april hopes-第50章

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spoiled　a　little　of　his　pleasure　in　the　praiseshe　thought　they　were
unqualified　and　enthusiastic　praisesshe　had　been　heaping　upon　Alice。　　He
wished　to　go　to　bed　with　them　all　sweet　and　unalloyed　in　his　thought；　to
sleep；　to　dream　upon　his　perfect　triumph。

Mrs。　Pasmer　was　a　long　time　in　undressing；　and　in　calming　down　after　the
demands　which　the　different　events　of　the　evening　had　made　upon　her
resources。

〃It　has　certainly　been　a　very　mixed　evening；　Alice；〃　she　said；　as　she　took
the　pins　out　of　her　back　hair　and　let　it　fall；　and　she　continued　to　talk
as　she　went　back　and　forth　between　their　rooms。　　〃What　do　you　think　of
banjo…playing　for　young　ladies？　　Isn't　it　rather　rowdy？　　Decidedly　rowdy；
I　think。　　And　Dan's　Yankee　story！　　I　expected　to　see　the　old　gentleman　get
up　and　perform　some　trick。〃

〃I　suppose　they　do　it　to　amuse　Mrs。　Mavering；〃　said　Alice；　with　cold
displeasure。

〃Oh；　it's　quite　right；〃　tittered　Mrs。　Pasmer。　　〃It　would　be　as　much　as
their　lives　are　worth　if　they　didn't。　　You　can　see　that　she　rules　them
with　a　rod　of　iron。　　What　a　will！　　I'm　glad　you're　not　going　to　come　under
her　sway；　I　really　think　you　couldn't　be　safe　from　her　in　the　same
hemisphere；　it's　well　you're　going　abroad　at　once。　　They're　a　very　self…
concentrated　family；　don't　you　thinkvery　self…satisfied？　　Of　course
that's　the　danger　of　living　off　by　themselves　as　they　do：　they　get　to
thinking　there's　nobody　else　in　the　world。　　You　would　simply　be　absorbed
by　them：　it's　a　hair…breadth　escape。

How　splendidly　Dan　contrasts　with　the　others！　　Oh；　he's　delightful；　he's　a
man　of　the　world。　　Give　me　the　world；　after　all！　　And　he's　so　considerate
of　their　rustic　conceit！　　What　a　house！　　It's　perfectly　baronialand
ridiculous。　　In　any　other　country　it　would　mean　somethingsociety；
entertainments；　troops　of　guests；　but　here　it　doesn't　mean　anything　but
money。　　Not　that　money　isn't　a　very　good　thing；　I　wish　we　had　more　of　it。
But　now　you　see　how　very　little　it　can　do　by　itself。　　You　looked　very
well；　Alice；　and　behaved　with　great　dignity；　perhaps　too　much。　　You　ought
to　enter　a　little　more　into　the　spirit　of　things；　even　if　you　don't
respect　them。　　That　oldest　girl　isn't　particularly　pleased；　I　fancy；
though　it　doesn't　matter　really。〃

Alice　replied　to　her　mother　from　time　to　time　with　absent　Yeses　and　Noes；
she　sat　by　the　window　looking　out　on　the　hillside　lawn　before　the　house；
the　moon　had　risen；　and　poured　a　flood　of　snowy　light　over　it；　in　which
the　cold　statues　dimly　shone；　and　the　firs；　in　clumps　and　singly；
blackened　with　an　inky　solidity。　　Beyond　wandered　the　hills；　their　bare
pasturage　broken　here　and　there　by　blotches　of　woodland。

After　her　mother　had　gone　to　bed　she　turned　her　light　down　and　resumed　her
seat　by　the　window；　pressing　her　hot　forehead　against　the　pane；　and　losing
all　sense　of　the　scene　without　in　the　whirl　of　her　thoughts。

After　this；　evening　of　gay　welcome　in　Dan's　family；　and　those　moments　of
tenderness　with　him；　her　heart　was　troubled。　　She　now　realised　her
engagement　as　something　exterior　to　herself　and　her　own　family；　and
confronted　for　the　first　time　its　responsibilities；　its　ties；　and　its
claims。　　It　was　not　enough　to　be　everything　to　Dan；　she　could　not　be　that
unless　she　were　something　to　his　family。　　She　did　not　realise　this
vividly；　but　with　the　remoteness　which　all　verities　except　those　of
sensation　have　for　youth。

Her　uneasiness　was　full　of　exultation；　of　triumph；　she　knew　she　had　been
admired　by　Dan's　family；　and　she　experienced　the　sweetness　of　having
pleased　them　for　his　sake；　his　happy　eyes　shone　before　her；　but　she　was
touched　in　her　self…love　by　what　her　mother　had　coarsely　characterised　in
them。　　They　had　regarded　her　liking　them　as　a　matter　of　course；　his　mother
had　ignored　her　even　in　pretending　to　decry　Dan　to　her。　　But　again　this
was　very　remote；　very　momentary。　　It　was　no　nearer；　no　more　lasting　on　the
surface　of　her　happiness；　than　the　flying　whiff's　of　thin　cloud　that
chased　across　the　moon　and　lost　themselves　in　the　vast　blue　around　it。




