marjorie daw-第3章

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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　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　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。


VIII。

EDWARD　DELANEY　TO　JOHN　FLEMMING。

August　22；　1872。

Your　letter　in　reply　to　my　last　has　occupied　my　thoughts　all　the
morning。　I　do　not　know　what　to　think。　Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you
are　seriously　half　in　love　with　a　woman　whom　you　have　never　seen
with　a　shadow；　a　chimera？　for　what　else　can　Miss　Daw　to　be　you？　I
do　not　understand　it　at　all。　I　understand　neither　you　nor　her。　You
are　a　couple　of　ethereal　beings　moving　in　finer　air　than　I　can
breathe　with　my　commonplace　lungs。　Such　delicacy　of　sentiment　is
something　that　I　admire　without　comprehending。　I　am　bewildered。　I
am　of　the　earth　earthy；　and　I　find　myself　in　the　incongruous
position　of　having　to　do　with　mere　souls；　with　natures　so　finely
tempered　that　I　run　some　risk　of　shattering　them　in　my　awkwardness。
I　am　as　Caliban　among　the　spirits！

Reflecting　on　your　letter；　I　am　not　sure　that　it　is　wise　in　me　to
continue　this　correspondence。　But　no；　Jack；　I　do　wrong　to　doubt　the
good　sense　that　forms　the　basis　of　your　character。　You　are　deeply
interested　in　Miss　Daw；　you　feel　that　she　is　a　person　whom　you　may
perhaps　greatly　admire　when　you　know　her：　at　the　same　time　you　bear
in　mind　that　the　chances　are　ten　to　five　that；　when　you　do　come　to
know　her；　she　will　fall　far　short　of　your　ideal；　and　you　will　not
care　for　her　in　the　least。　Look　at　it　in　this　sensible　light；　and　I
will　hold　back　nothing　from　you。

Yesterday　afternoon　my　father　and　myself　rode　over　to　Rivermouth
with　the　Daws。　A　heavy　rain　in　the　morning　had　cooled　the
atmosphere　and　laid　the　dust。　To　Rivermouth　is　a　drive　of　eight
miles；　along　a　winding　road　lined　all　the　way　with　wild　barberry
bushes。　I　never　saw　anything　more　brilliant　than　these　bushes；　the
green　of　the　foliage　and　the　faint　blush　of　the　berries　intensified
by　the　rain。　The　colonel　drove；　with　my　father　in　front；　Miss　Daw
and　I　on　the　back　seat。　I　resolved　that　for　the　first　five　miles
your　name　should　not　pass　my　lips。　I　was　amused　by　the　artful
attempts　she　made；　at　the　start；　to　break　through　my　reticence。
Then　a　silence　fell　upon　her；　and　then　she　became　suddenly　gay。
That　keenness　which　I　enjoyed　so　much　when　it　was　exercised　on　the
lieutenant　was　not　so　satisfactory　directed　against　myself。　Miss
Daw　has　great　sweetness　of　disposition；　but　she　can　be
disagreeable。　She　is　like　the　young　lady　in　the　rhyme；　with　the
curl　on　her　forehead；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃When　she　is　good；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　She　is　very；　very　good；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　when　she　is　bad；　she　is　horrid！〃

I　kept　to　my　resolution；　however；　but　on　the　return　home　I
relented；　and　talked　of　your　mare！　Miss　Daw　is　going　to　try　a　side…
saddle　on　Margot　some　morning。　The　animal　is　a　trifle　too　light　for
my　weight。　By　the　bye；　I　nearly　forgot　to　say　that　Miss　Daw　sat　for
a　picture　yesterday　to　a　Rivermouth　artist。　If　the　negative　turns
out　well；　I　am　to　have　a　copy。　So　our　ends　will　be　accomplished
without　crime。　I　wish；　though；　I　could　send　you　the　ivorytype　in
the　drawing…room；　it　is　cleverly　colored；　and　would　give　you　an
idea　of　her　hair　and　eyes；　which　of　course　the　other　will　not。

No；　Jack；　the　spray　of　mignonette　did　not　come　from　me。　A　man　of
twenty…eight　doesn't　enclose　flowers　in　his　lettersto　another
man。　But　don't　attach　too　much　significance　to　the　circumstance。
She　gives　sprays　of　mignonette　to　the　rector；　sprays　to　the
lieutenant。　She　has　even　given　a　rose　from　her　bosom　to　your　slave。
It　is　her　jocund　nature　to　scatter　flowers；　like　Spring。

If　my　letters　sometimes　read　disjointedly；　you　must　understand　that
I　never　finish　one　at　a　sitting；　but　write　at　intervals；　when　the
mood　is　on　me。

