confidence-第3章

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〃The　temptation　was　so　great。〃

〃We　should　resist　temptation。　　And　you　should　have　asked　my　leave。〃

〃I　was　afraid　you　would　refuse　it；　and　you　stood　there；　just　in　my　line　of　vision。〃

〃You　should　have　asked　me　to　get　out　of　it。〃

〃I　should　have　been　very　sorry。　　Besides；　it　would　have　been　extremely　rude。〃

The　young　girl　looked　at　him　a　moment。

〃Yes；　I　think　it　would。　　But　what　you　have　done　is　ruder。〃

〃It　is　a　hard　case！〃　said　Longueville。　　〃What　could　I　have　done；　then；　decently？〃

〃It　's　a　beautiful　drawing；〃　murmured　the　elder　lady；　handing　the　thing　back　to　Longueville。　　Her　daughter；　meanwhile；　had　not　even　glanced　at　it。

〃You　might　have　waited　till　I　should　go　away；〃　this　argumentative　young　person　continued。

Longueville　shook　his　head。

〃I　never　lose　opportunities！〃

〃You　might　have　sketched　me　afterwards；　from　memory。〃

Longueville　looked　at　her；　smiling。

〃Judge　how　much　better　my　memory　will　be　now！〃

She　also　smiled　a　little；　but　instantly　became　serious。

〃For　myself；　it　's　an　episode　I　shall　try　to　forget。　I　don't　like　the　part　I　have　played　in　it。〃

〃May　you　never　play　a　less　becoming　one！〃　cried　Longueville。　　〃I　hope　that　your　mother；　at　least；　will　accept　a　memento　of　the　occasion。〃　And　he　turned　again　with　his　sketch　to　her　companion；　who　had　been　listening　to　the　girl's　conversation　with　this　enterprising　stranger；　and　looking　from　one　to　the　other　with　an　air　of　earnest　confusion。　〃Won't　you　do　me　the　honor　of　keeping　my　sketch？〃　he　said。　　〃I　think　it　really　looks　like　your　daughter。〃

〃Oh；　thank　you；　thank　you；　I　hardly　dare；〃　murmured　the　lady；　with　a　deprecating　gesture。

〃It　will　serve　as　a　kind　of　amends　for　the　liberty　I　have　taken；〃　Longueville　added；　and　he　began　to　remove　the　drawing　from　its　paper　block。

〃It　makes　it　worse　for　you　to　give　it　to　us；〃　said　the　young　girl。

〃Oh；　my　dear；　I　am　sure　it　's　lovely！〃　exclaimed　her　mother。　〃It　's　wonderfully　like　you。〃

〃I　think　that　also　makes　it　worse！〃

Longueville　was　at　last　nettled。　　The　young　lady's　perversity　was　perhaps　not　exactly　malignant；　but　it　was　certainly　ungracious。　She　seemed　to　desire　to　present　herself　as　a　beautiful　tormentress。

〃How　does　it　make　it　worse？〃　he　asked；　with　a　frown。

He　believed　she　was　clever；　and　she　was　certainly　ready。　Now；　however；　she　reflected　a　moment　before　answering。

〃That　you　should　give　us　your　sketch；〃　she　said　at　last。

〃It　was　to　your　mother　I　offered　it；〃　Longueville　observed。

But　this　observation；　the　fruit　of　his　irritation；　appeared　to　have　no　effect　upon　the　young　girl。

〃Is　n't　it　what　painters　call　a　study？〃　she　went　on。　〃A　study　is　of　use　to　the　painter　himself。　　Your　justification　would　be　that　you　should　keep　your　sketch；　and　that　it　might　be　of　use　to　you。〃

〃My　daughter　is　a　study；　sir；　you　will　say；〃　said　the　elder　lady　in　a　little；　light；　conciliating　voice；　and　graciously　accepting　the　drawing　again。

〃I　will　admit；〃　said　Longueville；　〃that　I　am　very　inconsistent。　Set　it　down　to　my　esteem；　madam；〃　he　added；　looking　at　the　mother。

〃That　's　for　you；　mamma；〃　said　his　model；　disengaging　her　arm　from　her　mother's　hand　and　turning　away。

The　mamma　stood　looking　at　the　sketch　with　a　smile　which　seemed　to　express　a　tender　desire　to　reconcile　all　accidents。

〃It　's　extremely　beautiful；〃　she　murmured；　〃and　if　you　insist　on　my　taking　it〃

〃I　shall　regard　it　as　a　great　honor。〃

〃Very　well；　then；　with　many　thanks；　I　will　keep　it。〃　　She　looked　at　the　young　man　a　moment；　while　her　daughter　walked　away。　Longueville　thought　her　a　delightful　little　person；　she　struck　him　as　a　sort　of　transfigured　Quakeressa　mystic　with　a　practical　side。　　〃I　am　sure　you　think　she　's　a　strange　girl；〃　she　said。

〃She　is　extremely　pretty。〃

〃She　is　very　clever；〃　said　the　mother。

〃She　is　wonderfully　graceful。〃

〃Ah；　but　she　's　good！〃　cried　the　old　lady。

〃I　am　sure　she　comes　honestly　by　that；〃　said　Longueville；　expressively；　while　his　companion；　returning　his　salutation　with　a　certain　scrupulous　grace　of　her　own；　hurried　after　her　daughter。

