the cruise of the jasper b.-第10章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



cause　of　votes　for　women　at　a　time　when　mere　politicians　were

afraid　to　commit　themselves　is　enough　in　itself　to　gain　him　a

place　in　history。〃



She　spoke　with　a　kindling　eye；　and　Cleggett　had　no　doubt　that

there　was　before　him　one　of　those　remarkable　women　who　make　the

early　part　of　the　twentieth　century　so　different　from　any　other

historical　period。　　And　he　was　one　with　her　in　her　admiration　for

Roosevelta　man　whose　facility　in　finding　adventures　and　whose

behavior　when　he　had　found　them　had　always　made　a　strong　appeal

to　Cleggett。　　If　he　could　not　have　been　Cleggett　he　would　have

liked　to　have　been　either　the　Chevalier　d'Artagnan　or　Theodore

Roosevelt。



〃He　is　a　great　man；〃　said　Cleggett。



But　the　lady；　with　her　second　cup　of　tea　in　her　hand；　was

evidently　thinking　of　something　else。　Leaning　back　in　her　chair；

she　said　to　Cleggett：



〃It　is　no　good　for　you　to　deny　that　you　think　I'm　a　horridly

unconventional　sort　of　person！〃



Cleggett　made　a　polite；　deprecatory　gesture。



〃Yes；　yes；　you　do；〃　she　said；　decidedly。　　〃And；　really；　I　am！　　I

am　impulsive！　　I　am　TOO　impulsive！〃　　She　raised　the　cup　to　her

lips；　drank；　and　looked　off　towards　the　western　horizon；　which

the　sun　was　beginning　to　paint　ruddily；　she　mused；　murmuring　as

if　to　herself：　　〃Sir　Archibald　always　thought　I　was　too

impulsive；　dear　man。〃



After　a　meditative　pause　she　said；　leaning　her　elbows　on　the

table　and　gazing　searchingly　into　Cleggett's　eyes：



〃I　am　going　to　trust　you。　　I　am　going　to　reward　your　kindness　by

telling　you　a　portion　of　my　strange　story。　　I　am　going　to　depend

upon　you　to　understand　it。〃



Cleggett　bowed　and　murmured　his　gratitude　at　the　compliment。　

Then　he　said：



〃You　could　trust　me　with〃　　But　he　stopped。　He　did　not　wish

to　be　premature。



〃With　my　life。　　I　could　trust　you　with　my　life；〃　finished　the

lady；　gravely。　　〃I　know　that。　　I　believe　that。　　I　feel　it；

somehow。　　It　is　because　I　do　feel　it　that　I　tell　you〃　　She

paused；　as　if；　after　all；　she　lacked　the　courage。　　Cleggett　said

nothing。　He　was　too　fine　in　grain　to　force　a　confidence。　After　a

moment　she　continued：　　〃I　can　tell　you　this；〃　she　said；　with　a

catch　in　her　voice　that　was　almost　a　sob；　〃that　I　am　practically

friendless。　When　you　call　a　taxicab　for　me　in　a　few　moments；　and

I　leave　you；　with　Elmer　and　my　boxes；　I　shall　have　no　place　to

go。〃



〃But；　surely；　madam〃



〃Do　not　call　me　madam。　　Call　me　Lady　Agatha。　I　am　Lady　Agatha

Fairhaven。　　What　is　your　name？〃



Cleggett　told　her。



〃You　have　heard　of　me？〃　asked　Lady　Agatha。



Cleggett　was　obliged　to　confess　that　he　had　not。　He　thought　that

a　shade　of　disappointment　passed　over　the　lady's　face；　but　in　a

moment　she　smiled　and　remarked：



〃How　relative　a　thing　is　fame！　　You　have　never　heard　of　me！　　And

yet　I　can　assure　you　that　I　am　well　enough　known　in　England。　　I

was　one　of　the　very　first　militant　suffragettes　to　break　a

windowif　not　the　very　first。　　The　point　is；　indeed；　in　dispute。



And　were　it　not　for　my　devotion　to　the　cause　I　would　not　now　be

in　my　present　terrible　plightdoomed　to　wander　from　pillar　to

post　with　that　thing〃　（she　pointed　with　a　shudder　to　the　box　into

which　Elmer　was　still　gloomily　poking　ice）…〃chained　to　me　like

alike　a〃　She　hesitated　for　a　word；　and　Cleggett；　tactlessly

enough；　with　some　vague　recollection　of　a　classical　tale　in　his

mind；　suggested：



〃Like　a　corpse。〃



Lady　Agatha　turned　pale。　　She　gazed　at　Cleggett　with

terror…stricken　eyes；　her　beautiful　face　became　almost　haggard　in

an　instant；　he　thought　she　was　about　to　faint　again；　but　she　did

not。　　As　he　looked　upon　the　change　his　words　had　wrought；　filled

with　wonder　and　compunction；　Cleggett　suddenly　divined　that　her

occasional　flashes　of　gayety　had　been；　all　along；　merely　the

forced　vivacity　of　a　brave　and　clever　woman　who　was　making　a

gallant　fight　against　total　collapse。



〃Mr。　Cleggett；〃　she　said；　in　a　voice　that　was　scarcely　louder

