lady baltimore-第33节

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rly；　when　he　troubled　to　put　a　thing　at　all　（which　was　seldomfor　he　kept　his　quite　good　brains　well…nigh　　perpetually　turned　out　to　grassor　rather　to　grass　widows）　always　put　it　well；　and　with　a　bracing　vocabulary。　〃Hullo！〃　he　now　exclaimed；　and　walked　out　into　the　middle　of　the　roadway；　where　he　picked　up　a　parasol。　〃Kitty　will　be　in　a　jolly　old　stew。　None　of　its　expensive　bones　broken　however。〃　And　then　he　hailed　me　by　a　name　of　our　youth。〃　What　are　you　doing　down　here；　you　old　sourbelly？〃

〃Watching　you　sun　yourself　on　the　fat　cushions　of　the　yellow　rich。〃

〃Oh；　shucks；　old　man；　they're　not　so　yellow！〃

〃Charley　strikes　me　as　yellower　than　his　own　gold。〃

〃Charley's　not　a　bad　little　sort。　Of　course；　he　needs　coaching　a　bit　here　and　therejust　now；　for　instance；　when　he　didn't　see　that　that　girl　wouldn't　think　of　riding　in　the　machine　that　had　just　killed　her　dog。　By　Jove；　give　that　girl　a　year　in　civilization　and　she'd　do！　Who　was　the　young　fire…eater？〃

〃Fire…eater！　He's　a　lot　more　decent　than　you　or　I。〃

〃But　that's　saying　so　little；　dear　boy！〃

〃Seriously；　Beverly。〃

〃Oh；　hang　it　with　your　'seriously'！　Well；　then；　seriously；　melodrama　was　the　correct　ticket　and　all　that　in　1840；　but　we've　outgrown　it；　it's　devilish　demode　to　chuck　things　in　people's　faces。

〃I'm　not　sorry　John　Mayrant　did　it！〃　I　brought　out　his　name　with　due　emphasis。

〃All　the　same；〃　Beverly　was　beginning；　when　the　automobile　returned　rapidly　upon　us；　and；　guessing　the　cause　of　this；　he　waved　the　parasol。　Charley　descended　to　get　itan　unnecessary　act；　prompted；　I　suppose；　by　the　sudden　relief　of　finding　that　it　was　not　lost。

He　made　his　thanks　marked。　〃It　is　my　sister's；〃　he　concluded；　to　me；　by　way　of　explanation；　in　his　slightly　foreign　accent。　〃It　is　not　much；　but　it　has　got　some　stones　and　things　in　the　handle。〃

We　were　favored　with　a　bow　from　the　veiled　Hortense；　shrill　thanks　from　Kitty；　and　the　car；　turning；　again　left　us　in　a　moment。

〃You've　got　a　Frenchman　along；〃　I　said。

〃Little　Gazza；〃　Beverly　returned。　〃Italian；　though　from　his　morals　you'd　never　guess　he　wasn't　Parisian。　Great　people　in　Rome。　Hereditary　right　to　do　something　in　the　presence　of　the　Popeor　not　to　do　it；　I　forget　which。　Not　a　bit　of　a　bad　little　sort；　Gazza。　He　has　just　sold　a　lot　of　old　furnitureRenaissanceLorenzo　du　Borgiathat　sort　of　jolly　old　truckto　Bohm；　you　know。

I　didn't　know。

〃Oh；　yes；　you　do；　old　boy。　Harry　Bohm；　of　Bohm　&　Cohn。　Everybody　knows　Bohm；　and　we'll　all　be　knowing　Cohn　by　next　year。　Gazza　has　sold　him　a　lot　of　furniture；　too。　Bohm's　from　Pittsfield；　or　South　Lee；　or　East　Canaan；　or　West　Stockbridge；　or　some　of　those　other　back…country　cider　presses　that　squirt　some　of　the　hardest　propositions　into　Wall　Street。　He's　just　back　from　buying　a　railroad；　and　four　or　five　mines　in　Mexico。　Bohm　represents　Christianity　in　the　firm。　At　Newport　they　call　him　the　military　attache　to　Jerusalem。　He's　the　big　chap　that　sat　behind　me　in　the　car。　He'll　marry　Kitty　as　soon　as　she　can　get　her　divorce。　Bohm's　a　jolly　old　sortand　I　tell　you；　you　old　sourbelly；　you're　letting　this　Southern　moss　grow　over　you　a　bit。　Hey？　What？　Yellow　rich　isn't　half　bad；　and　I'll　say　it　myself；　and　pretend　it's　mine；　but　hang　it；　old　man；　their　children　won't　be　worse　than　lemon…colored；　and　the　grandchildren　will　be　white！〃

