april hopes-第15章

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people　seldom　take；　in　many　directions；　and　there　are　drives　and　bridle…
paths　all　through　the　dense；　sad；　Northern　woods　which　still　savagely
clothe　the　greater　part　of　the　island　to　its　further　shores；　where　there
are　shelves　and　plateaus　of　rock　incomparable　for　picnicking。

One　need　ask　nothing　better；　in　fact；　than　to　stroll　down　the　sylvan　road
that　leads　to　the　Owen；　past　the　little　fishing…village　with　its　sheds
for　curing　herring；　and　the　pale　blue　smoke　and　appetising　savour
escaping　from　them；　and　past　the　little　chapel　with　which　the　old　Admiral
attested　his　love　of　the　Established　rite。　　On　this　road　you　may
sometimes　meet　a　little　English　bishop　from　the　Provinces；　in　his　apron。
and　knee…breeches；　and　there　is　a　certain　bridge　over　a　narrow　estuary；
where　in　the　shallow　land…locked　pools　of　the　deeply　ebbing　tide　you　may
throw　stones　at　sculpin；　and　witness　the　admirable　indifference　of　those
fish　to　human　cruelty　and　folly。　　In　the　middle　distance　you　will　see　a
group　of　herring　weirs；　which　with　their　coronals　of　tufted　saplings　form
the　very　most　picturesque　aspect　of　any　fishing　industry。　　You　may；　now
and　then　find　an　artist　at　this　point；　who；　crouched　over　his　easel；　or
hers；　seems　to　agree　with　you　about　the　village　and　the　weirs。

But　Alice　Pasmer　cared　little　more　for　such　things　than　her　mother　did；
and　Mrs。　Pasmer　regarded　Nature　in　all　her　aspects　simply　as　an　adjunct
of　society；　or　an　occasional　feature　of　the　entourage。　　The　girl　had　no
such　worldly　feeling　about　it；　but　she　found　slight　sympathy　in　the　moods
of　earth　and　sky　with　her　peculiar　temperament。　　This　temperament；　whose
recondite　origin　had　almost　wholly　broken　up　Mrs。　Pasmer's　faith　in
heredity；　was　like　other　temperaments；　not　always　in　evidence；　and　Alice
was　variously　regarded　as　cold；　of　shy；　or　proud；　or　insipid；　by　the
various　other　temperaments　brought　in　contact　with　her　own。　　She　was　apt
to　be　liked　because　she　was　as　careful　of　others　as　she　was　of　herself；
and　she　never　was　childishly　greedy　about　such　admiration　as　she　won；　as
girls　often　are；　perhaps　because　she　did　not　care　for　it。　　Up　to　this
time　it　is　doubtful　if　her　heart　had　been　touched　even　by　the　fancies
that　shake　the　surface　of　the　soul　of　youth；　and　perhaps　it　was　for　this
reason　that　her　seriousness　at　first　fretted　Mrs。　Pasmer　with　a　vague
anxiety　for　her　future。

Mrs。　Pasmer　herself　remained　inalienably　Unitarian；　but　she　was　aware　of
the　prodigious…growth　which　the　Church　had　been　making　in　society；　and
when　Alice　showed　her　inclination　for　it；　she　felt　that　it　was　not　at　all
as　if　she　had　developed　a　taste　for　orthodoxy；　when　finally　it　did　not
seem　likely　to　go　too　far；　it　amused　Mrs。　Pasmer　that　her　daughter　should
have　taken　so　intensely　to　the　Anglican　rite。

In　the　hotel　it　attached　to　her　by　a　common　interest　several　of　the
ladies　who　had　seen　her　earnestly　responsive　at　the　little　Owen　chapel
ladies　left　to　that　affectional　solitude　which　awaits　long　widowhood
through　the　death　or　marriage　of　children；　and　other　ladies；　younger；
but　yet　beginning　to　grow　old　with　touching　courage。　　Alice　was
especially　a　favourite　with　the　three　or　four　who　represented　their　class
and　condition　at　the　Ty'n…y　Coed；　and　who　read　the　best　books　read　there；
and　had　the　gentlest　manners。　　There　was　a　tacit　agreement　among　these
ladies；　who　could　not　help　seeing　the　difference　in　the　temperaments　of
the　mother　and　daughter；　that　Mrs。　Pasmer　did　not　understand　Alice；　but
probably　there　were　very　few　people　except　herself　whom　Mrs。　Pasmer　did
not　understand　quite　well。　　She　understood　these　ladies　and　their
compassion　for　Alice；　and　she　did　not　in　the　least　resent　it。　　She　was
willing　that　people　should　like　Alice　for　any　reason　they　chose；　if　they
did　not　go　too　far。　　With　her　little　flutter　of　futile　deceits；　her
irreverence　for　every　form　of　human　worth　and　her　trust　in　a　providence
which　had　seldom　failed　her；　she　smiled　at　the　cult　of　Alice's　friends；
as　she　did　at　the　girl's　seriousness；　which　also　she　felt　herself　able　to
keep　from　going　too　far。

