april hopes-第66章

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Minnie　followed　timorously；　but　curious　for　what　he　should　say。　　She
lingered　on　the　threshold；　while　her　sister　went　in　and　pulled　the
electric　apparatus　which　lighted　the　gas…burners。　　〃I　suppose　Dan　didn't
break　it？〃　she　said；　turning　sharply　upon　him。

〃No；　and　I　don't　think　he　was　to　blame；〃　said　Boardman；　inferring　her
reserved　anxiety。

〃Oh；　I'm　quite　sure　of　that；〃　said　Eunice；　rejecting　what　she　had　asked
for。　　〃You'll　find　everything；　Mr。　Boardman。　　It　was　kind　of　you　to　come
with　Dan。　Supper's　at　seven。〃

〃How　severe　you　were　with　him！〃　murmured　Minnie；　following　her　away。

〃Severe　with　Dan？〃

〃Nowith　Mr。　Boardman。〃

〃What　nonsense！　　I　had　to　be。　　I　couldn't　let　him　defend　Dan　to　me。
Couple　of　silly　boys！〃

After　a　moment　Minnie　said；　〃I　don't　think　he's　silly。〃

〃Who？〃

〃Mr。　Boardman。〃

〃Well；　Dan　is；　then；　to　bring　him　at　such　a　time。　　But　I　suppose　he　felt
that　he　couldn't　get　here　without　him。　　What　a　boy！　　Think　of　such　a　child
being　engaged！　　I　hope　we　shan't　hear　any　more　of　such　nonsense　for　one
while　againat　least　till　Dan's　got　his　growth。〃

They　went　down　into　the　library；　where；　in　their　excitement；　they　sat　down
with　most　of　their　outdoor　things　on。

Minnie　had　the　soft　contrary…mindedness　of　gentle　natures。　　〃I　should　like
to　know　how　you　would　have　had　Dan　bear　it；〃　she　said　rebelliously。

〃How？　　Like　a　man。　　Or　like　a　woman。　　How　do　you　suppose　Miss　Pasmer's
bearing　it？　　Do　you　suppose　she's　got　some　friend　to　help　her？〃

〃If　she's　broken　it；　she　doesn't　need　any　one；〃　urged　Minnie。

〃Well；〃　said　Eunice；　with　her　high　scorn　of　Dan　unabated；　〃I　never　could
have　liked　that　girl；　but　I　certainly　begin　to　respect　her。　　I　think　I
could　have　got　on　with　hernow　that　it's　no　use。　　I　declare；〃　she　broke
off；　〃we're　sitting　here　sweltering　to　death！　　What　are　we　keeping　our
things　on　for？〃　She　began　to　tear　hers　violently　off　and　to　fling　them　on
chairs；　scolding；　and　laughing　at　the　same　time　with　Minnie；　at　their
absent…mindedness。

A　heavy　step　sounded　on　the　verandah　without。

〃There's　father！〃　she　cried　vividly；　jumping　to　her　feet　and　running　to
the　door；　while　Minnie；　in　a　nervous　bewilderment；　ran　off　upstairs　to　her
room。　　Eunice　flung　the　door　open。　　〃Well；　father；　we've　got　Dan　back
again。〃　　And　at　a　look　of　quiet　question　in　his　eye　she　hurried　on：　〃His
engagement's　broken；　and　he's　come　up　here　to　tell　us；　and　brought　Mr。
Boardman　along　to　help。〃

〃Where　is　he？〃　asked　the　father；　with　his　ruminant　quiet；　pulling　off
first　one　sleeve　of　his　overcoat；　and　pausing　for　Eunice's　answer　before
he　pulled　off　the　other。




XLVI。

〃He's　up　in　his　room；　resting　from　the　effort。〃　　She　laughed　nervously；
and　her　father　made　no　comment。　　He　took　off　his　articles；　and　then　went
creaking　upstairs　to　Dan's　room。　　But　at　the　door　he　paused；　with　his　hand
on　the　knob；　and　turned　away　to　his　own　room　without　entering。

Dan　must　have　heard　him；　in　a　few　minutes　he　came　to　him。

〃Well；　Dan；〃　said　his　father；　shaking　hands。

〃I　suppose　Eunice　has　told　you？〃　　Well；　I　want　to　tell　you　why　it
happened。〃

There　was　something　in　his　father　that　always　steadied　Dan　and　kept　him　to
the　point。　　He　now　put　the　whole　case　fairly　and　squarely；　and　his　candour
and　openness　seemed　to　him　to　react　and　characterise　his　conduct
throughout。　　He　did　not　realise　that　this　was　not　so　till　his　father　said
at　the　close；　with　mild　justice；　〃You　were　to　blame　for　letting　the　thing
run　on　so　at　loose　ends。〃

〃Yes；　of　course；〃　said　Dan；　seeing　that　he　was。　　〃But　there　was　no
intention　of　deceiving　any　one　of　bad　faith〃

〃Of　course　not。〃

〃I　thought　it　could　be　easily　arranged　whenever　it　came　to　the　point。〃

〃If　you'd　been　older；　you　wouldn't　have　thought　that。　　You　had　women　to
deal　with　on　both　sides。　　But　if　it's　all　over；　I'm　not　sorry。　　I　always
admired　Miss　Pasmer；　but　I've　been　more　and　more　afraid　you　were　not
suited　to　each　other。　　Your　mother　doesn't　know　you're　here？〃

