the kentons-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


bearing　of　repressed　superiority　which　a　strenuous　conscience　kept　from
unmasking　itself　in　open　contempt　when　they　failed　to　make　his　sister
promise　to　behave　herself。　　Sometimes　he　had　lapses　from　his　dignified
gloom　with　his　mother；　when；　for　no　reason　that　could　be　given；　he　fell
from　his　habitual　majesty　to　the　tender　dependence　of　a　little　boy；　just
as　his　voice　broke　from　its　nascent　base　to　its　earlier　treble　at　moments
when　he　least　expected　or　wished　such　a　thing　to　happen。　　His　stately　but
vague　ideal　of　himself　was　supported　by　a　stature　beyond　his　years；　but
this　rendered　it　the　more　difficult　for　him　to　bear　the　humiliation　of
his　sudden　collapses；　and　made　him　at　other　times　the　easier　prey　of
Lottie's　ridicule。　　He　got　on　best；　or　at　least　most　evenly；　with　his
eldest　sister。　　She　took　him　seriously；　perhaps　because　she　took　all　life
so；　and　she　was　able　to　interpret　him　to　his　father　when　his　intolerable
dignity　forbade　a　common　understanding　between　them。　　When　he　got　so　far
beyond　his　depth　that　he　did　not　know　what　he　meant　himself；　as　sometimes
happened；　she　gently　found　him　a　safe　footing　nearer　shore。

Kenton's　theory　was　that　he　did　not　distinguish　among　his　children。
He　said　that　he　did　not　suppose　they　were　the　best　children　in　the　world；
but　they　suited　him；　and　he　would　not　have　known　how　to　change　them　for
the　better。　　He　saw　no　harm　in　the　behavior　of　Lottie　when　it　most
shocked　her　brother；　he　liked　her　to　have　a　good　time；　but　it　flattered
his　nerves　to　have　Ellen　about　him。　　Lottie　was　a　great　deal　more
accomplished；　he　allowed　that；　she　could　play　and　sing；　and　she　had
social　gifts　far　beyond　her　sister；　but　he　easily　proved　to　his　wife　that
Nelly　knew　ten　times　as　much。

Nelly　read　a　great　deal；　she　kept　up　with　all　the　magazines；　and　knew　all
the　books　in　his　library。　　He　believed　that　she　was　a　fine　German
scholar；　and　in　fact　she　had　taken　up　that　language　after　leaving　school；
when；　if　she　had　been　better　advised　than　she　could　have　been　in
Tuskingum；　she　would　have　kept　on　with　her　French。　　She　started　the　first
book　club　in　the　place；　and　she　helped　her　father　do　the　intellectual
honors　of　the　house　to　the　Eastern　lecturers；　who　always　stayed　with　the
judge　when　they　came　to　Tuskingum。　　She　was　faithfully　present　at　the
moments；　which　her　sister　shunned　in　derision；　when　her　father　explained
to　them　respectively　his　theory　of　regimental　history；　and　would　just；
as　he　said；　show　them　a　few　of　the　documents　he　had　collected。　　He　made
Ellen　show　them；　she　knew　where　to　put　her　hand　on　the　most
characteristic　and　illustrative；　and　Lottie　offered　to　bet　what　one　dared
that　Ellen　would　marry　some　of　those　lecturers　yet；　she　was　literary
enough。

She　boasted　that　she　was　not　literary　herself；　and　had　no　use　for　any　one
who　was；　and　it　could　not　have　been　her　culture　that　drew　the　most
cultivated　young　man　in　Tuskingum　to　her。　　Ellen　was　really　more
beautiful；　Lottie　was　merely　very　pretty；　but　she　had　charm　for　them；　and
Ellen；　who　had　their　honor　and　friendship；　had　no　charm　for　them。　　No　one
seemed　drawn　to　her　as　they　were　drawn　to　her　sister　till　a　man　came　who
was　not　one　of　the　most　cultivated　in　Tuskingum；　and　then　it　was　doubtful
whether　she　was　not　first　drawn　to　him。　　She　was　too　transparent　to　hide
her　feeling　from　her　father　and　mother；　who　saw　with　even　more　grief　than
shame　that　she　could　not　hide　it　from　the　man　himself；　whom　they　thought
so　unworthy　of　it。

He　had　suddenly　arrived　in　Tuskingum　from　one　of　the　villages　of　the
county；　where　he　had　been　teaching　school；　and　had　found　something　to　do
as　reporter　on　the　Tuskingum　'Intelligencer'；　which　he　was　instinctively
characterizing　with　the　spirit　of　the　new　journalism；　and　was　pushing　as
hardily　forward　on　the　lines　of　personality　as　if　he　had　dropped　down　to
it　from　the　height　of　a　New　York　or　Chicago　Sunday　edition。　　The　judge
said；　with　something　less　than　his　habitual　honesty；　that　he　did　not　mind
his　being　a　reporter；　but　he　minded　his　being　light　and　shallow；　he
minded　his　being　flippant　and　mocking；　he　minded　his　bringing　his
cigarettes　and　banjo　into　the　house　at　his　second　visit。　　He　did　not　mind
his　push；　the　fellow　had　his　way　to　make　and　he　had　to　push；　but　he　did
mind　his　being　all　push；　and　his　having　come　out　of　the　country　with　as
little　simplicity　as　if　he　had　passed　his　whole　life　in　the　city。　　He　had
no　modesty；　and　he　had　no　reverence；　he　had　no　reverence　for　Ellen
herself；　and　the　poor　girl　seemed　to　like　him　for　that。

