ragged lady, v2-第30章
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consul said：
〃Miss Claxon； I want to introduce the Rev。 Mr。 James B。 Orson； of
Michigan。〃 Mr。 Orson took Clementina's hand into a dry； rough grasp；
while he peered into her face with small； shy eyes。 The vice…consul
added with a kind of official formality； 〃Mr。 Orson is the half…nephew of
Mr。 Lander；〃 and then Clementina now knew whom it was that he resembled。
〃He has come to Venice；〃 continued the vice…consul； 〃at the request of
Mrs。 Lander； and he did not know of her death until I informed him of the
fact。 I should have said that Mr。 Orson is the son of Mr。 Lander's half…
sister。 He can tell you the balance himself。〃 The vice…consul
pronounced the concluding word with a certain distaste； and the effect of
gladly retiring into the background。
〃Won't you sit down？〃 said Clementina； and she added with one of the
remnants of her Middlemount breeding； 〃Won't you let me take your hat？〃
Mr。 Orson in trying to comply with both her invitations； knocked his well
worn silk hat from the hand that held it； and sent it rolling across the
room； where Clementina pursued it and put it on the table。
〃I may as well say at once；〃 he began in a flat irresonant voice； 〃that I
am the representative of Mrs。 Lander's heirs； and that I have a letter
from her enclosing her last will and testament； which I have shown to the
consul here〃
〃Vice…consul；〃 the dignitary interrupted with an effect of rejecting any
part in the affair。
〃Vice…consul； I should say；and I wish to lay them both before you； in
order that〃
〃Oh； that is all right；〃 said Clementina sweetly。 〃I'm glad there is a
will。 I was afraid there wasn't any at all。 Mr。 Bennam and I looked for
it everywhe'e。〃 She smiled upon the Rev。 Mr。 Orson； who silently handed
her a paper。 It was the will which Milray had written for Mrs。 Lander；
and which； with whatever crazy motive； she had sent to her husband's
kindred。 It provided that each of them should be given five thousand
dollars out of the estate； and that then all should go to Clementina。
It was the will Mrs。 Lander told her she had made； but she had never seen
the paper before； and the legal forms hid the meaning from her so that
she was glad to have the vice…consul make it clear。 Then she said
tranquilly； 〃Yes； that is the way I supposed it was。〃
Mr。 Orson by no means shared her calm。 He did not lift his voice； but on
the level it had taken it became agitated。 〃Mrs。 Lander gave me the
address of her lawyer in Boston when she sent me the will； and I made a
point of calling on him when I went East； to sail。 I don't know why she
wished me to come out to her； but being sick； I presume she naturally
wished to see some of her own family。〃
He looked at Clementina as if he thought she might dispute this； but she
consented at her sweetest； 〃Oh； yes； indeed；〃 and he went on：
〃I found her affairs in a very different condition from what she seemed
to think。 The estate was mostly in securities which had not been
properly looked after； and they had depreciated until they were some of
them not worth the paper they were printed on。 The house in Boston is
mortgaged up to its full value； I should say； and I should say that Mrs。
Lander did not know where she stood。 She seemed to think that she was a
very rich woman； but she lived high； and her lawyer said he never could
make her understand how the money was going。 Mr。 Lander seemed to lose
his grip； the year he died； and engaged in some very unfortunate
speculations； I don't know whether he told her。 I might enter into
details〃
〃Oh； that is not necessary；〃 said Clementina； politely； witless of the
disastrous quality of the facts which Mr。 Orson was imparting。
〃But the sum and substance of it all is that there will not be more than
enough to pay the bequests to her own family； if there is that。〃
Clementina looked with smiling innocence at the vice…consul。
〃That is to say；〃 he explained； 〃there won't be anything at all for you；
Miss Claxon。〃
〃Well； that's what I always told Mrs。 Lander I ratha； when she brought it
up。 I told her she ought to give it to his family；〃 said Clementina；
with a satisfaction in the event which the vice…consul seemed unable to
share； for he remained gloomily silent。 〃There is that last money I drew
on the letter of credit； you can give that to Mr。 Orson。〃
〃I have told him about that money；〃 said the vice…consul； dryly。 〃It
will be handed over to him when the estate is settled； if there isn't
enough to pay the bequests without it。〃
〃And the money which Mrs。 Landa gave me before that；〃 she pursued；
eagerly。 Mr。 Orson had the effect of pricking up his ears； though it was
in fact merely a gleam of light that came into his eyes。
〃That's yours；〃 said the vice…consul； sourly； almost savagely。 〃She
didn't give it to you without she wanted you to have it； and she didn't
expect you to pay her bequests with it。 In my opinion；〃 he burst out； in
a wrathful recollection of his own sufferings from Mrs。 Lander； 〃she
didn't give you a millionth part of your due for all the trouble she made
you； and I want Mr。 Orson to understand that； right here。〃
Clementina turned her impartial gaze upon Mr。 Orson as if to verify the
impression of this extreme opinion upon him； he looked as if he neither
accepted nor rejected it； and she concluded the sentence which the vice…
consul had interrupted。 〃Because I ratha not keep it； if there isn't
enough without it。〃
The vice…consul gave way to violence。 〃It's none of your business
whether there's enough or not。 What you've got to do is to keep what
belongs to you； and I'm going to see that you do。 That's what I'm here
for。〃 If this assumption of official authority did not awe Clementina；
at least it put a check upon her headlong self…sacrifice。 The vice…
consul strengthened his hold upon her by asking； 〃What would you do。
I should like to know； if you gave that up？〃
〃Oh； I should get along；〃 she returned； Light…heartedly； but upon
questioning herself whether she should turn to Miss Milray for help；
or appeal to the vice…consul himself； she was daunted a little； and she
added； 〃But just as you say； Mr。 Bennam。〃
〃I say； keep what fairly belongs to you。 It's only two or three hundred
dollars at the outside；〃 he explained to Mr。 Orson's hungry eyes； but
perhaps the sum did not affect the country minister's imagination as
trifling； his yearly salary must sometimes have been little more。
The whole interview left the vice…consul out of humor with both parties
to the affair； and as to Clementina； between the ideals of a perfect
little saint； and a perfect little simpleton he remained for the present
unable to class her。
XXXV。
Clementina and the Vice…Consul afterwards agreed that Mrs。 Lander must
have sent the will to Mr。 Orson in one of those moments of suspicion when
she distrusted everyone about her； or in that trouble concerning her
husband's kindred which had grown upon her more and more； as a means of
assuring them that they were provided for。
〃But even then；〃 the vice…consul concluded； 〃I don't see why she wanted
this man to come out here。 The only explanation is that she was a little
off her base towards the last。 That's the charitable supposition。〃
〃I don't think she was herself； some of the time；〃 Clementina assented in
acceptance of the kindly construction。
The vice…consul modified his good will toward Mrs。 Lander's memory so far
as to say； 〃Well； if she'd been somebody else most of the time； it would
have been an improvement。〃
The talk turned upon Mr。 Orson； and what he would probably do。 The vice…
consul had found him a cheap lodging； at his request； and he seemed to
have settled down at Venice either without the will or without the power
to go home； but the vice…consul did not know where he ate； or what he did
with himself except at the times when he came for letters。 Once or twice
when he looked him up he found him writing； and then the minister
explained that he had promised to 〃correspond〃 for an organ of his sect
in the Northwest； but he owned that there was no money in it。 He was
otherwise reticent and even furtive in his manner。 He did not seem to
