lady baltimore-第35节

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re　not　dollars；　and　you　have　to　kick　him　to　remind　himyes；　quite　perfect　dignity。　Gad；　it　took　a　lady　to　climb　up　and　sit　by　that　ragged　old　darky　and　take　her　dead　dog　away　in　the　cart！　The　cart　and　the　darky　only　made　her　look　what　she　was　all　the　more。　Poor　Kitty　couldn't　do　thatshe'd　look　like　a　chambermaid！　Well；　old　man；　see　you　again。〃

I　stood　on　the　post…office　steps　looking　after　Beverly　Rodgers　as　he　crossed　Court　Street。　His　admirably　good　clothes；　the　easy　finish　of　his　whole　appearance；　even　his　walk；　and　his　back；　and　the　slope　of　his　shoulders；　were　unmistakable。　The　Southern　men；　going　to　their　business　in　Court　Street；　looked　at　him。　Alas；　in　his　outward　man　he　was　as　a　rose　among　weeds！　And　certainly；　no　well…born　American　could　unite　with　an　art　more　hedonistic　than　Beverly's　the　old　school　and　the　nouveau　jeu！

Over　at　the　other　corner　he　turned　and　stood　admiring　the　church　and　gazing　at　the　other　buildings；　and　so　perceived　me　still　on　the　steps。　With　a　gesture　of　remembering　something　he　crossed　back　again。

〃You've　not　seen　Miss　Rieppe？〃

〃Why；　of　course　I　haven't！〃　I　exclaimed。　Was　everybody　going　to　ask　me　that？

〃Well；　something's　up；　old　boy。　Charley　has　got　the　launch　away　with　himand　I'll　bet　he's　got　her　away　with　him；　too。　Charley　lied　this　morning。〃

〃Is　lying；　then；　so　rare　with　him？〃

〃Why；　it　rather　is；　you　know。　But　I've　come　to　be　able　to　spot　him　when　he　does　it。　Those　little　bulgy　eyes　of　his　look　at　you　particularly　straight　and　childlike。　He　said　he　had　to　hunt　up　a　man　on　businessV…C　Chemical　Company；　he　called　it〃

〃There　is　such　a　thing　here；〃　I　said。

〃Oh；　Charley'd　never　make　up　a　thing；　and　get　found　out　in　that　way！　But　he　was　lying　all　the　same；　old　man。〃

〃Do　you　mean　they've　run　off　and　got　married？〃

〃What　do　you　take　them　for？　Much　more　like　them　to　run　off　and　not　get　married。　But　they　haven't　done　that　either。　And；　speaking　of　that；　I　believe　I've　gone　a　bit　adrift。　Your　fire…eater；　you　knowshe　is　an　extraordinary　woman！〃　And　Beverly　gave　his　mellow；　little　humorous　chuckle。　〃Hanged　if　I　don't　begin　to　think　she　does　fancy　him。〃

〃Well！〃　I　cried；　〃that　would　explainno；　it　wouldn't。　Whence　comes　your　theory？〃

〃Saw　her　look　at　him　at　dinner　once　last　night。　We　dined　with　some　peopleCornerly。　She　looked　at　him　just　once。　Well；　if　she　intendsby　gad；　it　upsets　one's　whole　notion　of　her！〃

〃Isn't　just　one　look　rather　slight　basis　for〃

〃Now；　old　man；　you　know　better　than　that！〃　Beverly　paused　to　chuckle。　〃My　grandmother　Livingston；〃　he　resumed；　〃knew　Aaron　Burr；　and　she　used　to　say　that　he　had　an　eye　which　no　honest　woman　could　meet　without　a　blush。　I　don't　know　whether　your　fire…eater　is　a　Launcelot；　or　a　Galahad；　but　that　girl's　eye　at　dinner〃

