lady baltimore-第29节

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What　I　said　was：　〃We're　handing　the　'sacred　trust'　down；　I　hope。〃

〃I　understood　you　to　say　you　weren't。〃

〃I　said　we　were　not　handing　'it'　down。〃

I　didn't　wonder　that　irritation　again　moulded　her　reply。　〃You　must　excuse　a　daughter　of　Dixie　if　she　finds　the　words　of　a　son　of　the　Union　beyond　her。　We　haven't　had　so　many　advantages。〃

There　she　touched　what　I　had　thought　over　during　my　wakeful　hours：　the　tale　of　the　ashes；　the　desolate　ashes！　The　war　had　not　prevented　my　parents　from　sending　me　to　school　and　college；　but　here　the　old　had　seen　the　young　grow　up　starved　of　what　their　fathers　had　given　them；　and　the　young　had　looked　to　the　old　and　known　their　stripped　heritage。

〃Miss　La　Heu；〃　I　said；　〃I　could　not　tell　you；　you　would　not　wish　me　to　tell　you；　what　the　sight　of　Kings　Port　has　made　me　feel。　But　you　will　let　me　say　this：　I　have　understood　for　a　long　while　about　your　old　people；　your　old　ladies；　whose　faces　are　so　fine　and　sad。〃

I　paused；　but　she　merely　looked　at　me；　and　her　eyes　were　hard。

〃And　I　may　say　this；　too。　I　thank　you　very　sincerely　for　bringing　completely　home　to　me　what　I　had　begun　to　make　out　for　myself。　I　hope　the　Daughters　of　Dixie　will　go　on　singing　of　their　heroes。〃

I　paused　again；　and　now　she　looked　away；　out　of　the　window　into　Royal　Street。

〃Perhaps；〃　I　still　continued；　〃you　will　hardly　believe　me　when　I　say　that　I　have　looked　at　your　monuments　here　with　an　emotion　more　poignant　even　than　that　which　Northern　monuments　raise　in　me。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Oh！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Need　you　have　asked　that？　The　North　won。〃

〃You　are　quite　dispassionate！〃　Her　eyes　were　always　toward　the　window。

〃That's　my　'sacred　trust。'〃

It　made　her　look　at　me。　〃Yours？〃

〃Not　yoursyet！　It　would　be　yours　if　you　had　won。〃　I　thought　a　slight　change　came　in　her　steady　scrutiny。　〃And；　Miss　La　Heu；　it　was　awful　about　the　negro。　It　is　awful。　The　young　North　thinks　so　just　as　much　as　you　do。　Oh；　we　shock　our　old　people！　We　don't　expect　them　to　change；　but　they　mustn't　expect　us　not　to。　And　even　some　of　them　have　begun　to　whisper　a　little　doubtfully。　But　never　mind　themhere's　the　negro。　We　can't　kick　him　out。　That　plan　is　childish。　So；　it's　like　two　men　having　to　live　in　one　house。　The　white　man　would　keep　the　house　in　repair；　the　black　would　let　it　rot。　Well；　the　black　must　take　orders　from　the　white。　And　it　will　end　so。〃

She　was　eager。　〃Slavery　again；　you　think？〃

〃Oh；　never！　It　was　too　injurious　to　ourselves。　But　something　between　slavery　and　equality。〃　And　I　ended　with　a　quotation：　〃'Patience；　cousin；　and　shuffle　the　cards。'〃

〃You　may　call　me　cousinthis　oncebecause　you　have　been；　really；　quite　nicefor　a　Northerner。〃

Now　we　had　come　to　the　place　where　she　must　understand　me。

〃Not　a　Northerner；　Miss　La　Heu。〃

She　became　mocking。　〃Scarcely　a　Southerner；　I　presume？〃

But　I　kept　my　smile　and　my　directness。　〃No　more　a　Southerner　than　a　Northerner。〃

〃Pray　what；　then？〃

〃An　American。〃

She　was　silent。

〃It's　the　'sacred　trust'for　me。〃

She　was　still　silent。

〃If　my　state　seceded　from　the　Union　tomorrow；　I　should　side　with　the　Union　against　her。〃

