the kentons-第15章

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〃Is　it　a　storm？〃　　she　asked；　indifferently。

〃It's　what　they　call　half　a　gale；　I　believe。　　I　don't　know　how　they
measure　it。〃

She　smiled　warily　in　response　to　his　laugh；　and　said　to　her　father；　〃Are
you　going　up　after　breakfast；　poppa？〃

〃Why；　if　you　want　to　go；　Ellen〃

〃Oh；　I　wasn't　asking　for　that；　I　am　going　back　to　Lottie。　　But　I　should
think　you　would　like　the　air。　　Won't　it　do　you　good？〃

〃I'm　all　right；〃　said　the　judge；　cheered　by　her　show　of　concern　for　some
one　else。　　〃I　suppose　it's　rather　wet　on　deck？〃　　he　referred　himself　to
Breckon。

〃Well；　not　very；　if　you　keep　to　the　leeward。　　She　doesn't　seem　a　very　wet
boat。〃

〃What　is　a　wet　boat〃　Ellen　asked；　without　lifting　her　sad　eyes。

〃Well；　really；　I'm　afraid　it's　largely　a　superstition。　　Passengers　like
to　believe　that　some　boats　are　less　liable　to　ship　seasto　run　into
wavesthan　others；　but　I　fancy　that's　to　give　themselves　the　air　of　old
travellers。〃

She　let　the　matter　lapse　so　entirely　that　he　supposed　she　had　forgotten
it　in　all　its　bearings；　when　she　asked；　〃Have　you　been　across　many
times？〃

〃Not　many…four　or　five。〃

〃This　is　our　first　time；〃　she　volunteered。

〃I　hope　it　won't　be　your　last。　　I　know　you　will　enjoy　it。〃　　She　fell
listless　again；　and　Breckon　imagined　he　had　made　a　break。　　〃Not；〃　he
added；　with　an　endeavor　for　lightness；　〃that　I　suppose　you're　going　for
pleasure　altogether。　　Women；　nowadays；　are　above　that；　I　understand。　
They　go　abroad　for　art's　sake；　and　to　study　political　economy；　and
history；　and　literature〃

〃My　daughter；〃　the　judge　interposed；　〃will　not　do　much　in　that　way；　I
hope。〃

The　girl　bent　her　head　over　her　plate　and　frowned。

〃Oh；　then；〃　said　Breckon；　〃I　will　believe　that　she's　going　for　purely
selfish　enjoyment。　　I　should　like　to　be　justified　in　making　that　my
object　by　a　good　example。〃

Ellen　looked　up　and　gave　him　a　look　that　cut　him　short　in　his　glad　note。　
The　lifting　of　her　eyelids　was　like　the　rise　of　the　curtain　upon　some
scene　of　tragedy　which　was　all　the　more　impressive　because　it　seemed
somehow　mixed　with　shame。　　This　poor　girl；　whom　he　had　pitied　as　an
invalid；　was　a　sufferer　from　some　spiritual　blight　more　pathetic　than
broken　health。　　He　pulled　his　mind　away　from　the　conjecture　that　tempted
it　and　went　on：　〃One　of　the　advantages　of　going　over　the　fourth　or　fifth
time　is　that　you're　relieved　from　a　discoverer's　duties　to　Europe。　　I've
got　absolutely　nothing　before　me　now；　but　at　first　I　had　to　examine　every
object　of　interest　on　the　Continent；　and　form　an　opinion　about　thousands
of　objects　that　had　no　interest　for　me。　　I　hope　Miss　Kenton　will　take
warning　from　me。〃

He　had　not　addressed　Ellen　directly；　and　her　father　answered：　〃We　have　no
definite　plans　as　yet；　but　we　don't　mean　to　overwork　ourselves　even　if
we've　come　for　a　rest。　　I　don't　know；〃　he　added；　〃but　we　had　better　spend
our　summer　in　England。　　It's　easier　getting　about　where　you　know　the
language。

The　judge　seemed　to　refer　his　ideas　to　Breckon　for　criticism；　and　the
young　man　felt　authorized　to　say；　〃Oh；　so　many　of　them　know　the　language
everywhere　now；　that　it's　easy　getting　about　in　any　country。〃

〃Yes；　I　suppose　so；〃　the　judge　vaguely　deferred。

〃Which；〃　Ellen　demanded　of　the　young　man　with　a　nervous　suddenness；　〃do
you　think　is　the　most　interesting　country？〃

He　found　himself　answering　with　equal　promptness；　〃Oh；　Italy；　of　course。〃

〃Can　we　go　to　Italy；　poppa？〃　　asked　the　girl。

〃I　shouldn't　advise　you　to　go　there　at　once〃　Breckon　intervened；　smiling。　
〃You'd　find　it　Pretty　hot　there　now。　　Florence；　or　Rome；　or　Naples〃you
can't　think　of　them。〃

