an international episode-第13章

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〃Not　so　stupid　as　he　looks！〃　exclaimed　her　sister；　smiling。



〃If　I　were　in　love　with　Lord　Lambeth；　as　you　said　just　now；

it　would　be　bad　policy　on　your　part　to　abuse　him。〃



〃My　dear　child；　don't　give　me　lessons　in　policy！〃　cried　Mrs。　Westgate。

〃The　policy　I　mean　to　follow　is　very　deep。〃



The　young　girl　began　to　walk　about　the　room　again；　then　she

stopped　before　her　sister。　　〃I　have　never　heard　in　the　course

of　five　minutes；〃　she　said；　〃so　many　hints　and　innuendoes。

I　wish　you　would　tell　me　in　plain　English　what　you　mean。〃



〃I　mean　that　you　may　be　much　annoyed。〃



〃That　is　still　only　a　hint；〃　said　Bessie。



Her　sister　looked　at　her；　hesitating　an　instant。

〃It　will　be　said　of　you　that　you　have　come　after　Lord　Lambeth

that　you　followed　him。〃



Bessie　Alden　threw　back　her　pretty　head　like　a　startled　hind；　and　a　look

flashed　into　her　face　that　made　Mrs。　Westgate　rise　from　her　chair。

〃Who　says　such　things　as　that？〃　she　demanded。



〃People　here。〃



〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　said　Bessie。



〃You　have　a　very　convenient　faculty　of　doubt。　　But　my　policy　will　be；

as　I　say；　very　deep。　　I　shall　leave　you　to　find　out　this　kind

of　thing　for　yourself。〃



Bessie　fixed　her　eyes　upon　her　sister；　and　Mrs。　Westgate　thought　for　a　moment

there　were　tears　in　them。　　〃Do　they　talk　that　way　here？〃　she　asked。



〃You　will　see。　　I　shall　leave　you　alone。〃



〃Don't　leave　me　alone；〃　said　Bessie　Alden。　　〃Take　me　away。〃



〃No；　I　want　to　see　what　you　make　of　it；〃　her　sister　continued。



〃I　don't　understand。〃



〃You　will　understand　after　Lord　Lambeth　has　come；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate

with　a　little　laugh。



The　two　ladies　had　arranged　that　on　this　afternoon　Willie

Woodley　should　go　with　them　to　Hyde　Park；　where　Bessie　Alden

expected　to　derive　much　entertainment　from　sitting　on　a　little

green　chair；　under　the　great　trees；　beside　Rotten　Row。

The　want　of　a　suitable　escort　had　hitherto　rendered　this

pleasure　inaccessible；　but　no　escort　now；　for　such　an　expedition；

could　have　been　more　suitable　than　their　devoted　young　countryman；

whose　mission　in　life；　it　might　almost　be　said；　was　to　find

chairs　for　ladies；　and　who　appeared　on　the　stroke　of　half…past

five　with　a　white　camellia　in　his　buttonhole。



〃I　have　written　to　Lord　Lambeth；　my　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate　to　her　sister；

on　coming　into　the　room　where　Bessie　Alden；　drawing　on　her　long　gray　gloves；

was　entertaining　their　visitor。



Bessie　said　nothing；　but　Willie　Woodley　exclaimed　that　his　lordship

was　in　town；　he　had　seen　his　name　in　the　Morning　Post。



〃Do　you　read　the　Morning　Post？〃　asked　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Oh；　yes；　it's　great　fun；〃　Willie　Woodley　affirmed。



〃I　want　so　to　see　it；〃　said　Bessie；　〃there　is　so　much　about　it　in　Thackeray。〃



〃I　will　send　it　to　you　every　morning；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。



He　found　them　what　Bessie　Alden　thought　excellent　places；

under　the　great　trees；　beside　the　famous　avenue　whose

humors　had　been　made　familiar　to　the　young　girl's　childhood

by　the　pictures　in　Punch。　　The　day　was　bright　and　warm；

and　the　crowd　of　riders　and　spectators；　and　the　great　procession

of　carriages；　were　proportionately　dense　and　brilliant。

The　scene　bore　the　stamp　of　the　London　Season　at　its　height；

and　Bessie　Alden　found　more　entertainment　in　it　than　she

was　able　to　express　to　her　companions。　　She　sat　silent；

under　her　parasol；　and　her　imagination；　according　to　its　wont；

let　itself　loose　into　the　great　changing　assemblage　of　striking

and　suggestive　figures。　　They　stirred　up　a　host　of　old

impressions　and　preconceptions；　and　she　found　herself　fitting

a　history　to　this　person　and　a　theory　to　that；　and　making

a　place　for　them　all　in　her　little　private　museum　of　types。

But　if　she　said　little；　her　sister　on　one　side　and　Willie　Woodley

on　the　other　expressed　themselves　in　lively　alternation。



〃Look　at　that　green　dress　with　blue　flounces；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。

