in the cage-第24章

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Then　with　her　odd　jerkiness：　　〃Do　you　think　she　looks　GOOD？〃



〃Because　that's　not　always　the　case　with　the　good…looking？〃the

other　took　it　up。　　〃No；　indeed；　it　isn't：　　that's　one　thing

Cocker's　has　taught　me。　　Still；　there　are　some　people　who　have

everything。　　Lady　Bradeen；　at　any　rate；　has　enough：　　eyes　and　a

nose　and　a　mouth；　a　complexion；　a　figure〃



〃A　figure？〃　Mrs。　Jordan　almost　broke　in。



〃A　figure；　a　head　of　hair！〃　　The　girl　made　a　little　conscious

motion　that　seemed　to　let　the　hair　all　down；　and　her　companion

watched　the　wonderful　show。　　〃But　Mr。　Drake　IS　another？〃



〃Another？〃Mrs。　Jordan's　thoughts　had　to　come　back　from　a

distance。



〃Of　her　ladyship's　admirers。　　He's　'going；'　you　say；　to　her？〃



At　this　Mrs。　Jordan　really　faltered。　　〃She　has　engaged　him。〃



〃Engaged　him？〃our　young　woman　was　quite　at　sea。



〃In　the　same　capacity　as　Lord　Rye。〃



〃And　was　Lord　Rye　engaged？〃







CHAPTER　XXVI







Mrs。　Jordan　looked　away　from　her　nowlooked；　she　thought；　rather

injured　and；　as　if　trifled　with；　even　a　little　angry。　　The　mention

of　Lady　Bradeen　had　frustrated　for　a　while　the　convergence　of　our

heroine's　thoughts；　but　with　this　impression　of　her　old　friend's

combined　impatience　and　diffidence　they　began　again　to　whirl　round

her；　and　continued　it　till　one　of　them　appeared　to　dart　at　her；　out

of　the　dance；　as　if　with　a　sharp　peck。　　It　came　to　her　with　a

lively　shock；　with　a　positive　sting；　that　Mr。　Drake　wascould　it

be　possible？　　With　the　idea　she　found　herself　afresh　on　the　edge　of

laughter；　of　a　sudden　and　strange　perversity　of　mirth。　　Mr。　Drake

loomed；　in　a　swift　image；　before　her；　such　a　figure　as　she　had　seen

in　open　doorways　of　houses　in　Cocker's　quartermajestic；　middle…

aged；　erect；　flanked　on　either　side　by　a　footman　and　taking　the

name　of　a　visitor。　　Mr。　Drake　then　verily　WAS　a　person　who　opened

the　door！　　Before　she　had　time；　however；　to　recover　from　the　effect

of　her　evocation；　she　was　offered　a　vision　which　quite　engulfed　it。

It　was　communicated　to　her　somehow　that　the　face　with　which　she　had

seen　it　rise　prompted　Mrs。　Jordan　to　dash；　a　bit　wildly；　at

something；　at　anything；　that　might　attenuate　criticism。　　〃Lady

Bradeen's　re…arrangingshe's　going　to　be　married。〃



〃Married？〃　　The　girl　echoed　it　ever　so　softly；　but　there　it　was　at

last。



〃Didn't　you　know　it？〃



She　summoned　all　her　sturdiness。　　〃No；　she　hasn't　told　me。〃



〃And　her　friendshaven't　they？〃



〃I　haven't　seen　any　of　them　lately。　　I'm　not　so　fortunate　as　you。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　gathered　herself。　　〃Then　you　haven't　even　heard　of　Lord

Bradeen's　death？〃



Her　comrade；　unable　for　a　moment　to　speak；　gave　a　slow　headshake。

〃You　know　it　from　Mr。　Drake？〃　　It　was　better　surely　not　to　learn

things　at　all　than　to　learn　them　by　the　butler。



〃She　tells　him　everything。〃



〃And　he　tells　YOUI　see。〃　　Our　young　lady　got　up；　recovering　her

muff　and　her　gloves　she　smiled。　　〃Well；　I　haven't　unfortunately　any

Mr。　Drake。　　I　congratulate　you　with　all　my　heart。　　Even　without

your　sort　of　assistance；　however；　there's　a　trifle　here　and　there

that　I　do　pick　up。　　I　gather　that　if　she's　to　marry　any　one　it　must

quite　necessarily　be　my　friend。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　was　now　also　on　her　feet。　　〃Is　Captain　Everard　your

friend？〃



The　girl　considered；　drawing　on　a　glove。　　〃I　saw；　at　one　time；　an

immense　deal　of　him。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　looked　hard　at　the　glove；　but　she　hadn't　after　all

