april hopes-第43章

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to；　but　apparently　they　were　still　unable　to　realise　it。　　He　was　obliged
to　go　on。　　〃I'm　engaged　to　Miss　Pasmer。〃

〃To　Miss　Pasmer！〃　repeated　Eunice。

〃But　I　thought〃　Minnie　began；　and　then　stopped。

Dan　commanded　his　temper　by　a　strong　effort；　and　condescended　to　explain。
〃There　was　a　misunderstanding；　but　it's　all　right　now；　I　only　met　her
yesterday；　andit's　all　right。〃　　He　had　to　keep　on　ignoring　what　had
passed　between　him　and　his　sisters　during　the　month　he　spent　at　home　after
his　return　from　Campobello。　　He　did　not　wish　to　do　so；　he　would　have　been
glad　to　laugh　over　that　epoch　of　ill…concealed　heart…break　with　them；　but
the　way　they　had　taken　the　fact　of　his　engagement　made　it　impossible。　　He
was　forced　to　keep　them　at　a　distance；　they　forced　him。　　〃I'm　glad；〃　he
added　bitterly；　〃that　the　news　seems　to　be　so　agreeable　to　my　family。
Thank　you　for　your　cordial　congratulations。〃　　He　swallowed　a　large　cup　of
tea；　and　kept　looking　down。

〃How　silly！〃　said　Eunice；　who　was　much　the　oldest　of　the　three。　　〃Did　you
expect　us　to　fall　upon　your　neck　before　we　could　believe　it　wasn't　a　hoax
of　father's？〃

〃A　hoax！〃　Dan　burst　out。

〃I　suppose；〃　said　Minnie；　with　mock　meekness；　〃that　if　we're　to　be
devoured；　it's　no　use　saying　we　didn't　roil　the　brook。　　I'm　sure　I
congratulate　you；　Dan；　with　all　my　heart；〃　she　added；　with　a　trembling
voice。

〃I　congratulate　Miss　Pasmer；〃　said　Eunice；　〃on　securing　such　a　very
reasonable　husband。〃

When　Eunice　first　became　a　young　lady　she　was　so　much　older　than　Dan　that
in　his　mother's　absence　she　sometimes　authorised　herself　to　box　his　ears；
till　she　was　finally　overthrown　in　battle　by　the　growing　boy。　　She　still
felt　herself　so　much　his　tutelary　genius　that　she　could　not　let　the　idea
of　his　engagement　awe　her；　or　keep　her　from　giving　him　a　needed　lesson。
Dan　jumped　to　his　feet；　and　passionately　threw　his　napkin　on　his　chair。

〃There；　that　will　do；　Eunice！〃　interposed　the　father。　　〃Sit　down；　Dan；　and
don't　be　an　ass；　if　you　are　engaged。　　Do　you　expect　to　come　up　here　with　a
bombshell　in　your　pocket；　and　explode　it　among　us　without　causing　any
commotion？　　We　all　desire　your　happiness；　and　we　are　glad　if　you　think
you've　found　it；　but　we　want　to　have　time　to　realise　it。　　We　had　only
adjusted　our　minds　to　the　apparent　fact　that　you　hadn't　found　it　when　you
were　here　before。〃　　His　father　began　very　severely；　but　when　he　ended　with
this　recognition　of　what　they　had　all　blinked　till　then；　they　laughed
together。

〃My　pillow　isn't　dry　yet；　with　the　tears　I　shed　for　you；　Dan；〃　said　Minnie
demurely。

〃I　shall　have　to　countermand　my　mourning；〃　said　Eunice；　〃and　wear　louder
colours　than　ever。　　Unless；〃　she　added；　〃Miss　Pasmer　changes　her　mind
again。〃

This　divination　of　the　past　gave　them　all　a　chance　for　another　laugh；　and
Dan's　sisters　began　to　reconcile　themselves　to　the　fact　of　his　engagement；
if　not　to　Miss　Pasmer。　　In　what　was　abstractly　so　disagreeable　there　was
the　comfort　that　they　could　joke　about　his　happiness；　they　had　not　felt
free　to　make　light　of　his　misery　when　he　was　at　home　before。　　They　began
to　ask　all　the　questions　they　could　think　of　as　to　how　and　when；　and　they
assimilated　the　fact　more　and　more　in　acquiring　these　particulars　and
making　a　mock　of　them　and　him。

〃Of　course　you　haven't　got　her　photograph；〃　suggested　Eunice。　　〃You　know
we've　never　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　the　young　lady　yet。〃

〃Yes；〃　Dan　owned；　blushing；　〃I　have。　　She　thought　I　might　like　to　show　it
to　mother：　But　it　isn't〃

〃A　very　good　onethey　never　are；〃　said　Minnie。

〃And　it　was　taken　several　years　agothey　always　are；〃　said　Eunice。

〃And　she　doesn't　photograph　well；　anyway。〃

〃And　this　one　was　just　after　a　long　fit　of　sickness。〃

Dan　drew　it　out　of　his　pocket；　after　some　fumbling　for　it；　while　he
tolerated　their　gibes。

Eunice　put　her　nose　to　it。　　〃I　hope　it's　your　cigarettes　it　smells　of；〃
she　said。

