lady baltimore-第51节

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name　will　be　in　the　paper！　Not　a　foreigner　you　entertain；　not　a　dinner　you　give；　not　a　thing　you　wear；　will　ever　be　described　next　morning。　And　Charley's　so　set　on　you；　and　you're　so　just　exactly　made　for　each　other；　and　it　would　all　be　so　splendid；　and　cosey；　and　jolly！　And　to　throw　all　this　away　for　that　crude　boy！〃　Kitty's　disdain　was　high　at　the　thought　of　John。

Hortense　took　a　little　time　over　it　〃Once；〃　she　then　stated；　〃he　told　me　he　could　drown　in　my　hair　as　joyfully　as　the　Duke　of　Clarence　did　in　his　butt　of　Malmsey　wine！〃

Kitty　gave　a　little　scream。　〃Did　you　let　him？〃

〃One　has　to　guard　one's　value　at　times。〃

Kitty's　disdain　for　John　increased。　〃How　crude！〃

Hortense　did　not　make　any　answer。

〃How　crude！〃　Kitty；　after　some　silence；　repeated。　She　seemed　to　have　found　the　right　word。

Steps　sounded　upon　the　bridge；　and　the　voice　of　Gazza　cried　out　that　the　stupid　key　was　at　the　imbecile　club…house；　whither　he　was　now　going　for　it；　and　not　to　be　alarmed。　Their　voices　answered　reassuringly；　and　Gazza　was　heard　growing　distant；　singing　some　little　song。

Kitty　was　apparently　unable　to　get　away　from　John's　crudity。　〃He　actually　said　that？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Where　was　it？　Tell　me　about　it；　Hortense。〃

〃We　were　walking　in　the　country　on　that　occasion。

Kitty　still　lingered　with　it。　〃Did　he　lookI've　never　had　any　manI　wonder　ifhow　did　you　feel？〃

〃Not　disagreeably。〃　And　Hortense　permitted　herself　to　laugh　musically。

Kitty's　voice　at　once　returned　to　the　censorious　tone。　〃Well；　I　call　such　language　as　that　veryvery〃

Hortense　helped　her。　〃Operatic？〃

〃He　could　never　be　taught　in　those　ways　either；〃　declared　Kitty。　〃You　would　find　his　ardor　always　untrainedprovincial。〃

Once　more　Hortense　abstained　from　making　any　answer。

Kitty　grew　superior。　〃Well；　if　that's　to　your　taste；　Hortense　Rieppe！〃

〃It　was　none　of　it　like　Charley；〃　murmured　Hortense。

〃I　should　think　not！　Charley's　not　crude。　What　do　you　see　in　that　man？〃

〃I　like　the　way　his　hair　curls　above　his　ears。〃

For　this　Kitty　found　nothing　but　an　impatient　exclamation。

And　now　the　voice　of　Hortense　sank　still　deeper　in　dreaminess；down　to　where　the　truth　lay；　and　from　those　depths　came　the　truth；　flashing　upward　through　the　drowsy　words　she　spoke：　〃I　think　I　want　him　for　his　innocence。〃

What　light　these　words　may　have　brought　to　Kitty；　I　had　no　chance　to　learn；　for　the　voice　of　Gazza　returning　with　the　key　put　an　end　to　this　conversation。　But　I　doubted　if　Kitty　had　it　in　her　to　fathom　the　nature　of　Hortense。　Kitty　was　like　a　trim　little　clock　that　could　tick　tidily　on　an　ornate　shelf；　she　could　go；　she　could　keep　up　with　time；　with　the　rapid　epoch　to　which　she　belonged；　but　she　didn't　really　have　many　works。　I　think　she　would　have　scoffed　at　that　last　languorous　speech　as　a　piece　of　Hortense's　nonsense；　and　that　is　why　Hortense　uttered　it　aloud：　she　was　safe　from　being　understood。　But　in　my　ears　it　sounded　the　note　of　revelation；　the　simple　central　secret　of　Hortense's　fire；　a　flame　fed　overmuch　with　experience；　with　sophistication；　grown　cold　under　the　ministrations　of　adroitness；　and　lighted　now　by　the　〃crudity〃　of　John's　love…making。　And　when；　after　an　interval；　I　had　rowed　my　boat　back；　and　got　into　the　carriage；　and　started　on　my　long　drive　from　Udolpho　to　Kings　Port；　I　found　that　there　was　almost　nothing　about　all　this　which　I　did　not　know　now。　Hortense；　like　most　riddles　when　you　are　told　the　answer；　was　clear：

