the white people-第5章

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d　seem　to　beg　her　to　remember　that　it；　at　least；　was　a　living　thing。　　But　she　was　too　absorbed　in　her　anguish　to　know　that　it　was　in　the　world。　　She　neither　looked　at　nor　touched　it；　and　at　last　it　sat　with　its　cheek　against　her　sleeve；　softly　stroking　her　arm；　and　now　and　then　kissing　it　longingly。　　I　was　obliged　to　turn　my　face　away　and　look　out　of　the　window；　because　I　knew　the　man　with　the　kind　face　saw　the　tears　well　up　into　my　eyes。

The　poor　woman　did　not　travel　far　with　us。　　She　left　the　train　after　a　few　stations　were　passed。　　Our　fellow…traveler　got　out　before　her　to　help　her　on　to　the　platform。　　He　stood　with　bared　head　while　he　assisted　her；　but　she　scarcely　saw　him。　　And　even　then　she　seemed　to　forget　the　child。　　The　poor　thing　was　dragged　out　by　her　dress　as　it　had　been　dragged　in。　　I　put　out　my　hand　involuntarily　as　it　went　through　the　door；　because　I　was　afraid　it　might　fall。　　But　it　did　not。　　It　turned　its　fair　little　face　and　smiled　at　me。　　When　the　kind　traveler　returned　to　his　place　in　the　carriage　again；　and　the　train　left　the　station；　the　black…　draped　woman　was　walking　slowly　down　the　platform　and　the　child　was　still　clinging　to　her　skirt。



CHAPTER　IV

My　guardian　was　a　man　whose　custom　it　was　to　give　large　and　dignified　parties。　　Among　his　grand　and　fashionable　guests　there　was　nearly　always　a　sprinkling　of　the　more　important　members　of　the　literary　world。　　The　night　after　I　arrived　there　was　to　be　a　particularly　notable　dinner。　　I　had　come　prepared　to　appear　at　it。　　Jean　had　brought　fine　array　for　me　and　a　case　of　jewels。　　I　knew　I　must　be　〃dressed　up〃　and　look　as　important　as　I　could。　　When　I　went　up…stairs　after　tea；　Jean　was　in　my　room　laying　things　out　on　the　bed。

〃The　man　you　like　so　much　is　to　dine　here　to…night；　Ysobel；〃　she　said。　　〃Mr。　Hector　MacNairn。〃

I　believe　I　even　put　my　hand　suddenly　to　my　heart　as　I　stood　and　looked　at　her；　I　was　so　startled　and　so　glad。

〃You　must　tell　him　how　much　you　love　his　books；〃　she　said。　　She　had　a　quiet；　motherly　way。

〃There　will　be　so　many　other　people　who　will　want　to　talk　to　him；〃　I　answered；　and　I　felt　a　little　breathless　with　excitement　as　I　said　it。

〃And　I　should　be　too　shy　to　know　how　to　say　such　things　properly。〃

〃Don't　be　afraid　of　him；〃　was　her　advice。　　〃The　man　will　be　like　his　books；　and　they're　the　joy　of　your　life。〃

She　made　me　look　as　nice　as　she　could　in　the　new　dress　she　had　brought；　she　made　me　wear　the　Muircarrie　diamonds　and　sent　me　downstairs。　　It　does　not　matter　who　the　guests　were；　I　scarcely　remember。　　I　was　taken　in　to　dinner　by　a　stately　elderly　man　who　tried　to　make　me　talk；　and　at　last　was　absorbed　by　the　clever　woman　on　his　other　side。

I　found　myself　looking　between　the　flowers　for　a　man's　face　I　could　imagine　was　Hector　MacNairn's。　　I　looked　up　and　down　and　saw　none　I　could　believe　belonged　to　him。　　There　were　handsome　faces　and　individual　ones；　but　at　first　I　saw　no　Hector　MacNairn。　　Then；　on　bending　forward　a　little　to　glance　behind　an　epergne；　I　found　a　face　which　it　surprised　and　pleased　me　to　see。　　It　was　the　face　of　the　traveler　who　had　helped　the　woman　in　mourning　out　of　the　railway　carriage；　baring　his　head　before　her　grief。　　I　could　not　help　turning　and　speaking　to　my　stately　elderly　partner。

〃Do　you　know　who　that　isthe　man　at　the　other　side　of　the　table？〃　I　asked。

Old　Lord　Armour　looked　across　and　answered　with　an　amiable　smile。　　〃It　is　the　author　the　world　is　talking　of　most　in　these　days；　and　the　talking　is　no　new　thing。　　It's　Mr。　Hector　MacNairn。〃

No　one　but　myself　could　tell　how　glad　I　was。　　It　seemed　so　right　that　he　should　be　the　man　who　had　understood　the　deeps　of　a　poor；　passing　stranger　woman's　woe。　　I　had　so　loved　that　quiet　baring　of　his　head！　　All　at　once　I　knew　I　should　not　be　afraid　of　him。　　He　would　understand　that　I　could　not　help　being　shy；　that　it　was　only　my　nature；　and　that　if　I　said　things　awkwardly　my　meanings　were　better　than　my　words。　　Perhaps　I　should　be　able　to　tell　him　something　of　what　his　books　had　been　to　me。　　I　glanced　through　the　flowers　againand　he　was　looking　at　me！　I　could　scarcely　believe　it　for　a　second。　　But　he　was。　　His　eyeshis　wonderful　eyesmet　mine。　　I　could　not　explain　why　they　were　wonderful。　　I　think　it　was　the　clearness　and　understanding　in　them；　and　a　sort　of　great　interestedness。　　People　sometimes　look　at　me　from　curiosity；　but　they　do　not　look　because　they　are　really　interested。

