the patagonia-第8章

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



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

perceptibly。



〃It's　often　so　extravagant　and　unnatural　a　proceeding　as　to　entail

heavy　costs　on　some　one。〃



〃You're　very　impertinent。　　We　all　have　to　pay　for　each　other　all　the

while　and　for　each　other's　virtues　as　well　as　vices。〃



〃That's　precisely　why　I　shall　be　sorry　for　Mr。　Porterfield　when　she

steps　off　the　ship　with　her　little　bill。　　I　mean　with　her　teeth

clenched。〃



〃Her　teeth　are　not　in　the　least　clenched。　　She's　quite　at　her　ease

now〃Mrs。　Nettlepoint　could　answer　for　that。



〃Well；　we　must　try　and　keep　her　so；〃　I　said。



〃You　must　take　care　that　Jasper　neglects　nothing。〃　　I　scarce　know

what　reflexions　this　innocent　pleasantry　of　mine　provoked　on　the　good

lady's　part；　the　upshot　of　them　at　all　events　was　to　make　her　say：

〃Well；　I　never　asked　her　to　come；　I'm　very　glad　of　that。　　It's　all

their　own　doing。〃



〃'Their'　ownyou　mean　Jasper's　and　hers？〃



〃No　indeed。　　I　mean　her　mother's　and　Mrs。　Allen's；　the　girl's　too　of

course。　　They　put　themselves　on　us　by　main　force。〃



〃Oh　yes；　I　can　testify　to　that。　　Therefore　I'm　glad　too。　　We　should

have　missed　it；　I　think。〃



〃How　seriously　you　take　it！〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　amusedly　cried。



