an unsocial socialist-第4章

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〃It　is　natural　enough。　Where　else　should　she　have　gone？〃

Mr。　Jansenius；　who　mistrusted　his　own　judgment　when　it　differed
from　that　of　his　wife；　replied　slowly；　〃Why　did　she　not　go　to　her
mother？〃

Mrs。　Jansenius；　puzzled　in　her　turn；　looked　at　him　with　cool
wonder；　and　remarked；　〃I　am　her　mother；　am　I　not？〃

〃I　was　not　aware　of　it。　I　am　surprised　to　hear　it；　Ruth。　Have　you
had　a　letter　too〃　I　have　seen　the　letter。　But　what　do　you　mean　by
telling　me　that　you　do　not　know　I　am　Henrietta's　mother？　Are　you
trying　to　be　funny？〃

〃Henrietta！　Is　she　here？　Is　this　some　fresh　trouble？〃

〃I　don't　know。　What　are　you　talking　about？〃

〃I　am　talking　about　Agatha　Wylie。〃

〃Oh！　I　was　talking　about　Henrietta。〃

〃Well；　what　about　Henrietta？〃

〃What　about　Agatha　Wylie？〃

At　this　Mr。　Jansenius　became　exasperated；　and　he　deemed　it　best
to　relate　what　Henrietta　had　told　her。　When　she　gave　him
Trefusis's　letter；　he　said；　more　calmly：　〃Misfortunes　never　come
singly。　Read　that；〃　and　handed　her　another　letter；　so　that　they
both　began　reading　at　the　same　time。

Mrs。　Jansenius　read　as　follows：

〃Alton　College；　Lyvern。　

〃To　Mrs。　Wylie；　Acacia　Lodge；　Chiswick。

〃Dear　Madam：　I　write　with　great　regret　to　request　that　you　will
at　once　withdraw　Miss　Wylie　from　Alton　College。　In　an
establishment　like　this；　where　restraint　upon　the　liberty　of　the
students　is　reduced　to　a　minimum；　it　is　necessary　that　the　small
degree　of　subordination　which　is　absolutely　indispensable　be
acquiesced　in　by　all　without　complaint　or　delay。　Miss　Wylie　has
failed　to　comply　with　this　condition。　She　has　declared　her　wish
to　leave；　and　has　assumed　an　attitude　towards　myself　and　my
colleagues　which　we　cannot；　consistently　with　our　duty　to
ourselves　and　her　fellow　students；　pass　over。　If　Miss　Wylie　has
any　cause　to　complain　of　her　treatment　here；　or　of　the　step　which
she　has　compelled　us　to　take；　she　will　doubtless　make　it　known　to
you。

〃Perhaps　you　will　be　so　good　as　to　communicate　with　Miss　Wylie's
guardian；　Mr。　Jansenius；　with　whom　I　shall　be　happy　to　make　an
equitable　arrangement　respecting　the　fees　which　have　been　paid　in
advance　for　the　current　term。

〃I　am；　dear　madam；

〃Yours　faithfully；

〃Maria　Wilson。〃

〃A　nice　young　lady；　that！〃　said　Mrs。　Jansenius。

〃I　do　not　understand　this；〃　said　Mr。　Jansenius；　reddening　as　he
took　in　the　purport　of　his　son…in…law's　letter。　〃I　will　not
submit　to　it。　What　does　it　mean；　Ruth　？〃

〃I　don't　know。　Sidney　is　mad；　I　think；　and　his　honeymoon　has
brought　his　madness　out。　But　you　must　not　let　him　throw　Henrietta
on　my　hands　again。〃

〃Mad！　Does　he　think　he　can　shirk　his　responsibility　to　his　wife
because　she　is　my　daughter？　Does　he　think；　because　his　mother's
father　was　a　baronet；　that　he　can　put　Henrietta　aside　the　moment
her　society　palls　on　him？〃

〃Oh；　it's　nothing　of　that　sort。　He　never　thought　of　us。　But　I
will　make　him　think　of　us；〃　said　Mr。　Jansenius；　raising　his　voice
in　great　agitation。　〃He　shall　answer　for　it。〃

Just　then　Henrietta　returned；　and　saw　her　father　moving　excitedly
to　and　fro；　repeating；　〃He　shall　answer　to　me　for　this。　He　shall
answer　for　it。〃

Mrs。　Jansenius　frowned　at　her　daughter　to　remain　silent；　and　said
soothingly；　〃Don't　lose　your　temper；　John。〃

〃But　I　will　lose　my　temper。　Insolent　hound！　Damned　scoundrel！〃

〃He　is　not；〃　whimpered　Henrietta；　sitting　down　and　taking　out　her
handkerchief。

〃Oh；　come；　come！〃　said　Mrs。　Jansenius　peremptorily；　〃we　have　had
enough　crying。　Let　us　have　no　more　of　it。〃

Henrietta　sprang　up　in　a　passion。　〃I　will　say　and　do　as　I
please；〃　she　exclaimed。　〃I　am　a　married　woman；　and　I　will　receive
no　orders。　And　I　will　have　my　husband　back　again；　no　matter　what
he　does　to　hide　himself。　Papa；　won't　you　make　him　come　back　to
me？　I　am　dying。　Promise　that　you　will　make　him　come　back。〃

And；　throwing　herself　upon　her　father's　bosom；　she　postponed
further　discussion　by　going　into　hysterics；　and　startling　the
household　by　her　screams。



