april hopes-第24章

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〃I'm　afraid　you're　dreadfully　tired；〃　said　Mavering　to　the　girl；　in　a　low
voice；　as　he　lifted　her　from　her　place　when　they　reached　the　hotel
through　the　provisional　darkness；　and　found　that　after　all　it　was　only
dinner…time。

〃Oh　no。　　I　feel　as　if　the　picnic　were　just　beginning。〃

〃Then　you　will　come　to…night？〃

〃I　will　see　what　mamma　says。〃

〃Shall　I　ask　her？〃

〃Oh；　perhaps　not；〃　said　the　girl；　repressing　his　ardour；　but　not
severely。




XVIII。

They　were　going　to　have　some　theatricals　at　one　of　the　cottages；　and　the
lady　at　whose　house　they　were　to　be　given　made　haste　to　invite　all　the
picnic　party　before　it　dispersed。　　Mrs。　Pasmer　accepted　with　a　mental
reservation；　meaning　to　send　an　excuse　later　if　she　chose；　and　before　she
decided　the　point　she　kept　her　husband　from　going　after　dinner　into　the
reading…room；　where　he　spent　nearly　all　his　time　over　a　paper　and　a
cigar；　or　in　sitting　absolutely　silent　and　unoccupied；　and　made　him　go　to
their　own　room　with　her。

〃There　is　something　that　I　must　speak　to　you　about；〃　she　said；　closing
the　door；　〃and　you　must　decide　for　yourself　whether　you　wish　to　let　it　go
any　further。〃

〃What　go　any　further？〃　asked　Mr。　Pasmer；　sitting　down　and　putting　his
hand　to　the　pocket　that　held　his　cigar…case　with　the　same　series　of
motions。

〃No；　don't　smoke；〃　she　said；　staying　his　hand　impatiently。　　〃I　want　you
to　think。〃

〃How　can　I　think　if　I　don't　smoke？〃

〃Very　well；　smoke；　then。　　Do　you　want　this　affair　with　young　Mavering　to
go　any　farther？〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Pasmer；　〃I　thought　you　had　been　looking　after　that。〃　　He　had
in　fact　relegated　that　to　the　company　of　the　great　questions　exterior　to
his　personal　comfort　which　she　always　decided。

〃I　have　been　looking　after　it；　but　now　the　time　has　come　when　you　must；
as　a　father；　take　some　interest　in　it。〃

Pasmer's　noble　mask　of　a　face；　from　the　point　of　his　full　white　beard　to
his　fine　forehead；　crossed　by　his　impressive　black　eyebrows；　expressed
all　the　dignified　concern　which　a　father　ought　to　feel　in　such　an　affair；
but　what　he　was　really　feeling　was　a　grave　reluctance　to　have　to
intervene　in　any　way。　　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　say　to　him？〃　he　asked。

〃Why；　I　don't　know　that　he's　going　to　ask　you　anything。　　I　don't　know
whether　he's　said　anything　to　Alice　yet；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　with　some
exasperation。

Her　husband　was　silent；　but　his　silence　insinuated　a　degree　of　wonder
that　she　should　approach　him　prematurely　on　such　a　point。

〃They　have　been　thrown　together　all　day；　and　there　is　no　use　to　conceal
from　ourselves　that　they　are　very　much　taken　with　each　other？〃

〃I　thought；〃　Pasmer　said；　〃that　you　said　that　from　the　beginning。　　Didn't
you　want　them　to　be　taken　with　each　other？〃

〃That　is　what　you　are　to　decide。〃

Pasmer　silently　refused　to　assume　the　responsibility。

〃Well？〃　demanded　his　wife；　after　waiting　for　him　to　speak。

〃Well　what？〃

〃What　do　you　decide？〃

〃What　is　the　use　of　deciding　a　thing　when　it　is　all　over？〃

〃It　isn't　over　at　all。　　It　can　be　broken　off　at　any　moment。〃

〃Well；　break　it　off；　then；　if　you　like。〃

Mrs。　Pasmer　resumed　the　responsibility　with　a　sigh。　　She　felt　the　burden；
the　penalty；　of　power；　after　having　so　long　enjoyed　its　sweets；　and　she
would　willingly　have　abdicated　the　sovereignty　which　she　had　spent　her
whole　married　life　in　establishing。　　But　there　was　no　one　to　take　it　up。
〃No；　I　shall　not　break　it　off；〃　she　said　resentfully；　〃I　shall　let　it　go
on。〃　　Then　seeing　that　her　husband　was　not　shaken　by　her　threat　from　his
long…confirmed　subjection；　she　added：　〃It　isn't　an　ideal　affair；　but　I
think　it　will　be　a　very　good　thing　for　Alice。　　He　is　not　what　I　expected；
but　he　is　thoroughly　nice；　and　I　should　think　his　family　was　nice。　　I've
been　talking　with　Mr。　Munt　about　them　to…day；　and　he　confirms　all　that
Etta　Saintsbury　said。　　I　don't　think　there　can　be　any　doubt　of　his
intentions　in　coming　here。　　He　isn't　a　particularly　artless　young　man；
but　he's　been　sufficiently　frank　about　Alice　since　he's　been　here。〃　　Her
husband　smoked　on。　　〃His　father　seems　to　have　taken　up　the　business　from
the　artistic　side；　and　Mr。　Mavering　won't　be　expected　to　enter　into　the
commercial　part　at　once。　　If　it　wasn't　for　Alice；　I　don't　believe　he
would　think　of　the　business　for　a　moment；　he　would　study　law。　　Of　course
it's　a　little　embarrassing　to　have　her　engaged　at　once　before　she's　seen
anything　of　society　here；　but　perhaps　it's　all　for　the　best；　after　all：
the　main　thing　is　that　she　should　be　satisfied；　and　I　can　see　that　she's
only　too　much　so。　　Yes；　she's　very　much　taken　with　him；　and　I　don't
wonder。　　He　is　charming。〃