She　was　frankly　astonished　now。　〃Would　you　really？〃　And　I　think　some　light　about　me　began　to　reach　her。　A　Northerner　willing　to　side　against　a　Northern　state！　I　was　very　glad　that　I　had　found　that　phrase　to　make　clear　to　her　my　American　creed。

I　proceeded。　〃I　shall　help　to　hand　down　all　the　glories　and　all　the　sadnesses；　Lee's；　Lincoln's；　everybody's。　But　I　shall　not　hand　'it'　down。〃

This　checked　her。

〃It's　easy　for　me；　you　know；〃　I　hastily　explained。　〃Nothing　noble　about　it　at　all。　But　from　noble　people〃and　I　looked　hard　at　her〃one　ex…　pects；　sooner　or　later；　noble　things。〃

She　repressed　something　she　had　been　going　to　reply。

〃If　ever　I　have　children；〃　I　finished；　〃they　shall　know　'Dixie'　and　'Yankee　Doodle'　by　heart；　and　never　know　the　difference。　By　that　time　I　should　think　they　might　have　a　chance　of　hearing　'Yankee　Doodle'　in　Kings　Port。〃

Again　she　checked　a　rapid　retort。　〃Well；〃　she；　after　a　pause；　repeated；　〃you　have　been　really　quite　nice。〃

〃May　I　tell　you　what　you　have　been？〃

〃Certainly　not。　Have　you　seen　Mr。　Mayrant　to…day？〃

〃We　have　an　engagement　to　walk　this　afternoon。　May　I　go　walking　with　you　sometime？〃

〃May　he；　General？〃　A　wagging　tail　knocked　on　the　floor　behind　the　counter。　〃General　says　that　he　will　think　about　it。　What　makes　you　like　Mr。　Mayrant　so　much？〃

This　question　struck　me　as　an　odd　one；　nor　could　I　make　out　the　import　of　the　peculiar　tone　in　which　she　put　it。　〃Why；　I　should　think　everybody　would　like　himexcept；　perhaps；　his　double　victim。〃

〃Double？〃

〃Yes；　first　of　his　fist　and　then　ofof　his　hand！〃

But　she　didn't　respond。

〃Of　his　handhis　poker　hand；〃　I　explained。

〃Poker　hand？〃　She　remained　honestly　vague。

It　rejoiced　me　to　be　the　first　to　tell　her。　〃You　haven't　heard　of　Master　John's　last　performance？　Well；　finding　himself　forced　by　that　immeasurable　old　Aunt　Josephine　of　yours　to　shake　hands；　he　shook　'em　all　right；　but　he　took　thirty　dollars　away　as　a　little　set…off　for　his　pious　docility。〃

〃Oh！〃　she　murmured；　overwhelmed　with　astonishment。　Then　she　broke　into　one　of　her　delicious　peals　of　laughter。

〃Anybody；〃　I　said；　〃likes　a　boy　who　plays　a　handand　a　fistto　that　tune。〃　I　continued　to　say　a　number　of　commendatory　words　about　young　John；　while　her　sparkling　eyes　rested　upon　me。　But　even　as　I　talked　I　grew　aware　that　these　eyes　were　not　sparkling；　were　starry　rather；　and　distant；　and　that　she　was　not　hearing　what　I　said；　so　I　stopped　abruptly；　and　at　the　stopping　she　spoke；　like　a　person　waking　up。

〃Oh；　yes！　Certainly　he　can　take　care　of　himself。　Why　not？〃

〃Rather　creditable；　don't　you　think？〃

〃Creditable？〃

〃Considering　his　aunts　and　everything。〃

She　became　haughty　on　the　instant。　〃Upon　my　word！　And　do　you　suppose　the　women　of　South　Carolina　don't　wish　their　men　to　be　men？　Why〃she　returned　to　mirth　and　that　arch　mockery　which　was　her　special　charm〃we　South　Carolina　women　consider　virtue　our　business；　and　we　don't　expect　the　men　to　meddle　with　it！〃

〃Primal；　perpetual；　necessary！〃　I　cried。　〃When　that　division　gets　blurred；　society　is　doomed。　Are　you　sure　John　can　take　care　of　himself　every　way？〃