He　was　all　the　more　offensive　to　the　judge　because　he　was　himself　to
blame　for　their　acquaintance；　which　began　when　one　day　the　fellow　had
called　after　him　in　the　street；　and　then　followed　down　the　shady　sidewalk
beside　him　to　his　hour；　wanting　to　know　what　this　was　he　had　heard　about
his　history；　and　pleading　for　more　light　upon　his　plan　in　it。　　At　the
gate　he　made　a　flourish　of　opening　and　shutting　it　for　the　judge；　and
walking　up　the　path　to　his　door　he　kept　his　hand　on　the　judge's　shoulder
most　offensively；　but　in　spite　of　this　Kenton　had　the　weakness　to　ask　him
in；　and　to　call　Ellen　to　get　him　the　most　illustrative　documents　of　the
history。

The　interview　that　resulted　in　the　'Intelligencer'　was　the　least　evil
that　came　of　this　error。　　Kenton　was　amazed；　and　then　consoled；　and　then
afflicted　that　Ellen　was　not　disgusted　with　it；　and　in　his　conferences
with　his　wife　he　fumed　and　fretted　at　his　own　culpable　folly；　and　tried
to　get　back　of　the　time　he　had　committed　it；　in　that　illusion　which
people　have　with　trouble　that　it　could　somehow　be　got　rid　of　if　it　could
fairly　be　got　back　of；　till　the　time　came　when　his　wife　could　no　longer
share　his　unrest　in　this　futile　endeavor。

She　said；　one　night　when　they　had　talked　late　and　long；　〃That　can't　be
helped　now；　and　the　question　is　what　are　we　going　to　do　to　stop　it。〃

The　judge　evaded　the　point　in　saying；　〃The　devil　of　it　is　that　all　the
nice　fellows　are　afraid　of　her；　they　respect　her　too　much；　and　the　very
thing　which　ought　to　disgust　her　with　this　chap　is　what　gives　him　his
power　over　her。　　I　don't　know　what　we　are　going　to　do；　but　we　must　break
it　off；　somehow。〃

〃We　might　take　her　with　us　somewhere；〃　Mrs。　Kenton　suggested。

〃Run　away　from　the　fellow？　　I　think　I　see　myself！　　No；　we　have　got　to
stay　and　face　the　thing　right　here。　　But　I　won't　have　him　about　the　house
any　more；　understand　that。　　He's　not　to　be　let　in；　and　Ellen　mustn't　see
him；　you　tell　her　I　said　so。　　Or　no！　　I　will　speak　to　her　myself。〃　　His
wife　said　that　he　was　welcome　to　do　that；　but　he　did　not　quite　do　it。　　He
certainly　spoke　to　his　daughter　about　her；　lover；　and　he　satisfied
himself　that　there　was　yet　nothing　explicit　between　them。　　But　she　was　so
much　less　frank　and　open　with　him　than　she　had　always　been　before　that　he
was　wounded　as　well　as　baffled　by　her　reserve。　　He　could　not　get　her　to
own　that　she　really　cared　for　the　fellow；　but　man　as　he　was；　and　old　man
as　he　was；　he　could　not　help　perceiving　that　she　lived　in　a　fond　dream　of
him。

He　went　from　her　to　her　mother。　　〃If　he　was　only　one…half　the　man　she
thinks　he　is！〃he　ended　his　report　in　a　hopeless　sigh。

〃You　want　to　give　in　to　her！〃　his　wife　pitilessly　interpreted。　　〃Well；
perhaps　that　would　be　the　best　thing；　after　all。〃

〃No；　no；　it　wouldn't；　Sarah；　it　would　be　the　easiest　for　both　of　us；　I
admit；　but　it　would　be　the　worst　thing　for　her。　　We've　got　to　let　it　run
along　for　a　while　yet。　　If　we　give　him　rope　enough　he　may　hang　himself；
there's　that　chance。　　We　can't　go　away；　and　we　can't　shut　her　up；　and　we
can't　turn　him　out　of　the　house。　　We　must　trust　her　to　find　him　out　for
herself。〃

〃She'll　never　do　that；〃　said　the　mother。　　〃Lottie　says　Ellen　thinks　he's
just　perfect。　　He　cheers　her　up；　and　takes　her　out　of　herself。　　We've
always　acted　with　her　as　if　we　thought　she　was　different　from　other
girls；　and　he　behaves　to　her　as　if　she　was　just　like　all　of　them；　just　as
silly；　and　just　as　weak；　and　it　pleases　her；　and　flatters　her；　she　likes
it。〃

〃Oh；　Lord！〃　groaned　the　father。　　〃I　suppose　she　does。〃

This　was　bad　enough；　it　was　a　blow　to　his　pride　in　Ellen；　but　there　was
somethin