the patagonia-第8节

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added〃her　chaperon　not　being　able　to　accompany　her。〃



〃Her　chaperon？〃　my　fellow　passenger　echoed。



〃Mrs。　Nettlepointthe　lady　under　whose　protection　she　happens　to

be。〃



〃Protection？〃　Mrs。　Peck　stared　at　me　a　moment；　moving　some　valued

morsel　in　her　mouth；　then　she　exclaimed　familiarly　〃Pshaw！〃　　I　was

struck　with　this　and　was　on　the　point　of　asking　her　what　she　meant　by

it　when　she　continued：　　〃Ain't　we　going　to　see　Mrs。　Nettlepoint？〃



〃I'm　afraid　not。　　She　vows　she　won't　stir　from　her　sofa。〃



〃Pshaw！〃　said　Mrs。　Peck　again。　　〃That's　quite　a　disappointment。〃



〃Do　you　know　her　then？〃



〃No；　but　I　know　all　about　her。〃　　Then　my　companion　added：　　〃You　don't

mean　to　say　she's　any　real　relation？〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　me？〃



〃No；　to　Grace　Mavis。〃



〃None　at　all。　　They're　very　new　friends；　as　I　happen　to　know。　　Then

you're　acquainted　with　our　young　lady？〃　　I　hadn't　noticed　the　passage

of　any　recognition　between　them　at　luncheon。



〃Is　she　your　young　lady　too？〃　asked　Mrs。　Peck　with　high　significance。



〃Ah　when　people　are　in　the　same　boatliterallythey　belong　a　little

to　each　other。〃



〃That's　so；〃　said　Mrs。　Peck。　　〃I　don't　know　Miss　Mavis；　but　I　know

all　about　herI　live　opposite　to　her　on　Merrimac　Avenue。　　I　don't

know　whether　you　know　that　part。〃



〃Oh　yesit's　very　beautiful。〃



The　consequence　of　this　remark　was　another　〃Pshaw！〃　　But　Mrs。　Peck

went　on：　　〃When　you've　lived　opposite　to　people　like　that　for　a　long

time　you　feel　as　if　you　had　some　rights　in　themtit　for　tat！　　But

she　didn't　take　it　up　today；　she　didn't　speak　to　me。　　She　knows　who　I

am　as　well　as　she　knows　her　own　mother。〃



〃You　had　better　speak　to　her　firstshe's　constitutionally　shy；〃　I

remarked。



〃Shy？　　She's　constitutionally　tough！　　Why　she's　thirty　years　old；〃

cried　my　neighbour。　　〃I　suppose　you　know　where　she's　going。〃



〃Oh　yeswe　all　take　an　interest　in　that。〃



〃That　young　man；　I　suppose；　particularly。〃　　And　then　as　I　feigned　a

vagueness：　　〃The　handsome　one　who　sits　THERE。　　Didn't　you　tell　me

he's　Mrs。　Nettlepoint's　son？〃



〃Oh　yeshe　acts　as　her　deputy。　　No　doubt　he　does　all　he　can　to　carry

out　her　function。〃



Mrs。　Peck　briefly　brooded。　　I　had　spoken　jocosely；　but　she　took　it

with　a　serious　face。　　〃Well；　she　might　let　him　eat　his　dinner　in

peace！〃　she　presently　put　forth。



〃Oh　he'll　come　back！〃　I　said；　glancing　at　his　place。　　The　repast

continued　and　when　it　was　finished　I　screwed　my　chair　round　to　leave

the　table。　　Mrs。　Peck　performed　the　same　movement　and　we　quitted　the

saloon　together。　　Outside　of　it　was　the　usual　vestibule；　with　several

seats；　from　which　you　could　descend　to　the　lower　cabins　or　mount　to

the　promenade…deck。　　Mrs。　Peck　appeared　to　hesitate　as　to　her　course

and　then　solved　the　problem　by　going　neither　way。　　She　dropped　on　one

of　the　benches　and　looked　up　at　me。



〃I　thought　you　said　he'd　come　back。〃



