an international episode-第20章

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



〃I　see；〃　said　Lady　Pimlico。　　〃It's　rather　nice　in　town　just　now。〃



〃It's　charming；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。　　〃But　we　only　go　to　see　a　few　people

whom　we　like。〃



〃Of　course　one　can't　like　everyone；〃　said　Lady　Pimlico。



〃It　depends　upon　one's　society；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　rejoined。



The　Duchess　meanwhile　had　addressed　herself　to　Bessie。

〃My　son　tells　me　the　young　ladies　in　America　are　so　clever。〃



〃I　am　glad　they　made　so　good　an　impression　on　him；〃　said　Bessie；　smiling。



The　Duchess　was　not　smiling；　her　large　fresh　face　was　very　tranquil。

〃He　is　very　susceptible；〃　she　said。　　〃He　thinks　everyone　clever；

and　sometimes　they　are。〃



〃Sometimes；〃　Bessie　assented；　smiling　still。



The　duchess　looked　at　her　a　little　and　then　went　on；

〃Lambeth　is　very　susceptible；　but　he　is　very　volatile；　too。〃



〃Volatile？〃　asked　Bessie。



〃He　is　very　inconstant。　　It　won't　do　to　depend　on　him。〃



〃Ah；〃　said　Bessie；　〃I　don't　recognize　that　description。

We　have　depended　on　him　greatlymy　sister　and　Iand　he　has

never　disappointed　us。〃



〃He　will　disappoint　you　yet；〃　said　the　duchess。



Bessie　gave　a　little　laugh；　as　if　she　were　amused　at　the

duchess's　persistency。　　〃I　suppose　it　will　depend　on　what　we

expect　of　him。〃



〃The　less　you　expect；　the　better；〃　Lord　Lambeth's　mother　declared。



〃Well；〃　said　Bessie；　〃we　expect　nothing　unreasonable。〃



The　duchess　for　a　moment　was　silent；　though　she　appeared　to　have　more　to　say。

〃Lambeth　says　he　has　seen　so　much　of　you；〃　she　presently　began。



〃He　has　been　to　see　us　very　often；　he　has　been　very　kind；〃

said　Bessie　Alden。



〃I　daresay　you　are　used　to　that。　　I　am　told　there　is　a　great　deal

of　that　in　America。〃



〃A　great　deal　of　kindness？〃　the　young　girl　inquired；　smiling。



〃Is　that　what　you　call　it？　　I　know　you　have　different　expressions。〃



〃We　certainly　don't　always　understand　each　other；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；

the　termination　of　whose　interview　with　Lady　Pimlico　allowed　her　to　give

her　attention　to　their　elder　visitor。



〃I　am　speaking　of　the　young　men　calling　so　much　upon　the　young　ladies；〃

the　duchess　explained。



〃But　surely　in　England；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；　〃the　young　ladies　don't

call　upon　the　young　men？〃



〃Some　of　them　doalmost！〃　　Lady　Pimlico　declared。

〃What　the　young　men　are　a　great　parti。〃



〃Bessie；　you　must　make　a　note　of　that；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。

〃My　sister；〃　she　added；　〃is　a　model　traveler。　　She　writes

down　all　the　curious　facts　she　hears　in　a　little　book　she

keeps　for　the　purpose。〃



The　duchess　was　a　little　flushed；　she　looked　all　about　the　room；　while　her

daughter　turned　to　Bessie。　　〃My　brother　told　us　you　were　wonderfully　clever；〃

said　Lady　Pimlico。



〃He　should　have　said　my　sister；〃　Bessie　answered〃when　she　says

such　things　as　that。〃



〃Shall　you　be　long　at　Branches？〃　the　duchess　asked；　abruptly；

of　the　young　girl。



〃Lord　Lambeth　has　asked　us　for　three　days；〃　said　Bessie。



〃I　shall　go；〃　the　duchess　declared；　〃and　my　daughter；　too。〃



〃That　will　be　charming！〃　　Bessie　rejoined。



〃Delightful！〃　murmured　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃I　shall　expect　to　see　a　great　deal　of　you；〃　the　duchess　continued。

〃When　I　go　to　Branches　I　monopolize　my　son's　guests。〃



〃They　must　be　most　happy；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate　very　graciously。



〃I　want　immensely　to　see　itto　see　the　castle；〃　said　Bessie

to　the　duchess。　　〃I　have　never　seen　onein　England；　at　least；

and　you　know　we　have　none　in　America。〃



〃Ah；　you　are　fond　of　castles？〃　inquired　her　Grace。



〃Immensely！〃　replied　the　young　girl。　　〃It　has　been　the　dream

of　my　life　to　live　in　one。〃



The　duchess　looked　at　her　a　moment；　as　if　she　hardly　knew

how　to　take　this　assurance；　which；　from　her　Grace's　point

of　view；　was　either　very　artless　or　very　audacious。

〃Well；〃　she　said；　rising；　〃I　will　show　you　Branches　myself。〃

And　upon　this　the　two　great　ladies　took　their　departure。



〃What　did　they　mean　by　it？〃　asked　Mrs。　Westgate；　when　they　were　gone。



〃They　meant　to　be　polite；〃　said　Bessie；　〃because　we　are　going

to　meet　them。〃



〃It　is　too　late　to　be　polite；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　replied　almost　grimly。

