confidence-第3章

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ent　itself　has　gone　on　very　fast；　but　I　am　trying　to　push　it　forward。　　I　have　n't　yet　had　time　to　test　its　success；　but　in　this　I　want　your　help。　　You　know　we　great　physicists　never　make　an　experiment　without　an　'assistant'a　humble　individual　who　burns　his　fingers　and　stains　his　clothes　in　the　cause　of　science；　but　whose　interest　in　the　problem　is　only　indirect。　　I　want　you　to　be　my　assistant；　and　I　will　guarantee　that　your　burns　and　stains　shall　not　be　dangerous。　She　is　an　extremely　interesting　girl；　and　I　really　want　you　to　see　herI　want　to　know　what　you　think　of　her。　　She　wants　to　know　you；　too；　for　I　have　talked　a　good　deal　about　you。　There　you　have　it；　if　gratified　vanity　will　help　you　on　the　way。　Seriously；　this　is　a　real　request。　　I　want　your　opinion；　your　impression。　　I　want　to　see　how　she　will　affect　you。　I　don't　say　I　ask　for　your　advice；　that；　of　course；　you　will　not　undertake　to　give。　　But　I　desire　a　definition；　a　characterization；　you　know　you　toss　off　those　things。　I　don't　see　why　I　should　n't　tell　you　all　thisI　have　always　told　you　everything。　　I　have　never　pretended　to　know　anything　about　women；　but　I　have　always　supposed　that　you　knew　everything。　You　certainly　have　always　had　the　tone　of　that　sort　of　omniscience。　　So　come　here　as　soon　as　possible　and　let　me　see　that　you　are　not　a　humbug。　　She　's　a　very　handsome　girl。〃

Longueville　was　so　much　amused　with　this　appeal　that　he　very　soon　started　for　Germany。　　In　the　reader；　Gordon　Wright's　letter　will；　perhaps；　excite　surprise　rather　than　hilarity；　but　Longueville　thought　it　highly　characteristic　of　his　friend。　What　it　especially　pointed　to　was　Gordon's　want　of　imagination　a　deficiency　which　was　a　matter　of　common　jocular　allusion　between　the　two　young　men；　each　of　whom　kept　a　collection　of　acknowledged　oddities　as　a　playground　for　the　other's　wit。　Bernard　had　often　spoken　of　his　comrade's　want　of　imagination　as　a　bottomless　pit；　into　which　Gordon　was　perpetually　inviting　him　to　lower　himself。　　〃My　dear　fellow；〃　Bernard　said；　〃you　must　really　excuse　me；　I　cannot　take　these　subterranean　excursions。　I　should　lose　my　breath　down　there；　I　should　never　come　up　alive。　You　know　I　have　dropped　things　downlittle　jokes　and　metaphors；　little　fantasies　and　paradoxesand　I　have　never　heard　them　touch　bottom！〃　　This　was　an　epigram　on　the　part　of　a　young　man　who　had　a　lively　play　of　fancy；　but　it　was　none　the　less　true　that　Gordon　Wright　had　a　firmly…treading；　rather　than　a　winged；　intellect。　　Every　phrase　in　his　letter　seemed；　to　Bernard；　to　march　in　stout…soled　walking…boots；　and　nothing　could　better　express　his　attachment　to　the　process　of　reasoning　things　out　than　this　proposal　that　his　friend　should　come　and　make　a　chemical　analysisa　geometrical　surveyof　the　lady　of　his　love。　　〃That　I　shall　have　any　difficulty　in　forming　an　opinion；　and　any　difficulty　in　expressing　it　when　formed　of　this　he　has　as　little　idea　as　that　he　shall　have　any　difficulty　in　accepting　it　when　expressed。〃　　So　Bernard　reflected；　as　he　rolled　in　the　train　to　Munich。　　〃Gordon's　mind；〃　he　went　on；　〃has　no　atmosphere；　his　intellectual　process　goes　on　in　the　void。　There　are　no　currents　and　eddies　to　affect　it；　no　high　winds　nor　hot　suns；　no　changes　of　season　and　temperature。　His　premises　are　neatly　arranged；　and　his　conclusions　are　perfectly　calculable。〃

