lady baltimore-第6节

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it？〃

〃It　is　my　nephew　who　will　'get　out　of　it；'　as　you　express　it。〃

I　totally　misunderstood　her。　〃Oh！〃　I　protested　stupidly。　〃He　doesn't　look　like　that。　And　it　takes　all　meaning　from　the　cake。〃

〃Do　not　say　cake　to　me　again！〃　said　the　lady；　smiling　at　last。　〃Andwill　you　allow　me　to　tell　you　that　I　do　not　need　to　have　my　nephew；　John　Mayrant；　explained　to　me　by　any　one？　I　merely　meant　to　say　that　he；　and　not　she；　is　the　person　who　will　make　the　lucky　escape。　Of　course；　he　is　honorablea　great　deal　too　much　so　for　his　own　good。　It　is　a　misfortune；　nowadays；　to　be　born　a　gentleman　in　America。　But；　as　I　told　you；　I　am　not　solicitous。　What　she　is　counting　onbecause　she　thinks　she　understands　true　Kings　Port　honor；　and　does　not　in　the　leastis　his　renouncing　her　on　account　of　the　phosphatesthe　bad　news；　I　mean。　They　could　live　on　what　he　hasnot　at　all　in　her　way；　thoughand　besides；　after　once　offering　his　genuine；　ardent；　foolish　lovefor　it　was　genuine　enough　at　the　timeJohn　would　never〃

She　stopped；　but　I　took　her　up。　〃Did　I　understand　you　to　say　that　his　love　was　genuine　at　the　lime？〃

〃Oh；　he　thinks　it　is　nowinsists　it　is　now！　That　is　just　precisely　what　would　make　himdo　you　not　see？stick　to　his　colors　all　the　closer。〃

〃Goodness！〃　I　murmured。〃　What　a　predicament！〃

But　my　hostess　nodded　easily。　〃Oh；　no。　You　will　see。　They　will　all　see。〃

I　rose　to　take　my　leave；　my　visit；　indeed；　had　been；　for　very　interest；　prolonged　beyond　the　limits　of　formalitymy　hostess　had　attended　quite　thoroughly　to　my　being　entertained。　And　at　this　point　the　other；　the　more　severe　and　elderly　lady；　made　her　contribution　to　my　entertainment。　She　had　kept　silence；　I　now　felt　sure；　because　gossip　was　neither　her　habit　nor　to　her　liking。　Possibly　she　may　have　also　felt　that　her　displeasure　had　been　too　manifest；　at　any　rate；　she　spoke　out　of　her　silence　in　cold；　yet　rich；　symmetrical　tones。

〃This；　I　understand；　is　your　first　visit　to　Kings　Port？〃

I　told　her　that　it　was。

She　laid　down　her　exquisite　embroidery。　〃It　has　been　thought　a　place　worth　seeing。　There　is　no　town　of　such　historic　interest　at　the　North。〃

Standing　by　my　chair；　I　assured　her　that　I　did　not　think　there　could　be。

〃I　heard　you　allude　to　my　half…sister…in…law；　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael。　It　was　at　the　house　where　she　now　lives　that　the　famous　Miss　Beaufain　（as　she　was　then）　put　the　Earl　of　Mainridge　in　his　place；　at　the　reception　which　her　father　gave　the　English　visitor　in　1840。　The　Earl　conducted　himself　as　so　many　Englishmen　seem　to　think　they　can　in　this　country；　and　on　her　asking　him　how　he　liked　America；　he　replied；　very　well；　except　for　the　people；　who　were　so　vulgar。

〃'What　can　you　expect？'　said　Miss　Beaufain；　'we're　descended　from　the　English。'〃

〃But　I　suppose　you　will　tell　me　that　your　Northern　beauties　can　easily　outmatch　such　wit。〃

I　hastened　to　disclaim　any　such　pretension；　and　having　expressed　my　appreciation　of　the　anecdote；　I　moved　to　the　door　as　the　stately　lady　resumed　her　embroidery。