It　was　not　the　first　time　that　Mrs。　Pasmer　had　reasoned　in　this　round；
but　the　utterance　of　her　thoughts　seemed　to　throw　a　new　light　on　them；
and　she　took　a　courage　from　them　that　they　did　not　always　impart。　　She
arrived　at　the　final　opinion　expressed；　with　a　throb　of　tenderness　for
the　young　fellow　whom　she　believed　eager　to　take　her　daughter　from　her；
and　now　for　the　first　time　she　experienced　a　desolation　in　the　prospect；
as　if　it　were　an　accomplished　fact。　　She　was　morally　a　bundle　of
finesses；　but　at　the　bottom　of　her　heart　her　daughter　was　all　the　world
to　her。　　She　had　made　the　girl　her　idol；　and　if；　like　some　other　heathen；
she　had　not　always　used　her　idol　with　the　greatest　deference；　if　she　had
often　expected　the　impossible　from　it；　and　made　it　pay　for　her
disappointment；　still　she　had　never　swerved　from　her　worship　of　it。　　She
suddenly　asked　herself；　What　if　this　young　fellow；　so　charming　and　so
good；　should　so　wholly　monopolise　her　child　that　she　should　no　longer
have　any　share　in　her？　　What　if　Alice；　who　had　so　long　formed　her　first
care　and　chief　object　in　life；　should　contentedly　lose　herself　in　the
love　and　care　of　another；　and　both　should　ignore　her　right　to　her？　　She
answered　herself　with　a　pang　that　this　might　happen　with　any　one　Alice
married；　and　that　it　would　be　no　worse；　at　the　worst；　with　Dan　Mavering
than　with　another；　while　her　husband　remained　impartially　silent。　　Always
keeping　within　the　lines　to　which　his　wife's　supremacy　had　driven　him；　he
felt　safe　there；　and　was　not　to　be　easily　coaxed　out　of　them。

Mrs。　Pasmer　rose　and　left　him；　with　his　perfect　acquiescence；　and　went
into　her　daughter's　room。　　She　found　Alice　there；　with　a　pretty　evening
dress　laid　out　on　her　bed。　　Mrs。　Pasmer　was　very　fond　of　that　dress；　and
at　the　thought　of　Alice　in　it　her　spirits　rose　again。

〃Oh；　are　you　going；　Alice？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　answered　the　girl。　　〃Didn't　you　accept？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　Mrs。　Pasmer　admitted。　　〃But　aren't　you　tired？〃

〃Oh；　not　in　the　least。　　I　feel　as　fresh　as　I　did　this　morning。　　Don't　you
want　me　to　go？〃

〃Oh　yes；　certainly；　I　want　you　to　goif　you　think　you'll　enjoy　it。〃

〃Enjoy　it？　　Why；　why　shouldn't　I　enjoy　it；　mamma！〃　　What　are　you　thinking
about？　　It's　going　to　be　the　greatest　kind　of　fun。〃

〃But　do　you　think　you　ought　to　look　at　everything　simply　as　fun？〃　asked
the　mother；　with　unwonted　didacticism。

〃How　everything？　　What　are　you　thinking　about；　mamma？〃

〃Oh；　nothing！　　I'm　so　glad　you're　going　to　wear　that　dress。〃

〃Why；　of　course！　　It's　my　best。　　But　what　arc　you　driving　at；　mamma？〃

Mrs。　Pasmer　was　really　seeking　in　her　daughter　that　comfort　of　a　distinct
volition　which　she　had　failed　to　find　in　her　husband；　and　she　wished　to
assure　herself　of　it　more　and　more；　that　she　might　share　with　some　one
the　responsibility　which　he　had　refused　any　part　in。

〃Nothing。　　But　I'm　glad　you　wish　so　much　to　go。〃　　The　girl　dropped　her
hands　and　stared。　　〃You　must　have　enjoyed　yourself　to…day；〃　she　added；　as
if　that　were　an　explanation。

〃Of　course　I　enjoyed　myself！　　But　what　has　that　to　do　with　my　wanting　to
go　to…night？〃

〃Oh；　nothing。　　But　I　hope；　Alice；　that　there　is　one　thing　you　have　looked
fully　in　the　face。〃

〃What　thing？〃　faltered　the　girl；　and　now　showed　herself　unable　to
confront　it　by　dropping　her　eyes。

〃Well；　whatever　you　may　have　heard　or　seen；　nobody　else　is　in　doubt　about
it。　　What　do　you　suppose　has　brought　Mr。　Mavering　here！〃

〃I　don't　know。〃　　The　denial　not　only　confessed　that　she　did　know；　but　it
informed　her　mother　that　al