an open-eyed conspiracy-µÚ1ÕÂ
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An¡¡Open¡Eyed¡¡ConspiracyAn¡¡Idyl¡¡of¡¡Saratoga
by¡¡William¡¡Dean¡¡Howells
CHAPTER¡¡I
The¡¡day¡¡had¡¡been¡¡very¡¡hot¡¡under¡¡the¡¡tall¡¡trees¡¡which¡¡everywhere
embower¡¡and¡¡stifle¡¡Saratoga£»¡¡for¡¡they¡¡shut¡¡out¡¡the¡¡air¡¡as¡¡well¡¡as
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over¡¡to¡¡the¡¡pretty¡¡Congress¡¡Park£»¡¡in¡¡the¡¡hope¡¡of¡¡getting¡¡a¡¡breath¡¡of
coolness¡¡there¡£¡¡¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡March¡¡preferred¡¡to¡¡take¡¡the¡¡chances¡¡on¡¡the
verandah¡¡of¡¡our¡¡pleasant¡¡little¡¡hotel£»¡¡where¡¡I¡¡left¡¡her¡¡with¡¡the
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I¡¡myself¡¡think¡¡Saratoga¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡most¡¡delightful¡¡spectacles¡¡in¡¡the
world£»¡¡and¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡March¡¡is¡¡of¡¡the¡¡same¡¡mind¡¡about¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡like¡¡all¡¡the
waters£»¡¡and¡¡drink¡¡them¡¡without¡¡regard¡¡to¡¡their¡¡different¡¡properties£»
but¡¡we¡¡rather¡¡prefer¡¡the¡¡Congress¡¡spring£»¡¡because¡¡it¡¡is¡¡such¡¡a
pleasant¡¡place¡¡to¡¡listen¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Troy¡¡military¡¡band¡¡in¡¡the¡¡afternoon£»
and¡¡the¡¡more¡¡or¡¡less¡¡vocal¡¡concert¡¡in¡¡the¡¡evening¡£¡¡¡¡All¡¡the¡¡Saratoga
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and¡¡we¡¡find¡¡a¡¡perpetual¡¡interest¡¡in¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡go¡¡and¡¡look¡¡at¡¡the¡¡deer
£¨a¡¡herd¡¡of¡¡two£»¡¡I¡¡think£©¡¡behind¡¡their¡¡wire¡¡netting¡¡in¡¡the¡¡southward
valley¡¡of¡¡the¡¡park£»¡¡and¡¡we¡¡would¡¡feed¡¡the¡¡trout¡¡in¡¡their¡¡blue¡¡tank
if¡¡we¡¡did¡¡not¡¡see¡¡them¡¡suffering¡¡with¡¡surfeit£»¡¡and¡¡hanging¡¡in
motionless¡¡misery¡¡amid¡¡the¡¡clear¡¡water¡¡under¡¡a¡¡cloud¡¡of¡¡bread
crumbs¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡are¡¡such¡¡devotees¡¡of¡¡the¡¡special¡¡attractions¡¡offered
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pyrotechnic¡¡display¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡fact£»¡¡it¡¡happened¡¡to¡¡me¡¡one¡¡summer¡¡that¡¡I
studied¡¡so¡¡earnestly¡¡and¡¡so¡¡closely¡¡the¡¡countenance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡lady¡¡who
went¡¡up¡¡£¨in¡¡trunk¡hose£©£»¡¡in¡¡order¡¡to¡¡make¡¡out¡¡just¡¡what¡¡were¡¡the
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was¡¡not¡¡at¡¡the¡¡moment¡¡in¡¡trunk¡hose£©¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡like¡¡going¡¡about¡¡to¡¡the
great¡¡hotels£»¡¡and¡¡sponging¡¡on¡¡them¡¡for¡¡the¡¡music¡¡in¡¡the¡¡forenoon£»¡¡we
