ragged lady, v2-第6章

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Liverpool　that　she　had　not　been　seasick　a　moment　during　the　voyage。　　In
the　brisk　cold　of　the　winter　morning；　as　they　came　ashore　in　the　tug；　she
fancied　a　property　of　health　in　the　European　atmosphere；　which　she　was
sure　would　bring　her　right　up；　if　she　stayed　long　enough；　and　a　regret
that　she　had　never　tried　it　with　Mr。　Lander　mingled　with　her　new　hopes
for　herself。

But　Clementina　looked　with　home…sick　eyes　at　the　strangeness　of　the　alien
scene：　the　pale；　low　heaven　which　seemed　not　to　be　clouded　and　yet　was　so
dim；　the　flat　shores　with　the　little　railroad　trains　running　in　and　out
over　them；　the　grimy　bulks　of　the　city；　and　the　shipping　in　the　river；
sparse　and　sombre　after　the　gay　forest　of　sails　and　stacks　at　New　York。

She　did　not　see　the　Milrays　after　she　left　the　tug；　in　the　rapid
dispersal　of　the　steamer's　passengers。　　They　both　took　leave　of　her　at
the　dock；　and　Mrs。　Milray　whispered　with　penitence　in　her　voice　and　eyes；
I　will　write；〃　but　the　girl　did　not　answer。

Before　Mrs。　Lander's　trunks　and　her　own　were　passed；　she　saw　Lord
Lioncourt　going　away　with　his　heavily　laden　man　at　his　heels。　　Mr。　Ewins
came　up　to　see　if　he　could　help　her　through　the　customs；　but　she　believed
that　be　had　come　at　Mrs。　Milray's　bidding；　and　she　thanked　him　so
prohibitively　that　he　could　not　insist。　　The　English　clergyman　who　had
spoken　to　her　the　morning　after　the　charity　entertainment　left　his　wife
with　Mrs。　Lander；　and　came　to　her　help；　and　then　Mr。　Ewins　went　his　way。

The　clergyman；　who　appeared　to　feel　the　friendlessness　of　the　young　girl
and　the　old　woman　a　charge　laid　upon　him；　bestowed　a　sort　of　fatherly
protection　upon　them　both。　　He　advised　them　to　stop　at　a　hotel　for　a　few
hours　and　take　the　later　train　for　London　that　he　and　his　wife　were　going
up　by；　they　drove　to　the　hotel　together；　where　Mrs。　Lander　could　not　be
kept　from　paying　the　omnibus；　and　made　them　have　luncheon　with　her。　　She
allowed　the　clergyman　to　get　her　tickets；　and　she　could　not　believe　that
be　had　taken　second　class　tickets　for　himself　and　his　wife。　　She　said
that　she　had　never　heard　of　anyone　travelling　second　class　before；　and
she　assured　him　that　they　never　did　it　in　America。　　She　begged　him　to　let
her　pay　the　difference；　and　bring　his　wife　into　her　compartment；　which
the　guard　had　reserved　for　her。　　She　urged　that　the　money　was　nothing　to
her；　compared　with　the　comfort　of　being　with　some　one　you　knew；　and　the
clergyman　had　to　promise　that　as　they　should　be　neighbors；　he　would　look
in　upon　her；　whenever　the　train　stopped　long　enough。

Before　it　began　to　move；　Clementina　thought　she　saw　Lord　Lioncourt
hurrying　past　their　carriage…window。　　At　Rugby　the　clergyman　appeared；
but　almost　before　he　could　speak；　Lord　Lioncourt's　little　red　face　showed
at　his　elbow。　　He　asked　Clementina　to　present　him　to　Mrs。　Lander；　who
pressed　him　to　get　into　her　compartment；　the　clergyman　vanished；　and　Lord
Lioncourt　yielded。

Mrs。　Lander　found　him　able　to　tell　her　the　best　way　to　get　to　Florence；
whose　situation　he　seemed　to　know　perfectly；　he　confessed　that　he　had
been　there　rather　often。　　He　made　out　a　little　itinerary　for　going
straight　through　by　sleeping…car　as　soon　as　you　crossed　the　Channel；　she
had　said　that　she　always　liked　a　through　train　when　she　could　get　it；　and
the　less　stops　the　better。　　She　bade　Clementina　take　charge　of　the　plan
and　not　lose　it；　without　it　she　did　not　see　what　they　could　do。　　She
conceived　of　him　as　a　friend　of　Clementina's；　and　she　lost　in　the　strange
environment　the　shyness　she　had　with　most　people。　　She　told　him　how　Mr。
Lander　had　made　his　money；　and　from　what　beginnings　he　rose　to　be
ignorant　of　what　he　really　was　worth　when　he　died。　　She　dwelt　upon　the
diseases　they　had　suffered；　and　at　the　thought　of　his　death；　so
unnecessary　in　view　of　the　good　that　the　air　was　already　doing　her　in
Europe；　she　shed　tears。

