elizabeth and her german garden-第21节

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；　the　parson　in　his　black　robe　spoke　of　death　and　judgment；　I　thought　I　heard　a　child's　voice　screaming；　and　could　hardly　believe　it　was　only　the　wind；　and　felt　uneasy　and　full　of　forebodings；　all　my　faith　and　philosophy　deserted　me；　and　I　had　a　horrid　feeling　that　I　should　probably　be　well　punished；　though　for　what　I　had　no　precise　idea。　If　it　had　not　been　so　dark；　and　if　the　wind　had　not　howled　so　despairingly；　I　should　have　paid　little　attention　to　the　threats　issuing　from　the　pulpit；　but；　as　it　was；　I　fell　to　making　good　resolutions。　This　is　always　a　bad　sign；only　those　who　break　them　make　them；　and　if　you　simply　do　as　a　matter　of　course　that　which　is　right　as　it　comes；　any　preparatory　resolving　to　do　so　becomes　completely　superfluous。　I　have　for　some　years　past　left　off　making　them　on　New　Year's　Eve；　and　only　the　gale　happening　as　it　did　reduced　me　to　doing　so　last　night；　for　I　have　long　since　discovered　that；　though　the　year　and　the　resolutions　may　be　new；　I　myself　am　not；　and　it　is　worse　than　useless　putting　new　wine　into　old　bottles。

〃But　I　am　not　an　old　bottle；〃　said　Irais　indignantly；　when　I　held　forth　to　her　to　the　above　effect　a　few　hours　later　in　the　library；　restored　to　all　my　philosophy　by　the　warmth　and　light；　〃and　I　find　my　resolutions　carry　me　very　nicely　into　the　spring。　　I　revise　them　at　the　end　of　each　month；　and　strike　out　the　unnecessary　ones。　By　the　end　of　April　they　have　been　so　severely　revised　that　there　are　none　left。〃

〃There；　you　see　I　am　right；　if　you　were　not　an　old　bottle　your　new　contents　would　gradually　arrange　themselves　amiably　as　a　part　of　you；　and　the　practice　of　your　resolutions　would　lose　its　bitterness　by　becoming　a　habit。〃

She　shook　her　head。　　〃Such　things　never　lose　their　bitterness；〃　she　said；　〃and　that　is　why　I　don't　let　them　cling　to　me　right　into　the　summer。　When　May　comes；　I　give　myself　up　to　jollity　with　all　the　rest　of　the　world；　and　am　too　busy　being　happy　to　bother　about　anything　I　may　have　resolved　when　the　days　were　cold　and　dark。〃

〃And　that　is　just　why　I　love　you；〃　I　thought。　She　often　says　what　I　feel。

〃I　wonder；〃　she　went　on　after　a　pause；　〃whether　men　ever　make　resolutions？〃

〃I　don't　think　they　do。　　Only　women　indulge　in　such　luxuries。　It　is　a　nice　sort　of　feeling；　when　you　have　nothing　else　to　do；　giving　way　to　endless　grief　and　penitence；　and　steeping　yourself　to　the　eyes　in　contrition；　but　it　is　silly。　　Why　cry　over　things　that　are　done？　Why　do　naughty　things　at　all；　if　you　are　going　to　repent　afterward？　Nobody　is　naughty　unless　they　like　being　naughty；　and　nobody　ever　really　repents　unless　they　are　afraid　they　are　going　to　be　found　out。〃

〃By　'nobody'　of　course　you　mean　women；　said　Irais。

〃Naturally；　the　terms　are　synonymous。　　Besides；　men　generally　have　the　courage　of　their　opinions。〃

〃I　hope　you　are　listening；　Miss　Minora；〃　said　Irais　in　the　amiably　polite　tone　she　assumes　whenever　she　speaks　to　that　young　person。

It　was　getting　on　towards　midnight；　and　we　were　sitting　round　the　fire；　waiting　for　the　New　Year；　and　sipping　Glubwein；　prepared　at　a　small　table　by　the　Man　of　Wrath。　　It　was　hot；　and　sweet；　and　rather　nasty；　but　it　is　proper　to　drink　it　on　this　one　night；　so　of　course　we　did。

