frances waldeaux-第3节

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　It　is　broader　than　his　will　ever　be。　　At　your　age；　and　with　your　capabilities；　you　should　marry　again。　　Think　of　the　many　long　years　that　are　before　you。〃

〃I　have　thought　of　them；〃　said　Mrs。　Waldeaux　slowly。　　〃I　have　had　lovers　who　came　close　to　me　as　friends；　but　I　never　for　a　moment　was　tempted　to　marry　one　of　them。　　No；　Clara。　　When　the　devil　drove　my　father　to　hand　me　overinnocent　child　as　I　wasto　a　man　like　Robert　Waldeaux；　he　killed　in　me　the　capacity　for　that　kind　of　love。　　It　is　not　in　me。〃　　She　turned　her　strenuous　face　to　the　sea　and　was　silent。　　〃It　is　not　in　me；〃　she　repeated　after　a　while。　　〃I　have　but　one　feeling；　and　that　is　for　my　boy。　　It　is　growing　on　me　absurdly；　too。〃　　She　laughed　nervously。　　〃I　used　to　be　conscious　of　other　people　in　the　world；　but　now；　if　I　see　a　boy　or　man；　I　see　only　what　George　was　or　will　be　at　his　age；　if　I　read　a　book；　it　only　suggests　what　George　will　say　of　it。　　I　am　like　one　of　those　plants　that　have　lost　their　own　sap　and　color；　and　suck　in　their　life　from　another。　　It　scares　me　sometimes。〃

Miss　Vance　smiled　with　polite　contempt。　　No　doubt　Frances　had　a　shrewd　business　faculty；　but　in　other　matters　she　was　not　ten　years　old。

〃And　George　will　marry　some　time；〃　she　said　curtly。

〃Oh；　I　hope　so！　　And　soon。　　Then　I　shall　have　a　daughter。　　I　know　just　the　kind　of　a　wife　George　will　choose；〃　she　chattered　on　eagerly。　　〃I　understand　him　so　thoroughly　that　I　can　understand　her。　　But　where　could　he　find　her？　　He　is　so　absurdly　fastidious！〃

Miss　Vance　was　silent　and　thoughtful　a　moment。　　Then　she　came　closer。　　〃I　will　tell　you　where　to　find　her；〃　she　said；　in　a　low　voice。　　〃I　have　thought　of　it　for　a　long　time。　　It　seems　to　me　that　Providence　actually　made　Lucy　Dunbar　for　George。〃

〃Really？〃　　Mrs。　Waldeaux　drew　her　self　up　stiffly。

〃Wait；　Frances。　　Lucy　has　been　with　me　for　three　years。　　I　know　her。　　She　is　a　sincere；　modest；　happy　little　thing。　　Not　too　clever。　　She　is　an　heiress；　too。　　And　her　family　is　good；　and　all　underground；　which　is　another　advantage。　　You　can　mould　her　as　you　choose。　　She　loves　you　already。〃

〃Or　is　it　that　she？〃

〃You　have　no　right　to　ask　that！〃　said　Miss　Vance　quickly。

〃No；　I　am　ashamed　of　myself。〃　　Mrs。　Waldeaux　reddened。

A　group　of　girls　came　up　the　deck。　　Both　women　scanned　the　foremost　one　critically。　　〃I　like　that　wholesome；　candid　look　of　her；〃　said　Miss　Vance。

〃Oh；　she　is　well　enough；〃　said　Frances。　　〃But　I　am　sure　George　does　not　like　yellow　hair。　　Nothing　but　an　absolutely　beautiful　woman　will　attract　him。〃

〃An　artist；〃　said　Miss　Vance　hastily；　〃would　tell　you　her　features　were　perfect。　　And　her　flesh　tints〃

〃For　Heaven's　sake；　Clara；　don't　dissect　the　child。　　Who　is　that　girl　with　the　red　cravat？　　Your　maid？〃

〃It　is　not　a　cravat；　it's　an　Indian　scarf。　　If　it　only　were　clean〃　　Miss　Vance　looked　uneasy　and　perplexed。　　〃She　is　not　my　maid。　　She　is　Fraulein　Arpent。　　The　Ewalts　brought　her　as　governess　from　Paris；　don't　you　remember？　　They　sent　the　girls　to　Bryn　Mawr　last　week　and　turned　her　adrift；　almost　penniless。　　She　wished　to　go　back　to　France。　　I　engaged　her　as　assistant　chaperone　for　the　season。〃

