ragged lady, v2-第31节

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with　which　his　sister　now　explained　how　he　wanted　to　come　so　much　that
the　doctor　thought　he　had　better；　but　that　they　had　made　him　promise　he
would　not　try　to　meet　her　at　the　steamer；　lest　it　should　be　too　great　a
trial　of　his　strength。

〃Yes；〃　Clementina　assented；　when　the　story　came　to　an　end　and　was
beginning　over　again。

She　had　an　inexplicable　moment　when　she　stood　before　her　lover　in　the
room　where　they　left　her　to　meet　him　alone。　　She　faltered　and　he　waited
constrained　by　her　constraint。

〃Is　it　all　a　mistake；　Clementina？〃　he　asked；　with　a　piteous　smile。

〃No；　no！〃

〃Am　I　so　much　changed？〃

〃No；　you　are　looking　better　than　I　expected。〃

〃And　you　are　not　sorry…for　anything？〃

〃No；　I　am　Perhaps　I　have　thought　of　you　too　much！　　It　seems　so
strange。〃

〃I　understand；〃　he　answered。　　〃We　have　been　like　spirits　to　each　other；
and　now　we　find　that　we　are　alive　and　on　the　earth　like　other　people；　and
we　are　not　used　to　it。〃

〃It　must　be　something　like　that。〃

〃But　if　it's　something　elseif　you　have　the　least　regret；if　you　would
rather　〃He　stopped；　and　they　remained　looking　at　each　other　a　moment。
Then　she　turned　her　head；　and　glanced　out　of　the　window；　as　if　something
there　had　caught　her　sight。

〃It's　a　very　pleasant　view；　isn't　it？〃　she　said；　and　she　lifted　her　hands
to　her　head；　and　took　off　her　hat；　with　an　effect　of　having　got　home
after　absence；　to　stay。




XXXVIII。

It　was　possibly　through　some　sense　finer　than　any　cognition　that
Clementina　felt　in　meeting　her　lover　that　she　had　taken　up　a　new　burden
rather　than　laid　down　an　old　one。　　Afterwards；　when　they　once　recurred　to
that　meeting；　and　she　tried　to　explain　for　him　the　hesitation　which　she
had　not　been　able　to　hide；　she　could　only　say；　〃I　presume　I　didn't　want
to　begin　unless　I　was　sure　I　could　carry　out。　　It　would　have　been　silly。〃

Her　confession；　if　it　was　a　confession；　was　made　when　one　of　his　returns
to　health；　or　rather　one　of　the　arrests　of　his　unhealth；　flushed　them
with　hope　and　courage；　but　before　that　first　meeting　was　ended　she　knew
that　he　had　overtasked　his　strength；　in　coming　to　New　York；　and　he　must
not　try　it　further。　　〃Fatha；〃　she　said　to　Claxon；　with　the　authority　of　a
woman　doing　her　duty；　〃I'm　not　going　to　let　Geo'ge　go　up　to　Middlemount；
with　all　the　excitement。　　It　will　be　as　much　as　he　can　do　to　get　home。
You　can　tell　mother　about　it；　and　the　rest。　　I　did　suppose　it　would　be
Mr。　Richling　that　would　marry　us；　and　I　always　wanted　him　to；　but　I　guess
somebody　else　can　do　it　as　well。〃

〃Just　as　you　say；　Clem；〃　her　father　assented。　　〃Why　not　Brother　Osson；
he'a？〃　he　suggested　with　a　pleasure　in　the　joke；　whatever　it　was；　that
the　minister's　relation　to　Clementina　involved。　　〃I　guess　he　can　put　off
his　visit　to　Boston　long　enough。〃

〃Well；　I　was　thinking　of　him；〃　said　Clementina。　　〃Will　you　ask　him？〃

〃Yes。　　I'll　get　round　to　it；　in　the　mohning。〃

〃No…now；　right　away。　　I've　been　talking　with　Geo'ge　about　it；　and　the'e's
no　sense　in　putting　it　off。　　I　ought　to　begin　taking　care　of　him　at
once。〃