〃We　have　it　pretty　hot　in　Central　Ohio；〃　said　the　judge；　with　latent
pride　in　his　home　climate；　〃What　sort　of　place　is　Holland？〃

〃Oh；　delightful！　　And　the　boat　goes　right　on　to　Rotterdam；　you　know。〃

〃Yes。　　We　had　arranged　to　leave　it　at　Boulogne；〃　but　we　could　change。
Do　you　think　your　mother　would　like　Holland？〃　　The　judge　turned　to　his
daughter。

〃I　think　she　would　like　Italy　better。　　She's　read　more　about　it；〃　said
the　girl。

〃Rise　of　the　Dutch　Republic；〃　her　father　suggested。

〃Yea；　I　know。　　But　she's　read　more　about　Italy！〃

〃Oh；　well；〃　Breckon　yielded；　〃the　Italian　lakes　wouldn't　be　impossible。　
And　you　might　find　Venice　fairly　comfortable。〃

〃We　could　go　to　Italy；　then；〃　said　the　judge　to　his　daughter；　〃if　your
mother　prefers。〃

Breckon　found　the　simplicity　of　this　charming；　and　he　tasted　a　yet　finer
pleasure　in　the　duplicity；　for　he　divined　that　the　father　was　seeking
only　to　let　his　daughter　have　her　way　in　pretending　to　yield　to　her
mother's　preference。

It　was　plain　that　the　family's　life　centred；　as　it　ought；　about　this　sad；
sick　girl；　the　heart　of　whose　mystery　he　perceived；　on　reflection；　he　had
not　the　wish　to　pluck　out。　　He　might　come　to　know　it；　but　he　would　not
try　to　know　it；　if　it　offered　itself　he　might　even　try　not　to　know　it。　
He　had　sometimes　found　it　more　helpful　with　trouble　to　be　ignorant　of　its
cause。

In　the　mean　time　he　had　seen　that　these　Kentons　were　sweet；　good　people；
as　he　phrased　their　quality　to　himself。　　He　had　come　to　terms　of
impersonal　confidence　the　night　before　with　Boyne；　who　had　consulted　him
upon　many　more　problems　and　predicaments　of　life　than　could　have　yet
beset　any　boy's　experience；　probably　with　the　wish　to　make　provision　for
any　possible　contingency　of　the　future。　　The　admirable　principles　which
Boyne　evolved　for　his　guidance　from　their　conversation　were　formulated
with　a　gravity　which　Breckon　could　outwardly　respect　only　by　stifling　his
laughter　in　his　pillow。　　He　rather　liked　the　way　Lottie　had　tried　to
weigh　him　in　her　balance　and　found　him；　as　it　were；　of　an　imponderable
levity。　　With　his　sense　of　being　really　very　light　at　most　times；　and
with　most　people；　he　was　aware　of　having　been　particularly　light　with
Lottie；　of　having　been　slippery；　of　having；　so　far　as　responding　to　her
frankness　was　concerned；　been　close。　　He　relished　the　unsparing　honesty
with　which　she　had　denounced　him；　and　though　he　did　not　yet　know　his
outcast　condition　with　relation　to　her；　he　could　not　think　of　her　without
a　smile　of　wholly　disinterested　liking。　　He　did　not　know；　as　a；　man　of
earlier　date　would　have　known；　all　that　the　little　button　in　the　judge's
lapel　meant；　but　he　knew　that　it　meant　service　in　the　civil　war；　a
struggle　which　he　vaguely　and　impersonally　revered；　though　its　details
were　of　much　the　same　dimness　for　him　as　those　of　the　Revolution　and　the
War　of　1812。　　The　modest　distrust　which　had　grown　upon　the　bold　self…
confidence　of　Kenton's　earlier　manhood　could　not　have　been　more　tenderly
and　reverently　imagined；　and　Breckon's　conjecture　of　things　suffered　for
love's　sake　against　sense　and　conviction　in　him　were　his　further　tribute
to　a　character　which　existed；　of　course；　mainly　in　this　conjecture。　　It
appeared　to　him　that　Kenton　was　held　not　only　in　the　subjection　to　his
wife's；　judgment；　which　befalls；　and　doubtless　becomes；　a　man　after　many
years　of　marriage；　but　that　he　was　in　the　actual　performance　of　more　than
common　renunciation　of　his　judgment　in　deference　to　the　good　woman。　　She
in　turn；　to　be　sure；　offered　herself　a　sacrifice　to　the　whims　of　the　sick
girl；　whose　worst　whim　was　having　no　wish　that　could　be　ascertained；　and
who　now；　after　two　days　of　her　mother's　devotion；　was　cast　upon　her　own
resources　by　the　inconstant　barometer。　　It　had　become　apparent　that　Miss
Kenton　was　her　father's　favorite　in　a　special　sense；　and　that　his　partial
affection　for　her　was　of　much　older　date　than　her　mother's。　　Not　less
charming　than　her　fondness　for　her　father　was　the　openness　with　which　she
disabled　his　wisdom　because　of　his　partiality　to　her。




