the pension beaurepas-第4节

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banker's；　on　the　other　side　of　the　Rhone；　and　remained　there　a　long
time；　turning　over　the　old　papers　on　the　green　velvet　table　in　the
middle　of　the　Salon　des　Etrangers；　and　fraternising　with　chance
compatriots。　　But　in　spite　of　these　diversions　his　time　hung　heavily
upon　his　hands。　　I　used　sometimes　to　propose　to　him　to　take　a　walk；
but　he　had　a　mortal　horror　of　pedestrianism；　and　regarded　my　own
taste　for　it　as'　a　morbid　form　of　activity。　　〃You'll　kill　yourself；
if　you　don't　look　out；〃　he　said；　〃walking　all　over　the　country。　　I
don't　want　to　walk　round　that　way；　I　ain't　a　postman！〃　　Briefly
speaking；　Mr。　Ruck　had　few　resources。　　His　wife　and　daughter；　on　the
other　hand；　it　was　to　be　supposed；　were　possessed　of　a　good　many　that
could　not　be　apparent　to　an　unobtrusive　young　man。　　They　also　sat　a
great　deal　in　the　garden　or　in　the　salon；　side　by　side；　with　folded
hands；　contemplating　material　objects；　and　were　remarkably
independent　of　most　of　the　usual　feminine　aids　to　idlenesslight
literature；　tapestry；　the　use　of　the　piano。　　They　were；　however；　much
fonder　of　locomotion　than　their　companion；　and　I　often　met　them　in
the　Rue　du　Rhone　and　on　the　quays；　loitering　in　front　of　the
jewellers'　windows。　　They　might　have　had　a　cavalier　in　the　person　of
old　M。　Pigeonneau；　who　possessed　a　high　appreciation　of　their　charms；
but　who；　owing　to　the　absence　of　a　common　idiom；　was　deprived　of　the
pleasures　of　intimacy。　　He　knew　no　English；　and　Mrs。　Ruck　and　her
daughter　had；　as　it　seemed；　an　incurable　mistrust　of　the　beautiful
tongue　which；　as　the　old　man　endeavoured　to　impress　upon　them；　was
pre…eminently　the　language　of　conversation。

〃They　have　a　tournure　de　princessea　distinction　supreme；〃　he　said
to　me。　　〃One　is　surprised　to　find　them　in　a　little　pension；　at　seven
francs　a　day。〃

〃Oh；　they　don't　come　for　economy；〃　I　answered。　　〃They　must　be　rich。〃

〃They　don't　come　for　my　beaux　yeuxfor　mine；〃　said　M。　Pigeonneau；
sadly。　　〃Perhaps　it's　for　yours；　young　man。　　Je　vous　recommande　la
mere。〃

I　reflected　a　moment。　　〃They　came　on　account　of　Mr。　Ruckbecause　at
hotels　he's　so　restless。〃

M。　Pigeonneau　gave　me　a　knowing　nod。　　〃Of　course　he　is；　with　such　a
wife　as　thata　femme　superbe。　　Madame　Ruck　is　preserved　in
perfectiona　miraculous　fraicheur。　　I　like　those　large；　fair；　quiet
women；　they　are　often；　dans　l'intimite；　the　most　agreeable。　　I'll
warrant　you　that　at　heart　Madame　Ruck　is　a　finished　coquette。〃

〃I　rather　doubt　it；〃　I　said。

〃You　suppose　her　cold？　　Ne　vous　y　fiez　pas！〃

〃It　is　a　matter　in　which　I　have　nothing　at　stake。〃

〃You　young　Americans　are　droll；〃　said　M。　Pigeonneau；　〃you　never　have
anything　at　stake！　But　the　little　one；　for　example；　I'll　warrant　you
she's　not　cold。　　She　is　admirably　made。〃

〃She　is　very　pretty。〃

〃'She　is　very　pretty！'　　Vous　dites　cela　d'un　ton！　　When　you　pay
compliments　to　Mademoiselle　Ruck；　I　hope　that's　not　the　way　you　do
it。〃

