the man between-第22章

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s　messenger；　properly　accredited；　was　sent　to　America　to　procure　his　signatures。　Allowing　for　unforeseen　delays；　the　perfected　papers　of　release　might　certainly　be　on　hand　by　the　fifteenth　of　July；　and　it　was　proposed　on　the　first　of　August　to　give　a　dinner　and　dance　in　return　for　the　numerous　courtesies　the　American　Rawdons　had　received。

As　this　date　approached　Ruth　and　Ethel　began　to　think　of　a　visit　to　London。　They　wanted　new　gowns　and　many　other　pretty　things；　and　why　not　go　to　London　for　them？　The　journey　was　but　a　few　hours；　and　two　or　three　days'　shopping　in　Regent　Street　and　Piccadilly　would　be　delightful。　〃We　will　make　out　a　list　of　all　we　need　this　afternoon；〃　said　Ruth；　〃and　we　might　as　well　go　to…morrow　morning　as　later；〃　and　at　this　moment　a　servant　entered　with　the　mail。　Ethel　lifted　her　letter　with　an　exclamation。　〃It　is　from　Dora；〃　she　said；　and　her　voice　had　a　tone　of　annoyance　in　it。　〃Dora　is　in　London；　at　the　Savoy。　She　wants　to　see　me　very　much。〃

〃I　am　so　sorry。　We　have　been　so　happy。〃

〃I　don't　think　she　will　interfere　much；　Ruth。〃

〃My　dears；〃　said　Judge　Rawdon；　〃I　have　a　letter　from　Fred　Mostyn。　He　is　coming　home。　He　will　be　in　London　in　a　day　or　two。〃

〃Why　is　he　coming；　father？〃

〃He　says　he　has　a　proposal　to　make　about　the　Manor。　I　wish　he　were　not　coming。　No　one　wants　his　proposal。〃　Then　the　breakfast…　table；　which　had　been　so　gay；　became　silent　and　depressed；　and　presently　the　Judge　went　away　without　exhibiting　further　interest　in　the　London　journey。

〃I　do　wish　Dora　would　let　us　alone；〃　said　Ruth。　〃She　always　brings　disappointment　or　worry　of　some　kind。　And　I　wonder　what　is　the　meaning　of　this　unexpected　London　visit。　I　thought　she　was　in　Holland。〃

〃She　said　in　her　last　letter　that　London　would　be　impossible　before　August。〃

〃Is　it　an　appointmentor　a　coincidence？〃

And　Ethel；　lifting　her　shoulders　sarcastically；　as　if　in　hostile　surrender　to　the　inevitable；　answered：

〃It　is　a　fatality！〃



CHAPTER　VIII

THREE　days　afterward　Ethel　called　on　Dora　Stanhope　at　the　Savoy。　She　found　her　alone；　and　she　had　evidently　been　crying。　Indeed；　she　frankly　admitted　the　fact；　declaring　that　she　had　been　〃so　bored　and　so　homesick；　that　she　relieved　she　had　cried　her　beauty　away。〃　She　glanced　at　Ethel's　radiant　face　and　neat　fresh　toilet　with　envy；　and　added；　〃I　am　so　glad　to　see　you；　Ethel。　But　I　was　sure　that　you　would　come　as　soon　as　you　knew　I　wanted　you。〃

〃Oh；　indeed；　Dora；　you　must　not　make　yourself　too　sure　of　such　a　thing　as　that！　I　really　came　to　London　to　get　some　new　gowns。　I　have　been　shopping　all　morning。〃

〃I　thought　you　had　come　in　answer　to　my　letter。　I　was　expecting　you。　That　is　the　reason　I　did　not　go　out　with　Basil。〃

〃Don't　you　expect　a　little　too　much；　Dora？　I　have　a　great　many　interests　and　duties〃

〃I　used　to　be　first。〃

〃When　a　girl　marries　she　is　supposed　to〃

〃Please　don't　talk　nonsense。　Basil　does　not　take　the　place　of　everyone　and　everything　else。　I　think　we　are　often　very　tired　of　each　other。　This　morning；　when　I　was　telling　him　what　trouble　I　had　with　my　maid；　Julia；　he　actually　yawned。　He　tried　to　smother　the　yawn；　but　he　could　not；　and　of　course　the　honeymoon　is　over　when　your　bridegroom　yawns　in　your　face　while　you　are　telling　him　your　troubles。〃

〃I　should　think　you　would　be　glad　it　was　over。　Of　all　the　words　in　the　English　language　‘honeymoon'　is　the　most　ridiculous　and　imbecile。〃

〃I　suppose　when　you　get　married　you　will　take　a　honeymoon。〃

〃I　shall　have　more　sense　and　more　selfishness。　A　girl　could　hardly　enter　a　new　life　through　a　medium　more　trying。　I　am　sure　it　would　need　long…tested　affections　and　the　sweetest　of　tempers　to　make　it　endurable。〃

〃I　cannot　imagine　what　you　mean。〃

〃I　mean　that　all　traveling　just　after　marriage　is　a　great　blunder。　Traveling　makes　the　sunniest　disposition　hasty　and　peevish；　for　women　don't　love　changes　as　men　do。　Not　one　in　a　thousand　is　seen　at　her　best　while　traveling；　and　the　majority　are　seen　at　their　very　worst。　Then　there　is　the　discomfort　and　desolation　of　European　hotels　their　mysterious　methods　and　hours；　and　the　ways　of　foreigners；　which　are　not　as　our　ways。〃

