the kentons-第3章

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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
something　that　hurt　him　still　worse。　　When　the　fellow　had　made　sure　of
her；　he　apparently　felt　himself　so　safe　in　her　fondness　that　he　did　not
urge　his　suit　with　her。　　His　content　with　her　tacit　acceptance　gave　the
bitterness　of　shame　to　the　promise　Kenton　and　his　wife　had　made　each
other　never　to　cross　any　of　their　children　in　love。　　They　were　ready　now
to　keep　that　promise　for　Ellen；　if　he　asked　it　of　them；　rather　than
answer　for　her　lifelong　disappointment；　if　they　denied　him。　　But；
whatever　he　meant　finally　to　do；　he　did　not　ask　it；　he　used　his　footing
in　their　house　chiefly　as　a　basis　for　flirtations　beyond　it。　　He　began　to
share　his　devotions　to　Ellen　with　her　girl　friends；　and　not　with　her　girl
friends　alone。　　It　did　not　come　to　scandal；　but　it　certainly　came　to
gossip　about　him　and　a　silly　young　wife；　and　Kenton　heard　of　it　with　a
torment　of　doubt　whether　Ellen　knew　of　it；　and　what　she　would　do；　he
would　wait　for　her　to　do　herself　whatever　was　to　be　done。　　He　was　never
certain　how　much　she　had　heard　of　the　gossip　when　she　came　to　her　mother；
and　said　with　the　gentle　eagerness　she　had；　〃Didn't　poppa　talk　once　of
going　South　this　winter？〃

〃He　talked　of　going　to　New　York；〃　the　mother　answered；　with　a　throb　of
hope。

〃Well；〃　the　girl　returned；　patiently；　and　Mrs。　Kenton　read　in　her
passivity　an　eagerness　to　be　gone　from　sorrow　that　she　would　not　suffer
to　be　seen；　and　interpreted　her　to　her　father　in　such　wise　that　he　could
not　hesitate。




II。

If　such　a　thing　could　be　mercifully　ordered；　the　order　of　this　event　had
certainly　been　merciful；　but　it　was　a　cruel　wrench　that　tore　Kenton　from
the　home　where　he　had　struck　such　deep　root。　　When　he　actually　came　to
leave　the　place　his　going　had　a　ghastly　unreality；　which　was　heightened
by　his　sense　of　the　common　reluctance。　　No　one　wanted　to　go；　so　far　as　he
could　make　out；　not　even　Ellen　herself；　when　he　tried　to　make　her　say　she
wished　it。　　Lottie　was　in　open　revolt；　and　animated　her　young　men　to　a
share　in　the　insurrection。　　Her　older　brother　was　kindly　and　helpfully
acquiescent；　but　he　was　so　far　from　advising　the　move　that　Kenton　had
regularly　to　convince　himself　that　Richard　approved　it；　by　making　him　say
that　it　was　only　for　the　winter　and　that　it　was　the　best　way　of　helping
Ellen　get　rid　of　that　fellow。　　All　this　did　not　enable　Kenton　to　meet　the
problems　of　his　younger　son；　who　required　him　to　tell　what　he　was　to　do
with　his　dog　and　his　pigeons；　and　to　declare　at　once　how　he　was　to
dispose　of　the　cocoons　he　had　amassed　so　as　not　to　endanger　the　future　of
the　moths　and　butterflies　involved　in　them。　　The　boy　was　so　fertile　in
difficulties　and　so　importunate　for　their　solution；　that　he　had　to　be
crushed　into　silence　by　his　father；　who　ached　in　a　helpless　sympathy　with
his　reluctance。

Kenton　came　heavily　upon　the　courage　of　his　wife；　who　was　urging　forward
their　departure　with　so　much　energy　that　he　obscurely　accused　her　of
being　the　cause　of　it；　and　could　only　be　convinced　of　her　innocence　when
she　offered　to　give　the　whole　thing　up　if　he　said　so。　　When　he　would　not
say　so；　she　carried　the　affair　through　to　the　bitter　end；　and　she　did　not
spare　him　some；　pangs　which　she　perhaps　need　not　have　shared　with　him。　
But　people　are　seldom　man　and　wife　for　half　their　lives　without　wishing
to　impart　their　sufferings　as　well　as　their　pleasures　to　each　other；　and
Mrs。　Kenton；　if　she　was　no　worse；　was　no　better　than　other　wives　in
pressing　to　her　husband's　lips　the　cup　that　was　not　altogether　sweet　to
her　own。　　She　went　about　the　house　the　night　before　closing　it；　to　see
that　everything　was　in　a　state　to　be　left；　and　then　she　came　to　Kenton　in
his　library；　where　he　had　been　burning　some　papers　and　getting　others
ready　to　give　in　charge　to　his　son；　and　sat　down　by　his　cold　hearth　with
him；　and　wrung　his　soul　with　the　tale　of　the　last　things　she　had　been
doing。　　When　she　had　made　him　bear　it　all；　she　began　to　turn　the　bright
side　of　the　affair　to　him。　　She　praised　the　sense　and　strength　of　Ellen；
in　the　course　the　girl　had　taken　with　herself；　and　asked　him　if　he；
really　thought　they　could　have　done　less　for　her　than　they　were　doing。　
She　reminded　him　that　they　were　not　running　away　from　the　fellow；　as　she
had　once　thought　they　must；　but　Ellen　was　renouncing　him；　and　putting　him
out　of　her　sight　till　she　could　put　him　out　of　her　mind。　　She　did　not
pretend　that　the　girl　had　done　this　yet；　but　it　was　everything　that　she
wished　to　do　it；　and　saw　that　it　was　best。　　Then　she　kissed　him　on　his
gray　head；　and　left　him　alone　to　the　first　ecstasy　of　his　homesickness。

