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！
〃But we shall see you again before you go？〃 Mrs。 March asked of
both。
〃Well； I don't know；〃 said the girl； with a look at Mrs。 Deering；
who now said …
〃I guess so。 We'll let you know when we're going。〃 And they got
away rather stiffly。
〃Why in the world； my dear；〃 I asked； 〃if you weren't going to
promote their stay； need you prolong the agony of their
acquaintance？〃
〃Did you feel that about it too？ Well； I wanted to ask you first if
you thought it would do。〃
〃What do？〃
〃You know； get her a room here。 Because if we do we shall have her
literally on our hands as long as we are here。 We shall have to
have the whole care and responsibility of her； and I wanted you to
feel just what you were going in for。 You know very well I can't do
things by halves； and that if I undertake to chaperon this girl I
shall chaperon her〃
〃To the bitter end。 Yes； I understand the conditions of your
uncompromising conscience。 But I don't believe it will be any such
killing matter。 There are other semi…detached girls in the house；
she could go round with them。〃
We talked on； and； as sometimes happens； we convinced each other so
thoroughly that she came to my ground and I went to hers。 Then it
was easier for us to come together； and after making me go to the
clerk and find out that he had a vacant room； Mrs。 March agreed with
me that it would not do at all to have Miss Gage stay with us； the
fact that there was a vacant room seemed to settle the question。
We were still congratulating ourselves on our escape when Mrs。
Deering suddenly reappeared round our corner of the verandah。 She
was alone； and she looked excited。
〃Oh； it isn't anything；〃 she said in answer to the alarm that showed
itself in Mrs。 March's face at sight of her。 〃I hope you won't
think it's too presuming； Mrs。 March； and I want you to believe that
it's something I have thought of by myself； and that Julia wouldn't
have let me come if she had dreamed of such a thing。 I do hate so
to take her back with me； now that she's begun to have a good time；
and I was wonderingwondering whether it would be asking too much
if I tried to get her a room here。 I shouldn't exactly like to
leave her in the hotel alone； though I suppose it would be perfectly
proper； but Mr。 Deering found out when he was trying to get rooms
before that there were some young ladies staying by themselves here；
and I didn't want to ask the clerk for a room unless you felt just
right about it。〃
〃Why； of course； Mrs。 Deering。 It's a public house； like any other；
and you have as much right〃
〃But I didn't want you to think that I would do it without asking
you； and if it is going to be the least bit of trouble to you。〃 The
poor thing while she talked stood leaning anxiously over toward Mrs。
March； who had risen； and pressing the points of her fingers
nervously together。
〃It won't； Mrs。 Deering。 It will be nothing but pleasure。 Why；
certainly。 I shall be delighted to have Miss Gage here； and
anything that Mr。 March and I can doWhy； we had just been talking
of it； and Mr。 March has this minute got back from seeing the clerk；
and she can have a very nice room。 We had been intending to speak
to you about it as soon as we saw you。〃
I do not know whether this was quite true or not； but I was glad
Mrs。 March said it； from the effect it had upon Mrs。 Deering。 Tears
of relief came into her eyes； and she said： 〃Then I can go home in
the morning。 I was going to stay on a day or two longer； on Julia's
account； but I didn't feel just right about Mr。 Deering； and now I
won't have to。〃
There followed a flutter of polite offers and refusals；
acknowledgments and disavowals； and an understanding that I would
arrange it all； and that we would come to Mrs。 Deering's hotel after
supper and see Miss Gage about the when and the how of her coming to
us。〃
〃Well； Isabel；〃 I said； after it was all over； and Mrs。 Deering had
vanished in a mist of happy tears； 〃I suppose this is what you call
perfectly providential。 Do you really believe that Miss Gage didn't
send her back？〃
〃I know she didn't。 But I know that she HAD to do it just the same
as if Miss Gage had driven her at the point of the bayonet。〃
I laughed at this tragical image。 〃Can she be such a terror？〃
〃She is an ideal。 And Mrs。 Deering is as afraid as death of her。
Of course she has to live up to her。 It's probably been the
struggle of her life； and I can quite imagine her letting her
husband die before she would take Miss Gage back； unless she went
back satisfied。〃