〃I　don't　pay　compliments　to　Mademoiselle　Ruck。〃

〃Ah；　decidedly；〃　said　M。　Pigeonneau；　〃you　young　Americans　are　droll！〃

I　should　have　suspected　that　these　two　ladies　would　not　especially
commend　themselves　to　Madame　Beaurepas；　that　as　a　maitresse　de　salon；
which　she　in　some　degree　aspired　to　be；　she　would　have　found　them
wanting　in　a　certain　flexibility　of　deportment。　　But　I　should　have
gone　quite　wrong；　Madame　Beaurepas　had　no　fault　at　all　to　find　with
her　new　pensionnaires。　　〃I　have　no　observation　whatever　to　make　about
them；〃　she　said　to　me　one　evening。　　〃I　see　nothing　in　those　ladies
which　is　at　all　deplace。　　They　don't　complain　of　anything；　they　don't
meddle；　they　take　what's　given　them；　they　leave　me　tranquil。　　The
Americans　are　often　like　that。　　Often；　but　not　always；〃　Madame
Beaurepas　pursued。　　〃We　are　to　have　a　specimen　to…morrow　of　a　very
different　sort。〃

〃An　American？〃　I　inquired。

〃Two　Americainesa　mother　and　a　daughter。　　There　are　Americans　and
Americans：　　when　you　are　difficiles；　you　are　more　so　than　any　one；
and　when　you　have　pretensionsah；　per　exemple；　it's　serious。　　I
foresee　that　with　this　little　lady　everything　will　be　serious；
beginning　with　her　cafe　au　lait。　　She　has　been　staying　at　the　Pension
Chamoussetmy　concurrent；　you　know；　farther　up　the　street；　but　she
is　coming　away　because　the　coffee　is　bad。　　She　holds　to　her　coffee；
it　appears。　　I　don't　know　what　liquid　Madame　Chamousset　may　have
invented；　but　we　will　do　the　best　we　can　for　her。　　Only；　I　know　she
will　make　me　des　histoires　about　something　else。　　She　will　demand　a
new　lamp　for　the　salon；　vous　alles　voir　cela。　　She　wishes　to　pay　but
eleven　francs　a　day　for　herself　and　her　daughter；　tout　compris；　and
for　their　eleven　francs　they　expect　to　be　lodged　like　princesses。
But　she　is　very　'ladylike'isn't　that　what　you　call　it　in　English？
Oh；　pour　cela；　she　is　ladylike！〃

I　caught　a　glimpse　on　the　morrow　of　this　ladylike　person；　who　was
arriving　at　her　new　residence　as　I　came　in　from　a　walk。　　She　had　come
in　a　cab；　with　her　daughter　and　her　luggage；　and；　with　an　air　of
perfect　softness　and　serenity；　she　was　disputing　the　fare　as　she
stood　among　her　boxes；　on　the　steps。　　She　addressed　her　cabman　in　a
very　English　accent；　but　with　extreme　precision　and　correctness。　　〃I
wish　to　be　perfectly　reasonable；　but　I　don't　wish　to　encourage　you　in
exorbitant　demands。　　With　a　franc　and　a　half　you　are　sufficiently
paid。　　It　is　not　the　custom　at　Geneva　to　give　a　pour…boire　for　so
short　a　drive。　　I　have　made　inquiries；　and　I　find　it　is　not　the
custom；　even　in　the　best　families。　　I　am　a　stranger；　yes；　but　I
always　adopt　the　custom　of　the　native　families。　　I　think　it　my　duty
toward　the　natives。〃

〃But　I　am　a　native；　too；　moi！〃　said　the　cabman；　with　an　angry　laugh。

〃You　seem　to　me　to　speak　with　a　German　accent；〃　continued　the　lady。
〃You　are　probably　from　Basel。　　A　franc　and　a　half　is　sufficient。　　I
see　you　have　left　behind　the　little　red　bag　which　I　asked　you　to　hold
between　your　knees；　you　will　please　to　go　back　to　the　other　house　and
get　it。　　Very　well；　if　you　are　impolite　I　will　make　a　complaint　of
you　to…morrow　at　the　administration。　　Aurora；　you　will　find　a　pencil
in　the　outer　pocket　of　my　embroidered　satchel；　please　to　write　down
his　number；87；　do　you　see　it　distinctly？in　case　we　should　forget
it。〃