like¡¡the¡¡gaudy¡¡shops¡¡of¡¡modes¡¡kept¡¡by¡¡artists¡¡whose¡¡addresses¡¡are
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might¡¡be¡£
Somehow¡¡I¡¡could¡¡not¡¡predicate¡¡these¡¡simple¡¡joys¡¡of¡¡the¡¡people¡¡I¡¡have
been¡¡talking¡¡of£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡very¡¡reason£»¡¡that¡¡they¡¡were¡¡themselves¡¡so
simple¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡our¡¡sophistication¡¡which¡¡enabled¡¡us¡¡to¡¡taste
pleasures¡¡which¡¡would¡¡have¡¡been¡¡insipidities¡¡to¡¡them¡£¡¡¡¡Their¡¡palates
would¡¡have¡¡demanded¡¡other¡¡flavourssocial¡¡excitements£»¡¡balls£»
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fancied¡¡very¡¡willing¡¡to¡¡go¡¡back¡¡to¡¡her¡¡house¡keeping£»¡¡and¡¡to¡¡be
staying¡¡on¡¡in¡¡Saratoga¡¡only¡¡on¡¡her¡¡friend's¡¡account¡£
CHAPTER¡¡II
I¡¡had¡¡already¡¡made¡¡up¡¡my¡¡mind¡¡that¡¡¡¡they¡¡had¡¡been¡¡the¡¡closest
friends¡¡before¡¡one¡¡of¡¡them¡¡married£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡the¡¡young¡¡wife¡¡still
thought¡¡the¡¡young¡¡girl¡¡worthy¡¡of¡¡the¡¡most¡¡splendid¡¡fate¡¡that
marriage¡¡could¡¡have¡¡in¡¡store¡¡for¡¡any¡¡of¡¡her¡¡sex¡£¡¡¡¡Women¡¡often¡¡make
each¡¡other¡¡the¡¡idols¡¡of¡¡such¡¡worship£»¡¡but¡¡I¡¡could¡¡not¡¡have¡¡justified
this¡¡lady's¡¡adoration¡¡so¡¡far¡¡as¡¡it¡¡concerned¡¡the¡¡mental¡¡and¡¡moral
qualities¡¡of¡¡her¡¡friend£»¡¡though¡¡I¡¡fully¡¡shared¡¡it¡¡in¡¡regard¡¡to¡¡her
beauty¡£¡¡¡¡To¡¡me¡¡she¡¡looked¡¡a¡¡little¡¡dull¡¡and¡¡a¡¡little¡¡selfish£»¡¡and¡¡I
chose¡¡to¡¡think¡¡the¡¡husband¡¡modestly¡¡found¡¡her¡¡selfish£»¡¡if¡¡he¡¡were
too¡¡modest¡¡to¡¡find¡¡her¡¡dull¡£
Yet£»¡¡after¡¡all£»¡¡I¡¡tacitly¡¡argued¡¡with¡¡him£»¡¡why¡¡should¡¡we¡¡call¡¡her
selfish£¿¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡perfectly¡¡right¡¡and¡¡fit¡¡that£»¡¡as¡¡a¡¡young¡¡girl¡¡with
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even¡¡to¡¡show¡¡herself¡¡to¡¡the¡¡world£»and¡¡find¡¡in¡¡it¡¡some¡¡agreeable
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ever¡£¡¡¡¡Compare¡¡this¡¡simple¡¡and¡¡natural¡¡longing¡¡with¡¡the¡¡insatiate
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to¡¡me£»¡¡if¡¡you¡¡can£»¡¡of¡¡this¡¡poor¡¡girl's¡¡selfishness£¡¡¡¡¡A¡¡young¡¡man¡¡has
more¡¡egoism¡¡in¡¡an¡¡hour¡¡than¡¡a¡¡young¡¡girl¡¡has¡¡in¡¡her¡¡whole¡¡life¡£¡¡¡¡She
thinks¡¡she¡¡wishes¡¡some¡¡one¡¡to¡¡be¡¡devoted¡¡to¡¡her£»¡¡but¡¡she¡¡really
wishes¡¡some¡¡one¡¡to¡¡let¡¡her¡¡be¡¡devoted¡¡to¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡how¡¡passively£»¡¡how
negatively£»¡¡she¡¡must¡¡manage¡¡to¡¡accomplish¡¡her¡¡self¡sacrifice£¡¡¡¡¡He£»
on¡¡the¡¡contrary£»¡¡means¡¡to¡¡go¡¡conquering¡¡and¡¡enslaving¡¡forward£»¡¡