an international episode-第9节

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asked　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃And；　in　the　second　place；　why　shouldn't

I　be　fond　of　her？〃



〃I　shouldn't　think　she　would　be　in　your　line。〃



〃What　do　you　call　my　'line'？　You　don't　set　her　down　as　'fast'？〃



〃Exactly　so。　　Mrs。　Westgate　tells　me　that　there　is　no　such　thing

as　the　'fast　girl'　in　America；　that　it's　an　English　invention；

and　that　the　term　has　no　meaning　here。〃



〃All　the　better。　　It's　an　animal　I　detest。〃



〃You　prefer　a　bluestocking。〃



〃Is　that　what　you　call　Miss　Alden？〃



〃Her　sister　tells　me；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont；　〃that　she

is　tremendously　literary。〃



〃I　don't　know　anything　about　that。　　She　is　certainly　very　clever。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Beaumont；　〃I　should　have　supposed　you　would　have　found

that　sort　of　thing　awfully　slow。〃



〃In　point　of　fact；〃　Lord　Lambeth　rejoined；　〃I　find　it　uncommonly　lively。〃



After　this；　Percy　Beaumont　held　his　tongue；　but　on

the　10th　of　August　he　wrote　to　the　Duchess　of　Bayswater。

He　was；　as　I　have　said；　a　man　of　conscience；　and　he　had

a　strong；　incorruptible　sense　of　the　proprieties　of　life。

His　kinsman；　meanwhile；　was　having　a　great　deal　of　talk

with　Bessie　Aldenon　the　red　sea　rocks　beyond　the　lawn；

in　the　course　of　long　island　rides；　with　a　slow　return　in

the　glowing　twilight；　on　the　deep　veranda　late　in　the　evening。

Lord　Lambeth；　who　had　stayed　at　many　houses；　had　never　stayed

at　a　house　in　which　it　was　possible　for　a　young　man　to　converse

so　frequently　with　a　young　lady。　　This　young　lady　no　longer　applied

to　Percy　Beaumont　for　information　concerning　his　lordship。

She　addressed　herself　directly　to　the　young　nobleman。

She　asked　him　a　great　many　questions；　some　of　which　bored　him

a　little；　for　he　took　no　pleasure　in　talking　about　himself。



〃Lord　Lambeth；〃　said　Bessie　Alden；　〃are　you　a　hereditary　legislator？〃



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth；　〃don't　make　me　call　myself

such　names　as　that。〃



〃But　you　are　a　member　of　Parliament；〃　said　the　young　girl。



〃I　don't　like　the　sound　of　that；　either。〃



〃Don't　you　sit　in　the　House　of　Lords？〃　　Bessie　Alden　went　on。



〃Very　seldom；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃Is　it　an　important　position？〃　she　asked。



〃Oh；　dear；　no；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃I　should　think　it　would　be　very　grand；〃　said　Bessie　Alden；

〃to　possess；　simply　by　an　accident　of　birth；　the　right　to　make

laws　for　a　great　nation。〃



〃Ah；　but　one　doesn't　make　laws。　　It's　a　great　humbug。〃



〃I　don't　believe　that；〃　the　young　girl　declared。

〃It　must　be　a　great　privilege；　and　I　should　think　that　if　one

thought　of　it　in　the　right　wayfrom　a　high　point　of　view

it　would　be　very　inspiring。〃



〃The　less　one　thinks　of　it；　the　better；〃　Lord　Lambeth　affirmed。



〃I　think　it's　tremendous；〃　said　Bessie　Alden；　and　on

another　occasion　she　asked　him　if　he　had　any　tenantry。

Hereupon　it　was　that；　as　I　have　said；　he　was　a　little　bored。



〃Do　you　want　to　buy　up　their　leases？〃　he　asked。



〃Well；　have　you　got　any　livings？〃　she　demanded。



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　he　cried。　　〃Have　you　got　a　clergyman　that　is　looking　out？〃

But　she　made　him　tell　her　that　he　had　a　castle；　he　confessed　to　but　one。

It　was　the　place　in　which　he　had　been　born　and　brought　up；　and；　as　he　had

an　old…time　liking　for　it；　he　was　beguiled　into　describing　it　a　little

and　saying　it　was　really　very　jolly。　　Bessie　Alden　listened　with　great

interest　and　declared　that　she　would　give　the　world　to　see　such　a　place。

Whereupon〃It　would　be　awfully　kind　of　you　to　come　and　stay　there；〃

said　Lord　Lambeth。　　He　took　a　vague　satisfaction　in　the　circumstance

that　Percy　Beaumont　had　not　heard　him　make　the　remark　I　have　just　recorded。



Mr。　Westgate　all　this　time　had　not；　as　they　said　at　Newport；　〃come　on。〃

His　wife　more　than　once　announced　that　she　expected　him　on　the　morrow；

but　on　the　morrow　she　wandered　about　a　little；　with　a　telegram　in　her

jeweled　fingers；　declaring　it　was　very　tiresome　that　his　business　detained　him

in　New　York；　that　he　could　only　hope　the　Englishmen　were　having　a　good　time。

〃I　must　say；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；　〃that　it　is　no　thanks　to　him　if　you　are。〃

