an open-eyed conspiracy-第10章

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that　she　did　not　feel　just　exactly　like　going；　and　my　tender　heart
ached　with　a　knowledge　of　her　distress。　　Miss　Gage　made　a　faint；
false　pretence　of　refusing　to　come　with　us；　too；　but　Mrs。　Deering
urged　her　to　go；　and　put　on　the　new　dress；　which　had　just　come　home；
so　that　Mrs。　March　could　see　it。　　The　girl　came　back　looking
radiant；　divine；　and〃Will　it　do？〃　she　palpitated　under　my　wife's
critical　glance。

〃Do？　　It　will　OUTdo！　　I　never　saw　anything　like　it！〃　　The
connoisseur　patted　it　a　little　this　way　and　a　little　that。　　〃It　is　a
dream！　　Did　the　hat　come　too？〃

It　appeared　that　the　hat　had　come　too。　　Miss　Gage　rematerialised
with　it　on；　after　a　moment's　evanescence；　and　looked　at　my　wife　with
the　expression　of　being　something　impersonal　with　a　hat　on。

〃Simply；　there　is　nothing　to　say！〃　cried　Mrs。　March。　　The　girl　put
up　her　hands　to　it。　　〃Good　gracious！　　You　mustn't　take　it　off！　　Your
costume　is　perfect　for　the　concert。〃

〃Is　it；　really？〃　asked　the　girl　joyfully；　and　she　seemed　to　find
this　the　first　fitting　moment　to　say；　for　sole　recognition　of　our
self…sacrifice；　〃I'm　much　obliged　to　you；　Mr。　March；　for　getting　me
that　room。〃

I　begged　her　not　to　speak　of　it；　and　turned　an　ironical　eye　upon　my
wife；　but　she　was　lost　in　admiration　of　the　hat。

〃Yes；〃　she　sighed；　〃it's　much　better　than　the　one　I　wanted　you　to
get　at　first。〃　　And　she　afterward　explained　that　the　girl　seemed　to
have　a　perfect　instinct　for　what　went　with　her　style。

Kendricks　kept　himself　discreetly　in　the　background；　and；　with　his
unfailing　right　feeling；　was　talking　to　Mrs。　Deering；　in　spite　of
her　not　paying　much　attention　to　him。　　I　must　own　that　I　too　was
absorbed　in　the　spectacle　of　Miss　Gage。

She　went　off　with　us；　and　did　not　say　another　word　to　Mrs。　Deering
about　helping　her　to　pack。　　Perhaps　this　was　best；　though　it　seemed
heartless；　it　may　not　have　been　so　heartless　as　it　seemed。　　I　dare
say　it　would　have　been　more　suffering　to　the　woman　if　the　girl　had
missed　this　chance。



CHAPTER　X



We　had　undertaken　rather　a　queer　affair　but　it　was　not　so　queer
after　all；　when　Miss　Gage　was　fairly　settled　with　us。　　There　were
other　young　girls　in　that　pleasant　house　who　had　only　one　another's
protection　and　the　general　safety　of　the　social　atmosphere。　　We
could　not　conceal　from　ourselves；　of　course；　that　we　had　done　a
rather　romantic　thing；　and；　in　the　light　of　Europe；　which　we　had
more　or　less　upon　our　actions；　rather　an　absurd　thing；　but　it　was　a
comfort　to　find　that　Miss　Gage　thought　it　neither　romantic　nor
absurd。　　She　took　the　affair　with　an　apparent　ignorance　of　anything
unusual　in　itwith　so　much　ignorance；　indeed；　that　Mrs。　March　had
her　occasional　question　whether　she　was　duly　impressed　with　what　was
being　done　for　her。　　Whether　this　was　so　or　not；　it　is　certain　that
she　was　as　docile　and　as　biddable　as　need　be。　　She　did　not　always
ask　what　she　should　do；　that　would　not　have　been　in　the　tradition　of
village　independence；　but　she　always　did　what　she　was　told；　and　did
not　vary　from　her　instructions　a　hair's…breadth。　　I　do　not　suppose
she　always　knew　why　she　might　do　this　and　might　not　do　that；　and　I
do　not　suppose　that　young　girls　often　understand　the　reasons　of　the
proprieties。　　They　are　told　that　they　must；　and　that　they　must　not；
and　this　in　an　astonishing　degree　suffices　them　if　they　are　nice
girls。

Of　course　there　was　pretty　constant　question　of　Kendricks　in　the
management　of　Miss　Gage's　amusement；　for　that　was　really　what　our
enterprise　resolved　itself　into。　　He　showed　from　the　first　the
sweetest　disposition　to　forward　all　our　plans　in　regard　to　her；　and；
in　fact；　he　even　anticipated　our　wishes。　　I　do　not　mean　to　give　the
notion　that　he　behaved　from　an　interested　motive　in　going　to　the
station　the　morning　Mrs。　Deering　left；　and　getting　her　ticket　for
her；　and　checking　her　baggage；　and　posting　her　in　the　changes　she
would　have　to　make。　　This　was　something　I　ought　to　have　thought　of
myself；　but　I　did　not　think　of　it；　and　I　am　willing　that　he　should
have　all　the　credit。

