the man between-第10章

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〃He　is　strikingly　handsome　and　graceful；　and　I　am　sure　that　his　luminous　serenity　does　not　arise　from　apathy。　I　should　say　he　was　a　man　of　very　strong　and　tender　feelings。〃

〃And　he　gives　all　the　strength　and　tenderness　of　his　feelings　to　Dora。　Men　are　strange　creatures。〃

〃Who　directed　Dora's　dress　this　evening？〃

〃Herself　or　her　maid。　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　it。　The　effect　was　stunning。〃

〃Fred　thought　so。　In　fact；　Fred　Hostyn〃

〃Fell　in　love　with　her。〃

〃Exactly。　‘Fell；'　that　is　the　wordfell　prostrate。　Usually　the　lover　of　to…day　walks　very　timidly　and　carefully　into　the　condition；　step　by　step；　and　calculating　every　step　before　he　takes　it。　Fred　plunged　headlong　into　the　whirling　vortex。　I　am　very　sorry。　It　is　a　catastrophe。〃

〃I　never　witnessed　the　accident　before。　I　have　heard　of　men　getting　wounds　and　falls；　and　developing　new　faculties　in　consequence；　but　we　saw　the　phenomenon　take　place　this　evening。〃

〃Love；　if　it　be　love；　is　known　in　a　moment。　man　who　never　saw　the　sun　before　would　know　it　was　the　sun。　In　Fred's　case　it　was　an　instantaneous；　impetuous　passion；　flaming　up　at　the　sight　of　such　unexpected　beauty　a　passion　that　will　probably　fade　as　rapidly　as　it　rose。〃

〃Fred　is　not　that　kind　of　a　man；　aunt。　He　does　not　like　every　one　and　everything；　but　whoever　or　whatever　he　does　like　becomes　a　lasting　part　of　his　life。　Even　the　old　chairs　and　tables　at　Mostyn　are　held　as　sacred　objects　by　him；　though　I　have　no　doubt　an　American　girl　would　trundle　them　off　to　the　garret。　It　is　the　same　with　the　people。　He　actually　regards　the　Rawdons　as　belonging　in　some　way　to　the　Mostyns；　and　I　do　not　believe　he　has　ever　been　in　love　before。〃

〃Nonsense！〃

〃He　was　so　surprised　by　the　attack。　If　it　had　been　the　tenth　or　twentieth　time　he　would　have　taken　it　more　philosophically；　besides；　if　he　had　ever　loved　any　woman；　he　would　have　gone　on　loving　her；　and　we　should　have　known　all　about　her　perfections　by　this　time。〃

〃Dora　is　nearly　a　married　woman；　and　Mostyn　knows　it。〃

〃Nearly　may　make　all　the　difference。　When　Dora　is　married　he　will　be　compelled　to　accept　the　inevitable　and　make　the　best　of　it。〃

〃When　Dora　is　married　he　will　idealize　her；　and　assure　himself　that　her　marriage　is　the　tragedy　of　both　their　lives。〃

〃Dora　will　give　him　no　reason　to　suppose　such　a　thing。　I　am　sure　she　will　not。　She　is　too　much　in　love　with　Mr。　Stanhope　to　notice　any　other　lover。〃

〃You　are　mistaken；　Ethel。　Swiftly　as　Fred　was　vanquished　she　noticed　it；　and　many　timesonce　even　while　leaning　on　Mr。　Stanhope's　armshe　turned　the　arrow　in　the　heart　wound　with　sweet　little　glances　and　smiles；　and　pretty　appeals　to　the　blind　adoration　of　her　new　lover。　It　was；　to　me；　a　humiliating　spectacle。　How　could　she　do　it？〃

〃I　am　sure　Dora　meant　no　wrong。　It　is　so　natural　for　a　lovely　girl　to　show　off　a　little。　She　will　marry　and　forget　Fred　Mostyn　lives。〃

〃And　Fred　will　forget？〃

〃Fred　will　not　forget。〃

〃Then　I　shall　be　very　sorry　for　your　father　and　grandmother。〃

〃What　have　they　to　do　with　Fred　marrying？〃

〃A　great　deal。　Fred　has　been　so　familiar　and　homely　the　last　two　or　three　weeks；　that　they　have　come　to　look　upon　him　as　a　future　member　of　the　family。　It　has　been　‘Cousin　Ethel'　and　‘Aunt　Ruth'　and　even　‘grandmother'　and　‘Cousin　Fred；'　and　no　objections　have　been　made　to　the　use　of　such　personal　terms。　I　think　your　father　hopes　for　a　closer　tie　between　you　and　Fred　Mostyn　than　cousinship。〃

〃Whatever　might　have　been　is　over。　Do　you　imagine　I　could　consent　to　be　the　secondary　deity；　to　come　after　DoraDora　of　all　the　girls　I　have　ever　known？　The　idea　is　an　insult　to　my　heart　and　my　intelligence。　Nothing　on　earth　could　make　me　submit　to　such　an　indignity。〃

〃I　do　not　suppose；　Ethel；　that　any　wife　is　the　first　object　of　her　husband's　love。〃

〃At　least　they　tell　her　she　is　so；　swear　it　an　inch　deep；　and　no　woman　is　fool　enough　to　look　beyond　that　oath；　but　when　she　is　sure　that　she　is　a　second　best！　AH！　That　is　not　a　position　I　will　ever　take　in　any　man's　heart　knowingly。〃

