confidence-第14章

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ble　lightness　of　his　own　step。　She　herself　was　incapable　of　being　rude　or　ungracious；　and　now　that　she　was　fairly　confronted　with　the　plausible　object　of　her　mistrust；　she　composed　herself　to　her　usual　attitude　of　refined　liberality。　Her　book　was　a　volume　of　Victor　Cousin。

〃You　must　have　an　extraordinary　power　of　abstracting　your　mind；〃　Bernard　said　to　her；　observing　it。　　〃Studying　philosophy　at　the　Baden　Kursaal　strikes　me　as　a　real　intellectual　feat。〃

〃Don't　you　think　we　need　a　little　philosophy　here？〃

〃By　all　meanswhat　we　bring　with　us。　　But　I　should　n't　attempt　the　use　of　the　text…book　on　the　spot。〃

〃You　should　n't　speak　of　yourself　as　if　you　were　not　clever；〃　said　Mrs。　Vivian。　　〃Every　one　says　you　are　so　very　clever。〃

Longueville　stared；　there　was　an　unexpectedness　in　the　speech　and　an　incongruity　in　Mrs。　Vivian's　beginning　to　flatter　him。　He　needed　to　remind　himself　that　if　she　was　a　Bostonian；　she　was　a　Bostonian　perverted。

〃Ah；　my　dear　madam；　every　one　is　no　one；〃　he　said；　laughing。

〃It　was　Mr。　Wright；　in　particular；〃　she　rejoined。　　〃He　has　always　told　us　that。〃

〃He　is　blinded　by　friendship。〃

〃Ah　yes；　we　know　about　your　friendship；〃　said　Mrs。　Vivian。　〃He　has　told　us　about　that。〃

〃You　are　making　him　out　a　terrible　talker！〃

〃We　think　he　talks　so　wellwe　are　so　very　fond　of　his　conversation。〃

〃It　's　usually　excellent；〃　said　Bernard。　　〃But　it　depends　a　good　deal　on　the　subject。〃

〃Oh；〃　rejoined　Mrs。　Vivian；　〃we　always　let　him　choose　his　subjects。〃　And　dropping　her　eyes　as　if　in　sudden　reflection；　she　began　to　smooth　down　the　crumpled　corner　of　her　volume。

It　occurred　to　Bernard　thatby　some　mysterious　impulse　she　was　suddenly　presenting　him　with　a　chance　to　ask　her　the　question　that　Blanche　Evers　had　just　suggested。　Two　or　three　other　things　as　well　occurred　to　him。　Captain　Lovelock　had　been　struck　with　the　fact　that　she　favored　Gordon　Wright's　addresses　to　her　daughter；　and　Captain　Lovelock　had　a　grotesque　theory　that　she　had　set　her　heart　upon　seeing　this　young　lady　come　into　six　thousand　a　year。　Miss　Evers's　devoted　swain　had　never　struck　Bernard　as　a　brilliant　reasoner；　but　our　friend　suddenly　found　himself　regarding　him　as　one　of　the　inspired。　　The　form　of　depravity　into　which　the　New　England　conscience　had　lapsed　on　Mrs。　Vivian's　part　was　an　undue　appreciation　of　a　possible　son…in…law's　income！　In　this　illuminating　discovery　everything　else　became　clear。　Mrs。　Vivian　disliked　her　humble　servant　because　he　had　not　thirty　thousand　dollars　a　year；　and　because　at　a　moment　when　it　was　Angela's　prime　duty　to　concentrate　her　thoughts　upon　Gordon　Wright's　great　advantages；　a　clever　young　man　of　paltry　fortune　was　a　superfluous　diversion。

〃When　you　say　clever；　everything　is　relative；〃　he　presently　observed。　〃Now；　there　is　Captain　Lovelock；　he　has　a　certain　kind　of　cleverness；　he　is　very　observant。〃

Mrs。　Vivian　glanced　up　with　a　preoccupied　air。

〃We　don't　like　Captain　Lovelock；〃　she　said。

〃I　have　heard　him　say　capital　things；〃　Bernard　answered。

〃We　think　him　brutal；〃　said　Mrs。　Vivian。　　〃Please　don't　praise　Captain　Lovelock。〃

〃Oh；　I　only　want　to　be　just。〃

Mrs。　Vivian　for　a　moment　said　nothing。

〃Do　you　want　very　much　to　be　just？〃　she　presently　asked。

〃It　's　my　most　ardent　desire。〃

〃I　'm　glad　to　hear　thatand　I　can　easily　believe　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Vivian。

Bernard　gave　her　a　grateful　smile；　but　while　he　smiled；　he　asked　himself　a　serious　question。　　〃Why　the　deuce　does　she　go　on　flattering　me？You　have　always　been　very　kind　to　me；〃　he　said　aloud。

〃It　's　on　Mr。　Wright's　account；〃　she　answered　demurely。

In　speaking　the　words　I　have　just　quoted；　Bernard　Longueville　had　felt　himself；　with　a　certain　compunction；　to　be　skirting　the　edge　of　clever　impudence；　but　Mrs。　Vivian's　quiet　little　reply　suggested　to　him　that　her　cleverness；　if　not　her　impudence；　was　almost　equal　to　his　own。　　He　remarked　to　himself　that　he　had　not　yet　done　her　justice。

