april hopes-第25章

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〃I　don't　know。〃　　The　denial　not　only　confessed　that　she　did　know；　but　it
informed　her　mother　that　all　was　as　yet　tacit　between　the　young　people。

〃Very　well；　then；　I　know；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　〃and　there　is　one　thing　that
you　must　know　before　long；　Alice。〃

〃What？〃　she　asked　faintly。

〃Your　own　mind；〃　said　her　mother。　　〃I　don't　ask　you　what　it　is；　and　I
shall　wait　till　you　tell　me。　　Of　course　I　shouldn't　have　let　him　stay
here　if　I　had　objected〃

〃O　mamma！〃　murmured　the　girl；　dyed　with　shame　to　have　the　facts　so　boldly
touched；　but　not；　probably；　too　deeply　displeased。

〃Yes。　　And　I　know　that　he　would　never　have　thought　of　going　into　that
business　if　he　had　not　expectedhoped〃

〃Mamma！〃

〃And　you　ought　to　consider〃

〃Oh；　don't！　don't！　don't！〃　implored　the　girl。

〃That's　all；〃　said　her　mother；　turning　from　Alice；　who　had　hidden　her
face　in　her　hands；　to　inspect　the　costume　on　the　bed。　　She　lifted　one
piece　of　it　after　another；　turned　it　over；　looked　at　it；　and　laid　it
down。　　〃You　can　never　get　such　a　dress　in　this　country。〃

She　went　out　of　the　room；　as　the　girl　dropped　her　face　in　the　pillow。　　An
hour　later　they　met　equipped　for　the　evening's　pleasure。　　To　the　keen
glance　that　her　mother　gave　her；　the　daughter's　eyes　had　the　brightness
of　eyes　that　have　been　weeping；　but　they　were　also　bright　with　that
knowledge　of　her　own　mind　which　Mrs。　Pasmer　had　desired　for　her。　　She　met
her　mother's　glance　fearlessly；　even　proudly；　and　she　carried　her　stylish
costume　with　a　splendour　to　which　only　occasions　could　stimulate　her。
They　dramatised　a　perfect　unconsciousness　to　each　other；　but　Mrs。　Pasmer
was　by　no　means　satisfied　with　the　decision　which　she　had　read　in　her
daughter's　looks。　　Somehow　it　did　not　relieve　her　of　the　responsibility；
and　it　did　not　change　the　nature　of　the　case。　　It　was　gratifying；　of
course；　to　see　Alice　the　object　of　a　passion　so　sincere　and　so　ardent；　so
far　the　triumph　was　complete；　and　there　was　really　nothing　objectionable
in　the　young　man　and　his　circumstances；　though　there　was　nothing　very
distinguished。　　But　the　affair　was　altogether　different　from　anything
that　Mrs。　Pasmer　had　imagined。　　She　had　supposed　and　intended　that　Alice
should　meet　some　one　in　Boston；　and　go　through　a　course　of　society　before
reaching　any　decisive　step。　　There　was　to　be　a　whole　season　in　which　to
look　the　ground　carefully　over；　and　the　ground　was　to　be　all　within
certain　well…ascertained　and　guarded　precincts。　　But　this　that　had
happened　was　outside　of　these　precincts；　of　at　least　on　their　mere
outskirts。　　Class　Day；　of　course；　was　all　right；　and　she　could　not　say
that　the　summer　colony　at　Campobello　was　not　thoroughly　and　essentially
Boston；　and　yet　she　felt　that　certain　influences；　certain　sanctions；　were
absent。　　To　tell　the　truth；　she　would　not　have　cared　for　the　feelings　of
Mavering's　family　in　regard　to　the　matter；　except　as　they　might　afterward
concern　Alice；　and　the　time　had　not　come　when　she　could　recognise　their
existence　in　regard　to　the　affair；　and　yet　she　could　have　wished　that
even　as　it　was　his　family　could　have　seen　and　approved　it　from　the　start。
It　would　have　been　more　regular。


With　Alice　it　was　a　simpler　matter；　and　of　course　deeper。　　For　her　it　was
only　a　question　of　himself　and　herself；　no　one　else　existed　to　the
sublime　egotism　of　her　love。　　She　did　not　call　it　by　that　name；　she　did
not　permit　it　to　assert　itself　by　any　name；　it　was　a　mere　formless　joy　in
her　soul；　a　trustful　and　blissful　expectance；　which　she　now　no　more
believed　he　could　disappoint　than　that　she　could　die　within　that　hour。
All　the　rebellion　that　she　had　sometimes　felt　at　the　anomalous　attitude
exacted　of　her　sex　in　regard　to　such　matters　was　gone。　　She　no　longer
thought　it　strange　that　a　girl　should　be　expected　to　ignore　the
admiration　of　a　young　man　till　he　explicitly　declared　it；　and　should　then
be　fully　possessed　of　all　the　materials　of　a　decision　on　the　most
momentous　question　in　life；　for　she　knew　that　this　state　of　ignorance
could　never　really　exist；　she　had　known　from　the　first　moment　that　he　had
thought　her　beautiful。　　To…night　she　was　radiant　for　him。　　Her　eyes　shone
with　the　look　in　which　they　should　meet　and　give　themselves　to　each　other
before　they　spokethe　look　in　which　they　had　met　already；　in　which　they
had　lived　that　whole　day。