〃Did　he　blush？〃　I　laughed。

〃Not　that　I　saw。　But　really；　old　man；　confound　it；　you　know！　He's　no　sort　of　husband　for　her。　How　can　he　make　her　happy　and　how　can　she　make　him　happy；　and　how　can　either　of　them　hit　it　off　with　the　other　the　least　little　bit？　She's　expensive；　he's　not；　she's　up…to…date；　he's　not；　she's　of　the　great　world；　he's　provincial。　She's　all　derision；　he's　all　faith。　Why；　hang　it；　old　boy；　what　does　she　want　him　for？〃

Beverly's　handsome　brow　was　actually　furrowed　with　his　problem；　and；　as　I　certainly　could　furnish　him　no　solution　for　it；　we　stood　in　silence　on　the　post…office　steps。　〃What　can　she　want　him　for？〃　he　repeated。　Then　he　threw　it　off　lightly　with　one　of　his　chuckles。　〃So　glad　I've　no　daughters　to　marry！　WellI　must　go　draw　some　money。〃

He　took　himself　off　with　a　certain　alacrity；　giving　an　impatient　cut　with　his　stick　at　a　sparrow　in　the　middle　of　Worship　Street；　nor　did　I　see　him　again　this　day；　although；　after　hurriedly　getting　my　letters　（for　the　starting　hour　of　the　boat　had　now　drawn　near）；　I　followed　where　he　had　gone　down　Court　Street；　and　his　cosmopolitan　figure　would　have　been　easy　to　descry　at　any　distance　along　that　scantily　peopled　pavement。　He　had　evidently　found　the　bank　and　was　getting　his　money。

David　of　the　yellow　heir　and　his　limpid…looking　bride　were　on　the　horrible　little　excursion　boat；　watching　for　me　and　keeping　with　some　difficulty　a　chair　next　themselves　that　I　might　not　have　to　stand　up　all　the　way；　and；　as　I　came　aboard；　the　bride　called　out　to　me　her　relief；　she　had　made　sure　that　I　would　be　late。

〃David　said　you　wouldn't；〃　she　announced　in　her　clear　up…country　accent　across　the　parasols　and　heads　of　huddled　tourists；　〃but　I　told　him　a　gentleman　that's　late　to　three　meals　aivry　day　like　as　not　would　forget　boats　can't　be　kept　hot　in　the　kitchen　for　you。〃

I　took　my　place　in　the　chair　beside　her　as　hastily　as　possible；　for　there　is　nothing　that　I　so　much　dislike　as　being　made　conspicuous　for　any　reason　whatever；　and　my　thanks　to　her　were；　I　fear；　less　gracious　in　their　manner　than　should　have　been　the　case。　Nor　did　she　find　me；　I　must　suppose；　as　companionable　during　this　excursionduring　the　first　part　of　it；　at　any　rateas　a　limpid…looking　bride；　who　has　kept　at　some　pains　a　seat　beside　her　for　a　single　gentleman；　has　the　right　to　expect；　the　brief　hours　of　this　morning　had　fed　my　preoccupation　too　richly；　and　I　must　often　have　fallen　silent。

The　horrible　little　tug；　or　ferry；　or　wherry；　or　whatever　its　contemptible　inconvenience　makes　it　fitting　that　this　unclean　and　snail…like　craft　should　be　styled；　cast　off　and　began　to　lumber　along　the　edges　of　the　town　with　its　dense　cargo　of　hats　and　parasols　and　lunch　parcels。　We　were　a　most　extraordinary　litter　of　man　and　womankind。　There　was　the　severe　New　England　type；　improving　each　shining　hour；　and　doing　it　in　bleak　costume　and　with　a　thoroughly　northeast　expression；　there　were　pink　sunbonnets　from　（I　should　imagine）　Spartanburg；　or　Charlotte；　or　Greenville；　there　were　masculine　boots　which　yet　bore　incrusted　upon　their　heels　the　red　mud　of　Aiken　or　of　Camden；　there　was　one　fat；　jewelled　exhalation　who　spoke　of　Palm　Beach　with　the　true　stockyard　twang；　and　looked　as　if　she　swallowed　a　million　every　morning　for　breakfast；　and　God　knows　how　many　more　for　the　ensuing　repasts；　she　was　the　only　detestable　specimen　among　us；　sunbonnets；　boots；　and　even　ungenial　New　England　proved　on　acquaintance　kindly；　simple；　enterprising　Americans；　yet　who　knows　if　sunbonnets　and　boots　and　all　of　us　wouldn't　have　become　just　as　detestable　had　we　but　been　as　she　was；　swollen　and　puffy　with　the　acute　indigestion　of　sudden　wealth？

