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CHAPTER　XVIII

Bernard　left　then　and　went　to　California；　but　when　he　arrived　there　he　asked　himself　why　he　had　come；　and　was　unable　to　mention　any　other　reason　than　that　he　had　announced　it。　　He　began　to　feel　restless　again；　and　to　drift　back　to　that　chronic　chagrin　which　had　accompanied　him　through　his　long　journey　in　the　East。　He　succeeded；　however；　in　keeping　these　unreasonable　feelings　at　bay　for　some　time；　and　he　strove　to　occupy　himself；　to　take　an　interest　in　Californian　problems。　　Bernard；　however；　was　neither　an　economist　nor　a　cattle…fancier；　and　he　found　that；　as　the　phrase　is；　there　was　not　a　great　deal　to　take　hold　of。　He　wandered　about；　admired　the　climate　and　the　big　peaches；　thought　a　while　of　going　to　Japan；　and　ended　by　going　to　Mexico。　In　this　way　he　passed　several　months；　and　justified；　in　the　eyes　of　other　people　at　least；　his　long　journey　across　the　Continent。　　At　last　he　made　it　again；　in　the　opposite　sense。　He　went　back　to　New　York；　where　the　summer　had　already　begun；　and　here　he　invented　a　solution　for　the　difficulty　presented　by　life　to　a　culpably　unoccupied　and　ill…regulated　man。　The　solution　was　not　in　the　least　original；　and　I　am　almost　ashamed　to　mention　so　stale　and　conventional　a　device。　Bernard　simply　hit　upon　the　plan　of　returning　to　Europe。　Such　as　it　was；　however；　he　carried　it　out　with　an　audacity　worthy　of　a　better　cause；　and　was　sensibly　happier　since　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　it。　　Gordon　Wright　and　his　wife　were　out　of　town；　but　Bernard　went　into　the　country；　as　boldly　as　you　please；　to　inform　them　of　his　little　project　and　take　a　long　leave　of　them。　He　had　made　his　arrangements　to　sail　immediately；　and；　as　at　such　short　notice　it　was　impossible　to　find　good　quarters　on　one　of　the　English　vessels；　he　had　engaged　a　berth　on　a　French　steamer；　which　would　convey　him　to　Havre。　On　going　down　to　Gordon's　house　in　the　country；　he　was　conscious　of　a　good　deal　of　eagerness　to　know　what　had　become　of　that　latent　irritation　of　which　Blanche　had　given　him　a　specimen。　Apparently　it　had　quite　subsided；　Blanche　was　wreathed　in　smiles；　she　was　living　in　a　bower　of　roses。　　Bernard；　indeed；　had　no　opportunity　for　investigating　her　state　of　mind；　for　he　found　several　people　in　the　house；　and　Blanche；　who　had　an　exalted　standard　of　the　duties　of　a　hostess；　was　occupied　in　making　life　agreeable　to　her　guests；　most　of　whom　were　gentlemen。　She　had　in　this　way　that　great　remedy　for　dissatisfaction　which　Bernard　lackedsomething　interesting　to　do。　　Bernard　felt　a　good　deal　of　genuine　sadness　in　taking　leave　of　Gordon；　to　whom　he　contrived　to　feel　even　more　kindly　than　in　earlier　days。　He　had　quite　forgotten　that　Gordon　was　jealous　of　him　which　he　was　not；　as　Bernard　said。　　Certainly；　Gordon　showed　nothing　of　it　now；　and　nothing　could　have　been　more　friendly　than　their　parting。　　Gordon；　also；　for　a　man　who　was　never　boisterous；　seemed　very　contented。　　He　was　fond　of　exercising　hospitality；　and　he　confessed　to　Bernard　that　he　was　just　now　in　the　humor　for　having　his　house　full　of　people。　　Fortune　continued　to　gratify　this　generous　taste；　for　just　as　Bernard　was　coming　away　another　guest　made　his　appearance。　　The　new…comer　was　none　other　than　the　Honourable　Augustus　Lovelock；　who　had　just　arrived　in　New　York；　and　who；　as　he　added；　had　long　desired　to　visit　the　United　States。　　Bernard　merely　witnessed　his　arrival；　and　was　struck　with　the　fact　that　as　he　presented　himself　it　seemed　quite　a　surpriseBlanche　really　stopped　chattering。






CHAPTER　XIX

I　have　called　it　a　stale　expedient　on　Bernard　Longueville's　part　to　〃go　to　Europe〃　again；　like　the　most　commonplace　American；　and　it　is　certain　that；　as　our　young　man　stood　and　looked　out　of　the　window　of　his　inn　at　Havre；　an　hour　after　his　arrival　at　that　sea…port；　his　adventure　did　not　strike　him　as　having　any　great　freshness。　He　had　no　plans　nor　intentions；　he　had　not　even　any　very　definite　desires。　He　had　felt　the　impulse　to　come　back　to　Europe；　and　he　had　obeyed　it；　but　now　that　he　had　arrived；　his　impulse　seemed　to　have　little　more　to　say　to　him。　　He　perceived　it；　indeedmentallyin　the　attitude　of　a　small　street…boy　playing　upon　his　nose　with　that　vulgar　gesture　which　is　supposed　to　represent　the　elation　of　successful　fraud。　There　was　a　large　blank　wall　before　his　window；　painted　a　dirty　yellow　and　much　discolored　by　the　weather；　a　broad　patch　of　summer　sunlight　rested　upon　it　and　brought　out　the　full　vulgarity　of　its　complexion。　Bernard　stared　a　while　at　this　blank　wall；　which　struck　him　in　some　degree　as　a　symbol　of　his　own　present　moral　prospect。　Then　suddenly　he　turned　away；　with　the　declaration　that；　whatever　truth　there　might　be　in　symbolism；　he；　at　any　rate；　had　not　come　to　Europe　to　spend　the　precious　remnant　of　his　youth　in　a　malodorous　Norman　sea…port。　The　weather　was　very　hot；　and　neither　the　hotel　nor　the　town　at　large　appeared　to　form　an　attractive　sejour　for　persons　of　an　irritable　nostril。　To　go　to　Paris；　however；　was　hardly　more　attractive　than　to　remain　at　Havre；　for　Bernard　had　a　lively　vision　of　the　heated　bitumen　and　the　glaring　frontages　of　the　French　capital。　　But　if　a　Norman　town　was　close　and　dull；　the　Norman　country　was　notoriously　fresh　and　entertaining；　and　the　next　morning　Bernard　got　into　a　caleche；　with　his　luggage；　and　bade　its　proprietor　drive　him　along　the　coast。　Once　he　had　begun　to　rumble　through　this　charming　landscape；　he　was　in　much　better　humor　with　his　situation；　the　air　was　freshened　by　a　breeze　from　the　sea；　the　blooming　country；　without　walls　or　fences；　lay　open　to　the　traveller's　eye；　the　grain…fields　and　copses　were　shimmering　in　the　summer　wind；　the　pink…faced　cottages　peeped　through　the　ripening　orchard…boughs；　and　the　gray　towers　of　the　old　churches　were　silvered　by　the　morning…light　of　France。