CHAPTER　III

One　of　the　professors　at　Alton　College　was　a　Mrs。　Miller；　an
old…fashioned　schoolmistress　who　did　not　believe　in　Miss　Wilson's
system　of　government　by　moral　force；　and　carried　it　out　under
protest。　Though　not　ill…natured；　she　was　narrow…minded　enough　to
be　in　some　degree　contemptible；　and　was　consequently　prone　to
suspect　others　of　despising　her。　She　suspected　Agatha　in
particular；　and　treated　her　with　disdainful　curtness　in　such
intercourse　as　they　hadit　was　fortunately　little。　Agatha　was
not　hurt　by　this；　for　Mrs。　Miller　was　an　unsympathetic　woman；　who
made　no　friends　among　the　girls；　and　satisfied　her　affectionate
impulses　by　petting　a　large　cat　named　Gracchus；　but　generally
called　Bacchus　by　an　endearing　modification　of　the　harsh　initial
consonant。

One　evening　Mrs。　Miller；　seated　with　Miss　Wilson　in　the　study；
correcting　examination　papers；　heard　in　the　distance　a　cry　like
that　of　a　cat　in　distress。　She　ran　to　the　door　and　listened。
Presently　there　arose　a　prolonged　wail；　slurring　up　through　two
octaves；　and　subsiding　again。　It　was　a　true　feline　screech；
impossible　to　localize；　but　it　was　interrupted　by　a　sob；　a　snarl；
a　fierce　spitting；　and　a　scuffling；　coming　unmistakably　from　a
room　on　the　floor　beneath；　in　which；　at　that　hour；　the　older
girls　assembled　for　study。

〃My　poor　Gracchy！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Miller；　running　downstairs　as
fast　as　she　could。　She　found　the　room　unusually　quiet。　Every　girl
was　deep　in　study　except　Miss　Carpenter；　who；　pretending　to　pick
up　a　fallen　book；　was　purple　with　suppressed　laughter　and　the
congestion　caused　by　stooping。

〃Where　is　Miss　Ward？〃　demanded　Mrs。　Miller。

〃Miss　Ward　has　gone　for　some　astronomical　diagrams　in　which　we
are　interested；〃　said　Agatha；　looking　up　gravely。　Just　then　Miss
Ward；　diagrams　in　hand；　entered。

〃Has　that　cat　been　in　here？〃　she　said；　not　seeing　Mrs。　Miller；
and　speaking　in　a　tone　expressive　of　antipathy　to　Gracchus。

Agatha　started　and　drew　up　her　ankles；　as　if　fearful　of　having
them　bitten。　Then；　looking　apprehensively　under　the　desk；　she
replied；　〃There　is　no　cat　here；　Miss　Ward。〃

〃There　is　one　somewhere；　I　heard　it；〃　said　Miss　Ward　carelessly；
unrolling　her　diagrams；　which　she　began　to　explain　without
further　parley。　Mrs。　Miller；　anxious　for　her　pet；　hastened　to
seek　it　elsewhere。　In　the　hall　she　met　one　of　the　housemaids。

〃Susan；〃　she　said；　〃have　you　seen　Gracchus？〃

〃He's　asleep　on　the　hearthrug　in　your　room；　ma'am。　But　I　heard
him　crying　down　here　a　moment　ago。　I　feel　sure　that　another　cat
has　got　in；　and　that　they　are　fighting。〃

Susan　smiled　compassionately。　〃Lor'　bless　you；　ma'am；〃　she　said；
〃that　was　Miss　Wylie。　It's　a　sort　of　play…acting　that　she　goes
through。　There　is　the　bee　on　the　window…pane；　and　the　soldier　up
the　chimley；　and　the　cat　under　the　dresser。　She　does　them　all
like　life。〃

〃The　soldier　in　the　chimney！〃　repeated　Mrs。　Miller；　shocked。

〃Yes；　ma'am。　Like　as　it　were　a　follower　that　had　hid　there　when
he　heard　the　mistress　coming。〃

Mrs。　Miller's　face　set　determinedly。　She　returned　to　the　study
and　related　what　had　just　occurred；　adding　some　sarcastic
comments　on　the　efficacy　of　moral　force　in　maintaining　collegiate
discipline。　Miss　Wilson　looked　grave；　considered　for　some　time；
and　at　last　said：　〃I　must　think　over　this。　Would　you　mind　leaving
it　in　my　hands　for　the　present？〃

Mrs。　Miller　said　that　she　did　not　care　in　whose　hands　it　remained
provided　her　own　were　washed　of　it；　and　resumed　her　work　at　the
papers。　Miss　Wilson　then；　wishing　to　be　alone；　went　into　the
empty　classroom　at　the　other　side　of　the　landing。　She　took　the
Fault　Book　from　its　shelf　and　sat　down　before　it。　Its　record
closed　with　the　announcement；　in　Agatha's　handwriting：

〃Miss　Wilson　has　called　me　impertinent；　and　has　written　to　my
uncle　that　I　have　refused　to　obey　the　rules。　I　was　not
impertinent；　and　I　never　refused　to　obey　the　rules。　So　much　for
Moral　Force！〃

Miss　Wilson　rose　vigorously；　exclaiming：　〃I　will　soon　let　her
know　whether〃　She　checked　herself；　and　looked　round　hastily；
superstitiously　fancying　that　Agatha　might　have　stolen　into　the
room　unobserved。　Reassured　that　she　was　alone；　she　examined　her
conscienc