the chaperon-第1章

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The　Chaperon

by　Henry　James






CHAPTER　I。



An　old　lady；　in　a　high　drawing…room；　had　had　her　chair　moved　close　to
the　fire；　where　she　sat　knitting　and　warming　her　knees。　　She　was
dressed　in　deep　mourning；　her　face　had　a　faded　nobleness；　tempered；
however；　by　the　somewhat　illiberal　compression　assumed　by　her　lips　in
obedience　to　something　that　was　passing　in　her　mind。　　She　was　far
from　the　lamp；　but　though　her　eyes　were　fixed　upon　her　active　needles
she　was　not　looking　at　them。　　What　she　really　saw　was　quite　another
train　of　affairs。　　The　room　was　spacious　and　dim；　the　thick　London
fog　had　oozed　into　it　even　through　its　superior　defences。　　It　was
full　of　dusky；　massive；　valuable　things。　　The　old　lady　sat　motionless
save　for　the　regularity　of　her　clicking　needles；　which　seemed　as
personal　to　her　and　as　expressive　as　prolonged　fingers。　　If　she　was
thinking　something　out；　she　was　thinking　it　thoroughly。

When　she　looked　up；　on　the　entrance　of　a　girl　of　twenty；　it　might
have　been　guessed　that　the　appearance　of　this　young　lady　was　not　an
interruption　of　her　meditation；　but　rather　a　contribution　to　it。　　The
young　lady；　who　was　charming　to　behold；　was　also　in　deep　mourning；
which　had　a　freshness；　if　mourning　can　be　fresh；　an　air　of　having
been　lately　put　on。　　She　went　straight　to　the　bell　beside　the
chimney…piece　and　pulled　it；　while　in　her　other　hand　she　held　a
sealed　and　directed　letter。　　Her　companion　glanced　in　silence　at　the
letter；　then　she　looked　still　harder　at　her　work。　　The　girl　hovered
near　the　fireplace；　without　speaking；　and　after　a　due；　a　dignified
interval　the　butler　appeared　in　response　to　the　bell。　　The　time　had
been　sufficient　to　make　the　silence　between　the　ladies　seem　long。
The　younger　one　asked　the　butler　to　see　that　her　letter　should　be
posted；　and　after　he　had　gone　out　she　moved　vaguely　about　the　room；
as　if　to　give　her　grandmotherfor　such　was　the　elder　personagea
chance　to　begin　a　colloquy　of　which　she　herself　preferred　not　to
strike　the　first　note。　　As　equally　with　herself　her　companion　was　on
the　face　of　it　capable　of　holding　out；　the　tension；　though　it　was
already　late　in　the　evening；　might　have　lasted　long。　　But　the　old
lady　after　a　little　appeared　to　recognise；　a　trifle　ungraciously；　the
girl's　superior　resources。

〃Have　you　written　to　your　mother？〃

〃Yes；　but　only　a　few　lines；　to　tell　her　I　shall　come　and　see　her　in
the　morning。〃

〃Is　that　all　you've　got　to　say？〃　asked　the　grandmother。

〃I　don't　quite　know　what　you　want　me　to　say。〃

〃I　want　you　to　say　that　you've　made　up　your　mind。〃

〃Yes；　I've　done　that；　granny。〃

〃You　intend　to　respect　your　father's　wishes？〃

〃It　depends　upon　what　you　mean　by　respecting　them。　　I　do　justice　to
the　feelings　by　which　they　were　dictated。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　justice？〃　the　old　lady　retorted。

The　girl　was　silent　a　moment；　then　she　said：　　〃You'll　see　my　idea　of
it。〃

〃I　see　it　already！　　You'll　go　and　live　with　her。〃

〃I　shall　talk　the　situation　over　with　her　to…morrow　and　tell　her　that
I　think　that　will　be　best。〃

〃Best　for　her；　no　doubt！〃

〃What's　best　for　her　is　best　for　me。〃

〃And　for　your　brother　and　sister？〃　　As　the　girl　made　no　reply　to　this
her　grandmother　went　on：　　〃What's　best　for　them　is　that　you　should
acknowledge　some　responsibility　in　regard　to　them　and；　considering
how　young　they　are；　try　and　do　something　for　them。〃

〃They　must　do　as　I've　donethey　must　act　for　themselves。　　They　have
their　means　now；　and　they're　free。〃

〃Free？　　They're　mere　children。〃

〃Let　me　remind　you　that　Eric　is　older　than　I。〃

〃He　doesn't　like　his　mother；〃　said　the　old　lady；　as　if　that　were　an
answer。

〃I　never　said　he　did。　　And　she　adores　him。〃

〃Oh；　your　mother's　adorations！〃

〃Don't　abuse　her　now；〃　the　girl　rejoined；　after　a　pause。

The　old　lady　forbore　to　abuse　her；　but　she　made　up　for　it　the　next
moment　by　saying：　　〃It　will　be　dreadful　for　Edith。〃

