the unbearable bassington-第21节

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but　some　of　the　complacency　had　filtered　out　of　her　voice。　　Suzette　

came　into　the　room；　wearing　the　dress　that　she　had　worn　in　the　Park　

that　morning。



〃Of　course；　you've　been　hearing　all　about　THE　engagement　from　

mother；〃　she　cried；　and　then　set　to　work　conscientiously　to　cover　

the　same　ground。



〃We　met　at　Grindelwald；　you　know。　　He　always　calls　me　his　Ice　

Maiden　because　we　first　got　to　know　each　other　on　the　skating　rink。　　

Quite　romantic；　wasn't　it？　　Then　we　asked　him　to　tea　one　day；　and　

we　got　to　be　quite　friendly。　　Then　he　proposed。〃



〃He　wasn't　the　only　one　who　was　smitten　with　Suzette；〃　Mrs。　

Brankley　hastened　to　put　in；　fearful　lest　Elaine　might　suppose　that　

Egbert　had　had　things　all　his　own　way。　　〃There　was　an　American　

millionaire　who　was　quite　taken　with　her；　and　a　Polish　count　of　a　

very　old　family。　　I　assure　you　I　felt　quite　nervous　at　some　of　our　

tea…parties。〃



Mrs。　Brankley　had　given　Grindelwald　a　sinister　but　rather　alluring　

reputation　among　a　large　circle　of　untravelled　friends　as　a　place　

where　the　insolence　of　birth　and　wealth　was　held　in　precarious　

check　from　breaking　forth　into　scenes　of　savage　violence。



〃My　marriage　with　Egbert　will；　of　course；　enlarge　the　sphere　of　my　

life　enormously；〃　pursued　Suzette。



〃Yes；〃　said　Elaine；　her　eyes　were　rather　remorselessly　taking　in　

the　details　of　her　cousin's　toilette。　　It　is　said　that　nothing　is　

sadder　than　victory　except　defeat。　　Suzette　began　to　feel　that　the　

tragedy　of　both　was　concentrated　in　the　creation　which　had　given　

her　such　unalloyed　gratification；　till　Elaine　had　come　on　the　

scene。



〃A　woman　can　be　so　immensely　helpful　in　the　social　way　to　a　man　who　

is　making　a　career　for　himself。　　And　I'm　so　glad　to　find　that　we've　

a　great　many　ideas　in　common。　　We　each　made　out　a　list　of　our　idea　

of　the　hundred　best　books；　and　quite　a　number　of　them　were　the　

same。〃



〃He　looks　bookish；〃　said　Elaine；　with　a　critical　glance　at　the　

photograph。



〃Oh；　he's　not　at　all　a　bookworm；〃　said　Suzette　quickly；　〃though　

he's　tremendously　well…read。　　He's　quite　the　man　of　action。〃



〃Does　he　hunt？〃　asked　Elaine。



〃No；　he　doesn't　get　much　time　or　opportunity　for　riding。〃



〃What　a　pity；〃　commented　Elaine；　〃I　don't　think　I　could　marry　a　man　

who　wasn't　fond　of　riding。〃



〃Of　course　that's　a　matter　of　taste；〃　said　Suzette；　stiffly；　

〃horsey　men　are　not　usually　gifted　with　overmuch　brains；　are　they？〃



〃There　is　as　much　difference　between　a　horseman　and　a　horsey　man　as　

there　is　between　a　well…dressed　man　and　a　dressy　one；〃　said　Elaine；　

judicially；　〃and　you　may　have　noticed　how　seldom　a　dressy　woman　

really　knows　how　to　dress。　　As　an　old　lady　of　my　acquaintance　

observed　the　other　day；　some　people　are　born　with　a　sense　of　how　to　

clothe　themselves；　others　acquire　it；　others　look　as　if　their　

clothes　had　been　thrust　upon　them。〃



She　gave　Lady　Caroline　her　due　quotation　marks；　but　the　sudden　

tactfulness　with　which　she　looked　away　from　her　cousin's　frock　was　

entirely　her　own　idea。



A　young　man　entering　the　room　at　this　moment　caused　a　diversion　

that　was　rather　welcome　to　Suzette。



〃Here　comes　Egbert；〃　she　announced；　with　an　air　of　subdued　triumph；　

it　was　at　least　a　satisfaction　to　be　able　to　produce　the　captive　of　

her　charms；　alive　and　in　good　condition；　on　the　scene。　　Elaine　

might　be　as　critical　as　she　pleased；　but　a　live　lover　outweighed　

any　number　of　well…dressed　straight…riding　cavaliers　who　existed　

only　as　a　distant　vision　of　the　delectable　husband。



Egbert　was　one　of　those　men　who　have　no　small　talk；　but　possess　an　

inexhaustible　supply　of　the　larger　variety。　　In　whatever　society　he　

happened　to　be；　and　particularly　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　

