the register-第1章

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The　Register

by　William　D。　Howells






I。



SCENE：　　In　an　upper　chamber　of　a　boarding…house　in　Melanchthon　Place；
Boston；　a　mature；　plain　young　lady；　with　every　appearance　of
establishing　herself　in　the　room　for　the　first　time；　moves　about；
bestowing　little　touches　of　decoration　here　and　there；　and　talking
with　another　young　lady；　whose　voice　comes　through　the　open　doorway
of　an　inner　room。


MISS　ETHEL　REED；　from　within：　　〃What　in　the　world　are　you　doing；
Nettie？〃

MISS　HENRIETTA　SPAULDING：　　〃Oh；　sticking　up　a　household　god　or　two。
What　are　you　doing？〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Despairing。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Still？〃

MISS　REED；　tragically：　　〃Still！　　How　soon　did　you　expect　me　to　stop？
I　am　here　on　the　sofa；　where　I　flung　myself　two　hours　ago；　and　I
don't　think　I　shall　ever　get　up。　　There　is　no　reason　WHY　I　ever
should。〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　suggestively：　　〃Dinner。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Oh；　dinner！　　Dinner；　to　a　broken　heart！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃I　don't　believe　your　heart　is　broken。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃But　I　tell　you　it　is！　　I　ought　to　know　when　my　own　heart
is　broken；　I　should　hope。　　What　makes　you　think　it　isn't？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Oh；　it's　happened　so　often！〃

MISS　REED：　　〃But　this　is　a　real　case。　　You　ought　to　feel　my　forehead。
It's　as　hot！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃You　ought　to　get　up　and　help　me　put　this　room　to
rights；　and　then　you　would　feel　better。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃No；　I　should　feel　worse。　　The　idea　of　household　gods
makes　me　sick。　　Sylvan　deities　are　what　I　want；　the　great　god　Pan
among　the　cat…tails　and　arrow…heads　in　the　'ma'sh'　at　Ponkwasset；　the
dryads　of　the　birch　woodsthere　are　no　oaks；　the　nymphs　that　haunt
the　heights　and　hollows　of　the　dear　old　mountain；　the〃　…

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Wha…a…at？　　I　can't　hear　a　word　you　say。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃That's　because　you　keep　fussing　about　so。　　Why　don't　you
be　quiet；　if　you　want　to　hear？〃　　She　lifts　her　voice　to　its　highest
pitch；　with　a　pause　for　distinctness　between　the　words：　　〃I'm　heart…
broken　forPonkwasset。　　The　dryadsof　thebirch　woods。　　The
nymphsand　the　greatgodPanin　the　reedsby　the　river。　　And
allthatsort　ofthing！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃You　know　very　well　you're　not。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃I'm　not？　　What's　the　reason　I'm　not？　　Then；　what　am　I
heart…broken　for？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃You're　not　heart…broken　at　all。　　You　know　very　well
that　he'll　call　before　we've　been　here　twenty…four　hours。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Who？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃The　great　god　Pan。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Oh；　how　cruel　you　are；　to　mock　me　so！　　Come　in　here；　and
sympathize　a　little！　　Do；　Nettie。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃No；　you　come　out　here　and　utilize　a　little。　　I'm
acting　for　your　best　good；　as　they　say　at　Ponkwasset。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃When　they　want　to　be　disagreeable！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃If　this　room　isn't　in　order　by　the　time　he　calls；
you'll　be　everlastingly　disgraced。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃I'm　that　now。　　I　can't　be　more　sothere's　that　comfort。
What　makes　you　think　he'll　call？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Because　he's　a　gentleman；　and　will　want　to
apologize。　　He　behaved　very　rudely　to　you。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃No；　Nettie；　_I_　behaved　rudely　to　HIM。　　Yes！　　Besides；
if　he　behaved　rudely；　he　was　no　gentleman。　　It's　a　contradiction　in
terms；　don't　you　see？　　But　I'll　tell　you　what　I'm　going　to　do　if　he
comes。　　I'm　going　to　show　a　proper　spirit　for　once　in　my　life。　　I'm
going　to　refuse　to　see　him。　　You've　got　to　see　him。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Nonsense！〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Why　nonsense？　　Oh；　why？　　Expound！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Because　he　wasn't　rude　to　me；　and　he　doesn't　want
to　see　me。　　Because　I'm　plain；　and　you're　pretty。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃I'm　NOT！　　You　know　it　perfectly　well。　　I'm　hideous。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Because　I'm　poor；　and　you're　a　person　of
independent　property。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃DEPENDENT　property；　I　should　call　it：　　just　enough　to　be
useless　on！　　But　that's　insulting　to　HIM。　　How　can　you　say　it's
because　I　have　a　little　money？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Well；　then；　I　won't。　　I　take　it　back。　　I'll　say
it's　because　you're　young；　and　I'm　old。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃You're　NOT　old。　　You're　as　young　as　anybody；　Nettie
Spaulding。　　And　you　know　I'm　not　young；　I'm　twenty…seven；　if　I'm　a
day。　　I'm　just　dropping　into　the　grave。　　But　I　can't　argue　with　you；
miles　off　so；　any　longer。〃　Miss　Reed　appears　at　the　open　door；
dragging　languidly　after　her　the　shawl　which　she　had　evidently　drawn
round　her　on　the　sofa；　her　fair　hair　is　a　little　disordered；　and　she
presses　it　into　shape　with　one　hand　as　she　comes　forward；　a　lovely
flush　vies　with　a　heavenly　pallor　in　her　cheeks；　she　looks　a　little
pensive　in　the　arching　eyebrows；　and　a　little　humorous　about　the
dimpled　mouth。　　〃Now　I　can　prove　that　you　are　entirely　wrong。　　Where…
…were　you？This　room　is　rather　an　improvement　over　the　one　we　had
last　winter。　　There　is　more　of　a　view〃she　goes　to　the　window〃of
the　houses　across　the　Place；　and　I　always　think　the　swell　front　gives
a　pretty　shape　to　a　room。　　I'm　sorry　they've　stopped　building　them。
Your　piano　goes　very　nicely　into　that　little　alcove。　　Yes；　we're
quite　palatial。　　And；　on　the　whole；　I'm　glad　there's　no　fireplace。
It's　a　pleasure　at　times；　but　for　the　most　part　it's　a　vanity　and　a
vexation；　getting　dust　and　ashes　over　everything。　　Yes；　after　all；
give　me　the　good　old…fashioned；　clean；　convenient　register！　　Ugh！　　My
feet　are　like　ice。〃　　She　pulls　an　easy…chair　up　to　the　register　in
the　corner　of　the　room；　and　pushes　open　its　valves　with　the　toe　of
her　slipper。　　As　she　settles　herself　luxuriously　in　the　chair；　and
poises　her　feet　daintily　over　the　register：　　〃Ah；　this　is　something
like！　　Henrietta　Spaulding；　ma'am！　　Did　I　ever　tell　you　that　you　were
the　best　friend　I　have　in　the　world？〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　who　continues　her　work　of　arranging　the　room：
〃Often。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Did　you　ever　believe　it？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Never。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Why？〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　thoughtfully　regarding　a　vase　which　she　holds　in　her
hand；　after　several　times　shifting　it　from　a　bracket　to　the　corner　of
her　piano　and　back：　　〃I　wish　I　could　tell　where　you　do　look　best！〃

