the patagonia-第7章

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

certain　questions　you　couldn't　tell　where　you'd　find　her。　　You'd

think　she'd　feel　as　you　did　because　you　had　found　her　feeling　so；　and

then　suddenly；　in　regard　to　some　other　matterwhich　was　yet　quite

the　sameshe'd　be　utterly　wanting。　　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　proceeded　to

observeto　such　idle　speculations　does　the　vacancy　of　sea…hours　give

encouragementthat　she　wondered　whether　it　were　better　to　be　an

ordinary　girl　very　well　brought　up　or　an　extraordinary　girl　not

brought　up　at　all。



〃Oh　I　go　in　for　the　extraordinary　girl　under　all　circumstances。〃



It's　true　that　if　you're　VERY　well　brought　up　you're　not；　you　can't

be；　ordinary；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint；　smelling　her　strong　salts。

〃You're　a　lady；　at　any　rate。〃



〃And　Miss　Mavis　is　fifty　miles　outis　that　what　you　mean？〃



〃Wellyou've　seen　her　mother。〃



〃Yes；　but　I　think　your　contention　would　be　that　among　such　people　the

mother　doesn't　count。〃



〃Precisely；　and　that's　bad。〃



〃I　see　what　you　mean。　　But　isn't　it　rather　hard？　　If　your　mother

doesn't　know　anything　it's　better　you　should　be　independent　of　her；

and　yet　if　you　are　that　constitutes　a　bad　note。〃　　I　added　that　Mrs。

Mavis　had　appeared　to　count　sufficiently　two　nights　before。　　She　had

said　and　done　everything　she　wanted；　while　the　girl　sat　silent　and

respectful。　　Grace's　attitude；　so　far　as　her　parent　was　concerned；

had　been　eminently　decent。



〃Yes；　but　she　'squirmed'　for　her；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



〃Ah　if　you　know　it　I　may　confess　she　has　told　me　as　much。〃



My　friend　stared。　　〃Told　YOU？　　There's　one　of　the　things　they　do！〃



〃Well；　it　was　only　a　word。　　Won't　you　let　me　know　whether　you　do

think　her　a　flirt？〃



〃Try　her　yourselfthat's　better　than　asking　another　woman；

especially　as　you　pretend　to　study　folk。〃



〃Oh　your　judgement　wouldn't　probably　at　all　determine　mine。　　It's　as

bearing　on　YOU　I　ask　it。〃　　Which；　however；　demanded　explanation；　so

that　I　was　duly　frank；　confessing　myself　curious　as　to　how　far

maternal　immorality　would　go。



It　made　her　at　first　but　repeat　my　words。　　〃Maternal　immorality？〃



〃You　desire　your　son　to　have　every　possible　distraction　on　his

voyage；　and　if　you　can　make　up　your　mind　in　the　sense　I　refer　to　that

will　make　it　all　right。　　He'll　have　no　responsibility。〃



〃Heavens；　how　you　analyse！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　haven't　in　the　least　your

passion　for　making　up　my　mind。〃



〃Then　if　you　chance　it；〃　I　returned；　〃you'll　be　more　immoral　still。〃



〃Your　reasoning's　strange；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint；　〃when　it　was　you

who　tried　to　put　into　my　head　yesterday　that　she　had　asked　him　to

come。〃



〃Yes；　but　in　good　faith。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　in　such　a　case；　by　that？〃



〃Why；　as　girls　of　that　sort　do。　　Their　allowance　and　measure　in　such

matters；〃　I　expounded；　〃is　much　larger　than　that　of　young　persons　who

have　been；　as　you　say；　VERY　well　brought　up；　and　yet　I'm　not　sure

that　on　the　whole　I　don't　think　them　thereby　the　more　innocent。　　Miss

Mavis　is　engaged；　and　she's　to　be　married　next　week；　but　it's　an　old

old　story；　and　there's　no　more　romance　in　it　than　if　she　were　going

to　be　photographed。　　So　her　usual　life　proceeds；　and　her　usual　life

consistsand　that　of　ces　demoiselles　in　generalin　having　plenty　of

gentlemen's　society。　　Having　it　I　mean　without　having　any　harm　from

it。〃



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　had　given　me　due　attention。　　〃Well；　if　there's　no

harm　from　it　what　are　you　talking　about　and　why　am　I　immoral？〃



I　hesitated；　laughing。　　〃I　retractyou're　sane　and　clear。　　I'm　sure

she　thinks　there　won't　be　any　harm；〃　I　added。　　〃That's　the　great

point。〃



〃The　great　point？〃



〃To　be　settled；　I　mean。〃



〃Mercy；　we're　not　trying　them！〃　cried　my　friend。　　〃How　can　WE　settle

it？〃



〃I　mean　of　course　in　our　minds。　　There　will　be　nothing　more

interesting　these　next　ten　days　for　our　minds　to　exercise　themselves

upon。〃



〃Then　they'll　get　terribly　tired　of　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



