ragged lady, v2-第8章

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That's　true；〃　Mrs。　Lander　admitted；　with　a　sigh。　　After　a　while　she　went
on；　〃I　don't　know　as　we've　got　any　right　to　keep　the　letter。　　It　belongs
to　her；　don't　it？〃

〃I　guess　it　belongs　to　me；　as　much　as　it　does　to　her；〃　said　Clementina。
〃If　it's　to　her；　it's　for　me。　　I　am　not　going　to　send　it；　Mrs。　Landa。〃

They　were　still　in　this　conclusion　when　early　in　the　following　afternoon
Miss　Milray's　cards　were　brought　up　for　Mrs。　Lander　and　Miss　Claxon。

〃Well；　I　decla'e！〃　　cried　Mrs。　Lander。　　〃That　docta：　must　have　gone
straight　and　told　her　what　we　said。〃

〃He　had　no　right　to；〃　said　Clementina；　but　neither　of　them　was
displeased；　and　after　it　was　over；　Mrs。　Lander　said　that　any　one　would
have　thought　the　call　was　for　her；　instead　of　Clementina；　from　the　way
Miss　Milray　kept　talking　to　her。　　She　formed　a　high　opinion　of　her；　and
Miss　Milray　put　Clementina　in　mind　of　Mr。　Milray；　she　had　the　same　hair
of　chiseled　silver；　and　the　same　smile；　she　moved　like　him；　and　talked
like　him；　　but　with　a　greater　liveliness。　　She　asked　fondly　after　him；
and　made　Clementina　tell　her　if　he　seemed　quite　well；　and　in　good
spirits；　she　was　civilly　interested　in　Mrs。　Milray's　health。　　At　the
embarrassment　which　showed　itself　in　the　girl；　she　laughed　and　said；
〃Don't　imagine　I　don't　know　all　about　it；　Miss　Claxon！　　My　sister…in…law
has　owned　up　very　handsomely；　she　isn't　half　bad；　as　the　English　say；　and
I　think　she　likes　owning　up　if　she　can　do　it　safely。〃

〃And　you　don't　think；〃　asked　Mrs。　Lander；　〃that　Clementina　done　wrong　to
dance　that　way？〃

Clementina　blushed；　and　Miss　Milray　laughed　again。　　〃If　you'll　let　Miss
Claxon　come　to　a　little　party　I'm　giving　she　may　do　her　dance　at　my
house；　but　she　sha'n't　be　obliged　to　do　it；　or　anything　she　doesn't　like。
Don't　say　she　hasn't　a　gown　ready；　or　something　of　that　kind！　　You　don't
know　the　resources　of　Florence；　and　how　the　dress　makers　here　doat　upon
doing　impossible　things　in　no　time　at　all；　and　being　ready　before　they
promise。　　If　you'll　put　Miss　Claxon　in　my　hands；　I'll　see　that　she's
dressed　for　my　dance。　　I　live　out　on　one　of　the　hills　over　there；　that
you　see　from　your　windows〃she　nodded　toward　them〃in　a　beautiful
villa；　too　cold　for　winter；　and　too　hot　for　summer；　but　I　think　Miss
Claxon　can　endure　its　discomfort　for　a　day；　if　you　can　spare　her；　and　she
will　consent　to　leave　you　to　the　tender　mercies　of　your　maid；　and　〃Miss
Milray　paused　at　the　kind　of　unresponsive　blank　to　which　she　found
herself　talking；　and　put　up　her　lorgnette；　to　glance　from　Mrs。　Lander　to
Clementina。　　The　girl　said；　with　embarrassment；　〃I　don't　think　I　ought　to
leave　Mrs。　1anda；　just　now。　　She　isn't　very　well；　and　I　shouldn't　like　to
leave　her　alone。〃

〃But　we're　just　as　much　obliged　to　you　as　if　she　could　come；〃　Mrs。　Lander
interrupted；　I　and　later　on；　maybe　she　can。　　You　see；　we　han't　got　any
maid；　yit。　　Well；　we　did　have　one　at　Woodlake；　but　she　made　us　do　so　many
things　for　her；　that　we　thought　we　should　like　to　do　a　few　things　for
ouaselves；　awhile。〃

If　Miss　Milray　perhaps　did　not　conceive　the　situation；　exactly；　she　said；
Oh；　they　were　quite　right　in　that；　but　she　might　count　upon　Miss　Claxon
for　her　dance；　might　not　she；　and　might　not　she　do　anything　in　her　power
for　them？　　She　rose　to　go；　but　Mrs。　Lander　took　her　at　her　word；　so　far
as　to　say；　Why；　yes；　if　she　could　tell　Clementina　the　best　place　to　get　a
dress　she　guessed　the　child　would　be　glad　enough　to　come　to　the　dance。

〃Tell　her！〃　Miss　Milray　cried。　　〃I'll　take　her！　　Put　on　your　hat；　my
dear；〃　she　said　to　Clementina；　〃and　come　with　me　now。　　My　carriage　is　at
your　door。〃

Clementina　looked　at　Mrs。　Lander；　who　said；　〃Go；　of　cou'se；　child。　　I
wish　I　could　go；　too。〃

