little novels-第13章

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They　only　seemed　to　know　what　Mr。　Sax　himself　had　told　them。　His　father　and　mother　and　brothers　and　sisters　had　all　died　in　course　of　time。　He　was　the　sixth　and　last　of　the　children；　and　he　had　been　christened　〃Sextus〃　in　consequence；　which　is　Latin　（here　Freddy　interposed）　for　sixth。　Also　christened　〃Cyril〃　（here　the　girls　recovered　the　lead）　by　his　mother's　request；　〃Sextus〃　being　such　a　hideous　name。　And　which　of　his　Christian　names　does　he　use？　You　wouldn't　ask　if　you　knew　him！　〃Sextus；〃　of　course；　because　it　is　the　ugliest。　Sextus　　Sax？　N　ot　the　romantic　sort　of　name　that　one　likes；　when　one　is　a　woman。　But　I　have　no　right　to　be　particular。　My　own　name　（is　it　possible　that　I　have　not　mentioned　it　in　these　pages　yet？）　is　only　Nancy　Morris。　Do　not　despise　meand　let　us　return　to　Mr。　Sax。

Is　he　married？　The　eldest　girl　thought　not。　She　had　heard　mamma　say　to　a　lady；　〃An　old　German　family；　my　dear；　and；　in　spite　of　his　oddities；　an　excellent　man；　but　so　poorbarely　enough　to　live　onand　blurts　out　the　truth；　if　people　ask　his　opinion；　as　if　he　had　twenty　thousand　a　year！〃　〃Your　mamma　knows　him　well；　of　course？〃　〃I　should　think　so；　and　so　do　we。　He　often　comes　here。　They　say　he's　not　good　company　among　grown…up　people。　_We_　think　him　jolly。　He　understands　dolls；　and　he's　the　best　back　at　leap…frog　in　the　whole　of　England。〃　Thus　far　we　had　advanced　in　the　praise　of　Sextus　Sax；　when　one　of　the　maids　came　in　with　a　note　for　me。　She　smiled　mysteriously；　and　said；　〃I'm　to　wait　for　an　answer；　miss。〃

I　opened　the　note；　and　read　these　lines：

〃I　am　so　ashamed　of　myself；　I　daren't　attempt　to　make　my　apologies　personally。　Will　you　accept　my　written　excuses？　Upon　my　honor；　nobody　told　me　when　I　got　here　yesterday　that　you　were　in　the　house。　I　heard　the　recitation；　andcan　you　excuse　my　stupidity？I　thought　it　was　a　stage…struck　housemaid　amusing　herself　with　the　children。　May　I　accompany　you　when　you　go　out　with　the　young　ones　for　your　daily　walk？　One　word　will　do。　Yes　or　no。　Penitently　yoursS。　S。〃

In　my　position；　there　was　but　one　possible　answer　to　this。　Governesses　must　not　make　appointments　with　strange　gentlemeneven　when　the　children　are　present　in　the　capacity　of　witnesses。　I　said；　No。　Am　I　claiming　too　much　for　my　readiness　to　forgive　injuries；　when　I　add　that　I　should　have　preferred　saying　Yes？

We　had　our　early　dinner；　and　then　got　ready　to　go　out　walking　as　usual。　These　pages　contain　a　true　confession。　Let　me　own　that　I　hoped　Mr。　Sax　would　understand　my　refusal；　and　ask　Mrs。　Fosdyke's　leave　to　accompany　us。　Lingering　a　little　as　we　went　downstairs；　I　heard　him　in　the　hallactually　speaking　to　Mrs。　Fosdyke！　What　was　he　saying？　That　darling　boy；　Freddy；　got　into　a　difficulty　with　one　of　his　boot…laces　exactly　at　the　right　moment。　I　could　help　him；　and　listenand　be　sadly　disappointed　by　the　result。　Mr。　Sax　was　offended　with　me。

〃You　needn't　introduce　me　to　the　new　governess；〃　I　heard　him　say。　〃We　have　met　on　a　former　occasion；　and　I　produced　a　disagreeable　impression　on　her。　I　beg　you　will　not　speak　of　me　to　Miss　Morris。〃

Before　Mrs。　Fosdyke　could　say　a　word　in　reply；　Master　Freddy　changed　suddenly　from　a　darling　boy　to　a　detestable　imp。　〃I　say；　Mr。　Sax！〃　he　called　out；　〃Miss　Morris　doesn't　mind　you　a　bitshe　only　laughs　at　you。〃

The　answer　to　this　was　the　sudden　closing　of　a　door。　Mr。　Sax　had　taken　refuge　from　me　in　one　of　the　ground…floor　rooms。　I　was　so　mortified；　I　could　almost　have　cried。

Getting　down　into　the　hall；　we　found　Mrs。　Fosdyke　with　her　garden　hat　on；　and　one　of　the　two　ladies　who　were　staying　in　the　house　（the　unmarried　one）　whispering　to　her　at　the　door　of　the　morning…room。　The　ladyMiss　Melburylooked　at　me　with　a　certain　appearance　of　curiosity　which　I　was　quite　at　a　loss　to　understand；　and　suddenly　turned　away　toward　the　further　end　of　the　hall。

〃I　will　walk　with　you　and　the　children；〃　Mrs。　Fosdyke　said　to　me。　〃Freddy；　you　can　ride　your　tricycle　if　you　like。〃　She　turned　to　the　girls。　〃My　dears；　it's　cool　under　the　trees。　You　may　take　your　skipping…ropes。〃

