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!
than that of my excellent sire。 It is true; I might have made a
target of the defenceless invalid; but I haven't a taste for
artillery; moi。
VI。
JOHN FLEMMING TO EDWARD DELANEY。
August 17; 1872。
For a man who hasn't a taste for artillery; it occurs to me; my
friend; you are keeping up a pretty lively fire on my inner works。
But go on。 Cynicism is a small brass field…piece that eventually
bursts and kills the artilleryman。
You may abuse me as much as you like; and I'll not complain; for I
don't know what I should do without your letters。 They are curing
me。 I haven't hurled anything at Watkins since last Sunday; partly
because I have grown more amiable under your teaching; and partly
because Watkins captured my ammunition one night; and carried it
off to the library。 He is rapidly losing the habit he had acquired
of dodging whenever I rub my ear; or make any slight motion with my
right arm。 He is still suggestive of the wine…cellar; however。 You
may break; you may shatter Watkins; if you will; but the scent of
the Roederer will hang round him still。
Ned; that Miss Daw must be a charming person。 I should certainly
like her。 I like her already。 When you spoke in your first letter
of seeing a young girl swinging in a hammock under your chamber
window; I was somehow strangely drawn to her。 I cannot account for
it in the least。 What you have subsequently written of Miss Daw has
strengthened the impression。 You seem to be describing a woman I
have known in some previous state of existence; or dreamed of in
this。 Upon my word; if you were to send me her photograph; I
believe I should recognize her at a glance。 Her manner; that
listening attitude; her traits of character; as you indicate them;
the light hair and the dark eyesthey are all familiar things to
me。 Asked a lot of questions; did she? Curious about me? That is
strange。
You would laugh in your sleeve; you wretched old cynic; if you knew
how I lie awake nights; with my gas turned down to a star; thinking
of The Pines and the house across the road。 How cool it must be
down there! I long for the salt smell in the air。 I picture the
colonel smoking his cheroot on the piazza。 I send you and Miss Daw
off on afternoon rambles along the beach。 Sometimes I let you
stroll with her under the elms in the moonlight; for you are great
friends by this time; I take it; and see each other every day。 I
know your ways and your manners! Then I fall into a truculent
mood; and would like to destroy somebody。 Have you noticed anything
in the shape of a lover hanging around the colonel Lares and
Penates? Does that lieutenant of the horse…marines or that young
Stillwater parson visit the house much? Not that I am pining for
news of them; but any gossip of the kind would be in order。 I
wonder; Ned; you don't fall in love with Miss Daw。 I am ripe to do
it myself。 Speaking of photographs; couldn't you manage to slip
one of her cartes…de…visite from her albumshe must have an album;
you knowand send it to me? I will return it before it could be
missed。 That's a good fellow! Did the mare arrive safe and sound?
It will be a capital animal this autumn for Central Park。
Ohmy leg? I forgot about my leg。 It's better。
VII。
EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMIMG。
August 20; 1872。
You are correct in your surmises。 I am on the most friendly terms
with our neighbors。 The colonel and my father smoke their afternoon
cigar together in our sitting…room or on the piazza opposite; and I
pass an hour or two of the day or the evening with the daughter。 I
am more and more struck by the beauty; modesty; and intelligence of
Miss Daw。
You asked me why I do not fall in love with her。 I will be frank;
Jack; I have thought of that。 She is young; rich; accomplished;
uniting in herself more attractions; mental and personal; than I
can recall in any girl of my acquaintance; but she lacks the
something that would be necessary to inspire in me that kind of
interest。 Possessing this unknown quality; a woman neither
beautiful nor wealthy nor very young could bring me to her feet。
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