〃Do　come；　too；〃　Miss　Milray　entreated。

〃No；　no；〃　said　Mrs。　Lander；　flattered。　　〃I　a'n't　feeling　very　well；　to…
day。　　I　guess　I'm　better　off　at　home。　　But　don't　you　hurry　back　on　my
account；　Clementina。〃　　While　the　girl　was　gone　to　put　on　her　hat　she
talked　on　about　her。　　〃She's　the　best　gul　in　the　wo'ld；　and　she　won't　be
one　of　the　poorest；　and　I　shall　feel　that　I'm　doin'　just　what　Mr。　Landa
would　have　wanted　I　should。　　He　picked　her　out　himself；　moa　than　three
yea's　ago；　when　we　was　drivin'　past　her　house　at　Middlemount；　and　it　was
to　humor　him　afta　he　was　gone；　moa　than　anything　else；　that　I　took　her。
Well；　she　wa'n't　so　very　easy　to　git；　either；　I　can　tell　you。〃　　She　cut
short　her　history　of　the　affair　to　say　when　Clementina　came　back；　〃I　want
you　should　do　the　odderin'　yourself；　Miss　Milray；　and　not　let　her　scrimp
with　the　money。　　She　wants　to　git　some　visitin'　cahds；　and　if　you　miss
anything　about　her　that　she'd　ought　to　have；　or　that　any　otha　yong　lady's
got；　won't　you　just　git　it　for　her？〃

As　soon　as　she　imagined　the　case；　Miss　Milray　set　herself　to　overcome
Mrs。　Lander's　reluctance　from　a　maid。　　She　prevailed　with　her　to　try　the
Italian　woman　whom　she　sent　her；　and　in　a　day　the　genial　Maddalena　had
effaced　the　whole　tradition　of　the　bleak　Ellida。　　It　was　not　essential　to
the　understanding　which　instantly　established　itself　between　them　that
they　should　have　any　language　in　common。　　They　babbled　at　each　other；
Mrs。　Lander　in　her　Bostonized　Yankee；　and　Maddalena　in　her　gutteral
Florentine；　and　Mrs。　Lander　was　flattered　to　find　how　well　she　knew
Italian。

Miss　Milray　had　begun　being　nice　to　Clementina　in　fealty　to　her　brother；
who　so　seldom　made　any　proof　of　her　devotion　to　him；　and　to　whom　she　bad
remained　passionately　true　through　his　shady　past。　　She　was　eager　to
humor　his　whim　for　the　little　country　girl　who　had　taken　his　fancy；
because　it　was　his　whim；　and　not　because　she　had　any　hopes　that
Clementina　would　justify　it。　　She　had　made　Dr。　Welwright　tell　her　all　he
knew　about　her；　and　his　report　of　her　grace　and　beauty　had　piqued　her
curiosity；　his　account　of　the　forlorn　dullness　of　her　life　with　Mrs。
Lander　in　their　hotel　had　touched　her　heart。　　But　she　was　still　skeptical
when　she　went　to　get　her　letter　of　introduction；　when　she　brought
Clementina　home　from　the　dressmaker's　she　asked　if　she　might　kiss　her；
and　said　she　was　already　in　love　with　her。

Her　love　might　have　made　her　wish　to　do　everything　for　her　that　she　now
began　to　do；　but　it　simplified　the　situation　to　account　for　her　to　the
world　as　the　ward　of　Mrs。　Lander；　who　was　as　rich　as　she　was　vulgar；　and
it　was　with　Clementina　in　this　character　that　Miss　Milray　began　to　make
the　round　of　afternoon　teas；　and　inspired　invitations　for　her　at　pleasant
houses；　by　giving　a　young　ladies'　lunch　for　her　at　her　own。　　Before　the
night　of　her　little　dance；　she　had　lost　any　misgiving　she　had　felt　at
first；　in　the　delight　of　seeing　Clementina　take　the　world　as　if　she　had
thought　it　would　always　behave　as　amiably　as　that；　and　as　if　she　had
forgotten　her　unkind　experiences　to　the　contrary。　　She　knew　from　Mrs。
Lander　how　the　girls　at　their　hotel　had　left　her　out；　but　Miss　Milray
could　not　see　that　Clementina　met　them　with　rancor；　when　her　authority
brought　them　together。　　If　the　child　　was　humiliated　by　her　past　in　the
gross　lonely　luxury　of　Mrs。　Lander's　life　or　the　unconscious　poverty　of
her　own　home；　she　did　not　show　it　in　the　presence　of　the　world　that　now
opened　its　arms　to　her。　　She　remained　so　tranquil　in　the　midst　of　all　the
novel　differences；　that　it　made　her　friend　feel　rather　vulgar　in　her
anxieties　for　her；　and　it　was　not　always　enough　to　find　that　she　had　not
gone　wrong　simply　because　she　had　hold　still；　and　had　the　gift　of　waiting
for　things　to　happen。　　Sometimes　when　Miss　Milray　had　almost　decided　that
her　passivity　was　the　calm　of　a　savage；　she　betrayed　so　sweet　and
grateful　a　sense　of　all　that　was　done　for　her；　that　her　benefactress
decided　that；　she　was　not　rustic；　but　was　sylvan　in　a　way　of　her　own；
and　not　so　much　ignorant　as　innocent。　　She　discovered　that　she　was　not
ignorant　even　of　books；　but　with　no　literary　effect　from　them　she　had
transmitted　her　reading　into　the　substance　of　her　native　gentleness；　and
had　both　ideas　and　convictions。　　When　Clementina　most　affected　her　as　an
untried　wilderness　in　the　conventional　things　she　most　felt　her　equality
to　any　social　fortune　that　might　befall　her；　and　th