lady baltimore-第27节

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st　each　other　in　a　number　of　battles。

〃And　you　generally　licked　us；〃　smiled　the　Union　soldier。

〃Ah！　don't　I　know　myself　how　it　feels　to　run！〃　laughed　the　Confederate。　〃Are　you　down　at　the　club？〃

But　upon　learning　from　the　poetess　that　her　ode　was　now　to　be　read　aloud；　Doctor　Beaugarcon　paid　his　fourth　cousin's　daughter　a　brief；　though　affectionate；　visit；　lamenting　that　a　very　ill　patient　should　compel　him　to　take　himself　away　so　immediately；　but　promising　her　presently　in　his　stead　two　visitors　much　more　interesting。

〃Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　desires　to　call　upon　you；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　fancy　that　her　nephew　will　escort　her。〃

〃In　all　this　rain？〃　said　the　bride。

〃Oh；　it's　letting　up；　letting　up！　Good　night；　Mistress　Trevise。　Good　night；　sir；　I　am　glad　to　have　met　you。〃　He　shook　hands　with　Mrs。　Braintree's　husband。　〃We　fellows；〃　he　whispered；　〃who　fought　in　the　war　have　had　war　enough。〃　And　bidding　the　general　company　good　night；　and　kissing　the　bride　again；　he　left　us　even　as　the　poetess　returned　from　her　room　with　the　manuscript。

I　soon　wished　that　I　had　escaped　with　him；　because　I　feared　what　Mrs。　Braintree　might　say　when　the　verses　should　be　finished；　and　so；　I　think；　did　her　husband。　We　should　have　taken　the　hint　which　tactful　Doctor　Beaugarcon　had　meant；　I　began　to　believe；　to　give　us　in　that　whispered　remark　of　his。　But　it　had　been　given　too　lightly；　and　so　we　sat　and　heard　the　ode　out。　I　am　sure　that　the　poetess；　wrapped　in　the　thoughts　of　her　own　composition；　had　lost　sight　of　all　but　the　phrasing　of　her　poem　and　the　strong　feelings　which　it　not　unmusically　voiced；　there　Is　no　other　way　to　account　for　her　being　willing　to　read　it　in　Mrs。　Braintree's　presence。

Whatever　gayety　had　filled　me　when　the　Boston　lady　had　clashed　with　Juno　was　now　changed　to　deprecation　and　concern。　Indeed；　I　myself　felt　almost　as　if　I　were　being　physically　struck　by　the　words；　until　mere　bewilderment　took　possession　of　me；　and　after　bewilderment；　a　little；　a　very　little；　light；　which；　however；　rapidly　increased。　We　were　the　victors；　we　the　North；　and　we　had　gone　upon　our　way　with　songs　and　rejoicingable　to　forget；　because　we　were　the　victors。　We　had　our　victory；　let　the　vanquished　have　their　memory。　But　here　was　the　cry　of　the　vanquished；　coming　after　forty　years。　It　was　the　time　which　at　first　bewildered　me；　Juno　had　seen　the　war；　Juno's　bitterness　I　could　comprehend；　even　if　I　could　not　comprehend　her　freedom　in　expressing　it；　but　the　poetess　could　not　be　more　than　a　year　or　two　older　than　I　was；　she　had　come　after　it　was　all　over。　Why　should　she　prolong　such　memories　and　feelings？　But　my　light　increased　as　I　remembered　she　had　not　written　this　for　us；　and　that　if　she　had　not　seen　the　flames　of　war；　she　had　seen　the　ashes；　for　the　ashes　I　had　seen　myself　here　in　Kings　Port；　and　had　been　overwhelmed　by　the　sight；　forty　years　later；　more　overwhelmed　than　I　could　possibly　say　to　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael；　or　Mrs。　Weguelin；　or　any…　body。　The　strain　of　sitting　and　waiting　for　the　end　made　my　hands　cold　and　my　head　hot；　but　nevertheless　the　light　which　had　come　enabled　me　to　bend　instantly　to　Mrs。　Braintree　and　murmur　a　great　and　abused　quotation　to　her：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Tout　comprendre　c'est　tout　pardonner。〃