My　hostess　had　a　last　word　for　me。　〃Do　not　let　the　cake　worry　you。〃

Outside　the　handsome　old　iron　gate　I　looked　at　my　watch　and　found　that　for　this　day　I　could　spend　no　more　time　upon　visiting。



IV：　THE　GIRL　BEHIND　THE　COUNTERI

I　fearno；　to　say　one　〃fears〃　that　one　has　stepped　aside　from　the　narrow　path　of　duty；　when　one　knows　perfectly　well　that　one　has　done　so；　is　a　ridiculous　half…dodging　of　the　truth；　let　me　dismiss　from　my　service　such　a　cowardly　circumlocution；　and　squarely　say　that　I　neglected　the　Cowpens　during　certain　days　which　now　followed。　Nay；　more；　I　totally　deserted　them。　Although　I　feel　quite　sure　that　to　discover　one　is　a　real　king's　descendant　must　bring　an　exultation　of　no　mean　order　to　the　heart；　there's　no　exultation　whatever　in　failing　to　discover　this；　day　after　day。　Mine　is　a　nature　which　demands　results；　or　at　any　rate　signs　of　results　coming　sooner　or　later。　Even　the　most　abandoned　fisherman　requires　a　bite　now　and　then；　but　my　fishing　for　Fannings　had　not　yet　brought　me　one　single　nibbleand　I　gave　up　the　sad　sport　for　a　while。　The　beautiful　weather　took　me　out　of　doors　over　the　land；　and　also　over　the　water；　for　I　am　a　great　lover　of　sailing；　and　I　found　a　little　cat…boat　and　a　little　negro；　both　of　which　suited　me　very　well。　I　spent　many　delightful　hours　in　their　company　among　the　deeps　and　shallows　of　these　fair　Southern　waters。

And　indoors；　also；　I　made　most　agreeable　use　of　my　time；　in　spite　of　one　disappointment　when；　on　the　day　following　my　visit　to　the　ladies；　I　re…　turned　full　of　expectancy　to　lunch　at　the　Woman's　exchange；　the　girl　behind　the　counter　was　not　there。　I　found　in　her　stead；　it　is　true；　a　most　polite　lady；　who　provided　me　with　chocolate　and　sandwiches　that　were　just　as　good　as　their　predecessors；　but　she　was　of　advanced　years；　and　little　inclined　to　light　conversation。　Beyond　telling　me　that　Miss　Eliza　La　Heu　was　indisposed；　but　not　gravely　so；　and　that　she　was　not　likely　to　be　long　away　from　her　post　of　duty；　this　lady　furnished　me　with　scant　information。

Now　I　desired　a　great　deal　of　information。　To　learn　of　an　imminent　wedding　where　the　bridegroom　attends　to　the　cake；　and　is　suspected　of　diminished　eagerness　for　the　bride；　who　is　a　steel　waspthat　is　not　enough　to　learn　of　such　nuptials。　Therefore　I　fearI　mean；　I　knowthat　it　was　not　wholly　for　the　sake　of　telling　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael　about　Aunt　Carola　that　I　repaired　again　to　Le　Maire　Street　and　rang　Mrs。　St。　Michael's　door…bell。

She　was　at　home；　to　be　sure；　but　with　her　sat　another　visitor；　the　tall；　severe　lady　who　had　embroidered　and　had　not　liked　the　freedom　with　which　her　sister　had　spoken　to　me　about　the　wedding。　There　was　not　a　bit　of　freedom　to…day；　the　severe　lady　took　care　of　that。

When；　after　some　utterly　unprofitable　conversation；　I　managed　to　say　in　a　casual　voice；　which　I　thought　very　well　tuned　for　the　purpose；　〃What　part　of　Georgia　did　you　say　that　General　Rieppe　came　from？〃　the　severe　lady　responded：

〃I　do　not　think　that　I　mentioned　him　at　all。〃

〃Georgia？〃　said　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael。　〃I　never　heard　that　they　came　from　Georgia。〃

