the chaperon-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


how　do　you　arrange　that？　　My　mother's　society　will　make　me　older；〃
Rose　replied。

〃Don't　speak　to　me　of　your　mother；　you　HAVE　no　mother。〃

〃Then　if　I'm　an　orphan　I　must　settle　things　for　myself。〃

〃Do　you　justify　her；　do　you　approve　of　her？〃　cried　Miss　Tramore；　who
was　inferior　to　her　niece　in　capacity　for　retort　and　whose
limitations　made　the　girl　appear　pert。

Rose　looked　at　her　a　moment　in　silence；　then　she　said；　turning　away：
〃I　think　she's　charming。〃

〃And　do　you　propose　to　become　charming　in　the　same　manner？〃

〃Her　manner　is　perfect；　it　would　be　an　excellent　model。　　But　I　can't
discuss　my　mother　with　you。〃

〃You'll　have　to　discuss　her　with　some　other　people！〃　Miss　Tramore
proclaimed；　going　out　of　the　room。

Rose　wondered　whether　this　were　a　general　or　a　particular
vaticination。　　There　was　something　her　aunt　might　have　meant　by　it；
but　her　aunt　rarely　meant　the　best　thing　she　might　have　meant。　　Miss
Tramore　had　come　up　from　St。　Leonard's　in　response　to　a　telegram　from
her　own　parent；　for　an　occasion　like　the　present　brought　with　it；　for
a　few　hours；　a　certain　relaxation　of　their　dissent。　　〃Do　what　you　can
to　stop　her；〃　the　old　lady　had　said；　but　her　daughter　found　that　the
most　she　could　do　was　not　much。　　They　both　had　a　baffled　sense　that
Rose　had　thought　the　question　out　a　good　deal　further　than　they；　and
this　was　particularly　irritating　to　Mrs。　Tramore；　as　consciously　the
cleverer　of　the　two。　　A　question　thought　out　as　far　as　SHE　could
think　it　had　always　appeared　to　her　to　have　performed　its　human　uses；
she　had　never　encountered　a　ghost　emerging　from　that　extinction。
Their　great　contention　was　that　Rose　would　cut　herself　off；　and
certainly　if　she　wasn't　afraid　of　that　she　wasn't　afraid　of　anything。
Julia　Tramore　could　only　tell　her　mother　how　little　the　girl　was
afraid。　　She　was　already　prepared　to　leave　the　house；　taking　with　her
the　possessions；　or　her　share　of　them；　that　had　accumulated　there
during　her　father's　illness。　　There　had　been　a　going　and　coming　of
her　maid；　a　thumping　about　of　boxes；　an　ordering　of　four…wheelers；　it
appeared　to　old　Mrs。　Tramore　that　something　of　the　objectionableness；
the　indecency；　of　her　granddaughter's　prospective　connection　had
already　gathered　about　the　place。　　It　was　a　violation　of　the　decorum
of　bereavement　which　was　still　fresh　there；　and　from　the　indignant
gloom　of　the　mistress　of　the　house　you　might　have　inferred　not　so
much　that　the　daughter　was　about　to　depart　as　that　the　mother　was
about　to　arrive。　　There　had　been　no　conversation　on　the　dreadful
subject　at　luncheon；　for　at　luncheon　at　Mrs。　Tramore's　（her　son　never
came　to　it）　there　were　always；　even　after　funerals　and　other
miseries；　stray　guests　of　both　sexes　whose　policy　it　was　to　be
cheerful　and　superficial。　　Rose　had　sat　down　as　if　nothing　had
happenednothing　worse；　that　is；　than　her　father's　death；　but　no　one
had　spoken　of　anything　that　any　one　else　was　thinking　of。

