lady baltimore-第44节

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f　it　prompted　me　to　allude　to　Hortense　Rieppe。

〃I　find　her　beauty　growing　upon　me？〃　I　declared。

Mrs。　Gregory　did　not　deny　the　beauty；　although　she　spoke　with　reserve　at　first。　〃It　is　to　be　said　that　she　knows　how　to　write　a　suitable　note；〃　the　lady　also　admitted。

She　didn't　tell　me　what　the　note　was　about；　naturally；　but　I　could　imagine　with　what　joy　in　the　exercise　of　her　art　Hortense　had　constructed　that　communication　which　must　have　accompanied　the　prompt　return　of　the　card…case。

Then　Mrs。　Gregory's　tongue　became　downright。　〃Since　you're　able　to　see　so　much　of　her；　why　don't　you　tell　her　to　marry　that　little　steam…yacht　gambler？　I'm　sure　he's　dying　to；　and　he's　just　the　thing　for　her？〃

〃Ah；〃　I　returned；　〃Love　so　seldom　knows　what's　just　the　thing　for　marriage。〃

〃Then　your　precocity　theory　falls；〃　declared　Mrs。　St。　Michael。　And　as　she　went　away　from　me　along　the　street；　I　watched　her　beautiful　stately　walk；　for　who　could　help　watching　a　sight　so　good？

Charley；　then；　was　no　secret　to　John's　people。　Was　John　still　a　secret　to　Charley？　Could　Hortense　possibly　have　managed　this？　I　hoped　for　a　chance　to　observe　the　two　men　with　her　during　the　visit　of　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael　and　her　party　to　the　church。

This　party　was　already　assembled　when　I　arrived　upon　the　spot　appointed。　In　the　street；　a　few　paces　from　the　church；　stood　Bohm　and　Charley　and　Kitty　and　Gazza；　with　Beverly　Rodgers；　who；　as　I　came　near；　left　them　and　joined　me。

〃Oh；　she's　somewhere　off　with　her　fire…eater；〃　responded　Beverly　to　my　immediate　inquiry　for　Hortense。　〃Do　you　think　she　was　asked；　old　man？〃

Probably　not；　I　thought。　〃But　she　goes　so　well　with　the　rest；〃　I　suggested。

Beverly　gave　his　chuckle。　〃She　goes　where　she　likes。　She'll　meet　us　here　when　we're　finished；　I'm　pretty　sure。〃

〃Why　such　certainty？〃

〃Well；　she　has　to　attend　to　Charley；　you　know！〃

Mrs。　Weguelin；　it　appeared；　had　met　the　party　here　by　the　church；　but　had　now　gone　somewhere　in　the　immediate　neighborhood　to　find　out　why　the　gate　was　not　opened　to　admit　us；　and　to　hasten　the　unpunctual　custodian　of　the　keys。　I　had　not　looked　for　precisely　such　a　party　as　Mrs。　Weguelin's　invitation　had　gathered；　nor　could　I　imagine　that　she　had　fully　understood　herself　what　she　was　gathering；　and　this　I　intimated　to　Beverly　Rodgers；　saying：

〃Do　you　suppose；　my　friend；　that　she　suspected　the　feather　of　the　birds　you　flock　with？〃

Beverly　took　it　lightly。　〃Hang　it；　old　boy；　of　course　everybody　can't　be　as　nice　as　I　am！　〃But　he　took　it　less　lightly　before　it　was　over。