This　reflection　made　me　charitable；　which　I　always　like　to　be；　and　I　imparted　it　to　the　bride。

〃My！〃　she　said。　And　I　really　don't　know　what　that　meant。

But　presently　I　understood　well　why　people　endured　the　discomfort　of　this　journey。　I　forgot　the　cinders　which　now　and　then　showered　upon　us；　and　the　heat　of　the　sun；　and　the　crowded　chairs；　I　forgot　the　boat　and　myself；　in　looking　at　the　passing　shores。　Our　course　took　us　round　Kings　Port　on　three　sides。　The　calm；　white　town　spread　out　its　width　and　length　beneath　a　blue　sky　softer　than　the　tenderest　dream；　the　white　steeples　shone　through　the　enveloping　brightness；　taking　to　each　other；　and　to　the　distant　roofs　beneath　them；　successive　and　changing　relations；　while　the　dwindling　mass　of　streets　and　edifices　followed　more　slowly　the　veering　of　the　steeples；　folded　upon　itself；　and　refolded；　opened　into　new　shapes　and　closed　again；　dwindling　always；　and　always　white　and　beautiful；　and　as　the　far…off　vision　of　it　held　the　eye；　the　few　masts　along　the　wharves　grew　thin　and　went　out　into　invisibility；　the　spires　became　as　masts；　the　distant　drawbridge　through　which　we　had　passed　sank　down　into　a　mere　stretching　line；　and　shining　Kings　Port　was　dissolved　in　the　blue　of　water　and　of　air。

The　curving　and　the　narrowing　of　the　river　took　it　at　last　from　view；　and　after　it　disappeared　the　spindling　chimneys　and　their　smoke；　which　were　along　the　bank　above　the　town　and　bridge；　leaving　us　to　progress　through　the　solitude　of　marsh　and　wood　and　shore。　The　green　levels　of　stiff　salt　grass　closed　in　upon　the　breadth　of　water；　and　we　wound　among　them；　looking　across　their　silence　to　the　deeper　silence　of　the　woods　that　bordered　them；　the　brooding　woods；　the　pines　and　the　liveoaks；　misty　with　the　motionless　hanging　moss；　and　misty　also　in　that　Southern　air　that　deepened　when　it　came　among　their　trunks　to　a　caressing；　mysterious；　purple　veil。　Every　line　of　this　landscape；　the　straight　forest　top；　the　feathery　breaks　in　it　of　taller　trees；　the　curving　marsh；　every　line　and　every　hue　and　every　sound　inscrutably　spoke　sadness。　I　heard　a　mocking…bird　once　in　some　blossoming　wild　fruit　tree　that　we　gradually　reached　and　left　gradually　behind；　and　more　than　once　I　saw　other　blossoms；　and　the　yellow　of　the　trailing　jessamine；　but　the　bird　could　not　sing　the　silence　away；　and　spring　with　all　her　abundance　could　not　hide　this　spiritual　autumn。

Dreams；　a　land　of　dreams；　where　even　the　high　noon　itself　was　dreamy；　a　melting　together　of　earth　and　air　and　water　in　one　eternal　gentleness　of　revery！　Whence　came　the　melancholy　of　this？　I　had　seen　woods　as　solitary　and　streams　as　silent；　I　had　felt　nature　breathing　upon　me　a　greater　awe；　but　never　before　such　penetrating　and　quiet　sadness。　I　only　know　that　this　is　the　perpetual　mood　of　those　Southern　shores；　th