an international episode-第1章

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An　International　Episode



by　Henry　James














PART　I





Four　years　agoin　1874two　young　Englishmen　had　occasion　to　go

to　the　United　States。　　They　crossed　the　ocean　at　midsummer；

and；　arriving　in　New　York　on　the　first　day　of　August；

were　much　struck　with　the　fervid　temperature　of　that　city。

Disembarking　upon　the　wharf；　they　climbed　into　one　of　those　huge

high…hung　coaches　which　convey　passengers　to　the　hotels；

and　with　a　great　deal　of　bouncing　and　bumping；　took　their

course　through　Broadway。　　The　midsummer　aspect　of　New　York

is　not；　perhaps；　the　most　favorable　one；　still；　it　is

not　without　its　picturesque　and　even　brilliant　side。

Nothing　could　well　resemble　less　a　typical　English　street

than　the　interminable　avenue；　rich　in　incongruities；

through　which　our　two　travelers　advancedlooking　out　on　each

side　of　them　at　the　comfortable　animation　of　the　sidewalks；

the　high…colored；　heterogeneous　architecture；　the　huge　white　marble

facades　glittering　in　the　strong；　crude　light；　and　bedizened

with　gilded　lettering；　the　multifarious　awnings；　banners；

and　streamers；　the　extraordinary　number　of　omnibuses；　horsecars；

and　other　democratic　vehicles；　the　vendors　of　cooling　fluids；

the　white　trousers　and　big　straw　hats　of　the　policemen；

the　tripping　gait　of　the　modish　young　persons　on　the　pavement；

the　general　brightness；　newness；　juvenility；　both　of　people

and　things。　　The　young　men　had　exchanged　few　observations；

but　in　crossing　Union　Square；　in　front　of　the　monument　to　Washington

in　the　very　shadow；　indeed；　projected　by　the　image　of　the　one　of　them　remarked　to　the　other；　〃It　seems