Minora　does　not　like　either　Irais　or　myself。　　We　very　soon　discovered　that；　and　laugh　about　it　when　we　are　alone　together。　I　can　understand　her　disliking　Irais；　but　she　must　be　a　perverse　creature　not　to　like　me。　　Irais　has　poked　fun　at　her；　and　I　have　been；　I　hope；　very　kind；　yet　we　are　bracketed　together　in　her　black　books。　It　is　also　apparent　that　she　looks　upon　the　Man　of　Wrath　as　an　interesting　example　of　an　ill…used　and　misunderstood　husband；　and　she　is　disposed　to　take　him　under　her　wing；　and　defend　him　on　all　occasions　against　us。　He　never　speaks　to　her；　he　is　at　all　times　a　man　of　few　words；　but；　as　far　as　Minora　is　concerned；　he　might　have　no　tongue　at　all；　and　sits　sphinx…like　and　impenetrable　while　she　takes　us　to　task　about　some　remark　of　a　profane　nature　that　we　may　have　addressed　to　him。　One　night；　some　days　after　her　arrival；　she　developed　a　skittishness　of　manner　which　has　since　disappeared；　and　tried　to　be　playful　with　him；　but　you　might　as　well　try　to　be　playful　with　a　graven　image。　The　wife　of　one　of　the　servants　had　just　produced　a　boy；　the　first　after　a　series　of　five　daughters；　and　at　dinner　we　drank　the　health　of　all　parties　concerned；　the　Man　of　Wrath　making　the　happy　father　drink　a　glass　off　at　one　gulp；　his　heels　well　together　in　military　fashion。　Minora　thought　the　incident　typical　of　German　manners；　and　not　only　made　notes　about　it；　but　joined　heartily　in　the　health…drinking；　and　afterward　grew　skittish。

She　proposed；　first　of　all；　to　teach　us　a　dance　called；　I　think；　the　Washington　Post；　and　which　was；　she　said；　much　danced　in　England；　and；　to　induce　us　to　learn；　she　played　the　tune　to　us　on　the　piano。　　We　remained　untouched　by　its　beauties；　each　buried　in　an　easy…chair　toasting　our　toes　at　the　fire。　Amongst　those　toes　were　those　of　the　Man　of　Wrath；　who　sat　peaceably　reading　a　book　and　smoking。　　Minora　volunteered　to　show　us　the　steps；　and　as　we　still　did　not　move；　danced　solitary　behind　our　chairs。　Irais　did　not　even　turn　her　head　to　look；　and　I　was　the　only　one　amiable　or　polite　enough　to　do　so。　　Do　I　deserve　to　be　placed　in　Minora's　list　of　disagreeable　people　side　by　side　with　Irais？　Certainly　not。　　Yet　I　most　surely　am。

〃It　wants　the　music；　of　course；〃　observed　Minora　breathlessly；　darting　in　and　out　between　the　chairs；　apparently　addressing　me；　but　glancing　at　the　Man　of　Wrath。

No　answer　from　anybody。

〃It　is　such　a　pretty　dance；〃　she　panted　again；　after　a　few　more　gyrations。

No　answer。

〃And　is　all　the　rage　at　home。〃

No　answer。

〃Do　let　me　teach　you。　　Won't　you　try；　Herr　Sage？〃

She　went　up　to　him　and　dropped　him　a　little　curtesy。　It　is　thus　she　always　addresses　him；　entirely　oblivious　to　the　fact；　so　patent　to　every　one　else；　that　he　resents　it。