I　know　that　he　did　it　out　of　the　lovely　generosity　of　nature　which
always　took　me　in　him。　　Miss　Gage　was　there　with　her；　and　she
remained　to　be　consoled　after　Mrs。　Deering　departed。　　They　came
straight　to　us　from　the　train；　and　then；　when　he　had　consigned　Miss
Gage　to　Mrs。　March's　care；　he　offered　to　go　and　see　that　her　things
were　transferred　from　her　hotel　to　ours；　they　were　all　ready；　she
said；　and　the　bill　was　paid。

He　did　not　come　back　that　day；　and；　in　fact；　he　delicately　waited
for　some　sign　from　us　that　his　help　was　wanted。　　But　when　he　did
come　he　had　formulated　Saratoga　very　completely；　and　had　a　better
conception　of　doing　it　than　I　had；　after　my　repeated　sojourns。

We　went　very　early　in　our　explorations　to　the　House　of　Pansa；　which
you　find　in　very　much　better　repair　at　Saratoga　than　you　do　at
Pompeii；　and　we　contrived　to　pass　a　whole　afternoon　there。　　My　wife
and　I　had　been　there　before　more　than　once；　but　it　always　pleasantly
recalled　our　wander…years；　when　we　first　met　in　Europe；　and　we
suffered　round　after　those　young　things　with　a　patience　which　I　hope
will　not　be　forgotten　at　the　day　of　judgment。　　When　we　came　to　a
seat　we　sat　down；　and　let　them　go　off　by　themselves；　but　my
recollection　is　that　there　is　not　much　furniture　in　the　House　of
Pansa　that　you　can　sit　down　on；　and　for　the　most　part　we　all　kept
together。

Kendricks　and　I　thought　alike　about　the　Pompeian　house　as　a　model　of
something　that　might　be　done　in　the　way　of　a　seaside　cottage　in　our
own　country；　and　we　talked　up　a　little　paper　that　might　be　done　for
Every　Other　Week；　with　pretty　architectural　drawings；　giving　an
account　of　our　imaginary　realisation　of　the　notion。

〃Have　somebody；〃　he　said；　〃visit　people　who　had　been　boring　him　to
come　down；　or　up；　or　out；　and　see　them；　and　find　them　in　a　Pompeian
house；　with　the　sea　in　front　and　a　blue…green　grove　of　low　pines
behind。　　Might　have　a　thread　of　story；　but　mostly　talk　about　how
they　came　to　do　it；　and　how　delightfully　livable　they　found　it。　　You
could　work　it　up　with　some　architect；　who　would　help　you　to　'keep
off　the　grass'　in　the　way　of　technical　blunders。　　With　all　this
tendency　to　the　classic　in　public　architecture；　I　don't　see　why　the
Pompeian　villa　shouldn't　be　the　next　word　for　summer　cottages。〃

〃Well；　we'll　see　what　Fulkerson　says。　　He　may　see　an　ad。　in　it。
Would　you　like　to　do　it？〃

〃Why　not　do　it　yourself？　　Nobody　else　could　do　it　so　well。〃

〃Thanks　for　the　taffy；　but　the　idea　was　yours。〃

〃I'll　do　it；〃　said　Kendricks　after　a　moment；　〃if　you　won't。〃

〃We'll　see。〃

Miss　Gage　stared；　and　Mrs。　March　said　…

〃I　didn't　suppose　the　House　of　Pansa　would　lead　to　shop　with　you
two。〃

〃You　never　can　tell　which　way　copy　lies；〃　I　returned；　and　I　asked
the　girl；　〃What　should　YOU　think；　Miss　Gage；　of　a　little　paper　with
a　thread　of　story；　but　mostly　talk；　on　a　supposititious　Pompeian
cottage？〃

〃I　don't　believe　I　understand；〃　said　she；　far　too　remote　from　our
literary　interests；　as　I　saw；　to　be　ashamed　of　her　ignorance。

〃There！〃　I　said　to　Kendricks。　　〃Do　you　think　the　general　public
would？〃

〃Miss　Gage　isn't　the　general　public；〃　said　my　wife；　who　had　followed
the　course　of　my　thought；　her　tone　implied　that　Miss　Gage　was　wiser
and　better。

〃Would　you　allow　yourself　to　be　drawn；〃　I　asked；　〃dreamily　issuing
from　an　aisle　of　the　pine　grove　as　the　tutelary　goddess　of　a
Pompeian　cottage？〃

