ragged lady, v1-第13章

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her　success；　since　it　could　not　have　been　heard　in　the　dance；　and　might
have　been　disguised　in　the　song。

〃Will　you　kindly　read　that　passage　over　again？〃　Milray　asked　as
Clementina　paused　at　the　end　of　a　certain　paragraph。　　She　read　it；　while
he　listened　attentively。　　〃Could　you　tell　me　just　what　you　understand　by
that？〃　　he　pursued；　as　if　he　really　expected　Clementina　to　instruct　him。

She　hesitated　a　moment　before　she　answered；　〃　I　don't　believe　I　undastand
anything　at　all。〃

〃Do　you　know；〃　said　Milray；　〃that's　exactly　my　own　case？　　And　I've　an
idea　that　the　author　is　in　the　same　box；〃　and　Clementina　perceived　she
might　laugh；　and　laughed　discreetly。

Milray　seemed　to　feel　the　note　of　discreetness　in　her　laugh；　and　he
asked；　smiling；　〃How　old　did　you　tell　me　you　were？〃

〃I'm　sixteen；〃　said　Clementina。

〃It's　a　great　age；〃　said　Milray。　　〃I　remember　being　sixteen　myself；　I
have　never　been　so　old　since。　　But　I　was　very　old　for　my　age；　then。　　Do
you　think　you　are？〃

〃I　don't　believe　I　am；〃　said　Clementina；　laughing　again；　but　still　very
discreetly。

〃Then　I　should　like　to　tell　you　that　you　have　a　very　agreeable　voice。　　Do
you　sing？〃

〃No'mno；　sirno；〃　said　Clementina；　〃I　can't　sing　at　all。〃

〃Ah；　that's　very　interesting；〃　said　Milray；　〃but　it's　not　surprising。
I　wish　I　could　see　your　face　distinctly；　I've　a　great　curiosity　about
matching　voices　and　faces；　I　must　get　Mrs。　Milray　to　tell　me　how　you
look。　　Where　did　you　pick　up　your　pretty　knack　at　reading？　　In　school；
here？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　Clementina。　　〃Do　I　read…the　way　you　want？〃

〃Oh；　perfectly。　　You　let　the　meaning　come　throughwhen　there　is　any。〃

〃Sometimes；〃　said　Clementina　ingenuously；　〃I　read　too　fast；　the　children
ah'　so　impatient　when　I'm　reading　to　them　at　home；　and　they　hurry　me。
But　I　can　read　a　great　deal　slower　if　you　want　me　to。〃

〃No；　I'm　impatient；　too；〃　said　Milray。　　〃Are　there　many　of　them；the
children？〃

〃There　ah'　six　in　all。〃

〃And　are　you　the　oldest？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Clementina。　　She　still　felt　it　very　blunt　not　to　say　sir；
too；　but　she　tried　to　make　her　tone　imply　the　sir；　as　Mr。　Gregory　had
bidden　her。

〃You've　got　a　very　pretty　name。〃

Clementina　brightened。　　〃Do　you　like　it？　　Motha　gave　it　to　me；　she　took
it　out　of　a　book　that　fatha　was　reading　to　her。〃

〃I　like　it　very　much；〃　said　Milray。　　〃Are　you　tall　for　your　age？〃

〃I　guess　I　am　pretty　tall。〃

〃You're　fair；　of　course。　　I　can　tell　that　by　your　voice；　you've　got　a
light…haired　voice。　　And　what　are　your　eyes？〃

〃Blue！〃　Clementina　laughed　at　his　pursuit。

〃Ah；　of　course！　　It　isn't　a　gray…eyed　blonde　voice。　　Do　you　thinkhas
anybody　ever　told　you…that　you　were　graceful？〃

〃I　don't　know　as　they　have；〃　said　Clementina；　after　thinking。

〃And　what　is　your　own　opinion？〃　　Clementina　began　to　feel　her　dignity
infringed；　she　did　not　answer；　and　now　Milray　laughed。　　〃I　felt　the
little　tilt　in　your　step　as　you　came　up。　　It's　all　right。　　Shall　we　try
for　our　friend's　meaning；　now？〃

Clementina　began　again；　and　again　Milray　stopped　her。　　〃You　mustn't　bear
malice。　　I　can　hear　the　grudge　in　your　voice；　but　I　didn't　mean　to　laugh
at　you。　　You　don't　like　being　made　fun　of；　do　you？〃

〃I　don't　believe　anybody　does；〃　said　Clementina。

〃No；　indeed；〃　said　Milray。　　〃If　I　had　tried　such　a　thing　I　should　be
afraid　you　would　make　it　uncomfortable　for　me。　　But　I　haven't；　have　I？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Clementina；　reluctantly。

Milray　laughed　gleefully。　　〃Well；　you'll　forgive　me；　because　I'm　an　old
fellow。　　If　I　were　young；　you　wouldn't；　would　you？〃