Yet　for　the　man　on　whose　character　he　so　freely　exercised　his　wit　Bernard　Longueville　had　a　strong　affection。　　It　is　nothing　against　the　validity　of　a　friendship　that　the　parties　to　it　have　not　a　mutual　resemblance。　　There　must　be　a　basis　of　agreement；　but　the　structure　reared　upon　it　may　contain　a　thousand　disparities。　These　two　young　men　had　formed　an　alliance　of　old；　in　college　days；　and　the　bond　between　them　had　been　strengthened　by　the　simple　fact　of　its　having　survived　the　sentimental　revolutions　of　early　life。　Its　strongest　link　was　a　sort　of　mutual　respect。　　Their　tastes；　their　pursuits　were　different；　but　each　of　them　had　a　high　esteem　for　the　other's　character。　　It　may　be　said　that　they　were　easily　pleased；　for　it　is　certain　that　neither　of　them　had　performed　any　very　conspicuous　action。　　They　were　highly　civilized　young　Americans；　born　to　an　easy　fortune　and　a　tranquil　destiny；　and　unfamiliar　with　the　glitter　of　golden　opportunities。　　If　I　did　not　shrink　from　disparaging　the　constitution　of　their　native　land　for　their　own　credit；　I　should　say　that　it　had　never　been　very　definitely　proposed　to　these　young　gentlemen　to　distinguish　themselves。　On　reaching　manhood；　they　had　each　come　into　property　sufficient　to　make　violent　exertion　superfluous。　　Gordon　Wright；　indeed；　had　inherited　a　large　estate。　　Their　wants　being　tolerably　modest；　they　had　not　been　tempted　to　strive　for　the　glory　of　building　up　commercial　fortunesthe　most　obvious　career　open　to　young　Americans。　They　had；　indeed；　embraced　no　career　at　all；　and　if　summoned　to　give　an　account　of　themselves　would；　perhaps；　have　found　it　hard　to　tell　any　very　impressive　story。　　Gordon　Wright　was　much　interested　in　physical　science；　and　had　ideas　of　his　own　on　what　is　called　the　endowment　of　research。　　His　ideas　had　taken　a　practical　shape；　and　he　had　distributed　money　very　freely　among　the　investigating　classes；　after　which　he　had　gone　to　spend　a　couple　of　years　in　Germany；　supposing　it　to　be　the　land　of　laboratories。　　Here　we　find　him　at　present；　cultivating　relations　with　several　learned　bodies　and　promoting　the　study　of　various　tough　branches　of　human　knowledge；　by　paying　the　expenses　of　difficult　experiments。　　The　experiments；　it　must　be　added；　were　often　of　his　own　making；　and　he　must　have　the　honor　of　whatever　brilliancy　attaches；　in　the　estimation　of　the　world；　to　such　pursuits。　　It　was　not；　indeed；　a　brilliancy　that　dazzled　Bernard　Longueville；　who；　however；　was　not　easily　dazzled　by　anything。　It　was　because　he　regarded　him　in　so　plain　and　direct　a　fashion；　that　Bernard　had　an　affection　for　his　friendan　affection　to　which　it　would　perhaps　be　difficult　to　assign　a　definite　cause。　Personal　sympathies　are　doubtless　caused　by　something；　but　the　causes　are　remote；　mysterious　to　our　daily　vision；　like　those　of　the　particular　state　of　the　weather。　　We　content　ourselves　with　remarking　that　it　is　fine　or　that　it　rains；　and　the　enjoyment　of　our　likes　and　dislikes　is　by　no　means　apt　to　borrow　its　edge　from　the　keenness　of　our　analysis。　Longueville　had　a　relish　for　fine　qualitysuperior　savour；　and　he　was　sensible　of　this　merit　in　the　simple；　candid；　manly；　affectionate　nature　of　his　comrade；　which　seemed　to　him　an　excellent　thing　of　its　kind。　　Gordon　Wright　had　a　tender　heart　and　a　strong　will　a　combination　which；　when　the　understanding　is　not　too　limited；　is　often　the　motive　of　admirable　actions。　　There　might　sometimes　be　a　question　whether　Gordon's　understanding　were　sufficiently　unlimited；　but　the　impulses　of　a　generous　temper　often　play　a　useful　part　in　filling　up　the　gaps　of　an　incomplete　imagination；　and　the　general　impression　that　Wright　produced　was　certainly　that　of　intelligent　good…nature。　The　reasons　for　appreciating　Bernard　Longueville　were　much　more　manifest。　　He　pleased　superficially；　as　well　as　fundamentally。　Nature　had　sent　him　into　the　world　with　an　armful　of　good　gifts。　He　was　very　good…lookingtall；　dark；　agile；　perfectly　finished；　so　good…looking　that　he　might　have　been　a　fool　and　yet　be　forgiven。　As　has　already　been　intimated；　however；　he　was　far　from　being　a　fool。　He　had　a　number　of　talents；　which；　during　three　or　four　years　that　followed　his　leaving　college；　had　received　the　discipline　of　the　study　of　the　law。　　He　had　not　made　much　of　the　law；　but　he　had　made　something　of　his　talents。　　He　was　almost　always　spoken　of　as　〃accomplished；〃　people　asked　why　he　did　n't　do　something。　This　question　was　never　satisfactorily　answered；　the　feeling　being　that　Longueville　did　more　than　many　people　in　causing　it　to　be　asked。　　Moreover；　there　was　one　thing　he　did　constantly　he　enjoyed　himself。　　This　is　manifestly　not　a　career；　and　it　has　been　said　at　the　outset　that　he　was　not　attached　to　any　of　the　recognized　professions。　　But　without　going　into　details；　he　was　a　charming　fellowclever；　urbane；　free…handed；　and　with　that　fortunate　quality　in　his　appearance　which　is　known　as　distinction。






