an international episode-第8章

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its　attractions；　for　Beaumont　was　constantly　at　his　hostess's　side。

He　detached　himself　one　day　to　the　extent　of　going　to　New

York　to　talk　over　the　Tennessee　Central　with　Mr。　Westgate；

but　he　was　absent　only　forty…eight　hours；　during　which；

with　Mr。　Westgate's　assistance；　he　completely　settled　this　piece

of　business。　　〃They　certainly　do　things　quickly　in　New　York；〃

he　observed　to　his　cousin；　and　he　added　that　Mr。　Westgate

had　seemed　very　uneasy　lest　his　wife　should　miss　her　visitor

he　had　been　in　such　an　awful　hurry　to　send　him　back　to　her。

〃I'm　afraid　you'll　never　come　up　to　an　American　husband；

if　that's　what　the　wives　expect；〃　he　said　to　Lord　Lambeth。



Mrs。　Westgate；　however；　was　not　to　enjoy　much　longer　the　entertainment

with　which　an　indulgent　husband　had　desired　to　keep　her　provided。

On　the　21st　of　August　Lord　Lambeth　received　a　telegram　from　his　mother；

requesting　him　to　return　immediately　to　England；　his　father　had　been

taken　ill；　and　it　was　his　filial　duty　to　come　to　him。



The　young　Englishman　was　visibly　annoyed。　　〃What　the　deuce　does　it　mean？〃

he　asked　of　his　kinsman。　　〃What　am　I　to　do？〃



Percy　Beaumont　was　annoyed　as　well；　he　had　deemed　it　his　duty；

as　I　have　narrated；　to　write　to　the　duchess；　but　he　had　not　expected

that　this　distinguished　woman　would　act　so　promptly　upon　his　hint。

〃It　means；〃　he　said；　〃that　your　father　is　laid　up。

I　don't　suppose　it's　anything　serious；　but　you　have　no　option。

Take　the　first　steamer；　but　don't　be　alarmed。



Lord　Lambeth　made　his　farewells；　but　the　few　last　words　that　he　exchanged

with　Bessie　Alden　are　the　only　ones　that　have　a　place　in　our　record。

〃Of　course　I　needn't　assure　you；〃　he　said；　〃that　if　you　should　come　to　England

next　year；　I　expect　to　be　the　first　person　that　you　inform　of　it。〃



Bessie　Alden　looked　at　him　a　little；　and　she　smiled。

〃Oh；　if　we　come　to　London；〃　she　answered；　〃I　should　think　you

would　hear　of　it。〃



Percy　Beaumont　returned　with　his　cousin；　and　his　sense　of　duty

compelled　him；　one　windless　afternoon；　in　mid…Atlantic；　to　say

to　Lord　Lambeth　that　he　suspected　that　the　duchess's　telegram　was

in　part　the　result　of　something　he　himself　had　written　to　her。

〃I　wrote　to　heras　I　explicitly　notified　you　I　had　promised　to　do

that　you　were　extremely　interested　in　a　little　American　girl。〃



Lord　Lambeth　was　extremely　angry；　and　he　indulged　for　some

moments　in　the　simple　language　of　indignation。　　But　I　have　said

that　he　was　a　reasonable　young　man；　and　I　can　give　no　better

proof　of　it　than　the　fact　that　he　remarked　to　his　companion

at　the　end　of　half　an　hour；　〃You　were　quite　right；　after　all。

I　am　very　much　interested　in　her。　　Only；　to　be　fair；〃

he　added；　〃you　should　have　told　my　mother　also　that　she

is　notseriouslyinterested　in　me。〃



Percy　Beaumont　gave　a　little　laugh。　　〃There　is　nothing

so　charming　as　modesty　in　a　young　man　in　your　position。

That　speech　is　a　capital　proof　that　you　are　sweet　on　her。〃



〃She　is　not　interestedshe　is　not！〃　　Lord　Lambeth　repeated。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　his　companion；　〃you　are　very　far　gone。〃