MISS　REED；　leaning　forward　wistfully；　with　her　hands　clasped　and
resting　on　her　knees：　　〃I　wish　you　would　tell　me　WHY　you　don't
believe　you're　the　best　friend　I　have　in　the　world。〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　finally　placing　the　vase　on　the　bracket：　　〃Because
you've　said　so　too　often。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Oh；　that's　no　reason！　　I　can　prove　to　you　that　you　are。
Who　else　but　you　would　have　taken　in　a　homeless　and　friendless
creature　like　me；　and　let　her　stay　bothering　round　in　demoralizing
idleness；　while　you　were　seriously　teaching　the　young　idea　how　to
drub　the　piano？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Anybody　who　wanted　a　room…mate　as　much　as　I　did；
and　could　have　found　one　willing　to　pay　more　than　her　share　of　the
lodging。〃

MISS　REED；　thoughtfully：　　〃Do　you　think　so；　Henrietta？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃I　know　so。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃And　you're　not　afraid　that　you　wrong　yourself？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Not　the　least。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Well；　be　it　soas　they　say　in　novels。　　I　will　not
contradict　you；　I　will　not　say　you　are　my　BEST　friend；　I　will　merely
say　that　you　are　my　ONLY　friend。　　Come　here；　Henrietta。　　Draw　up　your
chair；　and　put　your　little　hand　in　mine。〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　with　severe　distrust：　　〃What　do　you　want；　Ethel
Reed？〃

MISS　REED：　　〃I　wantI　wantto　talk　it　over　with　you。〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　recoiling：　　〃I　knew　it！　　Well；　now；　we've　talked　it
over　enough；　we've　talked　it　over　till　there's　nothing　left　of　it。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Oh；　there's　everything　left！　　It　remains　in　all　its
original　enormity。　　Perhaps　we　shall　get　some　new　light　upon　it。〃
She　extends　a　pleading　hand　towards　Miss　Spaulding。　　〃Come；
Henrietta；　my　only　friend；　shake！as　the　'good　Indians'　say。　　Let
your　Ethel　pour　her　hackneyed　sorrows　into　your　bosom。　　Such　an
uncomfortable　image；　it　always　seems；　doesn't　it；　pouring　sorrows
into　bosoms！　　Come！〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　decidedly：　　〃No；　I　won't！　　And　you　needn't　try
wheedling　any　longer。　　I　won't　sympathize　with　you　on　that　basis　at
all。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃What　shall　I　try；　then；　if　you　won't　let　me　try
wheedling？〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　going　to　the　piano　and　opening　it：　　〃Try　courage；　try
self…respe