april hopes-第14章

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think　he　meant　it？　　Do　you　think　he　intended　it　for　an　invitation？〃

〃I　don't　think　he　meant　anything；　or；　if　he　did；　I　think　he　didn't　know
what。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer　vaguely；　〃that　must　be　what　Mrs。　Saintsbury　meant
by　the　artistic　temperament。〃

〃I　like　people　to　be　sincere；　and　not　to　say　things　they　don't　mean；　or
don't　know　whether　they　mean　or　not；〃　said　Alice。

〃Yes；　of　course；　that's　the　best　way；〃　admitted　Mrs。　Pasmer。　　〃It's　the
only　way；〃　she　added；　as　if　it　were　her　own　invariable　practice。　　Then
she　added　further；　〃I　wonder　what　he　did　mean？〃

She　began　to　yawn；　for　after　her　simulation　of　vivid　interest　in　them　the
visit　of　the　young　men　had　fatigued　her。　　In　the　midst　of　her　yawn　her
daughter　went　out　of　the　room；　with　an　impatient　gesture；　and　she
suspended　the　yawn　long　enough　to　smile；　and　then　finished　it。



XI。

After　first　going　to　the　Owen；　at　Campobello；　the　Pasmers　took　rooms　at
the　Ty'n…y…Coed；　which　is　so　much　gayer；　even　if　it　is　not　so
characteristic　of　the　old　Welsh　Admiral's　baronial　possession　of　the
island。　　It　is　characteristic　enough；　and　perched　on　its　bluff
overlooking　the　bay；　or　whatever　the　body　of　water　is；　it　sees　a　score　of
pretty　isles　and　long　reaches　of　mainland　coast；　with　a　white　marble
effect　of　white…painted　wooden　Eastport；　nestled　in　the　wide　lap　of　the
shore；　in　apparent　luxury　and　apparent　innocence　of　smuggling　and　the
manufacture　of　herring　sardines。　　The　waters　that　wrap　the　island　in
morning　and　evening　fog　temper　the　air　of　the　latitude　to　a　Newport
softness　in　summer；　with　a　sort　of　inner　coolness　that　is　peculiarly
delicious；　lulling　the　day　with　long　calms　and　light　breezes；　and　after
nightfall　commonly　sending　a　stiff　gale　to　try　the　stops　of　the　hotel's
gables　and　casements；　and　to　make　the　cheerful　blaze　on　its　public
hearths　acceptable。　　Once　or　twice　a　day　the　Eastport　ferry…boat　arrives；
with　passengers　from　the　southward；　at　a　floating　wharf　that　sinks　or
swims　half　a　hundred　feet　on　the　mighty　tides　of　the　Northeast；　but　all
night　long　the　island　is　shut　up　to　its　own　memories　and　devices。　　The
pretty　romance　of　the　old　sailor　who　left　England　to　become　a　sort　of
feudal　seigneur　here；　with　a　holding　of　the　entire　island；　and　its
fisher…folk　for　his　villeins；　forms　a　picturesque　background　for　the
aesthetic　leisure　and　society　in　the　three　hotels　remembering　him　and　his
language　in　their　names；　and　housing　with　a　few　cottages　all　the
sojourners　on　the　island。　　By　day　the　broad　hotel　piazzas　shelter　such　of
the　guests　as　prefer　to　let　others　make　their　excursions　into　the　heart
of　the　island；　and　around　its　rocky；　sea…beaten　borders；　and　at　night；
when　the　falling　mists　have　brought　the　early　dark；　and　from　lighthouse
to　lighthouse　the　fog…horns　moan　and　low　to　one　another；　the　piazzas　cede
to　the　corridors　and　the　parlours　and　smoking…rooms。　　The　life　does　not
greatly　differ　from　other　seaside　hotel　life　on　the　surface；　and　if　one
were　to　make　distinctions　one　would　perhaps　begin　by　saying　that　hotel
society　there　has　much　of　the　tone　of　cottage　society　elsewhere；　with　a
little　more　accessibility。　　As　the　reader　doubtless　knows；　the　great　mass
of　Boston　society；　thoughtful　of　its　own　weight　and　bulk；　transports
itself　down　the　North　Shore　scarcely　further　than　Manchester　at　the
furthest；　but　there　are　more　courageous　or　more　detachable　spirits　who
venture　into　more　distant　regions。　　These　contribute　somewhat　toward
peopling　Bar　Harbour　in　the　summer；　but　they　scarcely　characterise　it　in
any　degree；　while　at　Campobello　they　settle　in　little　daring　colonies；
whose　self…reliance　will　enlist　the　admiration　of　the　sympathetic
observer。　　They　do　not　refuse　the　knowledge　of　other　colonies　of　other
stirps　and　origins；　and　they　even　combine　in　temporary　alliance　with
them。　　But；　after　all；　Boston　speaks　one　language；　and　New　York　another；
and　Washington　a　third；　and　though　the　several　dialects　have　only　slight
differences　of　inflection；　their　moral　accents　render　each　a　little
difficult　for　the　others。　　In　fact　every　society　is　repellant　of
strangers　in　the　degree　that　it　is　sufficient　to　itself；　and　is　incurious
concerning　the　rest　of　the　world。　　If　it　has　not　the　elements　of　self…
satisfaction　in　it；　if　it　is　uninformed　and　new　and　restless；　it　is　more
hospitable　than　an　older　society　which　has　a　sense　of　merit　founded　upon
historical　documents；　and　need　no　longer　go　out　of　itself　for　comparisons
of　any　sort；　knowing　that　if　it　seeks　anything　better　it　will　probably　be
disappointed。　　The　natural　man；　the　savage；　is　as　indifferent　to　others
as　the　exclusive；　and　those　who　accuse　the　coldness　of　the　Bostonians；
and　their　reluctant　or　repellant　behaviour　toward　unknown　people；　accuse
not　only　civilisation；　but　nature　itself。