〃Just　in　time；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃to　take　a　back　seat　with　their　evaporated　fortunes！〃

Beverly　chuckled。　〃Well；　if　they　do　evaporate；　there　will　be　new　ones。　Now　don't　walk　along　making　Mayflower　eyes　at　me。　I'm　no　Puritan；　and　my　people　have　had　a　front　seat　since　pretty　early　in　the　game；　which　I'm　holding　on　to；　you　know。　And　by　Jove；　old　man；　I　tell　you；　if　you　wish　to　hold　on　nowadays；　you　can't　be　drawing　lines！　If　you　don't　want　to　see　yourself　jolly　well　replaced；　you　must　fall　in　with　the　replacers。　Our　blooming　old　republic　is　merely　the　quickest　process　of　endless　replacing　yet　discovered；　and　you　take　my　tip；　and　back　the　replacers！　That's　where　Miss　Rieppe；　for　all　her　Kings　Port　traditions；　shows　sense。〃

I　turned　square　on　him。　〃Then　she　has　broken　it？〃

〃Broken　what？〃

〃Her　engagement　to　John　Mayrant。　You　mean　to　say　that　you　didn't？〃

〃See　here；　old　man。　Seriously。　The　fire…eater？〃

I　was　so　very　much　bewildered　that　I　merely　stared　at　Beverly　Rodgers。　Of　course；　I　might　have　known　that　Miss　Rieppe　would　not　feel　the　need　of　announcing　to　her　rich　Northern　friends　an　engagement　which　she　had　fallen　into　the　habit　of　postponing。

But　Beverly　had　a　better　right　to　be　taken　aback。　〃I　suppose　you　must　have　some　reason　for　your　remark；〃　he　said。

〃You　don't　mean　that　you're　engaged　to　her？〃　I　shot　out。

〃Me？　With　my　poor　little　fifteen　thousand　a　year？　Consider；　dear　boy！　Oh；　no；　we're　merely　playing　at　it；　she　and　I。　She's　a　good　player。　But　Charley〃

〃He　is？〃　I　shouted。

〃I　don't　know；　old　man；　and　I　don't　think　he　knowsyet。〃

〃Beverly；〃　said　I；　〃let　me　tell　you。〃　And　I　told　him。

After　he　had　got　himself　adjusted　to　the　novelty　of　it　he　began　to　take　it　with　a　series　of　thoughtful　chuckles。

Into　these　I　dropped　with：　〃Where's　her　father；　anyhow？〃　I　began　to　feel；　fantastically；　that　she　mightn't　have　a　father。

〃He　stopped　in　Savannah；〃　Beverly　answered。　〃He's　coming　over　by　the　train。　KittyCharley's　sister；　Mrs。　Bleeckerdid　the　chaperoning　for　us。

〃Very　expertly；　I　should　guess；〃　I　said。

〃Perfectly；　invisibly；〃　said　Beverly。　And　he　returned　to　his　thoughts　and　his　chuckles。

〃After　all；　it's　simple；〃　he　presently　remarked。

〃Doesn't　that　depend　on　what　she's　here　for？〃

〃Oh；　to　break　it。〃

〃Why　come　for　that？〃

He　took　another　turn　among　his　cogitations。　I　took　a　number　of　turns　among　my　own；　but　it　was　merely　walking　round　and　round　in　a　circle。

〃When　will　she　announce　it；　then？〃　he　demanded。

〃Ah！〃　I　murmured。　〃You　said　she　was　a　good　player。〃

〃But　a　fire…eater！〃　he　resumed。　〃For　her。　Oh；　hang　it！　She'll　let　him　go！〃

〃Then　why　hasn't　she？〃

He　hesitated。　〃Well；　of　course　her　game　could　be　spoiled　by〃

His　speech　died　away　into　more　cogitation；　and　I　had　to　ask　him　what　he　meant。

〃By　love　getting　into　it　somewhere。〃

We　walked　on　through　Worship　Street；　which　we　had　reached　some　while　since；　and　the　chief　features　of　which　I　mechanically　pointed　out　to　him。