〃Yes；　she　doesn't　use　the　weed；〃　answered　Dan。

〃Oh；　I　didn't　mean　that；　exactly；〃　returned　his　sister；　holding　the
picture　off　at　arm's　length；　and　viewing　it　critically　with　contracted
eyes。

Dan　could　not　help　laughing。　　〃I　don't　think　it's　been　near　any　other
cigar…case；〃　he　answered　tranquilly。

Minnie　looked　at　it　very　near　to；　covering　all　but　the　face　with　her　hand。
〃Dan；　she's　lovely！〃　she　cried；　and　Dan's　heart　leaped　into　his　throat　As
he　gratefully　met　his　sister's　eyes。

〃You'll　like　her；　Min。〃

Eunice　took　the　photograph　from　her　for　a　second　scrutiny。　　〃She's
certainly　very　stylish。　　Rather　a　beak　of　a　nose；　and　a　little　too　bird
like　on　the　whole。　　But　she　isn't　so　bad。　　Is　it　like　her？〃　she　asked　with
a　glance　at　her　father。

〃I　might　sayafter　looking；〃　he　replied。

〃True！　I　didn't　know　but　Dan　had　shown　it　to　you　as　soon　as　you　met。　　He
seemed　to　be　in　such　a　hurry　to　let　us　all　know。〃

The　father　said；　〃I　don't　think　it　flatters　her；〃　and　he　looked　at　it　more
carefully。　　〃Not　much　of　her　mother　there？〃　he　suggested　to　Dan。

〃No；　sir；　she's　more　like　her　father。〃

〃Well；　after　all　this　excitement；　I　believe　I'll　have　another　cup　of　tea；
and　take　something　to　eat；　if　Miss　Pasmer's　photograph　doesn't　object；〃
said　Eunice；　and　she　replenished　her　cup　and　plate。

〃What　coloured　hair　and　eyes　has　she；　Dan？〃　asked　Minnie。

He　had　to　think　so　as　to　be　exact。　　〃Well；　you　might　say　they　were　black；
her　eyebrows　are　so　dark。　　But　I　believe　they're　a　sort　of　greyish…blue。〃

〃Not　an　uncommon　colour　for　eyes；〃　said　Eunice；　〃but　rather　peculiar　for
hair。〃

They　got　to　making　fun　of　the　picture；　and　Dan　told　them　about　Alice　and
her　family；　the　father　left　them　at　the　table；　and　then　came　back　with
word　from　Dan's　mother　that　she　was　ready　to　see　him。




XXX。

By　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening　the　pain　with　which　every　day　began　for
Mrs。　Mavering　was　lulled；　and　her　jarred　nerves　were　stayed　by　the　opiates
till　she　fell　asleep　about　midnight。　　In　this　interval　the　family　gathered
into　her　room；　and　brought　her　their　news　and　the　cheer　of　their　health。
The　girls　chattered　on　one　side　of　her　bed；　and　their　father　sat　with　his
newspaper　on　the　other；　and　read　aloud　the　passages　which　he　thought　would
interest　her；　while　she　lay　propped　among　her　pillows；　brilliantly　eager
for　the　world　opening　this　glimpse　of　itself　to　her　shining　eyes。　　That
was　on　her　good　nights；　when　the　drugs　did　their　work；　but　there　were
times　when　they　failed；　and　the　day's　agony　prolonged　itself　through　the
evening；　and　the　sleep　won　at　last　was　a　heavy　stupor。　　Then　the
sufferer's　temper　gave　way　under　the　stress；　she　became　the　torment　she
suffered；　and　tore　the　hearts　she　loved。　　Most　of　all；　she　afflicted　the
man　who　had　been　so　faithful　to　her　misery；　and　maddened　him　to　reprisals；
of　which　he　afterward　abjectly　repented。　　Her　tongue　was　sharpened　by
pain；　and　pitilessly　skilled　to　inculpate　and　to　punish；　it　pierced　and
burned　like　fire　but　when　a　good　day　came　again　she　made　it　up　to　the
victims　by　the　angelic　sweetness　and　sanity　which　they　felt　was　her　real
self；　the　cruelty　was　only　the　mask　of　her　suffering。

When　she　was　better　they　brought　to　her　room　anybody　who　was　staying　with
them；　and　she　liked　them　to　be　jolly　in　the　spacious　chamber。　　The
pleasantest　things　of　the　house　were　assembled；　and　all　its　comforts
concentrated；　in　the　place　which　she　and　they　knew　she　should　quit　but
once。　　It　was　made　gay　with　flowers　and　pictures；　it　was　the　salon　for
those　fortunate　hours　when　she　became　the　lightest　and　blithest　of　the
company　in　it；　and　made　the　youngest　guest　forget　that　there　was　sickness
or　pain　in　the　world　by　the　spirit　with　which　she　ignored　her　own。　　Her
laugh　became　young　again；　she　joked；　she　entered　into　what　they　were　doing
and　reading　and　thinking；　and　sent　them　away　full　of　the　sympathy　which　in
this　mood　of　hers　she　had　for　every　mood　in　others。　　Girls　sighed　out
their　wonder　and　envy　to　her　daughters　when　they　left　her；　the　young　men
whom　she　captivated　with　her　divination　of　their　passions　or　ambitions
went　away　celebrating　her　supernatural　knowledge　of　human　nature。　　The
next　evening　after　some　night　of　rare　and　happy　excitement；　the　family　saw
her　nurse