ragged lady, v2-第28节

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She　left　him　still　sitting　before　the　table；　and　came　back　with　some
bank…notes　in　her　hand。　　〃Are　you　sure　you　hadn't　betta　take　moa？〃　she
asked。

〃I　think　that　five　dollars　will　be　all　that　I　shall　require；〃　he
answered；　with　dignity。　　〃I　should　be　unwilling　to　accept　more。　　I　shall
undoubtedly　receive　some　remittances　soon。〃

〃Oh；　I　know　you　will；〃　Clementina　returned；　and　she　added；　〃I　am　waiting
for　lettas　myself；　I　don't　think　any　one　ought　to　give　up。〃

The　preacher　ignored　the　appeal　which　was　in　her　tone　rather　than　her
words；　and　went　on　to　explain　at　length　the　circumstances　of　his　having
come　to　Europe　so　unprovided　against　chances。　　When　he　wished　to　excuse
his　imprudence；　she　cried　out；　〃Oh；　don't　say　a　wo'd　！　　It's　just　like　my
own　fatha；〃　and　she　told　him　some　things　of　her　home　which　apparently　did
not　interest　him　very　much。　　He　had　a　kind　of　dull；　cold　self…absorption
in　which　he　was　indeed　so　little　like　her　father　that　only　her　kindness
for　the　lonely　man　could　have　justified　her　in　thinking　there　was　any
resemblance。

She　did　not　see　him　again　for　a　week；　and　meantime　she　did　not　tell　the
vice…consul　of　what　had　happened。　　But　an　anxiety　for　the　minister　began
to　mingle　with　her　anxieties　for　herself；　she　constantly　wondered　why　she
did　not　hear　from　her　lover；　and　she　occasionally　wondered　whether　Mr。
Orson　were　not　falling　into　want　again。　　She　had　decided　to　betray　his
condition　to　the　vice…consul；　when　he　came；　bringing　the　money　she　had
lent　him。　　He　had　received　a　remittance　from　an　unexpected　source；　and　he
hoped　she　would　excuse　his　delay　in　repaying　her　loan。　　She　wished　not　to
take　the　money；　at　least　till　he　was　quite　sure　he　should　not　want　it；
but　he　insisted。

〃I　have　enough　to　keep　me；　now；　till　I　hear　from　other　sources；　with　the
means　for　returning　home。　　I　see　no　object　in　continuing　here；　under　the
circumstances：

In　the　relief　which　she　felt　for　him　Clementina's　heart　throbbed　with　a
pain　which　was　all　for　herself。　　Why　should　she　wait　any　longer　either？
For　that　instant　she　abandoned　the　hope　which　had　kept　her　up　so　long；　a
wave　of　homesickness　overwhelmed　her。

〃I　should　like　to　go　back；　too；〃　she　said。　　〃I　don't　see　why　I'm　staying。

Mr。　Osson；　why　can't　you　let　me〃she　was　going　to　say〃go　home　with
you？　　〃But　she　really　said　what　was　also　in　her　heart；　〃Why　can't　you　let
me　give　you　the　money　to　go　home？　　It　is　all　Mrs。　Landa's　money；　anyway。〃

〃There　is　certainly　that　view　of　the　matter；〃　be　assented　with　a
promptness　that　might　have　suggested　a　lurking　grudge　for　the　vice…
consul's　decision　that　she　ought　to　keep　the　money　Mrs。　Lander　had　given
her。

But　Clementina　urged　unsuspiciously：　〃Oh；　yes；　indeed！　　And　I　shall　feel
better　if　you　take　it。　　I　only　wish　I　could　go　home；　too！〃

The　minister　was　silent　while　he　was　revolving；　with　whatever　scruple　or
reluctance；　a　compromise　suitable　to　the　occasion。　　Then　he　said；　〃Why
should　we　not　return　together？〃

