april hopes-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Well；　break　it　off；　then；　if　you　like。〃

Mrs。　Pasmer　resumed　the　responsibility　with　a　sigh。　　She　felt　the　burden；
the　penalty；　of　power；　after　having　so　long　enjoyed　its　sweets；　and　she
would　willingly　have　abdicated　the　sovereignty　which　she　had　spent　her
whole　married　life　in　establishing。　　But　there　was　no　one　to　take　it　up。
〃No；　I　shall　not　break　it　off；〃　she　said　resentfully；　〃I　shall　let　it　go
on。〃　　Then　seeing　that　her　husband　was　not　shaken　by　her　threat　from　his
long…confirmed　subjection；　she　added：　〃It　isn't　an　ideal　affair；　but　I
think　it　will　be　a　very　good　thing　for　Alice。　　He　is　not　what　I　expected；
but　he　is　thoroughly　nice；　and　I　should　think　his　family　was　nice。　　I've
been　talking　with　Mr。　Munt　about　them　to…day；　and　he　confirms　all　that
Etta　Saintsbury　said。　　I　don't　think　there　can　be　any　doubt　of　his
intentions　in　coming　here。　　He　isn't　a　particularly　artless　young　man；
but　he's　been　sufficiently　frank　about　Alice　since　he's　been　here。〃　　Her
husband　smoked　on。　　〃His　father　seems　to　have　taken　up　the　business　from
the　artistic　side；　and　Mr。　Mavering　won't　be　expected　to　enter　into　the
commercial　part　at　once。　　If　it　wasn't　for　Alice；　I　don't　believe　he
would　think　of　the　business　for　a　moment；　he　would　study　law。　　Of　course
it's　a　little　embarrassing　to　have　her　engaged　at　once　before　she's　seen
anything　of　society　here；　but　perhaps　it's　all　for　the　best；　after　all：
the　main　thing　is　that　she　should　be　satisfied；　and　I　can　see　that　she's
only　too　much　so。　　Yes；　she's　very　much　taken　with　him；　and　I　don't
wonder。　　He　is　charming。〃

It　was　not　the　first　time　that　Mrs。　Pasmer　had　reasoned　in　this　round；
but　the　utterance　of　her　thoughts　seemed　to　throw　a　new　light　on　them；
and　she　took　a　courage　from　them　that　they　did　not　always　impart。　　She
arrived　at　the　final　opinion　expressed；　with　a　throb　of　tenderness　for
the　young　fellow　whom　she　believed　eager　to　take　her　daughter　from　her；
and　now　for　the　first　time　she　experienced　a　desolation　in　the　prospect；
as　if　it　were　an　accomplished　fact。　　She　was　morally　a　bundle　of
finesses；　but　at　the　bottom　of　her　heart　her　daughter　was　all　the　world
to　her。　　She　had　made　the　girl　her　idol；　and　if；　like　some　other　heathen；
she　had　not　always　used　her　idol　with　the　greatest　deference；　if　she　had
often　expected　the　impossible　from　it；　and　made　it　pay　for　her
disappointment；　still　she　had　never　swerved　from　her　worship　of　it。　　She
suddenly　asked　herself；　What　if　this　young　fellow；　so　charming　and　so
good；　should　so　wholly　monopolise　her　child　that　she　should　no　longer
have　any　share　in　her？　　What　if　Alice；　who　had　so　long　formed　her　first
care　and　chief　object　in　life；　should　contentedly　lose　herself　in　the
love　and　care　of　another；　and　both　should　ignore　her　right　to　her？　　She
answered　herself　with　a　pang　that　this　might　happen　with　any　one　Alice
married；　and　that　it　would　be　no　worse；　at　the　worst；　with　Dan　Mavering
than　with　another；　while　her　husband　remained　impartially　silent。　　Always
keeping　within　the　lines　to　which　his　wife's　supremacy　had　driven　him；　he
felt　safe　there；　and　was　not　to　be　easily　coaxed　out　of　them。

Mrs。　Pasmer　rose　and　left　him；　with　his　perfect　acquiescence；　and　went
into　her　daughter's　room。　　She　found　Alice　there；　with　a　pretty　evening
dress　laid　out　on　her　bed。　　Mrs。　Pasmer　was　very　fond　of　that　dress；　and
at　the　thought　of　Alice　in　it　her　spirits　rose　again。

〃Oh；　are　you　going；　Alice？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　answered　the　girl。　　〃Didn't　you　accept？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　Mrs。　Pasmer　admitted。　　〃But　aren't　you　tired？〃

〃Oh；　not　in　the　least。　　I　feel　as　fresh　as　I　did　this　morning。　　Don't　you
want　me　to　go？〃