That　love　of　independence　which　is　notable　in　us　even　in　our　most
acquiescent　phases　at　home　is　perhaps　what　brings　these　cultivated　and
agreeable　people　so　far　away；　where　they　can　achieve　a　sort　of　sylvan
urbanity　without　responsibility；　and　without　that　measuring　of　purses
which　attends　the　summer　display　elsewhere。　　At　Campobello　one　might　be
poor　with　almost　as　little　shame　as　in　Cambridge　if　one　were　cultivated。
Mrs。　Pasmer；　who　seldom　failed　of　doing　just　the　right　thing　for　herself；
had　promptly　divined　the　advantages　of　Campobello　for　her　family。　She
knew；　by　dint　of　a　little　inquiry；　and　from　the　volunteer　information　of
enthusiasts　who　had　been　there　the　summer　before；　just　who　was　likely　to
be　there　during　the　summer　with　which　she　now　found　herself　confronted。
Campobello　being　yet　a　new　thing；　it　was　not　open　to　the　objection　that
you　were　sure　to　meet　such　and　such　people；　more　or　less　common　or
disagreeable；　there；　whatever　happened；　it　could　be　lightly　handled　in
the　retrospect　as　the　adventure　of　a　partial　and　fragmentary　summer　when
really　she　hardly　cared　where　they　went。

They　did　not　get　away　from　Boston　before　the　middle　of　July；　and　after
the　solitude　they　left　behind　them　there；　the　Owen　at　first　seemed　very
gay。　　But　when　they　had　once　or　twice　compared　it　with　the　Ty'n…y…Coed；
riding　to　and　fro　in　the　barge　which　formed　the　connecting　link　with　the
Saturday　evening　hops　of　the　latter　hotel；　Mrs。　Pasmer　decided　that；　from
Alice's　point　of　view；　they　had　made　a　mistake；　and　she　repaired　it
without　delay。　　The　young　people　were；　in　fact；　all　at　the　Ty'n…y…Coed；
and　though　she　found　the　Owen　perfectly　satisfying　for　herself　and　Mr。
Pasmer；　she　was　willing　to　make　the　sacrifice　of　going　to　a　new　place：　it
was　not　a　great　sacrifice　for　one　who　had　dwelt　so　long　in　tents。

There　were　scarcely　any　young　girls　at　the　Owen；　and　no　young　men；　of
course。　　Even　at　the　Ty'n…y…Coed；　where　young　girls　abounded；　it　would
not　be　right　to　pretend　that　there　were　young　men　enough。　　Nowhere；
perhaps；　except　at　Bar　Harbour；　is　the　long…lost　balance　of　the　sexes
trimmed　in　New　England；　and　even　there　the　observer；　abstractly
delighting　in　the　young　girls　and　their　dresses　at　that　grand　love…
exchange　of　Rodick's；　must　question　whether　the　adjustment　is　perfectly
accurate。

At　Campobello　there　were　not　more　than　half　enough　young　men；　and　there
was　not　enough　flirtation　to　affect　the　prevailing　social　mood　of　the
place：　an　unfevered；　expectationless　tranquillity；　in　which　to…day　is
like　yesterday；　and　to…morrow　cannot　be　different。　　It　is　a　quiet　of
light　reading；　and　slowly；　brokenly　murmured；　contented　gossip　for　the
ladies；　of　old　newspapers　and　old　stories　and　luxuriously　meditated
cigars　for　the　men；　with　occasional　combinations　for　a　steam…launch
cruise　among　the　eddies　and　islands　of　the　nearer　waters；　or　a　voyage
further　off　in　the　Bay　of　Fundy　to　the　Grand　Menan；　and　a　return　for　the
late　dinner　which　marks　the　high　civilisation　of　Campobello；　and　then　an
evening　of　more　reading　and　gossip　and　cigars；　while　the　night　wind
whistles　outside；　and　the　brawl　and　crash　of　the　balls　among　the　tenpins
comes　softened　from　the　distant　alleys。　　There　are　pleasant　walks；　which
people　seldom　take；　in　many　directions；　and　there　are　drives　and　bridle…
paths　all　through　the　dense；　sad；　Northern　woods　which　still　savagely
cl