Before　she　left　the　house　a　servant　brought　her　a　message　from　her
grandmotherthe　old　lady　desired　to　see　her　in　the　drawing…room。
She　had　on　her　bonnet；　and　she　went　down　as　if　she　were　about　to　step
into　her　cab。　　Mrs。　Tramore　sat　there　with　her　eternal　knitting；　from
which　she　forebore　even　to　raise　her　eyes　as；　after　a　silence　that
seemed　to　express　the　fulness　of　her　reprobation；　while　Rose　stood
motionless；　she　began：　　〃I　wonder　if　you　really　understand　what
you're　doing。〃

〃I　think　so。　　I'm　not　so　stupid。〃

〃I　never　thought　you　were；　but　I　don't　know　what　to　make　of　you　now。
You're　giving　up　everything。〃

The　girl　was　tempted　to　inquire　whether　her　grandmother　called
herself　〃everything〃；　but　she　checked　this　question；　answering
instead　that　she　knew　she　was　giving　up　much。

〃You're　taking　a　step　of　which　you　will　feel　the　effect　to　the　end　of
your　days；〃　Mrs。　Tramore　went　on。

〃In　a　good　conscience；　I　heartily　hope；〃　said　Rose。

〃Your　father's　conscience　was　good　enough　for　his　mother；　it　ought　to
be　good　enough　for　his　daughter。〃

Rose　sat　downshe　could　afford　toas　if　she　wished　to　be　very
attentive　and　were　still　accessible　to　argument。　　But　this
demonstration　only　ushered　in；　after　a　moment；　the　surprising　words
〃I　don't　think　papa　had　any　conscience。〃

〃What　in　the　name　of　all　that's　unnatural　do　you　mean？〃　Mrs。　Tramore
cried；　over　her　glasses。　　〃The　dearest　and　best　creature　that　ever
lived！〃

〃He　was　kind；　he　had　charming　impulses；　he　was　delightful。　　But　he
never　reflected。〃

Mrs。　Tramore　stared；　as　if　at　a　language　she　had　never　heard；　a
farrago；　a　galimatias。　　Her　life　was　made　up　of　items；　but　she　had
never　had　to　deal；　intellectually；　with　a　fine　shade。　　Then　while　her
needles；　which　had　paused　an　instant；　began　to　fly　again；　she
rejoined：　　〃Do　you　know　what　you　are；　my　dear？　　You're　a　dreadful
little　prig。　　Where　do　you　pick　up　such　talk？〃

〃Of　course　I　don't　mean　to　judge　between　them；〃　Rose　pursued。　　〃I　can
only　judge　between　my　mother　and　myself。　　Papa　couldn't　judge　for
me。〃　　And　with　this　she　got　up。

〃One　would　think　you　were　horrid。　　I　never　thought　so　before。〃

〃Thank　you　for　that。〃

〃You're　embarking　on　a　struggle　with　society；〃　continued　Mrs。
Tramore；　indulging　in　an　unusual　flight　of　oratory。　　〃Society　will
put　you　in　your　place。〃

〃Hasn't　it　too　many　other　things　to　do？〃　asked　the　girl。

This　question　had　an　ingenuity　which　led　her　grandmother　to　meet　it
with　a　merely　provisional　and　somewhat　sketchy　answer。　　〃Your
ignorance　would　be　melancholy　if　your　behaviour　were　not　so　insane。〃

〃Oh；　no；　I　know　perfectly　what　she'll　do！〃　Rose　replied；　almost
gaily。　　〃She'll　drag　me　down。〃

〃She　won't　even　do　that；〃　the　old　lady　declared　contradictiously。
〃She'll　keep　you　forever　in　the　same　dull　hole。〃

〃I　shall　come　and　see　YOU；　granny；　when　I　want　something　more
lively。〃

〃You　may　come　if　you　like；　but　you'll　come　no　further　than　the　door。
If　you　leave　this　house　now　you　don't　enter　it　again。〃

