ragged lady, v2-第5节

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the　same　time　Mrs。　Milray　sat　down。

〃You　will　find　Miss　Milray；〃　she　continued；　with　the　same　glacial
hauteur；　〃a　very　agreeable　and　cultivated　lady。〃

Clementina　said　nothing；　and　Mrs。　Milray　added；

〃And　I　hope　she　may　have　the　happiness　of　being　more　useful　to　you　than　I
have。〃

〃What　do　you　mean；　Mrs。　Milray？　　〃Clementina　asked　with　unexpected　spirit
and　courage。

〃I　mean　simply　this；　that　I　have　not　succeeded　in　putting　you　on　your
guard　against　your　love　of　admirationespecially　the　admiration　of
gentlemen。　　A　young　girl　can't　be　too　careful　how　she　accepts　the
attentions　of　gentlemen；　and　if　she　seems　to　invite　them〃

〃Mrs。　Milray　cried　Clementina。　　〃How　can　you　say　such　a　thing　to　me？〃

〃How？　　I　shall　have　to　be　plain　with　you；　I　see。　　Perhaps　I　have　not
considered　that；　after　all；　you　know　nothing　about　life　and　are　not　to
blame　for　things　that　a　person　born　and　bred　in　the　world　would
understand　from　childhood。　　If　you　don't　know　already；　I　can　tell　you
that　the　way　you　have　behaved　with　Lord　Lioncourt　during　the　last　two　or
three　days；　and　the　way　you　showed　your　pleasure　the　other　night　in　his
ridiculous　flatteries　of　you；　was　enough　to　make　you　the　talk　of　the
whole　steamer。　　I　advise　you　for　your　own　sake　to　take　my　warning　in
time。　　You　are　very　young；　and　inexperienced　and　ignorant；　but　that　will
not　save　you　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　if　you　keep　on。〃　　Mrs。　Milray　rose。
〃And　now　I　will　leave　you　to　think　of　what　I　have　said。　　Here　is　the
letter　for　Miss　Milray〃

Clementina　shook　her　head。　　〃I　don't　want　it。〃

〃You　don't　want　it？　　But　I　have　written　it　at　Mr。　Milray's　request；　and　I
shall　certainly　leave　it　with　you！〃

〃If　you　do；〃　said　Clementina；　〃I　shall　not　take　it！〃

〃And　what　shall　I　say　to　Mr。　Milray？〃

〃What　you　have　just　said　to　me。〃

〃What　have　I　said　to　you？〃

〃That　I'm　a　bold　girl；　and　that　I've　tried　to　make　men　admi'a　me。〃

Mrs。　Milray　stopped　as　if　suddenly　daunted　by　a　fact　that　had　not
occurred　to　her　before。　　〃Did　I　say　that？〃

〃The　same　as　that。〃

〃I　didn't　mean　thatImerely　meant　to　put　you　on　your　guard。　　It　may　be
because　you　are　so　innocent　yourself；　that　you　can't　imagine　what　others
think；　andI　did　it　out　of　my　regard　for　you。〃

Clementina　did　not　answer。

Mrs。　Milray　went　on；　〃That　was　why　I　was　so　provoked　with　you。　　I　think
that　for　a　young　girl　to　stand　up　and　dance　alone　before　a　whole　steamer
full　of　strangers〃Clementina　looked　at　her　without　speaking；　and　Mrs。
Milray　hastened　to　say；　〃To　be　sure　I　advised　you　to　do　it；　but　I
certainly　was　surprised　that　you　should　give　an　encore。　　But　no　matter；
now。　　This　letter〃

〃I　can't　take　it；　Mrs。　Milray；〃　said　Clementina；　with　a　swelling　heart。

〃Now；　listen！〃　　urged　Mrs。　Milray。　　〃You　think　I'm　just　saying　it
because；　if　you　don't　take　it　I　shall　have　to　tell　Mr。　Milray　I　was　so
hateful　to　you；　you　couldn't。　　Well；　I　should　hate　to　tell　him　that；　but
that　isn't　the　reason。　　There！〃　　She　tore　the　letter　in　pieces；　and　threw
it　on　the　floor。　　Clementina　did　not　make　any　sign　of　seeing　this；　and
Mrs。　Milray　dropped　upon　her　chair　again。　　〃Oh；　how　hard　you　are！　　Can't
you　say　something　to　me？〃