〃I　think　I　want　him　for　his　innocence。〃

Yes；　she　was　tired　of　love…making　whose　down　had　been　rubbed　off；　she　hungered　for　love…making　with　the　down　still　on；　even　if　she　must　pay　for　it　with　marriage。　Who　shall　say　if　her　enlightened　and　modern　eye　could　not　look　beyond　such　marriage　（when　it　should　grow　monotonous）　to　divorce？



XXI：　Hortense's　Cigarette　Goes　Out

John　was　the　riddle　that　I　could　not　read。　Among　my　last　actions　of　this　day　was　one　that　had　been　almost　my　earliest；　and　bedtime　found　me　staring　at　his　letter；　as　I　stood；　half　undressed；　by　my　table。　The　calm　moon　brought　back　Udolpho　and　what　had　been　said　there；　as　it　now　shone　down　upon　the　garden　where　Hortense　had　danced。　I　stared　at　John's　letter　as　if　its　words　were　new　to　me；　instead　of　being　words　that　I　could　have　fluently　repeated　from　beginning　to　end　without　an　error；　it　was　as　if；　by　virtue　of　mere　gazing　at　the　document；　I　hoped　to　wring　more　meaning　from　it；　to　divine　what　had　been　in　the　mind　which　had　composed　it；　but　instead　of　this；　I　seemed　to　get　less　from　it；　instead　of　more。　Had　the　boy's　purpose　been　to　mystify　me；　he　could　scarce　have　done　better。　I　think　that　he　had　no　such　intention；　for　it　would　have　been　wholly　unlike　him；　but　I　saw　no　sign　in　it　that　I　had　really　helped　him；　had　really　shaken　his　old　quixotic　resolve；　nor　did　I　see　any　of　his　having　found　a　new　way　of　his　own　out　of　the　trap。　I　could　not　believe　that　the　dark　road　of　escape　had　taken　any　lodgement　in　his　thought；　but　had　only　passed　over　it；　like　a　cloud　with　a　heavy　shadow。　But　these　are　surmises　at　the　best：　if　John　had　formed　any　plan；　I　can　never　know　it；　and　Juno's　remarks　at　breakfast　on　Sunday　morning　sounded　strange；　like　something　a　thousand　miles　away。　For　she　spoke　of　the　wedding；　and　of　the　fact　that　it　would　certainly　be　a　small　one。　She　went　over　the　names　of　the　people　who　would　have　to　be　invited；　and　doubted　if　she　were　one　of　these。　But　if　she　should　be；　then　she　would　gofor　the　sake　of　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael；　she　declared。　In　short；　it　was　perfectly　plain　that　Juno　was　much　afraid　of　being　left　out；　and　that　wild　horses　could　not　drag　her　away　from　it；　if　an　invitation　came　to　her。　But；　as　I　say；　this　side　of　the　wedding　seemed　to　have　nothing　to　do　with　it；　when　I　thought　of　all　that　lay　beneath；　my　one　interest　to…day　was　to　see　John　Mayrant；　to　get　from　him；　if　not　by　some　word；　then　by　some　look　or　intonation；　a　knowledge　of　what　he　meant　to　do。　Therefore；　disappointment　and　some　anxiety　met　me　when　I　stepped　from　the　Hermana's　gangway　upon　her　deck；　and　Charley　asked　me　if　he　was　coming。　But　the　launch；　sent　back　to　wait；　finally　brought　John；　apologizing　for　his　lateness。

