lady baltimore-第52节

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

I　professed　some　knowledge　of　this　author　also；　and　the　General's　talk　flowed　ornately　onward。　Though　I　had　little　to　say　to　him　about　his　daughter's　marriage；　he　had　much　to　say　to　me。　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　would　have　been　gratified　to　hear　that　her　family　was　considered　suitable　for　Hortense　to　contract　an　alliance　with。　〃My　girl　is　not　stepping　down；　sir；〃　the　father　assured　me；　and　he　commended　the　St。　Michaels　and　the　whole　connection。　He　next　alluded　tragically　but　vaguely　to　misfortunes　which　had　totally　deprived　him　of　income。　I　could　not　precisely　fix　what　his　inheritance　had　been；　sometimes　he　spoke　of　cotton；　but　next　it　would　be　rice；　and　he　touched　upon　sugar　more　than　once；　but；　whatever　it　was；　it　had　been　vast　and　was　gone。　He　told　me　that　I　could　not　imagine　the　feelings　of　a　father　who　possessed　a　jewel　and　no　dowry　to　give　her。　〃A　queen's　estate　should　have　been　hers；〃　he　said。　〃But　what！　'Who　steals　my　purse　steals　trash。'〃　And　he　sat　up；　nobly　braced　by　the　philosophic　thought。　But　he　soon　was　shaking　his　head　over　his　enfeebled　health。　Was　I　aware　that　he　had　been　the　cause　of　postponing　the　young　people's　joy　twice？　Twice　had　the　doctors　forbidden　him　to　risk　the　emotions　that　would　attend　his　giving　his　jewel　away。　He　dwelt　upon　his　shattered　system　to　me；　and；　indeed；　it　required　some　dwelling　on；　for　he　was　the　picture　of　admirable　preservation。　〃But　I　know　what　it　is　myself；〃　he　declared；　〃to　be　a　lover　and　have　bliss　delayed。　They　shall　be　united　now。　A　soldier　must　face　all　arrows。　What！〃

I　had　hoped　he　might　quote　something　here；　but　was　disappointed。　His　conversation　would　soon　cease　to　interest　me；　should　I　lose　the　ex…　citement　of　watching　for　the　next　classic；　and　my　eye　wandered　from　the　General　to　the　water；　where；　happily；　I　saw　John　Mayrant　coming　in　the　launch。　I　briskly　called　the　General's　attention　to　him；　and　was　delighted　with　the　unexpected　result。

〃'Oh；　young　Lochinvar　has　come　out　of　the　West；'〃　said　the　General；　lifting　his　glass。

I　touched　it　ceremoniously　with　mine。　〃The　day　will　be　hot；〃　I　said；　〃'The　boy　stood　on　the　burning　deck。'〃

On　this　I　made　my　escape　from　him；　and；　leaving　him　to　his　whiskey　and　his　contemplating；　I　became　aware　that　the　eyes　of　the　rest　of　the　party　were　eager　to　watch　the　greeting　between　Hortense　and　John。　But　there　was　nothing　to　see。　Hortense　waited　until　her　lover　had　made　his　apologies　to　Charley　for　being　late；　and；　from　the　way　they　met；　she　might　have　been　no　more　to　him　than　Kitty　was。　Whatever　might　be　thought；　whatever　might　be　known；　by　these　onlookers；　Hortense　set　the　pace　of　how　the　open　secret　was　to　be　taken。　She　made　it；　for　all　of　us；　as　smooth　and　smiling　as　the　waters　of　Kings　Port　were　this　fine　day。　How　much　did　they　each　know？　I　asked　myself　how　much　they　had　shared　in　common。　To　these　Replacers　Kings　Port　had　opened　no　doors；　they　and　their　automobile　had　skirted　around　the　outside　of　all　things。　And　if　Charley　knew　about　the　wedding；　he　also　knew　that　it　had　been　already　twice　postponed。　He；　too；　could　have　said；　as　Miss　Eliza　had　once　said　to　me；　〃The　cake　is　not　baked　yet。〃　The　General's　talk　to　me　（I　felt　as　I　took　in　how　his　health　had　been　the　centred　point）　was　probably　the　result　of　previous　arrangements　with　Hortense　herself；　and　she　quite　as　certainly　inspired　whatever　she　allowed　him　to　say　to　Charley。

