lady baltimore-第21节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　on　Steel　Preferred'if　I've　got　the　jargon　right？〃

While　I　translated　this　for　her；　I　felt　again　the　disapproval　in　Mrs。　Weguelin's　dark　eyes；　and　my　sinsfor　they　were　twofoldwere　presently　made　clear　to　me　by　this　lady。

〃Are　such　subjects　asas　stocks〃　（she　softly　cloaked　this　word　in　scorn　immeasurable）〃are　such　subjects　mentioned　in　your　good　society　at　the　North？〃

I　laughed　heartily。　〃Everything's　mentioned！〃

The　lady　paused　over　my　reply。　〃I　am　afraid　you　must　feel　us　to　be　very　old…fashioned　in；　Kings　Port；〃　she　then　said。

〃But　I　rejoice　in　it！〃

She　ignored　my　not　wholly　dexterous　compliment。　〃And　some　subjects；〃　she　pursued；　〃seem　to　us　so　grave　that　if　we　permit　ourselves　to　speak　of　them　at　all　we　cannot　speak　of　them　lightly。〃

No；　they　couldn't　speak　of　them　lightly！　Here；　then；　stood　my　two　sins　revealed；　everything　I　had　imparted；　and　also　my　tone　of　imparting　it；　had　displeased　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael；　not　with　the　thing；　but　with　me。　I　had　transgressed　her　sound　old　American　code　of　good　manners；　a　code　slightly　pompous　no　doubt；　but　one　in　which　no　familiarity　was　allowed　to　breed　contempt。　To　her　good　taste；　there　were　things　in　the　world　which　had；　apparently；　to　exist；　but　which　one　banished　from　drawing…room　discussion　as　one　conceals　from　sight　the　kitchen　and　outhouses；　one　dealt　with　them　only　when　necessity　compelled；　and　never　in　small…talk；　and　here　had　I　been；　so　to　speak；　small…talking　them　in　that　glib；　modern；　irresponsible　cadence　with　which　our　brazen　age　rings　and　clatters　like　the　beating　of　triangles　and　gongs。　Not　triangles　and　gongs；　but　rather　strings　and　flutes；　had　been　the　music　to　which　Kings　Port　society　had　attuned　its　measured　voice。

I　saw　it　all；　and　even　saw　that　my　own　dramatic　sense　of　Mrs。　Weguelin's　dignity　had　perversely　moved　me　to　be　more　flippant　than　I　actually　felt；　and　I　promised　myself　that　a　more　chastened　tone　should　forthwith　redeem　me　from　the　false　position　I　had　got　into。

〃My　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Gregory　to　Mrs。　Weguelin；　〃we　must　ask　him　to　excuse　our　provincialism。〃

For　the　second　time　I　was　not　wholly　dexterous。　〃But　I　like　it　so　much！〃　I　exclaimed；　and　both　ladies　laughed　frankly。

Mrs。　Gregory　brought　in　a　fable。　〃You'll　find　us　all　'country　mice'　here。〃

This　time　I　was　happy。　〃At　least；　then；　there'll　be　no　cat！〃　And　this　caused　us　all　to　make　little　bows。

But　the　word　〃cat〃　fell　into　our　talk　as　does　a　drop　of　some　acid　into　a　chemical　solution；　instantly　changing　the　whole　to　an　unexpected　new　color。　The　unexpected　new　color　was；　in　this　instance；　merely　what　had　been　latently　lurking　in　the　fluid　of　our　consciousness　all　through　and　now　it　suddenly　came　out。

Mrs。　Gregory　stared　over　the　parapet　at　the　harbor。　〃I　wonder　if　anybody　has　visited　that　steam　yacht？〃

〃The　Hermana？〃　I　said。　〃She's　waiting；　I　believe；　for　her　owner；　who　is　enjoying　himself　very　much　on　land。〃　It　was　a　strong　temptation　to　add；　〃enjoying　himself　with　the　cat；〃　but　I　resisted　it。