Meanwhile；　I　was　pleased　to　find　among　the　otherwise　complete　party　General　Rieppe。　What　I　had　seen　of　him　from　a　distance　held　promise；　and　the　hero's　nearer　self　fulfilled　it。　We　fell　to　each　other's　lot　for　the　most　natural　of　reasons：　nobody　else　desired　the　company　of　either　of　us。　Charley　was　making　himself　the　devoted　servant　of　Hortense；　while　Kitty　drew　Beverly；　Bohm；　and　Gazza　in　her　sprightly　wake。　To　her；　indeed；　I　made　a　few　compliments　during　the　first　few　minutes　after　my　coming　aboard；　while　every　sort　of　drink　and　cigar　was　being　circulated　among　us　by　the　cabin　boy。　Kitty's　costume　was　the　most　markedly　maritime　thing　that　I　have　ever　beheld　in　any　waters；　and　her　white　shoes　looked　（I　must　confess）　supremely　well　on　her　pretty　little　feet。　I　am　no　advocate　of　sumptuary　laws；　but　there　should　be　one　prohibiting　big…footed　women　from　wearing　white　shoes。　Did　these　women　know　what　a　spatulated　effect　their　feet　so　shod　produce；　no　law　would　be　needed。　Yes；　Kitty　was　superlatively；　stridently　maritime；　you　could　have　known　from　a　great　distance　that　she　belonged　to　the　very　latest　steam　yacht　class；　and　that　she　was　perfectly　ignorant　of　the　whole　subject。　On　her　left　arm；　for　instance；　was　worked　a　red　propeller　with　one　blade　down；　and　two　chevrons。　It　was　the　rating　mark　for　a　chief　engineer；　but　this；　had　she

known　it；　would　not　have　disturbed　her。

〃I　chose　it；〃　she　told　me　in　reply　to　my　admiration　of　it；　〃because　it's　so　pretty。　Oh；　won't　we　enjoy　ourselves　while　those　stupid　old　blue…bloods　in　Kings　Port　are　going　to　church！〃　And　with　this　she　gave　a　skip；　and　ordered　the　cabin　boy　to　bring　her　a　Remsen　cooler。　Beverly　Rodgers　called　for　dwarf's　blood；　and　I　chose　a　horse's　neck；　and　soon　found　myself　in　the　society　of　the　General。

He　was　sipping　whiskey　and　plain　water。　〃I　am　a　rough　soldiers　sir；〃　he　explained　to　me；　〃and　I　keep　to　the　simple　beverage　of　the　camp。　Had　we　not　'rather　bear　those　ills　we　have　than　fly　to　others　that　we　know　not　of'？〃　And　he　waved　a　stately　hand　at　my　horse's　neck。　〃You　are　acquainted　with　the　works　of　Shakespeare？〃

I　replied　that　I　had　a　moderate　knowledge　of　them；　and　assured　him　that　a　horse's　neck　was　very　simple。

〃Doubtless；　sir；　but　a　veteran　is　ever　old…fashioned。〃

〃Papa；〃　said　Hortense；　〃don't　let　the　sun　shine　upon　your　head。〃

〃Thank　you；　daughter　mine。〃　They　said　no　more；　but　I　presently　felt　that　for　some　reason　she　watched　him。

He　moved　farther　beneath　the　awning；　and　I　followed　him。　〃Are　you　a　father；　sir？　No？　Then　you　cannot　appreciate　what　it　is　to　confide　such　a　jewel　as　yon　girl　to　another's　keeping。〃　He　summoned　the　cabin　boy；　who　brought　him　some　more　of　the　simple　beverage　of　the　camp；　and　I；　feeling　myself　scarce　at　liberty　to　speak　on　matters　so　near　to　him　and　so　far　from　me　as　his　daughter's　marriage；　called　his　attention　to　the　beautiful　aspect　of　Kings　Port；　spread　out　before　us　in　a　long　white　line　against　the　blue　water。

The　General　immediately　seized　his　opportunity。　〃'Sweet　Auburn；　loveliest　village　of　the　plain！'　You　are　acquainted　with　the　w