the patagonia-第5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！



we　had　better　go　ourselves。〃　　So　we　passed　to　the　front　and　in　the

other　room　met　the　two　young　people　coming　in　from　the　balcony。　　I

was　to　wonder；　in　the　light　of　later　things；　exactly　how　long　they

had　occupied　together　a　couple　of　the　set　of　cane　chairs　garnishing

the　place　in　summer。　　If　it　had　been　but　five　minutes　that　only　made

subsequent　events　more　curious。　　〃We　must　go；　mother；〃　Miss　Mavis

immediately　said；　and　a　moment　after；　with　a　little　renewal　of

chatter　as　to　our　general　meeting　on　the　ship；　the　visitors　had　taken

leave。　　Jasper　went　down　with　them　to　the　door　and　as　soon　as　they

had　got　off　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　quite　richly　exhaled　her　impression。

〃Ah　but'll　she　be　a　boreshe'll　be　a　bore　of　bores！〃



〃Not　through　talking　too　much；　surely。〃



〃An　affectation　of　silence　is　as　bad。　　I　hate　that　particular　pose；

it's　coming　up　very　much　now；　an　imitation　of　the　English；　like

everything　else。　　A　girl　who　tries　to　be　statuesque　at　seathat　will

act　on　one's　nerves！〃



〃I　don't　know　what　she　tries　to　be；　but　she　succeeds　in　being　very

handsome。〃



〃So　much　the　better　for　you。　　I'll　leave　her　to　you；　for　I　shall　be

shut　up。　　I　like　her　being　placed　under　my　'care'！〃　my　friend　cried。



〃She'll　be　under　Jasper's；〃　I　remarked。



〃Ah　he　won't　go；〃　she　wailed〃I　want　it　too　much！〃



〃But　I　didn't　see　it　that　way。　　I　have　an　idea　he'll　go。〃



〃Why　didn't　he　tell　me　so　thenwhen　he　came　in？〃



〃He　was　diverted　by　that　young　womana　beautiful　unexpected　girl

sitting　there。〃



〃Diverted　from　his　mother　and　her　fond　hope？his　mother　trembling

for　his　decision？〃



〃Well〃I　pieced　it　together〃she's　an　old　friend；　older　than　we

know。　　It　was　a　meeting　after　a　long　separation。〃



〃Yes；　such　a　lot　of　them　as　he　does　know！〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　sighed。



〃Such　a　lot　of　them？〃



〃He　has　so　many　female　friendsin　the　most　varied　circles。〃



〃Well；　we　can　close　round　her　then；〃　I　returned；　〃for　I　on　my　side

know；　or　used　to　know；　her　young　man。〃



〃Her　intended？〃she　had　a　light　of　relief　for　this。



〃The　very　one　she's　going　out　to。　　He　can't；　by　the　way；〃　it　occurred

to　me；　〃be　very　young　now。〃



〃How　odd　it　soundsher　muddling　after　him！〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



