april hopes-第72章

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〃No；　I　can't　go　at　all；〃　said　Dan。　　〃I　don't　know　them。〃

〃They're　New　England　people；〃　urged　Miss　Anderson；　as　if　to　make　him　try
to　think　that　he　was　asked　to　Mrs。　Whittington's。

〃I　don't　know　more　than　half　the　population　of　New　England；〃　said　Dan；
with　apparent　levity；　but　real　forlornness。

〃If　you'd　like　to　goif　you're　sure　you've　no　other　engagement〃

〃Oh；　I'm　certain　of　that？〃

〃we　would　come　for　you。〃

〃Do！〃

〃At　half…past　ten；　then。〃

Miss　Anderson　explained　to　her　aunt；　who　cordially　confirmed　her
invitation；　and　they　both　shook　hands　with　him　upon　it；　and　he　backed　out
of　the　carriage　with　a　grin　of　happiness　on　his　face；　it　remained　there
while　he　wrote　out　the　order　for　his　dinner；　which　they　require　at
Wormley's　in　holograph。　　The　waiter　reflected　his　smile　with　ethnical
warm…heartedness。　　For　a　moment　Dan　tried　to　think　what　it　was　he　had
forgotten；　he　thought　it　was　some　other　dish；　then　he　remembered　that　it
was　his　broken　heart。　　He　tried　to　subdue　himself；　but　there　was　something
in　the　air　of　the　place；　the　climate；　perhaps；　or　a　pleasant　sense　of　its
facile　social　life；　that　kept　him　buoyant　in　spite　of　himself。　　He　went
out　after　dinner；　and　saw　part　of　a　poor　play；　and　returned　in　time　to
dress　for　his　appointment　with　Miss　Anderson。　　Her　aunt　was　with　her；　of
course；　she　seemed　to　Dan　more　indefatigable　than　she　was　by　day。　　He
could　not　think　her　superfluous；　and　she　was　very　good…natured。　　She　made
little　remarks　full　of　conventional　wisdom；　and　appealed　to　his　judgment
on　several　points　as　they　drove　along。　　When　they　came　to　a　street　lamp
where　she　could　see　him；　he　nodded　and　said　yes；　or　no；　respectfully。
Between　times　he　talked　with　Miss　Anderson；　who　lectured　him　upon
Washington　society；　and　prepared　him　for　the　difference　he　was　to　find
between　Mrs。　Whittington's　evening　of　invited　guests　and　the　Cabinet
ladies'　afternoon　of　volunteer　guests。

〃Volunteer　guests　is　good；〃　he　laughed。　　〃Do　you　mean　that　anybody　can
go？〃

〃Anybody　that　is　able　to　be　about。　　This　is　Cabinet　Day。　　There's　a
Supreme　Court　Day　and　a　Senators'　Day；　and　a　Representatives'　Day。　　Do　you
mean　to　say　you　weren't　going　to　call　upon　your　Senator？〃

〃I　didn't　know　I　had　any。〃

〃Neither　did　I　till　I　came　here。　　But　you've　got　two；　everybody's　got　two。
And　the　President's　wife　receives　three　times　a　week；　and　the　President
has　two　or　three　days。　　They　say　the　public　days　at　the　White　House　are
great　fun。　　I've　been　to　some　of　the　invited；　or　semi…invited　or　official
evenings。〃

He　could　not　see　that　difference　from　the　great　public　receptions　which
Miss　Anderson　had　promised　him　at　Mrs。　Whittington's；　though　he　pretended
afterward　that　he　had　done　so。　　The　people　were　more　uniformly　well
dressed；　there　were　not　so　many　of　them；　and　the　hostess　was　sure　of
knowing　her　acquaintances　at　first　glance；　but　there　was　the　same　ease；
the　same　unconstraint；　the　same　absence　of　provincial　anxiety　which　makes
a　Washington　a　lighter　and　friendlier　London。　　There　were　rather　more
sallow　attaches；　in　their　low…cut　white　waistcoats；　with　small　brass
buttons；　they　moved　more　consciously　about；　and　looked　weightier
personages　than　several　foreign　ministers　who　were　present。

Dan　was　soon　lost　from　the　side　of　Miss　Anderson；　who　more　and　more　seemed
to　him　important　socially。　　She　seemed；　in　her　present　leadership；　to　know
more　of　life；　than　he；　to　be　maturer。　　But　she　did　not　abuse　her
superiority；　she　kept　an　effect　of　her　last　summer's　friendliness　for　him
throughout。　　Several　times；　finding　herself　near　him；　she　introduced　him
to　people。

Guests　kept　arriving　till　midnight。　　Among　the　latest；　when　Dan　had　lost
himself　far　from　Boston　in　talk　with　a　young　lady　from　Richmond；　who　spoke
with　a　slur　of　her　vowels　that　fascinated　him；　came　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Brinkley。
He　felt　himself　grow　pale　and　inattentive　to　his　pretty　Virginian。　　That
accent　of　Mrs。　Brinkley's　recalled　him　to　his　history。　　He　hoped　that　she
would　not　see　him；　but　in　another　moment　he　was　greeting　her　with　a　warmth
which　Bostonians　seldom　show　in　meeting　at　Boston。

〃When　did　you　come　to　Washington？〃　she　asked；　trying　to　keep　her
consciousness　out　of　her　eyes；　which　she　let　dwell　kindly　upon　him。