waited　for　that　to　be　sorry　it　wasn't　cleaner。　　〃What　time　was

that？〃



〃It　must　have　been　the　time　you　were　seeing　so　much　of　Mr。　Drake。〃

She　had　now　fairly　taken　it　in：　　the　distinguished　person　Mrs。

Jordan　was　to　marry　would　answer　bells　and　put　on　coals　and

superintend；　at　least；　the　cleaning　of　boots　for　the　other

distinguished　person　whom　she　mightwell；　whom　she　might　have　had；

if　she　had　wished；　so　much　more　to　say　to。　　〃Good…bye；〃　she　added；

〃good…bye。〃



Mrs。　Jordan；　however；　again　taking　her　muff　from　her；　turned　it

over；　brushed　it　off　and　thoughtfully　peeped　into　it。　　〃Tell　me

this　before　you　go。　　You　spoke　just　now　of　your　own　changes。　　Do

you　mean　that　Mr。　Mudge？〃



〃Mr。　Mudge　has　had　great　patience　with　mehe　has　brought　me　at

last　to　the　point。　　We're　to　be　married　next　month　and　have　a　nice

little　home。　　But　he's　only　a　grocer；　you　know〃the　girl　met　her

friend's　intent　eyes〃so　that　I'm　afraid　that；　with　the　set　you've

got　into；　you　won't　see　your　way　to　keep　up　our　friendship。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　for　a　moment　made　no　answer　to　this；　she　only　held　the

muff　up　to　her　face；　after　which　she　gave　it　back。　　〃You　don't　like

it。　　I　see；　I　see。〃



To　her　guest's　astonishment　there　were　tears　now　in　her　eyes。　　〃I

don't　like　what？〃　the　girl　asked。



〃Why　my　engagement。　　Only；　with　your　great　cleverness；〃　the　poor

lady　quavered　out；　〃you　put　it　in　your　own　way。　　I　mean　that　you'll

cool　off。　　You　already　have！〃　　And　on　this；　the　next　instant；　her

tears　began　to　flow。　　She　succumbed　to　them　and　collapsed；　she　sank

down　again；　burying　her　face　and　trying　to　smother　her　sobs。



Her　young　friend　stood　there；　still　in　some　rigour；　but　taken　much

by　surprise　even　if　not　yet　fully　moved　to　pity。　　〃I　don't　put

anything　in　any　'way；'　and　I'm　very　glad　you're　suited。　　Only；　you

know；　you　did　put　to　me　so　splendidly　what；　even　for　me；　if　I　had

listened　to　you；　it　might　lead　to。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　kept　up　a　mild　thin　weak　wail；　then；　drying　her　eyes；

as　feebly　considered　this　reminder。　　〃It　has　led　to　my　not

starving！〃　she　faintly　gasped。



Our　young　lady；　at　this；　dropped　into　the　place　beside　her；　and

now；　in　a　rush；　the　small　silly　misery　was　clear。　　She　took　her

hand　as　a　sign　of　pitying　it；　then；　after　another　instant；

confirmed　this　expression　with　a　consoling　kiss。　　They　sat　there

together；　they　looked　out；　hand　in　hand；　into　the　damp　dusky　shabby

little　room　and　into　the　future；　of　no　such　very　different

suggestion；　at　last　accepted　by　each。　　There　was　no　definite

utterance；　on　either　side；　of　Mr。　Drake's　position　in　the　great

world；　but　the　temporary　collapse　of　his　prospective　bride　threw

all　further　necessary　light；　and　what　our　heroine　saw　and　felt　for

in　the　whole　business　was　the　vivid　reflexion　of　her　own　dreams　and

delusions　and　her　own　return　to　reality。　　Reality；　for　the　poor

things　they　both　were；　could　only　be　ugliness　and　obscurity；　could

never　be　the　escape；　the　rise。　　She　pressed　her　friendshe　had

tact　enough　for　thatwith　no　other　personal　question；　brought　on

no　need　of　further　revelations；　only　just　continued　to　hold　and

comfort　her　and　to　acknowledge　by　stiff　little　forbearances　the

common　element　in　their　fate。　　She　felt　indeed　magnanimous　in　such

matters；　since　if　it　was　very　well；　for　condolence　or　reassurance；

to　suppress　just　then　invidious　shrinkings；　she　yet　by　no　means　saw

herself　sitting　down；　as　she　might　say；　to　the　same　table　with　Mr。

Drake。　　There　would　luckily；　to　all　appearance；　be　little　question

of　tables；　and　the　circumstance　that；　on　their　peculiar　lines；　her

friend's　interests　would　still　attach　themselves　to　Mayfair　flung

over　Chalk　Farm　the　first　radiance　it　had　shown。　　Where　was　one's

pride　and　one's　passion　when　the　real　way　to　judge　of　one's　luck

was　by　making　not　the　wrong　but　the　right　comparison？　　Before　she

had　again　gathered　herself　to　go　she　felt　very　small　and　cautious

and　thankful。　　〃We　shall　have　our　own　house；〃　she　said；　〃and　you


must　come　very　soon　and　let　me　show　it　you。〃



〃WE　shall　have　our　own　too；〃　Mrs。　Jordan　replied；　〃for；　don't　you

know？　he　makes　it　a　condition　that　he　sleeps　out？〃



〃A　condition？〃the　girl　felt　out　of　it。



〃For　any　new　position。　　It　was　on　that　he　parted　with　Lord　Rye。

His　lordship　can't　meet　it。　　So　Mr。　Drake　has　given　him　up。〃



〃And　all　for　you？〃our　young　woman　put　it　as　cheerfully　as

possible。



〃For　me　and　Lady　Bradeen。　　Her　ladyship's　too　glad　to　get　him　at

any　price。　　L