ragged lady, v2-第11章

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in　pencil；　and　he　began　to　attack　in　Mrs。　Lander　the　demerits　of　the
American　character；　as　he　had　divined　them。　　He　instructed　her　that　her
countrymen　existed　chiefly　to　make　money；　that　they　were　more　shopkeepers
than　the　English　and　worse　snobs；　that　their　women　were　trivial　and　their
men　sordid；　that　their　ambition　was　to　unite　their　families　with　the
European　aristocracies；　and　their　doctrine　of　liberty　and　equality　was　a
shameless　hypocrisy。　　This　followed　hard　upon　her　asking；　as　she　did　very
promptly；　why　he　had　scratched　out　the　title　on　his　card。　　He　told　her
that　he　wished　to　be　known　solely　as　an　artist；　and　he　had　to　explain　to
her　that　he　was　not　a　painter；　but　was　going　to　be　a　novelist。　　She　taxed
him　with　never　having　been　in　America；　but　he　contended　that　as　all
America　came　to　Europe　he　had　the　materials　for　a　study　of　the　national
character　at　hand；　without　the　trouble　of　crossing　the　ocean。　　In　return
she　told　him　that　she　had　not　been　the　least　sea…sick　during　the　voyage；
and　that　it　was　no　trouble　at　all；　then　he　abruptly　left　her　and　went
over　to　beg　a　cup　of　tea　from　Clementina；　who　sat　behind　the　kettle　by
the　window。

〃I　have　heard　this　morning　from　that　American　I　met　in　Pompeii〃　he　began。
〃He　is　coming　northward；　and　I　am　going　down　to　meet　him　in　Rome。〃

Mrs。　Lander　caught　the　word；　and　called　across　the　room；　〃Why；　a'n't　that
whe'e　that　lo'd's　gone？〃

Clementina　said　yes；　and　while　the　kettle　boiled；　she　asked　if　Baron
Belsky　were　going　soon。

〃Oh；　in　a　week　or　ten　days；　perhaps。　　I　shall　know　when　he　arrives。　　Then
I　shall　go。　　We　write　to　each　other　every　day。〃　　He　drew　a　letter　from
his　breast　pocket。　　〃This　will　give　you　the　idea　of　his　character；〃　and
he　read；　〃If　we　believe　that　the　hand　of　God　directs　all　our　actions；　how
can　we　set　up　our　theories　of　conduct　against　what　we　feel　to　be　his
inspiration？〃

〃What　do　you　think　of　that？〃　　he　demanded。

〃I　don't　believe　that　God　directs　our　wrong　actions；〃　said　Clementina。

〃How！　　Is　there　anything　outside　of　God？

〃I　don't　know　whether　there　is　or　not。　　But　there　is　something　that
tempts　me　to　do　wrong；　sometimes；　and　I　don't　believe　that　is　God。〃

The　Russian　seemed　struck。　　〃I　will　write　that　to　him！〃

〃No；〃　said　Clementina；　〃I　don't　want　you　to　say　anything　about　me　to
him。〃

〃No；　no！〃　　said　Baron　Belsky；　waving　his　band　reassuringly。　　〃I　would　not
mention　your　name！〃

Mr。　Ewins　came　in；　and　the　Russian　said　he　must　go。　　Mrs。　Lander　tried　to
detain　him；　too；　as　she　had　tried　to　keep　Mr。　Hinkle；　but　be　was
inexorable。　　Mr。　Ewins　looked　at　the　door　when　it　had　closed　upon　him。
Mrs。　Lander　said；　〃That　is　one　of　the　gentlemen　that　Clementina　met　the
otha　night　at　the　dance。　　He　is　a　baron；　but　he　scratches　it　out。　　You'd
ought　to　head　him　go　on　about　Americans。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Ewins　coldly。　　〃He's　at　our　hotel；　and　he　airs　his
peculiar　opinions　at　the　table　d'hote　pretty　freely。　　He's　a
revolutionist　of　some　kind；　I　fancy。〃　　He　pronounced　the　epithet　with　an
abhorrence　befitting　the　citizen　of　a　state　born　of　revolution　and　a　city
that　had　cradled　the　revolt。　　〃He's　a　Nihilist；　I　believe。〃

Mrs。　Lander　wished　to　know　what　that　was；　and　he　explained　that　it　was　a
Russian　who　wanted　to　overthrow　the　Czar；　and　set　up　a　government　of　the
people；　when　they　were　not　prepared　for　liberty。

〃Then；　maybe　he　isn't　a　baron　at　all；〃　said　Mrs。　Lander。

〃Oh；　I　believe　he　has　a　right　to　his　title；〃　Ewins　answered。　　〃It's　a
German　one。〃

He　said　he　thought　that　sort　of　man　was　all　the　more　mischievous　on
account　of　his　sincerity。　　He　instanced　a　Russian　whom　a　friend　of　his
knew　in　Berlin；　a　man　of　rank　like　this　fellow：　he　got　to　brooding　upon
the　condition　of　working　people　and　that　kind　of　thing；　till　he　renounced
his　title　and　fortune　and　went　to　work　in　an　iron　foundry。

Mr。　Ewins　also　spoke　critically　of　Mrs。　Milray。　　He　had　met　her　in　Egypt；
but　you　soon　exhausted　the　interest　of　that　kind　of　woman。　　He　professed
a　great　concern　that　Clementina　should　see　Florence　in　just　the　right
way；　and　he　offered　his　services　in　showing　her　the　place。

