an international episode-第7章

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Fortunately　she　asked　for　no　especial　rejoinder；

for　she　looked　about　at　the　rest　of　the　company　as　well；

and　smiled　at　Percy　Beaumont；　on　the　other　side　of　her；

as　if　he　too　much　understand　her　and　agree　with　her。

He　was　rather　more　successful　than　his　companion；

for　besides　being；　as　we　know；　cleverer；　his　attention　was

not　vaguely　distracted　by　close　vicinity　to　a　remarkably

interesting　young　girl；　with　dark　hair　and　blue　eyes。

This　was　the　case　with　Lord　Lambeth；　to　whom　it　occurred

after　a　while　that　the　young　girl　with　blue　eyes　and　dark

hair　was　the　pretty　sister　of　whom　Mrs。　Westgate　had　spoken。

She　presently　turned　to　him　with　a　remark　which　established

her　identity。



〃It's　a　great　pity　you　couldn't　have　brought　my　brother…in…law　with　you。

It's　a　great　shame　he　should　be　in　New　York　in　these　days。〃



〃Oh；　yes；　it's　so　very　hot；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃It　must　be　dreadful；〃　said　the　young　girl。



〃I　daresay　he　is　very　busy；〃　Lord　Lambeth　observed。



〃The　gentlemen　in　America　work　too　much；〃　the　young　girl　went　on。



〃Oh；　do　they？　　I　daresay　they　like　it；〃　said　her　interlocutor。



〃I　don't　like　it。　　One　never　sees　them。〃



〃Don't　you；　really？〃　asked　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃I　shouldn't　have　fancied　that。〃



〃Have　you　come　to　study　American　manners？〃　asked　the　young　girl。



〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　　I　just　came　over　for　a　lark。　　I　haven't　got　long。〃