〃Well；　I　guess　when　I　tell　your　motha　how　you're　layin'　hold；　she　won't
think　it's　the　same　pusson；〃　said　her　father；　proudly。

〃But　it　is；　I　haven't　changed　a　bit。〃

〃You　ha'n't　changed　for　the　wohse；　anyway。〃

〃Didn't　I　always　try　to　do　what　I　had　to？〃

〃I　guess　you　did；　Clem。〃

〃Well；　then！〃

Mr。　Orson；　after　a　decent　hesitation；　consented　to　perform　the　ceremony。
It　took　place　in　a　parlor　of　the　hotel；　according　to　the　law　of　New　York；
which　facilitates　marriage　so　greatly　in　all　respects　that　it　is　strange
any　one　in　the　State　should　remain　single。　　He　had　then　a　luxury　of
choice　between　attaching　himself　to　the　bridal　couple　as　far　as　Ohio　on
his　journey　home　to　Michigan；　or　to　Claxon　who　was　going　to　take　the　boat
for　Boston　the　next　day　on　his　way　to　Middlemount。　　He　decided　for
Claxon；　since　he　could　then　see　Mrs。　Lander's　lawyer　at　once；　and　arrange
with　him　for　getting　out　of　the　vice…consul's　hands　the　money　which　he
was　holding　for　an　authoritative　demand。　　He　accepted　without　open
reproach　the　handsome　fee　which　the　elder　Hinkle　gave　him　for　his
services；　and　even　went　so　far　as　to　say；　〃If　your　son　should　ever　be
blest　with　a　return　to　health；　he　has　got　a　helpmeet　such　as　there　are
very　few　of。〃　　He　then　admonished　the　young　couple；　in　whatever　trials
life　should　have　in　store　for　them；　to　be　resigned；　and　always　to　be
prepared　for　the　worst。　　When　he　came　later　to　take　leave　of　them；　he　was
apparently　not　equal　to　the　task　of　fitly　acknowledging　the　return　which
Hinkle　made　him　of　all　the　money　remaining　to　Clementina　out　of　the　sum
last　given　her　by　Mrs。　Lander；　but　he　hid　any　disappointment　he　might
have　suffered；　and　with　a　brief；　〃Thank　you；〃　put　it　in　his　pocket。

Hinkle　told　Clementina　of　the　apathetic　behavior　of　Mr。　Orson；　he　added
with　a　laugh　like　his　old　self；　〃It's　the　best　that　he　doesn't　seem
prepared　for。〃

〃Yes；〃　she　assented。　　〃　He　wasn't　very　chee'ful。　　But　I　presume　that　he
meant　well。　　It　must　be　a　trial　for　him　to　find　out　that　Mrs。　Landa
wasn't　rich；　after　all。〃

It　was　apparently　never　a　trial　to　her。　　She　went　to　Ohio　with　her
husband　and　took　up　her　life　on　the　farm；　where　it　was　wisely　judged　that
he　had　the　best　chance　of　working　out　of　the　wreck　of　his　health　and
strength。　　There　was　often　the　promise　and　always　the　hope　of　this；　and
their　love　knew　no　doubt　of　the　future。　　Her　sisters…in…law　delighted　in
all　her　strangeness　and　difference；　while　they　petted　her　as　something
not　to　be　separated　from　him　in　their　petting　of　their　brother；　to　his
mother　she　was　the　darling　which　her　youngest　had　never　ceased　to　be；
Clementina　once　went　so　far　as　to　say　to　him　that　if　she　was　ever
anything　she　would　like　to　be　a　Moravian。

