the american claimant-第8节

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was　a　〃corker。〃　　And　now；　as　he　perceived；　the　reason　why　the　Sellers
household　poverties　and　sterilities　had　been　made　to　blossom　like　the
rose；　and　charm　the　eye　and　satisfy　the　spirit；　stood　explained；　here　was
the　magician；　here　in　the　midst　of　her　works；　and　furnishing　in　her　own
person　the　proper　accent　and　climaxing　finish　of　the　whole。

〃My　daughter；　Major　Hawkinscome　home　to　mourn；　flown　home　at　the　call
of　affliction　to　help　the　authors　of　her　being　bear　the　burden　of
bereavement。　　She　was　very　fond　of　the　late　earlidolized　him；　sir；
idolized　him〃

〃Why；　father；　I've　never　seen　him。〃

〃Trueshe's　right；　I　was　thinking　of　anothererof　her　mother〃

〃I　idolized　that　smoked　haddock？that　sentimental；　spiritless〃

〃I　was　thinking　of　myself！　　Poor　noble　fellow；　we　were　inseparable　com〃

〃Hear　the　man！　　Mulberry　SelMulRossmorehang　the　troublesome　name　I
can　neverif　I've　heard　you　say　once；　I've　heard　you　say　a　thousand
times　that　if　that　poor　sheep〃

〃I　was　thinking　ofofI　don't　know　who　I　was　thinking　of；　and　it
doesn't　make　any　difference　anyway；　somebody　idolized　him；　I　recollect　it
as　if　it　were　yesterday；　and〃

〃Father；　I　am　going　to　shake　hands　with　Major　Hawkins；　and　let　the
introduction　work　along　and　catch　up　at　its　leisure。　　I　remember　you　very
well　in　deed；　Major　Hawkins；　although　I　was　a　little　child　when　I　saw　you
last；　and　I　am　very；　very　glad　indeed　to　see　you　again　and　have　you　in
our　house　as　one　of　us；〃　and　beaming　in　his　face　she　finished　her　cordial
shake　with　the　hope　that　he　had　not　forgotten　her。

He　was　prodigiously　pleased　by　her　outspoken　heartiness；　and　wanted　to
repay　her　by　assuring　her　that　he　remembered　her；　and　not　only　that　but
better　even　than　he　remembered　his　own　children；　but　the　facts　would　not
quite　warrant　this；　still；　he　stumbled　through　a　tangled　sentence　which
answered　just　as　well；　since　the　purport　of　it　was　an　awkward　and
unintentional　confession　that　her　extraordinary　beauty　had　so　stupefied
him　that　he　hadn't　got　back　to　his　bearings；　yet；　and　therefore　couldn't
be　certain　as　to　whether　he　remembered　her　at　all　or　not。　　The　speech
made　him　her　friend；　it　couldn't　well　help　it。

In　truth　the　beauty　of　this　fair　creature　was　of　a　rare　type；　and　may
well　excuse　a　moment　of　our　time　spent　in　its　consideration。　　It　did　not
consist　in　the　fact　that　she　had　eyes；　nose；　mouth；　chin；　hair；　ears；　it
consisted　in　their　arrangement。　　In　true　beauty；　more　depends　upon　right
location　and　judicious　distribution　of　feature　than　upon　multiplicity　of
them。　　So　also　as　regards　color。　　The　very　combination　of　colors　which　in
a　volcanic　irruption　would　add　beauty　to　a　landscape　might　detach　it　from
a　girl。　　Such　was　Gwendolen　Sellers。

The　family　circle　being　completed　by　Gwendolen's　arrival；　it　was　decreed
that　the　official　mourning　should　now　begin；　that　it　should　begin　at　six
o'clock　every　evening；　（the　dinner　hour；）　and　end　with　the　dinner。

