an international episode-第8章

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he　was　not；　as　he　would　himself　have　said；　tremendously　clever；

but　though　there　was　a　kind　of　appealing　dullness　in　his　eye；

he　looked　thoroughly　reasonable　and　competent；　and　his　appearance

proclaimed　that　to　be　a　nobleman；　an　athlete；　and　an　excellent

fellow　was　a　sufficiently　brilliant　combination　of　qualities。

The　young　girl　beside　him；　it　may　be　attested　without　further　delay；

thought　him　the　handsomest　young　man　she　had　ever　seen；

and　Bessie　Alden's　imagination；　unlike　that　of　her　companion；

was　irritable。　　He；　however；　was　also　making　up　his　mind　that　she

was　uncommonly　pretty。



〃I　daresay　it's　very　gay　here；　that　you　have　lots　of　balls　and　parties；〃

he　said；　for；　if　he　was　not　tremendously　clever；　he　rather　prided　himself

on　having；　with　women；　a　sufficiency　of　conversation。



〃Oh；　yes；　there　is　a　great　deal　going　on；〃　Bessie　Alden　replied。

〃There　are　not　so　many　balls；　but　there　are　a　good　many　other　things。

You　will　see　for　yourself；　we　live　rather　in　the　midst　of　it。〃



〃It's　very　kind　of　you　to　say　that。　　But　I　thought　you　Americans

were　always　dancing。〃



〃I　suppose　we　dance　a　good　deal；　but　I　have　never　seen　much　of　it。

We　don't　do　it　much；　at　any　rate；　in　summer。　　And　I　am　sure；〃

said　Bessie　Alden；　〃that　we　don't　have　so　many　balls　as　you

have　in　England。〃



〃Really！〃　exclaimed　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃Ah；　in　England　it　all　depends；　you　know。〃



〃You　will　not　think　much　of　our　gaieties；〃　said　the　young　girl；

looking　at　him　with　a　little　mixture　of　interrogation　and　decision

which　was　peculiar　to　her。　　The　interrogation　seemed　earnest　and

the　decision　seemed　arch；　but　the　mixture；　at　any　rate；　was　charming。

〃Those　things；　with　us；　are　much　less　splendid　than　in　England。〃



〃I　fancy　you　don't　mean　that；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　laughing。



〃I　assure　you　I　mean　everything　I　say；〃　the　young　girl　declared。

〃Certainly；　from　what　I　have　read　about　English　society；

it　is　very　different。〃



〃Ah　well；　you　know；〃　said　her　companion；　〃those　things　are

often　described　by　fellows　who　know　nothing　about　them。

You　mustn't　mind　what　you　read。〃



〃Oh；　I　SHALL　mind　what　I　read！〃　　Bessie　Alden　rejoined。

〃When　I　read　Thackeray　and　George　Eliot；　how　can　I　help　minding　them？〃



〃Ah　well；　Thackeray；　and　George　Eliot；〃　said　the　young　nobleman；

〃I　haven't　read　much　of　them。〃



〃Don't　you　suppose　they　know　about　society？〃　asked　Bessie　Alden。



〃Oh；　I　daresay　they　know；　they　were　so　very　clever。

But　these　fashionable　novels；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　〃they　are

awful　rot；　you　know。〃



His　companion　looked　at　him　a　moment　with　her　dark　blue　eyes；　and　then

she　looked　down　in　the　chasm　where　the　water　was　tumbling　about。

〃Do　you　mean　Mrs。　Gore；　for　instance？〃　she　said　presently；

raising　her　eyes。



〃I　am　afraid　I　haven't　read　that；　either；〃　was　the　young

man's　rejoinder；　laughing　a　little　and　blushing。

〃I　am　afraid　you'll　think　I　am　not　very　intellectual。〃



〃Reading　Mrs。　Gore　is　no　proof　of　intellect。　　But　I　like

reading　everything　about　English　lifeeven　poor　books。

I　am　so　curious　about　it。〃



〃Aren't　ladies　always　curious？〃　asked　the　young　man　jestingly。



But　Bessie　Alden　appeared　to　desire　to　answer　his　question　seriously。

〃I　don't　think　soI　don't　think　we　are　enough　sothat　we　care

about　many　things。　　So　it's　all　the　more　of　a　compliment；〃　she　added；

〃that　I　should　want　to　know　so　much　about　England。〃



The　logic　here　seemed　a　little　close；　but　Lord　Lambeth；　made　conscious

of　a　compliment；　found　his　natural　modesty　just　at　hand。

〃I　am　sure　you　know　a　great　deal　more　than　I　do。〃



〃I　really　think　I　know　a　great　dealfor　a　person　who　has　never　been　there。〃



〃Have　you　really　never　been　there？〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃Fancy！〃



