april hopes-第20章

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don't　know　them　all。　　But　I'm　not　one　of　the　Aliceolaters；　you　know。〃

〃No；　of　course　not。　　But　shouldn't　youDon't　you　think　it　would　be　a
great　pityShe's　so　superior；　so　very　uncommon　in　every　way；　that　it
hardly　seemsAh；　I　should　so　like　to　see　some　one　really　finenot　a
coarse　fibre　in　him；　don't　you　know。　　Not　that　Mr。　Mavering's　coarse。
But　beside　her　he　does　seem　so　light！〃

〃Perhaps　that's　the　reason　she　likes　him。〃

〃No；　no！　　I　can't　believe　that。　　She　must　see　more　in　him　than　we　can。〃

〃I　dare　say　she　thinks　she　does。　　At　any　rate；　it's　a　perfectly　evident
case　on　both　sides；　and　the　frank　way　he's　followed　her　up　here；　and
devoted　himself　to　her；　as　ifwell；　not　as　if　she　were　the　only　girl　in
the　world；　but　incomparably　the　bestis　certainly　not　common。〃

〃No；〃　sighed　Miss　Cotton；　glad　to　admit　it；　〃that's　beautiful。〃



XV。

In　the　edge　of　the　woods　and　the　open　spaces　among　the　trees　the
blueberries　grew　larger　and　sweeter　in　the　late　Northern　summer　than　a
more　southern　sun　seems　to　make　them。　　They　hung　dense　upon　the　low
bushes；　and　gave　them　their　tint　through　the　soft　grey　bloom　that　veiled
their　blue。　　Sweet…fern　in　patches　broke　their　mass　here　and　there；　and
exhaled　its　wild　perfume　to　the　foot　or　skirt　brushing　through　it。

〃I　don't　think　there's　anything　much　prettier　than　these　clusters；　do
you；　Miss　Pasmer？〃　asked　Mavering；　as　he　lifted　a　bunch　pendent　from　the
little　tree　before　he　stripped　it　into　the　bowl　he　carried。　　〃And　see！
it　spoils　the　bloom　to　gather　them。〃　　He　held　out　a　handful；　and　then
tossed　them　away。　　〃It　ought　to　be　managed　more　aesthetically　for　an
occasion　like　this。　　I'll　tell　you　what；　Miss　Pasmer：　are　you　used　to
blueberrying？〃

〃No；〃　she　said；　〃I　don't　know　that　I　ever　went　blueberrying　before。
Why？〃　she　asked。

〃Because；　if　you　haven't；　you　wouldn't　be　very　efficient　perhaps；　and　so
you　might　resign　yourself　to　sitting　on　that　log　and　holding　the　berries
in　your　lap；　while　I　pick　them。〃

〃But　what　about　the　bowls；　then？〃

〃Oh；　never　mind　them。　　I've　got　an　idea。　　See　here！〃　　He　clipped　off　a
bunch　with　his　knife；　and　held　it　up　before　her；　tilting　it　this　way　and
that。　　〃Could　anything　be　more　graceful！　　My　idea　is　to　serve　the
blueberry　on　its　native　stem　at　this　picnic。　　What　do　you　think？　　Sugar
would　profane　it；　and　of　course　they've　only　got　milk　enough　for　the
coffee。〃

〃Delightful！〃　　Alice　arranged　herself　on　the　log；　and　made　a　lap　for　the
bunch。　　He　would　not　allow　that　the　arrangement　was　perfect　till　he　had
cushioned　the　seat　and　carpeted　the　ground　for　her　feet　with　sweet…fern。

〃Now　you're　something　like　a　wood…nymph；〃　he　laughed。　　〃Only；　wouldn't　a
real　wood…nymph　have　an　apron？〃　he　asked；　looking　down　at　her　dress。

〃Oh；　it　won't　hurt　the　dress。　　You　must　begin　now；　or　they'll　be　calling
us。〃

He　was　standing　and　gazing　at　her　with　a　distracted　enjoyment　of　her
pose。　　〃Oh　yes；　yes；〃　he　answered；　coming　to　himself；　and　he　set　about
his　work。

He　might　have　got　on　faster　if　he　had　not　come　to　her　with　nearly　every
bunch　he　cut　at　first；　and　when　he　began　to　deny　himself　this　pleasure　he
stopped　to　admire　an　idea　of　hers。

〃Well；　that's　charmingmaking　them　into　bouquets。〃

〃Yes；　isn't　it？〃　she　cried　delightedly；　holding　a　bunch　of　the　berries　up
at　arm's…length　to　get　the　effect。

〃Ah；　but　you　must　have　some　of　this　fern　and　this　tall　grass　to　go　with
it。　　Why；　it's　sweet…grassthe　sweet…grass　of　the　Indian　baskets！〃

〃Is　it？〃　She　looked　up　at　him。　　〃And　do　you　think　that　the　mixture　would
be　better　than　the　modest　simplicity　of　the　berries；　with　a　few　leaves　of
the　same？〃

〃No；　you're　right；　it　wouldn't；〃　he　said；　throwing　away　his　ferns。　　〃But
you'll　want　something　to　tie　the　stems　with；　you　must　use　the　grass。〃　　He
left　that　with　her；　and　went　back　to　his　bushes。　　He　added；　from　beyond　a
little　thicket；　as　if　what　he　said　were　part　of　the　subject；　〃I　was
afraid　you　wouldn't　like　my　skipping　about　there　on　the　rocks；　doing　the
coloured　uncle。〃

