the patagonia-第6节

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〃He　met　her　at　some　promiscuous　partyI　asked　him　about　it

afterwards。　　She's　not　a　person〃my　hostess　was　confident〃whom　he

could　ever　think　of　seriously。〃



〃That's　exactly　what　I　believe。〃



〃You　don't　observeyou　knowyou　imagine；〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint

continued　to　argue。　　〃How　do　you　reconcile　her　laying　a　trap　for

Jasper　with　her　going　out　to　Liverpool　on　an　errand　of　love？〃



Oh　I　wasn't　to　be　caught　that　way！　　〃I　don't　for　an　instant　suppose

she　laid　a　trap；　I　believe　she　acted　on　the　impulse　of　the　moment。

She's　going　out　to　Liverpool　on　an　errand　of　marriage；　that's　not

necessarily　the　same　thing　as　an　errand　of　love；　especially　for　one

who　happens　to　have　had　a　personal　impression　of　the　gentleman　she's

engaged　to。〃



〃Well；　there　are　certain　decencies　which　in　such　a　situation　the　most

abandoned　of　her　sex　would　still　observe。　　You　apparently　judge　her

capableon　no　evidenceof　violating　them。〃



〃Ah　you　don't　understand　the　shades　of　things；〃　I　returned。

〃Decencies　and　violations；　dear　ladythere's　no　need　for　such　heavy

artillery！　　I　can　perfectly　imagine　that　without　the　least　immodesty

she　should　have　said　to　Jasper　on　the　balcony；　in　fact　if　not　in

words：　　'I'm　in　dreadful　spirits；　but　if　you　come　I　shall　feel

better；　and　that　will　be　pleasant　for　you　too。'〃



〃And　why　is　she　in　dreadful　spirits？〃



〃She　isn't！〃　I　replied；　laughing。



My　poor　friend　wondered。　　〃What　then　is　she　doing？〃



〃She's　walking　with　your　son。〃



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　for　a　moment　said　nothing；　then　she　treated　me　to

another　inconsequence。　　〃Ah　she's　horrid！〃



〃No；　she's　charming！〃　I　protested。



〃You　mean　she's　'curious'？〃



〃Well；　for　me　it's　the　same　thing！〃



This　led　my　friend　of　course　to　declare　once　more　that　I　was　cold…

blooded。　　On　the　afternoon　of　the　morrow　we　had　another　talk；　and　she

told　me　that　in　the　morning　Miss　Mavis　had　paid　her　a　long　visit。

She　knew　nothing；　poor　creature；　about　anything；　but　her　intentions

were　good　and　she　was　evidently　in　her　own　eyes　conscientious　and

decorous。　　And　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　concluded　these　remarks　with　the　sigh

〃Unfortunate　person！〃



〃You　think　she's　a　good　deal　to　be　pitied　then？〃



〃Well；　her　story　sounds　drearyshe　told　me　a　good　deal　of　it。　　She

fell　to　talking　little　by　little　and　went　from　one　thing　to　another。

She's　in　that　situation　when　a　girl　MUST　open　herselfto　some

woman。〃



〃Hasn't　she　got　Jasper？〃　I　asked。



〃He　isn't　a　woman。　　You　strike　me　as　jealous　of　him；〃　my　companion

added。



〃I　daresay　HE　thinks　soor　will　before　the　end。　　Ah　noah　no！〃　　And

I　asked　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　if　our　young　lady　struck　her　as；　very

grossly；　a　flirt。　　She　gave　me　no　answer；　but　went　on　to　remark　that

she　found　it　odd　and　interesting　to　see　the　way　a　girl　like　Grace

Mavis　resembled　the　girls　of　the　kind　she　herself　knew　better；　the

girls　of　〃society；〃　at　the　same　time　that　she　differed　from　them；　and

the　way　the　differences　and　resemblances　were　so　mixed　up　that　on

certain　questions　you　couldn't　tell　where　you'd　find　her。　　You'd

think　she'd　feel　as　you　did　because　you　had　found　her　feeling　so；　and

then　suddenly；　in　regard　to　some　other　matterwhich　was　yet　quite

the　sameshe'd　be　utterly　wanting。　　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　proceeded　to

observeto　such　idle　speculations　does　the　vacancy　of　sea…hours　give

encouragementthat　she　wondered　whether　it　were　better　to　be　an

ordinary　girl　very　well　brought　up　or　an　extraordinary　girl　not

brought　up　at　all。



〃Oh　I　go　in　for　the　extraordinary　girl　under　all　circumstances。〃



It's　true　that　if　you're　VERY　well　brought　up　you're　not；　you　can't

be；　ordinary；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint；　smelling　her　strong　salts。

〃You're　a　lady；　at　any　rate。〃



〃And　Miss　Mavis　is　fifty　miles　outis　that　what　you　mean？〃



〃Wellyou've　seen　her　mother。〃



〃Yes；　but　I　think　your　contention　would　be　that　among　such　people　the

mother　doesn't　count。〃



〃Precisely；　and　that's　bad。〃



〃I　see　what　you　mean。　　But　isn't　it　rather　hard？　　If　your　mother

doesn't　know　anything　it's　better　you　should　be　independent　of　her；

and　yet　if　you　are　that　constitutes　a　bad　note。〃　　I　added　that　Mrs。

Mavis　had　appeared　to　count　sufficiently　two　nights　before。　　She　had

said　and　done　everything　she　wanted；　while　the　girl　sat　silent　and

respectful。　　Grace's　attitude；　so　far　as　her　parent　was　concerned；

had　been　eminently　decent。



〃Yes；　but　she　'squirmed'　for　her；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