a　rum…looking　place。〃



〃Ah；　very　odd；　very　odd；〃　said　the　other；　who　was　the　clever

man　of　the　two。



〃Pity　it's　so　beastly　hot；〃　resumed　the　first　speaker　after　a　pause。



〃You　know　we　are　in　a　low　latitude；〃　said　his　friend。



〃I　daresay；〃　remarked　the　other。



〃I　wonder；〃　said　the　second　speaker　presently；　〃if　they　can　give

one　a　bath？〃



〃I　daresay　not；〃　rejoined　the　other。



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　cried　his　comrade。



This　animated　discussion　was　checked　by　their　arrival　at　the　hotel；

which　had　been　recommended　to　them　by　an　American　gentleman　whose　acquaintance

they　madewith　whom；　indeed；　they　became　very　intimateon　the　steamer；

and　who　had　proposed　to　accompany　them　to　the　inn　and　introduce　them；

in　a　friendly　way；　to　the　proprietor。　　This　plan；　however；　had　been

defeated　by　their　friend's　finding　that　his　〃partner〃　was　awaiting　him　on

the　wharf　and　that　his　commercial　associate　desired　him　instantly　to　come

and　give　his　attention　to　certain　telegrams　received　from　St。　Louis。

But　the　two　Englishmen；　with　nothing　but　their　national　prestige　and

personal　graces　to　recommend　them；　were　very　well　received　at　the　hotel；

which　had　an　air　of　capacious　hospitality。　　They　found　that　a　bath　was

not　unattainable；　and　were　indeed　struck　with　the　facilities　for　prolonged

and　reiterated　immersion　with　which　their　apartment　was　supplied。

After　bathing　a　good　dealmore；　indeed；　than　they　had　ever　done　before　on

a　single　occasionthey　made　their　way　into　the　dining　room　of　the　hotel；

which　was　a　spacious　restaurant；　with　a　fountain　in　the　middle；　a　great

many　tall　plants　in　ornamental　tubs；　and　an　array　of　French　waiters。

The　first　dinner　on　land；　after　a　sea　voyage；　is；　under　any　circumstances；

a　delightful　occasion；　and　there　was　something　particularly　agreeable

in　the　circumstances　in　which　our　young　Englishmen　found　themselves。

They　were　extremely　good　natured　young　men；　they　were　more　observant　than

they　appeared；　in　a　sort　of　inarticulate；　accidentally　dissimulative　fashion；

they　were　highly　appreciative。　　This　was；　perhaps；　especially　the　case

with　the　elder；　who　was　also；　as　I　have　said；　the　man　of　talent。

They　sat　down　at　a　little　table；　which　was　a　very　different　affair

from　the　great　clattering　seesaw　in　the　saloon　of　the　steamer。

The　wide　doors　and　windows　of　the　restaurant　stood　open；　beneath　large

awnings；　to　a　wide　pavement；　where　there　were　other　plants　in　tubs；

and　rows　of　spreading　trees；　and　beyond　which　there　was　a　large

shady　square；　without　any　palings；　and　with　marble…paved　walks。

And　above　the　vivid　verdure　rose　other　facades　of　white　marble　and　of

pale　chocolate…colored　stone；　squaring　themselves　against　the　deep

blue　sky。　　Here；　outside；　in　the　light　and　the　shade　and　the　heat；

there　was　a　great　tinkling　of　the　bells　of　innumerable　streetcars；

and　a　constant　strolling　and　shuffling　and　rustling　of　many　pedestrians；

a　large　proportion　of　whom　were　young　women　in　Pompadour…looking　dresses。

Within；　the　place　was　cool　and　vaguely　lighted；　with　the　plash　of　water；

the　odor　of　flowers；　and　the　flitting　of　French　waiters；　as　I　have　said；

upon　soundless　carpets。



〃It's　rather　like　Paris；　you　know；〃　said　the　younger　of　our　two　travelers。〃



〃It's　like　Parisonly　more　so；〃　his　companion　rejoined。



〃I　suppose　it's　the　French　waiters；〃　said　the　first　speaker。

〃Why　don't　they　have　French　waiters　in　London？〃



〃Fancy　a　French　waiter　at　a　club；〃　said　his　friend。



The　young　Englishman　started　a　little；　as　if　he　could　not　fancy　it。

〃In　Paris　I'm　very　apt　to　dine　at　a　place　where　there's　an　English　waiter。

Don't　you　know　what's…his…name's；　close　to　the　thingumbob？

They　always　set　an　English　waiter　at　me。　　I　suppose　they　think　I

can't　speak　French。〃



〃Well；　you　can't。〃　And　the　elder　of　the　young　Englishmen　unfolded　his　napkin。



His　companion　took　no　notice　whatever　of　this　declaration。　　〃I　say；〃

he　resumed　in　a　moment；　〃I　suppose　we　must　learn　to　speak　American。

I　suppose　we　must　take　lessons。〃



〃I　can't　understand　them；〃　said　the　clever　man。



〃What　the　deuce　is　HE　saying？〃　asked　his　comrade；

appealing　from　the　French　waiter。



〃He　is　recommending　some　soft…shell　crabs；〃　said　the　clever　man。



And　so；　in　desultory　observation　of　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　new　society

in　which　they　found　themselves；　the　young　Englishmen　proceeded　to　dine

going　in　largely；　as　the　phrase　is；　for　cooling　draughts　and　dishes；

of　which　their　attendant　offered　them　a　very　long　list。　　After　dinner

they　went　out　and　slowly　walked　about　the　neighboring　streets。　　The　early

dusk　of　waning　summer　was　coming　on；　but　the　heat　was　still　very　great。

The　pavements　were　hot　even　to　the　stout　boot　soles　of　the　British　travelers；

and　the　trees　along　the　curbstone　emitted　strange　exotic　odors。

The　young　men　wandered　through　the　adjoining　squarethat　queer　place

without　palings；　and　with　marble　walks　arranged　in　black　and　white　lozenges。

There　were　a　great　many　benches；　crowded　with　shabby…looking　people；

and　the　travelers　remarked；　very　justly；　that　it　was　not　much　like

Belgrave　Square。　　On　one　side　was　an　enormous　hotel；　lifting　up　into

the　hot　darkness　an　immense　array　of　open；　brightly　lighted　windows。

At　the　base　of　this　populous　structure　was　an　eternal　jangle　of　horsecars；

and　all　round　it；　in　the　upper　dusk；　was　a　sinister　hum　of　mosquitoes。

The　ground　floor　of　the　hotel　seemed　to　be　a　huge　transparent　cage；

flinging　a　wide　glare　of　gaslight　into　the　street；　of　which　it　formed　a　sort

of　public　adjunct；　absorbing　and　emitting　the　passersby　promiscuously。

The　young　Englishmen　went　in　with　everyone　else；　from　curiosity；　and　saw

a　couple　of　hundred　men　sitting　on　divans　along　a　great　marble…paved　corridor；

with　their　legs　stretched　out；　together　with　several　dozen　more　standing

in　a　queue；　as　at　the　ticket　office　of　a　railway　station；　before　a

brilliantly　illuminated　counter　of　vast　extent。　　These　latter　persons；

who　carried　portmanteaus　in　their　hands；　had　a　dejected；　exhausted　look；

their　garments　were　not　very　fresh；　and　they　seemed　to　be　rendering

some　mysterious　tribute　to　a　magnificent　young　man　with　a　waxed　mustache；

and　a　shirtfront　adorned　with　diamond　buttons；　who　every　now　and

then　dropped　an　absent　glance　over　their　multitudinous　patience。

They　wer