〃No；　nobecause　the　interest　will　increase　and　the　plot　will

thicken。　　It　simply　can't　NOT；〃　I　insisted。　　She　looked　at　me　as　if

she　thought　me　more　than　Mephistophelean；　and　I　went　back　to

something　she　had　lately　mentioned。　　〃So　she　told　you　everything　in

her　life　was　dreary？〃



〃Not　everything；　but　most　things。　　And　she　didn't　tell　me　so　much　as

I　guessed　it。　　She'll　tell　me　more　the　next　time。　　She'll　behave

properly　now　about　coming　in　to　see　me；　I　told　her　she　ought　to。〃



〃I'm　glad　of　that；〃　I　said。　　〃Keep　her　with　you　as　much　as　possible。〃



〃I　don't　follow　you　closely；〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　replied；　〃but　so　far

as　I　do　I　don't　think　your　remarks　in　the　best　taste。〃



〃Well；　I'm　too　excited；　I　lose　my　head　in　these　sports；〃　I　had　to

recognise〃cold…blooded　as　you　think　me。　　Doesn't　she　like　Mr。

Porterfield？〃



〃Yes；　that's　the　worst　of　it。〃



I　kept　making　her　stare。　　〃The　worst　of　it？〃



〃He's　so　goodthere's　no　fault　to　be　found　with　him。　　Otherwise

she'd　have　thrown　it　all　up。　　It　has　dragged　on　since　she　was

eighteen：　　she　became　engaged　to　him　before　he　went　abroad　to　study。

It　was　one　of　those　very　young　and　perfectly　needless　blunders　that

parents　in　America　might　make　so　much　less　possible　than　they　do。

The　thing　is　to　insist　on　one's　daughter　waiting；　on　the　engagement's

being　long；　and　then；　after　you've　got　that　started；　to　take　it　on

every　occasion　as　little　seriously　as　possibleto　make　it　die　out。

You　can　easily　tire　it　to　death；〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　competently

stated。　　〃However；〃　she　concluded；　〃Mr。　Porterfield　has　taken　this

one　seriously　for　some　years。　　He　has　done　his　part　to　keep　it　alive。

She　says　he　adores　her。〃



〃His　part？　　Surely　his　part　would　have　been　to　marry　her　by　this

time。〃



〃He　has　really　no　money。〃　　My　friend　was　even　more　confidently　able

to　report　it　than　I　had　been。



〃He　ought　to　have　got　some；　in　seven　years；〃　I　audibly　reflected。



〃So　I　think　she　thinks。　　There　are　some　sorts　of　helplessness　that

are　contemptible。　　However；　a　small　difference　has　taken　place。

That's　why　he　won't　wait　any　longer。　　His　mother　has　come　out；　she

has　somethinga　littleand　she's　able　to　assist　him。　　She'll　live

with　them　and　bear　some　of　the　expenses；　and　after　her　death　the　son

will　have　what　there　is。〃



〃How　old　is　she？〃　I　cynically　asked。



〃I　haven't　the　least　idea。　　But　it　doesn't；　on　his　part；　sound　very

heroicor　very　inspiring　for　our　friend　here。　　He　hasn't　been　to

America　since　he　first　went　out。〃



〃That's　an　odd　way　of　adoring　her；〃　I　observed。



〃I　made　that　objection　mentally；　but　I　didn't　express　it　to　her。　　She

met　it　indeed　a　little　by　telling　me　that　he　had　had　other　chances　to

marry。〃



〃That　surprises　me；〃　I　remarked。　　〃But　did　she　say；〃　I　asked；　〃that

SHE　had　had？〃



〃No；　and　that's　one　of　the　things　I　thought　nice　in　her；　for　she　must

have　had。　　She　didn't　try　to　make　out　that　he　had　spoiled　her　life。

She　has　three　other　sisters　and　there's　very　little　money　at　home。

She　has　tried　to　make　money；　she　has　written　little　things　and

painted　little　thingsand　dreadful　little　things　they　must　have

been；　too　bad　to　think　of。　　Her　father　has　had　a　long　illness　and　has

lost　his　placehe　was　in　receipt　of　a　salary　in　connexion　with　some

waterworksand　one　of　her　sisters　has　lately　become　a　widow；　with

children　and　without　means。　　And　so　as　in　fact　she　never　has　married

any　one　else；　whatever　opportunities　she　may　have　encountered；　she

appears　to　have　just　made　up　her　mind　to　go　out　to　Mr。　Porterfield　as

the　least　of　her　evils。　　But　it　isn't　very　amusing。〃



〃Well；〃　I　judged　after　all；　〃that　only　makes　her　doing　it　the　more

honourable。　　She'll　go　through　with　it；　whatever　it　costs；　rather

than　disappoint　him　after　he　has　waited　so　long。　　It's　true；〃　I

continued；　〃that　when　a　woman　acts　from　a　sense　of　honour！〃



〃Well；　when　she　does？〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint；　for　I　hung　back