lady baltimore-第2节

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usted；　her　appearance　even　to…day　causes　people　to　turn　and　look；　she　is　not　tall　in　feet　and　inchesI　have　to　stoop　considerably　when　she　commands　from　me　the　familiarity　of　a　kiss；　but　in　the　quality　which　we　call　force；　in　moral　stature；　she　must　be　full　eight　feet　high。　When　rebuking　me；　she　can　pronounce　a　single　word；　my　name；　〃Augustus！〃　in　a　tone　that　renders　further　remark　needless；　and　you　should　see　her　eye　when　she　says　of　certain　newcomers　in　our　society；　〃I　don't　know　them。〃　She　can　make　her　curtsy　as　appalling　as　a　natural　law；　she　knows　also　how　to　〃take　umbrage；〃　which　is　something　that　I　never　knew　any　one　else　to　take　outside　of　a　book；　she　is　a　highly　pronounced　Christian；　holding　all　Unitarians　wicked　and　all　Methodists　vulgar；　and　once；　when　she　was　talking　（as　she　does　frequently）　about　King　James　and　the　English　religion　and　the　English　Bible；　and　I　reminded　her　that　the　Jews　wrote　it；　she　said　with　displeasure　that　she　made　no　doubt　King　James　had　〃well；　seen　to　it　that　all　foreign　matter　was　expunged〃I　give　you　her　own　words。　Unless　you　have　moved　in　our　best　American　society　（and　by　this　I　do　not　at　all　mean　the　lower　classes　with　dollars　and　no　grandfathers；　who　live　in　palaces　at　Newport；　and　look　forward　to　every…　thing　and　back　to　nothing；　but　those　Americans　with　grandfathers　and　no　dollars；　who　live　in　boarding…houses；　and　look　forward　to　nothing　and　back　to　everything）unless　you　have　known　this　haughty　and　improving　milieu；　you　have　never　seen　anything　like　my　Aunt　Carola。　Of　course；　with　Uncle　Andrew's　money；　she　does　not　live　in　a　boarding…house；　and　I　shall　finish　this　brief　attempt　to　place　her　before　you　by　adding　that　she　can　be　very　kind；　very　loyal；　very　public…spirited；　and　that　I　am　truly　attached　to　her。

〃Upon　your　mother's　side　of　the　family；〃　she　said；　〃of　course。〃

〃Me！〃　I　did　not　have　to　feign　amazement。

My　Aunt　was　silent。　〃Me　descended　from　a　king？〃

My　Aunt　nodded　with　an　indulgent　stateliness。　〃There　seems　to　be　the　possibility　of　it。〃

〃Royal　blood　in　my　veins；　Aunt？〃

〃I　have　said　so；　Augustus。　Why　make　me　repeat　it？〃

It　was　now；　I　fear；　that　I　met　Aunt　Carola　in　that　unfitting　spirit；　that　volatile　mood；　which；　as　I　have　said　already；　her　remarks　often　rouse　in　me。

〃And　from　what　sovereign　may　I　hope　that　I？〃

〃If　you　will　consult　a　recent　admirable　compilation；　entitled　The　American　Almanach　de　Gotha；　you　will　find　that　Henry　the　Seventh〃

〃Aunt；　I　am　so　much　relieved！　For　I　think　that　I　might　have　hesitated　to　trace　it　back　had　you　saidwellCharles　the　Second；　for　example；　or　Elizabeth。〃

At　this　point　I　should　have　been　wise　to　notice　my　Aunt's　eye；　but　I　did　not；　and　I　continued　imprudently：

〃Though　why　hesitate？　I　have　never　heard　that　there　was　anybody　present　to　marry　Adam　and　Eve；　and　so　why　should　we　all　make　such　a　to…do　about〃

〃Augustus！〃

She　uttered　my　name　in　that　quiet　but　prodigious　tone　to　which　I　have　alluded　above。