〃What　will　be　dreadful？〃

〃Your　desertion　of　her。〃

〃The　desertion's　on　her　side。〃

〃Her　consideration　for　her　father　does　her　honour。〃

〃Of　course　I'm　a　brute；　n'en　parlons　plus；〃　said　the　girl。　　〃We　must
go　our　respective　ways；〃　she　added；　in　a　tone　of　extreme　wisdom　and
philosophy。

Her　grandmother　straightened　out　her　knitting　and　began　to　roll　it
up。　　〃Be　so　good　as　to　ring　for　my　maid；〃　she　said；　after　a　minute。
The　young　lady　rang；　and　there　was　another　wait　and　another　conscious
hush。　　Before　the　maid　came　her　mistress　remarked：　　〃Of　course　then
you'll　not　come　to　ME；　you　know。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　'coming'　to　you？〃

〃I　can't　receive　you　on　that　footing。〃

〃She'll　not　come　WITH　me；　if　you　mean　that。〃

〃I　don't　mean　that；〃　said　the　old　lady；　getting　up　as　her　maid　came
in。　　This　attendant　took　her　work　from　her；　gave　her　an　arm　and
helped　her　out　of　the　room；　while　Rose　Tramore；　standing　before　the
fire　and　looking　into　it；　faced　the　idea　that　her　grandmother's　door
would　now　under　all　circumstances　be　closed　to　her。　　She　lost　no　time
however　in　brooding　over　this　anomaly：　　it　only　added　energy　to　her
determination　to　act。　　All　she　could　do　to…night　was　to　go　to　bed；
for　she　felt　utterly　weary。　　She　had　been　living；　in　imagination；　in
a　prospective　struggle；　and　it　had　left　her　as　exhausted　as　a　real
fight。　　Moreover　this　was　the　culmination　of　a　crisis；　of　weeks　of
suspense；　of　a　long；　hard　strain。　　Her　father　had　been　laid　in　his
grave　five　days　before；　and　that　morning　his　will　had　been　read。　　In
the　afternoon　she　had　got　Edith　off　to　St。　Leonard's　with　their　aunt
Julia；　and　then　she　had　had　a　wretched　talk　with　Eric。　　Lastly；　she
had　made　up　her　mind　to　act　in　opposition　to　the　formidable　will；　to
a　clause　which　embodied　if　not　exactly　a　provision；　a　recommendation
singularly　emphatic。　　She　went　to　bed　and　slept　the　sleep　of　the
just。

〃Oh；　my　dear；　how　charming！　　I　must　take　another　house！〃　　It　was　in
these　words　that　her　mother　responded　to　the　announcement　Rose　had
just　formally　made　and　with　which　she　had　vaguely　expected　to　produce
a　certain　dignity　of　effect。　　In　the　way　of　emotion　there　was
apparently　no　effect　at　all；　and　the　girl　was　wise　enough　to　know
that　this　was　not　simply　on　account　of　the　general　line　of　non…
allusion　taken　by　the　extremely　pretty　woman　before　her；　who　looked
like　her　elder　sister。　　Mrs。　Tramore　had　never　manifested；　to　her
daughter；　the　slightest　consciousness　that　her　position　was　peculiar；
but　the　recollection　of　something　more　than　that　fine　policy　was
required　to　explain　such　a　failure；　to　appreciate　Rose's　sacrifice。
It　was　simply　a　fresh　reminder　that　she　had　never　appreciated
anything；　that　she　was　nothing　but　a　tinted　and　stippled　surface。
Her　situation　was　peculiar　indeed。　　She　had　been　the　heroine　of　a
scandal　which　had　grown　dim　only　because；　in　the　eyes　of　the　London
world；　it　paled　in　the　lurid　light　of　the　contemporaneous。　　That
attention　had　been　fixed　on　it　for　several　days；　fifteen　years
before；　there　had　been　a　high　relish　of　the　vivid　evidence　as　to　his
wife's　misconduct　with　which；　in　the　divorce…court；　Charles　Tramore
had　judged　well　to　regale　a　cynical　public。　　The　case　was　pronounced
awfully　bad；　and　he　obtained　his　decree。　　The　folly　of　the　wife　had
been　inconceivable；　in　spite　of　other　examples：　　she　had　quitted　her
children；　she　had　followed　the　〃other　fellow〃　abroad。　　The　other
fellow　hadn't　married　her；　not　having　had　time：　　he　had　lost　his　life
in　the　Mediterranean　by　the　capsizing　of　a　boat；　before　the
prohibitory　term　had　expired。

