in the cage-第4章

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liked　to　BE。　　Her　conceit；　her　baffled　vanity；　was　possibly

monstrous；　she　certainly　often　threw　herself　into　a　defiant

conviction　that　she　would　have　done　the　whole　thing　much　better。

But　her　greatest　comfort；　mostly；　was　her　comparative　vision　of　the

men；　by　whom　I　mean　the　unmistakeable　gentlemen；　for　she　had　no

interest　in　the　spurious　or　the　shabby　and　no　mercy　at　all　for　the

poor。　　She　could　have　found　a　sixpence；　outside；　for　an　appearance

of　want；　but　her　fancy；　in　some　directions　so　alert；　had　never　a

throb　of　response　for　any　sign　of　the　sordid。　　The　men　she　did

track；　moreover；　she　tracked　mainly　in　one　relation；　the　relation

as　to　which　the　cage　convinced　her；　she　believed；　more　than

anything　else　could　have　done；　that　it　was　quite　the　most　diffused。



She　found　her　ladies；　in　short；　almost　always　in　communication　with

her　gentlemen；　and　her　gentlemen　with　her　ladies；　and　she　read　into

the　immensity　of　their　intercourse　stories　and　meanings　without

end。　　Incontestably　she　grew　to　think　that　the　men　cut　the　best

figure；　and　in　this　particular；　as　in　many　others；　she　arrived　at　a

philosophy　of　her　own；　all　made　up　of　her　private　notations　and

cynicisms。　　It　was　a　striking　part　of　the　business；　for　example；

that　it　was　much　more　the　women；　on　the　whole；　who　were　after　the

men　than　the　men　who　were　after　the　women：　　it　was　literally

visible　that　the　general　attitude　of　the　one　sex　was　that　of　the

object　pursued　and　defensive；　apologetic　and　attenuating；　while　the

light　of　her　own　nature　helped　her　more　or　less　to　conclude　as　to

the　attitude　of　the　other。　　Perhaps　she　herself　a　little　even　fell

into　the　custom　of　pursuit　in　occasionally　deviating　only　for

gentlemen　from　her　high　rigour　about　the　stamps。　　She　had　early　in

the　day　made　up　her　mind；　in　fine；　that　they　had　the　best　manners；

and　if　there　were　none　of　them　she　noticed　when　Captain　Everard　was

there；　there　were　plenty　she　could　place　and　trace　and　name　at

other　times；　plenty　who；　with　their　way　of　being　〃nice〃　to　her；　and

of　handling；　as　if　their　pockets　were　private　tills　loose　mixed

masses　of　silver　and　gold；　were　such　pleasant　appearances　that　she

could　envy　them　without　dislike。　　THEY　never　had　to　give　change

they　only　had　to　get　it。　　They　ranged　through　every　suggestion；

every　shade　of　fortune；　which　evidently　included　indeed　lots　of　bad

luck　as　well　as　of　good；　declining　even　toward　Mr。　Mudge　and　his

bland　firm　thrift；　and　ascending；　in　wild　signals　and　rocket…

flights；　almost　to　within　hail　of　her　highest　standard。　　So　from

month　to　month　she　went　on　with　them　all；　through　a　thousand　ups

and　downs　and　a　thousand　pangs　and　indifferences。　　What　virtually

happened　was　that　in　the　shuffling　herd　that　passed　before　her　by

far　the　greater　part　only　passeda　proportion　but　just　appreciable

stayed。　　Most　of　the　elements　swam　straight　away；　lost　themselves

in　the　bottomless　common；　and　by　so　doing　really　kept　the　page

clear。　　On　the　clearness　therefore　what　she　did　retain　stood

sharply　out；　she　nipped　and　caught　it；　turned　it　over　and　interwove

it。







CHAPTER　VI







She　met　Mrs。　Jordan　when　she　could；　and　learned　from　her　more　and

more　how　the　great　people；　under　her　gentle　shake　and　after　going

through　everything　with　the　mere　shops；　were　waking　up　to　the　gain

of　putting　into　the　hands　of　a　person　of　real　refinement　the

question　that　the　shop…people　spoke　of　so　vulgarly　as　that　of　the

floral　decorations。　　The　regular　dealers　in　these　decorations　were

all　very　well；　but　there　was　a　peculiar　magic　in　the　play　of　taste

