confidence-第22章

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iet　sea；　in　the　daisied　grass　of　the　high…shouldered　downs；　had　an　air　of　inviting　the　intelligent　observer　to　postpone　his　difficulties。　Blanquais…les…Galets；　as　Bernard　learned　the　name　of　this　unfashionable　resort　to　be；　was　twenty　miles　from　a　railway；　and　the　place　wore　an　expression　of　unaffected　rusticity。　Bernard　stopped　at　an　inn　for　his　noonday　breakfast；　and　then；　with　his　appreciation　quickened　by　the　homely　felicity　of　this　repast；　determined　to　go　no　further。　　He　engaged　a　room　at　the　inn；　dismissed　his　vehicle；　and　gave　himself　up　to　the　contemplation　of　French　sea…side　manners。　　These　were　chiefly　to　be　observed　upon　a　pebbly　strand　which　lay　along　the　front　of　the　village　and　served　as　the　gathering…point　of　its　idler　inhabitants。　Bathing　in　the　sea　was　the　chief　occupation　of　these　good　people；　including；　as　it　did；　prolonged　spectatorship　of　the　process　and　infinite　conversation　upon　its　mysteries。　The　little　world　of　Blanquais　appeared　to　form　a　large　family　party；　of　highly　developed　amphibious　habits；　which　sat　gossiping　all　day　upon　the　warm　pebbles；　occasionally　dipping　into　the　sea　and　drying　itself　in　the　sun；　without　any　relaxation　of　personal　intimacy。　　All　this　was　very　amusing　to　Bernard；　who　in　the　course　of　the　day　took　a　bath　with　the　rest。　The　ocean　was；　after　all；　very　large；　and　when　one　took　one's　plunge　one　seemed　to　have　it　quite　to　one's　self。　When　he　had　dressed　himself　again；　Bernard　stretched　himself　on　the　beach；　feeling　happier　than　he　had　done　in　a　long　time；　and　pulled　his　hat　over　his　eyes。　　The　feeling　of　happiness　was　an　odd　one；　it　had　come　over　him　suddenly；　without　visible　cause；　but；　such　as　it　was；　our　hero　made　the　most　of　it。　As　he　lay　there　it　seemed　to　deepen；　his　immersion　and　his　exercise　in　the　salt　water　had　given　him　an　agreeable　languor。　This　presently　became　a　drowsiness　which　was　not　less　agreeable；　and　Bernard　felt　himself　going　to　sleep。　　There　were　sounds　in　the　air　above　his　headsounds　of　the　crunching　and　rattling　of　the　loose；　smooth　stones　as　his　neighbors　moved　about　on　them；　of　high…pitched　French　voices　exchanging　colloquial　cries；　of　the　plash　of　the　bathers　in　the　distant　water；　and　the　short；　soft　breaking　of　the　waves。　　But　these　things　came　to　his　ears　more　vaguely　and　remotely；　and　at　last　they　faded　away。　Bernard　enjoyed　half　an　hour　of　that　light　and　easy　slumber　which　is　apt　to　overtake　idle　people　in　recumbent　attitudes　in　the　open　air　on　August　afternoons。　　It　brought　with　it　an　exquisite　sense　of　rest；　and　the　rest　was　not　spoiled　by　the　fact　that　it　was　animated　by　a　charming　dream。　Dreams　are　vague　things；　and　this　one　had　the　defects　of　its　species；　but　it　was　somehow　concerned　with　the　image　of　a　young　lady　whom　Bernard　had　formerly　known；　and　who　had　beautiful　eyes；　into　whichin　the　dreamhe　found　himself　looking。　He　waked　up　to　find　himself　looking　into　the　crown　of　his　hat；　which　had　been　resting　on　the　bridge　of　his　nose。　He　removed　it；　and　half　raised　himself；　resting　on　his　elbow　and　preparing　to　taste；　in　another　position；　of　a　little　more　of　that　exquisite　rest　of　which　mention　has　just　been　made。　The　world　about　him　was　still　amusing　and　charming；　the　chatter　of　his　companions；　losing　itself　in　the　large　sea…presence；　the　plash　of　the　divers　and　swimmers；　the　deep　blue　of　the　ocean　and　the　silvery　white　of　the　cliff；　had　that　striking　air　of　indifference　to　the　fact　that　his　mind　had　been　absent　from　them　which　we　are　apt　to　find　in　mundane　things　on　emerging　from　a　nap。　　The　same　people　were　sitting　near　him　on　the　beachthe　same；　and　yet　not　quite　the　same。　He　found　himself　noticing　a　person　whom　he　had　not　noticed　before　a　young　lady；　who　was　seated　in　a　low　portable　chair；　some　dozen　yards　off；　with　her　eyes　bent　upon　a　book。　　