But　my　petition　could　not　move　her。　She　was　too　old；　she　had　seen　the　flames　of　war；　and　so　she　said　to　her　husband：

〃Edward；　will　you　please　help　me　upstairs？〃

And　thus　the　lame；　irreconcilable　lady　left　the　room　with　the　assistance　of　her　unhappy　warrior；　who　must　have　suffered　far　more　keenly　than　I　did。

This　departure　left　us　all　in　a　constraint　which　was　becoming　unbearable　when　the　blessed　doorbell　rang　and　delivered　us；　and　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　entered　with　John　Mayrant。　He　wore　a　most　curious　expression；　his　eyes　went　searching　about　the　room；　and　at　length　settled　upon　Juno　with　a　light　in　them　as　impish　as　that　which　had　flickered　in　my　own　mood　before　the　ode。

To　my　surprise；　Miss　Josephine　advanced　and　gave　me　a　special　and　marked　greeting。　Before　this　she　had　always　merely　bowed　to　me；　to…night　she　held　out　her　hand。　〃Of　course　my　visit　is　not　to　you；　but　I　am　very　glad　to　find　you　here　and　express　the　appreciation　of　several　of　us　for　your　timely　aid　to　Daddy　Ben。　He　feels　much　shame　in　having　said　nothing　to　you　himself。〃

And　while　I　muttered　those　inevitable　modest　nothings　which　fit　such　occasions；　Miss　St。　Michael　recounted　to　the　bride；　whom　she　was　ostensibly　calling　upon；　and　to　the　rest　of　our　now　once　more　harmonious　circle；　my　adventures　in　the　alleys　of　Africa。　These　loomed；　even　with　Miss　St。　Michael's　perfectly　quiet　and　simple　rendering　of　them；　almost　of　heroic　size；　thanks　doubtless　to　Daddy　Ben's　tropical　imagery　when　he　first　told　the　tale；　and　before　they　were　over　Miss　St。　Michael's　marked　recognition　of　me　actually　brought　from　Juno　some　reflected　recognition　only　this　resembled　in　its　graciousness　the　original　about　as　correctly　as　a　hollow　spoon　reflects　the　human　countenance　divine。　Still；　it　was　at　Juno's　own　request　that　I　brought　down　from　my　chamber　and　displayed　to　them　the　kettle…supporter。

I　have　said　that　Miss　St。　Michael's　visit　was　ostensibly　to　the　bride：　and　that　is　because　for　some　magnetic　reason　or　other　I　felt　diplomacy　like　an　undercurrent　passing　among　our　chairs。　Young　John's　expression　deepened；　whenever　he　watched　Juno；　to　a　devilishness　which　his　polite　manners　veiled　no　better　than　a　mosquito　netting；　and　I　believe　that　his　aunt；　on　account　of　the　battle　between　their　respective　nephews；　had　for　family　reasons　deemed　it　advisable　to　pay；　indirectly；　under　cover　of　the　bride；　a　state　visit　to　Juno；　and　I　think　that　I　saw　Juno　accepting　it　as　a　state　visit；　and　that　the　two　together；　without　using　a　word　of　spoken　language；　gave　each　other　to　understand　that　the　recent　deplorable　circumstances　were　a　closed　incident。　I　think　that　his　Aunt　Josephine　had　desired　young　John　to　pay　a　visit　likewise；　and；　to　make　sure　of　his　speedy　compliance；　had　brought　him　along　with　hercoerced　him；　as　Juno　would　have　said。　He　wore　somewhat　the　look　of　having　been　〃coerced；〃　and　he　contributed　remarkably　few　observations　to　the　talk。

