elinor wyllys-2-第19章

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〃I　can　readily　believe　it。〃

〃No；　I　don't　think　you　understand　it　at　all。　It　is　true　you　were　roving　about　the　world　several　years；　but　you　were　not　alone；　my　dear　sir。　You　had　indeed　the　advantage　of　particularly　agreeable　companions　with　you：　in　Paris　you　had　Mrs。　Creighton；　and　in　Egypt　you　had　your　humble　servant。　And　then；　in　the　next　place；　your　mind　was　constantly　occupied；　you　lived　with　the　past　while　in　Italy　and　Greece；　and　with　the　present　in　Paris。　Now；　at　Rio；　there　is　no　past　at　all；　and　not　much　of　a　present。〃

〃Is　there　no　general　society　at　Rio？〃　inquired　Miss　Wyllys。

〃Oh；　yes；　society　enough；　in　the　usual　meaning　of　the　word。　I　was　very　fortunate　in　meeting　with　some　very　agreeable　people；　and　have　really　a　strong　regard　for　Manezes　｛sic｝a　good　fellow　he　is；　and　I　hope　to　see　him　here　one　of　these　days。　But　they　were　all　new　acquaintances。　You　cannot　think　how　much　I　wanted　to　see　a　face　I　had　known　all　my　life；　I　was　positively　at　one　time　on　the　verge　of　being　home…sick。〃

〃You　found　out　that　you　were　more　tender…hearted　than　you　had　believed　yourself；〃　said　Mr。　Ellsworth。

〃So　it　seems；〃　replied　Harry；　a　shade　of　embarrassment　crossing　his　face　as　he　spoke。

〃I　should　have　thought　some　old　acquaintance　or　other　would　have　gone　straggling　towards　Rio；　in　these　travelling　days；〃　observed　Mr。　Ellsworth。

〃No；　I　was　particularly　unfortunate：　once　when　the　American　squadron　lay　at　Rio　for　some　weeks；　and　I　had　several　friends　on　board　the　Macedonian；　I　happened　at　that　very　time　to　be　absent　on　an　excursion　in　the　interior。　For　six　months；　or　so　it　did　very　well；　it　takes　one　as　long　as　that　to　enjoy　the　lovely　scenery；　to　say　nothing　of　the　novelty；　but　after　admiring　the　bay　and　the　Corcovado　under　every　possible　aspect；　I　got　at　last　to　be　heartily　tired　of　Rio。　I　should　have　run　away；　if　we　had　not　been　recalled　this　summer。〃

｛〃Macedonian〃　=　a　United　States　warship；　commanded　during　the　early　1840s　by　Commodore　William　Branford　Shubrick　（1790…1874）；　a　life…long　close　friend　of　James　Fenimore　Cooper。　Susan　Fenimore　Cooper　wrote　a　biography　of　him　in　1876；　〃Corcovado〃　=　a　famous　mountain　peak　overlooking　the　bay　of　Rio　de　Janeiro｝

〃You　should　have　fallen　in　love；〃　said　Mrs。　Creighton。

〃I　don't　think　I　succeeded　in　that；　perhaps　I　did　not　try　very　hard。〃

〃But　is　not　the　state　of　society　pleasant　at　Rio？〃　inquired　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃Not　particularly；　sir；　it　is　too　much　like　our　own　for　that；　something　provincial　lingering　about　it；　although　they　have　an　emperor　of　their　own。　We　cannot　do　without　the　other　hemisphere　yet；　in　spite　of　our　self…important　airs。　We　Yankees　have　coaxed　Time　out　of　a　great　deal；　but　he　is　not　to　be　cheated　for　all　that。　People　were　not　busy　for　thousands　of　years　in　the　Old　World；　merely　to　qualify　them　for　discovering　America；　whatever　some　of　our　patriots　may　say　on　the　subject。〃

〃Yes；　you　are　right；　Harry；　I　have　often　wished　that　our　people　would　remember　what　they　seem　to　forget；　that　Time　has　a　prerogative　beyond　their　reach。　There　is　a　wide　difference　between　a　blind　reverence　for　Time；　and　an　infatuated　denial　of　his　power；　and　I　take　it　to　be　one　of　the　duties　of　your　generation　to　find　out　the　dividing　line　in　this　and　other　points；　and　shape　your　practice　accordingly。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　it　appears　to　me　high　time　that　the　civilized　world　set　about　marking　more　distinctly　a　great　many　boundary　lines；　on　important　moral　questions；　and　it　is　to　be　presumed；　that　with　so　much　experience　at　our　command；　we　shall　at　last　do　something　towards　it。　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　mankind　will　at　length　learn　not　always　to　rush　out　of　one　extreme　into　the　other；　and　when　they　feel　the　evil　of　one　measure；　not　to　fly　for　relief　to　its　very　opposite；　but　set　about　looking　for　the　true　remedy；　which　is　generally　not　so　far　off。〃

〃You　don't　believe　in　moral　homoeopathy？〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley。

〃Not　in　the　least。〃

〃Well；　we　are　very　much　obliged　to　you　for　getting　tired　of　Rio；〃　said　Mrs。　Creighton；　〃and　thinking　that　the　gay　world　of　Philadelphia　was　quite　as　agreeable　as　the　Imperial　Court。〃

〃I　take　it　for　granted；　however；　that　it　was　not　exactly　the　gay　world　that　you　regretted；〃　said　Ellsworth。