I　could　scarcely　look　away；　though　I　knew　I　must　not　be　guilty　of　staring。　　A　footman　was　presenting　a　dish　at　my　side。　　I　took　something　from　it　without　knowing　what　it　was。　　Lord　Armour　began　to　talk　kindly。　　He　was　saying　beautiful；　admiring　things　of　Mr。　MacNairn　and　his　work。　　I　listened　gratefully；　and　said　a　few　words　myself　now　and　then。　　I　was　only　too　glad　to　be　told　of　the　great　people　and　the　small　ones　who　were　moved　and　uplifted　by　his　thoughts。

〃You　admire　him　very　much；　I　can　see；〃　the　amiable　elderly　voice　said。

I　could　not　help　turning　and　looking　up。　　〃It　is　as　if　a　great；　great　genius　were　one's　friend　as　if　he　talked　and　one　listened；〃　I　said。　　〃He　is　like　a　splendid　dream　which　has　come　true。〃

Old　Lord　Armour　looked　at　me　quite　thoughtfully；　as　if　he　saw　something　new　in　me。

〃That　is　a　good　way　of　putting　it；　Miss　Muircarrie；〃　he　answered。　　〃MacNairn　would　like　that。　　You　must　tell　him　about　it　yourself。〃

I　did　not　mean　to　glance　through　the　flowers　again；　but　I　did　it　involuntarily。　　And　I　met　the　other　eyesthe　wonderful；　interested　ones　just　as　I　had　met　them　before。　　It　almost　seemed　as　if　he　had　been　watching　me。　　It　might　be；　I　thought；　because　he　only　vaguely　remembered　seeing　me　before　and　was　trying　to　recall　where　we　had　met。

When　my　guardian　brought　his　men　guests　to　the　drawing…room　after　dinner；　I　was　looking　over　some　old　prints　at　a　quiet；　small　table。　　There　were　a　few　minutes　of　smiling　talk；　and　then　Sir　Ian　crossed　the　room　toward　me；　bringing　some　one　with　him。　　It　was　Hector　MacNairn　he　brought。

〃Mr。　MacNairn　tells　me　you　traveled　together　this　afternoon　without　knowing　each　other；〃　he　said。　　〃He　has　heard　something　of　Muircarrie　and　would　like　to　hear　more；　Ysobel。　　She　lives　like　a　little　ghost　all　alone　in　her　feudal　castle；　Mr。　MacNairn。　　We　can't　persuade　her　to　like　London。〃

I　think　he　left　us　alone　together　because　he　realized　that　we　should　get　on　better　without　a　companion。

Mr。　MacNairn　sat　down　near　me　and　began　to　talk　about　Muircarrie。　　There　were　very　few　places　like　it；　and　he　knew　about　each　one　of　them。　　He　knew　the　kind　of　things　Angus　Macayre　knewthe　things　most　people　had　either　never　heard　of　or　had　only　thought　of　as　legends。　　He　talked　as　he　wrote；　and　I　scarcely　knew　when　he　led　me　into　talking　also。　　Afterward　I　realized　that　he　had　asked　me　questions　I　could　not　help　answering　because　his　eyes　were　drawing　me　on　with　that　quiet；　deep　interest。　　It　seemed　as　if　he　saw　something　in　my　face　which　made　him　curious。

I　think　I　saw　this　expression　first　when　we　began　to　speak　of　our　meeting　in　the　railway　carriage；　and　I　mentioned　the　poor　little　fair　child　my　heart　had　ached　so　for。

〃It　was　such　a　little　thing　and　it　did　so　want　to　comfort　her！　　Its　white　little　clinging　hands　were　so　pathetic　when　they　stroked　and　patted　her；〃　I　said。　　〃And　she　did　not　even　look　at　it。〃

He　did　not　start；　but　he　hesitated　in　a　way　which　almost　produced　the　effect　of　a　start。　　Long　afterward　I　remembered　it。

〃The　child！〃　he　said。　　〃Yes。　　But　I　was　sitting　on　the　other　side。　　And　I　was　so　absorbed　in　the　poor　mother　that　I　am　afraid　I　scarcely　saw　it。　　Tell　me　about　it。〃

〃It　was　not　six　years　old；　poor　mite；〃　I　answered。　　〃It　was　one　of　those　very　fair　children　one　sees　now　and　then。　　It　was　not　like　its　mother。　　She　was　not　one　of　the　White　People。〃

〃The　White　People？〃　he　repeated　quite　slowly　after　me。　　〃You　don't　mean　that　she　was　not　a　Caucasian？　　Perhaps　I　don't　understand。〃

That　made　me　feel　a　trifle　shy　again。　　Of　course　he　could　not　know　what　I　meant。　　How　silly　of　me　to　take　it　for　granted　that　he　would！

〃I　beg　pardon。　　I　forgot；〃　I　even　stammered　a　little。　　〃It　is　only　my　way　of　thinking　of　those　fair　people　one　sees；　those　very　fair　ones；　you　knowthe　ones　whose