〃Ah　wait　a　few　days！〃and　I　got　up　to　leave　her。







CHAPTER　III







The　Patagonia　was　slow；　but　spacious　and　comfortable；　and　there　was　a

motherly　decency　in　her　long　nursing　rock　and　her　rustling　old…

fashioned　gait；　the　multitudinous　swish；　in　her　wake；　as　of　a

thousand　proper　petticoats。　　It　was　as　if　she　wished　not　to　present

herself　in　port　with　the　splashed　eagerness　of　a　young　creature。　　We

weren't　numerous　enough　quite　to　elbow　each　other　and　yet　weren't　too

few　to　supportwith　that　familiarity　and　relief　which　figures　and

objects　acquire　on　the　great　bare　field　of　the　ocean　and　under　the

great　bright　glass　of　the　sky。　　I　had　never　liked　the　sea　so　much

before；　indeed　I　had　never　liked　it　at　all；　but　now　I　had　a

revelation　of　how　in　a　midsummer　mood　it　could　please。　　It　was　darkly

and　magnificently　blue　and　imperturbably　quietsave　for　the　great

regular　swell　of　its　heartbeats；　the　pulse　of　its　life；　and　there

grew　to　be　something　so　agreeable　in　the　sense　of　floating　there　in

infinite　isolation　and　leisure　that　it　was　a　positive　godsend　the

Patagonia　was　no　racer。　　One　had　never　thought　of　the　sea　as　the

great　place　of　safety；　but　now　it　came　over　one　that　there's　no　place

so　safe　from　the　land。　　When　it　doesn't　confer　trouble　it　takes

trouble　awaytakes　away　letters　and　telegrams　and　newspapers　and

visits　and　duties　and　efforts；　all　the　complications；　all　the

superfluities　and　superstitions　that　we　have　stuffed　into　our　terrene

life。　　The　simple　absence　of　the　post；　when　the　particular　conditions

enable　you　to　enjoy　the　great　fact　by　which　it's　produced；　becomes　in

itself　a　positive　bliss；　and　the　clean　boards　of　the　deck　turn　to　the

stage　of　a　play　that　amuses；　the　personal　drama　of　the　voyage；　the

movement　and　interaction；　in　the　strong　sea…light；　of　figures　that

end　by　representing　somethingsomething　moreover　of　which　the

interest　is　never；　even　in　its　keenness；　too　great　to　suffer　you　to

slumber。　　I　at　any　rate　dozed　to　excess；　stretched　on　my　rug　with　a

French　novel；　and　when　I　opened　my　eyes　I　generally　saw　Jasper

Nettlepoint　pass　with　the　young　woman　confided　to　his　mother's　care

on　his　arm。　　Somehow　at　these　moments；　between　sleeping　and　waking；　I

inconsequently　felt　that　my　French　novel　had　set　them　in　motion。

Perhaps　this　was　because　I　had　fallen　into　the　trick；　at　the　start；

of　regarding　Grace　Mavis　almost　as　a　married　woman；　which；　as　every

one　knows；　is　the　necessary　status　of　the　heroine　of　such　a　work。

Every　revolution　of　our　engine　at　any　rate　would　contribute　to　the

effect　of　making　her　one。



In　the　saloon；　at　meals；　my　neighbour　on　the　right　was　a　certain

little　Mrs。　Peck；　a　very　short　and　very　round　person　whose　head　was

enveloped　in　a　〃cloud〃　（a　cloud　of　dirty　white　wool）　and　who　promptly

let　me　know　that　she　was　going　to　Europe　for　the　education　of　her

children。　　I　had　already　perceivedan　hour　after　we　left　the　dock

that　some　energetic　measure　was　required　in　their　interest；　but　as　we

were　not　in　Europe　yet　the　redemption　of　the　four　little　Pecks　was

stayed。　　Enjoying　untrammelled　leisure　they　swarmed　about　the　ship　as

if　they　had　been　pirates　boarding　her；　and　their　mother　was　as

powerless　to　check　their　licence　as　if　she　had　been　gagged　and　stowed

away　in　the　hold。　　They　were　especially　to　be　trusted　to　dive　between

the　legs　of　the　stewards　when　these　attendants　arrived　with　bowls　of

soup　for　the　languid　ladies。　　Their　mother　was　too　busy　counting　over

to　her　fellow…passengers　all　the　years　Miss　Mavis　had　been　engaged。

In　the　blank　of　our　common　detachment　things　that　were　nobody's

business　very　soon　became　everybody's；　and　this　was　just　one　of　those

facts　that　are　propagated　with　mysterious　and　ridiculous　speed。　　The

whisper　that　carries　them　is　very　small；　in　the　great　scale　of

things；　of　air　and　space　and　progress；　but　it's　also　very　safe；　for

there's　no　compression；　no　sounding…board；　to　make　speakers

responsible。　　And　then　repetition　at　sea　is　somehow　not　repetition；

monotony　is　in　the　air；　the　mind　is　flat　and　everything　recursthe

bells；　the　meals；　the　stewards'　faces；　the　romp　of　children；　the

walk；　the　clothes；　the　very　shoes　and　buttons　of　passengers　taking

their　exercise。　　These　things　finally　grow　at　once　so　circumstantial

and　so　arid　that；　in　comparison；　lights　on　the　personal　history　of

one's　companions　become　a　substitute　for　the　friendly　flicker　of　the

lost　fireside。



Jasper　Nettlepoint　sat　on　my　left　hand　when　he　was　not　upstairs

seeing　that　Miss　Mavis　had　her　repast　comfortably　on　deck。　　His

mother's　place　would　have　been　next　mine　had　she　shown　herself；　and

then　that　of　the　young　lady　under　her　care。　　These　companions；　in

other　words；　would　have　been　between　us；　Jasper　marking　the　limit　of

the　party　in　that　quarter。　　Miss　Mavis　was　present　at　luncheon　the

first　day；　but　dinner　passed　without　her　coming　in；　and　when　it　was

half　over　Jasper　remarked　that　he　would　go　up　and　look　after　her。



〃Isn't　that　young　lady　comingthe　one　who　was　here　to　lunch？〃　Mrs。

Peck　asked　of　me　as　he　left　the　saloon。



〃Apparently　not。　　My　friend　tells　me　she　doesn't　like　the　saloon。〃



〃You　don't　mean　to　say　she's　sick；　do　you？〃



〃Oh　no；　not　in　this　weather。　　But　she　likes　to　be　above。〃



〃And　is　that　gentleman　gone　up　to　her？〃



〃Yes；　she's　under　his　mother's　care。〃



〃And　is　his　mother　up　there；　too？〃　asked　Mrs。　Peck；　whose　processes

were　homely　and　direct。



〃No；　she　remains　in　her　cabin。　　People　have　different　tastes。

Perhaps　that's　one　reason　why　Miss　Mavis　doesn't　come　to　table；〃　I

added〃her　chaperon　not　being　able　to　accompany　her。〃



〃Her　chaperon？〃　my　fellow　passenger　echoed。



〃Mrs。　Nettlepointthe　lady　under　whose　protection　she　happens　to

be。〃



〃Protection？〃　Mrs。　Peck　stared　at　me　a　moment；　moving　some　valued

morsel　in　her　mouth；　then　she　exclaimed　familiarly　〃Pshaw！〃　　I　was

struck　with　this　and　was　on　the　point　of　asking　her　what　she　meant　by

it　when　she　continued：　　〃Ain't　we　going　to　see　Mrs。　Nettlepoint？〃



〃I'm　afraid　not。　　She　vows　she　won't　stir　from　her　sofa。〃



〃Pshaw！〃　said　Mrs。　Peck　again。　　〃That's　quite　a　disappointment。〃



〃Do　you　know　her　then？〃



〃No；　but　I　know　all　about　her。〃　　Then　my　companion　added：　　〃You　don't

mean　to　say　she's　any　real　relation？〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　me？〃



〃No；　to　Grace　Mavis。〃



〃None　at　all。　　They're　very　new　friends；　as　I　happen　to　know。　　Then

you're　acquainted　with　our　young　lady？〃　　I　hadn't　noticed　the　passage

of　any　recognition　between　them　at　luncheon。



〃Is　she　your　young　lady　too？〃　asked　Mrs。　Peck　with　high　significance。



〃Ah　when