〃Of　course；　Fred　Mostyn　will　have　to　marry。〃

〃Of　course；　he　will　make　a　duty　of　the　event。　The　line　of　Mostyns　must　be　continued。　England　might　go　to　ruin　if　the　Mostyns　perished　off　the　English　earth；　but；　Aunt　Ruth；　I　count　myself　worthy　of　a　better　fate　than　to　become　a　mere　branch　in　the　genealogical　tree　of　the　Mostyns。　And　that　is　all　Fred　Mostyn's　wife　will　ever　be　to　him；　unless　he　marries　Dora。〃

〃But　that　very　supposition　implies　tragedy；　and　it　is　most　unlikely。〃

〃Yes；　for　Dora　is　a　good　little　thing。　She　has　never　been　familiar　with　vice。　She　has　even　a　horror　of　poor　women　divorced　from　impossible　husbands。　She　believes　her　marriage　will　be　watched　by　the　angels；　and　recorded　in　heaven。　Basil　has　instructed　her　to　regard　marriage　as　a　holy　sacrament；　and　I　am　sure　he　does　the　same。〃

〃Then　why　should　we　forecast　evil　to　their　names？　As　for　Cousin　Fred；　I　dare　say　he　is　comfortably　asleep。〃

〃I　am　sure　he　is　not。　I　believe　he　is　smoking　and　calling　himself　names　for　not　having　come　to　New　York　last　May；　when　father　first　invited　him。　Had　he　done　so　things　might　have　been　different。〃

〃Yes；　they　might。　When　Good　Fortune　calls；　and　the　called　‘will　not　when　they　may；'　then；　‘when　they　will'　Good　Fortune　has　become　Misfortune。　Welcome　a　pleasure　or　a　gain　at　once；　or　don't　answer　it　at　all。　It　was　on　this　rock；　Ethel；　the　bark　that　carried　my　love　went　to　pieces。　I　know；　yes；　I　know！〃

〃My　dear　aunt！〃

〃It　is　all　right　now；　dear；　but　things　might　have　been　that　are　not。　As　to　Dora；　I　think　she　may　be　trusted　with　Basil　Stanhope。　He　is　one　of　the　best　and　handsomest　men　I　ever　saw；　and　he　has　now　rights　in　Dora's　love　no　one　can　tamper　with。　Mostyn　is　an　honorable　man。〃

〃All　right；　but

　　〃Love　will　venture　in；　　　　　　Where　he　daurna　well　be　seen；　　　O　Love　will　venture　in；　　　　　　Where　Wisdom　once　has　been

and　then；　aunt；　what　then？〃




PART　SECOND

PLAYING　WITH　FIRE



CHAPTER　V

THE　next　day　after　lunch　Ethel　said　she　was　going　to　walk　down　to　Gramercy　Park　and　spend　an　hour　or　two　with　her　grandmother；　and　〃Will　you　send　the　carriage　for　me　at　five　o'clock？〃　she　asked。

〃Your　father　has　ordered　the　carriage　to　be　at　the　Holland　House　at　five　o'clock。　It　can　call　for　you　first；　and　then　go　to　the　Holland　House。　But　do　not　keep　your　father　waiting。　If　he　is　not　at　the　entrance　give　your　card　to　the　outside　porter；　he　will　have　it　sent　up　to　Fred's　apartments。〃

〃Then　father　is　calling　on　Fred？　What　for？　Is　he　sick？〃

〃Oh；　no；　business　of　some　kind。　I　hope　you　will　have　a　pleasant　walk。〃

〃There　is　no　doubt　of　it。〃

Indeed；　she　was　radiant　with　its　exhilaration　when　she　reached　Gramercy　Park。　As　she　ran　up　the　steps　of　the　big；　old…fashioned　house　she　saw　Madam　at　the　window　picking　up　some　dropped　stitches　in　her　knitting。　Madam　saw　her　at　the　same　moment；　and　the　old　face　and　the　young　face　both　alike　kindled　with　love；　as　well　as　with　happy　anticipation　of　coveted　intercourse。

〃I　am　so　glad　to　see　you；　darling　Granny。　I　could　not　wait　until　to…morrow。〃

〃And　why　should　you；　child？　I　have　been　watching　for　you　all　morning。　I　want　to　hear　about　the　Denning　dinner。　I　suppose　you　went？〃

〃Yes；　we　went；　we　had　to。　Dinners　in　strange　houses　are　a　common　calamity；　I　can't　expect　to　be　spared　what　everyone　has　to　endure。〃

〃Don't　be　affected；　Ethel。　You　like　going　out　to　dinner。　Of　course；　you　do！　It　is　only　natural；　considering。〃

〃I　don't；　Granny。　I　like　dances　and　theaters　and　operas；　but　I　don't　like　dinners。　However；　the　Denning　dinner　was　a　grand　exception。　It　gave　me　and　the　others　a　sensation。〃

〃I　expected　that。〃

〃It　was　beautifully　ordered。　Major…domo　Parkinson　saw　to　that。　If　he　had　arranged　it　for　his　late　employer；　the　Duke　of　Richmond；　it　could　not　have　been　finer。　There　was　not　a　break　anywhere。〃

〃How　many　were　present？〃

〃Just　a　dozen。〃

〃Mr。　Denning　and　Bryce；　of　course。　Who　were　the　others？〃

〃Mr。　Stanhope；　of　course。　Granny；　he　wore　his　clerical　dress。　It　made　him　look　so　remarkable。〃

〃He　did　right。　A　clergyman　ought　to　look　different　from　other　men。　I　do　not　believe　Basil　Stanhope；　having　assumed　the　dress　of　a　servant　of　God；　would　put　it　off　one　hou