Rose　hesitated　a　moment。　　〃Do　you　really　mean　that？〃

〃You　may　judge　whether　I　choose　such　a　time　to　joke。〃

〃Good…bye；　then；〃　said　the　girl。

〃Good…bye。〃

Rose　quitted　the　room　successfully　enough；　but　on　the　other　side　of
the　door；　on　the　landing；　she　sank　into　a　chair　and　buried　her　face
in　her　hands。　　She　had　burst　into　tears；　and　she　sobbed　there　for　a
moment；　trying　hard　to　recover　herself；　so　as　to　go　downstairs
without　showing　any　traces　of　emotion；　passing　before　the　servants
and　again　perhaps　before　aunt　Julia。　　Mrs。　Tramore　was　too　old　to
cry；　she　could　only　drop　her　knitting　and；　for　a　long　time；　sit　with
her　head　bowed　and　her　eyes　closed。

Rose　had　reckoned　justly　with　her　aunt　Julia；　there　were　no　footmen；
but　this　vigilant　virgin　was　posted　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs。　　She
offered　no　challenge　however；　she　only　said：　　〃There's　some　one　in
the　parlour　who　wants　to　see　you。〃　　The　girl　demanded　a　name；　but
Miss　Tramore　only　mouthed　inaudibly　and　winked　and　waved。　　Rose
instantly　reflected　that　there　was　only　one　man　in　the　world　her　aunt
would　look　such　deep　things　about。　　〃Captain　Jay？〃　her　own　eyes
asked；　while　Miss　Tramore's　were　those　of　a　conspirator：　　they　were；
for　a　moment；　the　only　embarrassed　eyes　Rose　had　encountered　that
day。　　They　contributed　to　make　aunt　Julia's　further　response　evasive；
after　her　niece　inquired　if　she　had　communicated　in　advance　with　this
visitor。　　Miss　Tramore　merely　said　that　he　had　been　upstairs　with　her
motherhadn't　she　mentioned　it？and　had　been　waiting　for　her。　　She
thought　herself　acute　in　not　putting　the　question　of　the　girl's
seeing　him　before　her　as　a　favour　to　him　or　to　herself；　she　presented
it　as　a　duty；　and　wound　up　with　the　proposition：　　〃It's　not　fair　to
him；　it's　not　kind；　not　to　let　him　speak　to　you　before　you　go。〃

〃What　does　he　want　to　say？〃　Rose　demanded。

〃Go　in　and　find　out。〃

She　really　knew；　for　she　had　found　out　before；　but　after　standing
uncertain　an　instant　she　went　in。　　〃The　parlour〃　was　the　name　that
had　always　been　borne　by　a　spacious　sitting…room　downstairs；　an
apartment　occupied　by　her　father　during　his　frequent　phases　of
residence　in　Hill　Streetepisodes　increasingly　frequent　after　his
house　in　the　country　had；　in　consequence；　as　Rose　perfectly　knew；　of
his　spending　too　much　money；　been　disposed　of　at　a　sacrifice　which　he
always　characterised　as　horrid。　　He　had　been　left　with　the　place　in
Hertfordshire　and　his　mother　with　the　London　house；　on　the　general
understanding　that　they　would　change　about；　but　during　the　last　years
the　community　had　grown　more　rigid；　mainly　at　his　mother's　expense。
The　parlour　was　full　of　his　memory　and　his　habits　and　his　thingshis
books　and　pictures　and　bibelots；　objects　that　belonged　now　to　Eric。
Rose　had　sat　in　it　for　hours　since　his　death；　it　was　the　place　in
which　she　could　still　be　nearest　to　him。　　But　she　felt　far　from　him
as　Captain　Jay　rose　erect　on　her　opening　the　door。　　This　was　a　very
different　presence。　　He　had　not　liked　Captain　Jay。　　She　herself　had；
but　not　enough　to　make　a　great　complication　of　her　father's　coldness。
This　afternoon　however　she　foresaw　complications。　　At　the　very　outset
for　instance　she　was　not　pleased　with　his　having　arranged　such　a
surpri