〃I don't believe I can imagine so much as that exactly； but I can
imagine her being afraid of Miss Gage's taking it out of her
somehow。 Now she will take it out of us。 I hope you realise that
you've done it now； my dear。 To be sure； you will have all your
life to repent of your rashness。〃
〃I shall never repent；〃 Mrs。 March retorted hardily。 〃It was the
right thing； the only thing。 We couldn't have let that poor
creature stay on； when she was so anxious to get back to her
husband。〃
〃No。〃
〃And I confess； Basil； that I feel a little pity for that poor girl；
too。 It would have been cruel； it would have been fairly wicked； to
let her go home so soon； and especially now。〃
〃Oh！ And I suppose that by ESPECIALLY NOW； you mean Kendricks；〃 I
said； and I laughed mockingly； as the novelists say。 〃How sick I am
of this stale old love…business between young people！ We ought to
know betterwe're old enough； at least YOU are。〃
She seemed not to feel the gibe。 〃Why； Basil；〃 she asked dreamily；
〃haven't you any romance left in you？〃
〃Romance？ Bah！ It's the most ridiculous unreality in the world。
If you had so much sympathy for that stupid girl； in that poor woman
in her anxiety about her disappointment； why hadn't you a little for
her sick husband？ But a husband is nothingwhen you have got him。〃
〃I did sympathise with her。〃
〃You didn't say so。〃
〃Well； she is only his second wife； and I don't suppose it's
anything serious。 Didn't I really say anything to her？〃
〃Not a word。 It is curious；〃 I went on； 〃how we let this idiotic
love…passion absorb us to the very last。 It is wholly unimportant
who marries who； or whether anybody marries at all。 And yet we no
sooner have the making of a love…affair within reach than we revert
to the folly of our own youth； and abandon ourselves to it as if it
were one of the great interests of life。〃
〃Who is talking about love？ It isn't a question of that。 It's a
question of making a girl have a pleasant time for a few days； and
what is the harm of it？ Girls have a dull enough time at the very
best。 My heart aches for them； and I shall never let a chance slip
to help them； I don't care what you say。〃
〃Now； Isabel；〃 I returned； 〃don't you be a humbug。 This is a
perfectly plain case； and you are going in for a very risky affair
with your eyes open。 You shall not pretend you're not。〃
〃Very well； then； if I am going into it with my eyes open； I shall
look out that nothing happens。〃
〃And you think prevision will avail！ I wish；〃 I said； 〃that instead
of coming home that night and telling you about this girl； I had
confined my sentimentalising to that young French…Canadian mother；
and her dirty little boy who ate the pea…nut shells。 I've no doubt
it was really a more tragical case。 They looked dreadfully poor and
squalid。 Why couldn't I have amused my idle fancy with their
fortunesthe sort of husband and father they had； their shabby
home； the struggle of their life？ That is the appeal that a genuine
person listens to。 Nothing does more to stamp me a poseur than the
fact that I preferred to bemoan myself for a sulky girl who seemed
not to be having a good time。〃
There was truth in my joking； but the truth did not save me； it lost
me rather。 〃Yes；〃 said my wife； 〃it was your fault。 I should never
have seen anything in her if it had not been for you。 It was your
coming back and working me up about her that began the whole thing；
and now if anything goes wrong you will have yourself to thank for
it。〃
She seized the opportunity of my having jestingly taken up this load
to buckle it on me tight and fast； clasping it here； tying it there；
and giving a final pull to the knots that left me scarcely the power
to draw my breath； much less the breath to protest。 I was forced to
hear her say again that all her concern from the beginning was for
Mrs。 Deering； and that now； if she had offered to do something for
Miss Gage； it was not because she cared anything for her； but
because she cared everything for Mrs。 Deering； who could never lift
up her head again at De Witt Point if she went back so completely
defeated in all the purposes she had in asking Miss Gage to come
with her to Saratoga。
I did not observe that this wave of compassion carried Mrs。 March so
far as to leave her stranded with Mrs。 Deering that evening when we
called with Kendricks； and asked her and Miss Gage to go with us to
the Congress Park concert。 Mrs。 Deering said that she had to pack；
that she did not feel just exactly like going； and my tender heart
ached with a knowledge of her distress。 Miss Gage mad