frances waldeaux-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




〃Quite　right。　　You　never　would　earn　it　by　art；〃　she　said　decisively。　　〃How　long　do　you　stay　in　York；　Frances？〃

〃Oh；　a　day；　or　a　monthoryears；　as　we　please；〃　said　Frances；　lazily　turning　her　head　away。　　She　wanted　to　set　Clara　Vance　down　in　her　proper　place。　　Mrs。　Waldeaux　abhorred　cousinly　intimatespeople　who　run　into　your　back　door　to　pry　into　the　state　of　your　larder　or　your　income。　　But　Miss　Vance；　as　Frances　knew；　unfortunately　held　a　key　to　her　back　door。　　She　knew　of　George's　wretched　daubs；　and　his　insane　desire；　when　he　was　a　boy；　to　study　art。　　He　gave　it　up　years　ago。　　Why　should　she　nag　him　now　about　it？　　By　virtue　of　her　relationship　she　knew；　too；　all　of　Mrs。　Waldeaux's　secrets。　　It　was　most　unfortunate　that　she　should　have　chosen　to　sail　on　this　vessel。

〃Well；　mother；〃　George　said；　uneasy　to　get　away；　〃no　doubt　Miss　Vance　is　right。　　We　should　set　things　in　order。　　I　am　going　now　to　give　my　letter　of　credit　to　the　purser　to　lock　up；　shall　I　take　yours？〃

Mrs。　Waldeaux　did　not　reply　at　once。　　〃No；〃　she　said　at　last。　　〃I　like　to　carry　my　own　purse。〃

He　smiled　indulgently　as　on　a　child。　　〃Of　course；　dear。　　It　IS　your　own。　　My　father　was　wise　in　that。　　But；　on　this　journey；　I　can　act　as　your　paymaster；　can't　I？　　I　have　studied　foreign　money〃

〃We　shall　see。　　I　can　keep　it　as　safe　as　any　purser　now；〃　she　said；　obstinately　shaking　her　head。

He　laughed　and　walked　away。

〃You　have　not　told　him；　then？〃　demanded　Clara。

〃No。　　And　I　never　will。　　I　will　not　hurt　the　boy　by　letting　him　know　that　his　mother　has　supported　him；　and　remember；　Clara；　that　he　can　only　hear　it　through　you。　　Nobody　knows　that　I　am　‘Quigg'　but　you。〃

Miss　Vance　lifted　her　eyebrows。　　〃Nothing　can　need　a　lie；〃　she　quoted　calmly。　　Presently　she　said　earnestly；　〃Frances；　you　are　making　a　mistake。　　Somebody　ought　to　tell　you　the　truth。　　There　is　no　reason　why　your　whole　being　should　be　buried　in　that　man。　　He　should　stand　on　his　own　feet；　now。　　You　can　be　all　that　he　needs　as　a　mother；　and　yet　live　out　your　own　life。　　It　is　broader　than　his　will　ever　be。　　At　your　age；　and　with　your　capabilities；　you　should　marry　again。　　Think　of　the　many　long　years　that　are　before　you。〃

〃I　have　thought　of　them；〃　said　Mrs。　Waldeaux　slowly。　　〃I　have　had　lovers　who　came　close　to　me　as　friends；　but　I　never　for　a　moment　was　tempted　to　marry　one　of　them。　　No；　Clara。　　When　the　devil　drove　my　father　to　hand　me　overinnocent　child　as　I　wasto　a　man　like　Robert　Waldeaux；　he　killed　in　me　the　capacity　for　that　kind　of　love。　　It　is　not　in　me。〃　　She　turned　her　strenuous　face　to　the　sea　and　was　silent。　　〃It　is　not　in　me；〃　she　repeated　after　a　while。　　〃I　have　but　one　feeling；　and　that　is　for　my　boy。　　It　is　growing　on　me　absurdly；　too。〃　　She　laughed　nervously。　　〃I　used　to　be　conscious　of　other　people　in　the　world；　but　now；　if　I　see　a　boy　or　man；　I　see　only　what　George　was　or　will　be　at　his　age；　if　I　read　a　book；　it　only　suggests　what　George　will　say　of　it。　　I　am　like　one　of　those　plants　that　have　lost　their　own　sap　and　color；　and　suck　in　their　life　from　another。　　It　scares　me　sometimes。〃

Miss　Vance　smiled　with　polite　contempt。　　No　doubt　Frances　had　a　shrewd　business　faculty；　but　in　other　matters　she　was　not　ten　years　old。

〃And　George　will　marry　some　time；〃　she　said　curtly。

〃Oh；　I　hope　so！　　And　soon。　　Then　I　shall　have　a　daughter。　　I　know　just　the　kind　of　a　wife　George　will　choose；〃　she　chattered　on　eagerly。　　〃I　understand　him　so　thoroughly　that　I　can　understand　her。　　But　where　could　he　find　her？　　He　is　so　absurdly　fastidious！〃

Miss　Vance　was　silent　and　thoughtful　a　moment。　　Then　she　came　closer。　　〃I　will　tell　you　where　to　find　her；〃　she　said；　in　a　low　voice。　　〃I　have　thought　of　it　for　a　long　time。　　It　seems　to　me　that　Providence　actually　made　Lucy　Dunbar　for　George。〃

〃Really？〃　　Mrs。　Waldeaux　drew　her　self　up　stiffly。

〃Wait；　Frances。　　Lucy　has　been　with　me　for　three　years。　　I　know　her。　　She　is　a　sincere；　modest；　happy　little　thing。　　Not　too　clever。　　She　is　an　heiress；　too。　　And　her　family　is　good；　and　all　underground；　which　is　another　advantage。　　You　can　mould　her　as　you　choose。　　She　loves　you　already。〃

