ragged lady, v1-第22章

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oftentimes；〃　the　clerk　continued；　confidentially。　　〃I　tell　him　he's　a
kind　of　a　survival；　in　religion；　he's　so　aesthetic。〃　　It　seemed　to　Fane
that　he　had　not　meant　aesthetic；　exactly；　but　he　could　not　ask　Clementina
what　the　word　was。　　He　went　on　to　say；　〃He's　a　grand　good　fellow；　Frank
is；　but　he　don't　make　enough　allowance　for　human　nature。　　He's　more　like
one　of　those　old　fashioned　orthodox。　　I　go　in　for　having　a　good　time；　so
long　as　you　don't　do　anybody　else　any　hurt。〃

He　left　her；　and　went　to　receive　the　commands　of　a　lady　who　was　leaning
over　the　desk；　and　saying　severely；　〃My　mail；　if　you　please；〃　and
Clementina　could　not　wait　for　him　to　come　back；　she　had　to　go　to　Mrs。
Lander；　and　get　her　ready　for　breakfast；　Ellida　had　taught　Mrs。　Lander　a
luxury　of　helplessness　in　which　she　persisted　after　the　maid's　help　was
withdrawn。

Clementina　went　about　the　whole　day　with　the　wonder　what　Gregory　had　said
about　Middlemount　filling　her　mind。　　It　must　have　had　something　to　do
with　her；　he　could　not　have　forgotten　the　words　he　had　asked　her　to
forget。　　She　remembered　them　now　with　a　curiosity；　which　had　no　rancor　in
it；　to　know　why　he　really　took　them　back。　　She　had　never　blamed　him；　and
she　had　outlived　the　hurt　she　had　felt　at　not　hearing　from　him。　　But　she
had　never　lost　the　hope　of　hearing　from　him；　or　rather　the　expectation；
and　now　she　found　that　she　was　eager　for　his　message；　she　decided　that　it
must　be　something　like　a　message；　although　it　could　not　be　anything
direct。　　No　one　else　had　come　to　his　place　in　her　fancy；　and　she　was
willing　to　try　what　they　would　think　of　each　other　now；　to　measure　her
own　obligation　to　the　past　by　a　knowledge　of　his。　　There　was　scarcely
more　than　this　in　her　heart　when　she　allowed　herself　to　drift　near　Fane's
place　that　night；　that　he　might　speak　to　her；　and　tell　her　what　Gregory
had　said。　　But　he　had　apparently　forgotten　about　his　letter；　and　only
wished　to　talk　about　himself。　　He　wished　to　analyze　himself；　to　tell　her
what　sort　of　person　he　was。　　He　dealt　impartially　with　the　subject；　he
did　not　spare　some　faults　of　his；　and　after　a　week；　he　proposed　a
correspondence　with　her；　in　a　letter　of　carefully　studied　spelling；　as　a
means　of　mutual　improvement　as　well　as　further　acquaintance。

It　cost　Clementina　a　good　deal　of　trouble　to　answer　him　as　she　wished　and
not　hurt　his　feelings。　　She　declined　in　terms　she　thought　so　cold　that
they　must　offend　him　beyond　the　point　of　speaking　to　her　again；　but　he
sought　her　out；　as　soon　after　as　he　could；　and　thanked　her　for　her
kindness；　and　begged　her　pardon。　　He　said　he　knew　that　she　was　a　very
busy　person；　with　all　the　lessons　she　was　taking；　and　that　she　had　no
time　for　carrying　on　a　correspondence。　　He　regretted　that　he　could　not
write　French；　because　then　the　correspondence　would　have　been　good
practice　for　her。　　Clementina　had　begun　taking　French　lessons；　of　a
teacher　who　came　out　from　Boston。　　She　lunched　three　times　a　week　with
her　and　Mrs。　Lander；　and　spoke　the　language　with　Clementina；　whose　accent
she　praised　for　its　purity；　purity　of　accent　was　characteristic　of　all
this　lady's　pupils；　but　what　was　really　extraordinary　in　Mademoiselle
Claxon　was　her　sense　of　grammatical　structure；　she　wrote　the　language
even　more　perfectly　than　she　spoke　it；　but　beautifully；　but　wonderfully；
her　exercises　were　something　marvellous。