Mrs。　Waldeaux's　eyebrows　went　up　significantly。　　She　never　commented　in　words　on　the　affairs　of　others；　but　her　face　always　was　indiscreet。　　George；　who　had　come　up　in　time　to　hear　the　last　words；　was　not　so　scrupulous。　　He　surveyed　the　young　woman　through　his　spectacles　as　she　passed　again；　with　cold　disapproval。

〃French　or　German？〃　he　asked。

〃I　really　don't　know。　　She　has　a　singular　facility　in　tongues；〃　said　Miss　Vance。

〃Well；　that　is　not　the　companion　_I_　should　have　chosen　for　those　innocent　little　girls；〃　he　said　authoritatively；　glad　to　be　disagreeable　to　his　cousin。　　〃She　looks　like　a　hawk　among　doves。〃

〃The　woman　is　harmless　enough；〃　said　Miss　Vance　tartly。　　〃She　speaks　exquisite　French。〃

〃But　what　does　she　say　in　it？〃　persisted　George。　　〃She　is　vulgar　from　her　red　pompon　to　her　boots。　　She　has　the　swagger　of　a　soubrette　and　she　has　left　a　trail　of　perfume　behind　herpah！　　I　confess　I　am　surprised　at　you；　Miss　Vance。　　You　do　not　often　slip　in　your　judgment。〃

〃Don't　make　yourself　unpleasant；　George；〃　said　his　mother　gently。　　Miss　Vance　smiled　icily；　and　as　the　girls　came　near　again；　stopped　them　and　stood　talking　to　Mlle。　　Arpent　with　an　aggressive　show　of　familiarity。

〃Why　do　you　worry　Clara？〃　said　Mrs。　Waldeaux。　　〃She　knows　she　has　made　a　mistake。　　What　do　you　think　of　that　little　blonde　girl？〃　she　asked　presently；　watching　him　anxiously。　　〃She　has　remarkable　beauty；　certainly；　but　there　is　something　finicalprecise〃

〃Take　care。　　She　will　hear　you；〃　said　George。　　〃Beauty；　eh？　　Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　indifferently。　　〃She　is　passably　pretty。　　I　have　never　seen　a　woman　yet　whose　beauty　satisfied　ME。〃

Mrs。　Waldeaux　leaned　back　with　a　comfortable　little　laugh。　　〃But　you　must　not　be　so　hard　to　please；　my　son。　　You　must　bring　me　my　daughter　soon；〃　she　said。

〃Not　very　soon。　　I　have　some　thing　else　to　think　of　than　marriage　for　the　next　ten　years。〃

Just　then　Dr。　Watts　came　up　and　asked　leave　to　present　his　friend　Perry。　　The　doctor；　like　all　young　men　who　knew　Mrs。　Waldeaux；　had　succumbed　to　her　peculiar　charm；　which　was　only　that　of　a　woman　past　her　youth　who　had　strong　personal　magnetism　and　not　a　spark　of　coquetry。　　George's　friends　all　were　sure　that　they　would　fall　in　love　with　a　woman　just　like　herbut　not　a　man　of　them　ever　thought　of　falling　in　love　with　her。

Young　Perry；　in　twenty　minutes；　decided　that　she　was　the　most　brilliant　and　agreeable　of　companions。　　He　had　talked；　and　she　had　spoken　only　with　her　listening；　sympathetic　eyes。　　He　was　always　apt　to　be　voluble。　　On　this　occasion　he　was　too　voluble。　〃You　are　from　Weir；　I　think；　in　Delaware；　Mrs。　Waldeaux？〃　he　asked。　　〃I　must　have　seen　the　name　of　the　town　with　yours　on　the　list　of　passengers；　for　the　story　of　a　woman　who　once　lived　there　has　been　haunting　me　all　day。　　I　have　not　seen　nor　thought　of　her　for　years；　and　I　could　not　account　for　my　sudden　remembrance　of　her。〃

〃Who　was　she？〃　asked　George；　trying　to　save　his　mother　from　Perry；　who　threatened　to　be　a　bore。