〃Would　you　take　me？〃　she　entreated。

〃That　should　be　as　you　wished。　　I　am　not　much　acquainted　with　the　usages
in　such　matters；　but　I　presume　that　it　would　be　entirely　practicable。　　We
could　ask　the　vice…consul。〃

〃Yes〃

〃He　must　have　had　considerable　experience　in　cases　of　the　kind。　　Would
your　friends　meet　you　in　New　York；　or〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Clementina　with　a　pang　for　the　thought　of　a　meeting
she　had　sometimes　fancied　there；　when　her　lover　had　come　out　for　her；　and
her　father　had　been　told　to　come　and　receive　them。　　〃No；〃　she　sighed；
〃the'e　wouldn't　be　time　to　let　them　know。　　But　it　wouldn't　make　any
difference。　　I　could　get　home　from　New　Yo'k　alone；〃　she　added；
listlessly。　　Her　spirits　had　fallen　again。　　She　saw　that　she　could　not
leave　Venice　till　she　had　heard　in　some　sort　from　the　letter　she　had
written。　　〃Perhaps　it　couldn't　be　done；　after　all。　　But　I　will　see　Mr。
Bennam　about　it；　Mr。　Osson；　and　I　know　he　will　want　you　to　have　that　much
of　the　money。　　He　will　be　coming　he'e；　soon。〃

He　rose　upon　what　he　must　have　thought　her　hint；　and　said；　〃I　should　not
wish　to　have　him　swayed　against　his　judgment。〃

The　vice…consul　came　not　long　after　the　minister　had　left　her；　and　she
began　upon　what　she　wished　to　do　for　him。

The　vice…consul　was　against　it。　　〃I　would　rather　lend　him　the　money　out
of　my　own　pocket。　　How　are　you　going　to　get　along　yourself；　if　you　let
him　have　so　much？〃

She　did　not　answer　at　once。　　Then　she　said；　hopelessly；　〃　I've　a　great
mind　to　go　home　with　him。　　I　don't　believe　there's　any　use　waiting　here
any　longa。〃　　The　vice…consul　could　not　say　anything　to　this。　　She　added；
〃Yes；　I　believe　I　will　go　home。　　We　we'e　talking　about　it；　the　other　day；
and　he　is　willing　to　let　me　go　with　him。〃

〃I　should　think　he　would　be；〃　the　vice…consul　retorted　in　his　indignation
for　her。　　〃Did　you　offer　to　pay　for　his　passage？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　owned；　〃I　did；〃　and　again　the　vice…consul　could　say　nothing。
〃If　I　went；　it　wouldn't　make　any　difference　whether　it　took　it　all　or
not。　　I　should　have　plenty　to　get　home　from　New　York　with。〃

〃Well；〃　the　vice…consul　assented；　dryly；　〃it's　for　you　to　say。〃

〃I　know　you　don't　want　me　to　do　it！〃

〃Well；　I　shall　miss　you；〃　he　answered；　evasively。

〃And　I　shall　miss　you；　too；　Mr。　Bennam。　　Don't　you　believe　it？　　But　if　I
don't　take　this　chance　to　get　home；　I　don't　know　when　I　shall　eva　have
anotha。　　And　there　isn't　any　use　waitingno；　there　isn't！〃

The　vice…consul　laughed　at　the　sort　of　imperative　despair　in　her　tone。
〃How　are　you　going？　　Which　way；　I　mean。〃

