the kentons-第39章

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judge。

He　is　willing　to　account　for　it　on　the　ground　of　that　inconsistency　which
he　has　observed　in　all　human　behavior；　but　Mrs。　Kenton　is　not　inclined　to
admit　that　it　is　so　very　inconsistent。　　She　contends　that　Ellen　had
simply　lived　through　that　hateful　episode　of　her　psychological　history；
as　she　was　sure　to　do　sooner　or　later　and　as　she　was　destined　to　do　as
soon　as　some　other　person　arrived　to　take　her　fancy。

If　this　is　the　crude；　common…sense　view　of　the　matter；　Ellen　herself　is
able　to　offer　no　finer　explanation；　which　shall　at　the　same　time　be　more
thorough。　　She　and　her　husband　have　not　failed　to　talk　the　affair　over；
with　that　fulness　of　treatment　which　young　married　people　give　their　past
when　they　have　nothing　to　conceal　from　each　other。　　She　has　attempted　to
solve　the　mystery　by　blaming　herself　for　a　certain　essential　levity　of
nature　which；　under　all　her　appearance　of　gravity；　sympathized　with
levity　in　others；　and；　for　what　she　knows　to　the　contrary；　with　something
ignoble　and　unworthy　in　them。　　Breckon；　of　course；　does　not　admit　this；
but　he　has　suggested　that　she　was　first　attracted　to　him　by　a　certain
unseriousness　which　reminded　her　of　Bittridge；　in　enabling　him　to　take
her　seriousness　lightly。　　This　is　the　logical　inference　which　he　makes
from　her　theory　of　herself；　but　she　insists　that　it　does　not　follow；　and
she　contends　that　she　was　moved　to　love　him　by　an　instant　sense　of　his
goodness；　which　she　never　lost；　and　in　which　she　was　trying　to　equal
herself　with　him　by　even　the　desperate　measure　of　renouncing　her
happiness；　if　that　should　ever　seem　her　duty；　to　his　perfection。　　He　says
this　is　not　very　clear；　though　it　is　awfully　gratifying；　and　he　does　not
quite　understand　why　Mrs。　　Bittridge's　letter　should　have　liberated　Ellen
from　her　fancied　obligations　to　the　past。　　Ellen　can　only　say　that　it　did
so　by　making　her　so　ashamed　ever　to　have　had　anything　to　do　with　such
people；　and　making　her　see　how　much　she　had　tried　her　father　and　mother
by　her　folly。　　This　again　Breckon　contends　is　not　clear；　but　he　says　we
live　in　a　universe　of　problems　in　which　another；　more　or　less；　does　not
much　matter。　　He　is　always　expecting　that　some　chance　shall　confront　him
with　Bittridge；　and　that　the　man's　presence　will　explain　everything；　for；
like　so　many　Ohio　people　who　leave　their　native　State；　the　Bittridges
have　come　East　instead　of　going　West；　in　quitting　the　neighborhood　of
Tuskingum。　　He　is　settled　with　his　idolized　mother　in　New　York；　where　he
is　obscurely　attached　to　one　of　the　newspapers。　　That　he　has　as　yet
failed　to　rise　from　the　ranks　in　the　great　army　of　assignment　men　may　be
because　moral　quality　tells　everywhere；　and　to　be　a　clever　blackguard　is
not　so　well　as　to　be　simply　clever。　　If　ever　Breckon　has　met　his　alter
ego；　as　he　amuses　himself　in　calling　him；　he　has　not　known　it；　though
Bittridge　may　have　been　wiser　in　the　case　of　a　man　of　Breckon's
publicity；　not　to　call　it　distinction。　　There　was　a　time；　immediately
after　the　Breckons　heard　from　Tuskingum　that　the　Bittridges　were　in　New
York；　when　Ellen's　husband　consulted　her　as　to　what　might　be　his　duty
towards　her　late　suitor　in　the　event　which　has　not　taken　place；　and　when
he　suggested；　not　too　seriously；　that　Richard's　course　might　be　the
solution。　　To　his　suggestion　Ellen　answered：　〃Oh　no；　dear！　　That　was
wrong；〃　and　this　remains　also　Richard's　opinion。








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