an international episode-第14章

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



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



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。



〃We　thought　we　should　find　your　image　there；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate〃yours

and　Mr。　Beaumont's。〃



〃In　the　Chamber　of　Horrors？〃　laughed　the　young　man。



〃It　did　duty　very　well　for　a　party；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。

〃All　the　women　were　decolletes；　and　many　of　the　figures

looked　as　if　they　could　speak　if　they　tried。〃



〃Upon　my　word；〃　Lord　Lambeth　rejoined；　〃you　see　people　at　London

parties　that　look　as　if　they　couldn't　speak　if　they　tried。〃



〃Do　you　think　Mr。　Woodley　could　find　us　Mr。　Beaumont？〃

asked　Mrs。　Westgate。



Lord　Lambeth　stared　and　looked　round　him。　　〃I　daresay　he　could。

Beaumont　often　comes　here。　　Don't　you　think　you　could　find　him；　Woodley？

Make　a　dive　into　the　crowd。〃



〃Thank　you；　I　have　had　enough　diving；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。

〃I　will　wait　till　Mr。　Beaumont　comes　to　the　surface。〃



〃I　will　bring　him　to　see　you；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　〃where　are　you　staying？〃



〃You　will　find　the　address　in　my　letterJones's　Hotel。〃



〃Oh；　one　of　those　places　just　out　of　Piccadilly？　　Beastly　hole；　isn't　it？〃

Lord　Lambeth　inquired。



〃I　believe　it's　the　best　hotel　in　London；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃But　they　give　you　awful　rubbish　to　eat；　don't　they？〃

his　lordship　went　on。



〃Yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃I　always　feel　so　sorry　for　the　people　that　come　up　to　town

and　go　to　live　in　those　places；〃　continued　the　young　man。

〃They　eat　nothing　but　filth。〃



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　cried　Willie　Woodley。



〃Well；　how　do　you　like　London；　Miss　Alden？〃　　Lord　Lambeth　asked；

unperturbed　by　this　ejaculation。



〃I　think　it's　grand；〃　said　Bessie　Alden。



〃My　sister　likes　it；　in　spite　of　the　'filth'！〃　Mrs。　Westgate　exclaimed。



〃I　hope　you　are　going　to　stay　a　long　time。〃



〃As　long　as　I　can；〃　said　Bessie。



〃And　where　is　Mr。　Westgate？〃　asked　Lord　Lambeth　of　this　gentleman's　wife。



〃He's　where　he　always　isin　that　tiresome　New　York。〃



〃He　must　be　tremendously　clever；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃I　suppose　he　is；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



Lord　Lambeth　sat　for　nearly　an　hour　with　his　American　friends；

but　it　is　not　our　purpose　to　relate　their　conversation　in　full。

He　addressed　a　great　many　remarks　to　Bessie　Alden；　and　finally　turned

toward　her　altogether；　while　Willie　Woodley　entertained　Mrs。　Westgate。

Bessie　herself　said　very　little；　she　was　on　her　guard；　thinking　of

what　her　sister　had　said　to　her　at　lunch。　　Little　by　little；　however；

she　interested　herself　in　Lord　Lambeth　again；　as　she　had　done　at　Newport；

only　it　seemed　to　her　that　here　he　might　become　more　interesting。

He　would　be　an　unconscious　part　of　the　antiquity；　the　impressiveness；

the　picturesqueness；　of　England；　and　poor　Bessie　Alden；　like　many

a　Yankee　maiden；　was　terribly　at　the　mercy　of　picturesqueness。



〃I　have　often　wished　I　were　at　Newport　again；〃　said　the　young　man。

〃Those　days　I　spent　at　your　sister's　were　awfully　jolly。〃



〃We　enjoyed　them　very　much；　I　hope　your　father　is　better。〃



〃Oh；　dear；　yes。　　When　I　got　to　England；　he　was　out　grouse　shooting。

It　was　what　you　call　in　America　a　gigantic　fraud。　　My　mother　had　got　nervous。

My　three　weeks　at　Newport　seemed　like　a　happy　dream。〃



〃America　certainly　is　very　different　from　England；〃　said　Bessie。



〃I　hope　you　like　England　better；　eh？〃　　Lord　Lambeth

rejoined　almost　persuasively。



〃No　Englishman　can　ask　that　seriously　of　a　person　of　another　country。〃



Her　companion　looked　at　her　for　a　moment。　　〃You　mean　it's

a　matter　of　course？〃



〃If　I　were　English；〃　said　Bessie；　〃it　would　certainly　seem　to　me

a　matter　of　course　that　everyone　should　be　a　good　patriot。〃



〃Oh；　dear；　yes；　patriotism　is　everything；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；

not　quite　following；　but　very　contented。　　〃Now；　what　are　you

going　to　do　here？〃



〃On　Thursday　I　am　going　to　the　Tower。〃



〃The　Tower？〃



〃The　Tower　of　London。　　Did　you　never　hear　of　it？〃



〃Oh；　yes；　I　have　been　there；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。