Clementina　did　not　lift　her　eyes。　　〃I　don't　feel　like　saying　anything
just　now。〃

Mrs。　Milray　was　silent　a　moment。　　Then　she　sighed。　　〃Well；　you　may　hate
me；　but　I　shall　always　be　your　friend。　　What　hotel　are　you　going　to　in
Liverpool？

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Clementina。

〃You　had　better　come　to　the　one　where　we　go。　　I'm　afraid　Mrs。　Lander
won't　know　how　to　manage　very　well；　and　we've　been　in　Liverpool　so　often。
May　I　speak　to　her　about　it？〃

〃If　you　want　to；〃　Clementina　coldly　assented。

〃I　see！〃　　said　Mrs。　Milray。　　〃You　don't　want　to　be　under　the　same　roof
with　me。　　Well；　you　needn't！　　But　I'll　tell　you　a　good　hotel：　the　one
that　the　trains　start　out　of；　and　I'll　send　you　that　letter　for　Miss
Milray。〃　　Clemeutina　was　silent。　　〃Well；　I'll　send　it；　anyway。〃

Mrs。　Milray　went　away　in　sudden　tears；　but　the　girl　remained　dry…eyed。




XIX。

Mrs。　Lander　realized　when　the　ship　came　to　anchor　in　the　stream　at
Liverpool　that　she　had　not　been　seasick　a　moment　during　the　voyage。　　In
the　brisk　cold　of　the　winter　morning；　as　they　came　ashore　in　the　tug；　she
fancied　a　property　of　health　in　the　European　atmosphere；　which　she　was
sure　would　bring　her　right　up；　if　she　stayed　long　enough；　and　a　regret
that　she　had　never　tried　it　with　Mr。　Lander　mingled　with　her　new　hopes
for　herself。

But　Clementina　looked　with　home…sick　eyes　at　the　strangeness　of　the　alien
scene：　the　pale；　low　heaven　which　seemed　not　to　be　clouded　and　yet　was　so
dim；　the　flat　shores　with　the　little　railroad　trains　running　in　and　out
over　them；　the　grimy　bulks　of　the　city；　and　the　shipping　in　the　river；
sparse　and　sombre　after　the　gay　forest　of　sails　and　stacks　at　New　York。

She　did　not　see　the　Milrays　after　she　left　the　tug；　in　the　rapid
dispersal　of　the　steamer's　passengers。　　They　both　took　leave　of　her　at
the　dock；　and　Mrs。　Milray　whispered　with　penitence　in　her　voice　and　eyes；
I　will　write；〃　but　the　girl　did　not　answer。

Before　Mrs。　Lander's　trunks　and　her　own　were　passed；　she　saw　Lord
Lioncourt　going　away　with　his　heavily　laden　man　at　his　heels。　　Mr。　Ewins
came　up　to　see　if　he　could　help　her　through　the　customs；　but　she　believed
that　be　had　come　at　Mrs。　Milray's　bidding；　and　she　thanked　him　so
prohibitively　that　he　could　not　insist。　　The　English　clergyman　who　had
spoken　to　her　the　morning　after　the　charity　entertainment　left　his　wife
with　Mrs。　Lander；　and　came　to　her　help；　and　then　Mr。　Ewins　went　his　way。