〃No；　sir；　I　suppose　not。　　Do　you　think　it　will　distress　her？〃

〃How　did　your　sisters　take　it？〃

Dan　gave　a　rueful　laugh。　　〃It　seemed　to　be　rather　a　popular　move　with
them。〃

〃I　will　see　your　mother　first；〃　said　the　father。

He　left　them　when　they　went　into　the　library　after　supper；　and　a　little
later　Dan　and　Eunice　left　Boardman　in　charge　of　Minnie　there。

He　looked　after　their　unannounced　withdrawal　in　comic　consciousness。
〃It's　no　use　pretending　that　I'm　not　a　pretty　large　plurality　here；〃　he
said　to　Minnie。

〃Oh；　I'm　so　glad　you　came！〃　she　cried；　with　a　kindness　which　was　as　real
as　if　it　had　been　more　sincere。

〃Do　you　think　mother　will　feel　it　much？〃　asked　Dan　anxiously；　as　he　went
upstairs　with　Eunice。

〃Well；　she'll　hate　to　lose　a　correspondentsuch　a　regular　one；〃　said
Eunice；　and　the　affair　being　so　far　beyond　any　other　comment；　she　laughed
the　rest　of　the　way　to　their　mother's　room。

The　whole　family　had　in　some　degree　that　foible　which　affects　people　who
lead　isolated　lives；　they　come　to　think　that　they　are　the　only　people　who
have　their　virtues；　they　exaggerate　these；　and　they　conceive　a　kindness
even　for　the　qualities　which　are　not　their　virtues。　　Mrs。　Mavering's　life
was　secluded　again　from　the　family　seclusion；　and　their　peculiarities　were
intensified　in　her。　　Besides；　she　had　some　very　marked　peculiarities　of
her　own；　and　these　were　also　intensified　by　the　solitude　to　which　she　was
necessarily　left　so　much。　　She　meditated　a　great　deal　upon　the　character
of　her　children；　and　she　liked　to　analyse　and　censure　it　both　in　her　own
mind　and　openly　in　their　presence。　　She　was　very　trenchant　and　definite　in
these　estimates　of　them；　she　liked　to　ticket　them；　and　then　ticket　them
anew。　　She　explored　their　ancestral　history　on　both　sides　for　the　origin
of　their　traits；　and　there　were　times　when　she　reduced　them　in　formula　to
mere　congeries　of　inherited　characteristics。　　If　Eunice　was　self…willed
and　despotic；　she　was　just　like　her　grandmother　Mavering；　if　Minnie　was
all　sentiment　and　gentle　stubbornness；　it　was　because　two　aunts　of　hers；
one　on　either　side；　were　exactly　so；　if　Dan　loved　pleasure　and　beauty；　and
was　sinuous　and　uncertain　in　so　many　ways；　and　yet　was　so　kind　and
faithful　and　good；　as　well　as　shilly…shallying　and　undecided；　it　was
because　her　mother；　and　her　mother's　father；　had　these　qualities　in　the
same　combination。

When　she　took　her　children　to　pieces　before　their　faces；　she　was　sharp　and
admonitory　enough　with　them。　　She　warned　them　to　what　their　characters
would　bring　them　to　if　they　did　not　look　out；　but　perhaps　because　she
beheld　them　so　hopelessly　the　present　effect　of　the　accumulated　tendencies
of　the　family　past；　she　was　tender　and　forgiving　to　their　actions。　　The
mother　came　in　there；　and　superseded　the　student　of　heredity：　she　found
excuse　for　them　in　the　perversity　of　circumstance；　in　the　peculiar
hardship　of　the　case；　in　the　malignant　misbehaviour　of　others。

As　Dan　entered；　with　the　precedence　his　father　and　sister　yielded　him　as
the　principal　actor　in　the　scene　which　must　follow；　she　lifted　herself
vigorously　in　bed；　and　propped　herself　on　the　elbow　of　one　arm　while　she
stretched　the　other　towards　him。

〃I'm　glad　of　it；　Dan！〃　she　called；　at　the　moment　he　opened　the　door；　and
as　he　came　toward　her　she　continued；　with　the　amazing　velocity　of
utterance　peculiar　to　nervous　sufferers　of　her　sex：　〃I　know　all　about　it；
and　I　don't　blame　you　a　bit！　　And　I　don't　blame　her！　　Poor　helpless　young
things！　　But　it's　a　perfect　mercy　it's　all　over；　it's　the　greatest
deliverance　I　ever　heard　of！　　You'd　have　been　eaten　up　alive。　　I　saw　it；
and　I　knew　it　from　the　very　first　moment；　and　I've　lived　in　fear　and
trembling　for　you。　　You　could　have　got　on　well　enough　if　you'd　been　left
to　yourselves；　but　that　you　couldn't　have　been　nor　hope　to　be　as　long　as
you　breathed；　from　the　meddling　and　the　machinations　and　the　malice　of
that　unscrupulous　and　unconscionable　old　Cat！〃

By　the　time　Mrs。　Mavering　had　hissed　out　the　last　word　she　had　her　arm
round　her　boy's　neck　and　was　clutching　him；　safe　and　sound　after　his
peril；　to　her　breast；　and　between　her　kissing　and　crying　she　repeated　her
accusals