april hopes-第68章

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dismaying　air　to　the　story　which　Miss　Cotton　told　her　in　the　extremity　of
her　fear　and　doubt。

〃Well；〃　she　said　at　the　end；　〃have　you　written　to　Mr。　Mavering？〃

〃Written　to　Mr。　Mavering？〃　gasped　Miss　Cotton。

〃Yesto　tell　him　she　wants　him　back。〃

〃Wants　him　back？〃　Miss　Cotton　echoed　again。

〃That's　what　she　came　to　you　for。〃

〃Oh；　Mrs。　Brinkley！〃　moaned　Miss　Cotton；　and　she　stared　at　her　in　mute
reproach。

Mrs。　Brinkley　laughed。　　〃I　don't　say　she　knew　that　she　came　for　that；　but
there's　no　doubt　that　she　did；　and　she　went　away　bitterly　disappointed
with　your　consolation　and　support。　　She　didn't　want　anything　of　the　kind
you　may　comfort　yourself　with　that　reflection；　Miss　Cotton。〃

〃Mrs。　Brinkley；〃　said　Miss　Cotton；　with　a　severity　which　ought　to　have
been　extremely　effective　from　so　mild　a　person；　〃do　you　mean　to　accuse
that　poor　child　of　dissimulationof　deceitin　suchaa〃

〃No！〃　shouted　Mrs。　Brinkley；　〃she　didn't　know　what　she　was　doing　any　more
than　you　did；　and　she　went　home　perfectly　heart…broken；　and　I　hope　she'll
stay　so；　for　the　good　of　all　parties　concerned。〃

Miss　Cotton　was　so　bewildered　by　Mrs。　Brinkley's　interpretation　of　Alice's
latent　motives　that　she　let　the　truculent　hostility　of　her　aspiration　pass
unheeded。　　She　looked　helplessly　about；　and　seemed　faint；　so　that　Mrs。
Brinkley；　without　appearing　to　notice　her　state；　interposed　the　question
of　a　little　sherry。　　When　it　had　been　brought；　and　Miss　Cotton　had　sipped
the　glass　that　trembled　in　one　hand　while　her　emotion　shattered　a　biscuit
with　the　other；　Mrs。　Brinkley　went　on：　〃I'm　glad　the　engagement　is　broken；
and　I　hope　it　will　never　be　mended。　　If　what　you　tell　me　of　her　reason　for
breaking　it　is　true〃

〃Oh；　I　feel　so　guilty　for　telling　you！　　I'd　no　right　to！　　Please　never
speak　of　it！〃　pleaded　Miss　Cotton。

〃Then　I　feel　more　than　ever　that　it　was　all　a　mistake；　and　that　to　help　it
on　again　would　be　acrime。〃

Miss　Cotton　gave　a　small　jump　at　the　word；　as　if　she　had　already　committed
the　crime：　she　had　longed　to　do　it。

〃Yes；　I　mean　to　say　that　they　are　better　parted　than　plighted。　　If　matches
are　made　in　heaven；　I　believe　some　of　them　are　unmade　there　too。　　They're
not　adapted　to　each　other；　there's　too　great　a　disparity。〃

〃You　mean；〃　began　Miss　Cotton；　from　her　prepossession　of　Alice's
superiority；　〃that　she's　altogether　his　inferior；　intellectually　and
morally。〃

〃Oh；　I　can't　admit　that！〃　cried　Miss　Cotton；　glad　to　have　Mrs。　Brinkley　go
too　far；　and　plucking　up　courage　from　her　excess。

〃Intellectually　and　morally；〃　repeated　Mrs。　Brinkley；　with　the　mounting
conviction　which　ladies　seem　to　get　from　mere　persistence。　　〃I　saw　that
girl　at　Campobello；　I　watched　her。〃

〃I　never　felt　that　you　did　her　justice！〃　cried　Miss　Cotton；　with　the
valour　of　a　hen…sparrow。　　〃There　was　an　antipathy。〃

〃There　certainly　wasn't　a　sympathy；　I'm　happy　to　say；〃　retorted　Mrs。
Brinkley。　　〃I　know　her；　and　I　know　her　family；　root　and　branch。　　The
Pasmers　are　the　dullest　and　most　selfish　people　in　the　world。〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　think　that's　her　character；〃　said　Miss　Cotton；　ruffling　her
feathers　defensively。

〃Neither　do　I。　　She　has　no　fixed　character。　　No　girl　has。　　Nobody　has。　　We
all　have　twenty　different　charactersmore　characters　than　gownsand　we
put　them　on　and　take　them　off　just　as　often　for　different　occasions。　　I
know　you　think　each　person　is　permanently　this　or　that；　but　my　experience
is　that　half　the　time　they're　the　other　thing。〃

〃Then　why；〃　said　Miss　Cotton；　winking　hard；　as　some　weak　people　do　when
they　thick　they　are　making　a　point；　〃do　you　say　that　Alice　is　dull　and
selfish？〃

〃I　don'tnot　always；　or　not　simply　so。　　That's　the　character　of　the
Pasmer　blood；　but　it's　crossed　with　twenty　different　currents　in　her；　and
from　some　body　that　the　Pasmer　dulness　and　selfishness　must　have　driven
mad　she　got　a　crazy　streak　of　piety；　and　that's　got　mixed　up　in　her　again
with　a　nonsensical　ideal　of　duty；　and　everything　she　does　she　not　only
thinks　is　right；　but　she　thinks　it's　religious；　and　she　thinks　it's
unselfish。〃