〃It's　a　grand　old　line；　major；　a　sublime　old　line；　and　deserves　to　be
mourned　for；　almost　royally；　almost　imperially；　I　may　say。　　ErLady
Gwendolenbut　she's　gone；　never　mind；　I　wanted　my　Peerage；　I'll　fetch　it
myself；　presently；　and　show　you　a　thing　or　two　that　will　give　you　a
realizing　idea　of　what　our　house　is。　　I've　been　glancing　through　Burke；
and　I　find　that　of　William　the　Conqueror's　sixty…four　natural　ah
my　dear；　would　you　mind　getting　me　that　book？　　It's　on　the　escritoire　in
our　boudoir。　　Yes；　as　I　was　saying；　there's　only　St。　Albans；　Buccleugh
and　Grafton　ahead　of　us　on　the　listall　the　rest　of　the　British　nobility
are　in　procession　behind　us。　　Ah；　thanks；　my　lady。　　Now　then；　we　turn　to
William；　and　we　findletter　for　XYZ？　　Oh；　splendidwhen'd　you　get　it？〃

〃Last　night；　but　I　was　asleep　before　you　came；　you　were　out　so　late；　and
when　I　came　to　breakfast　Miss　Gwendolenwell；　she　knocked　everything　out
of　me；　you　know〃

〃Wonderful　girl；　wonderful；　her　great　origin　is　detectable　in　her　step；
her　carriage；　her　featuresbut　what　does　he　say？　　Come；　this　is
exciting。〃

〃I　haven't　read　iterRossmMr。　Rossmer〃

〃M'lord！　　Just　cut　it　short　like　that。　　It's　the　English　way。　　I'll　open
it。　　Ah；　now　let's　see。〃

A。　　TO　YOU　KNOW　WHO。　　Think　I　know　you。　　Wait　ten　days。　　Coming　to
　　　　　Washington。

The　excitement　died　out　of　both　men's　faces。　　There　was　a　brooding
silence　for　a　while；　then　the　younger　one　said　with　a　sigh：

〃Why；　we　can't　wait　ten　days　for　the　money。〃

〃Nothe　man's　unreasonable；　we　are　down　to　the　bed　rock；　financially
speaking。〃

〃If　we　could　explain　to　him　in　some　way；　that　we　are　so　situated　that
time　is　of　the　utmost　importance　to　us〃

〃Yesyes；　that's　itand　so　if　it　would　be　as　convenient　for　him　to　come
at　once　it　would　be　a　great　accommodation　to　us；　and　one　which　wewhich
wewhich　wewhwell；　which　we　should　sincerely　appreciate〃

〃That's　itand　most　gladly　reciprocate〃

〃Certainlythat'll　fetch　him。　　Worded　right；　if　he's　a　mangot　any　of
the　feelings　of　a　man；　sympathies　and　all　that；　he'll　be　here　inside　of
twenty…four　hours。　　Pen　and　papercome；　we'll　get　right　at　it。〃

Between　them　they　framed　twenty…two　different　advertisements；　but　none
was　satisfactory。　　A　main　fault　in　all　of　them　was　urgency。　　That　feature
was　very　troublesome：　if　made　prominent；　it　was　calculated　to　excite
Pete's　suspicion；　if　modified　below　the　suspicion…point　it　was　flat　and
meaningless。　　Finally　the　Colonel　resigned；　and　said：

〃I　have　noticed；　in　such　literary　experiences　as　I　have　had；　that　one　of
the　most　taking　things　to　do　is　to　conceal　your　meaning　when　you　are
trying　to　conceal　it。　　Whereas；　if　you　go　at　literature　with　a　free
conscience　and　nothing　to　conceal；　you　can　turn　out　a　book；　every　time；
that　the　very　elect　can't　understand。　　They　all　do。〃

Then　Hawkins　resigned　also；　and　the　two　agreed　that　they　must　manage　to
wait　the　ten　days　some　how　or　other。　　Next；　they　caught　a　ray　of　cheer：
since　they　had　something　definite　to　go　upon；　now；　they　could　probably
borrow　money　on　the　rewardenough；　at　any　rate；　to　tide　them　over　till
they　got　it；　and　meantime　the　materializing　recipe　would　be　perfected；
and　then　good　bye　to　trouble　for　good　and　all。