PART　II





In　point　of　fact；　as　Percy　Beaumont　would　have　said；

Mrs。　Westgate　disembarked　on　the　18th　of　May　on

the　British　coast。　　She　was　accompanied　by　her　sister；

but　she　was　not　attended　by　any　other　member　of　her　family。

To　the　deprivation　of　her　husband's　society　Mrs。　Westgate　was；

however；　habituated；　she　had　made　half　a　dozen　journeys

to　Europe　without　him；　and　she　now　accounted　for　his　absence；

to　interrogative　friends　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic；

by　allusion　to　the　regrettable　but　conspicuous　fact　that　in

America　there　was　no　leisure　class。　　The　two　ladies　came　up

to　London　and　alighted　at　Jones's　Hotel；　where　Mrs。　Westgate；

who　had　made　on　former　occasions　the　most　agreeable　impression

at　this　establishment；　received　an　obsequious　greeting。

Bessie　Alden　had　felt　much　excited　about　coming　to　England；

she　had　expected　the　〃associations〃　would　be　very　charming；

that　it　would　be　an　infinite　pleasure　to　rest　her　eyes　upon

the　things　she　had　read　about　in　the　poets　and　historians。

She　was　very　fond　of　the　poets　and　historians；　of　the　picturesque；

of　the　past；　of　retrospect；　of　mementos　and　reverberations

of　greatness；　so　that　on　coming　into　the　English　world；

where　strangeness　and　familiarity　would　go　hand　in　hand；

she　was　prepared　for　a　multitude　of　fresh　emotions。

They　began　very　promptlythese　tender；　fluttering　sensations；

they　began　with　the　sight　of　the　beautiful　English　landscape；

whose　dark　richness　was　quickened　and　brightened　by　the　season；

with　the　carpeted　fields　and　flowering　hedgerows；　as　she

looked　at　them　from　the　window　of　the　train；　with　the　spires

of　the　rural　churches　peeping　above　the　rook…haunted　treetops；

with　the　oak…studded　parks；　the　ancient　homes；　the　cloudy　light；

the　speech；　the　manners；　the　thousand　differences。

Mrs。　Westgate's　impressions　had；　of　course；　much　less　novelty

and　keenness；　and　she　gave　but　a　wandering　attention　to　her

sister's　ejaculations　and　rhapsodies。



〃You　know　my　enjoyment　of　England　is　not　so　intellectual　as　Bessie's；〃　she

said　to　several　of　her　friends　in　the　course　of　her　visit　to　this　country。

〃And　yet　if　it　is　not　intellectual；　I　can't　say　it　is　physical。

I　don't　think　I　can　quite　say　what　it　is；　my　enjoyment　of　England。〃

When　once　it　was　settled　that　the　two　ladies　should　come　abroad　and　should

spend　a　few　weeks　in　England　on　their　way　to　the　Continent；　they　of　course

exchanged　a　good　many　allusions　to　their　London　acquaintance。



〃It　will　certainly　be　much　nicer　having　friends　there；〃

Bessie　Alden　had　said　one　day　as　she　sat　on　the　sunny　deck

of　the　steamer　at　her　sister's　feet　on　a　large　blue　rug。



〃Whom　do　you　mean　by　friends？〃　　Mrs。　Westgate　asked。



〃All　those　English　gentlemen　whom　you　have　known　and　entertained。

Captain　Littledale；　for　instance。　　And　Lord　Lambeth　and　Mr。　Beaumont；〃

added　Bessie　Alden。



〃Do　you　expect　them　to　give　us　a　very　grand　reception？〃



Bessie　reflected　a　moment；　she　was　addicted；　as　we　know；

to　reflection。　　〃Well；　yes。〃



〃My　poor；　sweet　child；〃　murmured　her　sister。



〃What　have　I　said　that　is　so　silly？〃　asked　Bessie。



〃You　are　a　little　too　simple；　just　a　little。　　It　is　very　becoming；

but　it　pleases　people　at　your　expense。〃



〃I　am　certainly　too　simple　to　understand　you；〃　said　Bessie。



〃Shall　I　tell　you　a　story？〃　asked　her　sister。



〃If　you　would　be　so　good。　　That　is　what　they　do　to　amuse　simple　people。〃



Mrs。　Westgate　consulted　her　memory；　while　her　companion　sat　gazing

at　the　shining　sea。　　〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　the　Duke　of　Green…Erin？〃