It　was　all　harmonious；　and　decorous；　and　properly　conducted；　this　state　visit；　yet　even　so；　Juno　and　John　exchanged　at　parting　some　verbal　sweet…meats　which　rather　stuck　out　from　the　smooth　meringue　of　diplomacy。

She　contemplated　his　bruise。　〃You　are　feeling　stronger；　I　hope；　than　you　have　been　lately？　A　bridegroom's　health　should　be　good。〃

He　thanked　her。　〃I　am　feeling　better　to…night　than　for　many　weeks。〃

The　rascal　had　the　thirty　dollars　visibly　bulging　that　moment　in　his　pocket。　I　doubt　if　he　had　acquainted　his　aunt　with　this　episode；　but　she　was　certain　to　hear　it　soon；　and　when　she　did　hear　it；　I　rather　fancy　that　she　wished　to　smileas　I　completely　smiled　alone　in　my　bed　that　night　thinking　young　John　over。

But　I　did　not　go　to　sleep　smiling；　listening　to　the　〃Ode　for　the　Daughters　of　Dixie〃　had　been　an　ordeal　too　truly　painful；　because　it　disclosed　live　feelings　which　I　had　thought　were　dead；　or　rather；　it　disclosed　that　those　feelings　smouldered　in　the　young　as　well　as　in　the　old。　Doctor　Beaugarcon　didn't　have　themhe　had　fought　them　out；　just　as　Mr。　Braintree　had　fought　them　out；　and　Mrs。　Braintree；　like　Juno；　retained　them；　because　she　hadn't　fought　them　out；　and　John　Mayrant　didn't　have　them；　because　he　had　been　to　other　places；　and　I　didn't　have　themnever　had　had　them　in　my　life；　because　I　came　into　the　world　when　it　was　all　over。　Why　thenStop；　I　told　myself；　growing　very　wakeful；　and　seeing　in　the　darkness　He　light　which　had　come　to　me；　you　have　beheld　；he　ashes；　and　even　the　sight　has　overwhelmed　you；　these　others　were　born　in　the　ashes；　and　have　had　ashes　to　sleep　in　and　ashes　to　eat。　This　I　said　to　myself；　and　I　remembered　that　War　hadn't　been　all；　that　Reconstruction　came　in　due　season；　and　I　thought　of　the　〃reconstructed〃　negro；　as　Daddy　Ben　had　so　ingeniously　styled　him。　These　white　people；　my　race；　had　been　set　beneath　the　reconstructed　negro。　Still；　still；　this　did　not　justify　the　whole　of　it　to　me；　my　perfectly　innocent　generation　seemed　to　be　included　in　the　unforgiving；　unforgetting　ode。　〃I　must　have　it　out　with　somebody；〃　I　said。　And　in　time　I　fell　asleep。



XIII：　The　Girl　Behind　the　CounterIII

I　was　still　thinking　the　ode　over　as　I　dressed　for　breakfast；　for　which　I　was　late；　owing　to　my　hair；　which　the　changes　in　the　weather　had　rendered　somewhat　recalcitrant。　Yes；　decidedly　I　must　have　it　out　with　somebody。　The　weather　was　once　more　superb；　and　in　the　garden　beneath　my　window　men　were　already　sweeping　away　the　broken　twigs　and　debris　of　the　storm。　I　say　〃already；〃　because　it　had　not　seemed　to　me　to　be　the　Kings　Port　custom　to　remove　debris；　or　anything；　with　speed。　I　also　had　it　in　my　mind　to　perform　at　lunch　Aunt　Carola's　commission；　and　learn　if　the　family　of　La　Heu　were　indeed　of　royal　descent　through　the　Bombos。　I　intended　to　find　this　out　from　the　girl　behind　the　counter；　but　the　course　which　our　conversation　took　led　me　completely　to　forget　about　it。

As　soon　as　I　entered　the　Exchange　I　planted　myself　in　front　of　the　counter；　in　spite　of　the　discouragement　which　I　too　plainly　perceiv