the patagonia-第6章

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

trunk；　which　was　pulled　out　from　under　the　berth　to　accommodate　me。

It　was　nine　o'clock　but　not　quite　dark；　as　our　northward　course　had

already　taken　us　into　the　latitude　of　the　longer　days。　　She　had　made

her　nest　admirably　and　now　rested　from　her　labours；　she　lay　upon　her

sofa　in　a　dressing…gown　and　a　cap　that　became　her。　　It　was　her

regular　practice　to　spend　the　voyage　in　her　cabin；　which　smelt

positively　goodsuch　was　the　refinement　of　her　art；　and　she　had　a

secret　peculiar　to　herself　for　keeping　her　port　open　without　shipping

seas。　　She　hated　what　she　called　the　mess　of　the　ship　and　the　idea；

if　she　should　go　above；　of　meeting　stewards　with　plates　of

supererogatory　food。　　She　professed　to　be　content　with　her　situation…

…we　promised　to　lend　each　other　books　and　I　assured　her　familiarly

that　I　should　be　in　and　out　of　her　room　a　dozen　times　a　daypitying

me　for　having　to　mingle　in　society。　　She　judged　this　a　limited

privilege；　for　on　the　deck　before　we　left　the　wharf　she　had　taken　a

view　of　our　fellow…passengers。



〃Oh　I'm　an　inveterate；　almost　a　professional　observer；〃　I　replied；

〃and　with　that　vice　I'm　as　well　occupied　as　an　old　woman　in　the　sun

with　her　knitting。　　It　makes　me；　in　any　situation；　just　inordinately

and　submissively　SEE　things。　　I　shall　see　them　even　here　and　shall

come　down　very　often　and　tell　you　about　them。　　You're　not　interested

today；　but　you　will　be　tomorrow；　for　a　ship's　a　great　school　of

gossip。　　You　won't　believe　the　number　of　researches　and　problems

you'll　be　engaged　in　by　the　middle　of　the　voyage。〃



〃I？　　Never　in　the　world！lying　here　with　my　nose　in　a　book　and　not

caring　a　straw。〃



〃You'll　participate　at　second　hand。　　You'll　see　through　my　eyes；　hang

upon　my　lips；　take　sides；　feel　passions；　all　sorts　of　sympathies　and

indignations。　　I've　an　idea；〃　I　further　developed；　〃that　your　young

lady's　the　person　on　board　who　will　interest　me　most。〃



〃'Mine'　indeed！　　She　hasn't　been　near　me　since　we　left　the　dock。〃



〃There　you　areyou　do　feel　she　owes　you　something。　　Well；〃　I　added；

〃she's　very　curious。〃



〃You've　such　cold…blooded　terms！〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　wailed。　　〃Elle　ne

sait　pas　se　conduire；　she　ought　to　have　come　to　ask　about　me。〃



〃Yes；　since　you're　under　her　care；〃　I　laughed。　　〃As　for　her　not

knowing　how　to　behavewell；　that's　exactly　what　we　shall　see。〃



〃You　will；　but　not　I！　　I　wash　my　hands　of　her。〃



〃Don't　say　thatdon't　say　that。〃



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　looked　at　me　a　moment。　　〃Why　do　you　speak　so

solemnly？〃



In　return　I　considered　her。　　〃I'll　tell　you　before　we　land。　　And　have

you　seen　much　of　your　son？〃



〃Oh　yes；　he　has　come　in　several　times。　　He　seems　very　much　pleased。

He　has　got　a　cabin　to　himself。〃



〃That's　great　luck；〃　I　said；　〃but　I've　an　idea　he's　always　in　luck。

I　was　sure　I　should　have　to　offer　him　the　second　berth　in　my　room。〃



〃And　you　wouldn't　have　enjoyed　that；　because　you　don't　like　him；〃　she

took　upon　herself　to　say。



〃What　put　that　into　your　head？〃



〃It　isn't　in　my　headit's　in　my　heart；　my　coeur　de　mere。　　We　guess

those　things。　　You　think　he's　selfish。　　I　could　see　it　last　night。〃



〃Dear　lady；〃　I　contrived　promptly　enough　to　reply；　〃I've　no　general

ideas　about　him　at　all。　　He's　just　one　of　the　phenomena　I　am　going　to

observe。　　He　seems　to　me　a　very　fine　young　man。　　However；〃　I　added；

〃since　you've　mentioned　last　night　I'll　admit　that　I　thought　he

rather　tantalised　you。　　He　played　with　your　suspense。〃



〃Why　he　came　at　the　last　just　to　please　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



