majorie daw(马祖绿·多)-第3章
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throat in strong moonlight； listening to what I said。 Positively； I think I
made her like you！
Miss Daw is a girl whom you would like immensely； I can tell you that。
A beauty without affectation； a high and tender natureif one can read the
soul in the face。 And the old colonel is a noble character； too。
I am glad that the Daws are such pleasant people。 The Pines is an
isolated spot； and my resources are few。 I fear I should have found life
here somewhat monotonous before long； with no other society than that of
my excellent sire。 It is true； I might have made a target of the defenceless
invalid； but I haven't a taste for artillery； moi。
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CHAPTER VI。
JOHN FLEMMING TO EDWARD DELANEY。
August 17； 1872。
For a man who hasn't a taste for artillery； it occurs to me； my friend；
you are keeping up a pretty lively fire on my inner works。 But go on。
Cynicism is a small brass field…piece that eventually bursts and kills the
artilleryman。
You may abuse me as much as you like； and I'll not complain； for I
don't know what I should do without your letters。 They are curing me。 I
haven't hurled anything at Watkins since last Sunday； partly because I have
grown more amiable under your teaching； and partly because Watkins
captured my ammunition one night； and carried it off to the library。 He is
rapidly losing the habit he had acquired of dodging whenever I rub my ear；
or make any slight motion with my right arm。 He is still suggestive of the
wine…cellar； however。 You may break； you may shatter Watkins； if you will；
but the scent of the Roederer will hang round him still。
Ned； that Miss Daw must be a charming person。 I should certainly like
her。 I like her already。 When you spoke in your first letter of seeing a
young girl swinging in a hammock under your chamber window； I was
somehow strangely drawn to her。 I cannot account for it in the least。 What
you have subsequently written of Miss Daw has strengthened the
impression。 You seem to be describing a woman I have known in some
previous state of existence； or dreamed of in this。 Upon my word； if you
were to send me her photograph； I believe I should recognize her at a
glance。 Her manner； that listening attitude； her traits of character； as you
indicate them； the light hair and the dark eyesthey are all familiar things
to me。 Asked a lot of questions； did she？ Curious about me？ That is
strange。
You would laugh in your sleeve； you wretched old cynic； if you knew
how I lie awake nights； with my gas turned down to a star； thinking of The
Pines and the house across the road。 How cool it must be down there！ I
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long for the salt smell in the air。 I picture the colonel smoking his cheroot
on the piazza。 I send you and Miss Daw off on afternoon rambles along
the beach。 Sometimes I let you stroll with her under the elms in the
moonlight； for you are great friends by this time； I take it； and see each
other every day。 I know your ways and your manners！ Then I fall into a
truculent mood； and would like to destroy somebody。 Have you noticed
anything in the shape of a lover hanging around the colonel Lares and
Penates？ Does that lieutenant of the horse…marines or that young Stillwater
parson visit the house much？ Not that I am pining for news of them； but
any gossip of the kind would be in order。 I wonder； Ned； you don't fall in
love with Miss Daw。 I am ripe to do it myself。 Speaking of photographs；
couldn't you manage to slip one of her cartes…de…visite from her album
she must have an album； you knowand send it to me？ I will return it
before it could be missed。 That's a good fellow！ Did the mare arrive safe
and sound？ It will be a capital animal this autumn for Central Park。
Ohmy leg？ I forgot about my leg。 It's better。
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CHAPTER VII。
EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMIMG。
August 20； 1872。
You are correct in your surmises。 I am on the most friendly terms with
our neighbors。 The colonel and my father smoke their afternoon cigar
together in our sitting…room or on the piazza opposite； and I pass an hour
or two of the day or the evening with the daughter。 I am more and more
struck by the beauty； modesty； and intelligence of Miss Daw。
You asked me why I do not fall in love with her。 I will be frank； Jack； I
have thought of that。 She is young； rich； accomplished； uniting in herself
more attractions； mental and personal； than I can recall in any girl of my