〃Young　Nettlepoint？　　Yes；　I　see　he　didn't。　　Miss　Mavis　then　has　given

him　half　her　dinner。〃



〃It's　very　kind　of　her！　　She　has　been　engaged　half　her　life。〃



〃Yes；　but　that　will　soon　be　over。〃



〃So　I　supposeas　quick　as　ever　we　land。　　Every　one　knows　it　on

Merrimac　Avenue；〃　Mrs。　Peck　pursued。　　〃Every　one　there　takes　a　great

interest　in　it。〃



〃Ah　of　coursea　girl　like　that　has　many　friends。〃



But　my　informant　discriminated。　　〃I　mean　even　people　who　don't　know

her。〃



〃I　see；〃　I　went　on：　　〃she's　so　handsome　that　she　attracts　attention

people　enter　into　her　affairs。〃



Mrs。　Peck　spoke　as　from　the　commanding　centre　of　these。　　〃She　USED　to

be　pretty；　but　I　can't　say　I　think　she's　anything　remarkable　today。

Anyhow；　if　she　attracts　attention　she　ought　to　be　all　the　more

careful　what　she　does。　　You　had　better　tell　her　that。〃



〃Oh　it's　none　of　my　business！〃　I　easily　made　out；　leaving　the

terrible　little　woman　and　going　above。　　This　profession；　I　grant；　was

not　perfectly　attuned　to　my　real　idea；　or　rather　my　real　idea　was　not

quite　in　harmony　with　my　profession。　　The　very　first　thing　I　did　on

reaching　the　deck　was　to　notice　that　Miss　Mavis　was　pacing　it　on

Jasper　Nettlepoint's　arm　and　that　whatever　beauty　she　might　have

lost；　according　to　Mrs。　Peck's　insinuation；　she　still　kept　enough　to

make　one's　eyes　follow　her。　　She　had　put　on　a　crimson　hood；　which　was

very　becoming　to　her　and　which　she　wore　for　the　rest　of　the　voyage。

She　walked　very　well；　with　long　steps；　and　I　remember　that　at　this

moment　the　sea　had　a　gentle　evening　swell　which　made　the　great　ship

dip　slowly；　rhythmically；　giving　a　movement　that　was　graceful　to

graceful　pedestrians　and　a　more　awkward　one　to　the　awkward。　　It　was

the　loveliest　hour　of　a　fine　day；　the　clear　early　evening；　with　the

glow　of　the　sunset　in　the　air　and　a　purple　colour　on　the　deep。　　It

was　always　present　to　me　that　so　the　waters　ploughed　by　the　Homeric

heroes　must　have　looked。　　I　became　conscious　on　this　particular

occasion　moreover　that　Grace　Mavis　would　for　the　rest　of　the　voyage

be　the　most　visible　thing　in　one's　range；　the　figure　that　would　count

most　in　the　composition　of　groups。　　She　couldn't　help　it；　poor　girl；

nature　had　made　her　conspicuousimportant；　as　the　painters　say。　　She

paid　for　it　by　the　corresponding　exposure；　the　danger　that　people

would；　as　I　had　said　to　Mrs。　Peck；　enter　into　her　affairs。



Jasper　Nettlepoint　went　down　at　certain　times　to　see　his　mother；　and

I　watched　for　one　of　these　occasionson　the　third　day　outand　took

advantage　of　it　to　go　and　sit　by　Miss　Mavis。　　She　wore　a　light　blue

veil　drawn　tightly　over　her　face；　so　that　if　the　smile　with　which　she

greeted　me　rather　lacked　intensity　I　could　account　for　it　partly　by

that。



〃Well；　we're　getting　onwe're　getting　on；〃　I　said　cheerfully；

looking　at　the　friendly　twinkling　sea。



〃Are　we　going　very　fast？〃



〃Not　fast；　but　steadily。　　Ohne　Hast；　ohne　Rastdo　you　know　German？〃