As　for　Kitty；　she　knew　that　her　brother　was　〃set〃；　she　always　came　back　to　that。

If　Hortense　found　this　Sunday　morning　a　passage　of　particularly　delicate　steering；　she　showed　it　in　no　way；　unless　by　that　heightened　radiance　and　triumph　of　beauty　which　I　had　seen　in　her　before。　No；　the　splendor　of　the　day；　the　luxuries　of　the　Hermana；　the　conviviality　of　the　Replacersall　melted　the　occasion　down　to　an　ease　and　enjoyment　in　which　even　John　Mayrant；　with　his　grave　face；　was　not　perceptible；　unless；　like　myself；　one　watched　him。

It　was　my　full　expectation　that　we　should　now　get　under　way　and　proceed　among　the　various　historic　sights　of　Kings　Port　harbor；　but　of　this　I　saw　no　signs　anywhere　on　board　the　Hermana。　Abeam　of　the　foremast　her　boat　booms　remained　rigged　out　on　port　and　starboard；　her　boats　riding　to　painters；　while　her　crew　wore　a　look　as　generally　lounging　as　that　of　her　passengers。　Beverly　Rodgers　told　me　the　reason：　we　had　no　pilot；　the　negro　Waterman　engaged　for　this　excursion　in　the　upper　waters　had　failed　of　appearance；　and　when　Charley　was　for　looking　up　another；　Kitty；　Bohm；　and　Gazza　had　dissuaded　him。

〃Kitty；〃　said　Beverly；　〃told　me　she　didn't　care　about　the　musty　old　forts　and　things；　anyhow。〃

I　looked　at　Kitty；　and　heard　her　tongue　ticking　away；　like　the　little　clock　she　was；　she　had　her　Bohm；　she　had　her　nautical　costume　and　her　Remsen　cooler。　These；　with　the　lunch　that　would　come　in　time；　were　enough　for　her。

〃But　it　was　such　a　good　chance！〃　I　exclaimed　in　disappointment

〃Chance　for　what；　old　man？〃

〃To　see　everythingthe　forts；　the　islandsand　it's　beautiful；　you　know；　all　the　way　to　the　navy　yard。〃

Beverly　followed　my　glance　to　where　the　gay　company　was　sitting　among　the　cracked　ice；　and　bottles；　and　cigar　boxes；　chattering　volubly；　with　its　back　to　the　scenery。　He　gave　his　laisser…faire　chuckle；　and　laid　a　hand　on　my　shoulder。〃　Don't　worry　'em　with　forts　and　islands；　old　boy！　They　know　what　they　want。　No　living　breed　on　earth　knows　better　what　it　wants。〃

〃Well；　they　don't　get　it。〃

〃Ho；　don't　they？〃

〃The　cold　fear　of　ennui　gnaws　at　their　vitals　this　minute。〃

Shrill　laughter　from　Kitty　and　Gazza　served　to　refute　my　theory。

〃Of　course；　very　few　know　what's　the　matter　with　them；〃　I　added。　〃You　seldom　spot　an　organic　disease　at　the　start。〃

〃Hm；〃　said　Beverly；　lengthily。　〃You　put　a　pin　through　some　of　'em。　Hortense　hasn't　got　the　disease；　though。〃

〃Ah；　she　spotted　it！　She's　taking　treatment。　It's　likely　to　help　herfor　a　time。〃

He　looked　at　me。　〃You　know　something；〃

I　nodded。　He　looked　at　Hortense；　who　was　now　seated　among　the　noisy　group　with　quiet　John　beside　her。　She　was　talking　to　Bohm；　she　had　no　air　of　any　special　relation　to　John；　but　there　was　a　lustre　about　her　that　spoke　well　for　the　treatment。