of　a　lady　who　had　only　to　remember；　through　whatever　intervening

dusk；　all　her　own　little　tables；　little　bowls　and　little　jars　and

little　other　arrangements；　and　the　wonderful　thing　she　had　made　of

the　garden　of　the　vicarage。　　This　small　domain；　which　her　young

friend　had　never　seen；　bloomed　in　Mrs。　Jordan's　discourse　like　a

new　Eden；　and　she　converted　the　past　into　a　bank　of　violets　by　the

tone　in　which　she　said　〃Of　course　you　always　knew　my　one　passion！〃

She　obviously　met　now；　at　any　rate；　a　big　contemporary　need；

measured　what　it　was　rapidly　becoming　for　people　to　feel　they　could

trust　her　without　a　tremor。　　It　brought　them　a　peace　thatduring

the　quarter　of　an　hour　before　dinner　in　especialwas　worth　more　to

them　than　mere　payment　could　express。　　Mere　payment；　none　the　less；

was　tolerably　prompt；　she　engaged　by　the　month；　taking　over　the

whole　thing；　and　there　was　an　evening　on　which；　in　respect　to　our

heroine；　she　at　last　returned　to　the　charge。　　〃It's　growing　and

growing；　and　I　see　that　I　must　really　divide　the　work。　　One　wants

an　associateof　one's　own　kind；　don't　you　know？　　You　know　the　look

they　want　it　all　to　have？of　having　come；　not　from　a　florist；　but

from　one　of　themselves。　　Well；　I'm　sure　YOU　could　give　itbecause

you　ARE　one。　　Then　we　SHOULD　win。　　Therefore　just　come　in　with　me。〃



〃And　leave　the　P。O。？〃



〃Let　the　P。O。　simply　bring　you　your　letters。　　It　would　bring　you

lots；　you'd　see：　　orders；　after　a　bit；　by　the　score。〃　　It　was　on

this；　in　due　course；　that　the　great　advantage　again　came　up：　　〃One

seems　to　live　again　with　one's　own　people。〃　　It　had　taken　some

little　time　（after　their　having　parted　company　in　the　tempest　of

their　troubles　and　then；　in　the　glimmering　dawn；　finally　sighted

each　other　again）　for　each　to　admit　that　the　other　was；　in　her

private　circle；　her　only　equal；　but　the　admission　came；　when　it　did

come；　with　an　honest　groan；　and　since　equality　was　named；　each

found　much　personal　profit　in　exaggerating　the　other's　original

grandeur。　　Mrs。　Jordan　was　ten　years　the　older；　but　her　young

friend　was　struck　with　the　smaller　difference　this　now　made：　　it

had　counted　otherwise　at　the　time　when；　much　more　as　a　friend　of

her　mother's；　the　bereaved　lady；　without　a　penny　of　provision　and

with　stopgaps；　like　their　own；　all　gone；　had；　across　the　sordid

landing　on　which　the　opposite　doors　of　the　pair　of　scared　miseries

opened　and　to　which　they　were　bewilderedly　bolted；　borrowed　coals

and　umbrellas　that　were　repaid　in　potatoes　and　postage…stamps。　　It

had　been　a　questionable　help；　at　that　time；　to　ladies　submerged；

floundering；　panting；　swimming　for　their　lives；　that　they　were

ladies；　but　such　an　advantage　could　come　up　again　in　proportion　as

others　vanished；　and　it　had　grown　very　great　by　the　time　it　was　the

only　ghost　of　one　they　possessed。　　They　had　literally　watched　it

take　to　itself　a　portion　of　the　substance　of　each　that　had

departed；　and　it　became　prodigious　now；　when　they　could　talk　of　it

together；　when　they　could　look　back　at　it　across　a　desert　of

accepted　derogation；　and　when；　above　all；　they　could　together　work

up　a　credulity　about　it　that　neither　could　otherwise　work　up。

Nothing　was　really　so　marked　as　that　they　felt　the　need　to

cultivate　this　legend　much　more　after　having　found　their　feet　and

stayed　their　stomachs　in　the　ultimate　obscure　than　they　had　done　in

the　upper　air　of　mere　frequent　shocks。　　The　thing　they　could　now

oftenest　say　to　each　other　was　that　they　knew　what　they　meant；　and

the　sentiment　with　which；　all　round；　they　knew　it　was　known　had

well…nigh　amounted　to　a　promise　not　again　to　fall　apart。