The　question　of　religion　was　always　related　in　their　minds　to　the
question　of　Gregory；　to　whom　they　did　justice　in　their　trust　of　each
other。　　It　was　Hinkle　himself　who　reasoned　out　that　if　Gregory　was
narrow；　his　narrowness　was　of　his　conscience　and　not　of　his　heart　or　his
mind。　　She　respected　the　memory　of　her　first　lover；　but　it　was　as　if　he
were　dead；　now；　as　well　as　her　young　dream　of　him；　and　she　read　with　a
curious　sense　of　remoteness；　a　paragraph　which　her　husband　found　in　the
religious　intelligence　of　his　Sunday　paper；　announcing　the　marriage　of
the　Rev。　Frank　Gregory　to　a　lady　described　as　having　been　a　frequent　and
bountiful　contributor　to　the　foreign　missions。　　She　was　apparently　a
widow；　and　they　conjectured　that　she　was　older　than　he。　　His　departure
for　his　chosen　field　of　missionary　labor　in　China　formed　part　of　the　news
communicated　by　the　rather　exulting　paragraph。

〃Well；　that　is　all　right；〃　said　Clementina's　husband。　　〃He　is　a　good　man；
and　he　is　where　he　can　do　nothing　but　good。　　I　am　glad　I　needn't　feel
sorry　for　him；　any　more。〃

Clementina's　father　must　have　given　such　a　report　of　Hinkle　and　his
family；　that　they　felt　easy　at　home　in　leaving　her　to　the　lot　she　had
chosen。　　When　Claxon　parted　from　her；　he　talked　of　coming　out　with　her
mother　to　see　her　that　fall；　but　it　was　more　than　a　year　before　they　got
round　to　it。　　They　did　not　come　till　after　the　birth　of　her　little　girl；
and　her　father　then　humorously　allowed　that　perhaps　they　would　not　have
got　round　to　it　at　all　if　something　of　the　kind　had　not　happened。　　The
Hinkles　and　her　father　and　mother　liked　one　another；　so　much　that　in　the
first　glow　of　his　enthusiasm　Claxon　talked　of　settling　down　in　Ohio；　and
the　older　Hinkle　drove　him　about　to　look　at　some　places　that　were　for
sale。　　But　it　ended　in　his　saying　one　day　that　he　missed　the　hills；　and
he　did　not　believe　that　he　would　know　enough　to　come　in　when　it　rained　if
he　did　not　see　old　Middlemount　with　his　nightcap　on　first。　　His　wife　and
he　started　home　with　the　impatience　of　their　years；　rather　earlier　than
they　had　meant　to　go；　and　they　were　silent　for　a　little　while　after　they
left　the　flag…station　where　Hinkle　and　Clementina　had　put　them　aboard
their　train。

〃Well？〃　said　Claxon；　at　last。

〃Well？〃　　echoed　his　wife；　and　then　she　did　not　speak　for　a　little　while
longer。　　At　last　she　asked；

〃D'he　look　that　way　when　you　fust　see　him　in　New　Yo'k？〃

Claxon　gave　his　honesty　time　to　get　the　better　of　his　optimism。　　Even
then　he　answered　evasively；　〃He　doos　look　pootty　slim。〃

〃The　way　I　cypher　it　out；〃　said　his　wife；　〃he　no　business　to　let　her
marry　him；　if　he　wa'n't　goin'　to　get　well。　　It　was　throwin'　of　herself
away；　as　you　may　say。〃

〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　said　Claxon；　as　if　the　point　had　occurred　to
him；　too；　and　had　been　already　argued　in　his　mind。　　〃I　guess　they　must
'a'　had　it　out；　there　in　New　York　before　they　got　marriedor　she　had。
I　don't　believe　but　what　he　expected　to　get　well；　right　away。　　It's　the
kind　of　a　thing　that　lingas　along；　and　lingas　along。　　As　fah　fo'th　as
Clem　went；　I　guess　there　wa'n't　any　let　about　it。　　I　guess　she'd　made　up
her　mind　from　the　staht；　and　she　was　goin'　to　have　him　if　she　had　to　hold
him　on　his　feet　to　do　it。　　Look　he'a！　　W　hat　would　you　done？〃

〃Oh；　I　presume　we're　all　fools！〃　said　Mrs。　Claxon；　impatient　of　a　sex　not
always　so　frank　with　itself。　　〃But　that　d