〃Like　it？〃

〃I　meanIyou　thought　it　undignifiedtrivial〃

She　said；　after　a　moment：　〃It　was　very　funny；　and　people　do　all　sorts　of
things　at　picnics。　　That's　the　pleasure　of　it；　isn't　it？〃

〃Yes；　it　is；　but　I　know　you　don't　always　like　that　kind　of　thing。〃

〃Do　I　seem　so　very　severe？〃　she　asked。

〃Oh　no；　not　severe。　　I　should　be　afraid　of　you　if　you　were。　　I　shouldn't
have　dared　to　come　to　Campobello。〃

He　looked　at　her　across　the　blueberry　bushes。　　His　gay　speech　meant
everything　or　nothing。　　She　could　parry　it　with　a　jest；　and　then　it　would
mean　nothing。　　She　let　her　head　droop　over　her　work；　and　made　no　answer。

〃I　wish　you　could　have　seen　those　fellows　on　the　boat；〃　said　Mavering。

〃Hello；　Mavering！〃　called　the　voice　of　John　Munt；　from　another　part　of
the　woods。

〃Alice！Miss　Pasmer！〃　came　that　of　Miss　Anderson。

He　was　going　to　answer；　when　he　looked　at　Alice。　　〃We'll　let　them　see　if
they　can　find　us；〃　he　said；　and　smiled。

Alice　said　nothing　at　first；　she　smiled　too。　　〃You　know　more　about　the
woods　than　I　do。　　I　suppose　if　they　keep　looking〃

〃Oh　yes。〃　　He　came　toward　her　with　a　mass　of　clusters　which　he　had
clipped。　　〃How　fast　you　do　them！〃　he　said；　standing　and　looking　down　at
her。　　〃I　wish　you'd　let　me　come　and　make　up　the　withes　for　you　when　you
need　them。〃

〃No；　I　couldn't　allow　that　on　any　account；〃　she　answered；　twisting　some
stems　of　the　grass　together。

〃Well；　will　you　let　me　hold　the　bunches　while　you　tie　them；　or　tie　them
when　you　hold　them？〃

〃No。〃

〃This　once；　then？〃

〃This　once；　perhaps。〃

〃How　little　you　let　me　do　for　you！〃　he　sighed。

〃That　gives　you　a　chance　to　do　more　for　other　people；〃　she　answered；　and
then　she　dropped　her　eyes；　as　if　she　had　been　surprised　into　that　answer。
She　made　haste　to　add：　〃That's　what　makes　you　so　popular　witheverybody！〃

〃Ah；　but　I'd　rather　be　popular　with　somebody！〃

He　laughed；　and　then　they　both　laughed　together　consciously；　and　still
nothing　or　everything　had　been　said。　　A　little　silly　silence　followed；
and　he　said；　for　escape　from　it；　〃I　never　saw　such　berries　before；　even
in　September；　on　the　top　of　Ponkwasset。〃

〃Why；　is　it　a　mountain？〃　she　asked。　　〃I　thought　it　was　afalls。〃

〃It's　both；〃　he　said。

〃I　suppose　it's　very　beautiful；　isn't　it！　　All　America　seems　so　lovely；
so　large。〃

〃It's　pretty　in　the　summer。　　I　don't　know　that　I　shall　like　it　there　in
the　winter　if　I　conclude　toDid　yourdid　Mrs。　Pasmer　tell　you　what　my
father　wants　me　to　do？〃

〃About　going　there　tomanufacture？〃

Mavering　nodded。　　〃He's　given　me　three　weeks　to　decide　whether　I　would
like　to　do　that　or　go　in　for　law。　　That's　what　I　came　up　here　for。〃

There　was　a　little　pause。　　She　bent　her　head　down　over　the　clusters　she
was　grouping。　　〃Is　the　light　of　Campobello　particularly　good　on　such
questions？〃　she　asked。

〃I　don't　mean　that　exactly；　but　I　wish　you　could　help　me　to　some
conclusion。〃

〃Yes；　why　not？〃

〃It's　the　first　time　I've　ever　had　a　business　question　referred　to　me。〃

　Well；　then；　you　can　bring　a　perfectly　fresh　mind　to　it。〃

〃Let　me　see；〃　she　said；　affecting　to　consider。　　〃It's　really　a　very
important　matter？〃

〃It　is　to　me。〃

After　a　moment　she　looked　up　at　him。　　〃I　should　think　that　you　wouldn't
mind　living　there　if　your　business　was　there。　　I　suppose　it's　being　idle
in　places　that　makes　them　dull。　　I　thought　it　was　dull　in　London。　　One
ought　to　be　gladoughtn't　he？to　live　in　any　place　where　there's
something　to　do。〃

〃Well；　that　isn't　the　way　people　usually　feel；〃　said　Mavering。　　〃That's
the　kind　of　a　place　most　of　them　fight　shy　of。〃

Alice　laughed　with　an　undercurrent　of　protest；　perhaps　because　she　had
seen　her　parents'　whole　life；　so　far　as　she　knew　it；　passed　in　this　sort
of　struggle。　　〃I　mean　that　I　hate　my　own　life　because　there　seems　nothing
for　me　to　do　with　it。　　I　like　to　have　people　do　something。〃

〃Do　you　really？〃　asked　Mavering　soberly；　as　if　struck　by　the　novelty　of
the　idea。

〃Yes！〃　she　said；　with　exaltation。　　〃If　I　were　a　man〃

He　burst　into　a　ringing　laugh。　　〃Oh　no；　don't！〃

〃Why？〃　she　demanded；　with　provisional　indignation。

〃Because　then　there　wouldn't　be　any　Miss　Pasmer。〃

I