an international episode-第4节

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All　this　was　sufficiently　curious；　but　the　agreeable　thing；　later；

was　to　sit　out　on　one　of　the　great　white　decks　of　the　steamer；

in　the　warm　breezy　darkness；　and；　in　the　vague　starlight；

to　make　out　the　line　of　low；　mysterious　coast。　　The　young

Englishmen　tried　American　cigarsthose　of　Mr。　Westgate

and　talked　together　as　they　usually　talked；　with　many

odd　silences；　lapses　of　logic；　and　incongruities　of　transition；

like　people　who　have　grown　old　together　and　learned　to

supply　each　other's　missing　phrases；　or；　more　especially；

like　people　thoroughly　conscious　of　a　common　point　of　view；

so　that　a　style　of　conversation　superficially　lacking　in　finish

might　suffice　for　reference　to　a　fund　of　associations　in　the　light

of　which　everything　was　all　right。



〃We　really　seem　to　be　going　out　to　sea；〃　Percy　Beaumont　observed。

〃Upon　my　word；　we　are　going　back　to　England。　　He　has　shipped　us　off　again。

I　call　that　'real　mean。'〃



〃I　suppose　it's　all　right；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃I　want　to　see　those

pretty　girls　at　Newport。　　You　know；　he　told　us　the　place　was　an　island；

and　aren't　all　islands　in　the　sea？〃



〃Well；〃　resumed　the　elder　traveler　after　a　while；　〃if　his　house

is　as　good　as　his　cigars；　we　shall　do　very　well。〃



〃He　seems　a　very　good　fellow；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　as　if　this　idea

had　just　occurred　to　him。



〃I　say；　we　had　better　remain　at　the　inn；〃　rejoined　his　companion　presently。

〃I　don't　think　I　like　the　way　he　spoke　of　his　house。　　I　don't　like　stopping

in　the　house　with　such　a　tremendous　lot　of　women。〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　mind；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。　　And　then　they　smoked

a　while　in　silence。　　〃Fancy　his　thinking　we　do　no　work　in　England！〃

the　young　man　resumed。



〃I　daresay　he　didn't　really　think　so；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont。



〃Well；　I　guess　they　don't　know　much　about　England　over　here！〃

declared　Lord　Lambeth　humorously。　　And　then　there　was　another　long　pause。

〃He　was　devilish　civil；〃　observed　the　young　nobleman。



〃Nothing；　certainly；　could　have　been　more　civil；〃　rejoined　his　companion。



〃Littledale　said　his　wife　was　great　fun；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃Whose　wifeLittledale's？〃



〃This　American'sMrs。　Westgate。　　What's　his　name？　　J。L。〃



Beaumont　was　silent　a　moment。　　〃What　was　fun　to　Littledale；〃

he　said　at　last；　rather　sententiously；　〃may　be　death　to　us。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　asked　his　kinsman。　　〃I　am　as　good

a　man　as　Littledale。〃



〃My　dear　boy；　I　hope　you　won't　begin　to　flirt；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont。



〃I　don't　care。　　I　daresay　I　shan't　begin。〃



〃With　a　married　woman；　if　she's　bent　upon　it；　it's　all　very　well；〃

Beaumont　expounded。　　〃But　our　friend　mentioned　a　young　ladya　sister；

a　sister…in…law。　For　God's　sake；　don't　get　entangled　with　her！〃



〃How　do　you　mean　entangled？〃



〃Depend　upon　it　she　will　try　to　hook　you。〃



〃Oh；　bother！〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃American　girls　are　very　clever；〃　urged　his　companion。



〃So　much　the　better；〃　the　young　man　declared。



〃I　fancy　they　are　always　up　to　some　game　of　that　sort；〃　Beaumont　continued。



〃They　can't　be　worse　than　they　are　in　England；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth　judicially。



〃Ah；　but　in　England；〃　replied　Beaumont；　〃you　have　got　your

natural　protectors。　　You　have　got　your　mother　and　sisters。〃



〃My　mother　and　sisters〃　began　the　young　nobleman　with　a　certain　energy。

But　he　stopped　in　time；　puffing　at　his　cigar。



〃Your　mother　spoke　to　me　about　it；　with　tears　in　her　eyes；〃

said　Percy　Beaumont。　　〃She　said　she　felt　very　nervous。

I　promised　to　keep　you　out　of　mischief。〃



〃You　had　better　take　care　of　yourself；〃　said　the　object　of　maternal

and　ducal　solicitude。



〃Ah；〃　rejoined　the　young　barrister；　〃I　haven't　the　expectation　of　a　hundred

thousand　a　year；　not　to　mention　other　attractions。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　〃don't　cry　out　before　you're　hurt！〃