They　counted　up　Clementina's　debts　and　assets；　and　they　found　that　if　she
took　the　next　steamer　from　Genoa；　which　was　to　sail　in　four　days；　she
would　have　enough　to　pay　her　own　way　and　Mr。　Orson's　to　New　York；　and
still　have　some　thirty　dollars　over；　for　her　expenses　home　to
Middlemount。　　They　allowed　for　a　second　cabin…passage；　which　the　vice…
consul　said　was　perfectly　good　on　the　Genoa　steamers。　　He　rather　urged
the　gentility　and　comfort　of　the　second　cabin…passage；　but　his　reasons　in
favor　of　it　were　wasted　upon　Clementina's　indifference；　she　wished　to　get
home；　now；　and　she　did　not　care　how。　　She　asked　the　vice…consul　to　see
the　minister　for　her；　and　if　he　were　ready　and　willing；　to　telegraph　for
their　tickets。　　He　transacted　the　business　so　promptly　that　he　was　able
to　tell　her　when　he　came　in　the　evening　that　everything　was　in　train。
He　excused　his　coming；　he　said　that　now　she　was　going　so　soon；　he　wanted
to　see　all　he　could　of　her。　　He　offered　no　excuse　when　he　came　the　next
morning；　but　he　said　he　had　got　a　letter　for　her　and　thought　she　might
want　to　have　it　at　once。

He　took　it　out　of　his　hat　and　gave　it　to　her。　　It　was　addressed　in
Hinkle's　writing；　her　answer　had　come　at　last；　she　stood　trembling　with
it　in　her　hand。

The　vice…consul　smiled。　　〃Is　that　the　one？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　whispered　back。

〃All　right。〃　　He　took　his　hat；　and　set　it　on　the　back　of　his　head　before
he　left　her　without　other　salutation。

Then　Clementina　opened　her　letter。　　It　was　in　a　woman's　hand；　and　the
writer　made　haste　to　explain　at　the　beginning　that　she　was　George　W。
Hinkle's　sister；　and　that　she　was　writing　for　him；　for　though　he　was　now
out　of　danger；　he　was　still　very　weak；　and　they　had　all　been　anxious
about　him。　　A　month　before；　he　had　been　hurt　in　a　railroad　collision；　and
had　come　home　from　the　West；　where　the　accident　happened；　suffering
mainly　from　shock；　as　his　doctor　thought；　he　had　taken　to　his　bed　at
once；　and　had　not　risen　from　it　since。　　He　had　been　out　of　his　head　a
great　part　of　the　time；　and　had　been　forbidden　everything　that　could
distress　or　excite　him。　　His　sister　said　that　she　was　writing　for　him　now
as　soon　as　he　had　seen　Clementina's　letter；　it　had　been　forwarded　from
one　address　to　another；　and　had　at　last　found　him　there　at　his　home　in
Ohio。　　He　wished　to　say　that　he　would　come　out　for　Clementina　as　soon　as
he　was　allowed　to　undertake　the　journey；　and　in　the　meantime　she　must　let
him　know　constantly　where　she　was。　　The　letter　closed　with　a　few　words　of
love　in　his　own　handwriting。

Clementina　rose　from　reading　it；　and　put　on　her　hat　in　a　bewildered
impulse　to　go　to　him　at　once；　she　knew；　in　spite　of　all　the　cautions　and
reserves　of　the　letter　that　he　must　still　be　very　sick。　　When　she　came
out　of　her　daze　she　found　that　she　could　only　go　to　the　vice…consul。　　She
put　the　letter　in　his　hands　to　let　it　explain　itself。　　〃You'll　undastand；
now；〃　she　said。　　〃What　shall　I　do？〃

When　he　had　read　it；　he　smiled　and　answered；　〃I　guess　I　understood　pretty
well　before；　though　I　wasn't　posted　on　names。　　Well；　I　suppose　you'll
want　to　layout　most　of　your　capital　on　cables；　now？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　laughed；　and　then　she　suddenly　lamented；　〃　Why　didn't　they
telegraph？〃

〃Well；　I　guess　he　hadn't　the　head　for　it；〃　said　the　vice…consul；　〃and　the
rest　wouldn't　think　of　it。　　They　wouldn't；　in　the　country。〃

Clementina　laughed　again；　in　joyous　recognition　of　the　fact；　〃No；　my
fatha　wouldn't；　eitha！〃

The　vice…consul　reached　for　his　hat；　and　he　led　the　way　to　Clementina's
gondola　at　his　garden　gate；　in　greater　haste　than　she。　　At　the　telegraph
office　he　framed　a　dispatch　which　for　expansive　fu