lady baltimore-第23节

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to　seed　in；　this　cut　so　close　to　the　quick　of　truth　that　discourse　must　keep　wide　away　from　it。　What；　then；　could　I　ask　them？　As　I　pondered；　Mrs。　Weguelin　solved　it　for　me　by　what　she　was　saying　to　Mrs。　Gregory；　of　which；　in　my　preoccupation；　I　had　evidently　missed　a　part：

〃if　he　should　share　the　family　bad　taste　in　wives。〃

〃Eliza　says　she　has　no　fear　of　that。〃

〃Were　I　Eliza；　Hugh's　performance　would　make　me　very　uneasy。〃

〃Julia；　John　does　not　resemble　Hugh。〃

〃Very　decidedly；　in　coloring；　Maria。〃

〃And　Hugh　found　that　girl　in　Minneapolis；　Julia；　where　there　was　doubtless　no　pick　for　the　poor　fellow。　And　remember　that　George　chose　a　lady；　at　any　rate。〃

Mrs。　Weguelin　gave　to　this　a　short　assent。　〃Yes。〃　It　portended　something　more　behind；　which　her　next　words　duly　revealed。　〃A　lady；　but　doany　ladies　ever　seem　quite　like　our　own？

〃Certainly　not；　Julia。〃

You　see；　they　were　forgetting　me　again；　but　they　had　furnished　me　with　a　clue。

〃Mr。　John　Mayrant　has　married　brothers？〃

〃Two；〃　Mrs。　Gregory　responded。　〃John　is　the　youngest　of　three　children。〃

〃I　hadn't　heard　of　the　brothers　before。〃

〃They　seldom　come　here。　They　saw　fit　to　leave　their　home　and　their　delicate　mother。〃

〃Oh！〃

〃But　John；〃　said　Mrs。　Gregory；　〃met　his　responsibility　like　a　Mayrant。〃

〃Whatever　temptations　he　has　yielded　to；〃　said　Mrs。　Weguelin；　〃his　filial　piety　has　stood　proof。〃

〃He　refused；〃　added　Mrs。　Gregory；　〃when　George　（and　I　have　never　understood　how　George　could　be　so　forgetful　of　their　mother）　wrote　twice；　offering　him　a　lucrative　and　rising　position　in　the　railroad　company　at　Roanoke。〃

〃That　was　hard！〃　I　exclaimed。

She　totally　misapplied　my　sympathy。　〃Oh；　Anna　Mayrant；〃　she　corrected　herself；　〃John's　mother；　Mrs。　Hector　Mayrant；　had　harder　things　than　forgetful　sons　to　bear！　I've　not　laid　eyes　on　those　boys　since　the　funeral。〃

〃Nearly　two　years；〃　murmured　Mrs。　Weguelin。　And　then；　to　me；　with　something　that　was　almost　like　a　strange　severity　beneath　her　gentle　tone：　〃Therefore　we　are　proud　of　John；　because　the　better　traits　in　his　nature　remind　us　of　his　forefathers；　whom　we　knew。〃

〃In　Kings　Port；〃　said　Mrs。　Gregory；　〃we　prize　those　who　ring　true　to　the　blood。〃

By　way　of　response　to　this　sentiment；　I　quoted　some　French　to　her。　〃Bon　chien　chasse　de　race。〃

It　pleased　Mrs。　Weguelin。　Her　guarded　attitude　toward　me　relented。　〃John　mentioned　your　cultivation　to　us；〃　she　said。　〃In　these　tumble…down　days　it　is　rare　to　meet　with　one　who　still　lives；　mentally；　on　the　gentlefolks'　planethe　piano　nobile　of　intelligence！〃

I　realized　how　high　a　compliment　she　was　paying　me；　and　I　repaid　it　with　a　joke。　〃Take　care。　Those　who　don't　live　there　would　call　it　the　piano　snobile。〃

〃Ah！〃　cried　the　delighted　lady；　〃they'd　never　have　the　wit！〃

〃Did　you　ever　hear；〃　I　continued；　〃the　Bostonian's　remark'The　mission　of　America　is　to　vulgarize　the　world'？〃