The　next　day；　May　the　tenth；　a　couple　of　things　happenedamong　others。
The　remains　of　the　noble　Arkansas　twins　left　our　shores　for　England；
consigned　to　Lord　Rossmore；　and　Lord　Rossmore's　son；　Kirkcudbright
Llanover　Marjoribanks　Sellers　Viscount　Berkeley；　sailed　from　Liverpool
for　America　to　place　the　reversion　of　the　earldom　in　the　hands　of　the
rightful　peer；　Mulberry　Sellers；　of　Rossmore　Towers　in　the　District　of
Columbia；　U。　S。　A。

These　two　impressive　shipments　would　meet　and　part　in　mid…Atlantic；　five
days　later；　and　give　no　sign。




CHAPTER　VI。

In　the　course　of　time　the　twins　arrived　and　were　delivered　to　their　great
kinsman。　　To　try　to　describe　the　rage　of　that　old　man　would　profit
nothing；　the　attempt　would　fall　so　far　short　of　the　purpose。　　However
when　he　had　worn　himself　out　and　got　quiet　again；　he　looked　the　matter
over　and　decided　that　the　twins　had　some　moral　rights；　although　they　had
no　legal　ones；　they　were　of　his　blood；　and　it　could　not　be　decorous　to
treat　them　as　common　clay。　　So　he　laid　them　with　their　majestic　kin　in
the　Cholmondeley　church；　with　imposing　state　and　ceremony；　and　added　the
supreme　touch　by　officiating　as　chief　mourner　himself。　　But　he　drew　the
line　at　hatchments。

Our　friends　in　Washington　watched　the　weary　days　go　by；　while　they　waited
for　Pete　and　covered　his　name　with　reproaches　because　of　his　calamitous
procrastinations。　　Meantime；　Sally　Sellers；　who　was　as　practical　and
democratic　as　the　Lady　Gwendolen　Sellers　was　romantic　and　aristocratic；
was　leading　a　life　of　intense　interest　and　activity　and　getting　the　most
she　could　out　of　her　double　personality。　　All　day　long　in　the　privacy　of
her　work…room；　Sally　Sellers　earned　bread　for　the　Sellers　family；　and　all
the　evening　Lady　Gwendolen　Sellers　supported　the　Rossmore　dignity。　　All
day　she　was　American；　practically；　and　proud　of　the　work　of　her　head　and
hands　and　its　commercial　result；　all　the　evening　she　took　holiday　and
dwelt　in　a　rich　shadow…land　peopled　with　titled　and　coroneted　fictions。
By　day；　to　her；　the　place　was　a　plain；　unaffected；　ramshackle　old　trap
just　that；　and　nothing　more；　by　night　it　was　Rossmore　Towers。　　At　college
she　had　learned　a　trade　without　knowing　it。　　The　girls　had　found　out　that
she　was　the　designer　of　her　own　gowns。　　She　had　no　idle　moments　after
that；　and　wanted　none；　for　the　exercise　of　an　extraordinary　gift　is　the
supremest　pleasure　in　life；　and　it　was　manifest　that　Sally　Sellers
possessed　a　gift　of　that　sort　in　the　matter　of　costume…designing。　　Within
three　days　after　reaching　home　she　had　hunted　up　some　work；　before　Pete
was　yet　due　in　Washington；　and　before　the　twins　were　fairly　asleep　in
English　soil；　she　was　already　nearly　swamped　with　work；　and　the
sacrificing　of　the　family　chromos　for　debt　had　got　an　effective　check。

〃She's　a　brick；〃　said　Rossmore　to　the　Major；　〃just　her　father　all　over：
prompt　to　labor　with　head　or　hands；　and　not　ashamed　of　it；　capable；
always　capable；　let　the　enterprise　be　what　it　may；　successful　by　nature
don't　know　wh