the patagonia-第3节

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expressive　of　the　pilgrims　from　the　South　End　took　for　granted。　　I

scarce　know　whether　the　attitude　of　the　younger　visitor　added　or　not

to　the　merit　of　her　good　nature。　　Mr。　Porterfield's　intended　took　no

part　in　the　demonstration；　scarcely　spoke；　sat　looking　at　the　Back

Bay　and　the　lights　on　the　long　bridge。　　She　declined　the　lemonade　and

the　other　mixtures　which；　at　Mrs。　Nettlepoint's　request；　I　offered

her；　while　her　mother　partook　freely　of　everything　and　I　reflected

for　I　as　freely　drained　a　glass　or　two　in　which　the　ice　tinkledthat

Mr。　Jasper　had　better　hurry　back　if　he　wished　to　enjoy　these

luxuries。



Was　the　effect　of　the　young　woman's　reserve　meanwhile　ungracious；　or

was　it　only　natural　that　in　her　particular　situation　she　shouldn't

have　a　flow　of　compliment　at　her　command？　　I　noticed　that　Mrs。

Nettlepoint　looked　at　her　often；　and　certainly　though　she　was

undemonstrative　Miss　Mavis　was　interesting。　　The　candlelight　enabled

me　to　see　that　though　not　in　the　very　first　flower　of　her　youth　she

was　still　fresh　and　handsome。　　Her　eyes　and　hair　were　dark；　her　face

was　pale；　and　she　held　up　her　head　as　if；　with　its　thick　braids　and

everything　else　involved　in　it；　it　were　an　appurtenance　she　wasn't

ashamed　of。　　If　her　mother　was　excellent　and　common　she　was　not

commonnot　at　least　flagrantly　soand　perhaps　also　not　excellent。

At　all　events　she　wouldn't　be；　in　appearance　at　least；　a　dreary

appendage；　which　in　the　case　of　a　person　〃hooking　on〃　was　always

something　gained。　　Was　it　because　something　of　a　romantic　or　pathetic

interest　usually　attaches　to　a　good　creature　who　has　been　the　victim

of　a　〃long　engagement〃　that　this　young　lady　made　an　impression　on　me

from　the　firstfavoured　as　I　had　been　so　quickly　with　this　glimpse

of　her　history？　　I　could　charge　her　certainly　with　no　positive

appeal；　she　only　held　her　tongue　and　smiled；　and　her　smile　corrected

whatever　suggestion　might　have　forced　itself　upon　me　that　the　spirit

within　her　was　deadthe　spirit　of　that　promise　of　which　she　found

herself　doomed　to　carry　out　the　letter。



What　corrected　it　less；　I　must　add；　was　an　odd　recollection　which

gathered　vividness　as　I　listened　to　ita　mental　association　evoked

by　the　name　of　Mr。　Porterfield。　　Surely　I　had　a　personal　impression；

