lady baltimore-第39节

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le　position　of　apparent　duplicity　precipitated　two　wholly　inevitable　actions　on　his　part；　he　had　bound　himself　more　than　ever　to　marry　Hortense；　and　he　had　made　a　furious　breach　with　his　Aunt　Eliza。　That　was　what　his　letter　had　contained；　this　time　he　had　banished　himself　from　that　house。　What　was　his　Aunt　Eliza　going　to　do　about　it？　I　wondered。　She　was　a　stiff；　if　indiscreet；　old　lady；　and　it　certainly　did　not　fall　within　her　view　of　the　proprieties　that　young　people　should　take　their　elders　to　task　in　furious　letters。　But　she　had　been　totally　in　the　wrong；　and　her　fault　was　irreparable；　because　important　things　had　happened　in　consequence　of　it；　she　might　repent　the　fault　in　sackcloth　and　ashes；　but　she　couldn't　stop　the　things。　Would　she；　then；　honorably　wear　the　sackcloth；　or　would　she　dishonestly　shirk　it　under　the　false　issue　of　her　nephew's　improper　tone　to　her？　Women　can　justify　themselves　with　more　appalling　skill　than　men。

One　drop　there　was　in　all　this　bitter　bucket；　which　must　have　tasted　sweet　to　John。　He　had　resigned　from　the　Custom　House：　Juno　had　got　it　right　this　time；　though　she　hadn't　a　notion　of　the　real　reason　for　John's　act。　This　act　had　been；　since　morning；　lost　for　me；　so　to　speak；　in　the　shuffle　of　more　absorbing　events；　and　it　now　rose　to　view　again　in　my　mind　as　a　telling　stroke　in　the　full…length　portrait　that　all　his　acts　had　been　painting　of　the　boy　during　the　last　twenty…four　hours。　Notwithstanding　a　meddlesome　aunt；　and　an　arriving　sweetheart；　and　imminent　wedlock；　he　hadn't　forgotten　to　stop　〃taking　orders　from　a　negro〃　at　the　very　first　opportunity　which　came　to　him；　his　phosphates　had　done　this　for　him；　at　least；　and　I　should　have　the　pleasure　of　correcting　Juno　at　tea。

But　I　did　not　have　this　pleasure。　They　were　all　in　an　excitement　over　something　else；　and　my　own　different　excitement　hadn't　a　chance　against　this　greater　one；　for　people　seldom　wish　to　hear　what　you　have　to　say；　even　under　the　most　favorable　circumstances；　and　never　when　they　have　anything　to　say　themselves。　With　an　audience　so　hotly　preoccupied　I　couldn't　have　sat　on　Juno　effectively　at　all；　and　therefore　I　kept　it　to　myself；　and　attended　very　slightly　to　what　they　were　telling　me　about　the　Daughters　of　Dixie。

I　bowed　absently　to　the　poetess。　〃And　your　poem？〃　I　said。　〃A　great　success；　I　am　sure？〃

〃Why；　didn't　you　hear　me　say　so？〃　said　the　upcountry　bride；　and　then；　after　a　smile　at　the　others；　〃I'm　sure　your　flowers　were　graciously　accepted。〃

〃Ask　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael；〃　I　replied。

〃Oh；　oh；　oh！〃　went　the　bride。　〃How　would　she　know？〃

I　gave　myself　no　pains　to　improve　or　arrest　this　tiresome　joke；　and　they　went　back　to　their　Daughters　of　Dixie；　but　it　is　rather　singular　how　sometimes　an　utterly　absurd　notion　will　be　the　cause　of　our　taking　a　step　which　we　had　not　contemplated。　I　did　carry　some　flowers　to　Miss　La　Heu　the　next　day。　I　was　at　some　trouble　to　find　any；　for　in　Kings　Port　shops　of　this　kind　are　by　no　means　plentiful；　and　it　was　not　until　I　had　paid　a　visit　to　a　quite　distant　garden　at　the　extreme　northwestern　edge　of　the　town　that　I　lighted　upon　anything　worthy　of　the　girl　behind　the　counter。　The　Exchange　itself　was　apt　to　have　flowers　for　sale；　but　I　hardly　saw　my　way　to　buying　them　there；　and　then　immediately　offering　them　to　the　fair　person　who　had　sold　them　to　me。　As　it　was；　I　did　much　better；　for　what　I　brought　her　were　decidedly　superior　to　any　that　were　at　the　Exchange　when　I　entered　it　at　lunch　time。