Mrs。　Lander　would　have　liked　Clementina　to　take　all　the　lessons　that　she
heard　any　of　the　other　young　ladies　in　the　hotel　were　taking。　　One　of
them　went　in　town　every　day；　and　studied　drawing　at　an　art…school；　and
she　wanted　Clementina　to　do　that；　too。　　But　Clementina　would　not　do　that；
she　had　tried　often　enough　at　home；　when　her　brother　Jim　was　drawing；　and
her　father　was　designing　the　patterns　of　his　woodwork；　she　knew　that　she
never　could　do　it；　and　the　time　would　be　wasted。　　She　decided　against
piano　lessons　and　singing　lessons；　too；　she　did　not　care　for　either；　and
she　pleaded　that　it　would　be　a　waste　to　study　them；　but　she　suggested
dancing　lessons；　and　her　gift　for　dancing　won　greater　praise；　and　perhaps
sincerer；　than　her　accent　won　from　Mademoiselle　Blanc；　though　Mrs。　Lander
said　that　she　would　not　have　believed　any　one　could　be　more
complimentary。　　She　learned　the　new　steps　and　figures　in　all　the
fashionable　dances；　she　mastered　some　fancy　dances；　which　society　was
then　beginning　to　borrow　from　the　stage；　and　she　gave　these　before　Mrs。
Lander　with　a　success　which　she　felt　herself。

〃I　believe　I　could　teach　dancing；〃　she　said。

〃Well；　you　won't　eve　haf　to；　child；〃　returned　Mrs。　Lander；　with　an　eye　on
the　side　of　the　case　that　seldom　escaped　her。

In　spite　of　his　wish　to　respect　these　preoccupations；　Fane　could　not　keep
from　offering　Clementina　attentions；　which　took　the　form　of　persecution
when　they　changed　from　flowers　for　Mrs。　Lander's　table　to　letters　for
herself。　　He　apologized　for　his　letters　whenever　he　met　her；　but　at　last
one　of　them　came　to　her　before　breakfast　with　a　special　delivery　stamp
from　Boston。　　He　had　withdrawn　to　the　city　to　write　it；　and　he　said　that
if　she　could　not　make　him　a　favorable　answer；　he　should　not　come　back　to
Woodlake。

She　had　to　show　this　letter　to　Mrs。　Lander；　who　asked：　〃You　want　he
should　come　back？〃

〃No；　indeed！　　I　don't　want　eva　to　see　him　again。〃

〃Well；　then；　I　guess　you'll　know　how　to　tell　him　so。

The　girl　went　into　her　own　room　to　write；　and　when　she　brought　her　answer
to　show　it　to　Mrs。　Lander　she　found　her　in　frowning　thought。　　〃I　don't
know　but　you'll　have　to　go　back　and　write　it　all　over　again；　Clementina；〃
she　said；　〃if　you've　told　him　not　to　come。　　I've　been　thinkin'；　if　you
don't　want　to　have　anything　to　do　with　him；　we　betta　go　ouaselves。〃

〃Yes；〃　answered　Clementina；　〃that's　what　I've　said。〃

〃You　have？　　Well；　the　witch　is　in　it！　　How　came　you　to〃

〃I　just　wanted　to　talk　with　you　about　it。　　But　I　thought　maybe　you'd　like
to　go。　　Or　at　least　I　should。　　I　should　like　to　go　home；　Mrs。　Landa。〃

〃Home！〃　retorted　Mrs。　Lander。　　〃The'e's　plenty　of　places　where　you　can　be
safe　from　the　fella　besides　home；　though　I'll　take　you　back　the'a　this
minute　if　you　say　so。　　But　you　needn't　to　feel　wo'ked　up　about　it。〃

〃Oh；　I'm　not；〃　said　Clementina；　but　with　a　gulp　which　betrayed　her
nervousness。

〃I　did　think；〃　Mrs。　Lander　went　on；　〃that　I　should　go　into　the　Vonndome；
for　December　and　January；　but　just　as　likely　as　not　he'd　come　pesterin'
the'a；　too；　and　I　wouldn't　go；　now；　if　you　was　to　give　me　the　whole　city
of　Boston。　　Why　shouldn't　we　go　to　Florid？〃

When　Mrs。　Lander　had　once　imagined　the　move；　the　nomadic　impulse　mounted
irresistably　in　her。　　She　spoke　of　hotels　in　the　South；　where　they　could
renew　the　summer；　and　she　mapped　out　a　campaign　which　she　put　into
instant　action　so　far　as　to　advance　upon　New　York。










End