XIX。

The　evening's　entertainment　was　something　that　must　fail　before　an
audience　which　was　not　very　kind。　　They　were　to　present　a　burlesque　of
classic　fable；　and　the　parts；　with　their　general　intention；　had　been
distributed　to　the　different　actors；　but　nothing　had　been　written　down；
and；　beyond　the　situations　and　a　few　points　of　dialogue；　all　had　to　be
improvised。　　The　costumes　and　properties　had　been　invented　from　such
things　as　came　to　hand。　　Sheets　sculpturesquely　draped　the　deities　who
took　part；　a　fox…pelt　from　the　hearth　did　duty　as　the　leopard　skin　of
Bacchus；　a　feather　duster　served　Neptune　for　a　trident；　the　lyre　of
Apollo　was　a　dust…pan；　a　gull's　breast　furnished　Jove　with　his　grey
beard。

The　fable　was　adapted　to　modern　life；　and　the　scene　had　been　laid　in
Campobello；　the　peculiarities　of　which　were　to　be　satirised　throughout。
The　principal　situation　was　to　be　a　passage　between　Jupiter；　represented
by　Mavering；　and　Juno；　whom　Miss　Anderson　personated；　it　was　to　be　a
scene　of　conjugal　reproaches　and　reprisals；　and　to　end　in　reconciliation；
in　which　the　father　of　the　gods　sacrificed　himself　on　the　altar　of
domestic　peace　by　promising　to　bring　his　family　to　Campobello　every　year。

This　was　to　be　followed　by　a　sketch　of　the　Judgment　of　Paris；　in　which
Juno　and　Pallas　were　to　be　personated　by　two　young　men；　and　Miss　Anderson
took　the　part　of　Venus。

The　pretty　drawing…room　of　the　Trevorsyoung　people　from　Albany；　and
cousins　of　Miss　Andersonwas　curtained　off　at　one　end　for　a　stage；　and
beyond　the　sliding　doors　which　divided　it　in　half　were　set　chairs　for　the
spectators。　　People　had　come　in　whatever　dress　they　liked；　the　men　were
mostly　in　morning　coats；　the　ladies　had　generally　made　some　attempt　at
evening　toilet；　but　they　joined　in　admiring　Alice　Pasmer's　costume；　and
one　of　them　said　that　they　would　let　it　represent　them　all；　and　express
what　each　might　have　done　if　she　would。　　There　was　not　much　time　for
their　tributes；　all　the　lamps　were　presently　taken　away　and　set　along　the
floor　in　front　of　the　curtain　as　foot…lights；　leaving　the　company　in　a
darkness　which　Mrs。　Brinkley　pronounced　sepulchral。　　She　made　her
reproaches　to　the　master　of　the　house；　who　had　effected　this
transposition　of　the　lamps。　　〃I　was　just　thinking　some　very　pretty　and
valuable　things　about　your　charming　cottage；　Mr。　Trevor：　a　rug　on　a　bare
floor；　a　trim　of　varnished　pine；　a　wall　with　half　a　dozen　simple　etchings
on　it；　an　open　fire；　and　a　mantelpiece　without　bric…a…brac；　how　entirely
satisfying　it　all　is！　　And　how　it　upbraids　us　for　heaping　up　upholstery
as　we　do　in　town！〃

〃Go　on；〃　said　the　host。　　〃Those　are　beautiful　thoughts。〃

〃But　I　can't　go　on　in　the　dark；〃　retorted　Mrs。　Brinkley。　　〃You　can't
think　in　the　dark；　much　less　talk！　　Can　you；　Mrs。　Pasmer？〃　　Mrs。　Pasmer；
with　Alice　next　to　her；　sat　just　in　front　of　Mrs。　Brinkley。

〃No；〃　she　assented；　〃but　if　I　couldYOU　can　thick　anywhere；　Mrs。
BrinkleyMrs。　Trevor's　lovely　house　would　inspire　me　to　it。〃

〃Two　birds　with　one　stonethank　you；　Mrs。　Pasmer；　for　my　part　of　the
compliment。　　Pick　yourself　up；　Mr。　Trevor。〃

〃Oh；　thank　you；　I'm　all　right；〃　said　Trevor；　panting　after　the　ladies'
meanings；　as　a　man　must。　　〃I　suppose　thinking　and　talking　in　the　dark　is
a　good　deal　like　smoking　in　the　dark。〃

〃No；　thinking　and　talking　are　not　at　all　like　smoking　under　any
conditions。　　Why　in　the　world　should　they　be？〃

〃Oh；　I　can't　get　any　fun　out　of　a　cigar　unless　I　can　see　the　smoke；〃　the
host　explained。

〃Do　you　follow　him；　Mrs。　Pasmer？〃

〃Yes；　perfectly。〃

〃Thank　you；　Mrs。　Pasmer；〃　said　Trevor。

〃I'll　get　you　to　tell　me　how　you　did　it　some　time；〃　said　Mrs。　Brinkley。
〃But　your　house　is　a　gem；　Mr。　Trevor。〃

〃Isn't　it？〃　cried　Trevor。　　〃I　want　my　wife　to　live　here　the　year　round。〃
It　was　the　Trevors'　first　summer　in　their　cottage；　an