I　was　silent　a　little。　　〃Are　you　sure　it　was　for　your　sake？〃



〃Ah；　perhaps　it　was　for　yours！〃



I　bore　up；　however；　against　this　thrust；　characteristic　of　perfidious

woman　when　you　presume　to　side　with　her　against　a　fond　tormentor。

〃When　he　went　out　on　the　balcony　with　that　girl；〃　I　found　assurance

to　suggest；　〃perhaps　she　asked　him　to　come　for　HERS。〃



〃Perhaps　she　did。　　But　why　should　he　do　everything　she　asks　himsuch

as　she　is？〃



〃I　don't　know　yet；　but　perhaps　I　shall　know　later。　　Not　that　he'll

tell　mefor　he'll　never　tell　me　anything：　　he's　not；〃　I　consistently

opined；　〃one　of　those　who　tell。〃



〃If　she　didn't　ask　him；　what　you　say　is　a　great　wrong　to　her；〃　said

Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



〃Yes；　if　she　didn't。　　But　you　say　that　to　protect　Jaspernot　to

protect　her；〃　I　smiled。



〃You　ARE　cold…bloodedit's　uncanny！〃　my　friend　exclaimed。



〃Ah　this　is　nothing　yet！　　Wait　a　whileyou'll　see。　　At　sea　in

general　I'm　awfulI　exceed　the　limits。　　If　I've　outraged　her　in

thought　I'll　jump　overboard。　　There　are　ways　of　askinga　man　doesn't

need　to　tell　a　woman　thatwithout　the　crude　words。〃



〃I　don't　know　what　you　imagine　between　them；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



〃Well；　nothing；〃　I　allowed；　〃but　what　was　visible　on　the　surface。　　It

transpired；　as　the　newspapers　say；　that　they　were　old　friends。〃



〃He　met　her　at　some　promiscuous　partyI　asked　him　about　it

afterwards。　　She's　not　a　person〃my　hostess　was　confident〃whom　he

could　ever　think　of　seriously。〃



〃That's　exactly　what　I　believe。〃



〃You　don't　observeyou　knowyou　imagine；〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint

continued　to　argue。　　〃How　do　you　reconcile　her　laying　a　trap　for

Jasper　with　her　going　out　to　Liverpool　on　an　errand　of　love？〃



Oh　I　wasn't　to　be　caught　that　way！　　〃I　don't　for　an　instant　suppose

she　laid　a　trap；　I　believe　she　acted　on　the　impulse　of　the　moment。

She's　going　out　to　Liverpool　on　an　errand　of　marriage；　that's　not

necessarily　the　same　thing　as　an　errand　of　love；　especially　for　one

who　happens　to　have　had　a　personal　impression　of　the　gentleman　she's

engaged　to。〃



〃Well；　there　are　certain　decencies　which　in　such　a　situation　the　most

abandoned　of　her　sex　would　still　observe。　　You　apparently　judge　her

capableon　no　evidenceof　violating　them。〃



〃Ah　you　don't　understand　the　shades　of　things；〃　I　returned。

〃Decencies　and　violations；　dear　ladythere's　no　need　for　such　heavy

artillery！　　I　can　perfectly　imagine　that　without　the　least　immodesty

she　should　have　said　to　Jasper　on　the　balcony；　in　fact　if　not　in

words：　　'I'm　in　dreadful　spirits；　but　if　you　come　I　shall　feel

better；　and　that　will　be　pleasant　for　you　too。'〃



〃And　why　is　she　in　dreadful　spirits？〃



〃She　isn't！〃　I　replied；　laughing。



My　poor　friend　wondered。　　〃What　then　is　she　doing？〃



〃She's　walking　with　your　son。〃



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　for　a　moment　said　nothing；　then　she　treated　me　to

another　inconsequence。　　〃Ah　she's　horrid！〃



〃No；　she's　charming！〃　I　protested。



〃You　mean　she's　'curious'？〃



〃Well；　for　me　it's　the　same　thing！〃



This　led　my　friend　of　course　to　declare　once　more　that　I　was　cold…

blooded。　　On　the　afternoon　of　the　morrow　we　had　another　talk；　and　she

told　me　that　in　the　morning　Miss　Mavis　had　paid　her　a　long　visit。

She　knew　nothing；　poor　creature；　about　anything；　but　her　intentions

were　good　and　she　was　evidently　in　her　own　eyes　conscientious　and

decorous。　　And　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　concluded　these　remarks　with　the　sigh

〃Unfortunate　person！〃



〃You　think　she's　a　good　deal　to　be　pitied　then？〃



〃Well；　her　story　sounds　drearyshe　told　me　a　good　deal　of　it。　　She

fell　to　talking　little　by　little　and　went　from　one　thing　to　another。

She's　in　that　situation　when　a　girl　MUST　open　herselfto　some

woman。〃



〃Hasn't　she　got　Jasper？〃　I　asked。



〃He　isn't　a　woman。　　You　strike　me　as　jealous　of　him；〃　my　companion

added。



〃I　daresay　HE　thinks　soor　will　before　the　end。　　Ah　noah　no！〃　　And

I　asked　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　if　our　young　lady　struck　her　as；　very

grossly；　a　flirt。　　She　gave　me　no　answer；　but　went　on　to　remark　that

she　found　it　odd　and　interesting　to　see　the　way　a　girl　like　Grace

Mavis　resembled　the　girls　of　the　kind　she　herself　knew　better；　the

girls　of　〃society；〃　at　the　same　time　that　she　differed　from　them；　and

the　way　the　differences　and　resemblances　were　so　mixed　up　that　on