〃Oh！〃　said　Mrs。　Gregory。　〃Possibly　a　friend　of　yours？〃

〃Even　his　name　is　unknown　to　me。　But　I　gather　that　he　may　be　coming　to　Kings　Portto　attend　Mr。　John　Mayrant's　wedding　next　Wednesday　week。〃

I　hadn't　gathered　this；　but　one　is　at　times　driven　to　improvising。　I　wished　so　much　to　know　if　Juno　was　right　about　the　engagement　being　broken；　and　I　looked　hard　at　the　ladies　as　my　words　fairly　grazed　the　〃cat。〃　This　time　I　expected　them　to　consult　each　other's　expressions；　and　such；　indeed；　was　their　immediate　proceeding。

〃The　Wednesday　following；　you　mean；〃　Mrs。　Weguelin　corrected。

〃Postponed　again？　Dear　me！〃

Mrs。　Gregory　spoke　this　time。　〃General　Rieppe。　Less　well　again；　it　seems。〃

It　would　be　like　Juno　to　magnify　a　delay　into　a　rupture。　Then　I　had　a　hilarious　thought；　which　I　instantly　put　to　the　ladies。　〃If　the　poor　Gen…　eral　were　to　die　completely；　would　the　wedding　be　postponed　completely？〃

〃There　would　not　be　the　slightest　chance　of　that；〃　Mrs。　Gregory　declared。　And　then　she　pronounced　a　sentence　that　was　truly　oracular：　〃She's　coming　at　once　to　see　for　herself。〃

To　which　Mrs。　Weguelin　added　with　deeper　condemnation　than　she　had　so　far　employed　at　all：　〃There　is　a　rumor　that　she　is　actually　coming　in　an　automobile。〃

My　silence　upon　these　two　remarks　was　the　silence　of　great　and　sudden　interest；　but　it　led　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael　to　do　my　perceptions　a　slight　injustice；　and　she　had　no　intention　that　I　should　miss　the　quality　of　her　opinion　regarding　the　vehicle　in　which　Hortense　was　reported　to　be　travelling。

〃Miss　Rieppe　has　the　extraordinary　taste　to　come　here　in　an　automobile；〃　said　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael；　with　deepened　severity。

Though　I　understood　quite　well；　without　this　emphasizing；　that　the　little　lady　would；　with　her　unbending　traditions；　probably　think　it　more　re…　spectable　to　approach　Kings　Port　in　a　wheelbarrow；　I　was　absorbed　by　the　vague　but　copious　import　of　Mrs。　Gregory's　announcement。　The　oracles；　moreover；　continued。

〃But　she　is　undoubtedly　very　clever　to　come　and　see　for　herself；〃　was　Mrs。　Weguelin's　next　comment。

Mrs。　Gregory's　face；　as　she　replied　to　her　companion；　took　on　a　censorious　and　superior　expression。　〃You'll　remember；　Julia；　that　I　told　Josephine　St。　Michael　it　was　what　they　had　to　expect。〃

〃But　it　was　not　Josephine；　my　dear；　who　at　any　time　approved　of　taking　such　a　course。　It　was　Eliza's　whole　doing。〃

It　was　fairly　raining　oracles　round　me；　and　they　quite　resembled；　for　all　the　help　and　light　they　contained；　their　Delphic　predecessors。

〃And　yet　Eliza；〃　said　Mrs。　Gregory；　〃in　the　face　of　it；　this　very　morning；　repeated　her　eternal　assertion　that　we　shall　all　see　the　marriage　will　not　take　place。〃

〃Eliza；〃　murmured　Mrs。　Weguelin；　〃rates　few　things　more　highly　than　her　own　judgment。〃

Mrs。　Gregory　mused。　〃Yet　she　is　often　right　when　she　has　no　right　to　be　right。〃

I　could　not　bear　it　any　longer；　and　I　said；　〃I　heard　to…day　that　Miss　Rieppe　had　broken　her　engagement。〃

〃And　where　did　you　hear　that　nonsense？〃　asked　Mrs。　Gregory。

My　heart　leaped；　and　I　told　her　where。

〃Oh；　well！　you　will　hear　anything　in　a　boarding…house。　Indeed；　that　would　be　a　great　deal　too　good　to　be　true。〃

