april hopes-第13章

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personal。　　She　forgot　that　between　young　people　the　social　affair　is
always　trembling　to　the　personal　affair。

In　the　little　pause　which　these　reflections　gave　her　mother；　the　girl
struck　in；　with　the　coolness　that　always　astonished　Mrs。　Pasmer；　and　as
if　she　had　been　merely　waiting　till　some　phase　of　the　talk　interested
her。

〃Are　many　of　the　students　going　to　the　race？〃　she　asked　Boardman。

〃Yes；　nearly　everybody。　　That　is〃

〃The　race？〃　queried　Mrs。　Pasmer。

Yes；　at　New　London；〃　Mavering　broke　in。　　〃Don't　you　know？　　The　University
raceHarvard　and　Yale。〃

〃Ohoh　yes；〃　cried　Mrs。　Pasmer；　wondering　how　her　daughter　should　know
about　the　race；　and　she　not。　　〃Had　they　talked　it　over　together　on　Class
Day？〃　she　asked　herself。　　She　felt　herself；　in　spite　of　her　efforts　to
keep　even　with　them；　left　behind　and　left　out；　as　later　age　must　be
distanced　and　excluded　by　youth。　　〃Are　you　gentlemen　going　to　row？〃　she
asked　Mavering。

〃No；　they've　ruled　the　tubs　out　this　time；　and　we　should　send　anything
else　to　the　bottom。〃

Mrs。　Pasmer　perceived　that　he　was　joking；　but　also　that　they　were　not　of
the　crew；　and　she　said　that　if　that　was　the　case　the　should　not　go。

〃Oh；　don't　let　that　keep　you　away！　　Aren't　you　going？　　I　hoped　you　were
going；〃　continued　the　young　man；　speaking　with　his　eyes　on　Mrs。　Pasmer；
but　with　his　mind；　as　she　could　see　by　his　eyes；　on　her　daughter。

〃No；　no。〃

〃Oh；　do　go；　Mrs。　Pasmer！〃　he　urged：　〃I　wish　you'd　go　along　to　chaperon
us。〃

Mrs。　Pasmer　accepted　the　notion　with　amusement。　　〃I　should　think　you
might　look　after　each　other。　　At　any　rate；　I　think　I　must　trust　you　to
Mr。　Boardman　this　time。〃

〃Yes；　but　he's　going　on　business；〃　persisted　Mavering；　as　if　for　the
pleasure　he　found　in　fencing　with　the　air；　〃and　he　can't　look　after　me。〃

〃On　business？〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　dropping　her　outspread　fan　on　her　lap；
incredulously。

〃Yes；　he's　going　into　journalismhe's　gone　into　it；〃　laughed　Mavering；
〃and　he's　going　down　to　report　the　race　for　the　'Events'。〃

〃Really！〃　asked　Mrs。　Pasmer；　with　a　glance　at　Boardman；　whose　droll
embarrassment　did　not　contradict　his　friend's　words。　　〃How　splendid！〃　she
cried。　　〃I　had；　heard　that　a　great　many　Harvard　men　were　taking　up
journalism。　　I'm　so　glad　of　it！　　It　will　do　everything　to　elevate　its
tone。〃

Boardman　seemed　to　suffer　under　these　expectations　a　little；　and　he　stole
a　glance　of　comical　menace　at　his　friend。

〃Yes；〃　said　Mavering；　〃you'll　see　a　very　different　tone　about　the　fires；
and　the　fights；　and　the　distressing　accidents；　in　the　'Events'　after
this。〃

〃What　does　he　mean？〃　she　asked　Boardman；　giving　him　unavoidably　the
advantage　of　the　caressing　manner　which　was　in　her　mind　for　Mavering。

〃Well；　you　see；〃　said　Boardman；　〃we　have　to　begin　pretty　low　down。〃

〃Oh；　but　all　departments　of　our　press　need　reforming；　don't　they？〃　she
inquired　consolingly。　　〃One　hears　such　shocking　things　about　our　papers
abroad。　　I'm　sure　that　the　more　Harvard　men　go　into　them　the　better。　　And
how　splendid　it　is　to　have　them　going　into　politics　the　way　they　are！
They're　going　into　politics　too；　aren't　they？〃　　She　looked　from　one　young
man　to　the　other　with　an　idea　that　she　was　perhaps　shooting　rather　wild；
and　an　amiable　willingness　to　be　laughed　at　if　she　were。　　〃Why　don't　you
go　into　politics；　Mr。　Mavering？〃

〃Well；　the　fact　is〃

〃So　many　of　the　young　University　men　do　in　England；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；
fortifying　her　position。

〃Well；　you　see；　they　haven't　got　such　a　complete　machine　in　England〃

〃Oh　yes；　that　dreadful　machine！〃　sighed　Mrs。　Pasmer；　who　had　heard　of　it；
but　did　not　know　in　the　least　what　it　was。

〃Do　you　think　the　Harvard　crew　will　beat　this　time？〃　Alice　asked　of
Boardman。

〃Well；　to　tell　you　the　truth〃

〃Oh；　but　you　must　never　believe　him　when　he　begins　that　way！〃　cried
Mavering。　　〃To　be　sure　they　will　beat。　　And　you　ought　to　be　there　to　see
it。　　Now；　why　won't　you　come；　Mrs。　Pasmer？〃　he　pleaded；　turning　to　her
mother。

