confidence-第9章

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t。　　For　himself；　he　was　in　no　hurry　to　let　the　daylight　in；　the　little　incident　at　Siena　had　been；　in　itself；　a　charming　affair；　but　Miss　Vivian's　present　attitude　gave　it　a　sort　of　mystic　consecration。　He　thought　she　carried　it　off　very　wellthe　theory　that　she　had　not　seen　him　before；　last　evening　she　had　been　slightly　confused；　but　now　she　was　as　self…possessed　as　if　the　line　she　had　taken　were　a　matter　of　conscience。　　Why　should　it　be　a　matter　of　conscience？　Was　she　in　love　with　Gordon　Wright；　and　did　she　wish；　in　consequence；　to　forgetand　wish　him　not　to　suspectthat　she　had　ever　received　an　expression　of　admiration　from　another　man？　　This　was　not　likely；　it　was　not　likely；　at　least；　that　Miss　Vivian　wished　to　pass　for　a　prodigy　of　innocence；　for　if　to　be　admired　is　to　pay　a　tribute　to　corruption；　it　was　perfectly　obvious　that　so　handsome　a　girl　must　have　tasted　of　the　tree　of　knowledge。　　As　for　her　being　in　love　with　Gordon　Wright；　that　of　course　was　another　affair；　and　Bernard　did　not　pretend；　as　yet；　to　have　an　opinion　on　this　point；　beyond　hoping　very　much　that　she　might　be。

He　was　not　wrong　in　the　impression　of　her　good　looks　that　he　had　carried　away　from　the　short　interview　at　Siena。　She　had　a　charmingly　chiselled　face；　with　a　free；　pure　outline；　a　clear；　fair　complexion；　and　the　eyes　and　hair　of　a　dusky　beauty。　Her　features　had　a　firmness　which　suggested　tranquillity；　and　yet　her　expression　was　light　and　quick；　a　combination　or　a　contradictionwhich　gave　an　original　stamp　to　her　beauty。　Bernard　remembered　that　he　had　thought　it　a　trifle　〃bold〃；　but　he　now　perceived　that　this　had　been　but　a　vulgar　misreading　of　her　dark；　direct；　observant　eye。　　The　eye　was　a　charming　one；　Bernard　discovered　in　it；　little　by　little；　all　sorts　of　things；　and　Miss　Vivian　was；　for　the　present；　simply　a　handsome；　intelligent；　smiling　girl。　　He　gave　her　an　opportunity　to　make　an　allusion　to　Siena；　he　said　to　her　that　his　friend　told　him　that　she　and　her　mother　had　been　spending　the　winter　in　Italy。

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Angela　Vivian；　〃we　were　in　the　far　south；　we　were　five　months　at　Sorrento。〃

〃And　nowhere　else？〃

〃We　spent　a　few　days　in　Rome。　　We　usually　prefer　the　quiet　places；　that　is　my　mother's　taste。〃

〃It　was　not　your　mother's　taste；　then；〃　said　Bernard；　〃that　brought　you　to　Baden？〃

She　looked　at　him　a　moment。

〃You　mean　that　Baden　is　not　quiet？〃

Longueville　glanced　about　at　the　moving；　murmuring　crowd；　at　the　lighted　windows　of　the　Conversation…house；　at　the　great　orchestra　perched　up　in　its　pagoda。

〃This　is　not　my　idea　of　absolute　tranquillity。〃

〃Nor　mine；　either；〃　said　Miss　Vivian。　　〃I　am　not　fond　of　absolute　tranquillity。〃

〃How　do　you　arrange　it；　then；　with　your　mother？〃

Again　she　looked　at　him　a　moment；　with　her　clever；　slightly　mocking　smile。

〃As　you　see。　　By　making　her　come　where　I　wish。〃

〃You　have　a　strong　will；〃　said　Bernard。　　〃I　see　that。〃

〃No。　I　have　simply　a　weak　mother。　　But　I　make　sacrifices　too；　sometimes。〃

〃What　do　you　call　sacrifices？〃

〃Well；　spending　the　winter　at　Sorrento。〃

Bernard　began　to　laugh；　and　then　he　told　her　she　must　have　had　a　very　happy　life〃to　call　a　winter　at　Sorrento　a　sacrifice。〃

〃It　depends　upon　what　one　gives　up；〃　said　Miss　Vivian。

〃What　did　you　give　up？〃

She　touched　him　with　her　mocking　smile　again。

〃That　is　not　a　very　civil　question；　asked　in　that　way。〃

〃You　mean　that　I　seem　to　doubt　your　abnegation？〃

〃You　seem　to　insinuate　that　I　had　nothing　to　renounce。　　I　gave　up　I　gave　up〃　and　she　looked　about　her；　considering　a　little〃I　gave　up　society。〃

〃I　am　glad　you　remember　what　it　was；〃　said　Bernard。　〃If　I　have　seemed　uncivil；　let　me　make　it　up。　　When　a　woman　speaks　of　giving　up　society；　what　she　means　is　giving　up　admiration。　You　can　never　have　given　up　thatyou　can　never　have　escaped　from　it。　You　must　have　found　it　even　at　Sorrento。〃

〃It　may　have　been　there；　but　I　never　found　it。　　It　was　very　respectful　it　never　expressed　itself。〃