an　afternoon…tea　table；　with　a　limited　audience　of　womenfolk；　he　

gave　the　impression　of　someone　who　was　addressing　a　public　meeting；　

and　would　be　happy　to　answer　questions　afterwards。　　A　suggestion　of　

gas…lit　mission…halls；　wet　umbrellas；　and　discreet　applause　seemed　

to　accompany　him　everywhere。　　He　was　an　exponent；　among　other　

things；　of　what　he　called　New　Thought；　which　seemed　to　lend　itself　

conveniently　to　the　employment　of　a　good　deal　of　rather　stale　

phraseology。　　Probably　in　the　course　of　some　thirty　odd　years　of　

existence　he　had　never　been　of　any　notable　use　to　man；　woman；　child　

or　animal；　but　it　was　his　firmly…announced　intention　to　leave　the　

world　a　better；　happier；　purer　place　than　he　had　found　it；　against　

the　danger　of　any　relapse　to　earlier　conditions　after　his　

disappearance　from　the　scene；　he　was；　of　course；　powerless　to　

guard。　　'Tis　not　in　mortals　to　insure　succession；　and　Egbert　was　

admittedly　mortal。



Elaine　found　him　immensely　entertaining；　and　would　certainly　have　

exerted　herself　to　draw　him　out　if　such　a　proceeding　had　been　at　

all　necessary。　　She　listened　to　his　conversation　with　the　

complacent　appreciation　that　one　bestows　on　a　stage　tragedy；　from　

whose　calamities　one　can　escape　at　any　moment　by　the　simple　process　

of　leaving　one's　seat。　　When　at　last　he　checked　the　flow　of　his　

opinions　by　a　hurried　reference　to　his　watch；　and　declared　that　he　

must　be　moving　on　elsewhere；　Elaine　almost　expected　a　vote　of　

thanks　to　be　accorded　him；　or　to　be　asked　to　signify　herself　in　

favour　of　some　resolution　by　holding　up　her　hand。



When　the　young　man　had　bidden　the　company　a　rapid　business…like　

farewell；　tempered　in　Suzette's　case　by　the　exact　degree　of　tender　

intimacy　that　it　would　have　been　considered　improper　to　omit　or　

overstep；　Elaine　turned　to　her　expectant　cousin　with　an　air　of　

cordial　congratulation。



〃He　is　exactly　the　husband　I　should　have　chosen　for　you；　Suzette。〃



For　the　second　time　that　afternoon　Suzette　felt　a　sense　of　waning　

enthusiasm　for　one　of　her　possessions。



Mrs。　Brankley　detected　the　note　of　ironical　congratulation　in　her　

visitor's　verdict。



〃I　suppose　she　means　he's　not　her　idea　of　a　husband；　but；　he's　good　

enough　for　Suzette；〃　she　observed　to　herself；　with　a　snort　that　

expressed　itself　somewhere　in　the　nostrils　of　the　brain。　　Then　with　

a　smiling　air　of　heavy　patronage　she　delivered　herself　of　her　one　

idea　of　a　damaging　counter…stroke。



〃And　when　are　we　to　hear　of　your　engagement；　my　dear？〃



〃Now；〃　said　Elaine　quietly；　but　with　electrical　effect；　〃I　came　to　

announce　it　to　you　but　I　wanted　to　hear　all　about　Suzette　first。　　

It　will　be　formally　announced　in　the　papers　in　a　day　or　two。〃



〃But　who　is　it？　　Is　it　the　young　man　who　was　with　you　in　the　Park　

this　morning？〃　asked　Suzette。



〃Let　me　see；　who　was　I　with　in　the　Park　this　morning？　　A　very　good…

looking　dark　boy？　　Oh　no；　not　Comus　Bassington。　　Someone　you　know　

by　name；　anyway；　and　I　expect　you've　seen　his　portrait　in　the　

papers。〃



〃A　flying…man？〃　asked　Mrs。　Brankley。



〃Courtenay　Youghal；〃　said　Elaine。



Mrs。　Brankley　and　Suzette　had　often　rehearsed　in　the　privacy　of　

their　minds　the　occasion　when　Elaine　should　come　to　pay　her　

personal　congratulations　to　her　engaged　cousin。　　It　had　never　been　

in　the　least　like　this。



On　her　return　from　her　enjoyable　afternoon　visit　Elaine　found　an　

express　messenger　letter　waiting　for　her。　　It　was　from　Comus；　

thanking　her　for　her　loan　…　and　returning　it。



〃I　suppose　I　ought　never　to　have　asked　you　for　it；〃　he　wrote；　〃but　

you　are　always　so　deliciously　solemn　about　money　matters　that　I　

couldn't　resist。　　Just　heard　the　news　of　your　engagement　to　

Courtenay。　　Congrats。　to　you　both。　　I'm　far　too　stoney　broke　to　buy　

you　a　wedding　present　so　I'm　going　to　give　you　back　the　bread…and…

butter　dish。　　Luckily　it　still　has　your　crest　on　it。　　I　shall　love　

to　think　of　you　and　Courtenay　eating　bread…and…butter　out　of　it　for　

the　rest　of　your　lives。〃



That　was　all　he　had　to　say　on　the　matter　about　which　Elaine　had　

been　preparing　to　write　a　long　and　kindly…expressed　letter；　closing　

a　rather　momentous　chapter　in　her　life　and　his。　　There　was　not　a　

trace　of　regret　or　upbraiding　in　his　note；　he　had　walked　out　of　

their　mutual　fairyland　as　abruptly　as　she　had；　and　to　all　

appearances　far　more　unconcernedly。　　Reading　the　letter　again　and　

again　Elaine　could　come　to　no　decision　as　to　whether　this　was　

merely　a　courageous　gibe　at　defeat；　or　whether　it　represented　the　

real　value　that　Comus　set　on　the　thing　that　he　had　lost。



And　she　would　never　know。　　If　Comus　possessed　one　useless　gift　to　

perfection　it　was　the　gift　of　laughing　at　Fate　even　when　it　had　

struck　him　hardest。　　One　day；　perhaps；　the　laughter　and　mockery　

would　be　silent　on　his　lips；　and　Fate　would　have　the　advantage　of　

laughing　last。







CHAPTER　XII







A　DOOR　closed　and　Francesca　Bassington　sat　alone　in　her　well…

beloved　drawing…room。　　The　visitor　who　had　been　enjoying　the　

hospitality　of　her　afternoon…tea　table　had　just　taken　his　

departure。　　The　tete…a…tete　had　not　been　a　p