ragged lady, v1-第8章

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〃Albe't；　what　made　you　want　me　to　see　that　child？〃

Lander　must　have　perceived　that　his　wife　meant　business；　and　he　came　to
it　at　once。　　〃I　thought　you　might　take　a　fancy　to　her；　and　get　her　to
come　and　live　with　us。〃

〃Yes？〃

〃We're　both　of　us　gettin'　pretty　well　on；　and　you'd　ought　to　have
somebody　to　look　after　you　ifI'm　not　around。　　You　want　somebody　that
can　do　for　you；　and　keep　you　company；　and　read　to　you；　and　talk　to　you
well；　moa　like　a　daughta　than　a　suvvantsomebody　that　you'd　get　attached
to；　maybe〃

〃And　don't　you　see；〃　Mrs。　Lander　broke　out　severely　upon　him；　〃what　a
ca'e　that　would　be？　　Why；　it's　got　so　already　that　I　can't　help　thinkin'
about　her　the　whole　while；　and　if　I　got　attached　to　her　I'd　have　her　on
my　mind　day　and　night；　and　the　moa　she　done　for　me　the　more　I　should　be
tewin'　around　to　do　for　her。　　I　shouldn't　have　any　peace　of　my　life　any
moa。　　Can't　you　see　that？〃

〃I　guess　if　you　see　it；　I　don't　need　to；〃　said　Lander。

〃Well；　then；　I　want　you　shouldn't　eva　mention　her　to　me　again。　　I've　had
the　greatest　escape！　　But　I've　got　her　off　home；　and　I've　give　her　money
enough！　had　a　time　with　her　about　itso　that　they　won't　feel　as　if　we'd
made　'em　trouble　for　nothing；　and　now　I　neva　want　to　hear　of　her　again。
I　don't　want　we　should　stay　here　a　great　while　longer；　I　shall　be
frettin'　if　I'm　in　reach　of　her；　and　I　shan't　get　any　good　of　the　ai'a。
Will　you　promise？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　then！〃　　Mrs。　Lander　turned　her　face　upon　the　pillow　again　in　the
dramatization　of　her　exhaustion；　but　she　was　not　so　far　gone　that　she　was
insensible　to　the　possible　interest　that　a　light　rap　at　the　door
suggested。　　She　once　more　twisted　her　head　in　that　direction　and　called；
〃Come　in！〃

The　door　opened　and　Clementina　came　in。　　She　advanced　to　the　bedside
smiling　joyously；　and　put　the　money　Mrs。　Lander　had　given　her　down　upon
the　counterpane。

〃Why；　you　haven't　been　home；　child？〃

〃No'm；〃　said　Clementina；　breathlessly。　　〃But　I　couldn't　take　it。　　I　knew
they　wouldn't　want　me　to；　and　I　thought　you'd　like　it　better　if　I　just
brought　it　back　myself。　　Good…mo'ning。〃　　She　slipped　out　of　the　door。
Mrs。　Lander　swept　the　bank…notes　from　the　coverlet　and　pulled　it　over　her
head；　and　sent　from　beneath　it　a　stifled　wail。　　〃Now　we　got　to　go！　　And
it's　all　youa　fault；　Albe't。〃

Lander　took　the　money　from　the　floor；　and　smoothed　each　bill　out；　and
then　laid　them　in　a　neat　pile　on　the　corner　of　the　bureau。　　He　sighed
profoundly　but　left　the　room　without　an　effort　to　justify　himself。




V。

The　Landers　had　been　gone　a　week　before　Clementina's　mother　decided　that
she　could　spare　her　to　Mrs。　Atwell　for　a　while。　　It　was　established　that
she　was　not　to　serve　either　in　the　dining…room　or　the　carving　room；　she
was　not　to　wash　dishes　or　to　do　any　part　of　the　chamber　work；　but　to
carry　messages　and　orders　for　the　landlady；　and　to　save　her　steps；　when
she　wished　to　see　the　head…waiter；　or　the　head…cook；　or　to　make　an　excuse
or　a　promise　to　some　of　the　lady…boarders；　or　to　send　word　to　Mr。　Atwell
about　the　buying；　or　to　communicate　with　the　clerk　about　rooms　taken　or
left。

She　had　a　good　deal　of　dignity　of　her　own　and　such　a　gravity　in　the
discharge　of　her　duties　that　the　chef；　who　was　a　middle…aged　Yankee　with
grown　girls　of　his　own；　liked　to　pretend　that　it　was　Mrs。　Atwell　herself
who　was　talking　with　him；　and　to　discover　just　as　she　left　him　that　it
was　Clementina。　　He　called　her　the　Boss　when　he　spoke　of　her　to　others　in
her　hearing；　and　he　addressed　her　as　Boss　when　he　feigned　to　find　that　it
was　not　Mrs。　Atwell。　　She　did　not　mind　that　in　him；　and　let　the　chef　have
his　joke　as　if　it　were　not　one。　　But　one　day　when　the　clerk　called　her
Boss　she　merely　looked　at　him　without　speaking；　and　made　him　feel　that　he
had　taken　a　liberty　which　he　must　not　repeat。　　He　was　a　young　man　who
much　preferred　a　state　of　self…satisfaction　to　humiliation　of　any　sort；
and　after　he　had　endured　Clementina's　gaze　as　long　as　he　could；　he　said；
〃Perhaps　you　don't　allow　anybody　but　the　chef　to　call　you　that？〃

