the dwelling place of ligh-第93章

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way；　what　will　she　do　to　me？　　I'm　much　too　susceptible。〃

〃Susceptible〃　she　scoffed。　　〃But　you　can't　get　out　of　it。　　I　need　you。
I've　never　been　so　interested　and　so　perplexed　in　my　life。〃

〃How　is　she？〃　Insall　asked。

〃Frankly；　I'm　worried；〃　said　Mrs。　Maturin。　　〃At　first　she　seemed　to　be
getting　along　beautifully。　　I　read　to　her；　a　little　every　day；　and　it　was
wonderful　how　she　responded　to　it。　　I'll　tell　you　about　that　I've　got　so
much　to　tell　you！　　Young　Dr。　Trent　is　puzzled；　too；　it　seems　there　are
symptoms　in　the　case　for　which　he　cannot　account。　　Some　three　weeks　ago
he　asked　me　what　I　made　out　of　her；　and　I　can't　make　anythingthat's　the
trouble；　except　that　she　seems　pathetically　grateful；　and　that　I've　grown
absurdly　fond　of　her。　　But　she　isn't　improving　as　fast　as　she　should；　and
Dr。　Trent　doesn't　know　whether　or　not　to　suspect　functional
complications。　　Her　constitution　seems　excellent；　her　vitality　unusual。
Trent's　impressed　by　her；　he　inclines　to　the　theory　that　she　has
something　on　her　mind；　and　if　this　is　so　she　should　get　rid　of　it；　tell
it　to　somebodyin　short；　tell　it　to　me。　　I　know　she's　fond　of　me；　but
she's　so　maddeningly　self…contained；　and　at　moments　when　I　look　at　her
she　baffles　me；　she　makes　me　feel　like　an　atom。　　Twenty　times　at　least
I've　almost　screwed　up　my　courage　to　ask　her；　but　when　it　comes　to　the
point；　I　simply　can't　do　it。〃

〃You　ought　to　be　able　to　get　at　it；　if　any　one　can；〃　said　Insall。

〃I've　a　notion　it　may　be　connected　with　the　strike；〃　Augusta　Maturin
continued。　　〃I　never　could　account　for　her　being　mixed　up　in　that；
plunging　into　Syndicalism。　　It　seemed　so　foreign　to　her　nature。　　I　wish
I'd　waited　a　little　longer　before　telling　her　about　the　strike；　but　one
day　she　asked　me　how　it　had　come　outand　she　seemed　to　be　getting　along
so　nicely　I　didn't　see　any　reason　for　not　telling　her。　　I　said　that　the
strike　was　over；　that　the　millowners　had　accepted　the　I。W。W。　terms；　but
that　Antonelli　and　Jastro　had　been　sent　to　jail　and　were　awaiting　trial
because　they　had　been　accused　of　instigating　the　murder　of　a　woman　who
was　shot　by　a　striker　aiming　at　a　policeman。　　It　seems　that　she　had　seen
that！　　She　told　me　so　quite　casually。　　But　she　was　interested；　and　I　went
on　to　mention　how　greatly　the　strikers　were　stirred　by　the　arrests；　how
they　paraded　in　front　of　the　jail；　singing；　and　how　the　feeling　was
mostly　directed　against　Mr。　Ditmar；　because　he　was　accused　of　instigating
the　placing　of　dynamite　in　the　tenements。〃

〃And　you　spoke　of　Mr。　Ditmar's　death？〃　Insall　inquired。

〃Why　yes；　I　told　her　how　he　had　been　shot　in　Dover　Street　by　a　demented
Italian；　and　if　it　hadn't　been　proved　that　the　Italian　was　insane　and　not
a　mill　worker；　the　result　of　the　strike　might　have　been　different。〃

〃How　did　she　take　it？〃

〃Well；　she　was　shocked；　of　course。　　She　sat　up　in　bed；　staring　at　me；　and
then　leaned　back　on　the　pillows　again。　　I　pretended　not　to　notice　itbut
I　was　sorry　I'd　said　anything　about　it。〃

〃She　didn't　say　anything？〃

〃Not　a　word。〃

〃Didn't　you　know　that；　before　the　strike；　she　was　Ditmar's　private
stenographer？〃

〃No！〃　Augusta　Maturin　exclaimed。　　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃

〃It　never　occurred　to　me　to　tell　you；〃　Insall　replied。

〃That　must　have　something　to　do　with　it！〃　said　Mrs。　Maturin。

Insall　got　up　and　walked　to　the　end　of　the　terrace；　gazing　at　a　bluebird
on　the　edge　of　the　lawn。

〃Well；　not　necessarily；〃　he　said；　after　a　while。　　〃Did　you　ever　find　out
anything　about　her　family？〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　met　the　father　once；　he's　been　out　two　or　three　times；　on
Sunday；　and　came　over　here　to　thank　me　for　what　I'd　done。　　The　mother
doesn't　comeshe　has　some　trouble；　I　don't　know　exactly　what。　　Brooks；　I
wish　you　could　see　the　father；　he's　so　typically　uniqueif　one　may　use
the　expression。　　A　gatekeeper　at　the　Chipperiug　Mills！〃

