lady baltimore-第46节

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　polished　finger…nail　was　running　meditatively　along　his　thin　mustache。

Hortense　took　the　matterwhatever　the　matter　wasin　hand。

〃You　haven't　much　time；〃　she　said　to　Charles；　who　consulted　his　watch。

〃Who's　coming　to　see　me　off？〃　he　inquired。

〃Where's　he　going？〃　I　asked　Beverly。

〃She's　sending　him　North；〃　Beverly　answered；　and　then　he　spoke　with　his　very　best　simple　manner　to　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael。　〃May　I　not　walk　home　with　you　after　all　your　kindness？〃

She　was　going　to　say　no；　for　she　had　had　enough　of　this　party；　but　she　looked　at　Beverly；　and　his　face　and　his　true　solicitude　won　her；　she　said；　〃Thank　you；　if　you　will。〃　And　the　two　departed　together　down　the　shabby　street；　the　little　veiled　lady　in　black；　and　Beverly　with　his　excellent　London　clothes　and　his　still　more　excellent　look　of　respectful；　sheltering　attention。

And　now　Bohm　pronounced　the　only　utterance　that　I　heard　fall　from　his　lips　during　his　stay　in　Kings　Port。　He　looked　at　the　church　he　had　come　from；　he　looked　at　the　neighboring　larger　church　whose　columns　stood　out　at　the　angle　of　the　street；　he　looked　at　the　graveyard　opposite　that；　then　at　the　stale；　dusty　shop　of　old　furniture；　and　then　up　the　shabby　street；　where　no　life　or　movement　was　to　be　seen；　except　the　distant　forms　of　Beverly　and　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael。　Then　from　a　gold　cigar…case；　curved　to　fit　his　breast　pocket；　he　took　a　cigar　and　lighted　it　from　a　gold　match…box。　Offering　none　of　us　a　cigar；　he　placed　the　case　again　in　his　pocket；　and　holding　his　lighted　cigar　a　moment　with　two　fingers　in　his　strong　glove；　he　spoke：

〃This　town's　worse　than　Sunday。〃

Then　he　got　into　the　automobile。　They　all　followed　to　see　Charley　off；　and　he　addressed　me。

〃I　shall　be　glad；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　will　make　one　of　a　little　party　on　the　yacht　next　Sunday；　when　I　come　back。　And　you　also；〃　he　added　to　John。

Both　John　and　I　expressed　our　acceptance　in　suitable　forms；　and　the　automobile　took　its　way　to　the　train。

〃Your　Kings　Port　streets；〃　I　said；　as　we　walked　back　toward　Mrs。　Trevise's；　〃are　not　very　favorable　for　automobiles。〃

〃No；〃　he　returned　briefly。　I　don't　remember　that　either　of　us　found　more　to　say　until　we　had　reached　my　front　door；　when　he　asked；　〃Will　the　day　after　to…morrow　suit　you　for　Udolpho？〃

〃Whenever　you　say；〃　I　told　him。

〃Weather　permitting；　of　course。　But　I　hope　that　it　will；　for　after　that　I　suppose　my　time　will　not　be　quite　so　free。〃

After　we　had　parted　it　struck　me　that　this　was　the　first　reference　to　his　approaching　marriage　that　John　had　ever　made　in　my　hearing　since　that　day　long　ago　（it　seemed　long　ago；　at　least）　when　he　had　come　to　the　Exchange　to　order　the　wedding…cake；　and　Eliza　La　Heu　had　fallen　in　love　with　him　at　sight。　That；　in　my　opinion；　looking　back　now　with　eyes　at　any　rate　partially　opened；　was　what　Eliza　had　done。　Had　John　returned　the　compliment　then；　or　since？