〃They　meant　to　overawe　us　by　their　fine　manners　and　their　grandeur；

and　to　make　you　lacher　prise。〃



〃Lacher　prise？　What　strange　things　you　say！〃　murmured　Bessie　Alden。



〃They　meant　to　snub　us；　so　that　we　shouldn't　dare　to　go　to　Branches；〃

Mrs。　Westgate　continued。



〃On　the　contrary；〃　said　Bessie；　〃the　duchess　offered　to　show

me　the　place　herself。〃



〃Yes；　you　may　depend　upon　it　she　won't　let　you　out　of　her　sight。

She　will　show　you　the　place　from　morning　till　night。〃



〃You　have　a　theory　for　everything；〃　said　Bessie。



〃And　you　apparently　have　none　for　anything。〃



〃I　saw　no　attempt　to　'overawe'　us；〃　said　the　young　girl。

〃Their　manners　were　not　fine。〃



〃They　were　not　even　good！〃　　Mrs。　Westgate　declared。



Bessie　was　silent　a　while；　but　in　a　few　moments　she　observed

that　she　had　a　very　good　theory。　　〃They　came　to　look　at　me；〃

she　said；　as　if　this　had　been　a　very　ingenious　hypothesis。

Mrs。　Westgate　did　it　justice；　she　greeted　it　with　a　smile

and　pronounced　it　most　brilliant；　while；　in　reality；　she　felt

that　the　young　girl's　skepticism；　or　her　charity；　or；　as　she

had　sometimes　called　it　appropriately；　her　idealism；

was　proof　against　irony。　　Bessie；　however；　remained　meditative

all　the　rest　of　that　day　and　well　on　into　the　morrow。



On　the　morrow；　before　lunch；　Mrs。　Westgate　had　occasion　to　go

out　for　an　hour；　and　left　her　sister　writing　a　letter。

When　she　came　back　she　met　Lord　Lambeth　at　the　door　of　the　hotel；

coming　away。　　She　thought　he　looked　slightly　embarrassed；

he　was　certainly　very　grave。　　〃I　am　sorry　to　have　missed　you。

Won't　you　come　back？〃　she　asked。



〃No；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃I　can't。　I　have　seen　your　sister。

I　can　never　come　back。〃　　Then　he　looked　at　her　a　moment　and　took　her　hand。

〃Goodbye；　Mrs。　Westgate；〃　he　said。　　〃You　have　been　very　kind　to　me。〃

And　with　what　she　thought　a　strange；　sad　look　in　his　handsome　young　face；

he　turned　away。



She　went　in；　and　she　found　Bessie　still　writing　her　letter；

that　is；　Mrs。　Westgate　perceived　she　was　sitting　at　the　table　with

the　pen　in　her　hand　and　not　writing。　　〃Lord　Lambeth　has　been　here；〃

said　the　elder　lady　at　last。



Then　Bessie　got　up　and　showed　her　a　pale；　serious　face。　　She　bent　this　face

upon　her　sister　for　some　time；　confessing　silently　and　a　little　pleading。

〃I　told　him；〃　she　said　at　last；　〃that　we　could　not　go　to　Branches。〃



Mrs。　Westgate　displayed　just　a　spark　of　irritation。

〃He　might　have　waited；〃　she　said　with　a　smile；　〃till　one　had　seen

the　castle。〃　　Later；　an　hour　afterward；　she　said；　〃Dear　Bessie；

I　wish　you　might　have　accepted　him。〃



〃I　couldn't；〃　said　Bessie　gently。



〃He　is　an　excellent　fellow；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃I　couldn't；〃　Bessie　repeated。



〃If　it　is　only；〃　her　sister　added；　〃because　those　women　will　think

that　they　succeededthat　they　paralyzed　us！〃



Bessie　Alden　turned　away；　but　presently　she　added；　〃They　were　interesting；

I　should　have　liked　to　see　them　again。〃



〃So　should　I！〃　cried　Mrs。　Westgate　significantly。



〃And　I　should　have　liked　to　see　the　castle；〃　said　Bessie。

〃But　now　we　must　leave　England；〃　she　added。



Her　sister　looked　at　her。　　〃You　will　not　wait　to　go　to　the　National　Gallery？〃



〃Not　now。〃



〃Nor　to　Canterbury　Cathedral？〃



Bessie　reflected　a　moment。　　〃We　can　stop　there　on　our　way

to　Paris；〃　she　said。



Lord　Lambeth　did　not　tell　Percy　Beaumont　that　the　contingency

he　was　not　prepared　at　all　to　like　had　occurred；　but　Percy

Beaumont；　on　hearing　that　the　two　ladies　had　left　London；

wondered　with　some　intensity　what　had　happened；　wondered；　that　is；

until　the　Duchess　of　Bayswater　came　a　little　to　his　assistance。

The　two　ladies　went　to　Paris；　and　Mrs。　Westgate　beguiled

the　journey　to