〃Jolly　old　church；　that；〃　said　Beverly；　as　we　reached　my　favorite　corner　and　brick　wall。　〃Well；　I'll　not　announce　it！〃　he　murmured　gallantly。

〃My　dear　man；〃　I　said；　〃Kings　Port　will　do　all　the　announcing　for　you　to…morrow。〃



XV：　What　She　Came　to　See

But　in　this　matter　my　prognostication　was　thoroughly　at　fault；　yet　surely；　knowing　Kings　Port's　sovereign　habit；　as　I　had　had　good　cause　to　know　it；　I　was　scarce　beyond　reasonable　bounds　in　supposing　that　the　arrival　of　Miss　Rieppe　would　heat　up　some　very　general　and　very　audible　talk　about　this　approaching　marriage；　against　which　the　prejudices　of　the　town　were　set　in　such　compact　array。　I　have　several　times　mentioned　that　Kings　Port；　to　my　sense；　was　buzzing　over　John　Mayrant's　affairs；　buzzing　in　the　open；　where　one　could　hear　it；　and　buzzing　behind　closed　doors；　where　one　could　somehow　feel　it；　I　can　only　say　that　henceforth　this　buzzing　ceased；　dropped　wholly　away；　as　if　Gossip　were　watching　so　hard　that　she　forgot　to　talk；　giving　place　to　a　great　stillness　in　her　kingdom。　Such　occasional　words　as　were　uttered　sounded　oddly　and　egregiously　clear　in　the　new…established　void。

The　first　of　these　words　sounded；　indeed；　quite　enormous；　issuing　as　it　did　from　Juno's　lips　at　our　breakfast…table；　when　yesterday's　meeting　on　the　New　Bridge　was　investing　my　mind　with　many　thoughts。　She　addressed　me　in　one　of　her　favorite　tones　（I　have　met　it；　thank　God！　but　in　two　or　three　other　cases　during　my　whole　experience）；　which　always　somehow　conveyed　to　you　that　you　were　personally　to　blame　for　what　she　was　going　to　tell　you。

〃I　suppose　you　know　that　your　friend；　Mr。　Mayrant；　has　resigned　from　the　Custom　House？〃

I　was；　of　course；　careful　not　to　give　Juno　the　pleasure　of　seeing　that　she　had　surprised　me。　I　bowed；　and　continued　in　silence　to　sip　a　little　coffee；　then；　setting　my　coffee　down；　I　observed　that　it　would　be　some　few　days　yet　before　the　resignation　could　take　effect；　and；　noticing　that　Juno　was　getting　ready　some　new　remark；　I　branched　off　and　spoke　to　her　of　my　excursion　up　the　river　this　morning　to　see　the　azaleas　in　the　gardens　at　Live　Oaks。

〃How　lucky　the　weather　is　so　magnificent！〃　I　exclaimed。

〃I　shall　be　interested　to　hear；〃　said　Juno；　〃what　explanation　he　finds　to　give　Miss　Josephine　for　his　disrespectful　holding　out　against　her；　and　his　immediate　yielding　to　Miss　Rieppe。〃

Here　I　deemed　it　safe　to　ask　her；　was　she　quite　sure　it　had　been　at　the　instance　of　Miss　Rieppe　that　John　had　resigned？

〃It　follows　suspiciously　close　upon　her　arrival；〃　stated　Juno。　She　might　have　been　speaking　of　a　murder。　〃And　how　he　expects　to　support　a　wife　nowwell；　that　is　no　affair　of　mine；〃　Juno　concluded；　with　a　washing…her…hands…of…it　air；　as　if　up　to　this　point　she　had　always　done　her　best　for　the　wilful　boy。　She　had　blamed　him　savagely　for　not　resigning；　and　now　she　was　blaming　him　because　he　had　resigned；　and　I　ate　my　breakfast　in　much　entertainment