〃I　never　expected　to　agree　so　totally　with　a　Bostonian！〃　declared　Mrs。　Gregory。

〃Nothing　so　hopeful；〃　I　pursued；　〃has　ever　been　said　of　us。　For　refinement　and　thoroughness　and　tradition　delay　progress；　and　we　are　sweeping　them　out　of　the　road　as　fast　as　we　can。〃

〃Come　away；　Julia；〃　said　Mrs。　Gregory。　〃The　young　gentleman　is　getting　flippant　again；　and　we　leave　him。〃

The　ladies；　after　gracious　expressions　concerning　the　pleasure　of　their　stroll；　descended　the　steps　at　the　north　end　of　High　Walk；　where　the　parapet　stops；　and　turned　inland　from　the　water　through　a　little　street。　I　watched　them　until　they　went　out　of　my　sight　round　a　corner；　but　the　two　silent；　leisurely　figures；　moving　in　their　black　and　their　veils　along　an　empty　highway；　come　back　to　me　often　in　the　pictures　of　my　thoughts；　come　back　most　often；　indeed；　as　the　human　part　of　what　my　memory　sees　when　it　turns　to　look　at　Kings　Port。　For；　first；　it　sees　the　blue　frame　of　quiet　sunny　water；　and　the　white　town　within　its　frame　beneath　the　clear；　untainted　air；　and　then　it　sees　the　high…slanted　roofs；　red　with　their　old　corrugated　tiles；　and　the　tops　of　leafy　enclosures　dipping　below　sight　among　quaint　and　huddled　quadrangles；　and；　next；　the　quiet　houses　standing　in　their　separate　grounds；　their　narrow　ends　to　the　street　and　their　long；　two…storied　galleries　open　to　the　south；　but　their　hushed　windows　closed　as　if　against　the　prying；　restless　Present　that　must　not　look　in　and　disturb　the　motionless　memories　which　sit　brooding　behind　these　shutters；　and　between　all　these　silent　mansions　lie　the　narrow　streets；　the　quiet；　empty　streets；　along　which；　as　my　memory　watches　them；　pass　the　two　ladies　silently；　in　their　black　and　their　veils；　moving　between　high；　mellow…colored　garden　walls　over　whose　tops　look　the　oleanders；　the　climbing　roses；　and　all　the　taller　flowers　of　the　gardens。

And　if　Mrs。　Gregory　and　Mrs。　Weguelin　seemed　to　me　at　moments　as　narrow　as　those　streets；　they　also　seemed　to　me　as　lovely　as　those　serene　gardens；　and　if　I　had　smiled　at　their　prejudices；　I　had　loved　their　innocence；　their　deep　innocence；　of　the　poisoned　age　which　has　succeeded　their　own；　and　if　I　had　wondered　this　day　at　their　powers　for　cruelty；　I　wondered　the　next　day　at　the　glimpse　I　had　of　their　kindness。　For　during　a　pelting　cold　rainstorm；　as　I　sat　and　shivered　in　a　Royal　Street　car；　waiting　for　it　to　start　upon　its　north…bound　course；　the　house…door　opposite　which　we　stood　at　the　end　of　the　track　opened；　and　Mrs。　Weguelin's　head　appeared；　nodding　to　the　conductor　as　she　sent　her　black　servant　out　with　hot　coffee　for　him！　He　took　off　his　hat；　and　smiled；　and　thanked　her；　and　when　we　had　started　and　I；　the　sole　passenger　in　the　chilly　car；　asked　him　about　this；　he　said　with　native　pride：　〃The　ladies　always　watches　out　for　us　conductors　in　stormy　weather；　sir。　That's　Mistress　Weguelin　St。　Michael；　one　of　our　finest。〃　And　then　he　gave　me　careful　directions　how　to　find　a　shop　that　I　was　seeking。