〃If　you'd　seen　her；　if　you'd　heard　her；　this　morning；〃　said　Miss　Cotton；
〃you　wouldn't　say　that；　Mrs。　Brinkley。〃

Mrs。　Brinkley　refused　this　with　an　impatient　gesture。　　〃It　isn't　what　she
is　now；　or　seems　to　be；　or　thinks　she　is。　　It's　what　she's　going　to
finally　harden　intowhat's　going　to　be　her　prevailing　character。　　Now　Dan
Mavering　has　just　the　faults　that　will　make　such　a　girl　think　her　own
defects　are　virtues；　because　they're　so　different。　　I　tell　you　Alice
Pasmer　has　neither　the　head　nor　the　heart　to　appreciate　the　goodness；　the
loveliness；　of　a　fellow　like　Dan　Mavering。〃

〃I　think　she　feels　his　sweetness　fully；〃　urged　Miss　Cotton。　　〃But　she
couldn't　endure　his　uncertainty。　　With　her　the　truth　is　first　of　all
things。〃

〃Then　she's　a　little　goose。　　If　she　had　the　sense　to　know　it；　she　would
know　that　he　might　delay　and　temporise　and　beat　about　the　bush；　but　he
would　be　true　when　it　was　necessary。　　I　haven't　the　least　doubt　in　the
world　but　that　poor　fellow　was　going　on　in　perfect　security；　because　he
felt　that　it　would　be　so　easy　for　him　to　give　up；　and　supposed　it　would　be
just　as　easy　for　her。　　I　don't　suppose　he　had　a　misgiving；　and　it　must
have　come　upon　him　like　a　thunder…clap。〃

〃Don't　you　think；〃　timidly　suggested　Miss　Cotton；　〃that　truth　is　the　first
essential　in　marriage？〃

〃Of　course　it　is。　　And　if　this　girl　was　worthy　of　Dan　Mavering；　if　she
were　capable　of　loving　him　or　anybody　else　unselfishly；　she　would　have
felt　his　truth　even　if　she　couldn't　have　seen　it。　　I　believe　this　minute
that　that　manoeuvring；　humbugging　mother　of　hers　is　a　better　woman；　a
kinder　woman；　than　she　is。〃

〃Alice　says　her　mother　took　his　part；〃　said　Miss　Cotton；　with　a　sigh。
〃She　took　your　view　of　it。〃

〃She's　a　sensible　woman。　　But　I　hope　she　won't　be　able　to　get　him　into　her
toils　again；〃　continued　Mrs。　Brinkley；　recurring　to　the　conventional
estimate　of　Mrs。　Pasmer。

〃I　can't　help　feelingbelievingthat　they'll　come　together　somehow
still；〃　murmured　Miss　Cotton。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　she　had　all　along
wished　this；　and　she　tried　to　remember　if　what　she　had　said　to　comfort
Alice　might　be　construed　as　adverse　to　a　reconciliation。

〃I　hope　they　won't；　then；〃　said　Mrs。　Brinkley；　〃for　they　couldn't　help
being　unhappy　together；　with　their　temperaments。　　There's　one　thing；　Miss
Cotton；　that's　more　essential　in　marriage　than　Miss　Pasmer's　instantaneous
honesty；　and　that's　patience。〃

〃Patience　with　wrong？〃　demanded　Miss　Cotton。

〃Yes；　even　with　wrong；　but　I　meant　patience　with　each　other。　　Marriage　is
a　perpetual　pardon；　concession；　surrender；　it's　an　everlasting　giving　up；
that's　the　divine　thing　about　it；　and　that's　just　what　Miss　Passer　could
never　conceive　of；　because　she　is　self…righteous　and　conceited　and
unyielding。　　She　would　make　him　miserable。〃

Miss　Cotton　rose　in　a　bewilderment　which　did　not　permit　her　to　go　at　once。
There　was　something　in　her　mind　which　she　wished　to　urge；　but　she　could
not　make　it　out；　though　she　fingered　in　vague　generalities。　　When　she　got
a　block　away　from　the　house　it　suddenly　came　to　her。　Love！　　If　they　loved
each　other；　would　not　all　be　well　with　them？　　She　would　have　liked　to　run
back　and　put　that　question　to　Mrs。　Brinkley；　but　just　then　she　met
Brinkley　lumbering　heavily　homeward；　she　heard　his　hard　breathing　from　the
exertion　of　bowing　to　her　as　he　passed。

His　wife　met　him　in　the　hall；　and　went　up　to　kiss　him。　　He　smelt
abominably　of　tobacco　smoke。

〃Hullo！〃　said　her　husband。　　〃What　are　you　after？〃

〃Nothing；〃　said　his　wife；　enjoying　his　joke。　　〃Come　in　here；　I　want　to
tell　you　how　I　have　just　sat　upon　Miss　Cotton。〃




XLVIII。

The　relations　between　Dan　and　his　father　had　always　been　kindly　and
trustful；　they　now　became；　in　a　degree　that　touched　and　flattered　the
young　fellow；　confidential。　　With　the　rest　of　the　family　there　soon　ceased
to　be　any　reference　to　his　engagement；　his　sisters　were　glad；　each　in　her
way；　to　have　him　back　again；　and；　whatever　they　may　have　said　between
themselves；　they　said　nothing　to　him　about　Alice。　　His　mother　appeared　to
have　finished　with　the　matter　the