the register-第2章

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wheedling？〃

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

MISS　REED：　　〃Oh；　dear！　when　I　haven't　a　morsel　of　either。　　Are　you
going　to　practise；　you　cruel　maid？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Of　course　I　am。　　It's　half…past　four；　and　if　I
don't　do　it　now　I　sha'n't　be　prepared　to…morrow　for　Miss　Robins：　　she
takes　this　piece。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Well；　well；　perhaps　it's　all　for　the　best。　　If　music　be
the　food　ofumph…ump！you　know　what！play　on。〃　　They　both　laugh；
and　Miss　Spaulding　pushes　back　a　little　from　the　piano；　and　wheels
toward　her　friend；　letting　one　hand　rest　slightly　on　the　keys。

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Ethel　Reed；　you're　the　most　ridiculous　girl　in　the
world。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Correct！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃And　I　don't　believe　you　ever　were　in　love；　or　ever
will　be。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Ah；　there　you　wrong　me；　Henrietta！　　I　have　been；　and　I
shall　belots　of　times。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Well；　what　do　you　want　to　say　now？　　You　must　hurry；
for　I　can't　lose　any　more　time。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃I　will　free　my　mind　with　neatness　and　despatch。　　I
simply　wish　to　go　over　the　whole　affair；　from　Alfred　to　Omaha；　and
you've　got　to　let　me　talk　as　much　slang　and　nonsense　as　I　want。　　And
then　I'll　skip　all　the　details　I　can。　　Will　you？〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　with　impatient　patience：　　〃Oh；　I　suppose　so！〃

MISS　REED：　　〃That's　very　sweet　of　you；　though　you　don't　look　it。
Now；　where　was　I？　　Oh；　yes；　do　you　think　it　was　forth…putting　at　all；
to　ask　him　if　he　would　give　me　the　lessons？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃It　depends　upon　why　you　asked　him。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃I　asked　him　fromfromLet　me　see；　I　asked　him　because…
…fromYes；　I　say　it　boldly；　I　asked　him　from　an　enthusiasm　for　art；
and　a　sincere　wish　to　learn　the　use　of　oil；　as　he　called　it。　　Yes！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Are　you　sure？〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Sure？　　Well；　we　will　say　that　I　am；　for　the　sake　of
argument。　　And；　having　secured　this　basis；　the　question　is　whether　I
wasn't　bound　to　offer　him　pay　at　the　end；　and　whether　he　wasn't　wrong
to　take　my　doing　so　in　dudgeon。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Yes；　I　think　he　was　wrong。　　And　the　terms　of　his
refusal　were　very　ungentlemanly。　　He　ought　to　apologize　most　amply
and　humbly。〃　　At　a　certain　expression　in　Miss　Reed's　face；　she　adds；
with　severity：　　〃Unless　you're　keeping　back　the　main　point。　　You
usually　do。　　Are　you？〃

MISS　REED：　　〃No；　no。　　I've　told　you　everythingeverything！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Then　I　say；　as　I　said　from　the　beginning；　that　he
behaved　very　badly。　　It　was　very　awkward　and　very　painful；　but　you've
really　nothing　to　blame　yourself　for。〃

MISS　REED；　ruefully：　　〃No…o…o！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that　sort　of　'No'？〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Nothing。〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　sternly：　　〃Yes；　you　do；　Ethel。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃I　don't；　really。　　What　makes　you'　think　I　do？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃It　sounded　very　dishonest。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Did　it？　　I　didn't　mean　it　to。〃　　Her　friend　breaks　down
with　a　laugh；　while　Miss　Reed　preserves　a　demure　countenance。

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃What　ARE　you　keeping　back？〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Nothing　at　allless　than　nothing！　　I　never　thought　it
was　worth　mentioning。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Are　you　telling　me　the　truth？〃

MISS　REED：　　〃I'm　telling　you　the　truth　and　something　more。　　You　can't
ask　better　than　that；　can　you？〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　turning　to　her　music　again：　　〃Certainly　not。〃

MISS　REED：　　in　a　pathetic　wail：　　〃O　Henrietta！　do　you　abandon　me
thus？　　Well；　I　will　tell　you；　heartless　girl！　　I've　only　kept　it　back
till　now　because　it　was　so　extremely　mortifying　to　my　pride　as　an
artistas　a　student　of　oil。　　Will　you　hear　me？〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　beginning　to　play：　　〃No。〃

