the man between-第7章

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　was　writing　now　he　might　depict　a　constant　round　of　personally　conducted　tours　in　Purgatory。　I　should　think　the　punishment　adequate　for　any　offense。　But　I　like　arriving　at　places。　New　York　has　given　me　a　lot　of　new　sensations　to…day；　and　I　have　forgotten　the　transit　troubles　already。〃

He　talked　well　and　temperately；　and　yet　Ethel　could　not　avoid　the　conclusion　that　he　was　a　man　of　positive　character　and　uncompromising　prejudices。　And　she　also　felt　a　little　disappointed　in　his　personality；　which　contradicted　her　ideal　of　a　Yorkshire　squire。　For　he　was　small　and　slender　in　stature；　and　his　face　was　keen　and　thin；　from　the　high　cheek　bones　to　the　sharp　point　of　the　clean…　shaven　chin。　Yet　it　was　an　interesting　face；　for　the　brows　were　broad　and　the　eyes　bright　and　glancing。　That　his　nature　held　the　op…　posite　of　his　qualities　was　evident　from　the　mouth；　which　was　composed　and　discreet　and　generally　clothed　with　a　frank　smile；　negatived　by　the　deep；　sonorous　voice　which　belongs　to　the　indiscreet　and　quarrelsome。　His　dress　was　perfect。　Ethel　could　find　no　fault　in　it；　except　the　monocle　which　he　did　not　use　once　during　the　evening；　and　which　she　therefore　decided　was　a　quite　idle　and　unhandsome　adjunct。

One　feature　of　his　character　was　definite　he　was　a　home…loving　man。　He　liked　the　society　of　women　with　whom　he　could　be　familiar；　and　he　preferred　the　company　of　books　and　music　to　fashionable　social　functions。　This　pleasant　habit　of　domesticity　was　illustrated　during　the　evening　by　an　accidental　incident　a　noisy；　mechanical　street　organ　stopped　before　the　windows；　and　in　a　blatant　manner　began　its　performance。　Conversation　was　paralyzed　by　the　intrusion　and　when　it　was　removed　Judge　Rawdon　said：　〃What　a　democratic；　leveling；　aggressive　thing　music　is！　It　insists　on　being　heard。　It　is　always　in　the　way；　it　thrusts　itself　upon　you；　whether　you　want　it　or　not。　Now　art　is　different。　You　go　to　see　pictures　when　you　wish　to。〃

Mostyn　did　not　notice　the　criticism　on　music　itself；　but　added　in　a　soft；　disapproving　way：　〃That　man　has　no　music　in　him。　Do　you　know　that　was　one　of　Mendelssohn's　delicious　dreams。　This　is　how　it　should　have　been　rendered；〃　and　he　went　impulsively　to　the　piano　and　then　the　sweet　monotonous　cadences　and　melodious　reveries　slipped　from　his　long　white　fingers　till　the　whole　room　was　permeated　with　a　delicious　sense　of　moonlit　solitude　and　conversation　was　stilled　in　its　languor。　The　young　man　had　played　his　own　dismissal；　but　it　was　an　effective　one；　and　he　complimented　himself　on　his　readiness　to　seize　opportunities　for　display；　and　on　his　genius　in　satisfying　them。

〃I　think　I　astonished　them　a　little；〃　he　mused；　〃and　I　wonder　what　that　pretty；　cousin　of　mine　thought　of　the　music　and　the　musician。　I　fancy　we　shall　be　good　friends；　she　is　proudthat　is　no　fault；　and　she　has　very　decided　opinionswhich　might　be　a　great　fault；　but　I　think　I　rather　astonished　them。〃

To　such　reflections　he　stepped　rather　pompously　down　the　avenue；　not　at　all　influenced　by　any　premonition　that　his　satisfactory　feelings　might　be　imperfectly　shared。　Yet　silence　was　the　first　result　of　his　departure。　Judge　Rawdon　took　out　his　pocketbook　and　began　to　study　its　entries。　Ruth　Bayard　rose　and　closed　the　piano。　Ethel　lifted　a　magazine；　while　it　was　Madam　who　finally　asked　in　an　impatient　tone：

〃What　do　you　think　of　Frederick？　I　suppose；　Edward；　you　have　an　opinion。　Isn't　he　a　very　clever　man？〃

〃I　should　not　wonder　if　he　were；　mother；　clever　to　a　fault。〃

〃I　never　heard　a　young　man　talk　better。〃

〃He　talked　a　great　deal；　but　then；　you　know；　he　was　not　on　his　oath。〃

〃I'll　warrant　every　word　he　said。〃

〃Your　warrant　is　fine　surety；　mother；　but　I　am　not　bound　to　believe　all　I　hear。　You　women　can　please　yourselves。〃

And　with　these　words　he　left　the　women　to　find　out；　if　they　could；　what　manner　of　man　their　newly…found　kinsman　might　be。