XIX：　Udolpho

It　was　to　me　continuously　a　matter　of　satisfaction　and　of　interest　to　see　Hortense　disturbedwhether　for　causes　real　or　imaginaryabout　the　security　of　her　title　to　her　lover　John；　nor　can　I　say　that　my　misinterpreted　bunch　of　roses　diminished　this　satisfaction。　I　should　have　been　glad　to　know　if　the　accomplished　young　woman　had　further　probed　that　question　and　discovered　the　truth；　but　it　seemed　scarce　likely　that　she　could　do　this　without　the　help　of　one　of　three　persons；　Eliza　and　myself　who　knew　all；　or　John　who　knew　nothing；　for　the　up…country　bride；　and　whatever　other　people　in　Kings　Port　there　were　to　whom　the　bride　might　gayly　recite　the　tale　of　my　roses；　were　none　of　them　likely　to　encounter　Miss　Rieppe；　their　paths　and　hers　would　not　meet　until　they　met　in　church　at　the　wedding　of　Hortense　and　John。　No；　she　could　not　have　found　out　the　truth；　for　never　in　the　world　would　she；　at　this　eleventh　hour；　risk　a　conversation　with　John　upon　a　subject　so　full　of　well…packed　explosives；　and　so　she　must　be　simply　keeping　on　both　him　and　Eliza　an　eye　as　watchful　as　lay　in　her　power。　As　for　Charley；　what　bait；　what　persuasion；　what　duress　she　had　been　able　to　find　that　took　him　at　an　hour　so　critical　from　her　side　to　New　York；　I　could　not　in　the　least　conjecture。　Had　she　said　to　the　little　banker；　Go；　because　I　must　think　it　over　alone？　It　did　not　seem　strong　enough。　Or　had　she　said；　Go；　and　on　your　return　you　shall　have　my　answer？　Not　adequate　either；　I　thought。　Or　had　it　been；　If　you　don't　go；　it　shall　be　〃no；〃　to…day　and　forever？　This　last　was　better；　but　there　was　no　telling；　nor　did　Beverly　Rodgers；　to　whom　I　propounded　all　my　theories；　have　any　notion　of　what　was　between　Hortense　and　Charley。　He　only　knew　that　Charley　was　quite　aware　of　the　existence　of　John；　but　had　always　been　merely　amused　at　the　notion　of　him。

〃So　have　you　been　merely　amused；〃　I　reminded　him。

〃Not　since　that　look　I　saw　her　give　him；　old　chap。　I　know　she　wants　him；　only　not　why　she　wants　him。　And　Charley；　you　knowwell；　of　course；　poor　Charley's　a　banker；　just　a　banker　and　no　more；　and　a　banker　is　merely　the　ace　in　the　same　pack　where　the　drummer　is　the　two…spot。　Our　American　civilization　should　be　called　Drummer's　Delightand　there's　nothing　in　your　fire…eater　to　delight　a　drummer：　he's　a　gentleman；　he'll　be　only　so…so　rich；　and　he's　away　back　out　of　the　lime…light；　while　poor　old　Charley's　a　bounder；　and　worth　forty　millions　anyhow；　and　right　in　the　centre　of　the　glare。　How　should　he　see　any　danger　in　John？〃

〃I　wonder　if　he　hasn't　begun　to？〃

〃Well；　perhaps。　He　and　Hortense　have　been　'talking　business'；　I　know　that。　Ohand　why　do　you　think　she　said　he　must　go　to　New　York？　To　make　a　better　deal　for　the　fire…eater's　phosphates　than　his　fuddling　old　trustee　here　was　going　to　close　with。　Charley　said　that　could　be　arranged　by　telegram。　But　she　made　him　go　himself！　She's　extraordinary。　He'll　arrive　in　town　to…morrow；　he'll　leave　next　day；　he'll　reach　here　by　the　Southern　on　Saturday　night　in　time　for　our　Sunday　yacht　picnic；　and　then　something　has　got　to　happen；　I　should　think。〃

