confidence-第7章

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〃Which　of　them　is　what？〃　　Gordon　asked；　staring　at　his　companion。

〃Oh；　come；〃　said　Longueville；　〃you　are　not　going　to　begin　to　play　at　modesty　at　this　hour！　　Did　n't　you　write　to　me　that　you　had　been　making　violent　love？〃

〃Violent？　　No。〃

〃The　more　shame　to　you！　　Has　your　love…making　been　feeble？〃

His　friend　looked　at　him　a　moment　rather　soberly。

〃I　suppose　you　thought　it　a　queer　documentthat　letter　I　wrote　you。〃

〃I　thought　it　characteristic；〃　said　Longueville　smiling。

〃Is　n't　that　the　same　thing？〃

〃Not　in　the　least。　　I　have　never　thought　you　a　man　of　oddities。〃　Gordon　stood　there　looking　at　him　with　a　serious　eye；　half　appealing；　half　questioning；　but　at　these　last　words　he　glanced　away。　Even　a　very　modest　man　may　wince　a　little　at　hearing　himself　denied　the　distinction　of　a　few　variations　from　the　common　type。　Longueville　made　this　reflection；　and　it　struck　him；　also；　that　his　companion　was　in　a　graver　mood　than　he　had　expected；　though　why；　after　all；　should　he　have　been　in　a　state　of　exhilaration？　〃Your　letter　was　a　very　natural；　interesting　one；〃　Bernard　added。

〃Well；　you　see；〃　said　Gordon；　facing　his　companion　again；　〃I　have　been　a　good　deal　preoccupied。〃

〃Obviously；　my　dear　fellow！〃

〃I　want　very　much　to　marry。〃

〃It　's　a　capital　idea；〃　said　Longueville。

〃I　think　almost　as　well　of　it；〃　his　friend　declared；　〃as　if　I　had　invented　it。　　It　has　struck　me　for　the　first　time。〃

These　words　were　uttered　with　a　mild　simplicity　which　provoked　Longueville　to　violent　laughter。

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃you　have；　after　all；　your　little　oddities。〃

Singularly　enough；　however；　Gordon　Wright　failed　to　appear　flattered　by　this　concession。

〃I　did　n't　send　for　you　to　laugh　at　me；〃　he　said。

〃Ah；　but　I　have　n't　travelled　three　hundred　miles　to　cry！　Seriously；　solemnly；　then；　it　is　one　of　these　young　ladies　that　has　put　marriage　into　your　head？〃

〃Not　at　all。　　I　had　it　in　my　head。〃

〃Having　a　desire　to　marry；　you　proceeded　to　fall　in　love。〃

〃I　am　not　in　love！〃　said　Gordon　Wright；　with　some　energy。

〃Ah；　then；　my　dear　fellow；　why　did　you　send　for　me？〃

Wright　looked　at　him　an　instant　in　silence。

〃Because　I　thought　you　were　a　good　fellow；　as　well　as　a　clever　one。〃

〃A　good　fellow！〃　repeated　Longueville。　　〃I　don't　understand　your　confounded　scientific　nomenclature。　　But　excuse　me；　I　won't　laugh。　I　am　not　a　clever　fellow；　but　I　am　a　good　one。〃　　He　paused　a　moment；　and　then　laid　his　hand　on　his　companion's　shoulder。　　〃My　dear　Gordon；　it　's　no　use；　you　are　in　love。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　want　to　be；〃　said　Wright。

〃Heavens；　what　a　horrible　sentiment！〃

〃I　want　to　marry　with　my　eyes　open。　　I　want　to　know　my　wife。　You　don't　know　people　when　you　are　in　love　with　them。　Your　impressions　are　colored。〃

〃They　are　supposed　to　be；　slightly。　　And　you　object　to　color？〃

〃Well；　as　I　say；　I　want　to　know　the　woman　I　marry；　as　I　should　know　any　one　else。　　I　want　to　see　her　as　clearly。〃

〃Depend　upon　it；　you　have　too　great　an　appetite　for　knowledge；　you　set　too　high　an　esteem　upon　the　dry　light　of　science。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Gordon　promptly；　〃of　course　I　want　to　be　fond　of　her。〃

Bernard；　in　spite　of　his　protest；　began　to　laugh　again。

〃My　dear　Gordon；　you　are　better　than　your　theories。　Your　passionate　heart　contradicts　your　frigid　intellect。　I　repeat　ityou　are　in　love。〃

〃Please　don't　repeat　it　again；〃　said　Wright。

Bernard　took　his　arm；　and　they　walked　along。

〃What　shall　I　call　it；　then？　　You　are　engaged　in　making　studies　for　matrimony。〃

〃I　don't　in　the　least　object　to　your　calling　it　that。　My　studies　are　of　extreme　interest。〃

〃And　one　of　those　young　ladies　is　the　fair　volume　that　contains　the　precious　lesson；〃　said　Longueville。　　〃Or　perhaps　your　text…book　is　in　two　volumes？〃

〃No；　there　is　one　of　them　I　am　not　studying　at　all。　　I　never　could　do　two　things　at　once。〃

〃That　proves　you　are　in　love。　　One　can't　be　in　love　with　two　women　at　once；　but　one　may　perfectly　have　two　of　themor　as　many　as　you　please　up　for　a　competitive　examination。　　However；　as　I　asked　you　before；　which　of　these　young　ladies　is　it　that　you　have　selected？〃