The　mood　is　not　on　me　now。


IX。

EDWARD　DELANEY　TO　JOHN　FLEMMING。

August　23；　1872。

I　have　just　returned　from　the　strangest　interview　with　Marjorie。
She　has　all　but　confessed　to　me　her　interest　in　you。　But　with　what
modesty　and　dignity！　Her　words　elude　my　pen　as　I　attempt　to　put
them　on　paper；　and；　indeed；　it　was　not　so　much　what　she　said　as　her
manner；　and　that　I　cannot　reproduce。　Perhaps　it　was　of　a　piece　with
the　strangeness　of　this　whole　business；　that　she　should　tacitly
acknowledge　to　a　third　party　the　love　she　feels　for　a　man　she　has
never　beheld！　But　I　have　lost；　through　your　aid；　the　faculty　of
being　surprised。　I　accept　things　as　people　do　in　dreams。　Now　that　I
am　again　in　my　room；　it　all　appears　like　an　illusionthe　black
masses　of　Rembrandtish　shadow　under　the　trees；　the　fireflies
whirling　in　Pyrrhic　dances　among　the　shrubbery；　the　sea　over　there；
Marjorie　sitting　on　the　hammock！

It　is　past　midnight；　and　I　am　too　sleepy　to　write　more。

Thursday　Morning。

My　father　has　suddenly　taken　it　into　his　head　to　spend　a　few　days
at　the　Shoals。　In　the　meanwhile　you　will　not　hear　from　me。　I　see
Marjorie　walking　in　the　garden　with　the　colonel。　I　wish　I　could
speak　to　her　alone；　but　shall　probably　not　have　an　opportunity
before　we　leave。


X。

EDWARD　DELANEY　TO　JOHN　FLEMMING。

August　28；　1872。

You　were　passing　into　your　second　childhood；　were　you？　Your
intellect　was　so　reduced　that　my　epistolary　gifts　seemed　quite
considerable　to　you；　did　they？　I　rise　superior　to　the　sarcasm　in
your　favor　of　the　11th　instant；　when　I　notice　that　five　days'
silence　on　my　part　is　sufficient　to　throw　you　into　the　depths　of
despondency。

We　returned　only　this　morning　from　Appledore；　that　enchanted　island
at　four　dollars　per　day。　I　find　on　my　desk　three　letters　from
you！　Evidently　there　is　no　lingering　doubt　in　your　mind　as　to　the
pleasure　I　derive　from　your　correspondence。　These　letters　are
undated；　but　in　what　I　take　to　be　the　latest　are　two　passages　that
require　my　consideration。　You　will　pardon　my　candor；　dear　Flemming；
but　the　conviction　forces　itself　upon　me　that　as　your　leg　grows
stronger　your　head　becomes　weaker。　You　ask　my　advice　on　a　certain
point。　I　will　give　it。　In　my　opinion　you　could　do　nothing　more
unwise　that　to　address　a　note　to　Miss　Daw；　thanking　her　for　the
flower。　It　would；　I　am　sure；　offend　her　delicacy　beyond　pardon。　She
knows　you　only　through　me；　you　are　to　her　an　abstraction；　a　figure
in　a　dreama　dream　from　which　the　faintest　shock　would　awaken　her。
Of　course；　if　you　enclose　a　note　to　me　and　insist　on　its　delivery；
I　shall　deliver　it；　but　I　advise　you　not　to　do　so。

You　say　you　are　able；　with　the　aid　of　a　cane；　to　walk　about　your
chamber；　and　that　you　purpose　to　come　to　The　Pines　the　instant
Dillon　thinks　you　strong　enough　to　stand　the　journey。　Again　I
advise　you　not　to。　Do　you　not　see　that；　every　hour　you　remain　away；
Marjorie's　glamour　deepens；　and　your　influence　over　her　increases？
You　will　ruin　everything　by　precipitancy。　Wait　until　you　are
entirely　recovered；　in　any　case；　do　not　come　without　giving　me
warning。　I　fear　the　effect　of　your　abrupt　advent　hereunder　the
circumstances。

Miss　Daw　was　evidently　glad　to　see　us　back　again；　and　gave　me　both
hands　in　the　frankest　way。　She　stopped　at　the　door　a　moment　this
afternoon　in　the　carriage；　she　had　been　over　to　Rivermouth　for　her
pictures。　Unluckily　the　photographer　had　spilt　some　acid　on　the
plate；　and　she　was　obliged　to　give　him　another　sitting。　I　have　an
intuition　that　some