〃Oh　yes；　certainly；　I　want　you　to　goif　you　think　you'll　enjoy　it。〃

〃Enjoy　it？　　Why；　why　shouldn't　I　enjoy　it；　mamma！〃　　What　are　you　thinking
about？　　It's　going　to　be　the　greatest　kind　of　fun。〃

〃But　do　you　think　you　ought　to　look　at　everything　simply　as　fun？〃　asked
the　mother；　with　unwonted　didacticism。

〃How　everything？　　What　are　you　thinking　about；　mamma？〃

〃Oh；　nothing！　　I'm　so　glad　you're　going　to　wear　that　dress。〃

〃Why；　of　course！　　It's　my　best。　　But　what　arc　you　driving　at；　mamma？〃

Mrs。　Pasmer　was　really　seeking　in　her　daughter　that　comfort　of　a　distinct
volition　which　she　had　failed　to　find　in　her　husband；　and　she　wished　to
assure　herself　of　it　more　and　more；　that　she　might　share　with　some　one
the　responsibility　which　he　had　refused　any　part　in。

〃Nothing。　　But　I'm　glad　you　wish　so　much　to　go。〃　　The　girl　dropped　her
hands　and　stared。　　〃You　must　have　enjoyed　yourself　to…day；〃　she　added；　as
if　that　were　an　explanation。

〃Of　course　I　enjoyed　myself！　　But　what　has　that　to　do　with　my　wanting　to
go　to…night？〃

〃Oh；　nothing。　　But　I　hope；　Alice；　that　there　is　one　thing　you　have　looked
fully　in　the　face。〃

〃What　thing？〃　faltered　the　girl；　and　now　showed　herself　unable　to
confront　it　by　dropping　her　eyes。

〃Well；　whatever　you　may　have　heard　or　seen；　nobody　else　is　in　doubt　about
it。　　What　do　you　suppose　has　brought　Mr。　Mavering　here！〃

〃I　don't　know。〃　　The　denial　not　only　confessed　that　she　did　know；　but　it
informed　her　mother　that　all　was　as　yet　tacit　between　the　young　people。

〃Very　well；　then；　I　know；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　〃and　there　is　one　thing　that
you　must　know　before　long；　Alice。〃

〃What？〃　she　asked　faintly。

〃Your　own　mind；〃　said　her　mother。　　〃I　don't　ask　you　what　it　is；　and　I
shall　wait　till　you　tell　me。　　Of　course　I　shouldn't　have　let　him　stay
here　if　I　had　objected〃

〃O　mamma！〃　murmured　the　girl；　dyed　with　shame　to　have　the　facts　so　boldly
touched；　but　not；　probably；　too　deeply　displeased。

〃Yes。　　And　I　know　that　he　would　never　have　thought　of　going　into　that
business　if　he　had　not　expectedhoped〃

〃Mamma！〃

〃And　you　ought　to　consider〃

〃Oh；　don't！　don't！　don't！〃　implored　the　girl。

〃That's　all；〃　said　her　mother；　turning　from　Alice；　who　had　hidden　her
face　in　her　hands；　to　inspect　the　costume　on　the　bed。　　She　lifted　one
piece　of　it　after　another；　turned　it　over；　looked　at　it；　and　laid　it
down。　　〃You　can　never　get　such　a　dress　in　this　country。〃

She　went　out　of　the　room；　as　the　girl　dropped　her　face　in　the　pillow。　　An
hour　later　they　met　equipped　for　the　evening's　pleasure。　　To　the　keen
glance　that　her　mother　gave　her；　the　daughter's　eyes　had　the　brightness
of　eyes　that　have　been　weeping；　but　they　were　also　bright　with　that
knowledge　of　her　own　mind　which　Mrs。　Pasmer　had　desired　for　her。　　She　met
her　mother's　glance　fearlessly；　even　proudly；　and　she　carried　her　stylish
costume　with　a　splendour　to　which　only　occasions　could　stimulate　her。
They　dramatised　a　perfect　unconsciousness　to　each　other；　but　Mrs。　Pasmer
was　by　no　means　satisfied　with　the　decision　which　she　had　read　in　her
daughter's　looks。　　Somehow　it　did　not　relieve　her　of　the　responsibility；
and　it　did　not　change　the　nature　of　the　case。　　It　was　gratifying；　of
course；　to　see　Alice　the　object　of　a　passion　so　sincere　and　so　ardent；　so
far　the　triumph　was　complete；　and　there　was　really　nothing　objectionable
in　the　young　man　and　his　circumstances；　though　there　was　nothing　very
distinguished。　　But　the　affair　was　altogether　different　from　anything
that　Mrs。　Pasmer　had　imagined。　　She　had　supposed　and　intended　that　Alice
should　meet　some　one　in　Boston；　and　go　through　a　course　of　society　before
reaching　any　decisive　step。　　There　was　to　be　a　whole　season　in　which　to
look　the　ground　carefully　over；　and　the　ground　was　to　be　all　within
certain　well…ascertained　and　guarded　precincts。　　But　this　that　had
happened　was　outside　of　these　precincts；　of　at　least　on　their　mere
outskirts。　　Class　Day；　of　course；　was　all　right；　and　she　could　not　say
that　the　summer　colony　at　Campobello　was　not　thoroughly　and　essentially
Boston；　and　yet　she　felt　that　certain　influences；　certain　sanctions；　were
absent。　　To　tell　the　truth；　she　would　not　have　cared　for　the　feelings　of
Mavering's　family　in　regard　to　the　matter；　except　as　they　might　afterward
concern　Alice；　and　the　time　had　not　come　when　she　could　recognise　their
existence　in　regard　to　the　affair；　and　yet　she　could　have　wished　that
even　as　it　was　his　family　could　have　seen　and　approved　it　from　the　start。
It　would　have　been　more　regular。