The　clergyman；　who　appeared　to　feel　the　friendlessness　of　the　young　girl
and　the　old　woman　a　charge　laid　upon　him；　bestowed　a　sort　of　fatherly
protection　upon　them　both。　　He　advised　them　to　stop　at　a　hotel　for　a　few
hours　and　take　the　later　train　for　London　that　he　and　his　wife　were　going
up　by；　they　drove　to　the　hotel　together；　where　Mrs。　Lander　could　not　be
kept　from　paying　the　omnibus；　and　made　them　have　luncheon　with　her。　　She
allowed　the　clergyman　to　get　her　tickets；　and　she　could　not　believe　that
be　had　taken　second　class　tickets　for　himself　and　his　wife。　　She　said
that　she　had　never　heard　of　anyone　travelling　second　class　before；　and
she　assured　him　that　they　never　did　it　in　America。　　She　begged　him　to　let
her　pay　the　difference；　and　bring　his　wife　into　her　compartment；　which
the　guard　had　reserved　for　her。　　She　urged　that　the　money　was　nothing　to
her；　compared　with　the　comfort　of　being　with　some　one　you　knew；　and　the
clergyman　had　to　promise　that　as　they　should　be　neighbors；　he　would　look
in　upon　her；　whenever　the　train　stopped　long　enough。

Before　it　began　to　move；　Clementina　thought　she　saw　Lord　Lioncourt
hurrying　past　their　carriage…window。　　At　Rugby　the　clergyman　appeared；
but　almost　before　he　could　speak；　Lord　Lioncourt's　little　red　face　showed
at　his　elbow。　　He　asked　Clementina　to　present　him　to　Mrs。　Lander；　who
pressed　him　to　get　into　her　compartment；　the　clergyman　vanished；　and　Lord
Lioncourt　yielded。

Mrs。　Lander　found　him　able　to　tell　her　the　best　way　to　get　to　Florence；
whose　situation　he　seemed　to　know　perfectly；　he　confessed　that　he　had
been　there　rather　often。　　He　made　out　a　little　itinerary　for　going
straight　through　by　sleeping…car　as　soon　as　you　crossed　the　Channel；　she
had　said　that　she　always　liked　a　through　train　when　she　could　get　it；　and
the　less　stops　the　better。　　She　bade　Clementina　take　charge　of　the　plan
and　not　lose　it；　without　it　she　did　not　see　what　they　could　do。　　She
conceived　of　him　as　a　friend　of　Clementina's；　and　she　lost　in　the　strange
environment　the　shyness　she　had　with　most　people。　　She　told　him　how　Mr。
Lander　had　made　his　money；　and　from　what　beginnings　he　rose　to　be
ignorant　of　what　he　really　was　worth　when　he　died。　　She　dwelt　upon　the
diseases　they　had　suffered；　and　at　the　thought　of　his　death；　so
unnecessary　in　view　of　the　good　that　the　air　was　already　doing　her　in
Europe；　she　shed　tears。

Lord　Lioncourt　was　very　polite；　but　there　was　no　resumption　of　the　ship's
comradery　in　his　manner。　　Clementina　could　not　know　how　quickly　this
always　drops　from　people　who　have　been　fellow…passengers；　and　she
wondered　if　he　were　guarding　himself　from　her　because　she　had　danced　at
the　charity　entertainment。　　The　poison　which　Mrs。　Milray　had　instilled
worked　in　her　thoughts　while　she　could　not　help　seeing　how　patient　he　was
with　all　Mrs。　Lander's　questions；　he　answered　them　with　a　simplicity　of
his　own；　or　laughed　and　put　them　by；　when　they　were　quite　impossible。
Many　of　them　related　to　the　comparative　merits　of　English　and　American
railroads；　and　what　he　thought　himself　of　these。　　Mrs。　Lander　noted　the
difference　of　the　English　stations；　but　she　did　not　see　much　in　the
landscape　to　examine　him　upon。　　She　required　him　to　tell　her　why　the
rooks　they　saw　were　not　crows；　and　she　was　not　satisfied　that　he　should
say　the　country　seat　she　pointed　out　was　a　castle　when　it　was　plainly
deficient　in　battlements。　　She　based　upon　his　immovable　confidence　in
respect　to　it　an　inquiry　into　the　structure　of　English　society；　and　she
made　him　tell　her　what　a　lord　was；　and　a　commoner；　and　how　the　royal
family　diffe