april hopes-第38章

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principle　applying　to　the　case。　　She　made　some　neat　remark　concerning　the
probable　settlement　of　the　affair　with　her　husband；　and　began　to　laugh　and
joke　about　it　in　a　manner　that　was　very　welcome　to　Dan；　it　did　not　seem　to
him　that　it　ought　to　be　treated　so　solemnly。

But　though　Mrs。　Pasmer　laughed　and　joked；　he　was　aware　of　her　meaning
businessbusiness　in　the　nicest　sort　of　a　way；　but　business　after　all；
and　he　liked　her　for　it。　　He　was　glad　to　be　explicit　about　his　hopes　and
plans；　and　told　what　his　circumstances　were　so　fully　that　Mrs。　Pasmer；
whom　his　frankness　gratified　and　amused；　felt　obliged　to　say　that　she　had
not　meant　to　ask　so　much　about　his　affairs；　and　he　must　excuse　her　if　she
had　seemed　to　do　so。　　She　had　her　own　belief　that　Mavering　would
understand；　but　she　did　not　mind　that。　　She　said　that；　of　course；　till　his
own　family　had　been　consulted；　it　must　not　be　considered　seriouslythat
Mr。　Pasmer　insisted　upon　that　point；　and　when　Dan　vehemently　asserted　the
acquiescence　of　his　family　beforehand；　and　urged　his　father's　admiration
for　Alice　in　proof；　she　reminded　him　that　his　mother　was　to　be　considered；
and　put　Mr。　Pasmer's　scruples　forward　as　her　own　reason　for　obduracy。　　In
her　husband's　presence　she　attributed　to　him；　with　his　silent　assent；　all
sorts　of　reluctances　and　delicate　compunctions；　she　gave　him　the
importance　which　would　have　been　naturally　a　husband's　due　in　such　an
affair；　and　ingratiated　herself　more　and　more　with　the　young　man。　　She
ignored　Mr。　Pasmer's　withdrawal　when　it　took　place；　after　a　certain　lapse
of　time；　and　as　the　moment　had　come　for　that；　she　began　to　let　herself　go。
She　especially　approved　of　the　idea　of　going　abroad　and　confessed　her
disappointment　with　her　present　experiment　of　America；　where　it　appeared
there　was　no　leisure　class　of　men　sufficiently　large　to　satisfy　the　social
needs　of　Mr。　Pasmer's　nature；　and　she　told　Dan　that　he　might　expect　them
in　Europe　before　long。　　Perhaps　they　might　all　three　meet　him　there。　　At
this　he　betrayed　so　clearly　that　he　now　intended　his　going　to　Europe
merely　as　a　sequel　to　his　marrying　Alice；　while　he　affected　to　fall　in
with　all　Mrs。　Pasmer　said；　that　she　grew　fonder　than　ever　of　him　for　his
ardour　and　his　futile　duplicity。　　If　it　had　been　in　Dan's　mind　to　take
part　in　the　rite；　Mrs。　Pasmer　was　quite　ready　at　this　point　to　embrace　him
with　motherly　tenderness。　　Her　tough　little　heart　was　really　in　her　throat
with　sympathy　when　she　made　an　errand　for　the　photograph　of　an　English
vicarage；　which　they　had　hired　the　summer　of　the　year　before；　and　she　sent
Alice　back　with　it　alone。

It　seemed　so　long　since　they　had　met　that　the　change　in　Alice　did　not
strike　him　as　strange　or　as　too　rapidly　operated。　　They　met　with　the
fervour　natural　after　such　a　separation；　and　she　did　not　so　much　assume　as
resume　possession　of　him。　　It　was　charming　to　have　her　do　it；　to　have　her
act　as　if　they　had　always　been　engaged；　to　have　her　try　to　press　down　the
cowlick　that　started　capriciously　across　his　crown；　and　to　straighten　his
necktie；　and　then　to　drop　beside　him　on　the　sofa；　it　thrilled　and　awed
him；　and　he　silently　worshipped　the　superior　composure　which　her　sex　has
in　such　matters。　　Whatever　was　the　provisional　interpretation　which　her
father　and　mother　pretended　to　put　upon　the　affair；　she　apparently　had　no
reservations；　and　they　talked　of　their　future　as　a　thing　assured。　　The
Dark　Ages；　as　they　agreed　to　call　the　period　of　despair　for　ever　closed
that　morning；　had　matured　their　love　till　now　it　was　a　rapture　of　pure
trust。　　They　talked　as　if　nothing　could　prevent　its　fulfilment；　and　they
did　not　even　affect　to　consider　the　question　of　his　family's　liking　it　or
not　liking　it。　　She　said　that　she　thought　his　father　was　delightful；　and
he　told　her　that　his　father　had　taken　the　greatest　fancy　to　her　at　the
beginning；　and　knew　that　Dan　was　in　love　with　her。　　She　asked　him　about
his　mother；　and　she　said　just　what　he　could　have　wished　her　to　say　about
his　mother's　sufferings；　and　the　way　she　bore　them。　　They　talked　about
Alice's　going　to　see　her。

〃Of　course　your　father　will　bring　your　sisters　to　see　me　first。〃

〃Is　that　the　way？〃　he　asked：　〃You　may　depend　upon　his　doing　the　right
thing；　whatever　it　is。〃