With　Alice　it　was　a　simpler　matter；　and　of　course　deeper。　　For　her　it　was
only　a　question　of　himself　and　herself；　no　one　else　existed　to　the
sublime　egotism　of　her　love。　　She　did　not　call　it　by　that　name；　she　did
not　permit　it　to　assert　itself　by　any　name；　it　was　a　mere　formless　joy　in
her　soul；　a　trustful　and　blissful　expectance；　which　she　now　no　more
believed　he　could　disappoint　than　that　she　could　die　within　that　hour。
All　the　rebellion　that　she　had　sometimes　felt　at　the　anomalous　attitude
exacted　of　her　sex　in　regard　to　such　matters　was　gone。　　She　no　longer
thought　it　strange　that　a　girl　should　be　expected　to　ignore　the
admiration　of　a　young　man　till　he　explicitly　declared　it；　and　should　then
be　fully　possessed　of　all　the　materials　of　a　decision　on　the　most
momentous　question　in　life；　for　she　knew　that　this　state　of　ignorance
could　never　really　exist；　she　had　known　from　the　first　moment　that　he　had
thought　her　beautiful。　　To…night　she　was　radiant　for　him。　　Her　eyes　shone
with　the　look　in　which　they　should　meet　and　give　themselves　to　each　other
before　they　spokethe　look　in　which　they　had　met　already；　in　which　they
had　lived　that　whole　day。




XIX。

The　evening's　entertainment　was　something　that　must　fail　before　an
audience　which　was　not　very　kind。　　They　were　to　present　a　burlesque　of
classic　fable；　and　the　parts；　with　their　general　intention；　had　been
distributed　to　the　different　actors；　but　nothing　had　been　written　down；
and；　beyond　the　situations　and　a　few　points　of　dialogue；　all　had　to　be
improvised。　　The　costumes　and　properties　had　been　invented　from　such
things　as　came　to　hand。　　Sheets　sculpturesquely　draped　the　deities　who
took　part；　a　fox…pelt　from　the　hearth　did　duty　as　the　leopard　skin　of
Bacchus；　a　feather　duster　served　Neptune　for　a　trident；　the　lyre　of
Apollo　was　a　dust…pan；　a　gull's　breast　furnished　Jove　with　his　grey
beard。

The　fable　was　adapted　to　modern　life；　and　the　scene　had　been　laid　in
Campobello；　the　peculiarities　of　which　were　to　be　satirised　throughout。
The　principal　situation　was　to　be　a　passage　between　Jupiter；　represented
by　Mavering；　and　Juno；　whom　Miss　Anderson　personated；　it　was　to　be　a
scene　of　conjugal　reproaches　and　reprisals；　and　to　end　in　reconciliation；
in　which　the　father　of　the　gods　sacrificed　himself　on　the　altar　of
domestic　peace　by　promising　to　bring　his　family　to　Campobello　every　year。

This　was　to　be　followed　by　a　sketch　of　the　Judgment　of　Paris；　in　which
Juno　and　Pallas　were　to　be　personated　by　two　young　men；　and　Miss　Anderson
took　the　part　of　Venus。

The　pretty　drawing…room　of　the　Trevorsyoung　people　from　Albany；　and
cousins　of　Miss　Andersonwas　curtained　off　at　one　end　for　a　stage；　and
beyond　the　sliding　doors　which　divided　it　in　half　were　set　chairs　for　the
spectators。　　People　had　come　in　whatever　dress　they　liked；　the　men　were
mostly　in　morning　coats；　the　ladies　had　generally　made　some　attempt　at
evening　toilet；　but　they　joined　in　admiring　Alice　Pasmer's　costume；　and
one　of　them　said　that　they　would　le