Gordon　Wright　stopped　abruptly；　eying　his　friend。

〃Which　should　you　say？〃

〃Ah；　that　's　not　a　fair　question；〃　Bernard　urged。　　〃It　would　be　invidious　for　me　to　name　one　rather　than　the　other；　and　if　I　were　to　mention　the　wrong　one；　I　should　feel　as　if　I　had　been　guilty　of　a　rudeness　towards　the　other。　Don't　you　see？〃

Gordon　saw；　perhaps；　but　he　held　to　his　idea　of　making　his　companion　commit　himself。

〃Never　mind　the　rudeness。　　I　will　do　the　same　by　you　some　day；　to　make　it　up。　Which　of　them　should　you　think　me　likely　to　have　taken　a　fancy　to？　On　general　grounds；　now；　from　what　you　know　of　me？〃　　He　proposed　this　problem　with　an　animated　eye。

〃You　forget；〃　his　friend　said；　〃that　though　I　know；　thank　heaven；　a　good　deal　of　you；　I　know　very　little　of　either　of　those　girls。　I　have　had　too　little　evidence。〃

〃Yes；　but　you　are　a　man　who　notices。　　That　's　why　I　wanted　you　to　come。　〃

〃I　spoke　only　to　Miss　Evers。〃

〃Yes；　I　know　you　have　never　spoken　to　Miss　Vivian。〃　　Gordon　Wright　stood　looking　at　Bernard　and　urging　his　point　as　he　pronounced　these　words。　　Bernard　felt　peculiarly　conscious　of　his　gaze。　The　words　represented　an　illusion；　and　Longueville　asked　himself　quickly　whether　it　were　not　his　duty　to　dispel　it。　The　answer　came　more　slowly　than　the　question；　but　still　it　came；　in　the　shape　of　a　negative。　　The　illusion　was　but　a　trifling　one；　and　it　was　not　for　him；　after　all；　to　let　his　friend　know　that　he　had　already　met　Miss　Vivian。　It　was　for　the　young　girl　herself；　and　since　she　had　not　done　so　although　she　had　the　opportunityLongueville　said　to　himself　that　he　was　bound　in　honor　not　to　speak。　　These　reflections　were　very　soon　made；　but　in　the　midst　of　them　our　young　man；　thanks　to　a　great　agility　of　mind；　found　time　to　observe；　tacitly；　that　it　was　odd；　just　there；　to　see　his　〃honor〃　thrusting　in　its　nose。　　Miss　Vivian；　in　her　own　good　time；　would　doubtless　mention　to　Gordon　the　little　incident　of　Siena。　It　was　Bernard's　fancy；　for　a　moment；　that　he　already　knew　it；　and　that　the　remark　he　had　just　uttered　had　an　ironical　accent；　but　this　impression　was　completely　dissipated　by　the　tone　in　which　he　added〃All　the　same；　you　noticed　her。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　she　is　very　noticeable。〃

〃Well；　then；〃　said　Gordon；　〃you　will　see。　　I　should　like　you　to　make　it　out。　Of　course；　if　I　am　really　giving　my　attention　to　one　to　the　exclusion　of　the　other；　it　will　be　easy　to　discover。〃

Longueville　was　half　amused；　half　irritated　by　his　friend's　own　relish　of　his　little　puzzle。　　〃　'The　exclusion　of　the　other'　has　an　awkward　sound；〃　he　answered；　as　they　walked　on。　　〃Am　I　to　notice　that　you　are　very　rude　to　one　of　the　young　ladies？〃

〃Oh　dear；　no。　　Do　you　think　there　is　a　danger　of　that？〃

〃Well；〃　said　Longueville；　〃I　have　already　guessed。〃

Gordon　Wright　remonstrated。　　〃Don't　guess　yetwait　a　few　days。　I　won't　tell　you　now。〃

〃Let　us　see　if　he　does　n't　tell　me；〃　said　Bernard；　privately。　And　he　meditated　a　moment。　　〃When　I　presented　myself；　you　were　sitting　very　close　to　Miss　Evers　and　talking　very　earnestly。　Your　head　was　bent　toward　herit　was　very　lover…like。　Decidedly；　Miss　Evers　is　the　object！〃

For　a　single　instant　Gordon　Wright　hesitated；　and　then〃I　hope　I　have　n't　seemed　rude　to　Miss　Vivian！〃　he　exclaimed。

Bernard　broke　into　a　light　laugh。　　〃My　dear　Gordon；　you　are　very　much　in　love！〃　he　remarked；　as　they　arrived　at　their　hotel。






CHAPTER　V

Life　at　baden…baden　proved　a　very　sociable　affair；　and　Bernard　Longueville　perceived　that　he　should　not　lack　opportunity　for　the　exercise　of　those　gifts　of　intelligence　to　which　Gordon　Wright　had　appealed。　The　two　friends　took　long　walks　through　the　woods　and　over　the　mountains；　and　they　mingled　with　human　life　in　the　crowded　precincts　of　the　Conversation…house。　They　engaged　in　a　ramble　on　the　morning　after　Bernard's　arrival；　and　wandered　far　away；　over　hill　and　dale。　The　Baden　forests　are　superb；　and　the　composition　of　the　landscape　is　most　effective。　　There　is　always　a　bosky　dell　in　the　foreground；　and　a　purple　crag　embellished　with　a　ruined　tower　at　a　proper　angle。　A　little　timber…a