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CHAPTER　III

ONE　of　the　most　comfortable　things　about　Frederick　Mostyn　was　his　almost　boyish　delight　in　the　new　life　which　New　York　opened　to　him。　Every　phase　of　it　was　so　fresh；　so　unusual；　that　his　Yorkshire　existence　at　Mostyn　Hall　gave　him　no　precedents　and　no　experiences　by　which　to　measure　events。　The　simplest　things　were　surprising　or　interesting。　He　was　never　weary　of　taking　those　exciting　〃lifts〃　to　the　top　of　twenty…three　story　buildings　and　admiring　the　wonderful　views　such　altitudes　gave　him。　He　did　not　perhaps　comprehend　how　much　he　was　influenced　by　the　friction　of　two　million　wills　and　interests；　did　not　realize　how　they　evoked　an　electric　condition　that　got　behind　the　foreground　of　existence　and　stirred　something　more　at　the　roots　of　his　being　than　any　previous　experience　had　ever　done。　And　this　feeling　was　especially　entrancing　when　he　saw　the　great　city　and　majestic　river　lying　at　his　feet　in　the　white；　uncanny　light　of　electricity；　all　its　color　gone；　its　breath　cold；　its　life　strangely　remote　and　quiet；　men　moving　like　shadows；　and　sounds　hollow　and　faint　and　far　off；　as　if　they　came　from　a　distant　world。　It　gave　him　a　sense　of　dreamland　quite　as　much　as　that　of　reality。　The　Yorkshire　moors　and　words　grew　dull　and　dreary　in　his　memory；　even　the　thought　of　the　hunting　field　could　not　lure　his　desire。　New　York　was　full　of　marvelous　novelties；　its　daily　routine；　even　in　the　hotel　and　on　the　streets；　gripped　his　heart　and　his　imagination；　and　he　confessed　to　himself　that　New　York　was　life　at　first　hand；　fresh　drawn；　its　very　foam　sparkling　and　intoxicating。　He　walked　from　the　Park　to　the　Battery　and　examined　all　that　caught　his　eye。　He　had　a　history　of　the　city　and　sought　out　every　historical　site；　he　even　went　over　to　Weehawken；　and　did　his　best　to　locate　the　spot　where　Burr　and　Hamilton　fought。　He　admired　Hamilton；　but　after　reading　all　about　the　two　men；　gave　his　sympathy　to　Burr；　〃a　clever；　unlucky　little　chap；〃　he　said。　〃Why　do　clever　men　hate　each　other？〃　and　then　he　smiled　queerly　as　he　remembered　political　enemies　of　great　men　in　his　own　day　and　his　own　country；　and　concluded　that　〃it　was　their　nature　to　do　so。〃

But　in　these　outside　enthusiasms　he　did　not　forget　his　personal　relations。　It　took　him　but　a　few　days　to　domesticate　himself　in　both　the　Rawdon　houses。　When　the　weather　drove　him　off　the　streets；　he　found　a　pleasant　refuge　either　with　Madam　or　with　Ethel　and　Miss　Bayard。　Ethel　he　saw　less　frequently　than　he　liked；　she　was　nearly　always　with　Dora　Denning；　but　with　Ruth　Bayard　he　contracted　a　very　pleasant　friendship。　He　told　her　all　his　adventures　and　found　her　more　sympathetic　than　Madam　ever　pretended　to　be。　Madam　thought　him　provincial　in　his　tastes；　and　was　better　pleased　to　hear　that　he　had　a　visiting　entry　at　two　good　clubs；　and　had　hired　a　motor　ear；　and　was　learning　how　to　manage　it。　Then　she　told　herself　that　if　he　was　good　to　her；　she　would　buy　him　one　to　be　proud　of　before　he　returned　to　Yorkshire。

It　was　at　the　Elite　Club　Bryce　Denning　first　saw　him。　He　came　in　with　Shaw　McLaren；　a　young　man　whose　acquaintance　was　considered　as　most　definitely　satisfactory。　Vainly　Bryce　Denning　had　striven　to　obtain　any　notice　whatever　from　McLaren；　whose　exclusiveness　was　proverbial。　Who　then　was　this　stranger　he　appeared　so　anxious　to　entertain？　His　look　of　supreme　satisfaction；　his　high…　bred　air；　and　peculiar　intonation　quickly　satisfied　Bryce　as　to　his　nationality。

〃English；　of　course；〃　he　reflected；　〃and　probably　one　of　the　aristocrats　that　Shaw　meets　at　his　recently　ennobled　sister's　place。　He　is　forever　bragging　about　them。　I　must　find　out　who　Shaw's　last　British　lion　is；〃　and　just　as　he　arrived　at　this　decision　the　person　appeared　who　could　satisfy　him。

〃That　man！〃　was　the　reply　to　the　inevitable　question〃why；　he　is　some　relative　of　the　old　lady　Rawdon。　He　is　staying　at　the　Holland　House；　but　spends　his　time　with　the　Rawdons；　old　and　young；　the　young　one　is　a　beauty；　you　know。〃

〃Do　you　think　so？　She　is　a　good　deal　at　our　house。　I　suppose　the　fellow　has　some　pretentions。　Judge　Rawdon　will　be　a　man　hard　to　satisfy　with　a　son…in…law。〃

〃I　fancy　his　daughter　will　take　that　subject　in　her　own　hand。　She　looks　like　a　girl　of　spirit；　and　this　man　is　not　as　handsome　as　most　Englishmen。〃

〃Not　if　you　judge　him