the man between-第6章

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It　was　but　a　short　walk　between　the　two　houses；　and　Ethel　was　resolved　to　have　the　refreshment　of　the　exercise。　And　how　good　it　was　to　feel　the　pinch　of　the　frost　and　the　gust　of　the　north　wind；　and　after　it　to　come　to　the　happy　portal　of　home；　and　the　familiar　atmosphere　of　the　cheerful　hall；　and　then　to　peep　into　the　firelit　room　in　which　Ruth　lay　dreaming　in　the　dusky　shadows。

〃Ruth；　darling！〃

〃Ethel！　I　have　just　sent　for　you　to　come　home。〃　Then　she　rose　and　took　Ethel　in　her　arms。　〃How　delightfully　cold　you　are！　And　what　rosy　cheeks！　Do　you　know　that　we　have　a　little　dinner　party？〃

〃Mr。　Mostyn？〃

〃Yes；　and　your　grandmother；　and　perhaps　Dr。　Fisherthe　Doctor　is　not　certain。〃

〃And　I　see　that　you　are　already　dressed。　How　handsome　you　look！　That　black　lace　dress；　with　the　dull　gold　ornaments；　is　all　right。〃

〃I　felt　as　if　jewels　would　be　overdress　for　a　family　dinner。〃

〃Yes；　but　jewels　always　snub　men　so　completely。　It　is　not　altogether　that　they　represent　money；　they　give　an　air　of　royalty；　and　a　woman　without　jewels　is　like　an　uncrowned　queenshe　does　not　get　the　homage。　I　can't　account　for　it；　but　there　it　is。　I　shall　wear　my　sapphire　necklace。　What　did　father　say　about　our　new　kinsman？〃

〃Very　little。　It　was　impossible　to　judge　from　his　words　what　he　thought。　I　fancied　that　he　might　have　been　a　little　disappointed。〃

〃I　should　not　wonder。　We　shall　see。〃

〃You　will　be　dressed　in　an　hour？〃

〃In　less　time。　Shall　I　wear　white　or　blue？〃

〃Pale　blue　and　white　flowers。　There　are　some　white　violets　in　the　library。　I　have　a　red　rose。　We　shall　contrast　each　other　very　well。〃

〃What　is　it　all　about？　Do　we　really　care　how　we　look　in　the　eyes　of　this　Mr。　Mostyn？〃

〃Of　course　we　care。　We　should　not　be　women　if　we　did　not　care。　We　must　make　some　sort　of　an　impression；　and　naturally　we　prefer　that　it　should　be　a　pleasant　one。〃

〃If　we　consider　the　mortgage〃

〃Nonsense！　The　mortgage　is　not　in　it。〃

〃Good…by。　Tell　Mattie　to　bring　me　a　cup　of　tea　upstairs。　I　will　be　dressed　in　an　hour。〃

The　tea　was　brought　and　drank；　and　Ethel　fell　asleep　while　her　maid　prepared　every　item　for　her　toilet。　Then　she　spoke　to　her　mistress；　and　Ethel　awakened；　as　she　always　did；　with　a　smile；　nature's　surest　sign　of　a　radically　sweet　temper。　And　everything　went　in　accord　with　the　smile；　her　hair　fell　naturally　into　its　most　becoming　waves；　her　dress　into　its　most　graceful　folds；　the　sapphire　necklace　matched　the　blue　of　her　happy　eyes；　the　roses　of　youth　were　on　her　cheeks；　and　white　violets　on　her　breast。　She　felt　her　own　beauty　and　was　glad　of　it；　and　with　a　laughing　word　of　pleasure　went　down　to　the　parlor。

Madam　Rawdon　was　standing　before　the　fire；　but　when　she　heard　the　door　open　she　turned　her　face　toward　it。

〃Come　here；　Ethel　Rawdon；〃　she　said；　〃and　let　me　have　a　look　at　you。〃　And　Ethel　went　to　her　side；　laid　her　hand　lightly　on　the　old　lady's　shoulder　and　kissed　her　cheek。　〃You　do　look　middling　well；〃　she　continued；　〃and　your　dress　is　about　as　it　should　be。　I　like　a　girl　to　dress　like　a　girlstill；　the　sapphires。　Are　they　necessary？〃

〃You　would　not　say　corals；　would　you；　grandmother？　I　have　those　you　gave　me　when　I　was　three　years　old。〃

〃Keep　your　wit；　my　dear；　for　this　evening。　I　should　not　wonder　but　you　might　need　it。　Fred　Mostyn　is　rather　better　than　I　expected。　It　was　a　great　pleasure　to　see　him。　It　was　like　a　bit　of　my　own　youth　back　again。　When　you　are　a　very　old　woman　there　are　few　things　sweeter；　Ethel。〃

〃But　you　are　not　an　old　woman；　grandmother。〃

Nor　was　she。　In　spite　of　her　seventy…five　years　she　stood　erect　at　the　side　of　her　grand…　daughter。　Her　abundant　hair　was　partly　gray；　but　the　gray　mingled　with　the　little　oval　of　costly　lace　that　lay　upon　it；　and　the　effect　was　soft　and　fair　as　powdering。　She　had　been　very　handsome；　and　her　beauty　lingered　as　the　beauty　of　some　flowers　linger；　in　fainter　tints　and　in　less　firm　outlines；　for　she　had　never　fallen　from　that　〃grace　of　God　vouchsafed　to　children；〃　and　therefore　she　had　kept　not　only　the　enthusiasms　of　her　youth；　but　that　sweet　promise　of　the　〃times　of　restitution〃　when　the　child　shall　die　one　hundred　years　old；　because　the　child…heart　shall　be　kept　in　all　its　freshness　and　trust。　Yes；　in　Rachel　Rawdon's　heart　the　well…　springs　of　love　and　life　lay　too　deep　for　the　frosts　of　age　to　touch。　She　would　be　eternally　young　before　she　grew　old。