〃That　is　the　deepest　kind；〃　said　Bernard。

〃I　prefer　the　shallower　varieties；〃　the　young　girl　answered。

〃Well；〃　said　Bernard；　〃you　must　remember　that　although　shallow　admiration　expresses　itself；　all　the　admiration　that　expresses　itself　is　not　shallow。〃

Miss　Vivian　hesitated　a　moment。

〃Some　of　it　is　impertinent；〃　she　said；　looking　straight　at　him；　rather　gravely。

Bernard　hesitated　about　as　long。

〃When　it　is　impertinent　it　is　shallow。　　That　comes　to　the　same　thing。〃

The　young　girl　frowned　a　little。

〃I　am　not　sure　that　I　understandI　am　rather　stupid。　But　you　see　how　right　I　am　in　my　taste　for　such　places　as　this。　I　have　to　come　here　to　hear　such　ingenious　remarks。〃

〃You　should　add　that　my　coming；　as　well；　has　something　to　do　with　it。〃

〃Everything！〃　said　Miss　Vivian。

〃Everything？　　Does　no　one　else　make　ingenious　remarks？　Does　n't　my　friend　Wright？〃

〃Mr。　Wright　says　excellent　things；　but　I　should　not　exactly　call　them　ingenious　remarks。〃

〃It　is　not　what　Wright　says；　it　's　what　he　does。　　That　's　the　charm！〃　said　Bernard。

His　companion　was　silent　for　a　moment。　　〃That　's　not　usually　a　charm；　good　conduct　is　not　thought　pleasing。〃

〃It　surely　is　not　thought　the　reverse！〃　　Bernard　exclaimed。

〃It　does　n't　rankin　the　opinion　of　most　peopleamong　the　things　that　make　men　agreeable。〃

〃It　depends　upon　what　you　call　agreeable。〃

〃Exactly　so；〃　said　Miss　Vivian。　　〃It　all　depends　on　that。〃

〃But　the　agreeable；〃　Bernard　went　on〃it　is　n't　after　all；　fortunately；　such　a　subtle　idea！　　The　world　certainly　is　agreed　to　think　that　virtue　is　a　beautiful　thing。〃

Miss　Vivian　dropped　her　eyes　a　moment；　and　then；　looking　up；

〃Is　it　a　charm？〃　she　asked。

〃For　me　there　is　no　charm　without　it；〃　Bernard　declared。

〃I　am　afraid　that　for　me　there　is；〃　said　the　young　girl。

Bernard　was　puzzledhe　who　was　not　often　puzzled。　His　companion　struck　him　as　altogether　too　clever　to　be　likely　to　indulge　in　a　silly　affectation　of　cynicism。　And　yet；　without　this；　how　could　one　account　for　her　sneering　at　virtue？

〃You　talk　as　if　you　had　sounded　the　depths　of　vice！〃　he　said；　laughing。　〃What　do　you　know　about　other　than　virtuous　charms？〃

〃I　know；　of　course；　nothing　about　vice；　but　I　have　known　virtue　when　it　was　very　tiresome。〃

〃Ah；　then　it　was　a　poor　affair。　　It　was　poor　virtue。　The　best　virtue　is　never　tiresome。〃

Miss　Vivian　looked　at　him　a　little；　with　her　fine　discriminating　eye。

〃What　a　dreadful　thing　to　have　to　think　any　virtue　poor！〃

This　was　a　touching　reflection；　and　it　might　have　gone　further　had　not　the　conversation　been　interrupted　by　Mrs。　Vivian's　appealing　to　her　daughter　to　aid　a　defective　recollection　of　a　story　about　a　Spanish　family　they　had　met　at　Biarritz；　with　which　she　had　undertaken　to　entertain　Gordon　Wright。　After　this；　the　little　circle　was　joined　by　a　party　of　American　friends　who　were　spending　a　week　at　Baden；　and　the　conversation　became　general。






CHAPTER　VII

But　on　the　following　evening；　Bernard　again　found　himself　seated　in　friendly　colloquy　with　this　interesting　girl；　while　Gordon　Wright　discoursed　with　her　mother　on　one　side；　and　little　Blanche　Evers　chattered　to　the　admiring　eyes　of　Captain　Lovelock　on　the　other。

〃You　and　your　mother　are　very　kind　to　that　little　girl；〃　our　hero　said；　〃you　must　be　a　great　advantage　to　her。〃

Angela　Vivian　directed　her　eyes　to　her　neighbors；　and　let　them　rest　a　while　on　the　young　girl's　little　fidgeting　figure　and　her　fresh；　coquettish　face。　　For　some　moments　she　said　nothing；　and　to　Longueville；　turning　over　several　things　in　his　mind；　and　watching　her；　it　seemed　that　her　glance　was　one　of　disfavor。　　He　divined；　he　scarcely　knew　how；　that　her　esteem　for　her　pretty　companion　was　small。

〃I　don't　know　that　I　am　very　kind；〃　said　Miss　Vivian。　〃I　have　done　nothing　in　particular　for　her。〃

〃Mr。　Wright　tells　me　you　came　to　this　place　mainly　on　her　account。〃

〃I　came　for　myself；〃　said　Miss　Vivian。　　〃The　consideration　you　speak　of　perhaps　had　weight　with　my　mother。〃

〃You　are　not　an　easy　person　to　say　appreciative　things　to；〃　Bernard　rejoined。　　〃One　is　tempted　to　say　them；　but　you　don't　take　them。〃

The　young　girl　colored　as　she　listened　to　this　observation。

〃I　don't　think　you　know；〃　she　murmur