a far country-第59章

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happy。　　I　was　〃somebody〃　at　home；　or　at　least　rapidly　becoming　so。。。。

London　was　shrouded；　parliament　had　risen；　and　the　great　houses　were
closed。　　Day　after　day　we　issued　forth　from　a　musty　and　highly
respectable　hotel　near　Piccadilly　to　a　gloomy　Tower；　a　soggy　Hampton
Court　or　a　mournful　British　Museum。　　Our　native　longing　for　luxuryor
rather　my　native　longingimpelled　me　to　abandon　Smith's　Hotel　for　a　huge
hostelry　where　our　suite　overlooked　the　Thames；　where　we　ran　across　a　man
I　had　known　slightly　at　Harvard；　and　other　Americans　with　whom　we　made
excursions　and　dined　and　went　to　the　theatre。　　Maude　liked　these　persons；
I　did　not　find　them　especially　congenial。　　My　life…long　habit　of
unwillingness　to　accept　what　life　sent　in　its　ordinary　course　was
asserting　itself；　but　Maude　took　her　friends　as　she　found　them；　and　I　was
secretly　annoyed　by　her　lack　of　discrimination。　　In　addition　to　this；　the
sense　of　having　been　pulled　up　by　the　roots　grew　upon　me。

〃Suppose；〃　Maude　surprised　me　by　suggesting　one　morning　as　we　sat　at
breakfast　watching　the　river　craft　flit　like　phantoms　through　the　yellow…
green　fog〃　suppose　we　don't　go　to　France；　after　all；　Hugh？〃

〃Not　go　to　France！〃　I　exclaimed。　　〃Are　you　tired　of　the　trip？〃

〃Oh；　Hugh！〃　　Her　voice　caught。　　〃I　could　go　on；　always；　if　you　were
content。〃

〃Andwhat　makes　you　think　that　I'm　not　content？〃

Her　smile　had　in　it　just　a　touch　of　wistfulness。

〃I　understand　you；　Hugh；　better　than　you　think。　　You　want　to　get　back　to
your　work；　andand　I　should　be　happier。　　I'm　not　so　silly　and　so
ignorant　as　to　think　that　I　can　satisfy　you　always。　　And　I'd　like　to　get
settled　at　home；I　really　should。〃

There　surged　up　within　me　a　feeling　of　relief。　　I　seized　her　hand　as　it
lay　on　the　table。

〃We'll　come　abroad　another　time；　and　go　to　France；〃　I　said。　　〃Maude；
you're　splendid！〃

She　shook　her　head。

〃Oh；　no；　I'm　not。〃

〃You　do　satisfy　me；〃　I　insisted。　　〃It　isn't　that　at　all。　　But　I　think；
perhaps；　it　would　be　wiser　to　go　back。　　It's　rather　a　crucial　time　with
me；　now　that　Mr。　Watling's　in　Washington。　　I've　just　arrived　at　a
position　where　I　shall　be　able　to　make　a　good　deal　of　money；　and　later
on〃

〃It　isn't　the　money；　Hugh；〃　she　cried；　with　a　vehemence　which　struck　me
as　a　little　odd。　　〃I　sometimes　think　we'd　be　a　great　deal　happier
withoutwithout　all　you　are　going　to　make。〃

I　laughed。

〃Well；　I　haven't　made　it　yet。〃

She　possessed　the　frugality　of　the　Hutchinses。　　And　some　times　my
lavishness　had　frightened　her；　as　when　we　had　taken　the　suite　of　rooms　we
now　occupied。

〃Are　you　sure　you　can　afford　them；　Hugh？〃　she　had　asked　when　we　first
surveyed　them。

I　began　married　life；　and　carried　it　on　without　giving　her　any　conception
of　the　state　of　my　finances。　　She　had　an　allowance　from　the　first。

As　the　steamer　slipped　westward　my　spirits　rose；　to　reach　a　climax　of
exhilaration　when　I　saw　the　towers　of　New　York　rise　gleaming　like　huge
stalagmites　in　the　early　winter　sun。　　Maude　likened　them　more　happilyto
gigantic　ivory　chessmen。　　Well；　New　York　was　America's　chessboard；　and
the　Great　Players　had　already　begun　to　make　moves　that　astonished　the
world。　　As　we　sat　at　breakfast　in　a　Fifth　Avenue　hotel　I　ran　my　eye
eagerly　over　the　stock…market　reports　and　the　financial　news；　and　rallied
Maude　for　a　lack　of　spirits。

〃Aren't　you　glad　to　be　home？〃　I　asked　her；　as　we　sat　in　a　hansom。

〃Of　course　I　am；　Hugh！〃　she　protested。　　〃ButI　can't　look　upon　New　York
as　home；　somehow。　　It　frightens　me。〃

I　laughed　indulgently。

〃You'll　get　used　to　it；〃　I　said。　　〃We'll　be　coming　here　a　great　deal；　off
and　on。〃

She　was　silent。　　But　later；　when　we　took　a　hansom　and　entered　the　streams
of　traffic；　she　responded　to　the　stimulus　of　the　place：　the　movement；　the
colour；　the　sight　of　the　well…appointed　carriages；　of　the　well…fed；　well…
groomed　people　who　sat　in　them；　the　enticement　of　the　shops　in　which　we
made　our　purchases　had　their　effect；　and　she　became　cheerful　again。。。。