Mrs。　Tramore　had　striven　to　extract　from　this　accident　something　of
the　austerity　of　widowhood；　but　her　mourning　only　made　her　deviation
more　public；　she　was　a　widow　whose　husband　was　awkwardly　alive。　　She
had　not　prowled　about　the　Continent　on　the　classic　lines；　she　had
come　back　to　London　to　take　her　chance。　　But　London　would　give　her　no
chance；　would　have　nothing　to　say　to　her；　as　many　persons　had
remarked；　you　could　never　tell　how　London　would　behave。　　It　would　not
receive　Mrs。　Tramore　again　on　any　terms；　and　when　she　was　spoken　of；
which　now　was　not　often；　it　was　inveterately　said　of　her　that　she
went　nowhere。　　Apparently　she　had　not　the　qualities　for　which　London
compounds；　though　in　the　cases　in　which　it　does　compound　you　may
often　wonder　what　these　qualities　are。　　She　had　not　at　any　rate　been
successful：　　her　lover　was　dead；　her　husband　was　liked　and　her
children　were　pitied；　for　in　payment　for　a　topic　London　will
parenthetically　pity。　　It　was　thought　interesting　and　magnanimous
that　Charles　Tramore　had　not　married　again。　　The　disadvantage　to　his
children　of　the　miserable　story　was　thus　left　uncorrected；　and　this；
rather　oddly；　was　counted　as　HIS　sacrifice。　　His　mother；　whose
arrangements　were　elaborate；　looked　after　them　a　great　deal；　and　they
enjoyed　a　mixture　of　laxity　and　discipline　under　the　roof　of　their
aunt；　Miss　Tramore；　who　was　independent；　having；　for　reasons　that　the
two　ladies　had　exhaustively　discussed；　determined　to　lead　her　own
life。　　She　had　set　up　a　home　at　St。　Leonard's；　and　that　contracted
shore　had　played　a　considerable　part　in　the　upbringing　of　the　little
Tramores。　　They　knew　about　their　mother；　as　the　phrase　was；　but　they
didn't　know　her；　which　was　naturally　deemed　more　pathetic　for　them
than　for　her。　　She　had　a　house　in　Chester　Square　and　an　income　and　a
victoriait　served　all　purposes；　as　she　never　went　out　in　the
eveningand　flowers　on　her　window…sills；　and　a　remarkable　appearance
of　youth。　　The　income　was　supposed　to　be　in　part　the　result　of　a
bequest　from　the　man　for　whose　sake　she　had　committed　the　error　of
her　life；　and　in　the　appearance　of　youth　there　was　a　slightly
impertinent　implication　that　it　was　a　sort　of　afterglow　of　the　same
connection。

Her　children；　as　they　grew　older；　fortunately　showed　signs　of　some
individuality　of　disposition。　　Edith；　the　second　girl；　clung　to　her
aunt　Julia；　Eric；　the　son；　clung　frantically　to　polo；　while　Rose；　the
elder　daughter；　appeared　to　cling　mainly　to　herself。　　Collectively；
of　course；　they　clung　to　their　father；　whose　attitude　in　the　family
group；　however；　was　casual　and　intermittent。　　He　was　charming　and
vague；　he　was　like　a　clever　actor　who　often　didn't　come　to　rehearsal。
Fortune；　which　but　for　that　one　stroke　had　been　generous　to　him；　had
provided　him　with　deputies　and　trouble…takers；　as　well　as　with
whimsical　opinions；　and　a　reputation　for　excellent　taste；　and　whist
at　his　club；　and　perpetual　cigars　on　morocco　sofas；　and　a　beautiful
absence　of　purpose。　　Nature　had　thrown　in　a　remarkably　fine　hand；
which　he　sometimes　passed　over　his　children's　heads　when　they　were
glossy　from　the　nursery　brush。　　On　Rose's　eighteenth　birthday　he　said
to　her　that　she　might　go　to　see　her　mother；　on　condition　that　her
visits　should　be　limited　to　an　hour　each　time　and　to　four　in　the
year。　　She　was　to　go　alone；　the　other　children　were　not　included　in
the　arrangement。　　This　was　the　result　of　a　visit　that　he　himself　had
paid　his　repudiated　wife　at　her　urgent　request；　their　only　encounter
during　the　fifteen　years。　　The　girl　knew　as　much　as　this　from　her
aunt　Julia；　who　was　full　of　tell…tale　secrecies。　　She　availed　herself
eagerly　of　the　license；　and　in　course　o