MISS　REED；　with　burlesque　wildness：　　〃You　shall！〃　　Miss　Spaulding
involuntarily　desists。　　〃There　was　a　momenta　fatal　momentwhen　he
said　he　thought　he　ought　to　tell　me　that　if　I　found　oil　amusing　I
could　go　on；　but　that　he　didn't　believe　I　should　ever　learn　to　use
it；　and　he　couldn't　let　me　take　lessons　from　him　with　the　expectation
that　I　should。　　There！〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　with　awful　reproach：　　〃And　you　call　that　less　than
nothing？　　I've　almost　a　mind　never　to　speak　to　you　again；　Ethel。　　How
COULD　you　deceive　me　so？〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Was　it　really　deceiving？　　_I_　shouldn't　call　it　so。　　And
I　needed　your　sympathy　so　much；　and　I　knew　I　shouldn't　get　it　unless
you　thought　I　was　altogether　in　the　right。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃You　are　altogether　in　the　wrong！　　And　it's　YOU　that
ought　to　apologize　to　HIMon　your　bended　knees。　　How　COULD　you　offer
him　money　after　that？　　I　wonder　at　you；　Ethel！〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Whydon't　you　see；　Nettie？I　did　keep　on　taking　the
lessons　of　him。　　I　did　find　oil　amusingor　the　oilistand　I　kept
on。　　Of　course　I　had　to；　off　there　in　a　farmhouse　full　of　lady
boarders；　and　he　the　only　gentleman　short　of　Crawford's。　　Strike；　but
hear　me；　Henrietta　Spaulding！　　What　was　I　to　do　about　the　half…dozen
lessons　I　had　taken　before　he　told　me　I　should　never　learn　to　use
oil？　　Was　I　to　offer　to　pay　him　for　these；　and　not　for　the　rest；　or
was　I　to　treat　the　whole　series　as　gratuitous？　　I　used　to　lie　awake
thinking　about　it。　　I've　got　little　tact；　but　I　couldn't　find　any　way
out　of　the　trouble。　　It　was　a　boxyes；　a　box　of　the　deepest　dye！
And　the　whole　affair　having　got　to　besomething　else；　don't　you
know？made　it　all　the　worse。　　And　if　he'd　onlyonlyBut　he　didn't。
Not　a　syllable；　not　a　breath！　　And　there　I　was。　　I　HAD　to　offer　him
the　money。　　And　it's　almost　killed　methe　way　he　took　my　offering
it；　and　now　the　way　you　take　it！　　And　it's　all　of　a　piece。〃　　Miss
Reed　suddenly　snatches　her　handkerchief　from　her　pocket；　and　buries
her　face　in　it。〃Oh；　dearoh；　dear！　　Oh！hu；　hu；　hu！〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　relenting：　　〃It　was　awkward。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Awkward！　　You　seem　to　think　that　because　I　carry　things
off　lightly　I　have　no　feeling。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃You　know　I　don't　think　that；　Ethel。〃

MISS　REED；　pursuing　her　advantage：　　〃I　don't　know　it　from　you；
Nettie。　　I've　tried　and　TRIED　to　pass　it　off　as　a　joke；　and　to　treat
it　as　something　funny；　but　I　can　tell　you　it's　no　joke　at　all。〃

MISS　SPAULDING；　sympathetically：　　〃I　see；　dear。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃It's　not　that　I　care　for　him〃　…

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Why；　of　course。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃For　I　don't　in　the　least。　　He　is　horrid　every　way：
blunt；　and　rude；　and　horrid。　　I　never　cared　for　him。　　But　I　care　for
myself！　　He　has　put　me　in　the　position　of　having　done　an　unkind
thingan　unladylike　thingwhen　I　was　only　doing　what　I　had　to　do。
Why　need　he　have　taken　it　the　way　he　did？　　Why　couldn't　he　have　said
politely　that　he　couldn't　accept　the　money　because　he　hadn't　earned
it？　　Even　THAT　would　have　been　mortifying　enough。　　But　he　must　go　and
be　so　violent；　and　rush　off；　andOh；　I　never　could　have　treated
anybody　so！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Not　unless　you　were　very　fond　of　them。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃What？〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Not　unless　you　were　very　fond　of　them。〃

MISS　REED；　putting　away　her　handkerchief：　　〃Oh；　nonsense；　Nettie！　　He
never　cared　anything　for　me；　or　he　couldn't　have　acted　so。　　But　no
matter　for　that。　　He　has　fixed　everything　so　that　it　can　never　be　got
straightnever　in　the　world。　　It　will　just　have　to　remain　a　hideous
mass　ofof_I_　don't　know　what；　and　I　have　simply　got　to　on
withering　with　despair　at　the　point　where　I　left　off。　　But　I　don't
care！　　That's　one　comfort。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃I　don't　believe　he'll　let　you　wither　long；　Ethel。〃

MISS　REED：　　〃He's　let　me　wither　for　twenty…four　hours　already！　　But
it's　nothing　to　me；　now；　how　long　he　lets　me　wither。　　I'm　perfectly
satisfied　to　have　the　affair　remain　as　it　is。　　I　am　in　the　right；　and
if　he　comes　I　shall　refuse　to　see　him。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Oh；　no；　you　won't；　Ethel！〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Yes；　I　shall。　　I　shall　receive　him　very　coldly。　　I　won't
listen　to　any　excuse　from　him。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Oh；　yes；　you　will；　Ethel！〃

MISS　REED：　　〃No；　I　shall　not。　　If　he　wishes　me　to　listen　he　must
begin　by　humbling　himself　in　the　dustyes；　the　dust；　Nettie！　　I
won't　take　anything　short　of　it。　　I　insist　that　he　shall　realize　that
I　have　suffered。〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃Perhaps　he　has　suffered　too！〃

MISS　REED：　　〃Oh；　HE　suffered！〃

MISS　SPAULDING：　　〃You　know　t