XXXV。

People　came　to　the　first　of　Mrs。　James　Bellingham's　receptions　with　the
expectation　of　pleasure　which　the　earlier　receptions　of　the　season　awaken
even　in　the　oldest　and　wisest。　　But　they　tried　to　dissemble　their
eagerness　in　a　fashionable　tardiness。　　〃We　get　later　and　later；〃　said　Mrs。
＇Brinkley　to　John　Munt；　as　she　sat　watching　the　slow　gathering　of　the
crowd。　　By　half…past　eleven　it　had　not　yet　hidden　Mrs。　Bellingham；　where
she　stood　near　the　middle　of　the　room；　from　the　pleasant　corner　they　had
found　after　accidentally　arriving　together。　　Mr。　Brinkley　had　not　come；　he
said　he　might　not　be　too　old　for　receptions；　but　he　was　too　good；　in
either　case　he　preferred　to　stay　at　home。　　〃We　used　to　come　at　nine
o'clock；　and　now　we　come　at　　　I'm　getting　into　a　quotation　from　Mother
Goose；　I　think。〃

〃I　thought　it　was　Browning；〃　said　Munt；　with　his　witticism　manner。
Neither　he　nor　Mrs。　Brinkley　was　particularly　glad　to　be　together；　but　at
Mrs。　James　Bellingham's　it　was　well　not　to　fling　any　companionship　away
till　you　were　sure　of　something　else。　　Besides；　Mrs。　Brinkley　was　indolent
and　good…natured；　and　Munt　was　active　and　good…natured；　and　they　were　well
fitted　to　get　on　for　ten　or　fifteen　minutes。　　While　they　talked　she　kept
an　eye　out　for　other　acquaintance；　and　he　stood　alert　to　escape　at　the
first　chance。　　〃How　is　it　we　are　here　so　earlyor　rather　you　are？〃　she
pursued　irrelevantly。

〃Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　said　Munt；　accepting　the　implication　of　his　superior
fashion　with　pleasure。　　〃I　never　mind　being　among　the　first。　　It's　rather
interesting　to　see　people　come　indon't　you　think？〃

〃That　depends　a　good　deal　on　the　people。　　I　don't　find　a　great　variety　in
their　smirks　and　smiles　to　Mrs。　Bellingham；　I　seem　to　be　doing　them　all
myself。　　And　there's　a　monotony　about　their　apprehension　and　helplessness
when　they're　turned　adrift　that's　altogether　too　much　like　my　own。　　No；
Mr。　Munt；　I　can't　agree　with　you　that　it's　interesting　to　see　people　come
in。　　It's　altogether　too　autobiographical。　　What　else　have　you　to
suggest？〃

〃I'm　afraid　I'm　at　the　end　of　my　string；〃　said　Munt。　　〃I　suppose　we　shall
see　the　Pasmers　and　young　Mavering　here　to…night。〃

Mrs。　Brinkley　turned　and　looked　sharply　at　him。

〃You've　heard　of　the　engagement？〃　he　asked。

〃No；　decidedly；　I　haven't。　　And　after　his　flight　from　Campobello　it's　the
last　thing　I　expected　to　hear　of。　　When　did　it　come　out？〃

〃Only　within　a　few　days。　　They've　been　keeping　it　rather　quiet。　　Mrs。
Pasmer　told　me　herself。〃

Mrs。　Brinkley　gave　herself　a　moment　for　reflection。　　〃Well；　if　he　can
stand　it；　I　suppose　I　can。〃

〃That　isn't　exactly　what　people　are　saying　to　Mrs。　Pasmer；　Mrs。　Brinkley；〃
suggested　Munt；　with　his　humorous　manner。

〃I　dare　say　they're　trying　to　make　her　believe　that　her　daughter　is
sacrificed。　　That's　the　way。　　But　she　knows　better。〃

〃There's　no　doubt　but　she's　informed　herself。　　She　put　me　through　my
catechism　about　the　Maverings　the　day　of　the　picnic　down　there。〃

〃Do　you　know　them？〃

〃Bridge　Mavering　and　I　were　at　Harvard　together。〃

〃Tell　me　about　them。〃　　Mrs。　Brinkley　listened　to　Munt's　praises　of　his　old
friend　with　an　attention　superficially　divided　with　the　people　to　whom　she
bowed　and　smiled。　　The　room　was　filling　up。　　〃Well；〃　she　said　at　the　end；
〃he's　a　sweet　young　fellow。　　I　hope　he　likes　his　Pasmers。〃

〃I　guess　there's　no　doubt　about　his　liking　one　of　themthe　principal
one。〃

〃Yes；　if　she　is　the　principal　one。〃　　There　was　an　implication　in
everything　she　said　that　Dan　Mavering　had　been　hoodwinked　by　Mrs。　Pasmer。
Mature　ladies　always　like　to　imply　something　of　the　sort　in　these　cases。
They　like　to　ignore　the　prime　agency　of　youth　and　love；　and　pretend　that
marriage　is　a　game　that　parents　play　at　with　us；　as　if　we　were　in　an　old
comedy；　it　is　a　tradition。　　〃Will　he　take　her　home　to　live？〃

〃No。　　I　heard　that　they're　all　going　abroadfor　a　year；　or　two　at　least。〃

〃Ah！　I　thought　so；〃　cried　Mrs。　Brinkley。　　She　looked　up　with　whimsical
pleasure　in　the　uncertainty　of　an　old　gentleman　who　is　staring　hard　at　her
through　his　glasses。　　〃Well；〃　she　said　with　a　plea