It　was　I　who　was　now　silent。

〃Augustus；　if　you　purpose　trifling；　you　may　leave　the　room。〃

〃Oh；　Aunt；　I　beg　your　pardon。　I　never　meant〃

〃I　cannot　understand　what　impels　you　to　adopt　such　a　manner　to　me；　when　I　am　trying　to　do　something　for　you。〃

I　hastened　to　strengthen　my　apologies　with　a　manner　becoming　the　possible　descendant　of　a　king　toward　a　lady　of　distinction；　and　my　Aunt　was　pleased　to　pass　over　my　recent　lapse　from　respect。　She　now　broached　her　favorite　topic；　which　I　need　scarcely　tell　you　is　genealogy；　beginning　with　her　own。

〃If　your　title　to　royal　blood；〃　she　said；　〃were　as　plain　as　mine　（through　Admiral　Bombo；　you　know）；　you　would　not　need　any　careful　research。〃

She　told　me　a　great　deal　of　genealogy；　which　I　spare　you；　it　was　not　one　family　tree；　it　was　a　forest　of　them。　It　gradually　appeared　that　a　grandmother　of　my　mother's　grandfather　had　been　a　Fanning；　and　there　were　sundry　kinds　of　Fannings；　right　ones　and　wrong　ones；　the　point　for　me　was；　what　kind　had　mine　been？　No　family　record　showed　this。　If　it　was　Fanning　of　the　Bon　Homme　Richard　variety；　or　Fanning　of　the　Alamance；　then　I　was　no　king's　descendant

〃Worthy　New　England　people；　I　understand；〃　said　my　Aunt　with　her　nod　of　indulgent　stateliness；　referring　to　the　Bon　Homme　Richard　species；　〃but　of　entirely　bourgeois　extractionPaul　Jones　himself；　you　know；　was　a　mere　gardener's　sonwhile　the　Alamance　Fanning　was　one　of　those　infamous　regulators　who　opposed　Governor　Tryon。　Not　through　any　such　cattle　could　you　be　one　of　us；〃　said　my　Aunt。

But　a　dim；　distant；　hitherto　uncharted　Henry　Tudor　Fanning　had　fought　in　some　of　the　early　Indian　wars；　and　the　last　of　his　known　blood　was　reported　to　have　fallen　while　fighting　bravely　at　the　battle　of　Cowpens。　In　him　my　hope　lay。　Records　of　Tarleton；　records　of　Marion's　men；　these　were　what　I　must　search；　and　for　these　I　had　best　go　to　Kings　Port。　If　I　returned　with　Kinship　proven；　then　I　might　be　a　Selected　Salic　Scion；　a　chosen　vessel；　a　royal　seed；　one　in　the　most　exalted　circle　of　men　and　women　upon　our　coasts。　The　other　qualifications　were　already　mine：　ancestors　colonial　and　bellicose　upon　land　and　sea

〃besides　having　acquired；〃　my　Aunt　was　so　good　as　to　say；　〃sufficient　personal　presentability　since　your　life　in　Paris；　of　which　I　had　rather　not　know　too　much；　Augustus。　It　is　a　pity；〃　she　repeated；　〃that　you　will　have　so　much　research。　With　my　family　it　was　all　so　satisfactorily　clear　through　Kill…devil　BomboAdmiral　Bombo's　spirited；　reckless　son。〃

You　will　readily　conceive　that　I　did　not　venture　to　betray　my　ignorance　of　these　Bombos；　I　worked　my　eyebrows　to　express　a　silent　and　timeworn　familiarity。

〃Go　to　Kings　Port。　You　need　a　holiday；　at　any　rate。　And　I；〃　my　Aunt　handsomely　finished；　〃will　make　the　journey　a　present　to　you。〃

This　generosity　made　me　at　once；　and　sincerely；　repentant　for　my　flippancy　concerning　Charles　the　Second　and　Elizabeth。　And　so；　partly　from　being　tempted　by　this　apple　of　Eve；　and　partly　because　recent　overwork　had　tired　me；　but　chiefly　for　her　sake；　and　not　to　thwart　at　the　outset　her　kindly…meant　ambitions　for　me；　I　kissed　the　hand　of　my　Aunt　Carola　and　set　forth　to　Kings　Port。