Longueville　remained　there　staring　at　the　view　but　not　especially　seeing　it。　He　felt　as　if　he　had　at　once　enjoyed　and　lost　an　opportunity。　After　a　while　he　tried　to　make　a　sketch　of　the　old　beggar…woman　who　sat　there　in　a　sort　of　palsied　immobility；　like　a　rickety　statue　at　a　church…door。　But　his　attempt　to　reproduce　her　features　was　not　gratifying；　and　he　suddenly　laid　down　his　brush。　　She　was　not　pretty　enough　she　had　a　bad　profile。







CHAPTER　II

Two　months　later　Bernard　Longueville　was　at　Venice；　still　under　the　impression　that　he　was　leaving　Italy。　He　was　not　a　man　who　made　plans　and　held　to　them。　He　made　them；　indeedfew　men　made　morebut　he　made　them　as　a　basis　for　variation。　　He　had　gone　to　Venice　to　spend　a　fortnight；　and　his　fortnight　had　taken　the　form　of　eight　enchanting　weeks。　He　had　still　a　sort　of　conviction　that　he　was　carrying　out　his　plans；　for　it　must　be　confessed　that　where　his　pleasure　was　concerned　he　had　considerable　skill　in　accommodating　his　theory　to　his　practice。　　His　enjoyment　of　Venice　was　extreme；　but　he　was　roused　from　it　by　a　summons　he　was　indisposed　to　resist。　This　consisted　of　a　letter　from　an　intimate　friend　who　was　living　in　Germanya　friend　whose　name　was　Gordon　Wright。　He　had　been　spending　the　winter　in　Dresden；　but　his　letter　bore　the　date　of　Baden…Baden。　As　it　was　not　long；　I　may　give　it　entire。

〃I　wish　very　much　that　you　would　come　to　this　place。　　I　think　you　have　been　here　before；　so　that　you　know　how　pretty　it　is；　and　how　amusing。　　I　shall　probably　be　here　the　rest　of　the　summer。　There　are　some　people　I　know　and　whom　I　want　you　to　know。　Be　so　good　as　to　arrive。　　Then　I　will　thank　you　properly　for　your　various　Italian　rhapsodies。　　I　can't　reply　on　the　same　scale　I　have　n't　the　time。　　Do　you　know　what　I　am　doing？　I　am　making　love。　　I　find　it　a　most　absorbing　occupation。　That　is　literally　why　I　have　not　written　to　you　before。　I　have　been　making　love　ever　since　the　last　of　May。　It　takes　an　immense　amount　of　time；　and　everything　else　has　got　terribly　behindhand。　　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　the　experiment　itself　has　gone　on　very　fast；　but　I　am　trying　to　push　it　forward。　　I　have　n't　yet　had　time　to　test　its　success；　but　in　this　I　want　your　help。　　You　know　we　great　physicists　never　make　an　experiment　without　an　'assistant'a　humble　individual　who　burns　his　fingers　and　stains　his　clothes　in　the　cause　of　science；　but　whose　interest　in　the　problem　is　only　indirect。　　I　want　you　to　be　my　assistant；　and　I　will　guarantee　that　your　burns　and　stains　shall　not　be　dangerous。　She　is　an　extremely　interesting　girl；　and　I　really　want　you　to　see　herI　want　to　know　what　you　think　of　her。　　She　wants　to　know　you；　too；　for　I　have　talked　a　good　deal　about　you。　There　you　have　it；　if　gratified　vanity　will　help　you　on　the　way。　Seriously；　this　is　a　real　request。　　I　want　your　opinion；　your　impression。　　I　want　to　see　how　she　will　affect　you。　I　don't　say　I　ask　for　your　advice；　that；　of　course；　you　will　not　undertake　to　give。　　But　I　desire　a　definition；　a　characterization；　you　know　you　toss　off　those　things。　I　don't　see　why　I　should　n't　tell　you　all　thisI　have　always　told　you　everything。　　I　have　never　pretended　to　know　anything　about　women；　but　I　have　always　supposed　that　you　knew　everything。　You　certainly　have　always　had　the　tone　of　that　sort　of　omniscience。　　So　come　here　as　soon　as　possible　and　let　me　see　that　you　are　not　a　humbug。　　She　's　a　very　handsome　girl。〃

Longueville　was　so　much　amused　with　this　appeal　that　he　very　soon　started　for　Germany。　　In　the　reader；　Gordon　Wright's　letter　will；　perhaps；　excite　surprise　rather　than　hilarity；　but　Longueville　thought　it　highly　characteristic　of　his　friend。　What　it　especially　pointed　to　was　Gordon's　want　of　imagination　a　deficiency　which　was　a　matter　of　common　jocular　allusion　between　the　two　young　men；　each　of　whom　kept　a　collection　of　acknowledged　oddities　as　a　playground　for　the　other's　wit。　Bernard　had　often　spoken　of　his　comrade's　want　of　imagination　as　a　bottomless　pit；　into　which　Gordon　was　perpetually　inviting　him　to　lower　himself。　　〃My　dear　fellow；〃　Bernard　said；　〃you　must　really　excuse　me；　I　cannot　take　these　subterranean　excurs