〃Or　is　it　that　she？〃

〃You　have　no　right　to　ask　that！〃　said　Miss　Vance　quickly。

〃No；　I　am　ashamed　of　myself。〃　　Mrs。　Waldeaux　reddened。

A　group　of　girls　came　up　the　deck。　　Both　women　scanned　the　foremost　one　critically。　　〃I　like　that　wholesome；　candid　look　of　her；〃　said　Miss　Vance。

〃Oh；　she　is　well　enough；〃　said　Frances。　　〃But　I　am　sure　George　does　not　like　yellow　hair。　　Nothing　but　an　absolutely　beautiful　woman　will　attract　him。〃

〃An　artist；〃　said　Miss　Vance　hastily；　〃would　tell　you　her　features　were　perfect。　　And　her　flesh　tints〃

〃For　Heaven's　sake；　Clara；　don't　dissect　the　child。　　Who　is　that　girl　with　the　red　cravat？　　Your　maid？〃

〃It　is　not　a　cravat；　it's　an　Indian　scarf。　　If　it　only　were　clean〃　　Miss　Vance　looked　uneasy　and　perplexed。　　〃She　is　not　my　maid。　　She　is　Fraulein　Arpent。　　The　Ewalts　brought　her　as　governess　from　Paris；　don't　you　remember？　　They　sent　the　girls　to　Bryn　Mawr　last　week　and　turned　her　adrift；　almost　penniless。　　She　wished　to　go　back　to　France。　　I　engaged　her　as　assistant　chaperone　for　the　season。〃

Mrs。　Waldeaux's　eyebrows　went　up　significantly。　　She　never　commented　in　words　on　the　affairs　of　others；　but　her　face　always　was　indiscreet。　　George；　who　had　come　up　in　time　to　hear　the　last　words；　was　not　so　scrupulous。　　He　surveyed　the　young　woman　through　his　spectacles　as　she　passed　again；　with　cold　disapproval。

〃French　or　German？〃　he　asked。

〃I　really　don't　know。　　She　has　a　singular　facility　in　tongues；〃　said　Miss　Vance。

〃Well；　that　is　not　the　companion　_I_　should　have　chosen　for　those　innocent　little　girls；〃　he　said　authoritatively；　glad　to　be　disagreeable　to　his　cousin。　　〃She　looks　like　a　hawk　among　doves。〃

〃The　woman　is　harmless　enough；〃　said　Miss　Vance　tartly。　　〃She　speaks　exquisite　French。〃

〃But　what　does　she　say　in　it？〃　persisted　George。　　〃She　is　vulgar　from　her　red　pompon　to　her　boots。　　She　has　the　swagger　of　a　soubrette　and　she　has　left　a　trail　of　perfume　behind　herpah！　　I　confess　I　am　surprised　at　you；　Miss　Vance。　　You　do　not　often　slip　in　your　judgment。〃

〃Don't　make　yourself　unpleasant；　George；〃　said　his　mother　gently。　　Miss　Vance　smiled　icily；　and　as　the　girls　came　near　again；　stopped　them　and　stood　talking　to　Mlle。　　Arpent　with　an　aggressive　show　of　familiarity。

〃Why　do　you　worry　Clara？〃　said　Mrs。　Waldeaux。　　〃She　knows　she　has　made　a　mistake。　　What　do　you　think　of　that　little　blonde　girl？〃　she　asked　presently；　watching　him　anxiously。　　〃She　has　remarkable　beauty；　certainly；　but　there　is　something　finicalprecise〃

〃Take　care。　　She　will　hear　you；〃　said　George。　　〃Beauty；　eh？　　Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　indifferently。　　〃She　is　passably　pretty。　　I　have　never　seen　a　woman　yet　whose　beauty　satisfied　ME。〃

Mrs。　Waldeaux　leaned　back　with　a　comfortable　little　laugh。　　〃But　you　must　not　be　so　hard　to　please；　my　son。　　You　must　bring　me　my　daughter　soon；〃　she　said。

〃Not　very　soon。　　I　have　some　thing　else　to　think　of　than　marriage　for　the　next　ten　years。〃

Just　then　Dr。　Watts　came　up　and　asked　leave　to　present　his　friend　Perry。　　The　doctor；　like　all　young　men　who　knew　Mrs。　Waldeaux；　had　succumbed　to　her　peculiar　charm；　which　was　only　that　of　a　woman　past　her　youth　who　had　strong　personal　magnetism　and　not　a　spark　of　coquetry。　　George's　friends　all　were　sure　that　they　would　fall　in　love　with　a　woman　just　like　herbut　not　a　man　of　them　ever　thought　of　falling　in　love　with　her。

Young　Perry；　in　twenty　minutes；　decided　that　she　was　the　most　brilliant　and　agreeable　of　companions。　　He　had　talked；　and　she　had　spoken　only　with　her　listening；　sympathetic　eyes。　　He　was　always　apt　to　be　voluble。　　On　this　occasion　he　was　too　voluble。　〃You　are　from　Weir；　I　think；　in　Delaware；　Mrs。　Waldeaux？〃　he　asked。　　〃I　must　have　seen　the　name　of　the　town　with　yours　on　the　list　of　passengers；　for　the　story　of　a　woman　who　once　lived　there　has　been　haunting　me　all　day。　　I　have　not　seen　nor　thought　of　her　for　years；　and　I　could　not　account　for　my　sudden　remembrance　of　her。〃

〃Who　was　she？〃　asked　George；　trying　to　save　his　mother　from　Perry；　who　threatened　to　be　a　bore。

〃Her　name　was　Pauline　Felix。　　You　have　heard　her