〃Come　back　one　of　us；〃　was　her　parting　benediction。



II：　I　Vary　My　Lunch


Thus　it　was　that　I　came　to　sojourn　in　the　most　appealing；　the　most　lovely；　the　most　wistful　town　in　America；　whose　visible　sadness　and　distinction　seem　also　to　speak　audibly；　speak　in　the　sound　of　the　quiet　waves　that　ripple　round　her　Southern　front；　speak　in　the　church…bells　on　Sunday　morning；　and　breathe　not　only　in　the　soft　salt　air；　but　in　the　perfume　of　every　gentle；　old…fashioned　rose　that　blooms　behind　the　high　garden　walls　of　falling　mellow…tinted　plaster：　Kings　Port　the　retrospective；　Kings　Port　the　belated；　who　from　her　pensive　porticoes　looks　over　her　two　rivers　to　the　marshes　and　the　trees　beyond；　the　live…oaks；　veiled　in　gray　moss；　brooding　with　memories！　Were　she　my　city；　how　I　should　love　her！

But　though　my　city　she　cannot　be；　the　enchanting　image　of　her　is　mine　to　keep；　to　carry　with　me　wheresoever　I　may　go；　for　who；　having　seen　her；　could　forget　her？　Therefore　I　thank　Aunt　Carola　for　this　gift；　and　for　what　must　always　go　with　it　in　my　mind；　the　quiet　and　strange　romance　which　I　saw　happen；　and　came　finally　to　share　in。　Why　it　is　that　my　Aunt　no　longer　wishes　to　know　either　the　boy　or　the　girl；　or　even　to　hear　their　names　mentioned；　you　shall　learn　at　the　end；　when　I　have　finished　with　the　wedding；　for　this　happy　story　of　love　ends　with　a　wedding；　and　begins　in　the　Woman's　Exchange；　which　the　ladies　of　Kings　Port　have　established；　and　（I　trust）　lucratively　conduct；　in　Royal　Street。

Royal　Street！　There's　a　relevance　in　this　name；　a　fitness　to　my　errand；　but　that　is　pure　accident。

The　Woman's　Exchange　happened　to　be　there；　a　decorous　resort　for　those　who　became　hungry；　as　I　did；　at　the　hour　of　noon　each　day。　In　my　very　pleasant　boarding…house；　where；　to　be　sure；　there　was　one　dreadful　boarder；　a　tall　lady；　whom　I　soon　secretly　called　Junobut　let　unpleasant　things　waitin　the　very　pleasant　house　where　I　boarded　（I　had　left　my　hotel　after　one　night）　our　breakfast　was　at　eight；　and　our　dinner　not　until　three：　sacred　meal　hours　in　Kings　Port；　as　inviolable；　I　fancy；　as　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　but　a　gap　quite　beyond　the　stretch　of　my　Northern　vitals。　Therefore；　at　twelve；　it　was　my　habit　to　leave　my　Fanning　researches　for　a　while；　and　lunch　at　the　Exchange　upon　chocolate　and　sandwiches　most　delicate　in　savor。　As；　one　day；　I　was　luxuriously　biting　one　of　these；　I　heard　his　voice　and　what　he　was　saying。　Both　the　voice　and　the　interesting　order　he　was　giving　caused　me；　at　my　small　table；　in　the　dim　back　of　the　room；　to　stop　and　watch　him　where　he　stood　in　the　light　at　the　counter　to　the　right　of　the　entrance　door。　Young　he　was；　very　young；　twenty…two　or　three　at　the　most；　and　as　he　stood；　with　hat　in　hand；　speaking　to　the　pretty　girl　behind　the　counter；　his　head　and　side…face　were　of　a　romantic　and　high…strung　look。　It　was　a　cake　that　he　desired　made；　a　cake　for　a　wedding；　and　I　directly　found　myself　curious　to　know　whose　wedding。　Even　a　dull　wedding　interests　me　more　than　other　dull　events；　because　it　can　arouse　so　much　surmise　and　so　much　prophecy；　but　in　this　we