I　was　going　to　reply　that　it　wasn't　odd　if　you　knew　Mr。　Porterfield；

but　I　reflected　that　that　perhaps　only　made　it　odder。　　I　told　my

companion　briefly　who　he　wasthat　I　had　met　him　in　the　old　Paris

days；　when　I　believed　for　a　fleeting　hour　that　I　could　learn　to

paint；　when　I　lived　with　the　jeunesse　des　ecoles；　and　her　comment　on

this　was　simply：　　〃Well；　he　had　better　have　come　out　for　her！〃



〃Perhaps　so。　　She　looked　to　me　as　she　sat　there　as　if；　she　might

change　her　mind　at　the　last　moment。〃



〃About　her　marriage？



〃About　sailing。　　But　she　won't　change　now。〃



Jasper　came　back；　and　his　mother　instantly　challenged　him。　　〃Well；

ARE　you　going？〃



〃Yes；　I　shall　go〃he　was　finally　at　peace　about　it。　　〃I've　got　my

telegram。〃



〃Oh　your　telegram！〃I　ventured　a　little　to　jeer。



〃That　charming　girl's　your　telegram。〃



He　gave　me　a　look；　but　in　the　dusk　I　couldn't　make　out　very　well　what

it　conveyed。　　Then　he　bent　over　his　mother；　kissing　her。　　〃My　news

isn't　particularly　satisfactory。　　I'm　going　for　YOU。〃



〃Oh　you　humbug！〃　she　replied。　　But　she　was　of　course　delighted。







CHAPTER　II







People　usually　spend　the　first　hours　of　a　voyage　in　squeezing

themselves　into　their　cabins；　taking　their　little　precautions；　either

so　excessive　or　so　inadequate；　wondering　how　they　can　pass　so　many

days　in　such　a　hole　and　asking　idiotic　questions　of　the　stewards；　who

appear　in　comparison　rare　men　of　the　world。　　My　own　initiations　were

rapid；　as　became　an　old　sailor；　and　so；　it　seemed；　were　Miss　Mavis's；

for　when　I　mounted　to　the　deck　at　the　end　of　half　an　hour　I　found　her

there　alone；　in　the　stern　of　the　ship；　her　eyes　on　the　dwindling

continent。　　It　dwindled　very　fast　for　so　big　a　place。　　I　accosted

her；　having　had　no　conversation　with　her　amid　the　crowd　of　leave…

takers　and　the　muddle　of　farewells　before　we　put　off；　we　talked　a

little　about　the　boat；　our　fellow…passengers　and　our　prospects；　and

then　I　said：　　〃I　think　you　mentioned　last　night　a　name　I　knowthat

of　Mr。　Porterfield。〃



〃Oh　no　I　didn't！〃　she　answered　very　straight　while　she　smiled　at　me

through　her　closely…drawn　veil。



〃Then　it　was　your　mother。〃



〃Very　likely　it　was　my　mother。〃　　And　she　continued　to　smile　as　if　I

ought　to　have　known　the　difference。



〃I　venture　to　allude　to　him　because　I've　an　idea　I　used　to　know　him；〃

I　went　on。



〃Oh　I　see。〃　　And　beyond　this　remark　she　appeared　to　take　no　interest；

she　left　it　to　me　to　make　any　connexion。



〃That　is　if　it's　the　same　one。〃　　It　struck　me　as　feeble　to　say

nothing　more；　so　I　added　〃My　Mr。　Porterfield　was　called　David。〃



〃Well；　so　is　ours。〃　　〃Ours〃　affected　me　as　clever。



〃I　suppose　I　shall　see　him　again　if　he's　to　meet　you　at　Liverpool；〃　I

continued。



〃Well；　it　will　be　bad　if　he　doesn't。〃



It　was　too　soon　for　me　to　have　the　idea　that　it　would　be　bad　if　he

did：　　that　only　came　later。　　So　I　remarked　that；　not　having　seen　him

for　so　many　years；　it　was　very　possible　I　shouldn't　know　him。



〃Well；　I've　not　seen　him　for　a　considerable　time；　but　I　expect　I

shall　know　him　all　the　same。〃



〃Oh　with　you　it's　different；〃　I　returned　with　harmlessly　bright

significance。　　〃Hasn't　he　been　back　since　those　days？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　sturdily　professed；　〃what　days　you　mean。〃



〃When　I　knew　him　in　Parisages　ago。　　He　was　a　pupil　of　the　Ecole　des

Beaux　Arts。　　He　was　studying　architecture。〃



〃Well；　he's　studying　it　still；〃　said　Grace　Mavis。



〃Hasn't　he　learned　it　yet？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　he　has　learned。　　I　shall　see。〃　　Then　she　added　for

the　benefit　of　my　perhaps　undue　levity：　　〃Architecture's　very

difficult　and　he's　tremendously　thorough。〃



〃Oh　yes；　I　remember　that。　　He　was　an　admirable　worker。　　But　he　must

have　become　quite　a　foreigner　if　it's　so　many　years　since　he　has　been

at　home。〃



She　seemed　to　regard　this　proposition　at　first　as　complicated；　but

she　did　what　she　could　for　me。　　〃Oh　he's　not　changeable。　　If　he　were

changeable〃



Then；　however；　she　paused。　　I　daresay　she　had　been　going　to　observe

that　if　he　were　changeable　he　would　long　ago　have　given　her　up。

After　an　instant　she　went　on：　　〃He　wouldn't　have　stuck　so　to　his

profession。　　You　can't　make　much　by　it。〃



I　sought　to　attenuate　her　rather　odd　maidenly　grimness。　　〃It　depends

on　what　you　call　much。〃



〃It　doesn't　make　you　rich。〃



〃Oh　of　course　you've　got　to　practise　itand　to　practise　it　long。〃



〃Yesso　Mr。　Porterfield　says。〃



Something　in　the　way　she　uttered　these　words　made　me　laughthey　were

so　calm　an　implication　that　the　gentleman　in　question　didn't　live　up

to　his　principles。　　But　I　checked　myself；　asking　her　if　she　expected

to　remain　in　Europe　longto　what　one　might　call　settle。



〃Well；　it　will　be　a　good　while　if　it　takes　me　as　long　to　come　back　as

it　has　taken　me　to　go　out。〃



〃And　I　think　your　mother　said　last　night　that　it　was　your　first

visit。〃



Miss　Mavis；　in　her　deliberate　way；　met　my　eyes。　　〃Didn't　mother

talk！〃



〃It　was　all　very　interesting。〃



She　continued　to　look　at　me。　　〃You　don't　think　that；〃　she　then　simply

stated。



〃What　have　I　to　gain　then　by　saying　it？〃



〃Oh　men　have　always　something　to　gain。〃



〃You　make　me　in　that　case　feel　a　terrible　failure！　　I　hope　at　any

rate　that　it　gives　you　pleasure；〃　I　went　on；　〃the　idea　of　seeing

foreign　lands。〃



〃MercyI　should　think　so！〃



This　was　almost　genial；　and　it　cheered　me　proportionately。　　〃It's　a

pity　our　ship's　not　one　of　the　fast　ones；　if　you're　impatient。〃



She　was　silent　a　little　after　which　she　brought　out：　　〃Oh　I　guess

it'll　be　fast　enough！〃



That　evening　I　went　in　to　see　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　and　sat　on　her　sea…

trunk；