Clementina　thought　of　the　clerk；　she　had　certainly　never　forgiven　him。
〃Shall　I　read　on？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes；　yes。　　Read　on；〃　he　said；　respectfully。　　Once　he　interrupted　her　to
say　that　she　pronounced　admirable；　but　he　would　like　now　and　then　to
differ　with　her　about　a　word　if　she　did　not　mind。　　She　answered；　Oh　no；
indeed；　she　should　like　it　ever　so　much；　if　he　would　tell　her　when　she
was　wrong。　　After　that　he　corrected　her；　and　he　amused　himself　by
studying　forms　of　respect　so　delicate　that　they　should　not　alarm　her
pride；　Clementina　reassured　him　in　terms　as　fine　as　his　own。　　She　did　not
accept　his　instructions　implicitly；　she　meant　to　bring　them　to　the　bar　of
Gregory's　knowledge。　　If　he　approved　of　them；　then　she　would　submit。

Milray　easily　possessed　himself　of　the　history　of　her　life　and　of　all　its
circumstances；　and　he　said　he　would　like　to　meet　her　father　and　make　the
acquaintance　of　a　man　whose　mind；　as　Clementina　interpreted　it　to　him；　he
found　so　original。

He　authorized　his　wife　to　arrange　with　Mrs。　Atwell　for　a　monopoly　of
Clementina's　time　while　he　stayed　at　Middlemount；　and　neither　he　nor　Mrs。
Milray　seemed　surprised　at　the　good　round　sum；　as　the　landlady　thought
it；　which　she　asked　in　the　girl's　behalf。




IX。

The　Milrays　stayed　through　August；　and　Mrs。　Milray　was　the　ruling　spirit
of　the　great　holiday　of　the　summer；　at　Middlemount。　　It　was　this　year
that　the　landlords　of　the　central　mountain　region　had　decided　to　compete
in　a　coaching　parade；　and　to　rival　by　their　common　glory　the　splendor　of
the　East　Side　and　the　West　Side　parades。　　The　boarding…houses　were　to
take　part；　as　well　as　the　hotels；　the　farms　where　only　three　or　four
summer　folks　were　received；　were　to　send　their　mountain…wagons；　and　all
were　to　be　decorated　with　bunting。　　An　arch　draped　with　flags　and　covered
with　flowers　spanned　the　entrance　to　the　main　street　at　Middlemount
Centre；　and　every　shop　in　the　village　was　adorned　for　the　event。

Mrs。　Milray　made　the　landlord　tell　her　all　about　coaching　parades；　and
the　champions　of　former　years　on　the　East　Side　and　the　West　Side；　and
then　she　said　that　the　Middlemount　House　must　take　the　prize　from　them
all　this　year；　or　she　should　never　come　near　his　house　again。　　He
answered；　with　a　dignity　and　spirit　he　rarely　showed　with　Mrs。　Milray's
class　of　custom；　〃I'm　goin'　to　drive　our　hossis　myself。〃

She　gave　her　whole　time　to　imagining　and　organizing　the　personal　display
on　the　coach。　　She　consulted　with　the　other　ladies　as　to　the　kind　of
dresses　that　were　to　be　worn；　but　she　decided　everything　herself；　and
when　the　time　came　she　had　all　the　young　men　ravaging　the　lanes　and
pastures　for　the　goldenrod　and　asters　which　formed　the　keynote　of　her
decoration　for　the　coach。

She　made　peace　and　kept　it　between　factions　that　declared　themselves
early　in　the　affair；　and　of　all　who　could　have　criticized　her　for　taking
the　lead　perhaps　none　would　have　willingly　relieved　her　of　the　trouble。
She　freely　declared　that　it　was　killing　her；　and　she　sounded　her　accents
of　despair　all　over　the　place。　　When　their　dresses　were　finished　she　made
the　persons　of　her　drama　rehearse　it　on　the　coach　top　in　the　secret　of
the　barn；　where　no　one　but　the　stable　men　were　suffered　to　see　the
effects　she　aimed　at。　　But　on　the　eve　of　realizing　these　in　public　she
was　overwhelmed　by　disaster。　　The　crowning　glory　of　her　composition　was
to　be　a　young　girl　standing　on　the　highest　seat　of　the　coach；　in　the
character　of　the　Spirit　of　Summer；　wreathed　and　garlanded　with　flowers；
and　invisibly　sustained　by　the　twelve　months　of　the　year；　equally　divided
as　to　sex；　but　with　the　more　difficult　and　painful　attitudes　assigned　to
the　gentlemen　who　were　to　figure　as　the　fall　and　winter　months。　　It　had
been　all　worked　out　and　the　actors　drilled　in　their　parts；　when　the
Spirit　of　Summer；　who　had　been　chosen　for　the　inoffensiveness　of　her
extreme　youth；　was　taken　with　mumps；　and　withdrawn　by　the　doctor's
orders。　　Mrs。　Milray　had　now　not　only　to　improvise　another　Spirit　of
Summer；　but　had　to　choose　her　from　a　group　of　young　ladies；　with　the
chance　of　alienating　and　embittering　those　who　were　not　chosen。　　In　her
calamity　she　asked　her　husband　what　she　should　do；　with　but　the　least
hope　that　he　could　tell　her。　　But　he　answered　promptly；　〃Take　Clementina；
I'll　let　you　have　her　for　the　day；〃　and　then　waited　for　the　storm　of　her
renunciations　and　denunciations　to　spend　itself。

〃To　be　sure；〃　she　said；　when　this　had　happened；　〃it　isn't　as　if　she　were
a　servant　in　the　house；　and　the　position　can　be　regarded　as　a　kind　of
public　function；　anyhow。　　I　can't