X

When　they　left　the　breakfast　table　the　first　morning　of　the　rough
weather；　Breckon　offered　to　go　on　deck　with　Miss　Kenton；　and　put　her
where　she　could　see　the　waves。　　That　had　been　her　shapeless　ambition；
dreamily　expressed　with　reference　to　some　time；　as　they　rose。　　Breckon
asked；　〃Why　not　now？〃　　and　he　promised　to　place　her　chair　on　deck　where
she　could　enjoy　the　spectacle　safe　from　any　seas　the　boat　might　ship。　
Then　she　recoiled；　and　she　recoiled　the　further　upon　her　father's
urgence。　　At　the　foot　of　the　gangway　she　looked　wistfully　up　the　reeling
stairs；　and　said　that　she　saw　her　shawl　and　Lottie's　among　the　others
solemnly　swaying　from　the　top　railing。　　〃Oh；　then；〃　Breckon　pressed　her；
〃you　could　be　made　comfortable　without　the　least　trouble。〃

〃I　ought　to　go　and　see　how　Lottie　is　getting　along；〃　she　murmured。

Her　father　said　he　would　see　for　her；　and　on　this　she　explicitly
renounced　her　ambition　of　going　up。　　〃You　couldn't　do　anything；〃　she
said；　coldly。

〃If　Miss　Lottie　is　very　sea…sick　she's　beyond　all　earthly　aid；〃　Breckon
ventured。　　〃She'd　better　be　left　to　the　vain　ministrations　of　the
stewardess。〃

Ellen　looked　at　him　in　apparent　distrust　of　his　piety；　if　not　of　his
wisdom。　　〃I　don't　believe　I　could　get　up　the　stairs；〃　she　said。

〃Well；〃　he　admitted；　〃they're　not　as　steady　as　landgoing　stairs。〃　　Her
father　discreetly　kept　silence；　and；　as　no　one　offered　to　help　her；　she
began　to　climb　the　crazy　steps；　with　Breckon　close　behind　her　in　latent
readiness　for　her　fall。

From　the　top　she　called　down　to　the　judge；　〃Tell　momma　I　will　only　stay　a
minute。〃　　But　later；　tucked　into　her　chair　on　the　lee　of　the　bulkhead；
with　Breckon　bracing　himself　against　it　beside　her；　she　showed　no
impatience　to　return。　　〃Are　they　never　higher　than　that〃　she　required　of
him；　with　her　wan　eyes　critically　on　the　infinite　procession　of　the
surges。

〃They　must　be；〃　Breckon　answered；　〃if　there's　any　truth　in　common　report。　
I've　heard　of　their　running　mountains　high。　　Perhaps　they　used　rather　low
mountains　to　measure　them　by。　　Or　the　measurements　may　not　have　been　very
exact。　　But　common　report　never　leaves　much　to　the　imagination。〃

〃That　was　the　way　at　Niagara；〃　the　girl　assented；　and　Breckon　obligingly
regretted　that　he　had　never　been　there。　　He　thought　it　in　good　taste　that
she　should　not　tell　him　he　ought　to　go。　　She　merely　said；　〃I　was　there
once　with　poppa；〃　and　did　not　press　her　advantage。　　〃Do　they　think；〃　she
asked；　〃　that　it's　going　to　be　a　very　long　voyage？〃

〃I　haven't　been　to　the　smoking…roomthat's　where　most　of　the　thinking　is
done　on　such　points；　the　ship's　officers　never　seem　to　know　about　it
since　the　weather　changed。　　Should　you　mind　it　greatly？〃

〃I　wouldn't　care　if　it　never　ended；〃　said　the　girl；　with　such　a　note　of
dire　sincerity　that　Breckon　instantly　changed　his　first　mind　as　to　her
words　implying　a　pose。　　She　took　any　deeper　implication　from　them　in
adding；　〃I　didn't　know　I　should　like　being　at　sea。〃

〃Well；　if　you're　not　sea…sick；〃　be　assented；　〃there　are　not　many
pleasanter　things　in　life。〃

She　suggested；　〃I　suppose　I'm　not　well　enough　to　be　sea…sick。〃　　Then　she
seemed　to　become　aware　of　something　provisional　in　his　attendance；　and
she　said；　〃You　mustn't　stay　on　my　account。　　I　can　get　down　when　I　want
to。〃

〃Do　let　me　stay；〃　he　entreated；　〃unless　you'd　really　rather　not；〃　and　as
there　was　no　chair　immediately　attainable；　he　crouched　on　the　deck　beside
hers。

〃It　makes　me　think；〃　she　said；　and　he　perceived