We　stood　chatting　apart；　he　and　I；　while　Bohm　and　Charley　and　Kitty　and　Gazza　walked　across　the　street　to　the　window　of　a　shop；　where　old　　furniture　was　for　sale　at　a　high　price；　and　it　grew　clearer　to　me　what　Beverly　had　innocently　brought　upon　Mrs。　Weguelin；　and　how　he　had　brought　it。　The　little　quiet；　particular　lady　had　been　pleased　with　his　visit；　and　pleased　with　him。　His　good　manners；　his　good　appearance；　his　good　English…trained　voice；　all　these　things　must　have　been　extremely　to　her　taste；　and　thenmore　important　than　theydid　she　not　know　about　his　people？　She　had　inquired；　he　told　me；　with　interest　about　two　of　his　uncles；　whom　she　had　last　seen　in　1858。　〃She's　awfully　the　right　sort；〃　said　Beverly。　Yes；　I　saw　well　how　that　visit　must　have　gone：　the　gentle　old　lady　reviving　in　Beverly's　presence；　and　for　the　sake　of　being　civil　to　him；　some　memories　of　her　girlhood；　some　meetings　with　those　uncles；　some　dances　with　them；　and　generally　shedding　from　her　talk　and　manner　the　charm　of　some　sweet　old　melodyand　Beverly；　the　facile；　the　appreciative；　sitting　there　with　her　at　a　correct；　deferential　angle　on　his　chair；　admirably　sympathetic　and　in　good　form；　and　playing　the　old　school。　（He　had　no　thought　to　deceive　her；　the　old　school　was　his　by　right；　and　genuinely　in　his　blood；　he　took　to　it　like　a　duck　to　the　water。）　How　should　Mrs。　Weguelin　divine　that　he　also　took　to　the　nouveau　jeu　to　the　tune　of　Bohm　and　Charley　and　Kitty　and　Gazza？　And　so；　to　show　him　some　attention；　and　because　she　couldn't　ask　him　to　a　meal；　why；　she　would　take　him　over　the　old　church；　her　colonial　forefathers'；　she　would　tell　him　the　little　legends　about　them；　he　was　precisely　the　young　man　to　appreciate　such　thingsand　she　would　be　pleased　if　he　would　also　bring　the　friends　with　whom　he　was　travelling。

I　looked　across　the　street　at　Bohm　and　Charley　and　Kitty　and　Gazza。　They　were　now　staring　about　them　in　all　their　perfection　of　stare：　small　Charley　in　a　sleek　slate…colored　suit；　as　neat　as　any　little　barber；　Bohm；　massive；　portentous；　his　strong　shoes　and　gloves　the　chief　note　in　his　dress；　and　about　his　whole　firm　frame　a　heavy　mechanical　strength；　a　look　as　of　something　that　did　something　rapidly　and　accurately　when　set　goingcut　or　cracked　or　ground　or　smashed　something　better　and　faster　than　it　had　ever　been　cut　or　cracked　or　ground　or　smashed　before；　and　would　take　your　arms　and　legs　off　if　you　didn't　stand　well　back　from　it；　it　was　only　in　Bohm's　eye　and　lips　that　you　saw　he　wasn't　made　entirely　of　brass　and　iron；　that　champagne　and　shoulders　decolletes　received　a　punctual　share　of　his　valuable　time。　And　there　was　Kitty；　too；　just　the　wife　for　Bohm；　so　soon　as　she　could　divorce　her　husband；　to　whom　she　had　united　herself　before　discovering　that　all　she　married　him　for；　his　old　Knickerbocker　name；　was　no　longer　in　the　slightest　degree　necessary　for　social　acceptance；　while　she　could　feed　people；　her　trough　would　be　well　thronged。　Kitty　was　neat；　Kitty　was　trig；　Kitty　was　what　Beverly　would　call　〃swagger　〃；　her　skilful　tailor…made　clothes　sheathed　her　closely　and　gave　her　the　excellent　appearance　of　a　well…folded　English　umbrella；　it　was　in　her　hat　that　she　had　gone　wronga　beautiful　hat　in　itself；　one　which　would　have　wholly　become　Hortense；　but　for　poor　Kitty　it　didn't　do　at　all。　Yes；　she　was　a　well　folded　English　umbrella；　only　the　umbrella　had　for　its　handle　the　head　of　a　bulldog　or　the　leg　of　a　ballet…dancer。　And　these　were　the　Replacers　whom　Beverly's　clear…sighted　eyes　saw　swarming　round　the　temple　of　his　civilization；　pushing　down　the　aisles；　climbing　over　the　backs　of　the　benches；　walking　over　each　other's　bodies；　and　seizing　those　front　seats　which　his　family　had　sat　in　since　New　York　had　been　New　York；　and　so　the　wise　fellow　very　prudently　took　every　step　that　would　insure　the　Replacers'　inviting　him　to　occupy　one　of　his　own　chairs。　I　had　almost　forgotten　little　Gazza；　the　Italian　nobleman；　who　sold　old　furniture　to　new　Americans。　Gazza　was　not　looking　at　the　old　furniture　of　Kings　Port；　which　must　have　filled　his　Vatican　soul　with　contempt；　he　was　strolling　back　and　forth　in　the　street；　with　his　head　in　the　air；　humming；　now　loudly；　now　softly　〃La…la；　la…la；　E　quando　a　la　predica　in　chiesa　siederia；　la…la…la…la；〃　and　I　thought　to　myself　that；　were　I　the　Pope；　I　should　kick　him　into　the　Tiber。