At　the　end　of　some　three　hours；　Bernard　arrived　at　a　little　watering…place　which　lay　close　upon　the　shore；　in　the　embrace　of　a　pair　of　white…armed　cliffs。　　It　had　a　quaint　and　primitive　aspect　and　a　natural　picturesqueness　which　commended　it　to　Bernard's　taste。　　There　was　evidently　a　great　deal　of　nature　about　it；　and　at　this　moment；　nature；　embodied　in　the　clear；　gay　sunshine；　in　the　blue　and　quiet　sea；　in　the　daisied　grass　of　the　high…shouldered　downs；　had　an　air　of　inviting　the　intelligent　observer　to　postpone　his　difficulties。　Blanquais…les…Galets；　as　Bernard　learned　the　name　of　this　unfashionable　resort　to　be；　was　twenty　miles　from　a　railway；　and　the　place　wore　an　expression　of　unaffected　rusticity。　Bernard　stopped　at　an　inn　for　his　noonday　breakfast；　and　then；　with　his　appreciation　quickened　by　the　homely　felicity　of　this　repast；　determined　to　go　no　further。　　He　engaged　a　room　at　the　inn；　dismissed　his　vehicle；　and　gave　himself　up　to　the　contemplation　of　French　sea…side　manners。　　These　were　chiefly　to　be　observed　upon　a　pebbly　strand　which　lay　along　the　front　of　the　village　and　served　as　the　gathering…point　of　its　idler　inhabitants。　Bathing　in　the　sea　was　the　chief　occupation　of　these　good　people；　including；　as　it　did；　prolonged　spectatorship　of　the　process　and　infinite　conversation　upon　its　mysteries。　The　little　world　of　Blanquais　appeared　to　form　a　large　family　party；　of　highly　developed　amphibious　habits；　which　sat　gossiping　all　day　upon　the　warm　pebbles；　occasionally　dipping　into　the　sea　and　drying　itself　in　the　sun；　without　any　relaxation　of　personal　intimacy。　　All　this　was　very　amusing　to　Bernard；　who　in　the　course　of　the　day　took　a　bath　with　the　rest。　The　ocean　was；　after　all；　very　large；　and　when　one　took　one's　plunge　one　seemed　to　have　it　quite　to　one's　self。　When　he　had　dressed　himself　again；　Bernard　stretched　himself　on　the　beach；　feeling　happier　than　he　had　done　in　a　long　time；　and　pulled　his　hat　over　his　eyes。　　The　feeling　of　happiness　was　an　odd　one；　it　had　come　over　him　suddenly；　without　visible　cause；　but；　such　as　it　was；　our　hero　made　the　most　of　it。　As　he　lay　there　it　seemed　to　deepen；　his　immersion　and　his　exercise　in　the　salt　water　had　given　him　an　agreeable　languor。　This　presently　became　a　drowsiness　which　was　not　less　agreeable；　and　Bernard　felt　himself　going　to　sleep。　　There　were　sounds　in　the　air　above　his　headsounds　of　the　crunching　and　rattling　of　the　loose；　smooth　stones　as　his　neighbors　moved　about　on　them；　of　high…pitched　French　voices　exchanging　colloquial　cries；　of　the　plash　of　the　bathers　in　the　distant　water；　and　the　short；　soft　breaking　of　the　waves。　　But　these　things　came　to　his　ears　more　vaguely　and　remotely；　and　at　last　they　faded　away。　Bernard　enjoyed　half　an　hour　of　that　light　and　easy　slumber　which　is　apt　to　overtake　idle　people　in　recumbent　attitudes　in　the　open　air　on　August　afternoons。　　It　brought　with　it　an　exquisite　sense　of　rest；　and　the　rest　was　not　spoiled　by　the　fact　that　it　was　animated　by　a　charming　dream。　Dreams　are　vague　things；　and　this　one　had　the　defects　of　its　species；　but　it　was　somehow　concerned　with　the　image　of　a　young　lady　whom　Bernard　had　formerly　known；　and　who　had　beautiful　eyes；　into　whichin　the　dreamhe　found　himself　looking。　He　waked　up　to　find　himself　looking　into　the　crown　of　his　hat；　which　had　been　resting　on　the　bridge　of　his　nose。　He　removed　it；　and　half　raised　himself；　resting　on　his　elbow　and　preparing　to　taste；　in　another　position；　of