〃May　I　ask　where　Miss　Rieppe　is　all　this　while？〃

〃The　last　news　was　from　Palm　Beach；　where　the　air　was　said　to　be　necessary　for　the　General。〃

〃But；〃　Mrs。　Weguelin　repeated；　〃we　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　she　is　coming　here　in　an　automobile。〃

〃We　shall　have　to　call；　of　course；〃　added　Mrs。　Gregory　to　her；　not　to　me；　they　were　leaving　me　out　of　it。　Yes；　these　ladies　were　forgetting　about　me　in　their　using　preoccupation　over　whatever　crisis　it　was　that　now　hung　over　John　Mayrant's　love　affairsa　preoccupation　which　was　evidently　part　of　Kings　Port's　universal　buzz　to…day；　and　which　my　joining　them　in　the　street　had　merely　mitigated　for　a　moment。　I　did　not　wish　to　be　left　out　of　it；　I　cannot　tell　you　whyperhaps　it　was　contagious　in　the　local　airbut　a　veritable　madness　of　craving　to　know　about　it　seized　upon　me。　Of　course；　I　saw　that　Miss　Rieppe　was；　almost　too　grossly　and　obviously；　〃playing　for　time〃；　the　health　of　people's　fathers　did　not　cause　weekly　extensions　of　this　sort。　But　what　was　it　that　the　young　lady　expected　time　to　effect　for　her？　Her　release；　formally；　by　her　young　man；　on　the　ground　of　his　worldly　ill　fortune？　Or　was　it　for　an　offer　from　the　owner　of　the　Hermana　that　she　was　waiting；　before　she　should　take　the　step　of　formally　releasing　John　Mayrant？　No；　neither　of　these　conjectures　seemed　to　furnish　a　key　to　the　tactics　of　Miss　Rieppe　and　the　theory　that　each　of　these　affianced　parties　was　strategizing　to　cause　the　other　to　assume　the　odium　of　breaking　their　engagement；　with　no　result　save　that　of　repeatedly　countermanding　a　wedding…cake；　struck　me　as　belonging　admirably　to　a　stage…comedy　in　three　acts；　but　scarcely　to　life　as　we　find　it。　Besides；　poor　John　Mayrant　was；　all　too　plainly；　not　strategizing；　he　was　playing　as　straight　a　game　as　the　honest　heart　of　a　gentleman　could　inspire。　And　so；　baffled　at　all　points；　I　said　（for　I　simply　had　to　try　something　which　might　lead　to　my　sharing　in　Kings　Port's　vibrating　secret）：

〃I　can't　make　out　whether　she　wants　to　marry　him　or　not。〃

Mrs。　Gregory　answered。　〃That　is　just　what　she　is　coming　to　see　for　herself。〃

〃But　since　her　love　was　for　his　phosphates　only！〃　was　my　natural　exclamation。

It　caused　（and　this　time　I　did　not　expect　it）　my　inveterate　ladies　to　consult　each　other's　expressions。　They　prolonged　their　silence　so　much　that　I　spoke　again：

〃And　backing　out　of　this　sort　of　thing　can　be　done；　I　should　think；　quite　as　cleverly；　and　much　more　simply；　from　a　distance。〃

It　was　Mrs。　Weguelin　who　answered　now；　or；　rather；　who　headed　me　off。　〃Have　you　been　able　to　make　out　whether　he　wants　to　marry　her　or　not？〃

〃Oh；　he　never　comes　near　any　of　that　with　me！〃

〃Certainly　not。　But　we　all　understand　that　he　has　taken　a　fancy　to　you；　and　that　you　have　talked　much　with　him。〃

So　they　all　understood　this；　did　they？　This；　too；　had　played　its　little　special　part　in　the　buzz？　Very　well；　then；　nothing　of　my　private　impressions　should　drop　from　my　lips　here；　to　be　quoted　and　misquoted　and　battledored　and　shuttlecocked；　unti