Lord　Lioncourt　was　very　polite；　but　there　was　no　resumption　of　the　ship's
comradery　in　his　manner。　　Clementina　could　not　know　how　quickly　this
always　drops　from　people　who　have　been　fellow…passengers；　and　she
wondered　if　he　were　guarding　himself　from　her　because　she　had　danced　at
the　charity　entertainment。　　The　poison　which　Mrs。　Milray　had　instilled
worked　in　her　thoughts　while　she　could　not　help　seeing　how　patient　he　was
with　all　Mrs。　Lander's　questions；　he　answered　them　with　a　simplicity　of
his　own；　or　laughed　and　put　them　by；　when　they　were　quite　impossible。
Many　of　them　related　to　the　comparative　merits　of　English　and　American
railroads；　and　what　he　thought　himself　of　these。　　Mrs。　Lander　noted　the
difference　of　the　English　stations；　but　she　did　not　see　much　in　the
landscape　to　examine　him　upon。　　She　required　him　to　tell　her　why　the
rooks　they　saw　were　not　crows；　and　she　was　not　satisfied　that　he　should
say　the　country　seat　she　pointed　out　was　a　castle　when　it　was　plainly
deficient　in　battlements。　　She　based　upon　his　immovable　confidence　in
respect　to　it　an　inquiry　into　the　structure　of　English　society；　and　she
made　him　tell　her　what　a　lord　was；　and　a　commoner；　and　how　the　royal
family　differed　from　both。　　She　asked　him　how　he　came　to　be　a　lord；　and
when　he　said　that　it　was　a　peerage　of　George　the　Third's　creation；　she
remembered　that　George　III。　　was　the　one　we　took　up　arms　against。　　She
found　that　Lord　Lioncourt　knew　of　our　revolution　generally；　but　was
ignorant　of　such　particulars　as　the　Battle　of　Bunker　Hill；　and　the
Surrender　of　Cornwallis；　as　well　as　the　throwing　of　the　Tea　into　Boston
Harbor；　he　was　much　struck　by　this　incident；　and　said；　And　quite　right；
he　was　sure。

He　told　Clementina　that　her　friends　the　Milrays　had　taken　the　steamer　for
London　in　the　morning。　　He　believed　they　were　going　to　Egypt　for　the
winter。　　Cairo；　he　said；　was　great　fun；　and　he　advised　Mrs。　Lander；　if
she　found　Florence　a　bit　dull；　to　push　on　there。　　She　asked　if　it　was　an
easy　place　to　get　to；　and　he　assured　her　that　it　was　very　easy　from
Italy。

Mrs。　Lander　was　again　at　home　in　her　world　of　railroads　and　hotels；　but
she　confessed；　after　he　left　them　at　the　next　station；　that　she　should
have　felt　more　at　home　if　he　had　been　going　on　to　London　with　them。　　She
philosophized　him　to　the　disadvantage　of　her　own　countrymen　as　much　less
offish　than　a　great　many　New　York　and　Boston　peuple。　　He　had　given　her　a
good　opinion　of　the　whole　English　nation；　and　the　clergyman；　who　had　been
so　nice　to　them　at　Liverpool；　confirmed　her　friendly　impressions　of
England　by　getting　her　a　small　omnibus　at　the　station　in　London　before　he
got　a　cab　for　himself　and　his　wife；　and　drove　away　to　complete　his　own
journey　on　another　road。　　She　celebrated　the　omnibus　as　if　it　were　an
effect　of　his　goodness　in　her　behalf。　　She　admired　its　capacity　for
receiving　all　their　trunks；　and　saving　the　trouble　and　delay　of　the
express；　which　always　vexed　her　so　much　in　New　York；　and　which　had　nearly
failed　in　getting　her　baggage　to　the　steamer　in　time。

The　omnibus　remained　her　chief　association　with　London；　for　she　decided
to　take　the　first　through　train　for　Italy　in　the　morning。　　She　wished　to
be　settled；　by　which　she　meant　placed　in　a　Florentine　hotel　for　the
winter。　　That　lord；　as　she　now　began　and　always　continued　to　call
Lioncourt；　had　first　given　her　the　name　of　the　best　little　hotel　in
Florence；　but　as　it　had　neither　elevator　nor　furnace　heat　in　it；　he
agreed　in　the　end　that　it　would　not　do　for　her；　and　mentioned　the　most
modern　and　expensive　house　on　the　Lungarno。　　He　told　her　he　did　not　think
she　need　telegraph　for　rooms；　but　she　took　this　precaution　before　leaving
London；　and　was　able　to　secure　them　at　a　price　which　seemed　to　her　quite
as　much　as　she　would　have　had　to　pay　for　the　same　rooms　at　a　first　class
hotel　on　the　Back　Bay。

The　manager　had　reserved　for　her　one　of　the　best　suites；　which　had　just
been　vacated　by　a　Russian　princess。　　〃I　guess　you　better　cable　to　your
folks　where　you　ah'；　Clementina；〃　she　said。　　〃Because　if　you're
satisfied；　I　am；　and　I　presume　we　sha'n't　want　to　change　as　long　as　we
stay　in　Florence。　　My；　but　it's　sightly　！　　〃She　joined　Clementina　a
moment　at　the　windows　looking　upon　the　Arno；　and　the　hills　beyond　it。
〃I　guess　you'll　s