〃A　gatekeeper？〃

〃Yes；　and　I'm　quite　sure　he　doesn't　understand　to　this　day　how　he　became
one；　or　why。　　He's　delightfully　naive　on　the　subject　of　genealogy；　and　I
had　the　Bumpus　family　by　heart　before　he　left。　　That's　the　form　his
remnant　of　the　intellectual　curiosity　of　his　ancestors　takes。　　He　was
born　in　Dolton；　which　was　settled　by　the　original　Bumpus；　back　in　the
Plymouth　Colony　days；　and　if　he　were　rich　he'd　have　a　library　stuffed
with　gritty；　yellow…backed　books　and　be　a　leading　light　in　the　Historical
Society。　　He　speaks　with　that　nicety　of　pronunciation　of　the　old　New
Englander；　never　slurring　his　syllables；　and　he　has　a　really　fine　face；
the　kind　of　face　one　doesn't　often　see　nowadays。　　I　kept　looking　at　it；
wondering　what　was　the　matter　with　it；　and　at　last　I　realized　what　it
lackedwill；　desire；　ambition；it　was　what　a　second…rate　sculptor　might
have　made　of　Bradford；　for　instance。　　But　there　is　a　remnant　of　fire　in
him。　　Once；　when　he　spoke　of　the　strike；　of　the　foreigners；　he　grew　quite
indignant。〃

〃He　didn't　tell　you　why　his　daughter　had　joined　the　strikers？〃　Insall
asked。

〃He　was　just　as　much　at　sea　about　that　as　you　and　I　are。　　Of　course　I
didn't　ask　himhe　asked　me　if　I　knew。　　It's　only　another　proof　of　her
amazing　reticence。　　And　I　can　imagine　an　utter　absence　of　sympathy
between　them。　　He　accounts　for　her；　of　course；　he's　probably　the
unconscious　transmitter　of　qualities　the　Puritans　possessed　and　tried　to
smother。　　Certainly　the　fires　are　alight　in　her；　and　yet　it's　almost
incredible　that　he　should　have　conveyed　them。　　Of　course　I　haven't　seen
the　mother。〃

〃It's　curious　he　didn't　mention　her　having　been　Ditmar's　stenographer；〃
Insall　put　in。　　〃Was　that　reticence？〃

〃I　hardly　think　so；〃　Augusta　Maturin　replied。　　〃It　may　have　been；　but　the
impression　I　got　was　of　an　incapacity　to　feel　the　present。　　All　his
emotions　are　in　the　past；　most　of　his　conversation　was　about　Bumpuses　who
are　dead　and　buried；　and　his　pride　in　Janetfor　he　has　a　prideseems　to
exist　because　she　is　their　representative。　　It's　extraordinary；　but　he
sees　her　present　situation；　her　future；　with　extraordinary　optimism；　he
apparently　regards　her　coming　to　Silliston；　even　in　the　condition　in
which　we　found　her；　as　a　piece　of　deserved　fortune　for　which　she　has　to
thank　some　virtue　inherited　from　her　ancestors！　　Well；　perhaps　he's
right。　　If　she　were　not　unique；　I　shouldn't　want　to　keep　her　here。　　It's
pure　selfishness。　　I　told　Mr。　Bumpus　I　expected　to　find　work　for　her。〃

Mrs。　Maturin　returned　Insall's　smile。　　〃I　suppose　you're　too　polite　to
say　that　I'm　carried　away　by　my　enthusiasms。　　But　you　will　at　least　do　me
the　justice　to　admit　that　they　are　rare　anddiscriminating；　as　a
connoisseur's　should　be。　　I　think　even　you　will　approve　of　her。〃

〃Oh；　I　have　approved　of　herthat's　the　trouble。〃

Mrs。　Maturin　regarded　him　for　a　moment　in　silence。

〃I　wish　you　could　have　seen　her　when　I　began　to　read　those　verses　of
Stevenson's。　　It　was　an　inspirations　your　thinking　of　them。〃

〃Did　I　think　of　them？〃

〃You　know　you　did。　　You　can't　escape　your　responsibility。　　Well；　I　felt
likelike　a　gambler；　as　though　I　were　staking　everything　on　a　throw。
And；　after　I　began；　as　if　I　were　playing　on　some　rare　instrument。　　She
lay　there；　listening；　without　uttering　a　word；　but　somehow　she　seemed　to
be　interpreting　them　for　me；　giving　them　a　meaning　and　a　beauty　I　hadn't
imagined。　　Another　time　I　told　her　about　Silliston；　and　how　this　little
community　for　over　a　century　and　a　half　had　tried　to　keep　its　standard
flying；　to　carry　on　the　work　begun　by　old　Andrew；　and　I　thought　of　those
lines；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Other　little　children
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Shall　bring　my　boats　ashore。'

That　particular　application　just　suddenly；　occurred　to　me；　but　she
inspired　it。〃

〃You're　a　born　schoolma'am；〃　Insall　laughed。

〃I'm　much　too　radical　for　a　schoohna'am；〃　she　declared。　　〃No　board　of
trustees　would　put　up　with　menot　even　Silliston's！　　We've　kept　the
faith；　but　we　do　move　slowly；　Brooks。　　Even　tradition　grows；　and
sometimes　our　blindness　here　to　changes；　to　modern；　scientific　facts；
fairly　maddens　me。　　I　read　her　that　poem　of　Moody'syou　know　it：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　‘Here；　where　the　moors　stretch　free
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　the　high　blue　afternoon；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Are　the　marching　sun　and　the　talking　sea