Mrs。　Jordan　was　at　present　fairly　dazzling　on　the　subject　of　the

way　that；　in　the　practice　of　her　fairy　art；　as　she　called　it；　she

more　than　peeped　inshe　penetrated。　　There　was　not　a　house　of　the

great　kindand　it　was　of　course　only　a　question　of　those；　real

homes　of　luxuryin　which　she　was　not；　at　the　rate　such　people　now

had　things；　all　over　the　place。　　The　girl　felt　before　the　picture

the　cold　breath　of　disinheritance　as　much　as　she　had　ever　felt　it

in　the　cage；　she　knew　moreover　how　much　she　betrayed　this；　for　the

experience　of　poverty　had　begun；　in　her　life；　too　early；　and　her

ignorance　of　the　requirements　of　homes　of　luxury　had　grown；　with

other　active　knowledge；　a　depth　of　simplification。　　She　had

accordingly　at　first　often　found　that　in　these　colloquies　she　could

only　pretend　she　understood。　　Educated　as　she　had　rapidly　been　by

her　chances　at　Cocker's；　there　were　still　strange　gaps　in　her

learningshe　could　never；　like　Mrs。　Jordan；　have　found　her　way

about　one　of　the　〃homes。〃　　Little　by　little；　however；　she　had

caught　on；　above　all　in　the　light　of　what　Mrs。　Jordan's　redemption

had　materially　made　of　that　lady；　giving　her；　though　the　years　and

the　struggles　had　naturally　not　straightened　a　feature；　an　almost

super…eminent　air。　　There　were　women　in　and　out　of　Cocker's　who

were　quite　nice　and　who　yet　didn't　look　well；　whereas　Mrs。　Jordan

looked　well　and　yet；　with　her　extraordinarily　protrusive　teeth；　was

by　no　means　quite　nice。　　It　would　seem；　mystifyingly；　that　it　might

really　come　from　all　the　greatness　she　could　live　with。　　It　was

fine　to　hear　her　talk　so　often　of　dinners　of　twenty　and　of　her

doing；　as　she　said；　exactly　as　she　liked　with　them。　　She　spoke　as

if；　for　that　matter；　she　invited　the　company。　　〃They　simply　give　me

the　tableall　the　rest；　all　the　other　effects；　come　afterwards。〃







CHAPTER　VII







〃Then　you　DO　see　them？〃　the　girl　again　asked。



Mrs。　Jordan　hesitated；　and　indeed　the　point　had　been　ambiguous

before。　　〃Do　you　mean　the　guests？〃



Her　young　friend；　cautious　about　an　undue　exposure　of　innocence；

was　not　quite　sure。　　〃Wellthe　people　who　live　there。〃



〃Lady　Ventnor？　　Mrs。　Bubb？　　Lord　Rye？　　Dear；　yes。　　Why　they　LIKE

one。〃



〃But　does　one　personally　KNOW　them？〃　our　young　lady　went　on；　since

that　was　the　way　to　speak。　　〃I　mean　socially；　don't　you　know？as

you　know　ME。〃



〃They're　not　so　nice　as　you！〃　Mrs。　Jordan　charmingly　cried。　　〃But　I

SHALL　see　more　and　more　of　them。〃



Ah　this　was　the　old　story。　　〃But　how　soon？〃



〃Why　almost　any　day。　　Of　course；〃　Mrs。　Jordan　honestly　added；

〃they're　nearly　always　out。〃



〃Then　why　do　they　want　flowers　all　over？〃



〃Oh　that　doesn't　make　any　difference。〃　　Mrs。　Jordan　was　not

philosophic；　she　was　just　evidently　determined　it　SHOULDN'T　make

any。　　〃They're　awfully　interested　in　my　ideas；　and　it's　inevitable

they　should　meet　me　over　them。〃



Her　interlocutress　was　sturdy　enough。　　〃What　do　you　call　your

ideas？〃



Mrs。　Jordan's　reply　was　fine。　　〃If　you　were　to　see　me　some　day　with

a　thousand　tulips　you'd　discover。〃



〃A　thousand？〃the　girl　gaped　at　such　a　revelation　of　the　scale　of

it；　she　felt　for　the　instant　fairly　planted　out。　　〃Well；　but　if　in

fact　they　never　do　meet　you？〃　she　none　the　less　pessimistically

insisted。



〃Never？　　They　OFTEN　doand　evidently　quite　on　purpose。　　We　have

grand　long　talks。〃



There　was　something　in　our　young　lady　that　could　still　stay　her

from　asking　for　a　personal　description　of　these　apparitions；　that

showed　too　starved　a　state。　　But　while　she　considered　she　took　in

afresh　the　whole　of　the　clergyman's　widow。　　Mrs。　Jordan　couldn't

help　her　teeth；　and　her　sleeves　were　a　distinct