〃Neverexcept　in　imagination；〃　said　the　young　girl。



〃Fancy！〃　repeated　her　companion。　　〃But　I　daresay　you'll　go　soon；　won't　you？〃



〃It's　the　dream　of　my　life！〃　declared　Bessie　Alden；　smiling。



〃But　your　sister　seems　to　know　a　tremendous　lot　about　London；〃

Lord　Lambeth　went　on。



The　young　girl　was　silent　a　moment。　　〃My　sister　and　I　are　two

very　different　persons；〃　she　presently　said。　　〃She　has　been

a　great　deal　in　Europe。　　She　has　been　in　England　several　times。

She　has　known　a　great　many　English　people。〃



〃But　you　must　have　known　some；　too；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃I　don't　think　that　I　have　ever　spoken　to　one　before。

You　are　the　first　Englishman　thatto　my　knowledge

I　have　ever　talked　with。〃



Bessie　Alden　made　this　statement　with　a　certain　gravity

almost；　as　it　seemed　to　Lord　Lambeth；　an　impressiveness。

Attempts　at　impressiveness　always　made　him　feel　awkward；

and　he　now　began　to　laugh　and　swing　his　stick。　　〃Ah；　you

would　have　been　sure　to　know！〃　he　said。　　And　then　he　added；

after　an　instant；　〃I'm　sorry　I　am　not　a　better　specimen。〃



The　young　girl　looked　away；　but　she　smiled；　laying　aside　her　impressiveness。

〃You　must　remember　that　you　are　only　a　beginning；〃　she　said。

Then　she　retraced　her　steps；　leading　the　way　back　to　the　lawn；　where　they

saw　Mrs。　Westgate　come　toward　them　with　Percy　Beaumont　still　at　her　side。

〃Perhaps　I　shall　go　to　England　next　year；〃　Miss　Alden　continued；

〃I　want　to；　immensely。　　My　sister　is　going　to　Europe；　and　she　has

asked　me　to　go　with　her。　　If　we　go；　I　shall　make　her　stay　as　long

as　possible　in　London。〃



〃Ah；　you　must　come　in　July；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。

〃That's　the　time　when　there　is　most　going　on。〃



〃I　don't　think　I　can　wait　till　July；〃　the　young　girl　rejoined。

〃By　the　first　of　May　I　shall　be　very　impatient。〃　　They　had　gone　further；

and　Mrs。　Westgate　and　her　companion　were　near　them。　　〃Kitty；〃　said

Miss　Alden；　〃I　have　given　out　that　we　are　going　to　London　next　May。

So　please　to　conduct　yourself　accordingly。〃



Percy　Beaumont　wore　a　somewhat　animatedeven　a　slightly　irritatedair。

He　was　by　no　means　so　handsome　a　man　as　his　cousin；　although　in

his　cousin's　absence　he　might　have　passed　for　a　striking　specimen

of　the　tall；　muscular；　fair…bearded；　clear…eyed　Englishman。

Just　now　Beaumont's　clear　eyes；　which　were　small　and　of　a　pale

gray　color；　had　a　rather　troubled　light；　and；　after　glancing　at

Bessie　Alden　while　she　spoke；　he　rested　them　upon　his　kinsman。

Mrs。　Westgate　meanwhile；　with　her　superfluously　pretty　gaze；

looked　at　everyone　alike。



〃You　had　better　wait　till　the　time　comes；〃　she　said　to　her　sister。

〃Perhaps　next　May　you　won't　care　so　much　about　London。

Mr。　Beaumont　and　I；〃　she　went　on；　smiling　at　her　companion；

〃have　had　a　tremendous　discussion。　　We　don't　agree　about　anything。

It's　perfectly　delightful。〃



〃Oh；　I　say；　Percy！〃　exclaimed　Lord　Lambeth。



〃I　disagree；〃　said　Beaumont；　stroking　down　his　back　hair；

〃even　to　the　point　of　not　thinking　it　delightful。〃



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth　again。



〃I　don't　see　anything　delightful　in　my　disagreeing　with　Mrs。　Westgate；〃

said　Percy　Beaumont。



〃Well；　I　do！〃　　Mrs。　Westgate　declared；　and　she　turned　to　her　sister。

〃You　know　you　have　to　go　to　town。　　The　phaeton　is　there。

You　had　better　take　Lord　Lambeth。〃



At　this　point　Percy　Beaumont　certainly　looked　straight　at　his　kinsman；

he　tried　to　catch　his　eye。　　But　Lord　Lambeth　would　not　look　at　him；　his　own

eyes　were　better　occupied。　　〃I　shall　be　very　happy；〃　cried　Bessie　Alden。

〃I　am　only　going　to　some　shops。　　But　I　will　drive　you　about　and　show

you　the　place。〃



〃An　American　woman　who　respects　herself；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；

turning　to　Beaumont　with　her　bright　expository　air；　〃must　buy

something　every　day　of　her　life。　　If　she　can　not　do　it　herself；

she　must　send　out　some　member　of　her　family　for　the　purpose。

So　Bessie　goes　forth　to　fulfill　my　mission。〃



The　young　girl　had　walked　away；　with　Lord　Lambeth　by　her　side；

to　whom　she　was　talking　still；　and　Percy　Beaumont　watched　them

as　they　passed　toward　the　house。　　〃She　fulfills　her　own　mission；〃

he　presently　said；　〃that　of　being　a　very　attractive　young　lady。〃



〃I　don't　know　that　I　should　say　ve