an international episode-第19章

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girls　nearer　home。〃



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

to　torment　his　cousin。



〃What's　the　peculiarity　of　her　spirit？〃



〃She's　not　afraid；　and　she　says　things　out；　and　she　thinks

herself　as　good　as　anyone。　　She　is　the　only　girl　I　have　ever

seen　that　was　not　dying　to　marry　me。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that；　if　you　haven't　asked　her？〃



〃I　don't　know　how；　but　I　know　it。〃



〃I　am　sure　she　asked　me　questions　enough　about　your　property

and　your　titles；〃　said　Beaumont。



〃She　has　asked　me　questions；　too；　no　end　of　them；〃　Lord　Lambeth　admitted。

〃But　she　asked　for　information；　don't　you　know。〃



〃Information？　　Aye；　I'll　warrant　she　wanted　it。　　Depend　upon　it

that　she　is　dying　to　marry　you　just　as　much　and　just　as　little

as　all　the　rest　of　them。〃



〃I　shouldn't　like　her　to　refuse　meI　shouldn't　like　that。〃



〃If　the　thing　would　be　so　disagreeable；　then；　both　to　you　and　to　her；

in　Heaven's　name　leave　it　alone；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont。



Mrs。　Westgate；　on　her　side；　had　plenty　to　say　to　her　sister　about　the　rarity

of　Mr。　Beaumont's　visits　and　the　nonappearance　of　the　Duchess　of　Bayswater。

She　professed；　however；　to　derive　more　satisfaction　from　this　latter

circumstance　than　she　could　have　done　from　the　most　lavish　attentions　on

the　part　of　this　great　lady。　　〃It　is　most　marked；〃　she　said〃most　marked。

It　is　a　delicious　proof　that　we　have　made　them　miserable。　　The　day

we　dined　with　Lord　Lambeth　I　was　really　sorry　for　the　poor　fellow。〃

It　will　have　been　gathered　that　the　entertainment　offered　by　Lord　Lambeth

to　his　American　friends　had　not　been　graced　by　the　presence　of　his

anxious　mother。　　He　had　invited　several　choice　spirits　to　meet　them；

but　the　ladies　of　his　immediate　family　were　to　Mrs。　Westgate's　sense

a　sense　possibly　morbidly　acuteconspicuous　by　their　absence。



〃I　don't　want　to　express　myself　in　a　manner　that　you　dislike；〃

said　Bessie　Alden；　〃but　I　don't　know　why　you　should　have　so　many

theories　about　Lord　Lambeth's　poor　mother。　　You　know　a　great　many

young　men　in　New　York　without　knowing　their　mothers。〃



Mrs。　Westgate　looked　at　her　sister　and　then　turned　away。

〃My　dear　Bessie；　you　are　superb！〃　she　said。



〃One　thing　is　certain；〃　the　young　girl　continued。

〃If　I　believed　I　were　a　cause　of　annoyancehowever　unwitting

to　Lord　Lambeth's　family；　I　should　insist〃



〃Insist　upon　my　leaving　England；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃No；　not　that。　　I　want　to　go　to　the　National　Gallery　again；

I　want　to　see　Stratford…on…Avon　and　Canterbury　Cathedral。

But　I　should　insist　upon　his　coming　to　see　us　no　more。〃



〃That　would　be　very　modest　and　very　pretty　of　you；　but　you　wouldn't

do　it　now。〃



〃Why　do　you　say　'now'？〃　asked　Bessie　Alden。　　〃Have　I　ceased　to　be　modest？〃



〃You　care　for　him　too　much。　　A　month　ago；　when　you　said

you　didn't；　I　believe　it　was　quite　true。　　But　at　present；

my　dear　child；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；　〃you　wouldn't　find　it

quite　so　simple　a　matter　never　to　see　Lord　Lambeth　again。

I　have　seen　it　coming　on。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；〃　said　Bessie。　　〃You　don't　understand。〃



〃My　dear　child；　don't　be　perverse；〃　rejoined　her　sister。



〃I　know　him　better；　certainly；　if　you　mean　that；〃　said　Bessie。

〃And　I　like　him　very　much。　　But　I　don't　like　him　enough　to　make

trouble　for　him　with　his　family。　　However；　I　don't　believe　in　that。〃



〃I　like　the　way　you　say　'however；'〃　Mrs。　Westgate　exclaimed。

〃Come；　you　would　not　marry　him？〃



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　young　girl。



Mrs。　Westgate　for　a　moment　seemed　vexed。　　〃Why　not；　pray？〃　she　demanded。



〃Because　I　don't　care　to；〃　said　Bessie　Alden。



The　morning　after　Lord　Lambeth　had　had；　with　Percy　Beaumont；

that　exchange　of　ideas　which　has　just　been　narrated；　the　ladies　at

Jones's　Hotel　received　from　his　lordship　a　written　invitation　to　pay

their　projected　visit　to　Branches　Castle　on　the　following　Tuesday。

〃I　think　I　have　made　up　a　very　pleasant　party；〃　the　young　nobleman　said。

〃Several　people　whom　you　know；　and　my　mother　and　sisters；　who　have

so　long　been　regrettably　prevented　from　making　your　acquaintance。〃

Bessie　Alden　lost　no　time　in　calling　her　sister's　attention　to

the　injustice　she　had　done　the　Duchess　of　Bayswater；　whose　hostility

was　now　proved　to　be　a　vain　illusion。



〃Wait　till　you　see　if　she　comes；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。