〃Well；　that's　the　right　thing；〃　she　said。　　〃I've　thought　it　out；　and　that
reminds　me　of　a　duty　of　ours；　Dan！〃

〃A　duty？〃〃　he　repeated；　with　a　note　of　reluctance　for　its　untimeliness。

〃Yes。　　Can't　you　think　what？〃

〃No；　I　didn't　know　there　was　a　duty　left　in　the　world。〃

〃It's　full　of　them。〃

〃Oh；　don't　say　that；　Alice！〃　　He　did　not　like　this　mood　so　well　as　that　of
the　morning；　but　his　dislike　was　only　a　vague　discomfortnothing
formulated　or　distinct。

〃Yes；〃　she　persisted；　〃and　we　must　do　them。　　You　must　go　to　those　ladies
you　disappointed　so　this　morning；　and　apologiseexplain。〃

Dan　laughed。　　〃Why；　it　wasn't　such　a　very　ironclad　engagement　as　all　that；
Alice。　　They　said　they　were　going　to　drive　out　to　Cambridge　over　the
Milldam；　and　I　said　I　was　going　out　there　to　get　some　of　my　traps
together；　and　they　could　pick　me　up　at　the　Art　Museum　if　they　liked。
Besides；　how　could　I　explain？〃

She　laughed　consciously　with　him。　　〃Of　course。　　But；〃　she　added　ruefully；
〃I　wish　you　hadn't　disappointed　them。〃

〃Oh；　they'll　get　over　it。　　If　I　hadn't　disappointed　them；　I　shouldn't　be
here；　and　I　shouldn't　like　that。　　Should　you？〃

〃No；　but　I　wish　it　hadn't　happened。　　It's　a　blot；　and　I　didn't　want　a　blot
on　this　day。〃

〃Oh；　well；　it　isn't　very　much　of　a　blot；　and　I　can　easily　wipe　it　off。
I'll　tell　you　what；　Alice！　　I　can　write　to　Mrs。　Frobisher；　when　our
engagement　comes　out；　and　tell　her　how　it　was。　　She'll　enjoy　the　joke；　and
so　will　Miss　Wrayne。　　They're　jolly　and　easygoing；　they　won't　mind。〃

〃How　long　have　you　known　them？〃

〃I　met　them　on　Class　Day；　and　then　I　saw　themthe　day　after　I　left
Campobello。〃　　Dan　laughed　a　little。

〃How；　saw　them？〃

〃Well；　I　went　to　a　yacht　race　with　them。　　I　happened　to　meet　them　in　the
street；　and　they　wanted　me　to　go；　and　I　was　all　broken　up；　andI　Went。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Alice。　　〃The　day　after　Iyou　left　Campobello？〃

〃Wellyes。〃

〃And　I　was　thinking　of　you　all　that　day　asAnd　I　couldn't　bear　to　look　at
anybody　that　day；　or　speak！〃

〃Well；　the　fact　is；　II　was　distracted；　and　I　didn't　know　what　I　was
doing。　　I　was　desperate；　I　didn't　care。〃

〃How　did　you　find　out　about　the　yacht　race？〃

〃Boardman　told　me。　　Boardman　was　there。〃

〃Did　he　know　the　ladies？　　Did　he　go　too？〃

〃No。　　He　was　there　to　report　the　race　for　the　Events。　　He　went　on　the
press　boat。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Alice。　　〃Was　there　a　large　party？〃

〃No；　no。　　Not　very。　　Just　ourselves；　in　fact。　　They　were　awfully　kind。
And　they　made　me　go　home　to　dinner　with　them。〃

〃They　must　have　been　rather　peculiar　people；〃　said　Alice。　　〃And　I　don't
see　howso　soon〃　　She　could　not　realise　that　Mavering　was　then　a
rejected　man；　on　whom　she　had　voluntarily　renounced　all　claim。　　A
retroactive　resentment　which　she　could　not　control　possessed　her　with　the
wish　to　punish　those　bold　women　for　being　agreeable　to　one　who　had　since
become　everything　to　her；　though　then　he　was　ostensibly　nothing。

In　a　vague　way；　Dan　felt　her　displeasure　with　that　passage　of　his　history；
but　no　man　could　have　fully　imagined　it。

〃I　couldn't　tell　half　the　time　what　I　was　saying　or　eating。　　I　talked　at
random　and　ate　at　random。　　I　guess　they　thought　something　was　wrong；　they
asked　me　who　was　at　Campobello。〃

〃Indeed！〃

〃But　you　may　be　sure　I　didn't　give　myself　away。　　I　was　awfully　broken　up；〃
he　concluded　inconsequently。

She　liked　his　being　broken　up；　but　she　did　not　like　the　rest。　　She　would
not　press　the　question　further　now。　　She　only　said　rather　gravely；　〃If
it's　such　a　short　acquaintance；　can　you　write　to　them　in　that　familiar
way？〃

〃Oh　yes；！　　Mrs。　Frobisher　is　one　of　that　kind。〃

Alice　was　silent　a　moment　before　she　said；　〃I　think　you'd　better　not
write。　　Let　it　go；〃　she　sighed。

〃Yes；　that's　what　I　think；〃　said　Dan。　　〃Better　let　it　go。　　I　guess　it　will
explain　itself　in　the　course　of　time。　　But　I　don't　want　any　blots　around。〃
He　leaned　over　and　looked　her　smilingly　in　the　face。