〃Quelle　toilette！〃



〃That's　the　Marquis　of　Blackborough；〃　said　the　young　man〃the　one

in　the　white　coat。　　I　heard　him　speak　the　other　night　in　the　House

of　Lords；　it　was　something　about　ramrods；　he　called　them　'wamwods。'

He's　an　awful　swell。〃



〃Did　you　ever　see　anything　like　the　way　they　are　pinned　back？〃

Mrs。　Westgate　resumed。　　〃They　never　know　where　to　stop。〃



〃They　do　nothing　but　stop；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。　　〃It　prevents　them

from　walking。　　Here　comes　a　great　celebrityLady　Beatrice　Bellevue。

She's　awfully　fast；　see　what　little　steps　she　takes。〃



〃Well；　my　dear；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　pursued；　〃I　hope　you　are　getting　some　ideas

for　your　couturiere？〃



〃I　am　getting　plenty　of　ideas；〃　said　Bessie；　〃but　I　don't　know

that　my　couturiere　would　appreciate　them。〃



Willie　Woodley　presently　perceived　a　friend　on　horseback；

who　drove　up　beside　the　barrier　of　the　Row　and　beckoned　to　him。

He　went　forward；　and　the　crowd　of　pedestrians　closed　about　him；

so　that　for　some　ten　minutes　he　was　hidden　from　sight。

At　last　he　reappeared；　bringing　a　gentleman　with　hima　gentleman

whom　Bessie　at　first　supposed　to　be　his　friend　dismounted。

But　at　a　second　glance　she　found　herself　looking　at　Lord　Lambeth；

who　was　shaking　hands　with　her　sister。



〃I　found　him　over　there；〃　said　Willie　Woodley；　〃and　I　told

him　you　were　here。〃



And　then　Lord　Lambeth；　touching　his　hat　a　little；　shook　hands　with　Bessie。

〃Fancy　your　being　here！〃　he　said。　　He　was　blushing　and　smiling；

he　looked　very　handsome；　and　he　had　a　kind　of　splendor　that　he　had

not　had　in　America。　　Bessie　Alden's　imagination；　as　we　know；

was　just　then　in　exercise；　so　that　the　tall　young　Englishman；

as　he　stood　there　looking　down　at　her；　had　the　benefit　of　it。

〃He　is　handsomer　and　more　splendid　than　anything　I　have　ever　seen；〃

she　said　to　herself。　　And　then　she　remembered　that　he　was　a　marquis；

and　she　thought　he　looked　like　a　marquis。



〃I　say；　you　know；〃　he　cried；　〃you　ought　to　have　let　a　man　know

you　were　here！〃



〃I　wrote　to　you　an　hour　ago；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Doesn't　all　the　world　know　it？〃　asked　Bessie；　smiling。



〃I　assure　you　I　didn't　know　it！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。

〃Upon　my　honor　I　hadn't　heard　of　it。　　Ask　Woodley　now；

had　I；　Woodley？〃



〃Well；　I　think　you　are　rather　a　humbug；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。



〃You　don't　believe　thatdo　you；　Miss　Alden？〃　asked　his　lordship。

〃You　don't　believe　I'm　a　humbug；　eh？〃



〃No；〃　said　Bessie；　〃I　don't。〃



〃You　are　too　tall　to　stand　up；　Lord　Lambeth；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　observed。

〃You　are　only　tolerable　when　you　sit　down。　　Be　so　good　as　to　get　a　chair。〃



He　found　a　chair　and　placed　it　sidewise；　close　to　the　two　ladies。

〃If　I　hadn't　met　Woodley　I　should　never　have　found　you；〃　he　went　on。

〃Should　I；　Woodley？〃



〃Well；　I　guess　not；〃　said　the　young　American。



〃Not　even　with　my　letter？〃　asked　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Ah；　well；　I　haven't　got　your　letter　yet；　I　suppose　I　shall　get　it

this　evening。　　I　was　awfully　kind　of　you　to　write。〃



〃So　I　said　to　Bessie；〃　observed　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Did　she　say　so；　Miss　Alden？〃　　Lord　Lambeth　inquired。

〃I　daresay　you　have　been　here　a　month。〃



〃We　have　been　here　three；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Have　you　been　here　three　months？〃　the　young　man　asked　again　of　Bessie。



〃It　seems　a　long　time；〃　Bessie　answered。



〃I　say；　after　that　you　had　better　not　call　me　a　humbug！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。

〃I　have　only　been　in　town　three　weeks；　but　you　must　have　been　hiding　away；

I　haven't　seen　you　anywhere。〃



〃Where　should　you　have　seen　uswhere　should　we　have　gone？〃

asked　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃You　should　have　gone　to　Hurlingham；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。



〃No；　let　Lord　Lambeth　tell　us；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　insisted。



〃There　are　plenty　of　places　to　go　to；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；

〃each　one　stupider　than　the　other。　　I　mean　people's　houses；

they　send　you　cards。〃



〃No　one　has　sent　us　cards；〃　said　Bessie。



〃We　are　very　quiet；〃　her　sister　declared。　　〃We　are　here　as　travelers。〃



〃We　have　been　to　Madame　Tussaud's；〃　Bessie