〃Oh　come；　put　away　that　tiresome　old　book；〃　she　went　on　gaily；　as　he　did　not　move；　〃I　am　certain　it　is　only　some　dry　agricultural　work　that　you　just　nod　over。　Dancing　is　much　better　for　you。〃　　　Irais　and　I　looked　at　one　another　quite　frightened。　I　am　sure　we　both　turned　pale　when　the　unhappy　girl　actually　laid　hold　forcibly　of　his　book；　and；　with　a　playful　little　shriek；　ran　away　with　it　into　the　next　room；　hugging　it　to　her　bosom　and　looking　back　roguishly　over　her　shoulder　at　him　as　she　ran。　There　was　an　awful　pause。　　We　hardly　dared　raise　our　eyes。　Then　the　Mall　of　Wrath　got　up　slowly；　knocked　the　ashes　off　the　end　of　his　cigar；　looked　at　his　watch；　and　went　out　at　the　opposite　door　into　his　own　rooms；　where　he　stayed　for　the　rest　of　the　evening。　She　has　never；　I　must　say；　been　skittish　since。

〃I　hope　you　are　listening；　Miss　Minora；〃　said　Irais；　〃because　this　sort　of　conversation　is　likely　to　do　you　good。〃

〃I　always　listen　when　people　talk　sensibly；〃　replied　Minora；　stirring　her　grog。

Irais　glanced　at　her　with　slightly　doubtful　eyebrows。　〃Do　you　agree　with　our　hostess's　description　of　women？〃　she　asked　after　a　pause。

〃As　nobodies？　　No；　of　course　I　do　not。〃

〃Yet　she　is　right。　　In　the　eye　of　the　law　we　are　literally　nobodies　in　our　country。　　Did　you　know　that　women　are　forbidden　to　go　to　political　meetings　here？〃　　〃Really？〃　Out　came　the　note…book。

〃The　law　expressly　forbids　the　attendance　at　such　meetings　of　women；　children；　and　idiots。〃

〃Children　and　idiotsI　understand　that；〃　said　Minora；　〃but　women　and　classed　with　children　and　idiots？〃

〃Classed　with　children　and　idiots；〃　repeated　Irais；　gravely　nodding　her　head。　　〃Did　you　know　that　the　law　forbids　females　of　any　age　to　ride　on　the　top　of　omnibuses　or　tramcars？〃

〃Not　really？〃

〃Do　you　know　why？〃

〃I　can't　imagine。〃

〃Because　in　going　up　and　down　the　stairs　those　inside　might　perhaps　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　stocking　covering　their　ankles。〃

〃But　what〃

〃Did　you　know　that　the　morals　of　the　German　public　are　in　such　a　shaky　condition　that　a　glimpse　of　that　sort　would　be　fatal　to　them？　〃

〃But　I　don't　see　how　a　stocking〃

〃With　stripes　round　it；〃　said　Irais。

〃And　darns　in　it；〃　I　added。

could　possibly　be　pernicious？　〃

〃'The　Pernicious　Stocking；　or；　Thoughts　on　the　Ethics　of　Petticoats；'〃　said　Irais。　　〃Put　that　down　as　the　name　of　your　next　book　on　Germany。〃

〃I　never　know；〃　complained　Minora；　letting　her　note…book　fall；　〃whether　you　are　in　earnest　or　not。〃

〃Don't　you？〃　said　Irais　sweetly。

〃Is　it　true；〃　appealed　Minora　to　the　Man　of　Wrath；　busy　with　his　lemons　in　the　background；　〃that　your　law　classes　women　with　children　and　idiots？〃

〃Certainly；〃　he　answered　promptly；　〃and　a　very　proper　classification；　too。〃

We　all　looked　blank。　　〃That's　rude；〃　said　I　at　last。

〃Truth　is　always　rude；　my　dear；〃　he　replied　complacently。　Then　he　added；　〃If　I　were　commissioned　to　draw　up　a　new　legal　code；　and　had　previously　enjoyed　the　privilege；　as　I　have　been　doing　lately；　of　listening　to　the　conversation　of　you　three　young　ladies；　I　should　make　precisely　the　same　classification。〃

Even　Minora　was　incensed　at　this。

〃You　are　telling　us　in　the　most　unvarnished　manner　that　we　are　idiots；〃　said　Irais。

〃Idiots？　No；　no；　by　no　means。　　But　children；nice　little　agre