In　the　evening　we　took　the　〃Limited〃　for　home。

We　lived　for　a　month　with　my　mother；　and　then　moved　into　our　own　house。
It　was　one　which　I　had　rented　from　Howard　Ogilvy；　and　it　stood　on　the
corner　of　Baker　and　Clinton　streets；　near　that　fashionable　neighbourhood
called　〃the　Heights。〃　　Ogilvy；　who　was　some　ten　years　older　than　I；　and
who　belonged　to　one　of　our　old　families；　had　embarked　on　a　career　then
becoming　common；　but　which　at　first　was　regarded　as　somewhat　meteoric：
gradually　abandoning　the　practice　of　law；　and　perceiving　the
possibilities　of　the　city　of　his　birth；　he　had　〃gambled〃　in　real　estate
and　other　enterprises；　such　as　our　local　water　company；　until　he　had
quadrupled　his　inheritance。　　He　had　built　a　mansion　on　Grant　Avenue；　the
wide　thoroughfare　bisecting　the　Heights。　　The　house　he　had　vacated　was
not　large；　but　essentially　distinctive；　with　the　oddity　characteristic　of
the　revolt　against　the　banal　architecture　of　the　80's。　　The　curves　of　the
tiled　roof　enfolded　the　upper　windows；　the　walls　were　thick；　the　note　one
of　mystery。　　I　remember　Maude's　naive　delight　when　we　inspected　it。

〃You'd　never　guess　what　the　inside　was　like；　would　you；　Hugh？〃　　she
cried。

From　the　panelled　box　of　an　entrance　hall　one　went　up　a　few　steps　to　a
drawing…room　which　had　a　bowed　recess　like　an　oriel；　and　window…seats。
The　dining…room　was　an　odd　shape；　and　was　wainscoted　in　oak；　it　had　a
tiled　fireplace　and　（according　to　Maude）　the　〃sweetest〃　china　closet
built　into　the　wall。　　There　was　a　〃den〃　for　me；　and　an　octagonal
reception…room　on　the　corner。　　Upstairs；　the　bedrooms　were　quite　as
unusual；　the　plumbing　of　the　new　pattern；　heavy　and　imposing。　　Maude
expressed　the　air　of　seclusion　when　she　exclaimed　that　she　could　almost
imagine　herself　in　one　of　the　mediaeval　towns　we　had　seen　abroad。

〃It's　a　dream；　Hugh；〃　she　sighed。　　〃Butdo　you　think　we　can　afford
it？〃。。。

〃This　house；〃　I　announced；　smiling；　〃is　only　a　stepping…stone　to　the
palace　I　intend　to　build　you　some　day。〃

〃I　don't　want　a　palace！〃　she　cried。　　〃I'd　rather　live　here；　like　this；
always。〃

A　certain　vehemence　in　her　manner　troubled　me。　　I　was　charmed　by　this
disposition　for　domesticity；　and　yet　I　shrank　from　the　contemplation　of
its　permanency。　　I　felt　vaguely；　at　the　time；　the　possibility　of　a　future
conflict　of　temperaments。　　Maude　was　docile；　now。　　But　would　she　remain
docile？　and　was　it　in　her　nature　to　take　ultimately　the　position　that　was
desirable　for　my　wife？　　Well；　she　must　be　moulded；　before　it　were　too
late。　　Her　ultra…domestic　tendencies　must　be　halted。　　As　yet　blissfully
unaware　of　the　inability　of　the　masculine　mind　to　fathom　the　subtleties
of　feminine　relationships；　I　was　particularly　desirous　that　Maude　and
Nancy　Durrett　should　be　intimates。　　The　very　day　after　our　arrival；　and
while　we　were　still　at　my　mother's；　Nancy　called　on　Maude；　and　took　her
out　for　a　drive。　　Maude　told　me　of　it　when　I　came　home　from　the　office。

〃Dear　old　Nancy！〃　I　said。　　〃I　know　you　liked　her。〃

〃Of　course；　Hugh。　　I　should　like　her　for　your　sake；　anyway。　　She'sshe's
one　of　your　oldest　and　best　friends。〃

〃But　I　want　you　to　like　her　for　her　own　sake。〃

〃I　think　I　shall；〃　said　Maude。　　She　was　so　scrupulously　truthful！
〃I　was　a　little　afraid　of　her；　at　first。〃

〃Afraid　of　Nancy！〃　I　exclaimed。

〃Well；　you　know；　she's　much　older　than　I。　　I　think　she　is　sweet。　　But　she
knows　so　much　about　the　worldso　much　that　she　doesn't　say。　　I　can't
describe　it。〃

I　smiled。

〃It's　only　her　manner。　　You'll　get　used　to　that；　when　you　know　what　she
really　is。〃

〃Oh；　I　hope　so；〃　answered　Maude。　　〃I'm　very　anxious　to　like　herI　do
like　her。　　But　it　takes　me　such　a　lot　of　time　to　get　to　know　people。〃

Nancy　asked　us　to　dinner。

〃I　want　to　help　Maude　all　I　can；if　she'll　let　me；〃　Nancy　said。

〃Why　shouldn't　she　let　you？〃　I　asked。

〃She　may　not　like　me；〃　Nancy　replied。

〃Nonsense！〃　I　exclaimed。

Nancy　smiled。

〃It　won't　be　my　fault；　at　any　rate；　if　she　doesn't；〃　she　said。　　〃I　wanted
her　to　meet　at　first　just　the　right　people　your　old　friends　and　a　few
others。　　It　is　hard　for　a　womanespecially　a　young　womancoming　among
strangers。〃　　She　glanced　down　the　table　to　where