Think　of　this　happening　in　New　York！　Think　of　the　aristocracy　of　that　metropolis　warming　up　with　coffee　thebut　why　think　of　it；　or　of　a　New　York　conductor　answering　your　questions　with　careful　directions！　It　is　not　New　York's　fault；　it　is　merely　New　York's　misfortune：　New　York　is　in　a　hurry；　and　a　world　of　haste　cannot　be　a　world　either　of　courtesy　or　of　kindness。　But　we　have　progress；　progress；　instead；　and　that　is　a　tremendous　consolation。



XI：　Daddy　Ben　and　His　Seed

But　what　was　Hortense　Rieppe　coming　to　see　for　herself？

Many　dark　things　had　been　made　plain　to　me　by　my　talk　with　the　two　ladies；　yet　while　disclosing　so　much；　they　had　still　left　this　important　matter　in　shadow。　I　was　very　glad；　however；　for　what　they　had　revealed。　They　had　showed　me　more　of　John　Mayrant's　character；　and　more　also　of　the　destiny　which　had　shaped　his　ends；　so　that　my　esteem　for　him　had　increased；　for　some　of　the　words　that　they　had　exchanged　shone　like　bright　lanterns　down　into　his　nature　upon　strength　and　beauty　lying　quietly　thereyoung　strength　and　beauty；　yet　already　tempered　by　manly　sacrifice。　I　saw　how　it　came　to　pass　through　this；　through　renunciation　of　his　own　desires；　through　performance　of　duties　which　had　fallen　upon　him　not　quite　fairly；　that　the　eye　of　his　spirit　had　been　turned　away　from　self；　thus　had　it　grown　strong…sighted　and　able　to　look　far　and　deep；　as　his　speech　sometimes　revealed；　while　still　his　flesh　was　of　his　youthful　age；　and　no　saint's　flesh　either。　This　had　the　ladies　taught　me　during　the　fluttered　interchange　of　their　reminders　and　opinions；　and　by　their　eager　agreements　and　disagreements；　I　was　also　grateful　to　them　in　that　I　could　once　more　correct　Juno。　The　pleasure　should　be　mine　to　tell　them　in　the　public　hearing　of　our　table　that　Miss　Rieppe　was　still　engaged　to　John　Mayrant。

But　what　was　this　interesting　girl　coming　to　see　for　herself？

This　little　hole　in　my　knowledge　gave　me　discomfort　as　I　walked　along　toward　the　antiquity　shop　where　I　was　to　buy　the　other　kettle…supporter。　The　ladies；　with　all　their　freedom　of　comment　and　censure；　had　kept　something　from　me。　I　reviewed；　I　pieced　together；　their　various　remarks；　those　oracles；　especially；　which　they　had　let　fall；　but　it　all　came　back　to　the　same　thing。　I　did　not　know；　and　they　did；　what　Hortense　Rieppe　was　coming　to　see　for　herself。　At　all　events；　the　engagement　was　not　broken；　the　chance　to　be　instrumental　in　having　it　broken　was　still　mine；　I　might　still　save　John　Mayrant　from　his　deplorable　quixotism；　and　as　this　reflection　grew　with　me　I　took　increasing　comfort　in　it；　and　I　stepped　onward　toward　my　kettle…supporter；　filled　with　that　sense　of　moral　well…being　which　will　steal　over　even　the　humblest　of　us　when　we　feel　that　we　are　beneficently　minding　somebody　else's　business。

Whenever　the　arrangement　did　not　take　me　too　widely　from　my　course；　I　so　mapped　out　my　walks　and　errands　in　Kings　Port　that　I　might　pass　by　the　churchyard　and　church　at　the　corner　of　Court　and　Worship　streets。　Even　if　I　did　not　indulge　myself　by　turning　in　to　stroll　and　loiter　among　the　flowers；　it　was　enough　pleasure　to　walk　by　that　brick…wall。　If　you　are　willing　to　wander　curiously　in　our　old　towns；　you　may　still　find　in　many　of　them　good　brick　walls　standing　undisturbed；　and　equal　in　their　color　and　simple　excellence　to　those　of　Kings　Port；　but　fashion　has　p