an open-eyed conspiracy-第15章

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the　life　of　De　Witt　Point。　　I　was　not　sure　that　she　would　have　been
so　grateful　for　the　efforts　made　for　her　enjoyment　if　they　had
failed；　but　as　the　case　stood　she　was　certainly　grateful；　my　wife
said　that；　and　I　saw　it。　　She　seemed　to　have　written　home　about　us
to　her　father；　for　she　read　my　wife　part　of　a　letter　from　him
conveying　his　〃respects；〃　and　asking　her　to　thank　us　for　him。　　She
came　to　me　with　the　cheque　it　enclosed；　and　asked　me　to　get　it
cashed　for　her；　it　was　for　a　handsome　amount。　　But　she　continued　to
go　about　at　our　cost；　quite　unconsciously；　till　one　day　she　happened
to　witness　a　contest　of　civility　between　Kendricks　and　myself　as　to
which　should　pay　the　carriage　we　were　dismissing。　　That　night　she
came　to　Mrs。　March；　and；　with　many　blushes；　asked　to　be　allowed　to
pay　for　the　past　and　future　her　full　share　of　the　expense　of　our
joint　pleasures。　　She　said　that　she　had　never　thought　of　it　before；
and　she　felt　so　much　ashamed。　　She　could　not　be　consoled　till　she
was　promised　that　she　should　be　indulged　for　the　future；　and　that　I
should　be　obliged　to　average　the　outlay　already　made　and　let　her　pay
a　fourth。　　When　she　had　gained　her　point；　Mrs。　March　said　that　she
seemed　a　little　scared；　and　said；　〃I　haven't　offended　you；　Mrs。
March；　have　I？　　Because　if　it　isn't　right　for　me　to　pay〃

〃It's　quite　right；　my　dear；〃　said　my　wife；　〃and　it's　very　nice　of
you　to　think　of　it。〃

〃You　know；〃　the　girl　explained；　〃I've　never　been　out　a　great　deal　at
home　even；　and　it's　always　the　custom　there　for　the　gentlemen　to　pay
for　a　rideor　danceor　anything；　but　this　is　different。〃

Mrs　March　said　〃Yes；〃　and；　in　the　interest　of　civilisation；　she　did
a　little　missionary　work。　　She　told　her　that　in　Boston　the　young
ladies　paid　for　their　tickets　to　the　Harvard　assemblies；　and
preferred　to　do　it；　because　it　left　them　without　even　a　tacit
obligation。

Miss　Gage　said　she　had　never　heard　of　such　a　thing　before；　but　she
could　see　how　much　better　it　was。

I　do　not　think　she　got　on　with　the　Last　Days　of　Pompeii　very
rapidly；　its　immediate　interest　was　superseded　by　other　things。　　But
she　always　had　the　book　about　with　her；　and　I　fancied　that　she　tried
to　read　it　in　those　moments　of　relaxation　from　our　pleasuring　when
she　might　better　have　been　day…dreaming；　though　I　dare　say　she　did
enough　of　that　too。

What　amused　me　in　the　affair　was　the　celerity　with　which　it　took
itself　out　of　our　hands。　　In　an　incredibly　short　time　we　had　no
longer　the　trouble　of　thinking　what　we　should　do　for　Miss　Gage；　that
was　provided　for　by　the　forethought　of　Kendricks；　and　our　concern
was　how　each　could　make　the　other　go　with　the　young　people　on　their
excursions　and　expeditions。　　We　had　seen　and　done　all　the　things
that　they　were　doing；　and　it　presently　bored　us　to　chaperon　them。
After　a　good　deal　of　talking　we　arrived　at　a　rough　division　of　duty；
and　I　went　with　them　walking　and　eating　and　drinking；　and　for
anything　involving　late　hours；　and　Mrs。　March　presided　at　such
things　as　carriage　exercise；　concerts；　and　shopping。