〃I　have　other　things　than　Mr。　Mayrant　to　think　about。〃　She　said　this　quite　sharply。

It　surprised　me。　〃To　be　sure；〃　I　assented。　〃But　didn't　you　once　tell　me　that　you　thought　he　was　simple？〃

She　opened　her　ledger。　〃It's　a　great　honor　to　have　one's　words　so　well　remembered。〃

I　was　still　at　a　loss。　〃Anyhow；　the　wedding　is　postponed；〃　I　continued；　〃and　the　cake。　Of　course　one　can't　help　wondering　how　it's　all　coming　out。〃

She　was　now　working　at　her　ledger；　bending　her　head　over　it。　〃Have　you　ever　met　Miss　Rieppe？〃　She　inquired　this　with　a　sort　of　wonderful　softnesswhich　I　was　to　hear　again　upon　a　still　more　memorable　occasion。

〃Never；〃　I　answered；　〃but　there's　nobody　at　present　living　whom　I　long　to　see　so　much。〃

She　wrote　on　for　a　little　while　before　saying；　with　her　pencil　steadily　busy；　〃Why？〃

〃Why？　Don't　you？　After　all　this　fuss？〃

〃Oh；　certainly；〃　she　drawled。　〃She　is　so　much　admiredby　Northerners。〃

〃I　do　hope　John　is　able　to　take　care　of　himself；〃　I　purposely　repeated。

〃Take　care　of　yourself！〃　she　laughed　angrily　over　her　ledger。

〃Me？　Why？　I　understand　you　less　and　less！〃

〃Very　likely。〃

〃Why；　I　want　to　help　him！〃　I　protested。　〃I　don't　want　him　to　marry　her。　Oh；　by　the　way　do　you　happen　to　know　what　it　is　that　she　is　coming　here　to　see　for　herself？〃

In　a　moment　her　ledger　was　left；　and　she　was　looking　at　me　straight。　Coming？　When？

〃Soon。　In　an　automobile。　To　see　something　for　herself。〃

She　pondered　for　quite　a　long　moment；　then　her　eyes　returned；　searchingly；　to　me。　〃You　didn't　make　that　up？〃

I　laughed；　and　explained。　〃Some　of　them；　at　any　rate；〃　I　finished；　〃know　what　she's　coming　for。　They　were　rather　queer　about　it；　I　thought。〃

She　pondered　again。　I　noticed　that　she　had　deeply　flushed；　and　that　the　flush　was　leaving　her。　Then　she　fixed　her　eyes　on　me　once　more。　〃They　wouldn't　tell　you？〃

〃I　think　that　they　came　inadvertently　near　it；　once　or　twice；　and　remembered　just　in　time　that　I　didn't　know　about　it。〃

〃But　since　you　do　know　pretty　much　about　it！〃　she　laughed。

I　shook　my　head。　〃There's　something　else；　something　that's　turned　up；　the　sort　of　thing　that　upsets　calculations。　And　I　merely　hoped　that　you'd　know。〃

On　those　last　words　of　mine　she　gave　me　quite　an　extraordinary　look；　and　then；　as　if　satisfied　with　what　she　saw　in　my　face。

〃They　don't　talk　to　me。〃

It　was　an　assurance；　it　was　true；　it　had　the　ring　of　truth；　that　evident　genuineness　which　a　piece　of　real　confidence　always　possesses；　she　meant　me　to　know　that　we　were　in　the　same　boat　of　ignorance　to…day。　And　yet；　as　I　rose　from　my　lunch　and　came　forward　to　settle　for　it；　I　was　aware　of　some　sense　of　defeat；　of　having　been　held　off　just　as　the　ladies　on　High　Walk　had　held　me　off。

〃Well；〃　I　sighed；　〃I　pin　my　faith　to　the　aunt　who　says　he'll　never　marry　her。〃

Miss　La　Heu　had　no　more　to　say　upon　the　subject。　〃Haven't　you　forgotten　something？〃　she　inquired　gayly；　and；　as　I　turned　to　see　what　I　had　left　behind〃I　mean；　you　had　no　L