It　was　certainly　very　much　cooler　at　Newport；　where　our　travelers

found　themselves　assigned　to　a　couple　of　diminutive　bedrooms

in　a　faraway　angle　of　an　immense　hotel。　　They　had　gone　ashore

in　the　early　summer　twilight　and　had　very　promptly　put　themselves

to　bed；　thanks　to　which　circumstance　and　to　their　having；

during　the　previous　hours；　in　their　commodious　cabin；

slept　the　sleep　of　youth　and　health；　they　began　to　feel；

toward　eleven　o'clock；　very　alert　and　inquisitive。

They　looked　out　of　their　windows　across　a　row　of　small

green　fields；　bordered　with　low　stone　walls　of　rude　construction；

and　saw　a　deep　blue　ocean　lying　beneath　a　deep　blue　sky；

and　flecked　now　and　then　with　scintillating　patches　of　foam。

A　strong；　fresh　breeze　came　in　through　the　curtainless　casements

and　prompted　our　young　men　to　observe；　generally；　that　it　didn't

seem　half　a　bad　climate。　　They　made　other　observations　after　they

had　emerged　from　their　rooms　in　pursuit　of　breakfasta　meal

of　which　they　partook　in　a　huge　bare　hall；　where　a　hundred　Negroes；

in　white　jackets；　were　shuffling　about　upon　an　uncarpeted　floor；

where　the　flies　were　superabundant；　and　the　tables　and　dishes　covered

over　with　a　strange；　voluminous　integument　of　coarse　blue　gauze；

and　where　several　little　boys　and　girls；　who　had　risen　late；

were　seated　in　fastidious　solitude　at　the　morning　repast。

These　young　persons　had　not　the　morning　paper　before　them；

but　they　were　engaged　in　languid　perusal　of　the　bill　of　fare。



This　latter　document　was　a　great　puzzle　to　our　friends；　who；　on　reflecting

that　its　bewildering　categories　had　relation　to　breakfast　alone；

had　an　uneasy　prevision　of　an　encyclopedic　dinner　list。

They　found　a　great　deal　of　entertainment　at　the　hotel；　an　enormous

wooden　structure；　for　the　erection　of　which　it　seemed　to　them　that

the　virgin　forests　of　the　West　must　have　been　terribly　deflowered。

It　was　perforated　from　end　to　end　with　immense　bare　corridors；

through　which　a　strong　draught　was　blowingbearing　along

wonderful　figures　of　ladies　in　white　morning　dresses　and　clouds

of　Valenciennes　lace；　who　seemed　to　float　down　the　long　vistas

with　expanded　furbelows；　like　angels　spreading　their　wings。

In　front　was　a　gigantic　veranda；　upon　which　an　army　might　have　encamped

a　vast　wooden　terrace；　with　a　roof　as　lofty　as　the　nave　of　a　cathedral。

Here　our　young　Englishmen　enjoyed；　as　they　supposed；　a　glimpse

of　American　society；　which　was　distributed　over　the　measureless

expanse　in　a　variety　of　sedentary　attitudes；　and　appeared　to　consist

largely　of　pretty　young　girls；　dressed　as　if　for　a　fete　champetre；

swaying　to　and　fro　in　rocking　chairs；　fanning　themselves　with　large

straw　fans；　and　enjoying　an　enviable　exemption　from　social　cares。

Lord　Lambeth　had　a　theory；　which　it　might　be　interesting　to　trace

to　its　origin；　that　it　would　be　not　only　agreeable；　but　easily　possible；

to　enter　into　relations　with　one　of　these　young　ladies；　and　his　companion

（as　he　had　done　a　couple　of　days　before）　found　occasion　to　check

the　young　nobleman's　colloquial　impulses。



〃You　had　better　take　care；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont；　〃or　you　will　have　an　offended

father　or　brother　pulling　out　a　bowie　knife。〃



〃I　assure　you　it　is　all　right；〃　Lord　Lambeth　replied。　　〃You　know

the　Americans　come　to　these　big　hotels　to　make　acquaintances。〃



〃I　know　nothing　about　it；　and　neither　do　you；〃　said　his　kinsman；　who；　like　a

clever　man；　had　begun　to　perceive　that　the　observation　of　American　society

demanded　a　readjustment　of　one's　standard。



〃Hang　it；　then　let's　find　out！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth　with　some　impatience。

〃You　know　I　don't　want　to　miss　anything。〃



〃We　will　find　out；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont　very　reasonably。

〃We　will　go　and　see　Mrs。　Westgate　and　make　all　proper　inquiries。〃



And　so　the　two　inquiring　Englishmen；　who　had　this　lady's

address　inscribed　in　her　husband's　hand　upon　a　card；

descended　from　the　veranda　of　the　big　hotel　and　took　their　way；

according　to　direction；　along　a　large　straight　road；　past　a

series　of　fresh…looking　villas　embosomed　in　shrubs　and　flowers

and　enclosed　in　an　ingenious　variety　of　wooden　palings。

The　morning　was　brilliant　and　cool；　the　villas　were　smart　and　snug；

and　the　walk　of　the　young　travelers　was　very　entertaining。

Everything　looked　as　if　it　had　received　a　coat　of　fresh　paint

the　day　beforethe　red　roofs；　the　green　shutters；　the　clean；

bright　browns　and　buffs　of　the　housefronts。　　The　flower　beds

on　the　little　lawns　seemed　to　sparkle　in　the　radiant　air；

and　the　gravel　in　the　short　carriage　sweeps　to　flash　and　twinkle。

Along　the　road　came　a　hundred　little　basket　phaetons；　in　which；

almost　always；　a　couple　of　ladies　were　sittingladies　in　white

dresses　and　long　white　gloves；　holding　the　reins　and　looking

at　the　two　Englishmen；　whose　nationality　was　not　elusive；

through　thick　blue　veils　tied　tightly　about　their　faces　as　if

to　guard　their　complexions。　　At　last　the　young　men　came　within

sight　of　the　sea　again；　and　then；　having　interrogated　a　gardener

over　the　paling　of　a　villa；　they　turned　into　an　open　gate。

Here　they　found　themselves　face　to　fac