〃Her　name　was　Pauline　Felix。　　You　have　heard　her　story；　Mrs。　Waldeaux？〃

〃Yes〃　said　Frances　coldly。　　〃I　have　heard　her　story。　　Can　you　find　my　shawl；　George？〃

But　Perry　was　conscious　of　no　rebuff；　and　turned　cheerfully　to　George。　　〃It　was　one　of　those　dramas　of　real　life；　too　unlikely　to　put　into　a　novel。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　poor　clergyman　in　Weir；　a　devout；　good　man；　I　believe。　　She　had　marvellous　beauty　and　a　devilish　disposition。　　She　ran　away；　lived　a　wild　life　in　Paris；　and　became　the　mistress　of　a　Russian　Grand　Duke。　　Her　death〃

He　could　not　have　told　why　he　stopped。　　Mrs。　Waldeaux　still　watched　him；　attentive；　but　the　sympathetic　smile　had　frozen　into　icy　civility。　　She　had　the　old…fashioned　modesty　of　her　generation。　　What　right　had　this　young　man　to　speak　of　〃mistresses〃　to　her？　　Clara's　girls　within　hearing　too！　　She　rose　when　he　paused；　bowed；　and　hurried　to　them；　like　a　hen　fluttering　to　protect　her　chicks。

〃He　was　talking　to　me　of　a　woman；〃　she　said　excitedly　to　Clara；　〃who　is　never　mentioned　by　decent　people。〃

〃Yes；　I　heard　him；〃　said　Miss　Vance。　　〃Poor　Pauline！　　Her　career　was　always　a　mystery　to　me。　I　was　at　school　with　her；　and　she　was　the　most　generous；　lovable　girl！　　Yet　she　came　to　a　wretched　end；〃　turning　to　her　flock；　her　tone　growing　didactic。　〃One　is　never　safe；　you　see。　　One　must　always　be　on　guard。〃

〃Oh；　my　dear！〃　cried　Frances　impatiently。　　〃You　surely　don't　mean　to　class　these　girls　and　me　with　Pauline　Felix！　　Come；　come！〃

〃None　of　us　is　safe；〃　repeated　Clara　stiffly。　　〃Somebody　says　there　is　a　possible　vice　in　the　purest　soul；　and　it　may　lie　perdu　there　until　old　age。　　But　it　will　break　out　some　day。〃

Mrs。　Waldeaux　looked；　laughing；　at　the　eager；　blushing　faces　around　her。　　〃It　is　not　likely　to　break　out　in　us；　girls；　eh！　　Really；　Clara；〃　she　said；　in　a　lower　tone；　〃that　seems　to　me　like　wasted　morality。　　Women　of　our　class　are　in　no　more　danger　of　temptation　to　commit　great　crimes　than　they　are　of　finding　tigers　in　their　drawing…rooms。　　Pauline　Felix　was　born　vicious。　　No　woman　could　fall　as　she　did；　who　was　not　rotten　to　the　core。〃

A　sudden　shrill　laugh　burst　from　the　French　woman；　who　had　been　looking　at　Mrs。　Waldeaux　with　insolent；　bold　eyes。　　But　as　she　laughed；　her　head　fell　forward　and　she　swung　from　side　to　side。

〃It　is　nothing；〃　she　cried；　〃I　am　only　a　little　faint。　　I　must　go　below。〃

The　ship　was　now　crossing　short；　choppy　waves。　　The　passengers　scattered　rapidly。　　George　took　his　mother　to　her　stateroom；　and　there　she　stayed　until　land　was　sighted　on　the　Irish　coast。　　Clara　and　her　companions　also　were　forced　to　keep　to　their　berths。

During　the　speechless　misery　of　the　first　days　Mrs。　Waldeaux　was　conscious　that　George　was　hanging　over　her；　tender　as　a　mother　with　a　baby。　　She　commanded　him　to　stay　on　deck；　for　each　day　she　saw　that　he；　too；　grew　more　haggard。　　〃Let　me　fight　it　out　alone；〃　she　would　beg　of　him。　　〃My　worst　trouble　is　that　I　cannot　take　care　of　you。〃

He　obeyed　her　at　last；　and　would　come　down　but　once　during　the　day；　and　then　for　only　a　few　hurried　minutes。　　His　mot