acquaintance； but she lacks the something that would be necessary to
inspire in me that kind of interest。 Possessing this unknown quality； a
woman neither beautiful nor wealthy nor very young could bring me to her
feet。 But not Miss Daw。 If we were shipwrecked together on an
uninhabited islandlet me suggest a tropical island； for it costs no more to
be picturesqueI would build her a bamboo hut； I would fetch her bread…
fruit and cocoanuts； I would fry yams for her； I would lure the ingenuous
turtle and make her nourishing soups； but I wouldn't make love to hernot
under eighteen months。 I would like to have her for a sister； that I might
shield her and counsel her； and spend half my income on old threadlace
and camel's…hair shawls。 （We are off the island now。） If such were not my
feeling； there would still be an obstacle to my loving Miss Daw。 A greater
misfortune could scarcely befall me than to love her。 Flemming； I am
about to make a revelation that will astonish you。 I may be all wrong in
my premises and consequently in my conclusions； but you shall judge。
That night when I returned to my room after the croquet party at the
Daw's； and was thinking over the trivial events of the evening； I was
suddenly impressed by the air of eager attention with which Miss Daw had
followed my account of your accident。 I think I mentioned this to you。
Well； the next morning； as I went to mail my letter； I overtook Miss Daw
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on the road to Rye； where the post… office is； and accompanied her thither
and back； an hour's walk。 The conversation again turned to you； and again
I remarked that inexplicable look of interest which had lighted up her face
the previous evening。 Since then； I have seen Miss Daw perhaps ten times；
perhaps oftener； and on each occasion I found that when I was not
speaking of you； or your sister； or some person or place associated with
you； I was not holding her attention。 She would be absent…minded； her
eyes would wander away from me to the sea； or to some distant object in
the landscape； her fingers would play with the leaves of a book in a way
that convinced me she was not listening。 At these moments if I abruptly
changed the themeI did it several times as an experimentand dropped
some remark about my friend Flemming； then the sombre blue eyes would
come back to me instantly。
Now； is not this the oddest thing in the world？ No； not the oddest。 The
effect which you tell me was produced on you by my casual mention of an
unknown girl swinging in a hammock is certainly as strange。 You can
conjecture how that passage in your letter of Friday startled me。 Is it
possible； than； that two people who have never met； and who are hundreds
of miles apart； can exert a magnetic influence on each other？ I have read
of such psychological phenomena； but never credited them。 I leave the
solution of the problem to you。 As for myself； all other things being
favorable； it would be impossible for me to fall in love with a woman who
listens to me only when I am talking of my friend！
I am not aware that any one is paying marked attention to my fair
neighbor。 The lieutenant of the navyhe is stationed at Rivermouth
sometimes drops in of an evening； and sometimes the rector from
Stillwater； the lieutenant the oftener。 He was there last night。 I should not
be surprised if he had an eye to the heiress； but he is not formidable。
Mistress Daw carries a neat little spear of irony； and the honest lieutenant
seems to have a particular facility for impaling himself on the point of it。
He is not dangerous； I should say； though I have known a woman to
satirize a man for years； and marry him after all。 Decidedly； the lowly
rector is not dangerous； yet； again； who has not seen Cloth of Frieze
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victorious in the lists where Cloth of Gold went down？
As to the photograph。 There is an exquisite ivory…type of Marjorie； in
passe…partout； on the drawing room mantel…piece。 It would be missed at
once if taken。 I would do anything reasonable for you； Jack； but I've no
burning desire to be hauled up before the local justice of the peace； on a
charge of petty larceny。
P。S。Enclosed is a spray of mignonette； which I advise you to treat
tenderly。 Yes； we talked of you again last night； as usual。 It is becoming a
little dreary for me。
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CHAPTER VIII。
EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMING。
August 22； 1872。
Your letter in reply to my last has occupied my thoughts all the
