lady baltimore-第57节

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It　put　her　on　her　guard。　〃Don't　be　indiscreet；〃　she　laughed。

〃Isn't　timely　indiscretion　discretion？〃

〃And　don't　be　clever；〃　she　said。　〃Tell　me　what　you　have　to　sayif　you're　quite　sure　you'll　not　be　sorry。〃

〃Quite　sure。　There's　no　reasonnow　that　the　untruth　is　properly　and　satisfactorily　establishedthat　one　person　should　not　know　that　John　Mayrant　broke　that　engagement。〃　And　I　told　her　the　whole　of　it。　〃If　I'm　outrageous　to　share　this　secret　with　you；〃　I　concluded；　〃I　can　only　say　that　I　couldn't　stand　the　unfairness　any　longer。〃

〃He　jumped　straight　in？〃　said　Eliza。

〃Oh；　straight！〃

〃Of　course；〃　she　murmured。

〃And　just　after　declaring　that　he　wouldn't。〃

〃Of　course；〃　she　murmured　again。　〃And　the　current　took　them　right　away？〃

〃Instantly。〃

〃Was　he　very　tired　when　you　got　to　him？〃

I　answered　this　question　and　a　number　of　others；　backward　and　forward；　until　she　had　led　me　to　cover　the　whole　incident　about　twice…and…a…half　times。　Then　she　had　a　silence；　and　after　this　a　reflection。

〃How　well　they　managed　it！〃

〃Managed　what？〃

〃The　accepted　version。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　indeed！〃

〃And　you　and　I　will　not　spoil　it　for　them；〃　she　declared。

As　I　took　my　final　leave　of　her　she　put　a　flower　in　my　buttonhole。　My　reflection　was　then；　and　is　now；　that　if　she　already　knew　the　truth　from　John　himself；　how　well　she　managed　it！

So　that　same　night　I　took　the　lugubrious　train　which　bore　me　with　the　grossest　deliberation　to　the　mountains；　and　among　the　mountains　and　their　waterfalls　I　stayed　and　saw　the　rhododendrons；　and　was　preparing　to　journey　home　when　the　invitation　came　from　John　and　Eliza。

I　have　already　said　that　of　this　wedding　no　word　was　in　the　papers。　Kings　Port　by　the　war　lost　all　material　things；　but　not　the　others；　among　which　precious　privacy　remains　to　her；　and；　O　Kings　Port；　may　you　never　lose　your　grasp　of　that　treasure！　May　you　never　know　the　land　where　the　reporter　blooms；　where　if　any　joy　or　grief　befall　you；　the　public　press　rings　your　doorbell　and　demands　the　particulars；　and　if　you　deny　it　the　particulars；　it　makes　them　up　and　says　something　scurrilous　about　you　into　the　bargain。　Therefore　nothing　was　printed；　morning　or　evening；　about　John　and　Eliza。　Nor　was　the　wedding　service　held　in　church　to　the　accompaniment　of　nodding　bonnets　and　gaping　stragglers。　No　eye　not　tender　with　regard　and　emotion　looked　on　while　John　took　Eliza　to　his　wedded　wife；　to　live　together　after　God's　ordinance　in　the　holy　state　of　matrimony。

