confidence-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


A　little　timber…and…plaster　village　peeps　out　from　a　tangle　of　plum…trees；　and　a　way…side　tavern；　in　comfortable　recurrence；　solicits　concessions　to　the　national　custom　of　frequent　refreshment。　Gordon　Wright；　who　was　a　dogged　pedestrian；　always　enjoyed　doing　his　ten　miles；　and　Longueville；　who　was　an　incorrigible　stroller；　felt　a　keen　relish　for　the　picturesqueness　of　the　country。　But　it　was　not；　on　this　occasion；　of　the　charms　of　the　landscape　or　the　pleasures　of　locomotion　that　they　chiefly　discoursed。　Their　talk　took　a　more　closely　personal　turn。　　It　was　a　year　since　they　had　met；　and　there　were　many　questions　to　ask　and　answer；　many　arrears　of　gossip　to　make　up。　　As　they　stretched　themselves　on　the　grass　on　a　sun…warmed　hill…side；　beneath　a　great　German　oak　whose　arms　were　quiet　in　the　blue　summer　air；　there　was　a　lively　exchange　of　impressions；　opinions；　speculations；　anecdotes。　　Gordon　Wright　was　surely　an　excellent　friend。　　He　took　an　interest　in　you。　He　asked　no　idle　questions　and　made　no　vague　professions；　but　he　entered　into　your　situation；　he　examined　it　in　detail；　and　what　he　learned　he　never　forgot。　　Months　afterwards；　he　asked　you　about　things　which　you　yourself　had　forgotten。　　He　was　not　a　man　of　whom　it　would　be　generally　said　that　he　had　the　gift　of　sympathy；　but　he　gave　his　attention　to　a　friend's　circumstances　with　a　conscientious　fixedness　which　was　at　least　very　far　removed　from　indifference。　Bernard　had　the　gift　of　sympathyor　at　least　he　was　supposed　to　have　it；　but　even　he；　familiar　as　he　must　therefore　have　been　with　the　practice　of　this　charming　virtue；　was　at　times　so　struck　with　his　friend's　fine　faculty　of　taking　other　people's　affairs　seriously　that　he　constantly　exclaimed　to　himself；　〃The　excellent　fellowthe　admirable　nature！〃

Bernard　had　two　or　three　questions　to　ask　about　the　three　persons　who　appeared　to　have　formed　for　some　time　his　companion's　principal　society；　but　he　was　indisposed　to　press　them。　He　felt　that　he　should　see　for　himself；　and　at　a　prospect　of　entertainment　of　this　kind；　his　fancy　always　kindled。　Gordon　was；　moreover；　at　first　rather　shy　of　confidences；　though　after　they　had　lain　on　the　grass　ten　minutes　there　was　a　good　deal　said。

〃Now　what　do　you　think　of　her　face？〃　　Gordon　asked；　after　staring　a　while　at　the　sky　through　the　oak…boughs。

〃Of　course；　in　future；〃　said　Longueville；　〃whenever　you　make　use　of　the　personal　pronoun　feminine；　I　am　to　understand　that　Miss　Vivian　is　indicated。〃

〃Her　name　is　Angela；〃　said　Gordon；　〃but　of　course　I　can　scarcely　call　her　that。〃

〃It　's　a　beautiful　name；〃　Longueville　rejoined；　〃but　I　may　say；　in　answer　to　your　question；　that　I　am　not　struck　with　the　fact　that　her　face　corresponds　to　it。〃

〃You　don't　think　her　face　beautiful；　then？〃

〃I　don't　think　it　angelic。　　But　how　can　I　tell？　　I　have　only　had　a　glimpse　of　her。〃

〃Wait　till　she　looks　at　you　and　speakswait　till　she　smiles；〃　said　Gordon。

〃I　don't　think　I　saw　her　smileat　least；　not　at　me；　directly。　I　hope　she　will！〃　　Longueville　went　on。　　〃But　who　is　she　this　beautiful　girl　with　the　beautiful　name？〃

〃She　is　her　mother's　daughter；〃　said　Gordon　Wright。　　〃I　don't　really　know　a　great　deal　more　about　her　than　that。〃

〃And　who　is　her　mother？〃

〃A　delightful　little　woman；　devoted　to　Miss　Vivian。　She　is　a　widow；　and　Angela　is　her　only　child。　　They　have　lived　a　great　deal　in　Europe；　they　have　but　a　modest　income。　Over　here；　Mrs。　Vivian　says；　they　can　get　a　lot　of　things　for　their　money　that　they　can't　get　at　home。　　So　they　stay；　you　see。　　When　they　are　at　home　they　live　in　New　York。　They　know　some　of　my　people　there。　　When　they　are　in　Europe　they　live　about　in　different　places。　　They　are　fond　of　Italy。　They　are　extremely　nice；　it　's　impossible　to　be　nicer。　They　are　very　fond　of　books；　fond　of　music；　and　art；　and　all　that。　They　always　read　in　the　morning。　　They　only　come　out　rather　late　in　the　day。〃

〃I　see　they　are　very　superior　people；〃　said　Bernard。　〃And　little　Miss　Everswhat　does　she　do　in　the　morning？　I　know　what　she　does　in　the　evening！〃

〃I　don't　know　what　her　regular　habits　are。　　I　have　n't　paid　much　attention　to　her。　　She　is　very　pretty。〃