than　a　whisper；　〃I　am　going　to　confide　everything　to　youthe

whole　truth。　　I　will　spare　myself　nothing；　I　will　throw　myself

upon　your　mercy。



〃I　firmly　believe；　Mr。　CleggettI　am　practically　certainthat

the　box　there；　upon　which　Elmer　is　sitting；　contains　the　body　of

Reginald　Maltravers；　natural　son　of　the　tenth　Earl　of　Claiborne；

and　the　cousin　of　my　late　husband；　Sir　Archibald　Fairhaven。〃





CHAPTER　VI



LADY　AGATHA'S　STORY



It　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　Cleggett　repressed　a

start。　　Another　man　might　have　shown　the　shock　he　felt。　　But

Cleggett　had　the　iron　nerve　of　a　Bismarck　and　the　fine　manner　of

a　Richelieu。　　He　did　not　even　permit　his　eyes　to　wander　towards

the　box　in　question。　　He　merely　sat　and　waited。



Lady　Agatha；　having　brought　herself　to　the　point　of　revelation；

seemed　to　find　a　difficulty　in　proceeding。　　Cleggett；　mutely

asking　permission；　lighted　a　cigarette。



〃Ohif　you　will！〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　extending　her　hand　towards

the　case。　　He　passed　it　over；　and　when　she　had　chosen　one　of　the

little　rolls　and　lighted　it　she　said：



〃Mr。　Cleggett；　have　you　ever　lived　in　England？〃



〃I　have　never　even　visited　England。〃



〃I　wish　you　knew　England。〃　　She　watched　the　curling　smoke　from

her　tobacco　as　it　drifted　across　the　table。　　〃If　you　knew　England

you　would　comprehend　so　much　more　readily　some　parts　of　my　story。



〃But；　being　an　American；　you　can　have　no　adequate　conception　of

the　conservatism　that　still　prevails　in　certain　quarters。　　I

refer　to　the　really　old　families　among　the　landed　aristocracy。　

Some　of　them　have　not　changed　essentially；　in　their　attitude

towards　the　world　in　general；　since　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth。



They　make　of　family　a　fetish。　They　are　ready　to　sacrifice

everything　upon　the　altar　of　family。　　They　may　exhibit　this　pride

of　race　less　obviously　than　some　of　the　French　or　Germans　or

Italians；　but　they　have　a　deeper　sense　of　their　own　dignity；　and

of　what　is　due　to　it；　than　any　of　your　more　flighty　and

picturesque　continentals。　　There　are　certain　things　that　are

done。　Certain　things　are　not　done。　　One　must　conform　or〃



She　interrupted　herself　and　delicately　flicked　the　ash　from　her

cigarette。



〃Conform；　or　be　jolly　well　damned；〃　she　finished；　crossing　one

leg　over　the　other　and　leaning　back　in　her　chair。　　〃This；　by　the

way；　is　the　only　decent　cigarette　I　have　found　in　America。　　I

hate　to　smoke　perfumeI　like　tobaccoand　most　of　your　shops

seem　to　keep　nothing　but　the　highly　scented　Turkish　and　Egyptian

varieties。〃



〃They　were　made　in　London；〃　said　Cleggett；　bowing。



〃Ah！　　But　where　was　I？　　Oh；　yesone　must　conform。　　Especially　if

one　belongs　to；　or　has　married　into；　the　Claiborne　family。　　Of

all　the　men　in　England　the　Earl　of　Claiborne　is　the　most

conservative；　the　most　reactionary；　the　most　deeply　encrusted

with　prejudice。　　He　would　stop　at　little　where　the　question

concerned　the　prestige　of　the　aristocracy　in　general；　he　would

stop　at　nothing　where　the　Claiborne　family　is　concerned。



〃I　am　telling　you　all　this　so　that　you　may　get　an　inkling　of　the

blow　it　was　to　him　when　I　became　a　militant　suffragist。　　It　was

blow　enough　to　his　nephew；　Sir　Archibald；　my　late　husband。　　The

Earl　maintains　that　it　hastened　poor　Archibald's　death。　　But　that

is　ridiculous。　　Archibald　had　undermined　his　constitution　with

dissipation；　and　died　following　an　operation　for　gravel。　　He　was

to　have　succeeded　to　the　title；　as　both　of　the　Earl's　legitimate

sons　were　dead　without　issueone　of　them　perished　in　the　Boer

War；　and　the　other　was　killed　in　the　hunting　field。



〃Upon　Archibald's　death　the　old　Earl　publicly　acknowledged

Reginald　Maltravers；　his　natural　son；　and　took　steps　to　have　him

legitimatized。　　For　all　of　the　bend　sinister　upon　his　escutcheon；

Reginald　Maltravers　was　as　fanatical　concerning　the　family　as　his

father。　　Perhaps　more　fanatical；　because　he　secretly　suffered　for

the　irregularity　of　his　own　positi