In　Royal　Street；　not　many　steps　from　South　Place；　there　stands　a　quiet　house　a　little　back；　upon　whose　face　sorrow　has　struck　many　blows；　but　made　no　deep　wounds　yet；　no　scorch　from　the　fires　of　war　is　visible；　arid　the　rending　of　the　earthquake　does　not　show　too　plainly；　but　there　hangs　about　the　house　a　gravity　that　comes　from　seeing　and　suffering　much；　and　a　sweetness　from　having　sheltered　many　generations　of　smiles　and　tears。　The　long　linked　chain　of　births　and　deaths　here　has　not　been　broken　and　scattered；　and　the　grandchildren　look　out　of　the　same　windows　from　which　the　grandsires　gazed；　whose　faces　now　in　picture　frames　still　watch　serenely　the　sad　present　from　their　happy　past。　Therefore　the　rooms　lie　in　still　depths　of　association；　and　from　the　walls；　the　stairs；　the　furniture；　flows　the　benign　influence　of　undispersed　memories；　it　sheds　its　tempered　radiance　upon　the　old　miniatures；　and　upon　every　fresh　flower　that　comes　in　from　the　garden；　it　seems　to　pass　through　the　open　doors　to　and　fro　like　a　tranquil　blessing；　it　is　beyond　joy　and　pain；　because　time　has　distilled　it　from　both　of　these；　it　is　the　assembled　essence　of　kinship　and　blood　unity；　enriched　by　each　succeeding　brood　that　is　born；　is　married；　is　fruitful　in　its　turn；　and　dies　remembered；　only　the　balm　of　faith　is　stronger　to　sustain　and　heal；　for　that　comes　from　heaven；　while　it　is　earth　that　gives　us　this；　and　the　sacred　cup　of　it　which　our　native　land　once　held　is　almost　empty。

Amid　this　influence　John　and　Eliza　were　made　one；　and　the　faces　of　the　older　generations　grew　soft　beneath　it；　and　pensive　eyes　became　lustrous；　and　into　pale　cheeks　the　rosy　tint　came　like　an　echo　faintly　back　for　a　short　hour。　They　made　so　little　sound　in　their　quiet　happiness　of　con…　gratulation　that　it　might　have　been　a　dream；　and　they　were　so　few　that　the　house　with　the　sense　of　its　memories　was　not　lost　with　the　movement　and　crowding；　but　seemed　still　to　preside　over　the　whole；　and　send　down　its　benediction。

When　it　was　my　turn　to　shake　the　hands　of　bride　and　groom；　John　asked：

〃What　did　your　friend　do　with　your　advice？〃

And　I　replied。　〃He　has　taken　it。〃

〃Perhaps　not　that；〃　John　returned；　〃but　you　must　have　helped　him　to　see　his　way。〃

When　the　bride　came　to　cut　the　cake；　she　called　me　to　her　and　fulfilled　her　promise。

〃You　have　always　liked　my　baking；〃　she　said。

〃Then　you　made　it　after　all；〃　I　answered。

〃I　would　not　have　been　married　without　doing　so；〃　she　declared　sweetly。

When　the　time　came　for　them　to　go　away；　they　were　surrounded　with　affectionate　God…speeds；　but　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　waited　to　be　the　last；　standing　a　little　apart；　her　severe　and　chiselled　face　turned　aside；　and　seeming　to　watch　a　mocking…bird　that　was　perched　in　his　cage　at　a　window　halfway　up　the　stairs。

〃He　is　usually　not　so　silent；〃　Miss　Josephine　said　to　me。　〃I　suppose　we　are　too　many　visitors　for　him。〃

Then　I　saw　that　the　old　lady；　beneath　her　severity；　was　deeply　moved；　and　almost　at　once　　John　and　Eliza　came　down　the　stairs。　Miss　Josephine　took　each　of　them　to　her　heart；　but　she　did　not　trust　herself　to　speak；　and　a　single　tear　rolled　down　her　face；　as　the　boy　and　girl　continued　to　the　hall…door。　There　Daddy　Ben　stood；　and　John's　gay　good…by　to　him　was　the　last　word　that　I　heard　the　bridegroom　say。　While　we　all　stood　silently　watching　them　as　they　drove　away　from　the　tall　iron　gate；　the　mocking…bird　on　the　staircase　broke　into　melodious　ripples　of　song。