She　did　not　answer；　but　repeated　the　message　Mrs。　Atwell　had　given　her
for　him；　and　went　away。

It　seemed　to　him　undue　that　a　person　who　exchanged　repartees　with　the
young　lady　boarders　across　his　desk；　when　they　came　many　times　a　day　to
look　at　the　register；　or　to　ask　for　letters；　should　remain　snubbed　by　a
girl　who　still　wore　her　hair　in　a　braid；　but　he　was　an　amiable　youth；　and
he　tried　to　appease　her　by　little　favors　and　services；　instead　of　trying
to　bully　her。

He　was　great　friends　with　the　head…waiter；　whom　he　respected　as　a　college
student；　though　for　the　time　being　he　ranked　the　student　socially。　　He
had　him　in　behind　the　frame　of　letter…boxes；　which　formed　a　sort　of
little　private　room　for　him；　and　talked　with　him　at　such　hours　of　the
forenoon　and　the　late　evening　as　the　student　was　off　duty。　　He　found
comfort　in　the　student's　fretful　strength；　which　expressed　itself　in　the
pugnacious　frown　of　his　hot…looking　young　face；　where　a　bright　sorrel
mustache　was　beginning　to　blaze　on　a　short　upper　lip。

Fane　thought　himself　a　good…looking　fellow；　and　he　regarded　his　figure
with　pleasure；　as　it　was　set　off　by　the　suit　of　fine　gray　check　that　he
wore　habitually；　but　he　thought　Gregory's　educational　advantages　told　in
his　face。　　His　own　education　had　ended　at　a　commercial　college；　where　he
acquired　a　good　knowledge　of　bookkeeping；　and　the　fine　business　hand　he
wrote；　but　where　it　seemed　to　him　sometimes　that　the　earlier　learning　of
the　public　school　had　been　hermetically　sealed　within　him　by　several
coats　of　mathematical　varnish。　　He　believed　that　he　had　once　known　a
number　of　things　that　he　no　longer　knew；　and　that　he　had　not　always　been
so　weak　in　his　double　letters　as　he　presently　found　himself。

One　night　while　Gregory　sat　on　a　high　stool　and　rested　his　elbow　on　the
desk　before　it；　with　his　chin　in　his　hand；　looking　down　upon　Fane；　who
sprawled　sadly　in　his　chair；　and　listening　to　the　last　dance　playing　in
the　distant　parlor；　Fane　said。　　〃Now；　what'll　you　bet　that　they　won't
every　one　of　'em　come　and　look　for　a　letter　in　her　box　before　she　goes　to
bed？　　I　tell　you；　girls　are　queer；　and　there's　no　place　like　a　hotel　to
study　'em。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　study　them；〃　said　Gregory；　harshly。

〃Think　Greek's　more　worth　your　while；　or　know　'em　well　enough　already？〃
Fane　suggested。

〃No；　I　don't　know　them　at　all；〃　said　the　student。

〃I　don't　believe；〃　urged　the　clerk；　as　if　it　were　relevant；　〃that　there's
a　girl　in　the　house　that　you　couldn't　marry；　if　you　gave　your　mind　to
it。〃

Gregory　twitched　irascibly。　　〃I　don't　want　to　marry　them。〃

〃Pretty　cheap　lot；　you　mean？　　Well；　I　don't　know。〃

〃I　don't　mean　that；〃　retorted　the　student。　　〃But　I've　got　other　things　to
think　of。〃

〃Don't　you　believe；〃　the　clerk　modestly　urged；　〃that　it　is　natural　for　a
manwell；　a　young　manto　think　about　girls？〃

〃I　suppose　it　is。〃

〃And　you　don't　consider　it　wrong？〃

〃How；　wrong？〃

〃Well；　a　waste　of　time。　　I　don't　know　as　I　always　think　about　wanting　to
marry　'em；　or　be　in　love；　but　I　like　to　let　my　mind　run　on　'em。　　There's
something　about　a　girl　that；　well；　you　don't　know　what　it　is；　exactly。
Take　almost　any　of　'em；〃　said　the　clerk；　with　an　air　of　inductive
reasoning。　　〃Take　that　Claxon　girl；　now　for　example；　I　don't　know　what　it
is　about　her。　　She's　good…looking；　I　don't　deny　that；　and　she's　got
pretty　manners；　and　she's　as　graceful　as　a　bird。　　But　it　a'n't　any　one　of
'em；　and　it　don't　seem　to　be　all　of　'em　put　together　that　makes　you　want
to　keep　your　eyes　on　her　the　whole　while。　　Ever　noticed　what　a　nice
little　foot　she's　got？　　Or　her　hands？〃

〃No；〃　said　the　student。

〃I　don't　mean　that　she　ever　tries　to　show　them　off；　though　I　know　some
girls　that　would。　　But　she's　not　that　kind。　　She　ain't　much　more　than　a
child；　and　yet　you　got　to　treat　her　just　like　a　woman。　　Noticed　the　kind
of　way　she's　got？〃

〃No；〃　said　the　student；　with　impatience。

The　clerk　mused　with　a　plaintive　air　for　a　moment　before　he　spoke。
〃Well；　it's　something　as　if　she'd　been　trained　to　it；　so　that　she　knew
just　the　right　thing　to　do；　every　time；　and　yet　I　guess　it's　nat