〃Don't　talk　of　them；　Ethel。　They　are　dreadful　places；　and　such　queer　people。〃

〃Add　to　these　troubles　ignorance　of　language　and　coinage；　the　utter　weariness　of　railway　travel；　the　plague　of　customs；　the　trunk　that　won't　pack；　the　trains　that　won't　wait；　the　tiresome　sight…seeing；　the　climatic　irritability；　broiling　suns；　headache；　loneliness；　fretfulnessconsequently　the　pitiful　boredom　of　the　new　husband。〃

〃Ethel；　what　you　say　is　certainly　too　true。　I　am　weary　to　death　of　it　all。　I　want　to　be　at　Newport　with　mother；　who　is　having　a　lovely　time　there。　Of　course　Basil　is　very　nice　to　me；　and　yet　there　have　been　little　tiffs　and　strugglesvery　gentle　onesfor　the　mastery；　which　he　is　not　going　to　get。　To…day　he　wanted　me　to　go　with　him　and　Canon　Shackleton　to　see　something　or　other　about　the　poor　of　London。　I　would　not　do　it。　I　am　so　lonely；　Ethel；　I　want　to　see　some　one。　I　feel　fit　to　cry　all　the　time。　I　like　Basil　best　of　anyone　in　the　world；　but〃

〃But　in　the　solitude　of　a　honeymoon　among　strangers　you　find　out　that　the　person　you　like　best　in　the　world　can　bore　you　as　badly　as　the　person　you　don't　like　at　all。　Is　that　so？〃

〃Exactly。　Just　fancy　if　we　were　among　our　friends　in　Newport。　I　should　have　some　pleasure　in　dressing　and　looking　lovely。　Why　should　I　dress　here？　There　is　no　one　to　see　me。〃

〃Basil。〃

〃Of　course；　but　Basil　spends　all　the　time　in　visiting　cathedrals　and　clergymen。　If　we　go　out；　it　is　to　see　something　about　the　poor；　or　about　schools　and　such　like。　We　were　not　in　London　two　hours　until　he　was　off　to　Westminster　Abbey；　and　I　didn't　care　a　cent　about　the　old　place。　He　says　I　must　not　ask　him　to　go　to　theaters；　but　historical　old　houses　don't　interest　me　at　all。　What　does　it　matter　if　Cromwell　slept　in　a　certain　ancient　shabby　room？　And　as　for　all　the　palaces　I　have　seen；　my　father's　house　is　a　great　deal　handsomer；　and　more　convenient；　and　more　comfortable；　and　I　wish　I　were　there。　I　hate　Europe；　and　England　I　hate　worst　of　all。〃

〃You　have　not　seen　England。　We　are　all　enraptured　with　its　beauty　and　its　old　houses　and　pleasant　life。〃

〃You　are　among　friendsat　home；　as　it　were。　I　have　heard　all　about　Rawdon　Court。　Fred　Mostyn　told　me。　He　is　going　to　buy　it。〃

〃When？〃

〃Some　time　this　fall。　Then　next　year　he　will　entertain　us；　and　that　will　be　a　little　different　to　this　desolate　hotel；　I　think。〃

〃How　long　will　you　be　in　London？〃

〃I　cannot　say。　We　are　invited　to　Stanhope　Castle；　but　I　don't　want　to　go　there。　We　stayed　with　the　Stanhopes　a　week　when　we　first　came　over。　They　were　then　in　their　London　house；　and　I　got　enough　of　them。〃

〃Did　you　dislike　the　family？〃

〃No；　I　cared　nothing　about　them。　They　just　bored　me。　They　are　extremely　religious。　We　had　prayers　night　and　morning；　and　a　prayer　before　and　after　every　meal。　They　read　only　very　good　books；　and　the　Honorable　Misses　Stanhope　sew　for　the　poor　old　women　and　teach　the　poor　young　ones。　They　work　harder　than　anyone　I　ever　knew；　and　they　call　it　‘improving　the　time。'　They　thought　me　a　very　silly；　reckless　young　woman；　and　I　think　they　all　prayed　for　me。　One　night　after　they　had　sung　some　very　nice　songs　they　asked　me　to　play；　and　I　began　with　‘My　Little　Brown　Rose'you　know　they　all　adore　the　negro　and　little　by　little　I　dropped　into　the　funniest　coon　songs　I　knew；　and　oh　how　they　laughed！　Even　the　old　lord　stroked　his　knees　and　laughed　out　loud；　while　the　young　ladies　laughed　into　their　handkerchiefs。　Lady　Stanhope　was　the　only　one　who　comprehended　I　was　guying　them；　and　she　looked　at　me　with　half…shut　eyes　in　a　way　that　would　have　spoiled　some　girls'　fun。　It　only　made　me　the　merrier。　So　I　tried　to　show　them　a　cake　walk；　but　the　old　lord　rose　then　and　said　‘I　must　be　tired；　and　they　would　excuse　me。'　Somehow　I　could　not　manage　him。　Basil　was　at　a　workman's　concert；　and　when　he　came　home　I　think　there　were　some　advices　and　remonstrances；　but　Basil　never　told　me。　I　felt　as　if　they　were　all　glad　when　I　went　away；　and　I　don't　wish　to　go　to　the　Castle　and　I　won't　go　either。〃

〃But　if　Basil　wishes　to　go〃

〃He　can　go　alone。　I　rather　think