When　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael　came　back　with　the　keys　and　their　custodian；　Bohm　was　listening　to　the　slow；　clear　words　of　Charley；　in　which　he　evidently　found　something　that　at　length　interested　hima　little。　Bohm；　it　seemed；　did　not　often　speak　himself：　possibly　once　a　week。　His　way　was　to　let　other　people　speak　to　him　when　there　were　signs　in　his　face　that　he　was　hearing　anything　which　they　said；　it　was　a　high　compliment　to　them；　and　of　course　Charley　could　command　Bohm's　ear；　for　Charley；　although　he　was　as　neat　as　any　barber；　and　let　Hortense　walk　on　him　because　he　looked　beyond　that；　and　purposed　to　get　her；　was　just　as　potent　in　the　financial　world　as　Bohm；　could　bring　a　borrowing　empire　to　his　own　terms　just　as　skillfully　as　could　Bohm；　was；　in　short；　a　man　after　Bohm's　ownI　had　almost　said　heart：　the　expression　is　so　　obstinately　embedded　in　our　language！　Bohm；　listening；　and　Charley；　talking；　had　neither　of　them　noticed　Mrs。　Weguelin's　arrival；　they　stood　ignoring　her；　while　she　waited；　casting　a　timid　eye　upon　them。　But　Beverly；　suddenly　perceiving　this；　and　begging　her　pardon　for　them；　brought　the　party　together；　and　we　moved　in　among　the　old　graves。

〃Ah！〃　said　Gazza；　bending　to　read　the　quaint　words　cut　upon　one　of　them；　as　we　stopped　while　the　door　at　the　rear　of　the　church　was　being　opened；　〃French！〃

〃It　was　the　mother…tongue　of　these　colonists；〃　Mrs。　Weguelin　explained　to　him。

〃Ah！　like　Canada！〃　cried　Gazza。　〃But　what　a　pretty　bit　is　that！〃　And　he　stood　back　to　admire　a　little　glimpse；　across　a　street；　between　tiled　roofs　and　rusty　balconies；　of　another　church　steeple。　〃Almost；　one　would　say；　the　Old　World；〃　Gazza　declared。


〃Our　world　is　not　new；〃　said　Mrs。　Weguelin；　and　she　passed　into　the　church。

Kings　Port　holds　many　sacred　nooks；　many　corners；　many　vistas；　that　should　deeply　stir　the　spirit　and　the　heart　of　all　Americans　who　know　and　love　their　country。　The　passing　traveller　may　gaze　up　at　certain　windows　there；　and　see　History　herself　looking　out　at　him；　even　as　she　looks　out　of　the　windows　of　Independence　Hall　in　Philadelphia。　There　are　also　other　ancient　buildings　in　Kings　Port；　where　History　is　shut　up；　as　in　a　strong…box；such　as　that　stubborn　old　octagon；　the　powder…magazine　of　Revolutionary　times；　which　is　a　chest　holding　proud　memories　of　blood　and　war。　And　then　there　are　the　three　c