the pension beaurepas-第7章

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you　are　a　specimen；　a　favourable　specimen；〃　she　went　on；　〃of　young
America。　　Tell　me；　now；　what　is　young　America　thinking　of　in　these
days　of　ours？　　What　are　its　feelings；　its　opinions；　its　aspirations？
What　is　its　IDEAL？〃　　I　had　seated　myself　near　Mrs。　Church；　and　she
had　pointed　this　interrogation　with　the　gaze　of　her　bright　little
eyes。　　I　felt　it　embarrassing　to　be　treated　as　a　favourable　specimen
of　young　America；　and　to　be　expected　to　answer　for　the　great
republic。　　Observing　my　hesitation；　Mrs。　Church　clasped　her　hands　on
the　open　page　of　her　book　and　gave　an　intense；　melancholy　smile。
〃HAS　it　an　ideal？〃　she　softly　asked。　　〃Well；　we　must　talk　of　this；〃
she　went　on；　without　insisting。　　〃Speak；　for　the　present；　for
yourself　simply。　　Have　you　come　to　Europe　with　any　special　design？〃

〃Nothing　to　boast　of；〃　I　said。　　〃I　am　studying　a　little。〃

〃Ah；　I　am　glad　to　hear　that。　　You　are　gathering　up　a　little　European
culture；　that's　what　we　lack；　you　know；　at　home。　　No　individual　can
do　much；　of　coarse。　　But　you　must　not　be　discouraged；　every　little
counts。〃

〃I　see　that　you；　at　least；　are　doing　your　part；〃　I　rejoined
gallantly；　dropping　my　eyes　on　my　companion's　learned　volume。

〃Yes；　I　frankly　admit　that　I　am　fond　of　study。　　There　is　no　one；
after　all；　like　the　Germans。　　That　is；　for　facts。　　For　opinions　I　by
no　means　always　go　with　them。　　I　form　my　opinions　myself。　　I　am　sorry
to　say；　however；〃　Mrs。　Church　continued；　〃that　I　can　hardly　pretend
to　diffuse　my　acquisitions。　　I　am　afraid　I　am　sadly　selfish；　I　do
little　to　irrigate　the　soil。　　I　belongI　frankly　confess　itto　the
class　of　absentees。〃

〃I　had　the　pleasure；　last　evening；〃　I　said；　〃of　making　the
acquaintance　of　your　daughter。　　She　told　me　you　had　been　a　long　time
in　Europe。〃

Mrs。　Church　smiled　benignantly。　　〃Can　one　ever　be　too　long？　　We　shall
never　leave　it。〃

〃Your　daughter　won't　like　that；〃　I　said；　smiling　too。

〃Has　she　been　taking　you　into　her　confidence？　　She　is　a　more　sensible
young　lady　than　she　sometimes　appears。　　I　have　taken　great　pains　with
her；　she　is　reallyI　may　be　permitted　to　say　itsuperbly　educated。〃

〃She　seemed　to　me　a　very　charming　girl；〃　I　rejoined。　　〃And　I　learned
that　she　speaks　four　languages。〃

〃It　is　not　only　that；〃　said　Mrs。　Church；　in　a　tone　which　suggested
that　this　might　be　a　very　superficial　species　of　culture。　　〃She　has
made　what　we　call　de　fortes　etudessuch　as　I　suppose　you　are　making
now。　　She　is　familiar　with　the　results　of　modern　science；　she　keeps
pace　with　the　new　historical　school。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　I；　〃she　has　gone　much　farther　than　I！〃

〃You　doubtless　think　I　exaggerate；　and　you　force　me；　therefore；　to
mention　the　fact　that　I　am　able　to　speak　of　such　matters　with　a
certain　intelligence。〃

〃That　is　very　evident；〃　I　said。　　〃But　your　daughter　thinks　you　ought
to　take　her　home。〃　　I　began　to　fear；　as　soon　as　I　had　uttered　these
words；　that　they　savoured　of　treachery　to　the　young　lady；　but　I　was
reassured　by　seeing　that　they　produced　on　her　mother's　placid
countenance　no　symptom　whatever　of　irritation。

〃My　daughter　has　her　little　theories；〃　Mrs。　Church　observed；　〃she
has；　I　may　say；　her　illusions。　　And　what　wonder！　What　would　youth　be
without　its　illusions？　　Aurora　has　a　theory　that　she　would　be　happier
in　New　York；　in　Boston；　in　Philadelphia；　than　in　one　of　the　charming
old　cities　in　which　our　lot　is　cast。　　But　she　is　mistaken；　that　is

all。　　We　must　allow　our　children　their　illusions；　must　we　not？　　But
we　must　watch　over　them。〃

Although　she　herself　seemed　proof　against　discomposure；　I　found
something　vaguely　irritating　in　her　soft；　sweet　positiveness。

〃American　cities；〃　I　said；　〃are　the　paradise　of　young　girls。〃

〃Do　you　mean；〃　asked　Mrs。　Church；　〃that　the　young　girls　who　come　from
those　places　are　angels？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　resolutely。

〃This　young　ladywhat　is　her　odd　name？with　whom　my　daughter　has
formed　a　somewhat　precipitate　acquaintance：　　is　Miss　Ruck　an　angel？
But　I　won't　force　you　to　say　anything　uncivil。　　It　would　be　too　cruel
to　make　a　single　exception。〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃at　any　rate；　in　America　young　girls　have　an　easier
lot。　　They　have　much　more　liberty。〃