over…smeared　and　confused；　of　the　gentleman　who　was　waiting　at

Liverpool；　or　who　presently　would　be；　for　Mrs。　Nettlepoint's

protegee。　　I　had　met　him；　known　him；　some　time；　somewhere；　somehow；

on　the　other　side。　　Wasn't　he　studying　something；　very　hard；

somewhereprobably　in　Paristen　years　before；　and　didn't　he　make

extraordinarily　neat　drawings；　linear　and　architectural？　　Didn't　he

go　to　a　table　d'hote；　at　two　francs　twenty…five；　in　the　Rue

Bonaparte；　which　I　then　frequented；　and　didn't　he　wear　spectacles　and

a　Scotch　plaid　arranged　in　a　manner　which　seemed　to　say　〃I've

trustworthy　information　that　that's　the　way　they　do　it　in　the

Highlands〃？　　Wasn't　he　exemplary　to　positive　irritation；　and　very

poor；　poor　to　positive　oppression；　so　that　I　supposed　he　had　no

overcoat　and　his　tartan　would　be　what　he　slept　under　at　night？

Wasn't　he　working　very　hard　still；　and　wouldn't　he　be；　in　the　natural

course；　not　yet　satisfied　that　he　had　found　his　feet　or　knew　enough

to　launch　out？　　He　would　be　a　man　of　long　preparationsMiss　Mavis's

white　face　seemed　to　speak　to　one　of　that。　　It　struck　me　that　if　I

had　been　in　love　with　her　I　shouldn't　have　needed　to　lay　such　a　train

for　the　closer　approach。　　Architecture　was　his　line　and　he　was　a

pupil　of　the　Ecole　des　Beaux　Arts。　　This　reminiscence　grew　so　much

more　vivid　with　me　that　at　the　end　of　ten　minutes　I　had　an　odd　sense

of　knowingby　implicationa　good　deal　about　the　young　lady。



Even　after　it　was　settled　that　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　would　do　everything

possible　for　her　the　other　visitor　sat　sipping　our　iced　liquid　and

telling　how　〃low〃　Mr。　Mavis　had　been。　　At　this　period　the　girl's

silence　struck　me　as　still　more　conscious；　partly　perhaps　because　she

deprecated　her　mother's　free　flowshe　was　enough　of　an　〃improvement〃

to　measure　thatand　partly　because　she　was　too　distressed　by　the

idea　of　leaving　her　infirm；　her　perhaps　dying　father。　　It　wasn't

indistinguishable　that　they　were　poor　and　that　she　would　take　out　a

very　small　purse　for　her　trousseau。　　For　Mr。　Porterfield　to　make　up

the　sum　his　own　case　would　have　had　moreover　greatly　to　change。　　If

he　had　enriched　himself　by　the　successful　practice　of　his　profession

I　had　encountered　no　edifice　he　had　rearedhis　reputation　hadn't

come　to　my　ears。



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　notified　her　new　friends　that　she　was　a　very