The　young　lady　addressed　as　〃Aurora〃a　slight；　fair　girl；　holding　a
large　parcel　of　umbrellasstood　at　hand　while　this　allocution　went
forward；　but　she　apparently　gave　no　heed　to　it。　　She　stood　looking
about　her；　in　a　listless　manner；　at　the　front　of　the　house；　at　the
corridor；　at　Celestine　tucking　up　her　apron　in　the　doorway；　at　me　as
I　passed　in　amid　the　disseminated　luggage；　her　mother's　parsimonious
attitude　seeming　to　produce　in　Miss　Aurora　neither　sympathy　nor
embarrassment。　　At　dinner　the　two　ladies　were　placed　on　the　same　side
of　the　table　as　myself；　below　Mrs。　Ruck　and　her　daughter；　my　own
position　being　on　the　right　of　Mr。　Ruck。　　I　had　therefore　little
observation　of　Mrs。　Churchsuch　I　learned　to　be　her　namebut　I
occasionally　heard　her　soft；　distinct　voice。

〃White　wine；　if　you　please；　we　prefer　white　wine。　　There　is　none　on
the　table？　　Then　you　will　please　to　get　some；　and　to　remember　to
place　a　bottle　of　it　always　here；　between　my　daughter　and　myself。〃

〃That　lady　seems　to　know　what　she　wants；〃　said　Mr。　Ruck；　〃and　she
speaks　so　I　can　understand　her。　　I　can't　understand　every　one；　over
here。　　I　should　like　to　make　that　lady's　acquaintance。　　Perhaps　she
knows　what　_I_　want；　too；　it　seems　hard　to　find　out。　　But　I　don't
want　any　of　their　sour　white　wine；　that's　one　of　the　things　I　don't
want。　　I　expect　she'll　be　an　addition　to　the　pension。〃

Mr。　Ruck　made　the　acquaintance　of　Mrs。　Church　that　evening　in　the
parlour；　being　presented　to　her　by　his　wife；　who　presumed　on　the
rights　conferred　upon　herself　by　the　mutual　proximity；　at　table；　of
the　two　ladies。　　I　suspected　that　in　Mrs。　Church's　view　Mrs。　Ruck
presumed　too　far。　　The　fugitive　from　the　Pension　Chamousset；　as　M。
Pigeonneau　called　her；　was　a　little　fresh；　plump；　comely　woman；
looking　less　than　her　age；　with　a　round；　bright；　serious　face。　　She
was　very　simply　and　frugally　dressed；　not　at　all　in　the　manner　of　Mr。
Ruck's　companions；　and　she　had　an　air　of　quiet　distinction　which　was
an　excellent　defensive　weapon。　　She　exhibited　a　polite　disposition　to
listen　to　what　Mr。　Ruck　might　have　to　say；　but　her　manner　was
equivalent　to　an　intimation　that　what　she　valued　least　in　boarding…
house　life　was　its　social　opportunities。　　She　had　placed　herself　near
a　lamp；　after　carefully　screwing　it　and　turning　it　up；　and　she　had
opened　in　her　lap；　with　the　assistance　of　a　large　embroidered　marker；
an　octavo　volume；　which　I　perceived　to　be　in　German。　　To　Mrs。　Ruck
and　her　daughter　she　was　evidently　a　puzzle；　with　her　economical
attire　and　her　expensive　culture。　　The　two　younger　ladies；　however；
had　begun　to　fraternise　very　freely；　and　Miss　Ruck　presently　went
wandering　out　of　the　room　with　her　arm　round　the　waist　of　Miss
Church。　　It　was　a　very　warm　evening；　the　long　windows　of　the　salon
stood　wide　open　into　the　garden；　and；　inspired　by　the　balmy　darkness；
M。　Pigeonneau　and　Mademoiselle　Beaurepas；　a　most　obliging　little
woman；　who　lisped　and　al