〃I　think　not；〃　said　Bessie。



〃Well；　it's　no　matter；〃　her　sister　went　on。



〃It's　a　proof　of　my　simplicity。〃



〃My　story　is　meant　to　illustrate　that　of　some　other　people；〃

said　Mrs。　Westgate。　　〃The　Duke　of　Green…Erin　is　what　they　call　in

England　a　great　swell；　and　some　five　years　ago　he　came　to　America。

He　spent　most　of　his　time　in　New　York；　and　in　New　York　he　spent　his

days　and　his　nights　at　the　Butterworths'。　You　have　heard；　at　least；

of　the　Butterworths。　　Bien。　　They　did　everything　in　the　world　for　him

they　turned　themselves　inside　out。　　They　gave　him　a　dozen　dinner　parties

and　balls　and　were　the　means　of　his　being　invited　to　fifty　more。

At　first　he　used　to　come　into　Mrs。　Butterworth's　box　at　the　opera

in　a　tweed　traveling　suit；　but　someone　stopped　that。　　At　any　rate；

he　had　a　beautiful　time；　and　they　parted　the　best　friends　in　the　world。

Two　years　elapse；　and　the　Butterworths　come　abroad　and　go　to　London。

The　first　thing　they　see　in　all　the　papersin　England　those　things

are　in　the　most　prominent　placeis　that　the　Duke　of　Green…Erin

has　arrived　in　town　for　the　Season。　　They　wait　a　little；　and　then

Mr。　Butterworthas　polite　as　evergoes　and　leaves　a　card。

They　wait　a　little　more；　the　visit　is　not　returned；　they　wait

three　weekssilence　de　mortthe　Duke　gives　no　sign。

The　Butterworths　see　a　lot　of　other　people；　put　down　the　Duke

of　Green…Erin　as　a　rude；　ungrateful　man；　and　forget　all　about　him。

One　fine　day　they　go　to　Ascot　Races；　and　there　they　meet　him　face

to　face。　　He　stares　a　moment　and　then　comes　up　to　Mr。　Butterworth；

taking　something　from　his　pocketbooksomething　which　proves

to　be　a　banknote。　　'I'm　glad　to　see　you；　Mr。　Butterworth；'　he　says；

'so　that　I　can　pay　you　that　ten　pounds　I　lost　to　you　in　New　York。

I　saw　the　other　day　you　remembered　our　bet；　here　are　the　ten　pounds；

Mr。　Butterworth。　　Goodbye；　Mr。　Butterworth。'　　And　off　he　goes；

and　that's　the　last　they　see　of　the　Duke　of　Green…Erin。〃



〃Is　that　your　story？〃　asked　Bessie　Alden。



〃Don't　you　think　it's　interesting？〃　her　sister　replied。



〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　said　the　young　girl。



〃Ah；〃　cried　Mrs。　Westgate；　〃you　are　not　so　simple　after　all！

Believe　it　or　not；　as　you　please；　there　is　no　smoke　without　fire。〃



〃Is　that　the　way；〃　asked　Bessie　after　a　moment；　〃that　you　expect

your　friends　to　treat　you？〃



〃I　defy　them　to　treat　me　very　ill；　because　I　shall　not　give

them　the　opportunity。　　With　the　best　will　in　the　world；

in　that　case　they　can't　be　very　offensive。〃



Bessie　Alden　was　silent　a　moment。　　〃I　don't　see　what　makes　you　talk　that　way；〃

she　said。　　〃The　English　are　a　great　people。〃



〃Exactly；　and　that　is　just　the　way　they　have　grown　great

by　dropping　you　when　you　have　ceased　to　be　useful。

People　say　they　are　not　clever；　but　I　think　they　are　very　clever。〃



〃You　know　you　have　liked　themall　the　Englishmen　you　have　seen；〃　said　Bessie。



〃They　have　liked　me；〃　her　sister　rejoined；　〃it　would　be　more　correct

to　say　that。　　And；　of　course；　one　likes　that。〃



Bessie　Alden　resumed　for　some　moments　her　studies　in　sea　green。

〃Well；〃　she　said；　〃whether　they　like　me　or　not；　I　mean　to　like　them。

And　happily；〃　she　added；　〃Lord　Lambeth　does　not　owe　me　ten　pounds。〃



During　the　first　few　days　after　their　arrival　at　Jones's　Hotel　our　charming

Americans　were　much　occupied　with　what　they　would　have　called　looking

about　them。　　They　found　occasion　to　make　a　large　number　of　purchases；

and　their　opportunities　for　conversation　were　such　only　as　were　offered

by　the　deferential　London　shopmen。　　Bessie　Alden；　even　in　driving

from　the　station；　took　an　immense　fancy　to　the　British　metropolis；

and　at　the　risk　of　exhibiting　her　as　a　young　woman　of　vulgar　tastes　it

must　be　recorded　that　for　a　considerable　period　she　desired　no　higher

pleasure　than　to　drive　about　the　crowded　streets　in　a　hansom　cab。

To　her　attentive　eyes　they　were　full　of　a　strange　picturesque　life；

and　it　is　at　least　beneath　the　dignity　of　our　historic　muse　to　enumerate

the　trivial　objects　and　incidents　which　this　simple　young　lady　from　Boston

found　so　entertaining。　　It　may　be　freely　mentioned；　however；　that　whenever；

after　a　round　of　visits　in　Bond　Street　and　Regent　Street；　she　was

about　to　return　with　her　sister　to　Jones's