〃Wunderschon！〃　said　Bernard。　　〃But　you　were　certainly　talking　to　her　last　evening。〃

〃Of　course　I　talk　to　her　sometimes。　　She　is　totally　different　from　Angela　Viviannot　nearly　so　cultivated；　but　she　seems　very　charming。〃

〃A　little　silly；　eh？〃　　Bernard　suggested。

〃She　certainly　is　not　so　wise　as　Miss　Vivian。〃

〃That　would　be　too　much　to　ask；　eh？　　But　the　Vivians；　as　kind　as　they　are　wise；　have　taken　her　under　their　protection。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Gordon；　〃they　are　to　keep　her　another　month　or　two。　Her　mother　has　gone　to　Marienbad；　which　I　believe　is　thought　a　dull　place　for　a　young　girl；　so　that；　as　they　were　coming　here；　they　offered　to　bring　her　with　them。　Mrs。　Evers　is　an　old　friend　of　Mrs。　Vivian；　who；　on　leaving　Italy；　had　come　up　to　Dresden　to　be　with　her。　　They　spent　a　month　there　together；　Mrs。　Evers　had　been　there　since　the　winter。　I　think　Mrs。　Vivian　really　came　to　Baden…Badenshe　would　have　preferred　a　less　expensive　placeto　bring　Blanche　Evers。　Her　mother　wanted　her　so　much　to　come。〃

〃And　was　it　for　her　sake　that　Captain　Lovelock　came；　too？〃　Bernard　asked。

Gordon　Wright　stared　a　moment。

〃I　'm　sure　I　don't　know！〃

〃Of　course　you　can't　be　interested　in　that；〃　said　Bernard　smiling。　〃Who　is　Captain　Lovelock？〃

〃He　is　an　Englishman。　　I　believe　he　is　what　's　called　aristocratically　connectedthe　younger　brother　of　a　lord；　or　something　of　that　sort。〃

〃Is　he　a　clever　man？〃

〃I　have　n't　talked　with　him　much；　but　I　doubt　it。　　He　is　rather　rakish；　he　plays　a　great　deal。〃

〃But　is　that　considered　here　a　proof　of　rakishness？〃　asked　Bernard。　〃Have　n't　you　played　a　little　yourself？〃

Gordon　hesitated　a　moment。

〃Yes；　I　have　played　a　little。　　I　wanted　to　try　some　experiments。　I　had　made　some　arithmetical　calculations　of　probabilities；　which　I　wished　to　test。〃

Bernard　gave　a　long　laugh。

〃I　am　delighted　with　the　reasons　you　give　for　amusing　yourself！　Arithmetical　calculations！〃

〃I　assure　you　they　are　the　real　reasons！〃　said　Gordon；　blushing　a　little。

〃That　's　just　the　beauty　of　it。　　You　were　not　afraid　of　being　'drawn　in；'　as　little　Miss　Evers　says？〃

〃I　am　never　drawn　in；　whatever　the　thing　may　be。　　I　go　in；　or　I　stay　out；　but　I　am　not　drawn；〃　said　Gordon　Wright。

〃You　were　not　drawn　into　coming　with　Mrs。　Vivian　and　her　daughter　from　Dresden　to　this　place？〃

〃I　did　n't　come　with　them；　I　came　a　week　later。〃

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Bernard；　〃that　distinction　is　unworthy　of　your　habitual　candor。〃

〃Well；　I　was　not　fascinated；　I　was　not　overmastered。　I　wanted　to　come　to　Baden。〃

〃I　have　no　doubt　you　did。　　Had　you　become　very　intimate　with　your　friends　in　Dresden？〃

〃I　had　only　seen　them　three　times。〃

〃After　which　you　followed　them　to　this　place？　　Ah；　don't　say　you　were　not　fascinated！〃　cried　Bernard；　laughing　and　springing　to　his　feet。






CHAPTER　VI

That　evening；　in　the　gardens　of　the　Kursaal；　he　renewed　acquaintance　with　Angela　Vivian。　　Her　mother　came；　as　usual；　to　sit　and　listen　to　the　music；　accompanied　by　Blanche　Evers；　who　was　in　turn　attended　by　Captain　Lovelock。　This　little　party　found　privacy　in　the　crowd；　they　seated　themselves　in　a　quiet　corner　in　an　angle　of　one　of　the　barriers　of　the　terrace；　while　the　movement　of　the　brilliant　Baden　world　went　on　around　them。　Gordon　Wright　engaged　in　conversation　with　Mrs。　Vivian；　while　Bernard　enjoyed　an　interview　with　her　daughter。　　This　young　lady　continued　to　ignore　the　fact　of　their　previous　meeting；　and　our　hero　said　to　himself　that　all　he　wished　was　to　know　what　she　preferredhe　would　rigidly　conform　to　it。　　He　conformed　to　her　present　programme；　he　had　ventured　to　pronounce　the　word　Siena　the　evening　before；　but　he　was　careful　not　to　pronounce　it　again。　　She　had　her　reasons　for　her　own　reserve；　he　wondered　what　they　were；　and　it　gave　him　a　certain　pleasure　to　wonder。　He　enjoyed　the　consciousness　of　their　having　a　secret　together；　and　it　became　a　kind　of　entertaining　suspense　to　see　how　long　she　would　continue　to　keep　it。　　For　himself；　he　was　in　no　hurry　to　let　the　daylight　in；　the　little　incident　at　Siena　had　been；　i