And　this　revived　my　hopes。　But　the　severe　lady　at　once　remarked　to　her：

〃I　have　received　a　most　agreeable　letter　from　my　sister　in　Paris。〃

This　stopped　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael；　and　dashed　my　hopes　to　earth。

The　severe　lady　continued　to　me：

〃My　sister　writes　of　witnessing　a　performance　of　the　Lohengrin。　Can　you　tell　me　if　it　is　a　composition　of　merit？〃

I　assured　her　that　it　was　a　composition　of　the　highest　merit。

〃It　is　many　years　since　I　have　heard　an　opera；〃　she　pursued。　〃In　my　day　the　works　of　the　Italians　were　much　applauded。　But　I　doubt　if　Mozart　will　be　surpassed。　I　hope　you　admire　the　Nozze？〃

You　will　not　need　me　to　tell　you　that　I　came　out　of　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael's　house　little　wiser　than　I　went　in。　My　experience　did　not　lead　me　to　abandon　all　hope。　I　paid　other　visits　to　other　ladies；　but　these　answered　my　inquiries　in　much　the　same　sort　of　way　as　had　the　lady　who　admired　Mozart。　They　spoke　delightfully　of　travel；　books；　people；　and　of　the　colonial　renown　of　Kings　Port　and　its　leading　families；　but　it　is　scarce　an　exaggeration　to　say　that　Mozart　was　as　near　the　cake；　the　wedding；　or　the　steel　wasp　as　I　came　with　any　of　them。　By　patience；　however；　and　mostly　at　our　boarding…house　table；　I　gathered　a　certain　knowledge；　though　small　in　amount。

If　the　health　of　John　Mayrant's　mother；　I　learned；　had　allowed　that　lady　to　bring　him　up　Herself；　many　follies　might　have　been　saved　the　youth。　His　aunt；　Miss　Eliza　St。　Michael；　though　a　pattern　of　good　intentions；　was　not　always　a　pattern　of　wisdom。　Moreover；　how　should　a　spinster　bring　up　a　boy　fitly？

Of　the　Rieppes；　father　and　daughter；　I　also　learned　a　little　more。　They　did　not　（most　people　believed）　come　from　Georgia。　Natchez　and　Mobile　seemed　to　divide　the　responsibility　of　giving　them　to　the　world。　It　was　quite　certain　the　General　had　run　away　from　Chattanooga。　Nobody　disputed　this；　or　offered　any　other　battle　as　the　authentic　one。　Of　late　the　Rieppes　were　seldom　to　be　seen　in　Kings　Port。　Their　house　（if　it　had　ever　been　their　own　property；　which　I　heard　hotly　argued　both　ways）　had　been　sold　more　than　two　years　ago；　and　their　recent　brief　sojourns　in　the　town　were　generally　beneath　the　roof　of　hospitable　friendspeople　by　the　name　of　Cornerly；　〃whom　we　do　not　know；〃　as　I　was　carefully　informed　by　more　than　one　member　of　the　St。　Michael　family。　The　girl　had　disturbed　a　number　of　mothers　whose　sons　were　prone　to　slip　out　of　the　strict　hereditary　fold　in　directions　where　beauty　or　champagne　was　to　be　found；　and　the　Cornerlys　dined　late；　and　had　champagne。　Miss　Hortense　had　〃splurged　it〃　a　good　deal　here；　and　the　measure　of　her　success　with　the　male　youth　was　the　measure　of　her　condemnation　by　their　female　elders。

Such　were　the　facts　which　I　gathered　from　women　and　from　the　few　men　whom　I　saw　in　Kings　Port。　This　town　seemed　to　me　almost　as　empty　of　men　as　if　the　Pied　Piper　had　passed　through　here　and　lured　them　magically　away　to　some　distant　country。　It　was　on　the　happy　day　that　saw　Miss　Eliza　La　Heu　again　providing　me　with　sandwiches　and　chocolate　that　my　knowledge　of　the　wedding　and　the　bride　and　groom