〃Not　exactly；　no；　general　society　is　not　sufficiently　perfect　in　its　way　among　us；　for　a　man　to　pine　after。〃

〃I　have　often　thought；〃　observed　Elinor；　〃that　the　spirit　of　mere　dissipation　must　be　less　excusable　in　this　country　than　in　Europe。　Society　must　have　so　many　attractions　theremore　general　finishmore　high　accomplishment。〃

〃Yes；　we　want　more　of　the　real　thing；　we　have　smatterers　enough　as　it　is；〃　replied　Mr。　Ellsworth。

〃And　then　the　decorations　are　so　well　got　up　in　Europe！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Creighton。　〃I　must　confess　myself　enough　of　a　woman；　to　be　charmed　with　good　decorations。〃

〃Something　far　better　than　mere　decoration；　however；　is　requisite　to　make　society　at　all　agreeable；〃　continued　Mr。　Ellsworth。　〃There　is　luxury　enough　among　us；　in　eating　and　drinking；　dressing　and　furniture；　for　instance；　and　yet　what　can　well　be　more　silly；　more　puerile；　than　the　general　tone　of　conversation　at　common　parties　among　us？　And　how　many　of　the　most　delightful　soirees　in　Paris；　are　collected　in　plain　rooms；　au　second；　or　au　troisieme；　with　a　brick　floor　to　stand　on；　and　a　glass　of　orgeat；　with　a　bit　of　brioche　to　eat！〃

｛〃au　second；　or　au　troisieme〃　=　on　the　third　or　fourth　floor；　〃orgeat〃　=　a　syrup　flavored　drink；　〃brioche〃　=　a　simple　pastry　（French）｝

〃Lots　and　LoveSpeculation　and　Flirtation；　are　too　entirely　the　order　of　the　day；　and　of　the　evening；　with　us；〃　said　Harry；　〃whether　figuring　on　Change；　or　on　a　Brussels　carpet。〃

｛〃on　Change〃　=　at　the　stock　market｝

〃I　have　often　been　struck；　myself；　with　the　excessive　silliness　of　the　conversation　at　common　parties；　especially　what　are　called　young　parties；　though　I　have　never　seen　anything　better；〃　said　Elinor。

〃Those　young　parties　are　enough　to　spoil　any　society；〃　said　Harry。

〃Perhaps；　however；　you　have　too　high　an　idea　of　such　scenes　in　Europe；　precisely　because　you　have　not　seen　them；　Miss　Wyllys；〃　observed　Mr。　Ellsworth。

〃That　may　very　possibly　be　the　case。〃

〃There　are　always　silly　and　ignorant　people　to　be　met　with　everywhere；〃　remarked　Harry；　〃but　the　difference　lies　in　the　general　character　of　the　circle；　which　is　not　often　so　insipid　and　so　puerile　in　Europe。〃

〃It　is　the　difference；　I　suppose；　between　a　puppet…show　and　genteel　comedy；〃　said　Elinor。

〃Precisely；　Miss　Wyllys；〃　said　Mr。　Ellsworth；　smiling。

〃We　have　very　pretty　puppets；　though；〃　observed　Mrs。　Creighton；　〃quite　well…dressed；　and　sufficiently　graceful；　too；　that　is　to　say；　the　young　lady　puppets。　As　for　the　gentlemen；　I　shall　not　attempt　to　defend　them；　en　masse；　neither　their　grace　nor　their　coats。〃

〃You　won't　allow　us　to　be　either　pretty　or　well…dressed？〃　said　Mr。　Stryker。

〃Oh；　everybody　knows　that　Mr。　Stryker's　coat　and　bow　are　both　unexceptionable。〃

〃Why　don't　you　go　to　work；　good　people；　and　improve　the　world；　instead　of　finding　fault　with　it？〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys；　who　was　preparing　for　another　game　of　chess　with　Mrs。　Robert　Hazlehurst。

〃A　labour　of　Hercules；　sir！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Stryker；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃The　position　of　a　reformer　is　not　sufficiently　graceful　to　suit　my　fancy。〃

〃It　is　fatiguing；　too；　it　is　much　easier　to　sit　still　and　find　fault；　sir；〃　observed　Robert　Hazlehurst；　smiling。

〃Sauve　qui　peut；　is　my　motto；〃　continued　Mr。　Stryker。　〃I　shall　take　care　of　myself；　though　I　have　no　objection　that　the　rest　of　the　world　should　profit　by　my　excellent　example；　they　may　improve　on　my　model；　if　they　please。〃

｛〃sauve　qui　peut〃　=　everyone　for　himself　（French）｝

〃The　fact　is；　that　manners；　and　all　other　matters　of　taste；　ought　to　come　by　instinct；〃　said　Mrs。　Robert　Hazlehurst；　〃one　soon　becomes　tired　of　beings　regularly　tutored　on　such　points。〃

〃No　doubt　of　that；〃　replied　Harry；　〃but　unfortunately；　though　reading　and　writing　come　by　nature；　as　Dogberry　says；　in　this　country；　yet　it　is　by　no　means　so　clear　that　good　taste　follows　as　a　consequence。〃

｛〃Dogberry〃　=　a　constable　in　Shakespeare's　comedy；　〃Much　Ado　About　Nothing〃：　〃To　be　a　well…favor'd　man　is　the　gift　of　fortune；　but　to　write　a