Her　head　was　in　shade；　her　large　parasol　made；　indeed；　an　awning　for　her　whole　person；　which　in　this　way；　in　the　quiet　attitude　of　perusal；　seemed　to　abstract　itself　from　the　glare　and　murmur　of　the　beach。　The　clear　shadow　of　her　umbrellait　was　lined　with　blue　was　deep　upon　her　face；　but　it　was　not　deep　enough　to　prevent　Bernard　from　recognizing　a　profile　that　he　knew。　He　suddenly　sat　upright；　with　an　intensely　quickened　vision。　Was　he　dreaming　still；　or　had　he　waked？　　In　a　moment　he　felt　that　he　was　acutely　awake；　he　heard　her；　across　the　interval；　turn　the　page　of　her　book。　　For　a　single　instant；　as　she　did　so；　she　looked　with　level　brows　at　the　glittering　ocean；　then；　lowering　her　eyes；　she　went　on　with　her　reading。　In　this　barely　perceptible　movement　he　saw　Angela　Vivian；　it　was　wonderful　how　well　he　remembered　her。　　She　was　evidently　reading　very　seriously；　she　was　much　interested　in　her　book。　She　was　alone；　Bernard　looked　about　for　her　mother；　but　Mrs。　Vivian　was　not　in　sight。　　By　this　time　Bernard　had　become　aware　that　he　was　agitated；　the　exquisite　rest　of　a　few　moments　before　had　passed　away。　　His　agitation　struck　him　as　unreasonable；　in　a　few　minutes　he　made　up　his　mind　that　it　was　absurd。　He　had　done　her　an　injuryyes；　but　as　she　sat　there　losing　herself　in　a　French　novelBernard　could　see　it　was　a　French　novel　he　could　not　make　out　that　she　was　the　worse　for　it。　　It　had　not　affected　her　appearance；　Miss　Vivian　was　still　a　handsome　girl。　Bernard　hoped　she　would　not　look　toward　him　or　recognize　him；　he　wished　to　look　at　her　at　his　ease；　to　think　it　over；　to　make　up　his　mind。　　The　idea　of　meeting　Angela　Vivian　again　had　often　come　into　his　thoughts；　I　may；　indeed；　say　that　it　was　a　tolerably　familiar　presence　there；　but　the　fact；　nevertheless；　now　presented　itself　with　all　the　violence　of　an　accident　for　which　he　was　totally　unprepared。　　He　had　often　asked　himself　what　he　should　say　to　her；　how　he　should　carry　himself；　and　how　he　should　probably　find　the　young　lady；　but；　with　whatever　ingenuity　he　might　at　the　moment　have　answered　these　questions；　his　intelligence　at　present　felt　decidedly　overtaxed。　She　was　a　very　pretty　girl　to　whom　he　had　done　a　wrong；　this　was　the　final　attitude　into　which；　with　a　good　deal　of　preliminary　shifting　and　wavering；　she　had　settled　in　his　recollection。　The　wrong　was　a　right；　doubtless；　from　certain　points　of　view；　but　from　the　girl's　own　it　could　only　seem　an　injury　to　which　its　having　been　inflicted　by　a　clever　young　man　with　whom　she　had　been　on　agreeable　terms；　necessarily　added　a　touch　of　baseness。

In　every　disadvantage　that　a　woman　suffers　at　the　hands　of　a　man；　there　is　inevitably；　in　what　concerns　the　man；　an　element　of　cowardice。　When　I　say　〃inevitably；〃　I　mean　that　this　is　what　the　woman　sees　in　it。　This　is　what　Bernard　believed　that　Angela　Vivian　saw　in　the　fact　that　by　giving　his　friend　a　bad　account　of　her　he　had　prevented　her　making　an　opulent　marriage。　　At　first　he　had　said　to　himself　that；　whether　he　had　held　his　tongue　or　spoken；　she　had　already　lost　her　chance；　but　with　time；　somehow；　this　reflection　had　lost　its　weight　in　the　scale。　It　conveyed　little　re…assurance　to　his　irritated　conscience　it　had　become　imponderable　and　impertinent。　　At　the　moment　of　which　I　speak　it　entirely　failed　to　present　itself；　even　for　form's　sake；　and　as　he　sat　looking　at　this　superior　creature　who　came　back　to　him　out　of　an　episode　of　his　past；　he　thought　of　her　simply　as　an　unprotected　woman　toward　whom　he　had　been　indelicate。　It　is　not　an　agreeable　thing　for　a　delicate　man　like　Bernard　Longueville　to　have　to　accommodate　himself　to　such　an　accident；　but　this　is　nevertheless　what　it　seemed　needful　that　he　should　do。　