They　were；　as　the　up…country　bride　would　have　put　it；　〃graciously　accepted。〃　Miss　La　Heu　stood　them　in　water　on　the　counter　beside　her　ledger。　She　was　looking　lovely。

〃I　expected　you　yesterday；〃　she　said。　〃The　new　Lady　Baltimore　was　ready。〃

〃Well；　if　it　is　not　all　eaten　yet〃

〃Oh；　no！　Not　a　slice　gone。〃

〃Ah；　nobody　does　your　art　justice　here！〃

〃Go　and　sit　down　at　your　table；　please。〃

It　was　really　quite　difficult　to　say　to　her　from　that　distance　the　sort　of　things　that　I　wished　to　say；　but　there　seemed　to　be　no　help　for　it；　and　I　did　my　best。

〃I　shall　miss　my　lunches　here　very　much　when　I'm　gone。〃

〃Did　you　say　coffee　to…day？〃

〃Chocolate。　I　shall　miss〃

〃And　the　lettuce　sandwiches？〃

〃Yes。　You　don't　realize　how　much　these　lunches〃

〃Have　cost　you？〃　She　seemed　determined　to　keep　laughing。

〃You　have　said　it。　They　have　cost　me　my〃

〃I　can　give　you　the　receipt；　you　know。〃

〃The　receipt？〃

〃For　Lady　Baltimore；　to　take　with　you。〃

〃You'll　have　to　give　me　a　receipt　for　a　lost　heart。〃

〃Oh；　his　heart！　General；　listen　to〃　From　habit　she　had　turned　to　where　her　dog　used　to　lie；　and　sudden　pain　swept　over　her　face　and　was　mastered。　〃Never　mind！〃　she　quickly　resumed。　〃Please　don't　speak　about　it。　And　you　have　a　heart　somewhere；　for　it　was　very　nice　in　you　to　come　in　yesterday　morning　afterafter　the　bridge。〃

〃I　hope　I　have　a　heart；〃　I　began；　rising；　for；　really；　I　could　not　go　on　in　this　way；　sitting　down　away　back　at　the　lunch　table。

But　the　door　opened；　and　Hortense　Rieppe　came　into　the　Woman's　Exchange。

It　was　at　me　that　she　first　looked；　and　she　gave　me　the　slightest　bow　possible；　the　least　sign　of　conventional　recognition　that　a　movement　of　the　head　could　make　and　be　visible　at　all；　she　didn't　bend　her　head　down；　she　tilted　it　ever　so　little　up。　It　wasn't　new　to　me；　this　form　of　greeting；　and　I　knew　that　she　had　acquired　it　at　Newport；　and　that　it　denoted；　all　too　accurately；　the　size　of　my　importance　in　her　eyes；　she　did　it；　as　she　did　everything；　with　perfection。　Then　she　turned　to　Eliza　La　Heu；　whose　face　had　become　miraculously　sweet。

〃Good　morning；〃　said　Hortense。

It　sounded　from　a　quiet　well　of　reserve　music；　just　a　cupful　of　melodious　tone　dipped　lightly　out　of　the　surface。　Her　face　hadn't　become　anything；　but　it　was　equally　miraculous　in　its　total　void　of　all　expression　relating　to　this　moment；　or　to　any　moment；　just　her　beauty；　her　permanent　stationary　beauty；　was　there　glowing　in　it　and　through　it；　not　skin　deep；　but　going　back　and　back　into　her　lazy　eyes；　and　shining　from　within　the　modulated　bloom　of　her　color　and　the　depths　of　her　amber　hair。　She　was　choosing；　for　this　occasion；　to　be　as　impersonal　as　some　radiant　hour　in　nature；　some　mellow；　motionless　day　when　the　leaves　have　turned；　but　have　not　fallen；　and　it　is　drowsily　warm；　but　it　wasn't　so　much　of　nature　that　she；　in　her　harmonious　lustre；　reminded　me；　as　of　some　beautiful　silken…shaded　lamp；　from　which　color　rather　than　light　came　with　subdued　ampleness。