She　had　evidently　something　special　to　say　to　me；　and　she　had　adopted　the　necessary　measures　for　keeping　the　children　in　front　of　us；　well　out　of　hearing。　Freddy　led　the　way　on　his　horse　on　three　wheels；　the　girls　followed；　skipping　merrily。　Mrs。　Fosdyke　opened　the　business　by　the　most　embarrassing　remark　that　she　could　possibly　have　made　under　the　circumstances。

〃I　find　that　you　are　acquainted　with　Mr。　Sax；〃　she　began；　〃and　I　am　surprised　to　hear　that　you　dislike　him。〃

She　smiled　pleasantly；　as　if　my　supposed　dislike　of　Mr。　Sax　rather　amused　her。　What　〃the　ruling　passion〃　may　be　among　men；　I　cannot　presume　to　consider。　My　own　sex；　however；　I　may　claim　to　understand。　The　ruling　passion　among　women　is　Conceit。　My　ridiculous　notion　of　my　own　consequence　was　wounded　in　some　way。　I　assumed　a　position　of　the　loftiest　indifference。

〃Really；　ma'am；〃　I　said；　〃I　can't　undertake　to　answer　for　any　impression　that　Mr。　Sax　may　have　formed。　We　met　by　the　merest　accident。　I　know　nothing　about　him。〃

Mrs。　Fosdyke　eyed　me　slyly；　and　appeared　to　be　more　amused　than　ever。

〃He　is　a　very　odd　man；〃　she　admitted；　〃but　I　can　tell　you　there　is　a　fine　nature　under　that　strange　surface　of　his。　However；〃　she　went　on；　〃I　am　forgetting　that　he　forbids　me　to　talk　about　him　in　your　presence。　When　the　opportunity　offers；　I　shall　take　my　own　way　of　teaching　you　two　to　understand　each　other：　you　will　both　be　grateful　to　me　when　I　have　succeeded。　In　the　meantime；　there　is　a　third　person　who　will　be　sadly　disappointed　to　hear　that　you　know　nothing　about　Mr。　Sax。〃

〃May　I　ask；　ma'am；　who　the　person　is？〃

〃Can　you　keep　a　secret；　Miss　Morris？　Of　course　you　can！　The　person　is　Miss　Melbury。〃

（Miss　Melbury　was　a　dark　woman。　It　cannot　be　because　I　am　a　fair　woman　myselfI　hope　I　am　above　such　narrow　prejudices　as　thatbut　it　is　certainly　true　that　I　don't　admire　dark　women。）

〃She　heard　Mr。　Sax　telling　me　that　you　particularly　disliked　him；　〃　Mrs。　Fosdyke　proceeded。　〃And　just　as　you　appeared　in　the　hall；　she　was　asking　me　to　find　out　what　your　reason　was。　My　own　opinion　of　Mr。　Sax；　I　ought　to　tell　you；　doesn't　satisfy　her；　I　am　his　old　friend；　and　I　present　him　of　course　from　my　own　favorable　point　of　view。　Miss　Melbury　is　anxious　to　be　made　acquainted　with　his　faultsand　she　expected　you　to　be　a　valuable　witness　against　him。〃

Thus　far　we　had　been　walking　on。　We　now　stopped；　as　if　by　common　consent；　and　looked　at　one　another。

In　my　previous　experience　of　Mrs。　Fosdyke；　I　had　only　seen　the　more　constrained　and　formal　side　of　her　character。　Without　being　aware　of　my　own　success；　I　had　won　the　mother's　heart　in　winning　the　goodwill　of　her　children。　Constraint　now　seized　its　first　opportunity　of　melting　away；　the　latent　sense　of　humor　in　the　great　lady　showed　itself；　while　I　was　inwardly　wondering　what　the　nature　of　Miss　Melbury's　extraordinary　interest　in　Mr。　Sax　might　be。　Easily　penetrating　my　thoughts；　she　satisfied　my　curiosity　without　committing　herself　to　a　reply　in　words。　Her　large　gray　eyes　sparkled　as　they　rested　on　my　face；　and　she　hummed　the　tune　of　the　old　French　song；　_〃C'est　l'amour；　l'amour；　l'amour！〃_　There　is　no　disguising　itsomething　in　this　disclosure　made　me　excessively　angry。　Was　I　angry　with　Miss　Melbury？　or　with　Mr。　Sax？　or　with　myself？　I　think　it　must　have　been　with　myself。

Finding　that　I　had　nothing　to　say　on　my　side；　Mrs。　Fosdyke　looked　at　her　watch；　and　remembered　her　domestic　duties。　To　my　relief；　our　interview　came　to　an　end。

〃I　have　a　dinner…party　to…day；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　have　not　seen　the　housekeeper　yet。　Make　yourself　beautiful；　Miss　Morris；　and　join　us　in　the　drawing…room　after　dinner。〃

V。

I　WORE　my　best　dress；　and；　in　all　my　life　before；　I　never　took　such　pains　with　my　hair。　Nobody　will　be　foolish　enough；　I　hope；　to　suppose　that　I　did　this　on　Mr。　Sax's　account。　How　could　I　possibly　care　about　a　man　who　was　little　better　than　a　stranger　to　me？　No！　the　person　I　dressed　at　was　Miss　Melbury。

She　gave　me　a　look；　as　I　modestly　placed　myself　in　a　corner；　which　amply　rewarded　me　for　the　time　spent　on　my　toilet。　The　gentlemen　came　in。　I　looked　at　Mr。　Sax　（mere　curiosity）　under　shelter　of　my　fan。　His　appearance　was　greatly　impr