The　girl　cast　a　bewildered　glance　at　my　wife；　who　said；　〃You　needn't
pay　any　attention　to　him；　Miss　Gage。　　He　has　an　idea　that　he　is
making　a　joke。〃

We　felt　that　we　had　done　enough　for　one　afternoon；　when　we　had　done
the　House　of　Pansa；　and　I　proposed　that　we　should　go　and　sit　down　in
Congress　Park　and　listen　to　the　Troy　band。　　I　was　not　without　the
hope　that　it　would　play　〃Washington　Post。〃

My　wife　contrived　that　we　should　fall　in　behind　the　young　people　as
we　went；　and　she　asked；　〃What　DO　you　suppose　she　made　of　it　all？〃

〃Probably　she　thought　it　was　the　house　of　Sancho　Panza。〃

〃No；　she　hasn't　read　enough　to　be　so　ignorant　even　as　that。　　It's
astonishing　how　much　she　doesn't　know。　　What　can　her　home　life　have
been　like？〃

〃Philistine　to　the　last　degree。　　We　people　who　are　near　to
literature　have　no　conception　how　far　from　it　most　people　are。　　The
immense　majority　of　'homes；'　as　the　newspapers　call　them；　have　no
books　in　them　except　the　Bible　and　a　semi…religious　volume　or　two
things　you　never　see　out　of　such　'homes'and　the　State　business
directory。　　I　was　astonished　when　it　came　out　that　she　knew　about
Every　Other　Week。　　It　must　have　been　by　accident。　　The　sordidness　of
her　home　life　must　be　something　unimaginable。　　The　daughter　of　a
village　capitalist；　who's　put　together　his　money　dollar　by　dollar；
as　they　do　in　such　places；　from　the　necessities　and　follies　of　his
neighbours；　and　has　half　the　farmers　of　the　region　by　the　throat
through　his　mortgagesI　don't　think　that　she's　'one　to　be　desired'
any　more　than　'the　daughter　of　a　hundred　earls；'　if　so　much。〃

〃She　doesn't　seem　sordid　herself。〃

〃Oh；　the　taint　doesn't　show　itself　at　once


'If　nature　put　not　forth　her　power
About　the　opening　of　the　flower；
Who　is　it　that　would　live　an　hour？'


and　she　is　a　flower；　beautiful；　exquisite〃

〃Yes；　and　she　had　a　mother　as　well　as　this　father　of　hers。　　Why
shouldn't　she　be　like　her　mother？〃

I　laughed。　　〃That　is　true！　　I　wonder　why　we　always　leave　the　mother
out　of　the　count　when　we　sum　up　the　hereditary　tendencies？　　I
suppose　the　mother　is　as　much　a　parent　as　the　father。〃

〃Quite。　　And　there　is　no　reason　why　this　girl　shouldn't　have　her
mother's　nature。〃

〃We　don't　actually　KNOW　anything　against　her　father's　nature　yet；〃　I
suggested；　〃but　if　her　mother　lived　a　starved　and　stunted　life　with
him；　it　may　account　for　that　effect　of　disappointed　greed　which　I
fancied　in　her　when　I　first　saw　her。〃

〃I　don't　call　it　greed　in　a　young　girl　to　want　to　see　something　of
the　world。〃

〃What　do　you　call　it？〃

Kendricks　and　the　girl　were　stopping　at　the　gate　of　the　pavilion；
and　looking　round　at　us。　　〃Ah；　he's　got　enough　for　one　day！　　He's
going　to　leave　her　to　us　now。〃

When　we　came　up　he　said；　〃I'm　going　to　run　off　a　moment；　I'm　going
up　to　the　book…store　there；〃　and　he　pointed　toward　one　that　had
spread　across　the　sidewalk　just　below　the　Congress　Hall　verandah；
with　banks　and　shelves　of　novels；　and　a　cry　of　bargains　in　them　on
signs　sticking　up　from　their　rows。　　〃I　want　to　see　if　they　have　the
Last　Days　of　Pompeii。〃

〃We　will　find　the　ladies　inside　the　park；〃　I　said。　　〃I　will　go　with
you〃

〃Mr。　March　wants　to　see　if　they　have　the　last　number　of　Every　Other
Week；〃　my　wife　mocked　after　us。　　This　was；　indeed；　commonly　a　foible
of　mine。　　I　had　newly　become　one　of　the　owners　of　the　periodical　as
well　as　the　editor；　and　I　was　all　the　time　looking　out　for　it　at　the
news…stands　and　book…stores；　and　judging　their　enterprise　by　its
presence　or　absence。　　But　this　time　I　had　another　motive；　though　I
did　not　allege　it。

〃I　suppose　it's　for　Miss　Gage？〃　I　ventured　to　say；　by　way　of
prefacing　what　I　wished　to　say。　　〃Kendricks；　I'm　afraid　we're
abusing　your　good　nature。　　I　know　you're　up