to be needed by them。
Did any one else now sitting at our table know of Miss Rieppe's reported act？ What particulars concerning John's fight had been given by Juno before my entrance？ It didn't surprise me that her nephew was in bed from Master Mayrant's lusty blows。 One could readily guess the manner in which young John； with his pent…up fury over the custom house； would 〃land〃 his chastisement all over the person of any rash critic！ And what a talking about it must be going on everywhere to…day！ If Kings Port tongues had been set in motion over me and my small notebook in a library； the whole town must be buzzing over every bruise given and taken in this evidently emphatic battle。 I had hoped to glean some more precise information from my fellow…boarders after Juno had disembarrassed us of her sonorous presence； but even if they were possessed of all the facts which I lacked； Mrs。 Trevise in some masterly fashion of her own banished the subject from further discussion。 She held us off from it chiefly； I think； by adopting a certain upright posture in her chair； and a certain tone when she inquired if we wished a second help of the pudding。 After thirty…five years of boarders and butchers； life held no secrets or surprises for her； she was a mature； lone； disenchanted； able lady； and even her silence was like an arm of the law。
An all too brief conversation； nipped by Mrs。 Trevise at a stage even earlier than the bud； revealed to me that perhaps my fellow…boarders would have been glad to ask me questions； too。
It was the male honeymooner who addressed me。 〃Did I understand you to say； sir； that Mr。 Mayrant had received a bruise over his left eye？〃
〃Daphne！〃 called out Mrs。 Trevise； 〃Mr。 Henderson will take an orange。〃
And so we finished our meal without further reference to eyes； or noses； or anything of the sort。 It was just as well； I reflected； when I reached my room； that I on my side had been asked no questions； since I most likely knew less than the others who had heard all that Juno had to say； and it would have been humiliating； after my superb appearance of knowing more； to explain that John Mayrant had walked with me all the way from the Library； and never told me a word about the affair。
This reflection increased my esteem for the boy's admirable reticence。 What private matter of his own had I ever learned from him？ It was other people； invariably； who told me of his troubles。 There had been that single； quickly controlled outbreak about his position in the Custom House； and also he had let fall that touching word concerning his faith and his liking to say his prayers in the place where his mother had said them； beyond this； there had never yet been anything of all that must at the present moment be intimately stirring in his heart。
Should I 〃like to take orders from a negro？〃 Put personally； it came to me now as a new idea came as something which had never entered my mind before； not even as an abstract hypothesis I didn't have to think before reaching the answer though； something within me； which you ma call what you pleaseconvention； prejudice； instinctsomething answered most prompt and emphatically in the negative。 I revolved in my mind as I tried to pack into a box a number of objects that I had bought in one or to 〃antique〃 shops。 They wouldn't go in； the objects； they were of defeating and recalcitrant shapes； and of hostile materialsglass and brassand I must have a larger box made； and in that case I would buy this afternoon the other kettle…supporter （I forget its right name） and have the whole lot decently packed。 Take orders from a colored man？ Have him give you directions； dictate you letters； discipline you if you were unpunctual？ No； indeed！ And if such were my feeling； how must this young Southerner feel？ With this in my mind； I made sure that the part in my back hair was right； and after that precaution soon found myself on my way； in a way somewhat roundabout； to the kettle…supporter sauntering northward along High Walk； and stopping often； the town； and the water； and the distant shores all were so lovely； so belonged to one another； so melted into one gentle impression of wistfulness and tenderness！ I leaned upon the stone parapet and enjoyed the quiet which every surrounding detail brought to my senses。 How could John Mayrant endure such a situation？ I continued to wonder； and I also continued to assure myself it was absurd to suppose that the engagement was broken。
The shutting of a front door across the street almost directly behind me attracted my attention because of its being the first sound that had hap… pened in noiseless； empty High Walk since I had been strolling there； and I turned from the parapet to see that I was no longer the solitary person in the street。 Two ladies； one tall and one diminutive； both in black and with long black veils which they had put back from their faces； were evidently coming from a visit。 As the tall one bowed to me I recognized Mrs。 Gregory St。 Michael； and took off my hat。 It was not until they had crossed the street and come up the stone steps near where I stood on High Walk that the litt
