an international episode-第18章

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they　go　to　the　best　dinner　parties。〃



〃I　daresay　you　are　right。　　I　can't　say　I　know　many　of　them。〃



〃It's　a　pity　you　don't；〃　Bessie　Alden　declared。

〃It　would　do　you　good。〃



〃I　daresay　it　would；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth　very　humbly。

〃But　I　must　say　I　don't　like　the　looks　of　some　of　them。〃



〃Neither　do　Iof　some　of　them。　　But　there　are　all　kinds；

and　many　of　them　are　charming。〃



〃I　have　talked　with　two　or　three　of　them；〃　the　young　man　went　on；

〃and　I　thought　they　had　a　kind　of　fawning　manner。〃



〃Why　should　they　fawn？〃　　Bessie　Alden　demanded。



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know。　　Why；　indeed？〃



〃Perhaps　you　only　thought　so；〃　said　Bessie。



〃Well；　of　course；〃　rejoined　her　companion；　〃that's　a　kind　of　thing

that　can't　be　proved。〃



〃In　America　they　don't　fawn；〃　said　Bessie。



〃Ah；　well；　then；　they　must　be　better　company。〃



Bessie　was　silent　a　moment。　　〃That　is　one　of　the　things　I　don't　like

about　England；〃　she　said；　〃your　keeping　the　distinguished　people　apart。〃



〃How　do　you　mean　apart？〃



〃Why；　letting　them　come　only　to　certain　places。

You　never　see　them。〃



Lord　Lambeth　looked　at　her　a　moment。　　〃What　people　do　you　mean？〃



〃The　eminent　peoplethe　authors　and　artiststhe　clever　people。〃



〃Oh；　there　are　other　eminent　people　besides　those；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃Well；　you　certainly　keep　them　apart；〃　repeated　the　young　girl。



〃And　there　are　other　clever　people；〃　added　Lord　Lambeth　simply。



Bessie　Alden　looked　at　him；　and　she　gave　a　light　laugh。

〃Not　many；〃　she　said。



On　another　occasionjust　after　a　dinner　partyshe　told　him

that　there　was　something　else　in　England　she　did　not　like。



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　he　cried；　〃haven't　you　abused　us　enough？〃



〃I　have　never　abused　you　at　all；〃　said　Bessie；　〃but　I　don't

like　your　PRECEDENCE。〃



〃It　isn't　my　precedence！〃　　Lord　Lambeth　declared；　laughing。



〃Yes；　it　is　yoursjust　exactly　yours；　and　I　think　it's　odious；〃　said　Bessie。



〃I　never　saw　such　a　young　lady　for　discussing　things！

Has　someone　had　the　impudence　to　go　before　you？〃

asked　his　lordship。



〃It　is　not　the　going　before　me　that　I　object　to；〃　said　Bessie；

〃it　is　their　thinking　that　they　have　a　right　to　do　it。〃



〃I　never　saw　such　a　young　lady　as　you　are　for　not　'recognizing。'

I　have　no　doubt　the　thing　is　BEASTLY；　but　it　saves　a　lot　of　trouble。〃



〃It　makes　a　lot　of　trouble。　　It's　horrid；〃　said　Bessie。



〃But　how　would　you　have　the　first　people　go？〃　asked　Lord　Lambeth。

〃They　can't　go　last。〃



〃Whom　do　you　mean　by　the　first　people？〃



〃Ah；　if　you　mean　to　question　first　principles！〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃If　those　are　your　first　principles；　no　wonder　some　of　your　arrangements

are　horrid；〃　observed　Bessie　Alden　with　a　very　pretty　ferocity。

〃I　am　a　young　girl；　so　of　course　I　go　last；　but　imagine　what　Kitty　must

feel　on　being　informed　that　she　is　not　at　liberty　to　budge　until　certain

other　ladies　have　passed　out。〃



〃Oh；　I　say；　she　is　not　'informed！'〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。

〃No　one　would　do　such　a　thing　as　that。〃



〃She　is　made　to　feel　it；〃　the　young　girl　insisted〃as　if　they　were　afraid

she　would　make　a　rush　for　the　door。　　No；　you　have　a　lovely　country；〃

said　Bessie　Alden；　〃but　your　precedence　is　horrid。〃



〃I　certainly　shouldn't　think　your　sister　would　like　it；〃

rejoined　Lord　Lambeth　with　even　exaggerated　gravity。

But　Bessie　Alden　could　induce　him　to　enter　no　formal　protest

against　this　repulsive　custom；　which　he　seemed　to　think

an　extreme　convenience。



Percy　Beaumont　all　this　time　had　been　a　very　much　less

frequent　visitor　at　Jones's　Hotel　than　his　noble　kinsman；

he　had；　in　fact；　called　but　twice　upon　the　two　American　ladies。

Lord　Lambeth；　who　often　saw　him；　reproached　him　with　his　neglect

and　declared　that；　although　Mrs。　Westgate　had　said　nothing

about　it；　he　was　sure　that　she　was　secretly　wounded　by　it。

〃She　suffers　too　much　to　speak；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃That's　all　gammon；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont；　〃there's　a　limit

