the man between-第13节

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〃But　Dick's　effusiveness　would　have　been　a　good　thing　for　Fred's　effusiveness。　Two　men　can't　go　on　a　complimentary　ran…tan　at　the　same　table。　They　freeze　one　another　out。　That　goes　without　saying。　But　Dora's　indiscretions　are　none　of　your　business　while　she　is　under　her　father's　roof；　and　I　don't　know　if　she　hadn't　a　friend　in　the　world；　if　they　would　be　your　business。　I　have　always　been　against　people　trying　to　do　the　work　of　THEM　that　are　above　us。　We　are　told　THEY　seek　and　THEY　save；　and　it's　likely　they　will　look　after　Dora　in　spite　of　her　being　so　unknowing　of　herself　as　to　marry　a　priest　in　a　surplice；　when　a　fool　in　motley　would　have　been　more　like　the　thing。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　quarrel　with　Dora。　After　all；　I　like　her。　We　have　been　friends　a　long　time。〃

〃Well；　then；　don't　make　an　enemy　of　her。　One　hundred　friends　are　too　few　against　one　enemy。　One　hundred　friends　will　wish　you　well；　and　one　enemy　will　DO　you　ill。　God　love　you；　child！　Take　the　world　as　you　find　it。　Only　God　can　make　it　any　better。　When　is　this　blessed　wedding　to　come　off？〃

〃In　two　weeks。　You　got　cards；　did　you　not？〃

〃I　believe　I　did。　They　don't　matter。　Let　Dora　and　her　flirtations　alone；　unless　you　set　your　own　against　them。　Like　cures　like。　If　the　priest　sees　nothing　wrong〃

〃He　thinks　all　she　does　is　perfect。〃

〃I　dare　say。　Priests　are　a　soft　lot；　they'll　believe　anything。　He's　love…blind　at　present。　Some　day；　like　the　prophet　of　Pethor；＇1＇　he　will　get　his　eyes　opened。　As　for　Fred　Mostyn；　I　shall　have　a　good　deal　to　say　about　him　by　and　by；　so　I'll　say　nothing　now。〃


＇1＇　One　of　the　Hebrew　prophets。


〃You　promised；　grandmother；　not　to　talk　to　me　any　more　about　Fred。〃

〃It　was　a　very　inconsiderate　promise；　a　very　irrational　promise！　I　am　sorry　I　made　itand　I　don't　intend　to　keep　it。〃

〃Well；　it　takes　two　to　hold　a　conversation；　grandmother。〃

〃To　be　sure　it　does。　But　if　I　talk　to　you；　I　hope　to　goodness　you　will　have　the　decency　to　answer　me。　I　wouldn't　believe　anything　different。〃　And　she　looked　into　Ethel's　face　with　such　a　smiling　confidence　in　her　good　will　and　obedience；　that　Ethel　could　only　laugh　and　give　her　twenty　kisses　as　she　stood　up　to　put　on　her　hat　and　coat。

〃You　always　get　your　way；　Granny；〃　she　said；　and　the　old　lady；　as　she　walked　with　her　to　the　door；　answered；　〃I　have　had　my　way　for　nearly　eighty　years；　dearie；　and　I've　found　it　a　very　good　way。　I'm　not　likely　to　change　it　now。〃

〃And　none　of　us　want　you　to　change　it；　dear。　Granny's　way　is　always　a　wise　way。〃　And　she　kissed　her　again　ere　she　ran　down　the　steps　to　her　carriage。　Yet　as　the　old　lady　stepped　slowly　back　to　the　parlor；　she　muttered；　〃Fred　Mostyn　is　a　fool！　If　he　had　any　sense　when　he　left　England；　he　has　lost　it　since　he　came　here。〃