〃Ah　if　you　know　it　I　may　confess　she　has　told　me　as　much。〃



My　friend　stared。　　〃Told　YOU？　　There's　one　of　the　things　they　do！〃



〃Well；　it　was　only　a　word。　　Won't　you　let　me　know　whether　you　do

think　her　a　flirt？〃



〃Try　her　yourselfthat's　better　than　asking　another　woman；

especially　as　you　pretend　to　study　folk。〃



〃Oh　your　judgement　wouldn't　probably　at　all　determine　mine。　　It's　as

bearing　on　YOU　I　ask　it。〃　　Which；　however；　demanded　explanation；　so

that　I　was　duly　frank；　confessing　myself　curious　as　to　how　far

maternal　immorality　would　go。



It　made　her　at　first　but　repeat　my　words。　　〃Maternal　immorality？〃



〃You　desire　your　son　to　have　every　possible　distraction　on　his

voyage；　and　if　you　can　make　up　your　mind　in　the　sense　I　refer　to　that

will　make　it　all　right。　　He'll　have　no　responsibility。〃



〃Heavens；　how　you　analyse！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　haven't　in　the　least　your

passion　for　making　up　my　mind。〃



〃Then　if　you　chance　it；〃　I　returned；　〃you'll　be　more　immoral　still。〃



〃Your　reasoning's　strange；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint；　〃when　it　was　you

who　tried　to　put　into　my　head　yesterday　that　she　had　asked　him　to

come。〃



〃Yes；　but　in　good　faith。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　in　such　a　case；　by　that？〃



〃Why；　as　girls　of　that　sort　do。　　Their　allowance　and　measure　in　such

matters；〃　I　expounded；　〃is　much　larger　than　that　of　young　persons　who

have　been；　as　you　say；　VERY　well　brought　up；　and　yet　I'm　not　sure

that　on　the　whole　I　don't　think　them　thereby　the　more　innocent。　　Miss

Mavis　is　engaged；　and　she's　to　be　married　next　week；　but　it's　an　old

old　story；　and　there's　no　more　romance　in　it　than　if　she　were　going

to　be　photographed。　　So　her　usual　life　proceeds；　and　her　usual　life

consistsand　that　of　ces　demoiselles　in　generalin　having　plenty　of

gentlemen's　society。　　Having　it　I　mean　without　having　any　harm　from

it。〃



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　had　given　me　due　attention。　　〃Well；　if　there's　no

harm　from　it　what　are　you　talking　about　and　why　am　I　immoral？〃



I　hesitated；　laughing。　　〃I　retractyou're　sane　and　clear。　　I'm　sure

she　thinks　there　won't　be　any　harm；〃　I　added。　　〃That's　the　great

point。〃



〃The　great　point？〃



〃To　be　settled；　I　mean。〃



〃Mercy；　we're　not　trying　them！〃　cried　my　friend。　　〃How　can　WE　settle

it？〃



〃I　mean　of　course　in　our　minds。　　There　will　be　nothing　more

interesting　these　next　ten　days　for　our　minds　to　exercise　themselves

upon。〃



〃Then　they'll　get　terribly　tired　of　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



〃No；　nobecause　the　interest　will　increase　and　the　plot　will

thicken。　　It　simply　can't　NOT；〃　I　insisted。　　She　looked　at　me　as　if

she　thought　me　more　than　Mephistophelean；　and　I　went　back　to

something　she　had　lately　mentioned。　　〃So　she　told　you　everything　in

her　life　was　dreary？〃



〃Not　everything；　but　most　things。　　And　she　didn't　tell　me　so　much　as

I　guessed　it。　　She'll　tell　me　more　the　next　time。　　She'll　behave

properly　now　about　coming　in　to　see　me；　I　told　her　she　ought　to。〃



〃I'm　glad　of　that；〃　I　said。　　〃Keep　her　with　you　as　much　as　possible。〃



〃I　don't　follow　you　closely；〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　replied；　〃but　so　far

as　I　do　I　don't　think　your　remarks　in　the　best　taste。〃



〃Well；　I'm　too　excited；　I　lose　my　head　in　these　sports；〃　I　had　to

recognise〃cold…blooded　as　you　think　me。　　Doesn't　she　like　Mr。

Porterfield？〃



〃Yes；　that's　the　worst　of　it。〃



I　kept　making　her　stare。　　〃The　worst　of　it？〃



〃He's　so　goodthere's　no　fault　to　be　found　with　him。　　Otherwise

she'd　have　thrown　it　all　up。　　It　has　dragged　on　since　she　was

eighteen：　　she　became　engaged　to　him　before　he　went　abroad　to　study。

It　was　one　of　those　very　young　and　perfectly　needless　blunders　that

parents　in　America　might　make　so　much　less　possible　than　they　do。

The　thing　is　to　insist　on　one's　daughter　waiting；　on　the　engagement's

being　long；　and　then；　after　you've　got　that　started；　to　take　it　on

every　occasion　as　little　seriously　as　possibleto　make　it　die　out。

You　can　easily　tire　it　to　death；〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　competently

stated。　　〃However；〃　she　concluded；　〃Mr。　Porterfield　has　taken　this

one　seriously　for　some　years。　　He　has　done　his　part　to　keep　it　alive。

She　says　he　adores　her。〃



〃His　part？　　Surely　his　part　would　have　been　to　marry　her　by　this

time。〃



〃He　has　really　no　money。〃　　My　friend　was　even　more　confidently　able

to　report　it　than　I　had　been。



〃He　ought　to　have　got　some；　in　seven　years；〃　I　audibly　reflected。



〃So　I　think　she　thinks。　　There　are　so