〃Day　before　yesterdayno；　yesterday。　　It　seems　a　month；　I've　seen　and
done　so　much；〃　he　said；　with　his　laugh。　　〃Miss　Anderson's　been　showing　me
the　whole　of　Washington　society。　　Have　you　been　here　long？〃

〃Since　morning；〃　said　Mrs。　Brinkley。　　And　she　added；　〃Miss　Anderson？〃

〃YesCampobello；　don't　you　know？〃

〃Oh　yes。　　Is　she　here　to…night？〃

〃I　came　with　her　and　her　aunt。〃

〃Oh　yes。〃

〃How　is　all　Boston？〃　asked　Dan　boldly。

〃I　don't　know；　I'm　just　going　down　to　Old　Point　Comfort　to　ask。　　Every
other　house　on　the　Back　Bay　has　been　abandoned　for　the　Hygeia。〃　　Mrs。
Brinkley　stopped；　and　then　she　asked。　　〃Are　you　just　up　from　there？〃

〃No；　but　I　don't　know　but　I　shall　go。〃

〃Hello；　Mavering！〃　said　Mr。　Brinkley；　coming　up　and　taking　his　hand　into
his　fat　grasp。　　〃On　your　way　to　Fortress　Monroe？　　Better　come　with　us。
Why；　Munt！〃

He　turned　to　greet　this　other　Bostonian；　who　had　hardly　expressed　his　joy
at　meeting　with　his　fellow…townsmen　when　the　hostess　rustled　softly　up；
and　said；　with　the　irony　more　or　less　friendly；　which　everybody　uses　in
speaking　of　Boston；　or　recognising　the　intellectual　pre…eminence　of　its
people；　〃I'm　not　going　to　let　you　keep　this　feast　of　reason　all　to　your
selves。　　I　want　you　to　leaven　the　whole　lump；〃　and　she　began　to　disperse
them；　and　to　introduce　them　about　right　and　left。

Dan　tried　to　find　his　Virginian　again；　but　she　was　gone。　　He　found　Miss
Anderson；　she　was　with　her　aunt。　　〃Shall　we　be　tearing　you　away？〃　she
asked。

〃Oh　no。　　I'm　quite　ready　to　go。〃

His　nerves　were　in　a　tremble。　　Those　Boston　faces　and　voices　had　brought
it　all　back　again；　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　met　Alice。　　He　was　silent　and
incoherent　as　they　drove　home；　but　Miss　Anderson　apparently　did　not　want
to　talk　much；　and　apparently　did　not　notice　his　reticence。

He　fell　asleep　with　the　pang　in　his　heart　which　had　been　there　so　often。

When　Dan　came　down　to　breakfast　he　found　the　Brinkleys　at　a　pleasant　place
by　one　of　the　windows；　and　after　they　had　exchanged　a　pleased　surprise
with　him　that　they　should　all　happen　to　be　in　the　same　hotel；　they　asked
him　to　sit　at　their　table。

There　was　a　bright　sun　shining；　and　the　ache　was　gone　out　of　Dan's　heart。
He　began　to　chatter　gaily　with　Mrs。　Brinkley　about　Washington。

〃Oh；　better　come　on　to　Fortress　Monroe；〃　said　her　husband。　　〃Better　come
on　with　us。〃

〃No；　I　can't　just　yet；〃　said　Dan。　　〃I've　got　some　business　here　that　will
keep　me　for　awhile。　　Perhaps　I　may　run　down　there　a　little　later。〃

〃Miss　Anderson　seems　to　have　a　good　deal　of　business　in　Washington　too；〃
observed　Brinkley；　with　some　hazy　notion　of　saying　a　pleasant　rallying
thing　to　the　young　man。　　He　wondered　at　the　glare　his　wife　gave　him。　　With
those　panned　oysters　before　him　he　had　forgotten　all　about　Dan's　love
affair　with　Miss　Pasmer。

Mrs。　Brinkley　hastened　to　make　the　mention　of　Miss　Anderson　as　impersonal
as　possible。

〃It　was　so　nice　to　meet　her　again。　　She　is　such　an　honest；　wholesome
creature；　and　so　bright　and　full　of　sense。　　She　always　made　me　think　of
the　broad　daylight。　　I　always　liked　that　girl。〃

〃Yes；　isn't　she　jolly？〃　said　Dan　joyously。　　〃She　seems　to　know　everybody
here。　　It's　a　great　piece　of　luck　for　me。　　They're　going　to　take　a　house
in　Washington　next　winter。〃

〃Yes；　I　know　that　stage；〃　said　Mrs。　Brinkley。　　〃Her　aunt's　an　amusingly
New…York　respectability。　　I　don't　think　you'd　find　just　such　Miss　Mitford
curls　as　hers　in　all　Boston。〃

〃Yes；　they　are　like　the　portraits；　aren't　they？〃　said　Dan；　delighted。
〃She's　very　nice；　don't　you　think？〃

〃Very。　　But　Miss　Anderson　is　more　than　that。　　I　was　disposed　to　be
critical　of　her　at　Campobello　for　a　while；　but　she　wore　extremely　well。
All　at　once　you　found　yourself　admiring　her　uncommon　common…sense。

〃Yes。　　That's　just　it；〃　cried　Dan。　　〃She　is　so　sensible！〃

〃I　think　she's　very　pretty；〃　said　Mrs。　Brinkley。〃

〃Well；　her　nose；〃　suggested　Dan。　　〃It　seems　a　little