inactive　person　at　sea：　　she　was　prepared　to　suffer　to　the　full　with

Miss　Mavis；　but　not　prepared　to　pace　the　deck　with　her；　to　struggle

with　her；　to　accompany　her　to　meals。　　To　this　the　girl　replied　that

she　would　trouble　her　little；　she　was　sure：　　she　was　convinced　she

should　prove　a　wretched　sailor　and　spend　the　voyage　on　her　back。　　Her

mother　scoffed　at　this　picture；　prophesying　perfect　weather　and　a

lovely　time；　and　I　interposed　to　the　effect　that　if　I　might　be

trusted；　as　a　tame　bachelor　fairly　sea…seasoned；　I　should　be

delighted　to　give　the　new　member　of　our　party　an　arm　or　any　other

countenance　whenever　she　should　require　it。　　Both　the　ladies　thanked

me　for　thistaking　my　professions　with　no　sort　of　abatementand　the

elder　one　declared　that　we　were　evidently　going　to　be　such　a　sociable

group　that　it　was　too　bad　to　have　to　stay　at　home。　　She　asked　Mrs。

Nettlepoint　if　there　were　any　one　else　in　our　party；　and　when　our

hostess　mentioned　her　sonthere　was　a　chance　of　his　embarking　but

（wasn't　it　absurd？）　he　hadn't　decided　yetshe　returned　with

extraordinary　candour：　　〃Oh　dear；　I　do　hope　he'll　go：　　that　would　be

so　lovely　for　Grace。〃



Somehow　the　words　made　me　think　of　poor　Mr。　Porterfield's　tartan；

especially　as　Jasper　Nettlepoint　strolled　in　again　at　that　moment。

His　mother　at　once　challenged　him：　　it　was　ten　o'clock；　had　he　by

chance　made　up　his　great　mind？　　Apparently　he　failed　to　hear　her；

being　in　the　first　place　surprised　at　the　strange　ladies　and　then

struck　with　the　fact　that　one　of　them　wasn't　strange。　　The　young　man；

after　a　slight　hesitation；　greeted　Miss　Mavis　with　a　handshake　and　a

〃Oh　good…evening；　how　do　you　do？〃　　He　didn't　utter　her　namewhich　I

could　see　he　must　have　forgotten；　but　she　immediately　pronounced　his；

availing　herself　of　the　American　girl's　discretion　to　〃present〃　him

to　her　mother。



〃Well；　you　might　have　told　me　you　knew　him　all　this　time！〃　that　lady

jovially　cried。　　Then　she　had　an　equal　confidence　for　Mrs。

Nettlepoint。　　〃It　would　have　saved　me　a　worryan　acquaintance

already　begun。〃



〃Ah　my　son's　acquaintances！〃　our　hostess　murmured。



〃Yes；　and　my　daughter's　too！〃　Mrs。　Mavis　gaily　echoed。　　〃Mrs。　Allen

didn't　tell　us　YOU　were　going；〃　she　continued　to　the　young　man。



〃She'd　have　been　clever　if　she　had　been　able　to！〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint

sighed。



〃Dear　mother；　I　have　my　telegram；〃　Jasper　remarked；　looking　at　Grace

Mavis。



〃I　know　you　very　little；〃　the　girl　said；　returning　his　observation。



〃I've　danced　with　you　at　some　ballfor　some　sufferers　by　something

or　other。〃



〃I　think　it　was　an　inundation　or　a　big　fire；〃　she　a　little　languidly

smiled。　　〃But　it　was　a　long　time　agoand　I　haven't　seen　you　since。〃



〃I've　been　in　far　countriesto　my　loss。　　I　should　have　said　it　was　a

big　fire。〃



〃It　was　at　the　Horticultural　Hall。　　I　didn't　remember　your　name；〃

said　Grace　Mavis。



〃That's　very　unkind　of　you；　when　I　recall　vividly　that　you　had　a　pink

dress。〃



〃Oh　I　remember　that　dressyour　strawberry　tarletan：　　you　looked

lovely　in　it！〃　Mrs。　Mavis　broke　out。　　〃You　must　get　another　just　like

iton　the　other　side。〃



〃Yes；　your　daughter　looked　charming　in　it；〃　said　Jasper　Nettlepoint。

Then　he　added　to　the　girl：　　〃Yet　you　mentioned　my　name　to　your

mother。〃



〃It　came　back　to　meseeing　you　here。　　I　had　no　idea　this　was　your

home。〃



〃Well；　I　confess　it　isn't；　much。　　Oh　there　are　some　drinks！〃he

approached　the　tray　and　its　glasses。



〃Indeed　there　are　and　quite　delicious〃Mrs。　Mavis　largely　wiped　her

mouth。



〃Won't　you　have　another　then？a　pink　one；　like　your　daughter's

gown。〃



〃With　pleasure；　sir。　　Oh　do　see　them　over；〃　Mrs。　Mavis　continued；

accepting　from　the　young　man's　hand　a　third　tumbler。



〃My　mother　and　that　gentleman？　　Surely　they　can　take　care　of

themselves；〃　he　freely　pleaded。



〃Then　my　daughtershe　has　a　claim　as　an　old　friend。〃



But　his　mother　had　by　this　time　interposed。　　〃Jasper；　what　does　your

telegram　say？〃



He　paid　her　no　heed：　　he　stood　there　with　his　glass　in　his　hand；

looking　from　Mrs。　Mavis　to　Miss　Grace。



〃Ah　leave　her　to　me；　madam；　I'm　quite　competent；〃　I　said　to　Mrs。

Mavis。



Then　the　young　man　gave　me　his　attention。　　The　next　minute　he　asked

of　the　girl：　　〃Do　you　mean　you're　going　to　Europe？〃



〃Yes；　tomorrow。　　In