Of　course　nothing　good　came　of　this　irritable　interference。　Meddling　with　the　conscience　of　another　person　is　a　delicate　and　difficult　affair；　and　Ruth　had　already　warned　Ethel　of　its　certain　futility。　But　the　days　were　rapidly　wearing　away　to　the　great　day；　for　which　so　many　other　days　had　been　wasted　in　fatiguing　worry；　and　incredible　extravagance　of　health　and　temper　and　moneyand　after　it？　There　would　certainly　be　a　break　in　associations。　Temptation　would　be　removed；　and　Basil　Stanhope；　relieved　for　a　time　from　all　the　duties　of　his　office；　would　have　continual　opportunities　for　making　eternally　secure　the　affection　of　the　woman　he　had　chosen。

It　was　to　be　a　white　wedding；　and　for　twenty　hours　previous　to　its　celebration　it　seemed　as　if　all　the　florists　in　New　York　were　at　work　in　the　Denning　house　and　in　St。　Jude's　church。　The　sacred　place　was　radiant　with　white　lilies。　White　lilies　everywhere；　and　the　perfume　would　have　been　overpowering；　had　not　the　weather　been　so　exquisite　that　open　windows　were　possible　and　even　pleasant。　To　the　softest　strains　of　music　Dora　entered　leaning　on　her　father's　arm　and　her　beauty　and　splendor　evoked　from　the　crowd　present　an　involuntary；　simultaneous　stir　of　wonder　and　delight。　She　had　hesitated　many　days　between　the　simplicity　of　white　chiffon　and　lilies　of　the　valley；　and　the　magnificence　of　brocaded　satin　in　which　a　glittering　thread　of　silver　was　interwoven。　The　satin　had　won　the　day；　and　the　sunshine　fell　upon　its　beauty；　as　she　knelt　at　the　altar；　like　sunshine　falling　upon　snow。　It　shone　and　gleamed　and　glistened　as　if　it　were　an　angel's　robe；　and　this　scintillating　effect　was　much　increased　by　the　sparkling　of　the　diamonds　in　her　hair；　and　at　her　throat　and　waist　and　hands　and　feet。　Nor　was　her　brilliant　youth　affected　by　the　overshadowing　tulle　usually　so　unbecoming。　It　veiled　her　from　head　to　feet；　and　was　held　in　place　by　a　diamond　coronal。　All　her　eight　maids；　though　lovely　girls；　looked　wan　and　of　the　earth　beside　her。　For　her　sake　they　had　been　content　with　the　simplicity　of　chiffon　and　white　lace　hats；　and　she　stood　among　them　lustrous　as　some　angelic　being。　Stanhope　was　entranced　by　her　beauty；　and　no　one　on　this　day　wondered　at　his　infatuation　or　thought　remarkable　the　ecstasy　of　reverent　rapture　with　which　he　received　the　hand　of　his　bride。　His　sense　of　the　gift　was　ravishing。　She　was　now　his　love；　his　wife　forever；　and　when　Ethel　slipped　forward　to　part　and　throw　backward　the　concealing　veil；　he　very　gently　restrained　her；　and　with　his　own　hands　uncovered　the　blushing　beauty；　and　kissed　her　there　at　the　altar。　Then　amid　a　murmur　and　stir　of　delighted　sympathy　he　took　his　wife　upon　his　arm；　and　turned　with　her　to　the　life　they　were　to　face　together。

Two　hours　later　all　was　a　past　dream。　Bride　and　bridegroom　had　slipped　quietly　away；　and　the　wedding　guests　had　arrived　at　that　rather　noisy　indifference　which　presages　the　end　of　an　entertainment。　Then　flushed　and　tired　with　hurrying　congratulations　and　good　wishes　that　stumbled　over　each　other；　carriage　after　carriage　departed；　and　Ethel　and　her　companions　went　to　Dora's　parlor　to　rest　awhile　and　discuss　the　event　of　the　day。　But　Dora's　parlor　was　in　a　state　of　confusion。　It　had；　too；　an　air　of　loss；　and　felt　like　a　gilded　cage　from　which　the　bird　had　flown。　They　looked　dismally　at　its　discomfort　and　went　downstairs。　Men　were　removing　the　faded　flowers　or　sitting　at　the　abandoned　table　eating　and　drinking。　Everywhere　there　was　disorder　and　waste；　and　from　the　servants'　quarter　came　a　noisy　sense　of　riotous　feasting。