Here　was　another　key；　unlocking　a　further　piece　of　knowledge　for　me。　I　had　not　been　able　to　guess　why　Hortense　should　be　keeping　Charley　〃on〃；　but　how　natural　was　this　policy；　when　understood　clearly！　She　still　needed　Charley's　influence　in　the　world　of　affairs。　Charley's　final　service　was　to　be　the　increasing　of　his　successful　rival's　fortune。　I　wondered　what　Charley　would　do；　when　the　full　extent　of　his　usefulness　dawned　upon　him；　and　with　wonder　renewed　I　thought　of　General　Rieppe；　and　this　daughter　he　had　managed　to　beget。　Surely　the　mother　of　Hortense；　whoever　she　may　have　been；　must　have　been　a　very　richly　endowed　character！

〃Something　has　most　certainly　got　to　happen　and　soon；〃　I　said　to　Beverly　Rodgers。　〃Especially　if　my　busy　boarding…house　bodies　are　right　in　saying　that　the　invitations　for　the　wedding　are　to　be　out　on　Monday。〃

Well；　I　had　Friday；　I　had　Udolpho；　and　there；　while　on　that　excursion；　when　I　should　be　alone　with　John　Mayrant　during　many　hours；　and　　especially　the　hours　of　deep；　confidential　night；　I　swore　to　myself　on　oath　I　would　say　to　the　boy　the　last　word；　up　to　the　verge　of　offense；　that　my　wits　could　devise。　Apart　from　a　certain　dramatic　excitement　as　of　battlebattle　between　Hortense　and　meI　truly　wished　to　help　him　out　of　the　miserable　mistake　his　wrong　standard；　his　chivalry　gone　perverted；　was　spurring　him　on　to　make；　and　I　had　a　comic　image　of　myself；　summoning　Miss　Josephine；　summoning　Miss　Eliza；　summoning　Mrs。　Gregory　and　Mrs。　Weguelin；　and　the　whole　company　of　aunts　and　cousins；　and　handing　to　them　the　rescued　John　with　the　single　but　sufficient　syllable：　〃There！〃

He　was　in　apparent　spirits；　was　John；　at　that　hour　of　our　departure　for　Udolpho；　he　pretended　so　well　that　I　was　for　a　while　altogether　deceived。　He　had　wished　to　call　for　me　with　the　conveyance　in　which　he　should　drive　us　out　into　the　lonely　country　through　the　sunny　afternoon；　but　instead；　I　chose　to　walk　round　to　where　he　lived；　and　where　I　found　him　stuffing　beneath　the　seats　of　the　vehicle　the　baskets　and　the　parcels　which　con…　tained　the　provisions　for　our　ample　supper。

〃I　have　never　seen　you　drink　hearty　yet；　and　now　I　purpose　to；〃　said　John。

As　the　packing　was　finishing　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　came　by；　and　the　sight　of　the　erect　old　lady　reminded　me　that　of　all　Kings　Port　figures　known　to　me　and　seen　in　the　garden　paying　their　visit　of　ceremony　to　Hortense；　she　aloneshe　and　Eliza　La　Heuhad　been　absent。　Eliza's　declining　to　share　in　that　was　well…nigh　inevitable；　but　Miss　Josephine　was　another　matter。　Perhaps　she　had　considered　her　sister's　going　there　to　be　enough；　at　any　rate；　she　had　not　been　party　to　the　surrender；　and　this　gave　me　whimsical　satisfaction。　Moreover；　it　had　evidently　occasioned　no　ruffle　in　the　affectionate　relations　between　herself　and　John。

〃John；〃　said　she；　〃as　you　drive　by；　do　get　me　a　plumber。〃

〃Much　better　get　a　burglar；　Aunt　Josephine。　Cheaper　in　the　end；　and　neater　work。〃

It　was　thus；　at　the　outset；　that　I　came　to　believe　John's　spirits　were　high；　and　this　illusion　he　successfully　kept　up　until　after　we　had　left　the　plumber　and　Kings　Port　several　sordid　miles　behind　us；　the　approach　to　Kings　Port　this　way　lies　through　dirtiest　Africa。　John　was　loquacio