If　she　bore　him　a　grudge　he　must　think　it　natural；　if　she　had　vowed　him　a　hatred　he　must　allow　her　the　comfort　of　it。　　He　had　done　the　only　thing　possible；　but　that　made　it　no　better　for　her。　He　had　wronged　her。　　The　circumstances　mattered　nothing；　and　as　he　could　not　make　it　up　to　her；　the　only　reasonable　thing　was　to　keep　out　of　her　way。　　He　had　stepped　into　her　path　now；　and　the　proper　thing　was　to　step　out　of　it。　　If　it　could　give　her　no　pleasure　to　see　him　again；　it　could　certainly　do　him　no　good　to　see　her。　He　had　seen　her　by　this　time　pretty　wellas　far　as　mere　seeing　went；　and　as　yet；　apparently；　he　was　none　the　worse　for　that；　but　his　hope　that　he　should　himself　escape　unperceived　had　now　become　acute。　It　is　singular　that　this　hope　should　not　have　led　him　instantly　to　turn　his　back　and　move　away；　but　the　explanation　of　his　imprudent　delay　is　simply　that　he　wished　to　see　a　little　more　of　Miss　Vivian。　　He　was　unable　to　bring　himself　to　the　point。　Those　clever　things　that　he　might　have　said　to　her　quite　faded　away。　The　only　good　taste　was　to　take　himself　off；　and　spare　her　the　trouble　of　inventing　civilities　that　she　could　not　feel。　And　yet　he　continued　to　sit　there　from　moment　to　moment；　arrested；　detained；　fascinated；　by　the　accident　of　her　not　looking　round　of　her　having　let　him　watch　her　so　long。　　She　turned　another　page；　and　another；　and　her　reading　absorbed　her　still。　　He　was　so　near　her　that　he　could　have　touched　her　dress　with　the　point　of　his　umbrella。　At　last　she　raised　her　eyes　and　rested　them　a　while　on　the　blue　horizon；　straight　in　front　of　her；　but　as　yet　without　turning　them　aside。　　This；　however；　augmented　the　danger　of　her　doing　so；　and　Bernard；　with　a　good　deal　of　an　effort；　rose　to　his　feet。　The　effort；　doubtless；　kept　the　movement　from　being　either　as　light　or　as　swift　as　it　might　have　been；　and　it　vaguely　attracted　his　neighbor's　attention。　　She　turned　her　head　and　glanced　at　him；　with　a　glance　that　evidently　expected　but　to　touch　him　and　pass。　It　touched　him；　and　it　was　on　the　point　of　passing；　then　it　suddenly　checked　itself；　she　had　recognized　him。　　She　looked　at　him；　straight　and　open…eyed；　out　of　the　shadow　of　her　parasol；　and　Bernard　stood　theremotionless　nowreceiving　her　gaze。　How　long　it　lasted　need　not　be　narrated。　　It　was　probably　a　matter　of　a　few　seconds；　but　to　Bernard　it　seemed　a　little　eternity。　He　met　her　eyes；　he　looked　straight　into　her　face；　now　that　she　had　seen　him　he　could　do　nothing　else。　　Bernard's　little　eternity；　however；　came　to　an　end；　Miss　Vivian　dropped　her　eyes　upon　her　book　again。　She　let　them　rest　upon　it　only　a　moment；　then　she　closed　it　and　slowly　rose　from　her　chair；　turning　away　from　Bernard。　He　still　stood　looking　at　herstupidly；　foolishly；　helplessly　enough；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　no　sign　of　recognition　had　been　exchanged。　Angela　Vivian　hesitated　a　minute；　she　now　had　her　back　turned　to　him；　and　he　fancied　her　light；　flexible　figure　was　agitated　by　her　indecision。　She　looked　along　the　sunny　beach　which　stretched　its　shallow　curve　to　where　the　little　bay　ended　and　the　white　wall　of　the　cliffs　began。　She　looked　down　toward　the　sea；　and　up　toward　the　little　Casino　which　was　perched　on　a　low　embankment；　communicating　with　the　beach　at　two　or　three　points　by　a　short　flight　of　steps。　　Bernard　saw　or　supposed　he　sawthat　she　was　asking　herself　whither　she　had　best　turn　to　avoid　him。　　He　had　not　blushed　when　she　looked　at　him　he　had　rather　turned　a　little　pale；　but　he　blushed　now；　for　it　really　seemed　odious　to　have　literally　driven　the　poor　girl　to　bay。　Miss　Vivian　decided　to　take　refuge　in　the　Casino；　and　she　passed　along　one　of　the　little　pathways　of　planks　that　were　laid　here　and　there　across　the　beach；　and　directed　herself　to　the　nearest　flight　of　steps。　　Before　she　had　gone　two　paces　a　complete　change　came　over　B