〃Where　is　Mrs。　Denning？〃　Ethel　asked　a　footman　who　was　gathering　together　the　silver　with　the　easy　unconcern　of　a　man　whose　ideas　were　rosy　with　champagne。　He　looked　up　with　a　provoking　familiarity　at　the　question；　and　sputtered　out；　〃She's　lying　down　crying　and　making　a　fuss。　Miss　Day　is　with　her；　soothing　of　her。〃

〃Let　us　go　home；〃　said　Ethel。

And　so；　weary　with　pleasure；　and　heart…　heavy　with　feelings　that　had　no　longer　any　reason　to　exist；　pale　with　fatigue；　untidy　with　crush；　their　pretty　white　gowns　sullied　and　passe；　each　went　her　way；　in　every　heart　a　wonder　whether　the　few　hilarious　hours　of　strange　emotions　were　worth　all　they　claimed　as　their　right　and　due。

Ruth　had　gone　home　earlier；　and　Ethel　found　her　resting　in　her　room。　〃I　am　worn　out；　Ruth；〃　was　her　first　remark。　〃I　am　going　to　bed　for　three　or　four　days。　It　was　a　dreadful　ordeal。〃

〃One　to　which　you　may　have　to　submit。〃

〃Certainly　not。　My　marriage　will　be　a　religious　ceremony；　with　half　a　dozen　of　my　nearest　relatives　as　witnesses。〃

〃I　noticed　Fred　slip　away　before　Dora　went。　He　looked　ill。〃

〃I　dare　say　he　is　illand　no　wonder。　Good　night；　Ruth。　I　am　going　to　sleep。　Tell　father　all　about　the　wedding。　I　don't　want　to　hear　it　named　againnot　as　long　as　I　live。〃



CHAPTER　VI

THREE　days　passed　and　Ethel　had　regained　her　health　and　spirits；　but　Fred　Mostyn　had　not　called　since　the　wedding。　Ruth　thought　some　inquiry　ought　to　be　made；　and　Judge　Rawdon　called　at　the　Holland　House。　There　he　was　told　that　Mr。　Mostyn　had　not　been　well；　and　the　young　man's　countenance　painfully　confessed　the　same　thing。

〃My　dear　Fred；　why　did　you　not　send　us　word　you　were　ill？〃　asked　the　Judge。

〃I　had　fever；　sir；　and　I　feared　it　might　be　typhoid。　Nothing　of　the　kind；　however。　I　shall　be　all　right　in　a　day　or　two。〃

The　truth　was　far　from　typhoid；　and　Fred　knew　it。　He　had　left　the　wedding　breakfast　because　he　had　reached　the　limit　of　his　endurance。　Words；　stinging　as　whips；　burned　like　hot　coals　in　his　mouth；　and　he　felt　that　he　could　not　restrain　them　much　longer。　Hastening　to　his　hotel；　he　locked　himself　in　his　rooms；　and　passed　the　night　in　a　frenzy　of　passion。　The　very　remembrance　of　the　bridegroom's　confident　transport　put　mur…　der　in　his　heartmurder　which　he　could　only　practice　by　his　wishes；　impotent　to　compass　their　desires。

〃I　wish　the　fellow　shot！　I　wish　him　hanged！　I　would　kill　him　twenty　times　in　twenty　different　ways！　And　Dora！　Dora！　Dora！　What　did　she　see　in　him？　What　could　she　see？　Love　her？　He　knows　nothing　of　lovesuch　love　as　tortures　me。〃　Backwards　and　forwards　he　paced　the　floor　to　such　imprecations　and　ejaculations　as　welled　up　from　the　whirlpool　of　rage　in　his　heart；　hour　following　hour；　till　in　the　blackness　of　his　misery　he　could　no　longer　speak。　His　brain　had　become　stupefied　by　the　iteration　of　inevitable　loss；　and　so　refused　any　longer　to　voice　a　woe　beyond　remedy。　Then　he　stood　still　and　called