to　what　people　can　suffer！〃　　And；　though　sending　no　apologies

to　Jones's　Hotel；　he　undertook　in　a　manner　to　explain　his　absence。

〃You　are　always　there；〃　he　said；　〃and　that's　reason　enough

for　my　not　going。〃



〃I　don't　see　why。　　There　is　enough　for　both　of　us。〃



〃I　don't　care　to　be　a　witness　of　youryour　reckless　passion；〃

said　Percy　Beaumont。



Lord　Lambeth　looked　at　him　with　a　cold　eye　and　for　a　moment　said　nothing。

〃It's　not　so　obvious　as　you　might　suppose；〃　he　rejoined　dryly；

〃considering　what　a　demonstrative　beggar　I　am。〃



〃I　don't　want　to　know　anything　about　itnothing　whatever；〃

said　Beaumont。　　〃Your　mother　asks　me　everytime　she　sees　me　whether

I　believe　you　are　really　lostand　Lady　Pimlico　does　the　same。

I　prefer　to　be　able　to　answer　that　I　know　nothing　about　it

that　I　never　go　there。　　I　stay　away　for　consistency's　sake。

As　I　said　the　other　day；　they　must　look　after　you　themselves。〃



〃You　are　devilish　considerate；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。

〃They　never　question　me。〃



〃They　are　afraid　of　you。　　They　are　afraid　of　irritating　you　and　making

you　worse。　　So　they　go　to　work　very　cautiously；　and；　somewhere　or　other；

they　get　their　information。　　They　know　a　great　deal　about　you。

They　know　that　you　have　been　with　those　ladies　to　the　dome　of　St。　Paul's　and

where　was　the　other　place？to　the　Thames　Tunnel。〃



〃If　all　their　knowledge　is　as　accurate　as　that；　it　must　be　very　valuable；〃

said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃Well；　at　any　rate；　they　know　that　you　have　been　visiting

the　'sights　of　the　metropolis。'　　They　thinkvery　naturally；

as　it　seems　to　methat　when　you　take　to　visiting　the　sights

of　the　metropolis　with　a　little　American　girl；　there　is　serious

cause　for　alarm。〃　　Lord　Lambeth　responded　to　this　intimation

by　scornful　laughter；　and　his　companion　continued；　after　a　pause：

〃I　said　just　now　I　didn't　want　to　know　anything　about　the　affair；

but　I　will　confess　that　I　am　curious　to　learn　whether　you

propose　to　marry　Miss　Bessie　Alden。〃



On　this　point　Lord　Lambeth　gave　his　interlocutor　no　immediate　satisfaction；

he　was　musing；　with　a　frown。　　〃By　Jove；〃　he　said；　〃they　go　rather　too　far。

They　SHALL　find　me　dangerousI　promise　them。〃



Percy　Beaumont　began　to　laugh。　　〃You　don't　redeem　your　promises。

You　said　the　other　day　you　would　make　your　mother　call。〃



Lord　Lambeth　continued　to　meditate。　　〃I　asked　her　to　call；〃

he　said　simply。



〃And　she　declined？〃



〃Yes；　but　she　shall　do　it　yet。〃



〃Upon　my　word；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont；　〃if　she　gets　much　more　frightened

I　believe　she　will。〃　　Lord　Lambeth　looked　at　him；　and　he　went　on。

〃She　will　go　to　the　girl　herself。〃



〃How　do　you　mean　she　will　go　to　her？〃



〃She　will　beg　her　off；　or　she　will　bribe　her。　　She　will　take　strong　measures。〃



Lord　Lambeth　turned　away　in　silence；　and　his　companion

watched　him　take　twenty　steps　and　then　slowly　return。

〃I　have　invited　Mrs。　Westgate　and　Miss　Alden　to　Branches；〃

he　said；　〃and　this　evening　I　shall　name　a　day。〃



〃And　shall　you　invite　your　mother　and　your　sisters　to　meet　them？〃



〃Explicitly！〃



〃That　will　set　the　duchess　off；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont。

〃I　suspect　she　will　come。〃



〃She　may　do　as　she　pleases。〃



Beaumont　looked　at　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃You　do　really　propose　to　marry

the　little　sister；　then？〃



〃I　like　the　way　you　talk　about　it！〃　cried　the　young　man。

〃She　won't　gobble　me　down；　don't　be　afraid。〃



〃She　won't　leave　you　on　your　knees；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont。

〃What　IS　the　inducement？〃



〃You　talk　about　proposing：　　wait　till　I　HAVE　proposed；〃

Lord　Lambeth　went　on。



〃That's　right；　my　dear　fellow；　think　about　it；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont。



〃She's　a　charming　girl；〃　pursued　his　lordship。



〃Of　course　she's　a　charming　girl。　　I　don't　know　a　girl

more　charming；　intrinsically。　　But　there　are　other　charming

girls　nearer　home。〃



〃I　like　her　spirit；〃　observed　Lord　Lambeth；　almost　as　if　he　were　trying

to　torment　his　cousin。



〃What's　th