〃Then　it's　coming　off？〃　said　Beverly。

〃She　has　been　too　much　for　him；〃　I　answered。

Beverly　misunderstood。　〃He　doesn't　look　it。〃

〃That's　what　I　mean。〃

〃But　the　fool　can　cut　loose！〃

〃Oh；　you　and　I　have　gone　over　all　that！　I've　even　gone　over　it　with　him。〃

Beverly　looked　at　Hortense　again。　〃And　her　fire…eater's　fortune　is　about　double　what　it　would　have　been。　I　don't　see　how　she's　going　to　square　herself　with　Charley。〃

〃She'll　wait　till　that's　necessary。　It　isn't　necessary　to…day。〃

We　had　to　drop　our　subject　here；　for　the　owner　of　the　Hermana　approached　us　with　the　amiable　purpose；　I　found；　of　making　himself　civil　for　a　while　to　me。

〃I　think　you　would　have　been　interested　to　see　the　navy　yard；〃　I　said　to　him。

〃I　have　seen　it；〃　Charley　replied；　in　his　slightly　foreign；　careful　voice。　〃It　is　not　a　navy　yard。　It　is　small　politics　and　a　big　swamp。　I　was　not　interested。〃

〃Dear　me！〃　I　cried。　〃But　surely　it's　going　to　be　very　fine！〃

〃Another　gold　brick　sold　to　Uncle　Sam。〃　Charley's　words　seemed　always　to　drop　out　like　little　accurately　measured　coins　from　some　minting　machine。　〃They　should　not　have　changed　from　the　old　place　if　they　wanted　a　harbor　that　could　be　used　in　war…time。　Here　they　must　always　keep　at　least　one　dredge　going　out　at　the　jetties。　So　the　enemy　blows　up　your　dredge　and　you　are　bottled　in；　or　bottled　out。　It　is　very　simple　for　the　enemy。　And；　for　Kings　Port；　navy　yards　do　not　galvanize　dead　trade。　It　was　a　gold　brick。　You　have　not　been　on　the　Hermana　before？〃

He　knew　that　I　had　not；　but　he　wishes　to　show　her　to　me；　and　I　soon　noted　a　difference　as　radical　as　it　was　diverting　between　this　banker…　yachtsman's　speech　when　he　talked　of　affairs　on　land　and　when　he　attempted　to　deal　with　nautical　matters。　The　clear；　dispassionate　finality　of　his　tone　when　phosphates；　or　railroads；　or　navy　yards；　or　imperial　loans　were　concerned；　left　him；　and　changed　to　something　very　like　a　recitation　of　trigonometry　well　memorized　but　not　at　all　mastered；　he　could　do　that　particular　sum；　but　you　mustn't　stop　him；　and　I　concluded　that　I　would　rather　have　Charley　for　my　captain　during　a　panic　in　Wall　Street　than　in　a　hurricane　at　sea。　He；　too；　wore　highly　pronounced　sea　clothes　of　the　ornamental　kind；　and　though　they　fitted　him　physically；　they　hung　baggily　upon　his　unmarine　spirit；　giving　him　the　air；　as　it　were；　of　a　broiled　quail　served　on　oyster　shells。　Beverly　Rodgers；　the　consummate　Beverly；　was　the　only　man　of　us　whose　clothes　seemed　to　belong　to　him；　he　looked　as　if　he　could　sail　a　boat。

While　the　cabin　boy　continued　to　rush　among　the　guests　with　siphons；　ice；　and　fresh　refreshments；　Charley　became　the　Hermana's　guidebook　for　me；　and　our　interview　gave　me；　I　may　say；　entertainment　unalloyed；　although　there　lay　all　the　while；　beneath　the　entertainment；　my　sadness　and　concern　about　John。　Charley　was　owner　of　the　Hermana；　there　was　no　doubt　of　that；　she　had