april hopes-第57章

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had　first　attracted　him　to　her。　　Dan　Mavering　had　never　been　able　to　snub
any　one　in　his　life；　it　gave　him　a　great　respect　for　Alice　that　it　seemed
not　to　cost　her　an　effort　or　a　regret；　and　it　charmed　him　to　think　that
her　severity　was　part　of　the　unconscious　sham　which　imposed　her　upon　the
world　for　a　person　of　inflexible　design　and　invariable　constancy　to　it。
He　was　not　long　in　seeing　that　she　shared　this　illusion；　if　it　was　an
illusion；　and　that　perhaps　the　only　person　besides　himself　who　was　in　the
joke　was　her　mother。　　Mrs。　Pasmer　and　he　grew　more　and　more　into　each
other's　confidence　in　talking　Alice　over；　and　he　admired　the　intrepidity
of　this　lady；　who　was　not　afraid　of　her　daughter　even　in　the　girl's　most
topping　moments　of　self…abasement。　　For　his　own　part；　these　moods　of　hers
never　failed　to　cause　him　confusion　and　anxiety。　　They　commonly　intimated
themselves　parenthetically　in　the　midst　of　some　blissful　talk　they　were
having；　and　overcast　his　clear　sky　with　retrospective　ideals　of　conduct　or
presentimental　plans　for　contingencies　that　might　never　occur。　　He　found
himself　suddenly　under　condemnation　for　not　having　reproved　her　at　a　given
time　when　she　forced　him　to　admit　she　had　seemed　unkind　or　cold　to　others；
she　made　him　promise　that　even　at　the　risk　of　alienating　her　affections　he
would　make　up　for　her　deficiencies　of　behaviour　in　such　matters　whenever
he　noticed　them。　　She　now　praised　him　for　what　he　had　done　for　Mrs。
Frobisher　and　her　sister　at　Mrs。　Bellingham's　reception；　she　said　it　was
generous；　heroic。　　But　Mavering　rested　satisfied　with　his　achievement　in
that　instance；　and　did　not　attempt　anything　else　of　the　kind。　　He　did　not
reason　from　cause　to　effect　in　regard　to　it：　a　man's　love　is　such　that
while　it　lasts　he　cannot　project　its　object　far　enough　from　him　to　judge
it　reasonable　or　unreasonable；　but　Dan's　instincts　had　been　disciplined
and　his　perceptions　sharpened　by　that　experience。　　Besides；　in　bidding　him
take　this　impartial　and　even　admonitory　course　toward　her；　she　stipulated
that　they　should　maintain　to　the　world　a　perfect　harmony　of　conduct　which
should　be　an　outward　image　of　the　union　of　their　lives。　　She　said　that
anything　less　than　a　continued　self…sacrifice　of　one　to　the　other　was　not
worthy　of　the　name　of　love；　and　that　she　should　not　be　happy　unless　he
required　this　of　her。　　She　said　that　they　ought　each　to　find　out　what　was
the　most　distasteful　thing　which　they　could　mutually　require；　and　then　do
it；　she　asked　him　to　try　to　think　what　she　most　hated；　and　let　her　do　that
for　him；　as　for　her；　she　only　asked　to　ask　nothing　of　him。

Mavering　could　not　worship　enough　this　nobility　of　soul　in　her；　and　he
celebrated　it　to　Boardman　with　the　passionate　need　of　imparting　his
rapture　which　a　lover　feel。　　Boardman　acquiesced　in　silence；　with　a　glance
of　reserved　sarcasm；　or　contented　himself　with　laconic　satire　of　his
friend's　general　condition；　and　avoided　any　comment　that　might
specifically　apply　to　the　points　Dan　made。　　Alice　allowed　him　to　have　this
confidant；　and　did　not　demand　of　him　a　report　of　all　he　said　to　Boardman。
A　main　fact　of　their　love；　she　said；　must　be　their　utter　faith　in　each
other。　　She　had　her　own　confidante；　and　the　disparity　of　years　between　her
and　Miss　Cotton　counted　for　nothing　in　the　friendship　which　their　exchange
of　trust　and　sympathy　cemented。　　Miss　Cotton；　in　the　freshness　of　her
sympathy　and　the　ideality　of　her　inexperience；　was　in　fact　younger　than
Alice；　at　whose　feet；　in　the　things　of　soul　and　character；　she　loved　to
sit。　　She　never　said　to　her　what　she　believed：　that　a　girl　of　her
exemplary　principles；　a　nature　conscious　of　such　noble　ideals；　so　superior
to　other　girls；　who　in　her　place　would　be　given　up　to　the　happiness　of　the
moment；　and　indifferent　to　the　sense　of　duty　to　herself　and　to　others；　was
sacrificed　to　a　person　of　Mavering's　gay；　bright　nature　and　trivial
conception　of　life。　　She　did　not　deny　his　sweetness；　that　was　perhaps　the
one　saving　thing　about　him；　and　she　confessed　that　he　simply　adored　Alice；
that　counted　for　everything；　and　it　was　everything　in　his　favour　that　he
could　appreciate　such　a　girl。　　She　hoped；　she　prayed；　that　Alice　might
never　realise　how　little　depth　he　had；　that　she　might　go　through　life　and
never　suspect　it。　　If　she　did　so；　then　they　might　be　happy　together　to　the
end；　or　at　least　Alice　might　never　know　she　was　unhappy。