And　she　went　on　to　explain；　while　she　continued　that　slow…paced

promenade　which　enabled　her　well…adjusted　skirts　to　display　themselves

so　advantageously；　that　unfortunately　in　America　there　was　no　leisure　class。

It　was　Lord　Lambeth's　theory；　freely　propounded　when　the　young　men

were　together；　that　Percy　Beaumont　was　having　a　very　good　time　with

Mrs。　Westgate；　and　that；　under　the　pretext　of　meeting　for　the　purpose

of　animated　discussion；　they　were　indulging　in　practices　that　imparted

a　shade　of　hypocrisy　to　the　lady's　regret　for　her　husband's　absence。



〃I　assure　you　we　are　always　discussing　and　differing；〃

said　Percy　Beaumont。　　〃She　is　awfully　argumentative。

American　ladies　certainly　don't　mind　contradicting　you。

Upon　my　word　I　don't　think　I　was　ever　treated　so　by　a　woman　before。

She's　so　devilish　positive。〃



Mrs。　Westgate's　positive　quality；　however；　evidently　had

its　attractions；　for　Beaumont　was　constantly　at　his　hostess's　side。

He　detached　himself　one　day　to　the　extent　of　going　to　New

York　to　talk　over　the　Tennessee　Central　with　Mr。　Westgate；

but　he　was　absent　only　forty…eight　hours；　during　which；

with　Mr。　Westgate's　assistance；　he　completely　settled　this　piece

of　business。　　〃They　certainly　do　things　quickly　in　New　York；〃

he　observed　to　his　cousin；　and　he　added　that　Mr。　Westgate

had　seemed　very　uneasy　lest　his　wife　should　miss　her　visitor

he　had　been　in　such　an　awful　hurry　to　send　him　back　to　her。

〃I'm　afraid　you'll　never　come　up　to　an　American　husband；

if　that's　what　the　wives　expect；〃　he　said　to　Lord　Lambeth。



Mrs。　Westgate；　however；　was　not　to　enjoy　much　longer　the　entertainment

with　which　an　indulgent　husband　had　desired　to　keep　her　provided。

On　the　21st　of　August　Lord　Lambeth　received　a　telegram　from　his　mother；

requesting　him　to　return　immediately　to　England；　his　father　had　been

taken　ill；　and　it　was　his　filial　duty　to　come　to　him。



The　young　Englishman　was　visibly　annoyed。　　〃What　the　deuce　does　it　mean？〃

he　asked　of　his　kinsman。　　〃What　am　I　to　do？〃



Percy　Beaumont　was　annoyed　as　well；　he　had　deemed　it　his　duty；

as　I　have　narrated；　to　write　to　the　duchess；　but　he　had　not　expected

that　this　distinguished　woman　would　act　so　promptly　upon　his　hint。

〃It　means；〃　he　said；　〃that　your　father　is　laid　up。

I　don't　suppose　it's　anything　serious；　but　you　have　no　option。

Take　the　first　steamer；　but　don't　be　alarmed。



Lord　Lambeth　made　his　farewells；　but　the　few　last　words　that　he　exchanged

with　Bessie　Alden　are　the　only　ones　that　have　a　place　in　our　record。

〃Of　course　I　needn't　assure　you；〃　he　said；　〃that　if　you　should　come　to　England

next　year；　I　expect　to　be　the　first　person　that　you　inform　of　it。〃



Bessie　Alden　looked　at　him　a　little；　and　she　smiled。

〃Oh；　if　we　come　to　London；〃　she　answered；　〃I　should　think　you

would　hear　of　it。〃



Percy　Beaumont　returned　with　his　cousin；　and　his　sense　of　duty

compelled　him；　one　windless　afternoon；　in　mid…Atlantic；　to　say

to　Lord　Lambeth　that　he　suspected　that　the　duchess's　telegram　was

in　part　the　result　of　something　he　himself　had　written　to　her。

〃I　wrote　to　heras　I　explicitly　notified　you　I　had　promised　to　do

that　you　were　extremely　interested　in　a　little　American　girl。〃



Lord　Lambeth　was　extremely　angry；　and　he　indulged　for　some

moments　in　the　simple　language　of　indignation。　　But　I　have　said

that　he　was　a　reasonable　young　man；　and　I　can　give　no　better

proof　of　it　than　the　fact　that　he　remarked　to　his　companion

at　the　end　of　half　an　hour；　〃You　were　quite　right；　after　all。

I　am　very　much　interested　in　her。　　Only；　to　be　fair；〃

he　added；　〃you　should　have　told　my　mother　also　that　she

is　notseriouslyinterested　in　me。〃



Percy　Beaumont　gave　a　little　laugh。　　〃There　is　nothing

so　charming　as　modesty　in　a　young　man　in　your　position。

That　speech　is　a　capital　proof　that　you　are　sweet　on　her。〃



〃She　is　not　interestedshe　is　not！〃　　Lord　Lambeth　repeated。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　his　companion；　〃you　are　very　far　gone。〃







PART　II





In　point　of　fact；　as　Percy　Beaumont　would　have　said；

Mrs。　Westgate　disembarked　on　the　18th　of　May　on

the　British　coast。　　She　was　accompanied　by　her　sister；

but　she　was　not　attended　by　any　other　member　of　her　family。

To　the　deprivation　of　her　husband's　society　Mrs。　Westgate　was；

however；　habituated；　she　had　made　half　a　dozen　journeys

to　Europe　without　him；　and　she　now　accounted　for　his　absence；

to　interrogative　friends　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic；

by　allusion　to　the　regrettable　but　conspicuous　fact　that　in

America　there　was　no　leisure　class。　　The　two　ladies　came　up

to　London　and　alighted　at　Jones's　Hotel；　where　Mrs。　Westgate；

who　had　made　on　former　occasions　the　most　agreeable　impression

at　this　establishment；　received　an　obsequious　greeting。

Bessie　Alden　had　felt　much　excited　about　coming　to　England；

she　had　expected　the　〃associations〃　would　be　very　ch