Here　there　was　a　pause；　and　Lord　Lambeth　began　again。　　〃But　Mr。　Westgate

will　come　down　here；　will　not　he？〃



〃I　certainly　hope　he　will。　　He　must　help　to　entertain　you　and　Mr。　Beaumont。〃



Lord　Lambeth　looked　at　her　a　little　with　his　handsome　brown　eyes。

〃Do　you　suppose　he　would　have　come　down　with　us　if　we　had　urged　him？〃



Mr。　Westgate's　sister…in…law　was　silent　a　moment；　and　then；

〃I　daresay　he　would；〃　she　answered。



〃Really！〃　said　the　young　Englishman。　　〃He　was　immensely　civil

to　Beaumont　and　me；〃　he　added。



〃He　is　a　dear　good　fellow；〃　the　young　lady　rejoined；

〃and　he　is　a　perfect　husband。　　But　all　Americans　are　that；〃

she　continued；　smiling。



〃Really！〃　　Lord　Lambeth　exclaimed　again　and　wondered　whether　all　American

ladies　had　such　a　passion　for　generalizing　as　these　two。



He　sat　there　a　good　while：　　there　was　a　great　deal　of　talk；

it　was　all　very　friendly　and　lively　and　jolly。　　Everyone　present；

sooner　or　later；　said　something　to　him；　and　seemed　to　make

a　particular　point　of　addressing　him　by　name。　　Two　or　three　other

persons　came　in；　and　there　was　a　shifting　of　seats　and　changing

of　places；　the　gentlemen　all　entered　into　intimate　conversation

with　the　two　Englishmen；　made　them　urgent　offers　of　hospitality；

and　hoped　they　might　frequently　be　of　service　to　them。

They　were　afraid　Lord　Lambeth　and　Mr。　Beaumont　were　not　very

comfortable　at　their　hotel；　that　it　was　not；　as　one　of　them　said；

〃so　private　as　those　dear　little　English　inns　of　yours。〃

This　last　gentleman　went　on　to　say　that　unfortunately；

as　yet；　perhaps；　privacy　was　not　quite　so　easily　obtained

in　America　as　might　be　desired；　still；　he　continued；

you　could　generally　get　it　by　paying　for　it；　in　fact；

you　could　get　everything　in　America　nowadays　by　paying　for　it。

American　life　was　certainly　growing　a　great　deal　more　private；

it　was　growing　very　much　like　England。　　Everything　at　Newport；

for　instance；　was　thoroughly　private；　Lord　Lambeth　would

probably　be　struck　with　that。　　It　was　also　represented　to

the　strangers　that　it　mattered　very　little　whether　their　hotel

was　agreeable；　as　everyone　would　want　them　to　make　visits；

they　would　stay　with　other　people；　and；　in　any　case；

they　would　be　a　great　deal　at　Mrs。　Westgate's。　They　would　find

that　very　charming；　it　was　the　pleasantest　house　in　Newport。

It　was　a　pity　Mr。　Westgate　was　always　away；　he　was　a　man

of　the　highest　abilityvery　acute；　very　acute。　　He　worked　like

a　horse；　and　he　left　his　wifewell；　to　do　about　as　she　liked。

He　liked　her　to　enjoy　herself；　and　she　seemed　to　know　how。

She　was　extremely　brilliant　and　a　splendid　talker。

Some　people　preferred　her　sister；　but　Miss　Alden　was　very　different；

she　was　in　a　different　style　altogether。　　Some　people　even

thought　her　prettier；　and；　certainly；　she　was　not　so　sharp。

She　was　more　in　the　Boston　style；　she　had　lived　a　great　deal

in　Boston；　and　she　was　very　highly　educated。　　Boston　girls；

it　was　propounded；　were　more　like　English　young　ladies。



Lord　Lambeth　had　presently　a　chance　to　test　the　truth　of　this　proposition；

for　on　the　company　rising　in　compliance　with　a　suggestion　from　their

hostess　that　they　should　walk　down　to　the　rocks　and　look　at　the　sea；

the　young　Englishman　again　found　himself；　as　they　strolled　across　the　grass；

in　proximity　to　Mrs。　Westgate's　sister。　　Though　she　was　but　a　girl　of　twenty；

she　appeared　to　feel　the　obligation　to　exert　an　active　hospitality；　and　this

was；　perhaps；　the　more　to　be　noticed　as　she　seemed　by　nature　a　reserved

and　retiring　person；　and　had　little　of　her　sister's　fraternizing　quality。

She　was　perhaps　rather　too　thin；　and　she　was　a　little　pale；　but　as　she　moved

slowly　over　the　grass；　with　her　arms　hanging　at　her　sides；　looking　gravely

for　a　moment　at　the　sea　and　then　brightly；　for　all　her　gravity；　at　him；

Lord　Lambeth　thought　her　at　least　as　pretty　as　Mrs。　Westgate；　and　reflected

that　if　this　was　the　Boston　style　the　Boston　style　was　very　charming。

He　thought　she　looked　very　clever；　he　could　imagine　that　she　was

highly　educated；　but　at　the　same　time　she　seemed　gentle　and　graceful。

For　all　her　cleverness；　however；　he　felt　that　she　had　to　think　a　little

what　to　say；　she　didn't　say　the　first　thing　that　came　into　her　head；

he　had　come　from　a　different　part　of　the　world　and　from　a　different　society；

and　she　was　trying　to　adapt　her　conversation。　　The　others　were　scattering

themselves　near　the　rocks；　Mrs。　Westgate　had　charge　of　Percy　Beaumont。



〃Very　jolly　place；　isn't　it？〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。

〃It's　a　very　jolly　place　to　sit。〃



〃Very　charming；〃　said　the　young　girl。　　〃I　often　sit　here；

there　are　all　kinds　of　cozy　cornersas　if　they　had　been

made　on　purpose。〃



〃Ah！　　I　suppose　you　have　had　some　of　them　made；〃　said　the　young　man。



Miss　Alden　looked　at　him　a　moment。　　〃Oh　no；　we　have　had　nothing　made。

It's　pure　nature。〃



〃I　should　think　you　would　have　a　few　little　benchesrustic　seats

and　that　sort　of　thing。　　It　might　be　so　jolly　to　sit　here；　you　know；〃

Lord　Lambeth　went　on。



〃I　am　afraid　we　haven't　so　many　of　those　things　as　you；〃

said　the　young　girl　thoughtfully。



〃I　daresay　you　go　in　for　pure　nature；　as　you　were　saying。

Nature　over　here　must　be　so　grand；　you　know。〃　　And　Lord　Lambeth

looked　about　him。



The　little　coast　line　hereabouts　was　very　pretty；　but　it　was　not

at　all　grand；　and　Miss　Alden　appeared　to　rise　to　a　perception

of　this　fact。　　〃I　am　afraid　it　seems　to　you　very　rough；〃　she　said。

〃It's　not　like　the　coast　scenery　in　Kingsley's　novels。〃



〃Ah；　the　novels　always　overdo　it；　you　know；〃　Lord　Lambeth　rejoined。

〃You　must　not　go　by　the　novels。〃



They　were　wandering　about　a　little　on　the　rocks；　and　they　stopped

and　looked　down　into　a　narrow　chasm　where　the　rising　tide　made

a　curious　bellowing　sound。　　It　was　loud　enough　to　prevent　their

hearing　each　other；　and　they　stood　there　for　some　moments　in　silence。

The　young　girl　looked　at　her　companion；　observing　him　attentively；

but　covertly；　as　women；　even　when　very　young；　know　how　to　do。

Lord　Lambeth　repaid　observation；　tall；　straight；　and　strong；

he　was　handsome　as　certain　young　Englishmen；　and　certain　young

Englishmen　almost　alone；　are　handsome；　with　a　perfect　finish

of　feature　and　a　look　of　intellectual　repose　and　gentle　good　temper

which　seemed　somehow　to　be　consequent　upon　his　well…cut　nose　and　chin。

And　to　speak　of　Lord　Lambeth's　expression　of　intellectual　repose

is　not　simply　a　civil　way　of　saying　that　he　looked　stupid。

He　was　evidently　not　a　young　man　of　an　irritable　imagination；

he　was　not；　as　he　would　himself　have