Miss　Cotton　never　said　these　things　in　so　many　words；　it　is　doubtful　if
she　ever　said　them　in　any　form　of　words；　with　her　sensitive　anxiety　not　to
do　injustice　to　any　one；　she　took　Dan's　part　against　those　who　viewed　the
engagement　as　she　allowed　it　to　appear　only　to　her　secret　heart。　　She
defended　him　the　more　eagerly　because　she　felt　that　it　was　for　Alice's
sake；　and　that　everything　must　be　done　to　keep　her　from　knowing　how　people
looked　at　the　affair；　even　to　changing　people's　minds。　　She　said　to　all
who　spoke　to　her　of　it　that　of　course　Alice　was　superior　to　him；　but　he
was　devoted　to　her；　and　he　would　grow　into　an　equality　with　her。　　He　was
naturally　very　refined；　she　said；　and；　if　he　was　not　a　very　serious
person；　he　was　amiable　beyond　anything。　　She　alleged　many　little　incidents
of　their　acquaintance　at　Campobello　in　proof　of　her　theory　that　he　had　an
instinctive　appreciation　of　Alice；　and　she　was　sure　that　no　one　could
value　her　nobleness　of　character　more　than　he。　　She　had　seen　them　a　good
deal　together　since　their　engagement；　and　it　was　beautiful　to　see　his
manner　with　her。　　They　were　opposites；　but　she　counted　a　good　deal　upon
that　very　difference　in　their　temperaments　to　draw　them　to　each　other。

It　was　an　easy　matter　to　see　Dan　and　Alice　together。　　Their　engagement
came　out　in　the　usual　way：　it　had　been　announced　to　a　few　of　their　nearest
friends；　and　intelligence　of　it　soon　spread　from　their　own　set　through
society　generally；　it　had　been　published　in　the　Sunday　papers　while　it　was
still　in　the　tender　condition　of　a　rumour；　and　had　been　denied　by　some　of
their　acquaintance　and　believed　by　all。

The　Pasmer　cousinship　had　been　just　in　the　performance　of　the　duties　of
blood　toward　Alice　since　the　return　of　her　family　from　Europe；　and　now　did
what　was　proper　in　the　circumstances。　　All　who　were　connected　with　her
called　upon　her　and　congratulated　her；　they　knew　Dan；　the　younger　of　them；
much　better　than　they　knew　her；　and　though　he　had　shrunk　from　the　nebulous
bulk　of　social　potentiality　which　every　young　man　is　to　that　much　smaller
nucleus　to　which　definite　betrothal　reduces　him；　they　could　be　perfectly
sincere　in　calling　him　the　sweetest　fellow　that　ever　was；　and　too　lovely
to　live。

In　such　a　matter　Mr。　Pasmer　was　naturally　nothing；　he　could　not　be　less
than　he　was　at　other　times；　but　he　was　not　more；　and　it　was　Mrs。　Pasmer
who　shared　fully　with　her　daughter　the　momentary　interest　which　the
engagement　gave　Alice　with　all　her　kindred。　　They　believed；　of　course；
that　they　recognised　in　it　an　effect　of　her　skill　in　managing；　they　agreed
to　suppose　that　she　had　got　Mavering　for　Alice；　and　to　ignore　the　beauty
and　passion　of　youth　as　factors　in　the　case。　　The　closest　of　the　kindred；
with　the　romantic　delicacy　of　Americans　in　such　things；　approached　the
question　of　Dan's　position　and　prospects；　and　heard　with　satisfaction　the
good　accounts　which　Mrs。　Pasmer　was　able　to　give　of　his　father's
prosperity。　　There　had　always　been　more　or　less　apprehension　among　them　of
a　time　when　a　family　subscription　would　be　necessary　for　Bob　Pasmer；　and
in　the　relief　which　the　new　situation　gave　them　some　of　them　tried　to
remember　having　known　Dan's　father　in　College；　but　it　finally　came　to
their　guessing　that　they　must　have　heard　John　Munt　speak　of　him。

Mrs。　Pasmer　had　a　supreme　control　in　the　affair。　　She　believed　with　the
restso　deeply　is　this　delusion　seatedthat　she　had　made　the　match；　but
knowing　herself　to　have　used　no　dishonest　magic　in　the　process；　she　was
able　to　enjoy　it　with　a　clean　conscience。　　She　grew　fonder　of　Dan；　they
understood　each　other；　she　was　his　refuge　from　Alice's　ideals；　and　helped
him　laugh　off　his　perplexity　with　them。　　They　were　none　the　less　sincere
because　they　were　not　in　the　le