I　saw　her　eyes　settle　upon　the　flowers　that　I　had　brought　Eliza　La　Heu。

〃How　beautiful　those　are！〃　she　remarked。

〃Is　there　something　that　you　wish？〃　inquired　Miss　La　Heu；　always　miraculously　sweet。

〃Some　of　your　good　things　for　lunch；　a　very　little；　if　you　will　be　so　kind。〃

I　had　gone　back　to　my　table　while　the　〃very　little〃　was　being　selected；　and　I　felt；　in　spite　of　how　slightly　she　counted　me；　that　it　would　be　in…　adequate　in　me　to　remain　completely　dumb。

〃Mr。　Mayrant　is　still　at　the　Custom　House？〃　I　observed。

〃For　a　few　days；　yes。　Happily　we　shall　soon　break　that　connection。〃　And　she　smelt　my　flowers。

〃'We；'〃　I　thought　to　myself；　〃is　rather　tremendous。〃

It　grew　more　tremendous　in　the　silence　as　Eliza　La　Heu　brought　me　my　orders。　Miss　Rieppe　did　not　seat　herself　to　take　the　light　refreshment　which　she　found　enough　for　lunch。　Her　plate　and　cup　were　set　for　her；　but　she　walked　about；　now　with　one；　and　now　with　the　other；　taking　her　time　over　it；　and　pausing　here　and　there　at　some　article　of　the　Exchange　stock。

Of　course；　she　hadn't　come　there　for　any　lunch；　the　Cornerlys　had　midday　lunch　and　dined　late；　these　innovated　hours　were　a　part　of　Kings　Port's　deep　suspicion　of　the　Cornerlys；　but　what　now　became　interesting　was　her　evident　indifference　to　our　perceiving　that　lunch　was　merely　a　pretext　with　her；　in　fact；　I　think　she　wished　it　to　be　perceived；　and　I　also　think　that　those　turns　which　she　took　about　the　Exchangeher　apparent　inspection　of　an　old　mahogany　table；　her　examination　of　a　pewter　set　were　a　symbol　（and　meant　to　be　a　symbol）　of　how　she　had　all　the　time　there　was；　and　the　possession　of　everything　she　wished　including　the　situation；　and　that　she　enjoyed　having　this　sink　in　while　she　was　rearranging　whatever　she　had　arranged　to　say；　in　consequence　of　finding　that　I　should　also　hear　it。　And　how　well　she　was　worth　looking　at；　no　matter　whether　she　stood；　or　moved；　or　what　she　did！　Her　age　lay　beyond　the　reach　of　the　human　eye；　if　she　was　twenty…five；　she　was　marvelous　in　her　mastery　of　her　appearance；　if　she　was　thirty…four；　she　was　marvelous　in　her　mastery　of　perpetuating　it；　and　by　no　other　means　than　perfect　dress　personal　to　herself　（for　she　had　taken　the　fashion　and　welded　it　into　her　own　plasticity）　and　perfect　health；　for　without　a　trace　of　the　athletic；　her　graceful　shape　teemed　with　elasticity。　There　was　a　touch　of　〃sport〃　in　the　parasol　she　had　laid　down；　and　with　all　her　blended　serenity　there　was　a　touch　of　〃sport〃　in　her。　Experience　could　teach　her　beauty　nothing　more；　it　wore　the　look　of　having　been　made　love　to　by　many　married　men。

Quite　suddenly　the　true　light　flashed　upon　me。　I　had　been　slow…sighted　indeed！　So　that　was　what　she　had　come　here　for　to…day！　Miss　Hortense