My　companion　laid　her　hand　for　an　instant　on　my　arm。　　〃My　dear　young
friend；　I　know　America；　I　know　the　conditions　of　life　there；　so　well。
There　is　perhaps　no　subject　on　which　I　have　reflected　more　than　on
our　national　idiosyncrasies。〃

〃I　am　afraid　you　don't　approve　of　them；〃　said　I；　a　little　brutally。

Brutal　indeed　my　proposition　was；　and　Mrs。　Church　was　not　prepared　to
assent　to　it　in　this　rough　shape。　　She　dropped　her　eyes　on　her　book；
with　an　air　of　acute　meditation。　　Then；　raising　them；　〃We　are　very
crude；〃　she　softly　observed〃we　are　very　crude。〃　　Lest　even　this
delicately…uttered　statement　should　seem　to　savour　of　the　vice　that
she　deprecated；　she　went　on　to　explain。　　〃There　are　two　classes　of
minds；　you　knowthose　that　hold　back；　and　those　that　push　forward。
My　daughter　and　I　are　not　pushers；　we　move　with　little　steps。　　We
like　the　old；　trodden　paths；　we　like　the　old；　old　world。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　I；　〃you　know　what　you　like；　there　is　a　great　virtue　in
that。〃

〃Yes；　we　like　Europe；　we　prefer　it。　　We　like　the　opportunities　of
Europe；　we　like　the　REST。　　There　is　so　much　in　that；　you　know。　　The
world　seems　to　me　to　be　hurrying；　pressing　forward　so　fiercely；
without　knowing　where　it　is　going。　　'Whither？'　I　often　ask；　in　my
little　quiet　way。　　But　I　have　yet　to　learn　that　any　one　can　tell　me。〃

〃You're　a　great　conservative；〃　I　observed；　while　I　wondered　whether　I
myself　could　answer　this　inquiry。

Mrs。　Church　gave　me　a　smile　which　was　equivalent　to　a　confession。　　〃I
wish　to　retain　a　LITTLEjust　a　little。　　Surely；　we　have　done　so
much；　we　might　rest　a　while；　we　might　pause。　　That　is　all　my　feeling…
…just　to　stop　a　little；　to　wait！　I　have　seen　so　many　changes。　　I　wish
to　draw　in；　to　draw　into　hold　back；　to　hold　back。〃

〃You　shouldn't　hold　your　daughter　back！〃　I　answered；　laughing　and
getting　up。　　I　got　up；　not　by　way　of　terminating　our　interview；　for　I
perceived　Mrs。　Church's　exposition　of　her　views　to　be　by　no　means
complete；　but　in　order　to　offer　a　chair　to　Miss　Aurora；　who　at　this
moment　drew　near。　　She　thanked　me　and　remained　standing；　but　without
at　first；　as　I　noticed；　meeting　her　mother's　eye。

〃You　have　been　engaged　with　your　new　acquaintance；　my　dear？〃　this
lady　inquired。

〃Yes；　mamma；　dear；〃　said　the　young　girl；　gently。

〃Do　you　find　her　very　edifying？〃

Aurora　was　silent　a　moment；　then　she　looked　at　her　mother。　　〃I　don't
know；　mamma；　she　is　very　fresh。〃

I　ventured　to　indulge　in　a　respectful　laugh。　　〃Your　mother　has
another　word　for　that。　　But　I　must　not；〃　I　added；　〃be　crude。〃

〃Ah；　vous　m'en　voulez？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Church。　　〃And　yet　I　can't
pretend　I　said　it　in　jest。　　I　feel　it　too　much。　　We　have　been　having
a　little　social　discussion；〃　she　said　to　her　daughter。　　〃There　is
still　so　much　to　be　said。〃　　〃And　I　wish；〃　she　continued；　turning　to
me；　〃that　I　could　give　you　our　point　of　view。　　Don't　you　wish；
Aurora；　that　we　could　give　him　our　point　of　view？〃

〃Yes；　mamma；〃　said　Aurora。

〃We　consider　ourselves　very　fortunate　in　our　point　of　view；　don't　we；
dearest？〃　mamma　demanded。

〃Very　fortunate；　indeed；　mamma。〃

〃You　see　we　have　acquired　an　insight　into　European　life；〃　the　elder
lady　pursued。　　〃We　have　our　place　at　many　a　European　fireside。　　We
find　so　much　to　esteemso　much　to　enjoy。　　Do　we　not；　my　daughter？〃

〃So　very　much；　mamma；〃　the　young　girl　went　on；　with　a　sort　of
inscrutable　submissiveness。　　I　wondered　at　it；　it　offered　so　strange
a　contrast　to　the　mocking　freedom　of　her　tone　the　night　before；　but
while　I　wondered　I　was　careful　not　to　let　my　perplexity　take
precedence　of　my　good　manners。

〃I　don't　know　what　you　ladies　may　have　found　at　European　firesides；〃
I　said；　〃but　there　can　be　very　little　doubt　what　you　have　left
there。〃

Mrs。　Church　got　up；　to　acknowledge　my　compliment。　　〃We　have　spent
some　charming　hours。　　And　that　reminds　me　that　we　have　just　now　such
an　occasion　in　prospect。　　We　are　to　call　upon　some　Genevese　friends
the　family　of　the　Pasteur　Galopin。　　They　are　to　go　with　us　to　the　old
librar