〃Oh；　I'm　afraid　we　must　be　getting　away　from　Boston　by　that　time。　　It's
very　tiresome；　but　there　seems　to　be　nobody　left；　and　one　can't　stay
quite　alone；　even　if　you're　sick　of　moving　about。　　Have　you　ever　been
we　think　of　going　thereto　Campobello？〃

〃No；　but　I　hear　that　it's　charming；　there。　　I　had　a　friend　who　was　there
last　year；　and　he　said　it　was　charming。　　The　only　trouble　is　it's　so　far。
You're　pretty　well　on　the　way　to　Europe　when　you　get　there。　　You　know
it's　all　hotel　life？〃

〃Yes。　　It's　quite　a　new　place；　isn't　it？〃

〃Well；　it's　been　opened　up　several　years。　　And　they　say　it　isn't　like　the
hotel　life　anywhere　else；　it's　charming。　　And　there's　the　very　nicest
class　of　people。〃

〃Very　nice　Philadelphia　people；　I　hear；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　〃and
Baltimore。　　Don't　you　think　it's　well；〃　she　asked　deferentially；　and
under　correction；　if　she　were　hazarding　too　much；　〃to　see　somebody
besides　Boston　people　sometimesif　they're　nice？　　That　seems　to　be　one
of　the　great　advantages　of　living　abroad。〃

〃Oh；　I　think　there　are　nice　people　everywhere；〃　said　the　young　man；　with
the　bold　expansion　of　youth。

〃Yes；〃　sighed　Mrs。　Pasmer。　　〃We　saw　two　such　delightful　young　people
coming　in　and　out　of　the　hotel　in　Rome。　　We　were　sure　they　were　English。
And　they　were　from　Chicago！　　But　there　are　not　many　Western　people　at
Campobello；　are　there？〃

〃I　really　don't　know；〃　said　Mavering。　　〃How　is　it；　Boardman？　　Do　many　of
your　people　go　there？〃

〃You　know　you　do　make　it　so　frightfully　expensive　with　your　money；〃　said
Mrs。　Pasmer；　explaining　with　a　prompt　effect　of　having　known　all　along
that　Boardman　was　from　the　West；　〃You　drive　us　poor　people　all　away。〃

〃I　don't　think　my　money　would　do　it；〃　said　Boardman　quietly。

〃Oh；　you　wait　till　you're　a　Syndicate　Correspondent；〃　said；　Mavering；
putting　his　hand　on　his　friend's　shoulder；　and　rising　by　aid　of　it。　　He
left　Mrs。　Pasmer　to　fill　the　chasm　that　had　so　suddenly　yawned　between
her　and　Boardman；　and　while　she　tumbled　into　every　sort　of　flowery
friendliness　and　compliment；　telling　him　she　should　look　out　for　his
account　of　the　race　with　the　greatest　interest；　and　expressing　the　hope
that　he　would　get　as　far　as　Campobello　during　the　summer；　Mavering　found
some　minutes　for　talk　with　Alice。　　He　was　graver　with　herfar　graver
than　with　her　mothernot　only　because　she　was　a　more　serious　nature；　but
because　they　were　both　young；　and　youth　is　not　free　with　youth　except　by
slow　and　cautious　degrees。　　In　that　little　space　of　time　they　talked　of
pictures；　'a　propos'　of　some　on　the　wall；　and　of　books；　because　of　those
on　the　table。

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer　when　they　paused；　and　she　felt　that　her　piece
of　difficult　engineering　had　been　quite　successful；　〃Mrs。　Saintsbury　was
telling　me　what　a　wonderful　connoisseur　of　etchings　your　father　is。〃

〃I　believe　he　does　know　something　about　them；〃　said　the　young　man
modestly。

〃And　he's　gone　back　already？〃

〃Oh　yes。　　He　never　stays　long　away　from　my　mother。　　I　shall　be　going　home
myself　as　soon　as　I　get　back　from　the　race。〃

〃And　shall　you　spend　the　summer　there？〃

〃Part　of　it。　　I　always　like　to　do　that。〃

〃Perhaps　when　you　get　away　you'll　come　as　far　as　Campobellowith　Mr。
Boardman；〃　she　added。

〃Has　Boardman　promised　to　go？〃　laughed　Mavering。　　〃He　will　promise
anything。　　Well；　I'll　come　to　Campobello　if　you'll　come　to　New　London。
Do　come；　Mrs。　Pasmer！〃

The　mother　stood　watching　the　two　young　men　from　the　window　as　they　made
their　way　across　the　square　together。　　She　had　now；　for　some　reason；　no
apparent　scruple　in　being　seen　to　do　so。

〃How　ridiculous　that　stout　little　Mr。　Boardman　is　with　him！〃　said　Mrs。
Pasmer。　　〃He　hardly　comes　up　to　his　shoulder。　　Why　in　the　world　should　he
have　brought　him？〃

〃I　thought　he　was　very　pleasant；〃　said　the　girl。

〃Yes；　yes；　of　course。　　And　I　suppose　he'd　have　felt　that　it　was　rather
pointed　coming　alone。〃

〃Pointed？〃

〃Young　men　are　so　queer！　　Did　you　like　that　kind　of　collar　he　had　on？〃

〃I　didn't　notice　it。〃

〃So　very；　very　high。〃

〃I　suppose　he　has　rather　a　long　neck。〃

〃Well；　what　did　you　think　of　his　urging　us　to　go　to　the　race？　　Do　you
think　he　meant　it？　　Do　you　think　he　intended　it　f