She　sat　down　as　Ethel　spoke；　and　drew　the　girl　to　her　side。　〃I　hear　your　friend　is　going　to　marry；〃　she　said。

〃Dora？　Yes。〃

〃Are　you　sorry？〃

〃Perhaps　not。　Dora　has　been　a　care　to　me　for　four　years。　I　hope　her　husband　may　manage　her　as　well　as　I　have　done。〃

〃Are　you　afraid　he　will　not？〃

〃I　cannot　tell；　grandmother。　I　see　all　Dora's　faults。　Mr。　Stanhope　is　certain　that　she　has　no　faults。　Hitherto　she　has　had　her　own　way　in　everything。　Excepting　myself；　no　one　has　ventured　to　contradict　her。　But；　then；　Dora　is　over　head　and　ears　in　love；　and　love；　it　is　said；　makes　all　things　easy　to　bear　and　to　do。〃

〃One　thing；　girls；　amazes　meit　is　how　readily　women　go　to　church　and　promise　to　love；　honor；　and　obey　their　husbands；　when　they　never　intend　to　do　anything　of　the　kind。〃

〃There　is　a　still　more　amazing　thing；　Madam；〃　answered　Ruth；　〃that　is　that　men　should　be　so　foolish　as　to　think；　or　hope；　they　perhaps　might　do　so。〃

〃Old…fashioned　women　used　to　manage　it　some　way　or　other；　Ruth。　But　the　old…fashioned　woman　was　a　very　soft…hearted　creature；　and；　maybe；　it　was　just　as　well　that　she　was。〃

〃But　Woman's　Dark　Ages　are　nearly　over；　Madam；　and　is　not　the　New　Woman　a　great　improvement　on　the　Old　Woman？〃

〃I　haven't　made　up　my　mind　yet；　Ruth；　about　the　New　Woman。　I　notice　one　thing　that　a　few　of　the　new　kind　have　got　into　their　pretty　heads；　and　that　is；　that　they　ought　to　have　been　men；　and　they　have　followed　up　that　idea　so　far　that　there　is　now　very　little　difference　in　their　looks；　and　still　less　in　their　walk；　they　go　stamping　along　with　the　step　of　an　athlete　and　the　stride　of　a　peasant　on　fresh　plowed　fields。　It　is　the　most　hideous　of　walks　imaginable。　The　Grecian　bend；　which　you　cannot　remember；　but　may　have　heard　of；　was　a　lackadaisical；　vulgar　walking　fad；　but　it　was　grace　itself　compared　with　the　hideous　stride　which　the　New　Woman　has　acquired　on　the　golf　links　or　somewhere　else。〃

〃But　men　stamp　and　stride　in　the　same　way；　grandmother。〃

〃A　long　stride　suits　a　man's　anatomy　well　enough；　it　does　not　suit　a　woman'sshe　feels　every　stride　she　takes；　I'll　warrant　her。〃

〃If　she　plays　golf〃

〃My　dear　Ethel；　there　is　no　need　for　her　to　play　golf。　It　is　a　man's　game　and　was　played　for　centuries　by　men　only。　In　Scotland；　the　home　of　golf；　it　was　not　thought　nice　for　women　to　even　go　to　the　links；　because　of　the　awful　language　they　were　likely　to　hear。〃

〃Then；　grandmother；　is　it　not　well　for　ladies　to　play　golf　if　it　keeps　men　from　using　‘awful　language'　to　each　other）〃

〃God　love　you；　child！　Men　will　think　what　they　dare　not　speak。〃

〃If　we　could　only　have　some　new　men！〃　sighed　Ethel。　〃The　lover　of　to…day　is　just　what　a　girl　can　pick　up；　he　has　no　wit　and　no　wisdom　and　no　illusions。　He　talks　of　his　muscles　and　smells　of　cigarettesperhaps　of　whisky〃and　at　these　words；　Judge　Rawdon；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Fred　Mostyn；　entered　the　room。

The　introductions　slipped　over　easily；　they　hardly　seemed　to　be　necessary；　and　the　young　man　took　the　chair　offered　as　naturally　as　if　he　had　sat　by　the　hearth　all　his　life。　There　was　no　pause　and　no　embarrassment　and　no　useless　polite　platitudes；　and　Ethel's　first　feeling　about　her　kinsman　was　one　of　admiration　for　the　perfect　ease　and　almost　instinctive　at…homeness　with　which　he　took　his　place。　He　had　come　to　his　own　and　his　own　had　received　him；　that　was　the　situation；　a　very　pleasant　one；　which　he　accepted　with　the　smiling　trust　that　was　at　once　the　most　perfect　and　polite　of　acknowledgments。

〃So　you　do　not　enjoy　traveling？〃　said　Judge　Rawdon　as　if　continuing　a　conversation。

〃I　think　it　the　most　painful　way　of　taking　pleasure；　sirthat　is　the　actual　transit。　And　sleeping　cars　and　electric…lighted　steamers　and　hotels　do　not　mitigate　the　suffering。　If　Dante　was　writing　now　he　might　depict　a　constant　round　of　personally　conducted　tours　in