While　she　did　not　object　to　the　sympathy　of　these　ladies；　whatever
inspired　it；　she　encouraged　another　intimacy　which　grew　up
contemporaneously　with　theirs；　and　which　was　frankly　secular　and
practical；　though　the　girl　who　attached　herself　to　Alice　with　one　of
those　instant　passions　of　girlhood　was　also　in　every　exterior　observance
a　strict　and　diligent　Churchwoman。　　The　difference　was　through　the
difference　of　Boston　and　New　York　in　everything：　the　difference　between
idealising　and　the　realising　tendency。　　The　elderly　and　middle…aged
Boston　women　who　liked　Alice　had　been　touched　by　something　high　yet　sad
in　the　beauty　of　her　face　at　church；　the　New　York　girl　promptly　owned
that　she　had　liked　her　effect　the　first　Sunday　she　saw　her　there；　and　she
knew　in　a　minute　she　never　got　those　things　on　this　side；　her　obeisances
and　genuflections　throughout　the　service；　much　more　profound　and
punctilious　than　those　of　any　one　else　there；　had　apparently　not
prevented　her　from　making　a　thorough　study　of　Alice's　costume　and　a
correct　conjecture　as　to　its　authorship。

Miss　Anderson；　who　claimed　a　collateral　Dutch　ancestry　by　the　Van　Hook；
tucked　in　between　her　non…committal　family　name　and　the　Julia　given　her
in　christening；　was　of　the　ordinary　slender　make　of　American　girlhood；
with　dull　blond　hair；　and　a　dull　blond　complexion；　which　would　have　left
her　face　uninteresting　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　caprice　of　her　nose　in
suddenly　changing　from　the　ordinary　American　regularity；　after　getting
over　its　bridge；　and　turning　out　distinctly　'retrousse'。　　This　gave　her
profile　animation　and　character；　you　could　not　expect　a　girl　with　that
nose　to　be　either　irresolute　or　commonplace；　and　for　good　or　for　ill　Miss
Anderson　was　decided　and　original。　　She　carried　her　figure；　which　was　no
great　things　of　a　figure　as　to　height；　with　vigorous　erectness；　she
walked　with　long　strides；　knocking　her　skirts　into　fine　eddies　and
tangles　as　she　went；　and　she　spoke　in　a　bold；　deep　voice；　with　tones　like
a　man　in　it；　all　the　more　amusing　and　fascinating　because　of　the
perfectly　feminine　eyes　with　which　she　looked　at　you；　and　the　nervous；
feminine　gestures　which　she　used　while　she　spoke。

She　took　Mrs。　Pasmer　into　her　confidence　with　regard　to　Alice　at　an　early
stage　of　their　acquaintance；　which　from　the　first　had　a　patronising　or
rather　protecting　quality　in　it；　if　she　owned　herself　less　fine；　she　knew
herself　shrewder；　and　more　capable　of　coping　with　actualities。

〃I　think　she's　moybid；　Alice　is；〃　she　said。　　〃She　isn't　moybid　in　the
usual　sense　of　the　word；　but　she　expects　more　of　herself　and　of　the　woyld
generally　than　anybody's　going　to　get　out　of　it。　　She　thinks　she's　going
to　get　as　much　as　she　gives；　and　that's　a　great　mistake；　Mrs。　Pasmer；〃
she　said；　with　that　peculiar　liquefaction　of　the　canine　letter　which　the
New…Yorkers　alone　have　the　trick　of；　and　which　it　would　be　tiresome　and
futile　to　try　to　represent　throughout　her　talk。

〃Oh　yes；　I　quite　agree　with　you；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　deep　in　her　throat；
and　reserving　deeper　still　her　enjoyment　of　this　early　wisdom　of　Miss
Anderson's。

〃Now；　even　at　churchshe　carries　the　same　spirit　into　the　church。　　She
doesn't　make　allowance　for　human　nature；　and　the　church　does。〃

〃Oh；　certainly！〃　Mrs。　Pasmer　agreed。

〃She　isn't　like　a　person　that's　been　brought　up　in　the　church。　　It's　more
like　the　old　Puritan　spirit。Excuse　me；　Mrs。　Pasmer！〃

〃Yes；　indeed！　　Say　anything　you　like　about　the　Puritans！〃　said　Mrs。
Pasmer；　delighted　that；　as　a　Bostonian；　she　should　be　thought　to　care　for
them。

〃I　always　forget　that　you're　a　Bostonian；〃　Miss　Anderson　apologized。

〃Oh；　thank　you！〃　cried　Mrs。　Pasmer。

〃I'm　going　to　try　to　make　her　like　other　girls；〃　continued　Miss　Anderson。

〃Do；〃　said　Alice's　mother；　with　the　effect　of　wishing　her　joy　of　the
undertaking。

〃If　there　were　a　few　young　men　about；　a　little　over　seventeen　and　a
little　under　fifty；　it　would　be　easier；〃　said　Miss　Anderson　thoughtfully。
〃But　how　are　you　going　to　make　a　girl　like　other　girls　when　there　are　no
young　men？〃

〃That's　very　true；〃