There　are　not　many　public　entertainments　at　Saratoga；　except　such　as
the　hotels　supply；　but　a　series　of　Salvation　Army　meetings　did　duty
as　amusements；　and　there　was　one　theatrical　performancea
performance　of　East　Lynne　entirely　by　people　of　colour。　　The
sentiments　and　incidents　of　the　heart…breaking　melodrama；　as　the
coloured　mind　interpreted　them；　were　of　very　curious　effect。　　It　was
as　if　the　version　were　dyed　with　the　same　pigment　that　darkened　the
players'　skins：　　it　all　came　out　negro。　　Yet　they　had　tried　to　make
it　white；　I　could　perceive　how　they　aimed　not　at　the　imitation　of
our　nature；　but　at　the　imitation　of　our　convention；　it　was　like　the
play　of　children　in　that。　　I　should　have　said　that　nothing　could　be
more　false　than　the　motives　and　emotions　of　the　drama　as　the　author
imagined　them；　but　I　had　to　own　that　their　rendition　by　these
sincere　souls　was　yet　more　artificial。　　There　was　nothing
traditional；　nothing　archaic；　nothing　autochthonic　in　their　poor
art。　　If　the　scene　could　at　any　moment　have　resolved　myself　into　a
walk…round；　with　an　interspersion　of　spirituals；　it　would　have　had
the　charm　of　these；　it　would　have　consoled　and　edified；　but　as　it
was　I　have　seldom　been　so　bored。　　I　began　to　make　some　sad
reflections；　as　that　our　American　society；　in　its　endeavour　for　the
effect　of　European　society；　was　of　no　truer　ideal　than　these
coloured　comedians；　and　I　accused　myself　of　a　final　absurdity　in
having　come　there　with　these　young　people；　who；　according　to　our
good　native　usage；　could　have　come　perfectly　well　without　me。　　At
the　end　of　the　first　act　I　broke　into　their　talk　with　my　conclusion
that　we　must　not　count　the　histrionic　talent　among　the　gifts　of　the
African　race　just　yet。　　We　could　concede　them　music；　I　supposed；　and
there　seemed　to　be　hope　for　them；　from　what　they　had　some　of　them
done；　in　the　region　of　the　plastic　arts；　but　apparently　the　stage
was　not　for　them；　and　this　was　all　the　stranger　because　they　were　so
imitative。　　Perhaps；　I　said；　it　was　an　excess　of　self…consciousness
which　prevented　their　giving　themselves　wholly　to　the　art；　and　I
began　to　speak　of　the　subjective　and　the　objective；　of　the　real　and
the　ideal；　and　whether　it　was　that　I　became　unintelligible　as　I
became　metaphysical；　I　found　Kendricks　obviously　not　following　me　in
the　incoherent　replies　he　gave。　　Miss　Gage　had　honestly　made　no
attempt　to　follow　me。　　He　asked；　Why；　didn't　I　think　it　was　pretty
well　done？　　They　had　enjoyed　it　very　much；　he　said。　　I　could　only
stare　in　answer；　and　wonder　what　had　become　of　the　man's　tastes　or
his　principles；　he　was　either　humbugging　himself　or　he　was
humbugging　me。　　After　that　I　left　them　alone；　and　suffered　through
the　rest　of　the　play　with　what　relief　I　could　get　from　laughing　when
the　pathetic　emotions　of　the　drama　became　too　poignant。　　I　decided
that　Kendricks　was　absorbed　in　the　study　of　his　companion's　mind；
which　must　be　open　to　his　contemporaneous　eye　as　it　could　never　have
been　to　my　old…sighted　glasses；　and　I　envied　him　the　knowledge　he
was　gaining　of　that　type　of　American　girl。　　It　suddenly　came　to　me
that　he　must　be　finding　his　account　in　this；　and　I　felt　a　little
less　regret　for　the　waste　of　civilities；　of　attentions；　which
sometimes　seemed　to　me　beyond　her　appreciation。

I；　for　my　part；　gave　myself　to　the　study　of　the　types　about　me；　and
I　dwelt　long　and　luxuriously　upon　the　vision　of　a　florid　and　massive
matron　in　diaphanous　evening　dress；　whom　I　imagined　to　be　revisiting
the　glimpses　of　her　girlhood　in　the　ancient　watering…place；　and　to
be　getting　all　the　gaiety　she　could　out　of　it。　　These　are　the
figures　one　mostly　sees　at　Saratoga；　there　is　very　little　youth　of
the　present　day　there；　but　the　youth　of　the　past　abounds；　with　the
belated　yellow　hair　and　the　purple　moustaches；　which　gave　a　notion
of　greater　wickedness　in　a　former　generation。

I　made　my　observation　that　the　dress；　even　in　extreme　cases　of
elderly　prime；　was　very　goodin　the　case　of　the　women；　I　mean；　the
men　there；　as　everywhere　with　us；　were　mostly　slovens；　and　I　was
glad　to　find　that　the　good　taste　and　the　correct　fashion　were
without　a　colour…line；　there　were　some　mulatto　ladies　present　as
stylish　as　their　white　sisters；　or　step…sisters。

The　most　amiable　of　the　human　race　is　in　great　force　at　Saratoga；
where　the　vast　hotel　service　is　wholly　in　its　hands；　and　it　had
honoured　the　effort　of　the　comedians　that　night　with　a　full　house　of
their　own　complexion。　　We　who　were　not　of　it　showed　strangely　enough
in　the　dark　mass；　who　let　us　lead　the　applause；　however；　as　if
doubtful　themselves　where　it　ought　to　come　in；　and　whom　I　found
willing　even　to　share　some　misplaced　laughter　of　mine。　　They　formed
two…thirds　of　the　audience　on　the　floor；　and　they　were　a　cloud　in
the　gallery；　scarcely　broken　by　a　gleam　of　white。

I　entertained　myself　with　them　a　good　deal；　and　I　thought　how　much
more　delightful　they　were　in　their　own　kindly　character　than　in
their　assumption　of　white　character；　and　I　tried　to　define　my
suffering　from　the　performance　as　an　effect　from　my　tormented
sympathies　rather　than　from　my　offended　tastes。　　When