〃Well；　I've　studied　itsome。〃



〃It　will　be　useful　to　you　over　there　when　you　travel。〃



〃Well　yes；　if　we　do。　　But　I　don't　suppose　we　shall　much。　　Mr。

Nettlepoint　says　we　ought；〃　my　young　woman　added　in　a　moment。



〃Ah　of　course　HE　thinks　so。　　He　has　been　all　over　the　world。〃



〃Yes；　he　has　described　some　of　the　places。　　They　must　be　wonderful。

I　didn't　know　I　should　like　it　so　much。〃



〃But　it　isn't　'Europe'　yet！〃　I　laughed。



Well；　she　didn't　care　if　it　wasn't。　　〃I　mean　going　on　this　way。　　I

could　go　on　for　everfor　ever　and　ever。〃



〃Ah　you　know　it's　not　always　like　this；〃　I　hastened　to　mention。



〃Well；　it's　better　than　Boston。〃



〃It　isn't　so　good　as　Paris；〃　I　still　more　portentously　noted。



〃Oh　I　know　all　about　Paris。　　There's　no　freshness　in　that。　　I　feel　as

if　I　had　been　there　all　the　time。〃



〃You　mean　you've　heard　so　much　of　it？〃



〃Oh　yes；　nothing　else　for　ten　years。〃



I　had　come　to　talk　with　Miss　Mavis　because　she　was　attractive；　but　I

had　been　rather　conscious　of　the　absence　of　a　good　topic；　not　feeling

at　liberty　to　revert　to　Mr。　Porterfield。　　She　hadn't　encouraged　me；

when　I　spoke　to　her　as　we　were　leaving　Boston；　to　go　on　with　the

history　of　my　acquaintance　with　this　gentleman；　and　yet　now；

unexpectedly；　she　appeared　to　implyit　was　doubtless　one　of　the

disparities　mentioned　by　Mrs。　Nettlepointthat　he　might　be　glanced

at　without　indelicacy。



〃I　seeyou　mean　by　letters；〃　I　remarked。



〃We　won't　live　in　a　good　part。　　I　know　enough　to　know　that；〃　she　went

on。



〃Well；　it　isn't　as　if　there　were　any　very　bad　ones；〃　I　answered

reassuringly。



〃Why　Mr。　Nettlepoint　says　it's　regular　mean。〃



〃And　to　what　does　he　apply　that　expression？〃



She　eyed　me　a　moment　as　if　I　were　elegant　at　her　expense；　but　she

answered　my　question。　　〃Up　there　in　the　Batignolles。　　I　seem　to　make

out　it's　worse　than　Merrimac　Avenue。〃



〃Worsein　what　way？〃



〃Why；　even　less　where　the　nice　people　live。〃



〃He　oughtn't　to　say　that；〃　I　returned。　　And　I　ventured　to　back　it　up。

〃Don't　you　call　Mr。　Porterfield　a　nice　person？〃



〃Oh　it　doesn't　make　any　difference。〃　　She　watched　me　again　a　moment

through　her　veil；　the　texture　of　which　gave　her　look　a　suffused

prettiness。　　〃Do　you　know　him　very　little？〃　she　asked。



〃Mr。　Porterfield？〃



〃No；　Mr。　Nettlepoint。〃



〃Ah　very　little。　　He's　very　considerably　my　junior；　you　see。〃



She　had　a　fresh　pause；　as　if　almost　again　for　my　elegance；　but　she

went　on：　　〃He's　younger　than　me　too。〃　　I　don't　know　what　effect　of

the　comic　there　could　have　been　in　it；　but　the　turn　was　unexpected

and　it　made　me　laugh。　　Neither　do　I　know　whether　Miss　Mavis　took

offence　at　my　sensibility　on　this　head；　though　I　remember　thinking　at

the　moment　with　compunction　that　it　had　brought　a　flush　to　her　cheek。

At　all　events　she　got　up；　gathering　her　shawl　and　her　books　into　her

arm。　　〃I'm　going　downI'm　tired。〃



〃Tired　of　me；　I'm　afraid。〃



〃No；　not　yet。〃



〃I'm　like　you；〃　I　confessed。　　〃I　should　like　it　to　go　on　and