majorie daw(马祖绿·多)-第2章
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in the saddle these two months。 I'll send the mare down to you at The
Pinesis that the name of the place？
Old Dillon fancies that I have something on my mind。 He drives me
wild with lemons。 Lemons for a mind diseased！ Nonsense。 I am only as
restless as the devil under this confinementa thing I'm not used to。 Take a
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man who has never had so much as a headache or a toothache in his life；
strap one of his legs in a section of water… spout； keep him in a room in the
city for weeks； with the hot weather turned on； and then expect him to
smile and purr and be happy！ It is preposterous。 I can't be cheerful or
calm。
Your letter is the first consoling thing I have had since my disaster； ten
days ago。 It really cheered me up for half an hour。 Send me a screed； Ned；
as often as you can； if you love me。 Anything will do。 Write me more
about that little girl in the hammock。 That was very pretty； all that about
the Dresden china shepherdess and the pond…lily； the imagery a little
mixed； perhaps； but very pretty。 I didn't suppose you had so much
sentimental furniture in your upper story。 It shows how one may be
familiar for years with the reception…room of his neighbor； and never
suspect what is directly under his mansard。 I supposed your loft stuffed
with dry legal parchments； mortgages； and affidavits； you take down a
package of manuscript； and lo！ there are lyrics and sonnets and
canzonettas。 You really have a graphic descriptive touch； Edward Delaney；
and I suspect you of anonymous love…tales in the magazines。
I shall be a bear until I hear from you again。 Tell me all about your
pretty inconnue across the road。 What is her name？ Who is she？ Who's her
father？ Where's her mother？ Who's her lover？ You cannot imagine how
this will occupy me。 The more trifling； the better。 My imprisonment has
weakened me intellectually to such a degree that I find your epistolary
gifts quite considerable。 I am passing into my second childhood。 In a week
or two I shall take to India rubber rings and prongs of coral。 A silver cup；
with an appropriate inscription； would be a delicate attention on your part。
In the mean time； write！
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CHAPTER IV。
EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMING。
August 12； 1872。
The sick pasha shall be amused。 Bismillah！ he wills it so。 If the story…
teller becomes prolix and tediousthe bow…string and the sack； and two
Nubians to drop him into the Piscataqua！ But truly； Jack； I have a hard task。
There is literally nothing hereexcept the little girl over the way。 She is
swinging in the hammock at this moment。 It is to me compensation for
many of the ills of life to see her now and then put out a small kid boot；
which fits like a glove； and set herself going。 Who is she； and what is her
name？ Her name is Daw。 Only daughter if Mr。 Richard W。 Daw； ex…
colonel and banker。 Mother dead。 One brother at Harvard； elder brother
killed at the battle of Fair Oaks； ten years ago。 Old； rich family； the Daws。
This is the homestead； where father and daughter pass eight months of the
twelve； the rest of the year in Baltimore and Washington。 The New
England winter too many for the old gentleman。 The daughter is called
MarjorieMarjorie Daw。 Sounds odd at first； doesn't it？ But after you say
it over to yourself half a dozen times； you like it。 There's a pleasing
quaintness to it； something prim and violet…like。 Must be a nice sort of girl
to be called Marjorie Daw。
I had mine host of The Pines in the witness…box last night； and drew
the foregoing testimony from him。 He has charge of Mr。 Daw's vegetable…
garden； and has known the family these thirty years。 Of course I shall
make the acquaintance of my neighbors before many days。 It will be next
to impossible for me not to meet Mr。 Daw or Miss Daw in some of my
walks。 The young lady has a favorite path to the sea…beach。 I shall
intercept her some morning； and touch my hat to her。 Then the princess
will bend her fair head to me with courteous surprise not unmixed with
haughtiness。 Will snub me； in fact。 All this for thy sake； O Pasha of the
Snapt Axle…tree！。 。 。 How oddly things fall out！ Ten minutes ago I was
called down to the parloryou know the kind of parlors in farm…houses on
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the coast； a sort of amphibious parlor； with sea…shells on the mantel…piece
and spruce branches in the chimney…placewhere I found my father and
Mr。 Daw doing the antique polite to each other。 He had come to pay his