〃And　if　she　is　to　meet　us　at　her　son's　house　the　obligation

was　all　the　greater　for　her　to　call　upon　us。〃



Bessie　had　not　to　wait　long；　and　it　appeared　that　Lord　Lambeth's　mother

now　accepted　Mrs。　Westgate's　view　of　her　duties。　　On　the　morrow；

early　in　the　afternoon；　two　cards　were　brought　to　the　apartment

of　the　American　ladiesone　of　them　bearing　the　name　of　the　Duchess

of　Bayswater　and　the　other　that　of　the　Countess　of　Pimlico。

Mrs。　Westgate　glanced　at　the　clock。　　〃It　is　not　yet　four；〃　she　said；

〃they　have　come　early；　they　wish　to　see　us。　　We　will　receive　them。〃

And　she　gave　orders　that　her　visitors　should　be　admitted。

A　few　moments　later　they　were　introduced；　and　there　was　a　solemn

exchange　of　amenities。　　The　duchess　was　a　large　lady；　with　a　fine

fresh　color；　the　Countess　of　Pimlico　was　very　pretty　and　elegant。



The　duchess　looked　about　her　as　she　sat　downlooked　not　especially

at　Mrs。　Westgate。　　〃I　daresay　my　son　has　told　you　that　I　have　been

wanting　to　come　and　see　you；〃　she　observed。



〃You　are　very　kind；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；　vaguelyher　conscience　not

allowing　her　to　assent　to　this　propositionand；　indeed；　not　permitting

her　to　enunciate　her　own　with　any　appreciable　emphasis。



〃He　says　you　were　so　kind　to　him　in　America；〃　said　the　duchess。



〃We　are　very　glad；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　replied；　〃to　have　been　able　to　make

him　a　little　morea　little　lessa　little　more　comfortable。〃



〃I　think　he　stayed　at　your　house；〃　remarked　the　Duchess　of　Bayswater；

looking　at　Bessie　Alden。



〃A　very　short　time；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Oh！〃　said　the　duchess；　and　she　continued　to　look　at　Bessie；

who　was　engaged　in　conversation　with　her　daughter。



〃Do　you　like　London？〃　　Lady　Pimlico　had　asked　of　Bessie；

after　looking　at　her　a　good　dealat　her　face　and　her　hands；

her　dress　and　her　hair。



〃Very　much　indeed；〃　said　Bessie。



〃Do　you　like　this　hotel？〃



〃It　is　very　comfortable；〃　said　Bessie。



〃Do　you　like　stopping　at　hotels？〃　inquired　Lady　Pimlico　after　a　pause。



〃I　am　very　fond　of　traveling；〃　Bessie　answered；　〃and　I　suppose

hotels　are　a　necessary　part　of　it。　　But　they　are　not　the　part

I　am　fondest　of。〃



〃Oh；　I　hate　traveling；〃　said　the　Countess　of　Pimlico　and　transferred

her　attention　to　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃My　son　tells　me　you　are　going　to　Branches；〃　the　duchess　presently　resumed。



〃Lord　Lambeth　has　been　so　good　as　to　ask　us；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；

who　perceived　that　her　visitor　had　now　begun　to　look　at　her；　and　who

had　her　customary　happy　consciousness　of　a　distinguished　appearance。

The　only　mitigation　of　her　felicity　on　this　point　was　that；

having　inspected　her　visitor's　own　costume；　she　said　to　herself；

〃She　won't　know　how　well　I　am　dressed！〃



〃He　has　asked　me　to　go；　but　I　am　not　sure　I　shall　be　able；〃

murmured　the　duchess。



〃He　had　offered　us　the　pprospect　of　meeting　you；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃I　hate　the　country　at　this　season；〃　responded　the　duchess。



Mrs。　Westgate　gave　a　little　shrug。　　〃I　think　it　is　pleasanter　than　London。〃



But　the　duchess's　eyes　were　absent　again；　she　was　looking　very　fixedly

at　Bessie。　　In　a　moment　she　slowly　rose；　walked　to　a　chair　that　stood

empty　at　the　young　girl's　right　hand；　and　silently　seated　herself。

As　she　was　a　majestic；　voluminous　woman；　this　little　transaction　had；


inevitably；　an　air　of　somewhat　impressive　intention。　　It　diffused

a　certain　awkwardness；　which　Lady　Pimlico；　as　a　sympathetic　daughter；

perhaps　desired　to　rectify　in　turning　to　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃I　daresay　you　go　out　a　great　deal；〃　she　observed。



〃No；　very　little。　　We　are　strangers；　and　we　didn't　come