CHAPTER　III

He　had　not　specified；　in　writing　to　Gordon　Wright；　the　day　on　which　he　should　arrive　at　Baden…Baden；　it　must　be　confessed　that　he　was　not　addicted　to　specifying　days。　He　came　to　his　journey's　end　in　the　evening；　and；　on　presenting　himself　at　the　hotel　from　which　his　friend　had　dated　his　letter；　he　learned　that　Gordon　Wright　had　betaken　himself　after　dinner；　according　to　the　custom　of　Baden…Baden；　to　the　grounds　of　the　Conversation…house。　It　was　eight　o'clock；　and　Longueville；　after　removing　the　stains　of　travel；　sat　down　to　dine。　His　first　impulse　had　been　to　send　for　Gordon　to　come　and　keep　him　company　at　his　repast；　but　on　second　thought　he　determined　to　make　it　as　brief　as　possible。　Having　brought　it　to　a　close；　he　took　his　way　to　the　Kursaal。　The　great　German　watering…place　is　one　of　the　prettiest　nooks　in　Europe；　and　of　a　summer　evening　in　the　gaming　days；　five…and…twenty　years　ago；　it　was　one　of　the　most　brilliant　scenes。　The　lighted　windows　of　the　great　temple　of　hazard　（of　as　chaste　an　architecture　as　if　it　had　been　devoted　to　a　much　purer　divinity）　opened　wide　upon　the　gardens　and　groves；　the　little　river　that　issues　from　the　bosky　mountains　of　the　Black　Forest　flowed；　with　an　air　of　brook…like　innocence；　past　the　expensive　hotels　and　lodging…houses；　the　orchestra；　in　a　high　pavilion　on　the　terrace　of　the　Kursaal；　played　a　discreet　accompaniment　to　the　conversation　of　the　ladies　and　gentlemen　who；　scattered　over　the　large　expanse　on　a　thousand　little　chairs；　preferred　for　the　time　the　beauties　of　nature　to　the　shuffle　of　coin　and　the　calculation　of　chance；　while　the　faint　summer　stars；

twinkling　above　the　vague　black　hills　and　woods；　looked　down　at　the　indifferent　groups　without　venturing　to　drop　their　light　upon　them。

Longueville；　noting　all　this；　went　straight　into　the　gaming…rooms；　he　was　curious　to　see　whether　his　friend；　being　fond　of　experiments；　was　trying　combinations　at　roulette。　But　he　was　not　to　be　found　in　any　of　the　gilded　chambers；　among　the　crowd　that　pressed　in　silence　about　the　tables；　so　that　Bernard　presently　came　and　began　to　wander　about　the　lamp…lit　terrace；　where　innumerable　groups；　seated　and　strolling；　made　the　place　a　gigantic　conversazione。　It　seemed　to　him　very　agreeable　and　amusing；　and　he　remarked　to　himself　that；　for　a　man　who　was　supposed　not　to　take　especially　the　Epicurean　view　of　life；　Gordon　Wright；　in　coming　to　Baden；　had　certainly　made　himself　comfortable。　　Longueville　went　his　way；　glancing　from　one　cluster　of　talkers　to　another；　and　at　last　he　saw　a　face　which　brought　him　to　a　stop。　He　stood　a　moment　looking　at　it；　he　knew　he　had　seen　it　before。　He　had　an　excellent　memory　for　faces；　but　it　was　some　time　before　he　was　able　to　attach　an　identity　to　this　one。　Where　had　he　seen　a　little　elderly　lady　with　an　expression　of　timorous　vigilance；　and　a　band　of　hair　as　softly　white　as　a　dove's　wing？　　The　answer　to　the　question　presently　came　Where　but　in　a　grass…grown　corner　of　an　old　Italian　town？　The　lady　was　the　mother　of　his　inconsequent　model；　so　that　this