XXIII：　Poor　Aunt　Carola！

And　now　here　goes　my　language　back　into　the　small…clothes　that　it　wore　at　the　beginning　of　all；　when　I　told　you　something　of　that　colonial　society；　the　Selected　Salic　Scions；　dear　to　the　heart　of　my　Aunt。　It　were　beyond　my　compass　to　approach　this　august　body　of　men　and　women　with　the　respect　that　is　its　due；　did　I　attire　myself　in　that　modern　garment　which；　in　the　phrase　of　the　vulgar；　is　denoted　pants。

You　will　scarce　have　forgot；　I　must　suppose；　the　importance　set　by　my　Aunt　Carola　upon　the　establishing　of　the　Scions　in　new　territories；　wherever　such　persons　as　were　both　qualified　by　their　descent　and　in　themselves　worthy；　should　be　found；　and　you　will　remember　that　I　was　bidden　by　her　to　look　in　South　Carolina　for　members　of　the　Bombo　connection　which　she　was　inclined　to　suspect　existed　in　that　state。　My　neglect　to　make　this　inquiry　for　my　kind　Aunt　now　smote　me　sharply　when　all　seemed　too　late。　John　Mayrant　had　spoken　of　Kill…devil　Bombo；　the　very　personage　through　whom　lay　Aunt　Carola's　claim　to　kingly　lineage；　and　I　had　let　John　Mayrant　go　away　upon　his　honeymoon　without　ever　questioning　him　upon　this　subject。　As　I　looked　back　upon　the　ease　with　which　I　might　have　settled　the　matter；　and　forward　to　my　return　empty…　handed　to　the　generous　relative　to　whom　I　owed　this　agreeable　experience　of　travel；　I　felt　guilty　indeed。　I　wrote　a　letter　to　follow　John　Mayrant　into　whatever　retreat　of　bliss　he　had　betaken　himself　to；　and　I　begged　him　earnestly　to　write　me　at　his　early　convenience　all　that　he　might　know　of　Bombos　in　South　Carolina。　Consequently；　I　was　able；　on　reaching　home；　to　meet　Aunt　Carola　with　some　sort　of　countenance；　and　to　assure　her　that　I　expected　presently　to　be　furnished　with　authentic　and　valuable　particulars。

I　now　learned　that　the　Selected　Salic　Scions　had　greatly　increased　in　numbers　during　my　short　absence。　It　appeared　that　the　origin　of　the　whole　movement　had　sprung　from　a　needy　but　ingenious　youth　in　some　manufacturing　town　of　New　England。　This　lad　had　a　cousin；　who　had　amassed　from　nothing　a　noble　fortune　by　inventing　one　day　a　speedy　and　convenient　fashion　of　opening　beer　bottles；　and　this　cousin's　achievement　had　set　him　to　looking　about　him。　He　soon　discovered　that　in　our　great　republic　everywhere　there　were　living　hundreds　and　thousands　of　men　and　women　who　were　utterly　unaware　that　they　were　descended　from　kings。　Borrowing　a　little　money　to　float　him；　he　set　up　The　American　Almanach　de　Gotha　and　began　（for　the　minimum　sum　of　fifty　dollars　a　pedigree）　to　reveal　to　these　eager　people　the　chain　of　links　that　connected　them　with　royalty。　Thus；　in　a　period　of　time　the　brevity　of　which　is　incredible；　this　young　man　passed　from　complete　indigence　to　a　wife　and　four　automobiles；　or　an　automobile　and　four　wivesI　don't　remember　which　he　had　the　four　of。　There　was　so　much　royal　blood　about　that　it　had　spilled　into　several　rival　organizations；　each　bitterly　warring　with　the　other；　but　my　Aunt　assured　me　that　her　society　was　the　only　one　that　any　respectable　person　belonged　to。

I　am　minded　to　announce　a　rule　of　discreet　conduct：　Never　read　aloud　any　letter　that　you　have　not　first　read　to　yourself。　Had　I　observed　this　rulebut　listen：

It　so　happened　that　Aunt　Carola　was　at　luncheon　with　us　whe