respects to his new neighbors。 Mr。 Daw is a tall； slim gentleman of about
fifty…five； with a florid face and snow…white mustache and side…whiskers。
Looks like Mr。 Dombey； or as Mr。 Dombey would have looked if he had
served a few years in the British Army。 Mr。 Daw was a colonel in the late
war； commanding the regiment in which his son was a lieutenant。 Plucky
old boy； backbone of New Hampshire granite。 Before taking his leave； the
colonel delivered himself of an invitation as if he were issuing a general
order。 Miss Daw has a few friends coming； at 4 p。m。； to play croquet on
the lawn （parade…ground） and have tea （cold rations） on the piazza。 Will
we honor them with our company？ （or be sent to the guard… house。） My
father declines on the plea of ill…health。 My father's son bows with as
much suavity as he knows； and accepts。
In my next I shall have something to tell you。 I shall have seen the
little beauty face to face。 I have a presentiment； Jack； that this Daw is a
rara avis！ Keep up your spirits； my boy； until I write you another letter
and send me along word how's your leg。
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CHAPTER V。
EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMING。
August 13； 1872。
The party； my dear Jack； was as dreary as possible。 A lieutenant of the
navy； the rector of the Episcopal Church at Stillwater； and a society swell
from Nahant。 The lieutenant looked as if he had swallowed a couple of his
buttons； and found the bullion rather indigestible； the rector was a pensive
youth； of the daffydowndilly sort； and the swell from Nahant was a very
weak tidal wave indeed。 The women were much better； as they always are；
the two Miss Kingsburys of Philadelphia； staying at the Seashell House；
two bright and engaging girls。 But Marjorie Daw！
The company broke up soon after tea； and I remained to smoke a cigar
with the colonel on the piazza。 It was like seeing a picture； to see Miss
Marjorie hovering around the old soldier； and doing a hundred gracious
little things for him。 She brought the cigars and lighted the tapers with her
own delicate fingers； in the most enchanting fashion。 As we sat there； she
came and went in the summer twilight； and seemed； with her white dress
and pale gold hair； like some lovely phantom that had sprung into
existence out of the smokewreaths。 If she had melted into air； like the
statue of Galatea in the play； I should have been more sorry than surprised。
It was easy to perceive that the old colonel worshipped her and she
him。 I think the relation between an elderly father and a daughter just
blooming into womanhood the most beautiful possible。 There is in it a
subtile sentiment that cannot exist in the case of mother and daughter； or
that of son and mother。 But this is getting into deep water。
I sat with the Daws until half past ten； and saw the moon rise on the
sea。 The ocean； that had stretched motionless and black against the
horizon； was changed by magic into a broken field of glittering ice；
interspersed with marvellous silvery fjords。 In the far distance the Isle of
Shoals loomed up like a group of huge bergs drifting down on us。 The
Polar Regions in a June thaw！ It was exceedingly fine。 What did we talk
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about？ We talked about the weatherand you！ The weather has been
disagreeable for several days pastand so have you。 I glided from one
topic to the other very naturally。 I told my friends of your accident； how it
had frustrated all our summer plans； and what our plans were。 I played
quite a spirited solo on the fibula。 Then I described you； or； rather； I didn't。
I spoke of your amiability； of your patience under this severe affliction； of
your touching gratitude when Dillon brings you little presents of fruit； of
your tenderness to your sister Fanny； whom you would not allow to stay in
town to nurse you； and how you heroically sent her back to Newport；
preferring to remain alone with Mary； the cook； and your man Watkins； to
whom； by the way； you were devotedly attached。 If you had been there；
Jack； you wouldn't have known yourself。 I should have excelled as a
criminal lawyer； if I had not turned my attention to a different branch of
jurisprudence。
Miss Marjorie asked all manner of leading questions concerning you。
It did not occur to me then； but it struck me forcibly afterwards； that she
evinced a singular interest in the conversation。 When I got back to my
room； I recalled how eagerly she leaned forward； with her full； snowy
throat in strong moonlight； listening to what I said。 Positively； I thin