The　Russian　came　the　next　day；　and　almost　daily　after　that；　in　the
interest　with　which　Clementina's　novel　difference　from　other　American
girls　seemed　to　inspire　him。　　His　imagination　had　transmuted　her　simple
Yankee　facts　into　something　appreciable　to　a　Slav　of　his　temperament。
He　conceived　of　her　as　the　daughter　of　a　peasant；　whose　beauty　had
charmed　the　widow　of　a　rich　citizen；　and　who　was　to　inherit　the　wealth　of
her　adoptive　mother。　　He　imagined　that　the　adoption　had　taken　place　at　a
much　earlier　period　than　the　time　when　Clementina's　visit　to　Mrs。　Lander
actually　began；　and　that　all　which　could　he　done　had　been　done　to　efface
her　real　character　by　indulgence　and　luxury。

His　curiosity　concerning　her　childhood；　her　home；　her　father　and　mother；
her　brothers　and　sisters；　and　his　misunderstanding　of　everything　she　told
him；　amused　her。　　But　she　liked　him；　and　she　tried　to　give　him　some
notion　of　the　things　he　wished　so　much　to　know。　　It　always　ended　in　a
dissatisfaction；　more　or　less　vehement；　with　the　outcome　of　American
conditions　as　he　conceived　them。

〃But　you；〃　he　urged　one　day；　〃you　who　are　a　daughter　of　the　fields　and
woods；　why　should　you　forsake　that　pure　life；　and　come　to　waste　yourself
here？〃

〃Why；　don't　you　think　it's　very　nice　in　Florence？〃　she　asked；　with　eyes
of　innocent　interest。

〃Nice！　　Nice！　　Do　we　live　for　what　is　nice？　　Is　it　enough　that　you　have
what　you　Americans　call　a　nice　time？〃

Clementina　reflected。　　〃I　wasn't　doing　much　of　anything　at　home；　and　I
thought　I　might　as　well　come　with　Mrs。　Lander；　if　she　wanted　me　so　much。〃
She　thought　in　a　certain　way；　that　he　was　meddling　with　what　was　not　his
affair；　but　she　believed　that　he　was　sincere　in　his　zeal　for　the　ideal
life　he　wished　her　to　lead；　and　there　were　some　things　she　had　heard
about　him　that　made　her　pity　and　respect　him；　his　self…exile　and　his
renunciation　of　home　and　country　for　his　principles；　whatever　they　were；
she　did　not　understand　exactly。　　She　would　not　have　liked　never　being
able　to　go　back　to　Middlemount；　or　to　be　cut　off　from　all　her　friends　as
this　poor　young　Nihilist　was；　and　she　said；　now；　〃I　didn't　expect　that　it
was　going　to　be　anything　but　a　visit；　and　I　always　supposed　we　should　go
back　in　the　spring；　but　now　Mrs。　Lander　is　beginning　to　think　she　won't
be　well　enough　till　fall。〃

〃And　why　need　you　stay　with　her？〃

〃Because　she's　not　very　well；〃　answered　Clementina；　and　she　smiled；　a
little　triumphantly　as　well　as　tolerantly。

〃She　could　hire　nurses　and　doctors；　all　she　wants　with　her　money。〃

〃I　don't　believe　it　would　be　the　same　thing；　exactly；　and　what　should　I
do　if　I　went　back？〃

〃Do？　　Teach　！　　Uplift　the　lives　about　you。〃

〃But　you　say　it　is　better　for　people　to　live　simply；　and　not　read　and
think　so　much。〃

〃Then　labor　in　the　fields　with　them。〃

Clementina　laughed　outright。　　〃I　guess　if　anyone　saw　me　wo'king　in　the
fields　they　would　think　I　was　a　disgrace　to　the　neighbahood。〃

Belsky　gave　her　a　stupified　glare　through　his　spectacles。　　〃I　cannot
undertand　you　Americans。〃

〃Well；　you　must　come　ova　to　America；　then；　Mr。　Belsky〃he　had　asked　her
not　to　call　him　by　his　title〃and　then　you　would。〃

〃No；　I　could　not　endure　the　disappointment。　　You　have　the　great
opportunity　of　the　earth。　　You　could　be　equal　and　just；　and　simple　and
kind。　　There　is　nothing　to　hinder　you。　　But　all　you　try　to　do　is　to　get
more　and　more　money。〃

〃Now；　that　isn't　faia；　Mr。　Belsky；　and　you　know　it。〃

Well；　then；　you　joke；　jokealways　joke。　　Like　that　Mr。　Hinkle。　　He　wants
to　make　money　with　his　patent　of　a　gleaner；　that　will　take　the　last　grain
of　wheat　from　the　poor；　and　he　wants　to　jokejoke！'

Clementina　said；　〃I　won't　let　you　say　that　about　Mr。　Hinkle。　　You　don't
know　him；　or　you　wouldn't。　　If　he　jokes；　why　shouldn't　he？〃

Belsky　made　a　gesture　of　rejection。　　〃Oh；　you　are　an　American；　too。〃

She　had　not　grown　less　American；　certainly；　since　she　had　left　home；　even
the　little　conformities　to　Europe　that　she　practiced　were　traits　of
Americanism。　　Clementina　was　not　becoming　sophisti