〃You　bring　everything　back　to　Gordon　Wright；〃　he　said；　continuing　to　smile。

Mrs。　Vivian　blushed　a　little。

〃It　is　because　he　is　really　at　the　foundation　of　everything　that　is　pleasant　for　us　here。　　When　we　first　came　we　had　some　very　disagreeable　rooms；　and　as　soon　as　he　arrived　he　found　us　some　excellent　onesthat　were　less　expensive。　　And　then；　Mr。　Longueville；〃　she　added；　with　a　soft；　sweet　emphasis　which　should　properly　have　contradicted　the　idea　of　audacity；　but　which；　to　Bernard's　awakened　sense；　seemed　really　to　impart　a　vivid　color　to　it；　〃he　was　also　the　cause　of　your　joining　our　little　party。〃

〃Oh；　among　his　services　that　should　never　be　forgotten。　　You　should　set　up　a　tablet　to　commemorate　it；　in　the　wall　of　the　Kursaal！　The　wicked　little　woman！〃　　Bernard　mentally　subjoined。

Mrs。　Vivian　appeared　quite　unruffled　by　his　sportive　sarcasm；　and　she　continued　to　enumerate　her　obligations　to　Gordon　Wright。

〃There　are　so　many　ways　in　which　a　gentleman　can　be　of　assistance　to　three　poor　lonely　women；　especially　when　he　is　at　the　same　time　so　friendly　and　so　delicate　as　Mr。　Wright。　　I　don't　know　what　we　should　have　done　without　him；　and　I　feel　as　if　every　one　ought　to　know　it。　He　seems　like　a　very　old　friend。　　My　daughter　and　I　quite　worship　him。　I　will　not　conceal　from　you　that　when　I　saw　you　coming　through　the　grounds　a　short　time　ago　without　him　I　was　very　much　disappointed。　　I　hope　he　is　not　ill。〃

Bernard　sat　listening；　with　his　eyes　on　the　ground。

〃Oh　no；　he　is　simply　at　home　writing　letters。〃

Mrs。　Vivian　was　silent　a　moment。

〃I　suppose　he　has　a　very　large　correspondence。〃

〃I　really　don't　know。　　Just　now　that　I　am　with　him　he　has　a　smaller　one　than　usual。〃

〃Ah　yes。　　When　you　are　separated　I　suppose　you　write　volumes　to　each　other。　But　he　must　have　a　great　many　business　letters。〃

〃It　is　very　likely；〃　said　Bernard。　　〃And　if　he　has；　you　may　be　sure　he　writes　them。〃

〃Order　and　method！〃　　Mrs。　Vivian　exclaimed。　　〃With　his　immense　property　those　virtues　are　necessary。〃

Bernard　glanced　at　her　a　moment。

〃My　dear　Lovelock；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃you　are　not　such　a　fool　as　you　seem。　Gordon's　virtues　are　always　necessary；　doubtless；〃　he　went　on。　　〃But　should　you　say　his　property　was　immense？〃

Mrs。　Vivian　made　a　delicate　little　movement　of　deprecation。　〃Oh；　don't　ask　me　to　say！　　I　know　nothing　about　it；　I　only　supposed　he　was　rich。〃

〃He　is　rich；　but　he　is　not　a　Croesus。〃

〃Oh；　you　fashionable　young　men　have　a　standard　of　luxury！〃　said　Mrs。　Vivian；　with　a　little　laugh。　　〃To　a　poverty…stricken　widow　such　a　fortune　as　Mr。　Wright's　seems　magnificent。〃

〃Don't　call　me　such　horrible　names！〃　exclaimed　Bernard。　〃Our　friend　has　certainly　money　enough　and　to　spare。〃

〃That　was　all　I　meant。　　He　once　had　occasion　to　allude　to　his　property；　but　he　was　so　modest；　so　reserved　in　the　tone　he　took　about　it；　that　one　hardly　knew　what　to　think。〃

〃He　is　ashamed　of　being　rich；〃　said　Bernard。　　〃He　would　be　sure　to　represent　everything　unfavorably。〃

〃That　's　just　what　I　thought！〃　　This　ejaculation　was　more　eager　than　Mrs。　Vivian　might　have　intended；　but　even　had　it　been　less　so；　Bernard　was　in　a　mood　to　appreciate　it。　　〃I　felt　that　we　should　make　allowances　for　his　modesty。　　But　it　was　in　very　good　taste；〃　Mrs。　Vivian　added。

〃He　's　a　fortunate　man；〃　said　Bernard。　　〃He　gets　credit　for　his　good　taste　and　he　gets　credit　for　the　full　figure　of　his　income　as　well！〃

〃Ah；〃　murmured　Mrs。　Vivian；　rising　lightly；　as　if　to　make　her　words　appear　more　casual；　〃I　don't　know　the　full　figure　of　his　income。　〃

She　was　turning　away；　and　Bernard；　as　he　raised　his　hat　and　separated　from　her；　felt　that　it　was　rather　cruel　that　he　should　let　her　go　without　enlightening　her　ignorance。　But　he　said　to　himself　that　she　knew　quite　enough。　　Indeed；　he　took　a　walk　along　the　Lichtenthal　Alley　and　carried　out　this　line　of　reflection。　　Whether　or　no　Miss　Vivian　were　in　love　with　Gordon　Wright；　her　mother　was　enamored　of　Gordon's　fortune；　and　it　had　suddenly　occurred　to　her　that　instead　of　treating　the　friend　of　her　daughter's　suitor　with　civil　mistrust；　she　would　help　her　case　better　by　giving　him　a　hint　of　her　state　of　mind　and　appealing　to　his　sense　of　propriety。　Nothing　could　be　more　natural　than　that　Mrs。　Vivian　should　suppo