confidence-第18章
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〃And if you think it 's improper；〃 she exclaimed； 〃it 's not my invention it 's Miss Vivian's。〃
〃I beg pardonit 's mine；〃 said Captain Lovelock。 〃I desire the credit of it。 I started the idea； you never would have come without me。〃
〃I think it would have been more proper to come without you than with you；〃 Blanche declared。 〃You know you 're a dreadful character。〃
〃I 'm much worse when I 'm away from you than when I 'm with you；〃 said Lovelock。 〃You keep me in order。〃
The young girl gave a little cry。
〃I don't know what you call order！ You can't be worse than you have been to…night。〃
Angela was not listening to this； she turned away a little； looking about at the empty garden。
〃This is the third time to…day that you have contradicted yourself；〃 he said。 Though he spoke softly he went nearer to her； but she appeared not to hear himshe looked away。
〃You ought to have been there； Mr。 Longueville；〃 Blanche went on。 〃We have had a most lovely night； we sat all the evening on Mrs。 Vivian's balcony； eating ices。 To sit on a balcony； eating ices that 's my idea of heaven。〃
〃With an angel by your side；〃 said Captain Lovelock。
〃You are not my idea of an angel；〃 retorted Blanche。
〃I 'm afraid you 'll never learn what the angels are really like；〃 said the Captain。 〃That 's why Miss Evers got Mrs。 Vivian to take rooms over the baker'sso that she could have ices sent up several times a day。 Well； I 'm bound to say the baker's ices are not bad。〃
〃Considering that they have been baked！ But they affect the mind；〃 Blanche went on。 〃They would have affected Captain Lovelock's only he has n't any。 They certainly affected Angela's putting it into her head； at eleven o'clock； to come out to walk。〃
Angela did nothing whatever to defend herself against this ingenious sally； she simply stood there in graceful abstraction。 Bernard was vaguely vexed at her neither looking at him nor speaking to him； her indifference seemed a contravention of that right of criticism which Gordon had bequeathed to him。
〃I supposed people went to bed at eleven o'clock；〃 he said。
Angela glanced about her； without meeting his eye。
〃They seem to have gone。〃
Miss Evers strolled on； and her Captain of course kept pace with her； so that Bernard and Miss Vivian were left standing together。 He looked at her a moment in silence； but her eye still avoided his own。
〃You are remarkably inconsistent；〃 Bernard presently said。 〃You take a solemn vow of seclusion this afternoon； and no sooner have you taken it than you proceed to break it in this outrageous manner。〃
She looked at him nowa long timelonger than she had ever done before。
〃This is part of the examination； I suppose；〃 she said。
Bernard hesitated an instant。
〃What examination？〃
〃The one you have undertakenon Mr。 Wright's behalf。〃
〃What do you know about that？〃
〃Ah； you admit it then？〃 the girl exclaimed； with an eager laugh。
〃I don't in the least admit it；〃 said Bernard； conscious only for the moment of the duty of loyalty to his friend and feeling that negation here was simply a point of honor。
〃I trust more to my own conviction than to your denial。 You have engaged to bring your superior wisdom and your immense experience to bear upon me！ That 's the understanding。〃
〃You must think us a pretty pair of wiseacres；〃 said Bernard。
〃There it isyou already begin to answer for what I think。 When Mr。 Wright comes back you will be able to tell him that I am 'outrageous'！〃 And she turned away and walked on； slowly following her companions。
〃What do you care what I tell him？〃 Bernard asked。 〃You don't care a straw。〃
She said nothing for a moment； then； suddenly； she stopped again； dropping her eyes。
〃I beg your pardon；〃 she said； very gently； 〃I care a great deal。 It 's as well that you should know that。〃
Bernard stood looking at her； her eyes were still lowered。
〃Do you know what I shall tell him？ I shall tell him that about eleven o'clock at night you become peculiarly attractive。〃
She went on again a few steps； Miss Evers and Captain Lovelock had turned round and were coming toward her。
〃It is very true that I am outrageous；〃 she said； 〃it was extremely silly and in very bad taste to come out at this hour。 Mamma was not at all pleased； and I was very unkind to her。 I only wanted to take a turn； and now we will go back。〃 On the others coming up she announced this resolution； and though Captain Lovelock and his companion made a great outcry； she carried her point。 Bernard offered no opposition。 He contented himself with walking back to her mother's lodging with her almost in silence。 The little winding streets were still and empty； there was no sound but the chatter and laughter of Blanche and her attendant swain。 Angela said nothing。
This incident presented itself at first to Bernard's mind as a sort of declaration of war。 The girl had guessed that she was to be made a subject of speculative scrutiny。 The idea was not agreeable to her independent spirit； and she placed herself boldly on the defensive。 She took her stand upon her right to defeat his purpose by every possible means to perplex； elude； deceive himin plain English； to make a fool of him。 This was the construction which for several days Bernard put upon her deportment； at the same time that he thought it immensely clever of her to have guessed what had been going on in his mind。 She made him feel very much ashamed of his critical attitude； and he did everything he could think of to put her off her guard and persuade her that for the moment he had ceased to be an observer。 His position at moments seemed to him an odious one； for he was firmly resolved that between him and the woman to whom his friend had proposed there should be nothing in the way of a vulgar flirtation。 Under the circumstances； it savoured both of flirtation and of vulgarity that they should even fall out with each other a consummation which appeared to be more or less definitely impending。 Bernard remarked to himself that his own only reasonable line of conduct would be instantly to leave Baden； but I am almost ashamed to mention the fact which led him to modify this decision。 It was simply that he was induced to make the reflection that he had really succeeded in putting Miss Vivian off her guard。 How he had done so he would have found it difficult to explain； inasmuch as in one way or another； for a week； he had spent several hours in talk with her。 The most effective way of putting her off her guard would have been to leave her alone； to forswear the privilege of conversation with her； to pass the days in other society。 This course would have had the drawback of not enabling him to measure the operation of so ingenious a policy； and Bernard liked； of all the things in the world； to know when he was successful。 He believed； at all events； that he was successful now； and that the virtue of his conversation itself had persuaded this keen and brilliant girl that he was thinking of anything in the world but herself。 He flattered himself that the civil indifference of his manner； the abstract character of the topics he selected； the irrelevancy of his allusions and the laxity of his attention； all contributed to this result。
Such a result was certainly a remarkable one； for it is almost superfluous to intimate that Miss Vivian was； in fact； perpetually in his thoughts。 He made it a point of conscience not to think of her； but he was thinking of her most when his conscience was most lively。 Bernard had a conscience a conscience which； though a little irregular in its motions； gave itself in the long run a great deal of exercise； but nothing could have been more natural than that； curious； imaginative； audacious as he was； and delighting； as I have said； in the play of his singularly nimble intelligence； he should have given himself up to a sort of unconscious experimentation。 〃I will leave her aloneI will be hanged if I attempt to draw her out！〃 he said to himself； and meanwhile he was roaming afield and plucking personal impressions in great fragrant handfuls。 All this； as I say； was natural； given the man and the situation； the only oddity is that he should have fancied himself