It　was　better　when　they　once　got　to　New　York；　and　were　settled　in　an
apartment　of　an　old…fashioned　down…town　hotel。　　They　thought　themselves
very　cramped　in　it；　and　they　were　but　little　easier　when　they　found　that
the　apartments　over　and　under　them　were　apparently　thought　spacious　for
families　of　twice　their　numbers。　　It　was　the　very　quietest　place　in　the
whole　city；　but　Kenton　was　used　to　the　stillness　of　Tuskingum；　where；
since　people　no　longer　kept　hens；　the　nights　were　stiller　than　in　the
country　itself；　and　for　a　week　he　slept　badly。　　Otherwise；　as　soon　as
they　got　used　to　living　in　six　rooms　instead　of　seventeen；　they　were
really　very　comfortable。

He　could　see　that　his　wife　was　glad　of　the　release　from　housekeeping；　and
she　was　growing　gayer　and　seemed　to　be　growing　younger　in　the　inspiration
of　the　great；　good…natured　town。　　They　had　first　come　to　New　York　on
their　wedding　journey；　but　since　that　visit　she　had　always　let　him　go
alone　on　his　business　errands　to　the　East；　these　had　grown　less　and　less
frequent；　and　he　had　not　seen　New　York　for　ten　or　twelve　years。　　He　could
have　waited　as　much　longer；　but　he　liked　her　pleasure　in　the　place；　and
with　the　homesickness　always　lurking　at　his　heart　he　went　about　with　her
to　the　amusements　which　she　frequented；　as　she　said；　to　help　Ellen　take
her　mind　off　herself。　　At　the　play　and　the　opera　he　sat　thinking　of　the
silent；　lonely　house　at　Tuakingum；　dark　among　its　leafless　maples；　and
the　life　that　was　no　more　in　it　than　if　they　had　all　died　out　of　it；　and
he　could　not　keep　down　a　certain　resentment；　senseless　and　cruel；　as　if
the　poor　girl　were　somehow　to　blame　for　their　exile。　　When　he　betrayed
this　feeling　to　his　wife；　as　he　sometimes　must；　she　scolded　him　for　it；
and　then　offered；　if　he　really　thought　anything　like　that；　to　go　back　to
Tuskingum　at　once；　and　it　ended　in　his　having　to　own　himself　wrong；　and
humbly　promise　that　he　never　would　let　the　child　dream　how　he　felt；
unless　he　really　wished　to　kill　her。　　He　was　obliged　to　carry　his　self…
punishment　so　far　as　to　take　Lottie　very　sharply　to　task　when　she　broke
out　in　hot　rebellion；　and　declared　that　it　was　all　Ellen's　fault；　she　was
not　afraid　of　killing　her　sister；　and　though　she　did　not　say　it　to　her；
she　said　it　of　her；　that　anybody　else　could　have　got　rid　of　that　fellow
without　turning　the　whole　family　out　of　house　and　home。

Lottie；　in　fact；　was　not　having　a　bit　good　time　in　New　York；　which　she
did　not　find　equal　in　any　way　to　Tuskingum　for　fun。　　She　hated　the　dull
propriety　of　the　hotel；　where　nobody　got　acquainted；　and　every　one　was　as
afraid　as　death　of　every　one　else；　and　in　her　desolation　she　was　thrown
back　upon　the　society　of　her　brother　Boyne。　　They　became　friends　in　their
common　dislike　of　New　York；　and　pending　some　chance　of　bringing　each
other　under　condemnation　they　lamented　their　banishment　from　Tuskingum
together。　　But　even　Boyne　contrived　to　make　the　heavy　time　pass　more
lightly　than　she　in　the　lessons　he　had　with　a　tutor；　and　the　studies　of
the　city　which　he　carried　on。　　When　the　skating　was　not　good　in　Central
Park　he　spent　most　of　his　afternoons　and　evenings　at　the　vaudeville
theatres。　　None　of　the　dime　museums　escaped　his　research；　and　he
conversed　with　freaks　and　monsters　of　all　sorts　upon　terms　of　friendly
confidence。　　He　reported　their　different　theories　of　themselves　to　his
family　with　the　same　simple…hearted　interest　that　he　criticised　the　song