〃I　was　taken　there　by　my　governess　when　I　was　six　years　old。

It's　a　rum　idea；　your　going　there。〃



〃Do　give　me　a　few　more　rum　ideas；〃　said　Bessie。　　〃I　want

to　see　everything　of　that　sort。　　I　am　going　to　Hampton　Court；

and　to　Windsor；　and　to　the　Dulwich　Gallery。〃



Lord　Lambeth　seemed　greatly　amused。　　〃I　wonder　you　don't　go

to　the　Rosherville　Gardens。〃



〃Are　they　interesting？〃　asked　Bessie。



〃Oh；　wonderful。〃



〃Are　they　very　old？　　That's　all　I　care　for；〃　said　Bessie。



〃They　are　tremendously　old；　they　are　all　falling　to　ruins。〃



〃I　think　there　is　nothing　so　charming　as　an　old　ruinous　garden；〃

said　the　young　girl。　　〃We　must　certainly　go　there。〃



Lord　Lambeth　broke　out　into　merriment。　　〃I　say；　Woodley；〃　he　cried；

〃here's　Miss　Alden　wants　to　go　to　the　Rosherville　Gardens！〃



Willie　Woodley　looked　a　little　blank；　he　was　caught　in　the　fact

of　ignorance　of　an　apparently　conspicuous　feature　of　London　life。

But　in　a　moment　he　turned　it　off。　　〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　write

for　a　permit。〃



Lord　Lambeth's　exhilaration　increased。　　〃Gad；　I　believe　you　Americans　would

go　anywhere！〃　he　cried。



〃We　wish　to　go　to　Parliament；〃　said　Bessie。　　〃That's　one　of　the　first　things。〃



〃Oh；　it　would　bore　you　to　death！〃　cried　the　young　man。



〃We　wish　to　hear　you　speak。〃



〃I　never　speakexcept　to　young　ladies；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　smiling。



Bessie　Alden　looked　at　him　a　while；　smiling；　too；　in　the　shadow

of　her　parasol。　　〃You　are　very　strange；〃　she　murmured。

〃I　don't　think　I　approve　of　you。〃



〃Ah；　now；　don't　be　severe；　Miss　Alden；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；

smiling　still　more。　　〃Please　don't　be　severe。　　I　want　you

to　like　meawfully。〃



〃To　like　you　awfully？　　You　must　not　laugh　at　me；　then；　when　I　make　mistakes。

I　consider　it　my　rightas　a　freeborn　Americanto　make　as　many　mistakes

as　I　choose。〃



〃Upon　my　word；　I　didn't　laugh　at　you；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃And　not　only　that；〃　Bessie　went　on；　〃but　I　hold　that　all　my　mistakes　shall

be　set　down　to　my　credit。　　You　must　think　the　better　of　me　for　them。〃



〃I　can't　think　better　of　you　than　I　do；〃　the　young　man　declared。



Bessie　Alden　looked　at　him　a　moment　again。　　〃You　certainly　speak

very　well　to　young　ladies。　　But　why　don't　you　address　the　House？

isn't　that　what　they　call　it？〃



〃Because　I　have　nothing　to　say；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃Haven't　you　a　great　position？〃　asked　Bessie　Alden。



He　looked　a　moment　at　the　back　of　his　glove。　　〃I'll　set　that　down；〃

he　said；　〃as　one　of　your　mistakesto　your　credit。〃　　And　as　if

he　disliked　talking　about　his　position；　he　changed　the　subject。

〃I　wish　you　would　let　me　go　with　you　to　the　Tower；　and　to　Hampton　Court；

and　to　all　those　other　places。〃



〃We　shall　be　most　happy；〃　said　Bessie。



〃And　of　course　I　shall　be　delighted　to　show　you　the　House　of　Lords

some　day　that　suits　you。　　There　are　a　lot　of　things　I　want　to　do　for　you。

I　want　to　make　you　have　a　good　time。　　And　I　should　like　very　much

to　present　some　of　my　friends　to　you；　if　it　wouldn't　bore　you。

Then　it　would　be　awfully　kind　of　you　to　come　down　to　Branches。〃



〃We　are　much　obliged　to　you；　Lord　Lambeth；〃　said　Bessie。

〃What　is　Branches？〃



〃It's　a　house　in　the　country。　　I　think　you　might　like　it。〃



Willie　Woodley　and　Mrs。　Westgate　at　this　moment　were　sitting

in　silence；　and　the　young　man's　ear　caught　these　last　words　of　Lord

Lambeth's。　〃He's　inviting　Miss　Bessie　to　one　of　his　castles；〃

he　murmured　to　his　companion。



Mrs。　Westgate；　foreseeing　what　she　mentally　called　〃complications；〃

immediately　got　up；　and　the　two　ladies；　taking　leave　of　Lord　Lambeth；

returned；　under　Mr。　Woodley's　conduct；　to　Jones's　Hotel。



Lord　Lambeth　came　to　see　them　on　the　morrow；　bringing　Percy

Beaumont　with　himthe　latter　having　instantly　declared　his

intention　of　neglecting　none　of　the　usual　offices　of　civility。

This　declaration；