an open-eyed conspiracy-第21章

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〃And　if　it　wouldn't　do；〃　she　gasped；　〃why　didn't　you　bring　me　the
other　partners？〃

〃Because　I　didn't　know　any；〃　I　said；　and　this　seemed　to　amuse　them
both　so　much　that　I　was　afraid　they　would　never　get　their　breath。

She　looked　by　and　by　at　her　dancing…card；　and　as　soon　as　she　could
wipe　the　tears　from　her　eyes　she　said；　〃No；　there　is　no　other　name
there〃；　and　this　seemed　even　a　better　joke　than　the　other　from　the
way　they　joined　in　laughing　at　it。

〃Well；　now；〃　I　said；　when　they　were　quiet　again；　〃this　won't　do；　my
young　friends。　　It's　all　very　well　for　you；　and　you　seem　to　like　it；
but　I　am　responsible　for　your　having　passed　a　proper　evening　under
my　chaperonage；　and　something　has　got　to　be　done　to　prove　it。〃　　They
saw　the　reasonableness　of　this；　and　they　immediately　became　sober。
〃Kendricks；〃　I　asked；　〃can't　you　think　of　something？〃

No；　he　said；　he　couldn't；　and　then　he　began　to　laugh　again。

I　applied　to　her　in　the　same　terms；　but　she　only　answered；　〃Oh；
don't　ask　ME；〃　and　she　went　off　laughing　too。

〃Very　well；　then；〃　I　said；　〃I　shall　have　to　do　something　desperate；
and　I　shall　expect　you　both　to　bear　me　out　in　it；　and　I　don't　want
any　miserable　subterfuges　when　it　comes　to　the　point　with　Mrs。
March。　　Will　you　let　me　have　your　dancing…card　Miss　Gage？〃　　She
detached　it；　and　handed　it　to　me。　　〃It's　very　fortunate　that　Mr。
Kendricks　wrote　his　name　for　the　first　dance　only；　and　didn't　go　on
and　fill　it　up。〃

〃Why；　we　didn't　think　it　was　worth　while！〃　she　innocently　explained。

〃And　that's　what　makes　it　so　perfectly　providential；　as　Mrs。　March
says。　　Now　then；〃　I　went　on；　as　I　wrote　in　the　name　of　a　rising
young　politician；　who　happened　just　then　to　have　been　announced　as
arriving　in　Saratoga　to　join　some　other　leaders　in　arranging　the
slate　of　his　party　for　the　convention　to　meet　a　month　later；　〃we
will　begin　with　a　good　American。〃

I　handed　the　card　to　Kendricks。　　〃Do　you　happen　to　remember　the　name
of　the　young　French　nobleman　who　danced　the　third　dance　with　Miss
Gage？〃

〃No；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　think　I　could　invent　it。〃　　And　he　dashed　down
an　extremely　probable　marquis；　while　Miss　Gage　clapped　her　hands　for
joy。

〃Oh；　how　glorious！　how　splendid！〃

I　asked；　〃Will　you　ever　give　me　away　the　longest　day　you　live？〃

〃Never；〃　she　promised；　and　I　added　the　name　of　a　South　American
doctor；　one　of　those　doctors　who　seem　to　be　always　becoming　the
presidents　of　their　republics；　and　ordering　all　their　patients　of
opposite　politics　to　be　shot　in　the　plaza。

Kendricks　entered　a　younger　son　of　an　English　duke；　and　I
contributed　the　hyphenated　surname　of　a　New　York　swell；　and　between
us　we　soon　had　all　the　dances　on　Miss　Gage's　card　taken　by　the　most
distinguished　people。　　We　really　studied　probability　in　the　forgery；
and　we　were　proud　of　the　air　of　reality　it　wore　in　the　carefully
differenced　handwritings；　with　national　traits　nicely　accented　in
each。



CHAPTER　XVI



The　fun　of　it　all　was　that　Mrs。　March　was　not　deceived　for　an
instant。　　〃Oh；　nonsense！〃　she　said；　when　she　glanced　at　our　pretty
deception；　which　we　presented　with　perhaps　too　perfect　seriousness。
〃Then　you　danced　only　the　first　dance？〃

〃No；　no！〃　Miss　Gage　protested。　　〃I　danced　every　dance　as　long　as　I
stayed。〃　　She　laughed　with　her　handkerchief　to　her　mouth　and　her
eyes　shining　above。

〃Yes；　I　can　testify　to　that；　Mrs。　March；〃　said　Kendricks；　and　he
laughed　wildly；　too。　　I　must　say　their　laughter　throughout　was　far
beyond　the　mirthfulness　of　the　facts。　　They　both　protested　that　they
had　had　the　best　time　in　the　world；　and　the　gayest　time；　that　I　had
been　a　mirror　of　chaperons；　and　followed　them　round　with　my　eyes
wherever　they　went　like　a　family　portrait；　and　that　they　were　the
most　exemplary　young　couple　at　the　hop　in　their　behaviour。　　Mrs。
March　asked　them　all　about　it；　and　she　joined　in　their　fun　with　a
hilarity　which　I　knew　from　long　experience　boded　me　no　good。

When　Kendricks　had　gone　away；　and　Miss　Gage　had　left　us　for　the
night　with　an　embrace；　whose　fondness　I　wondered　at；　from　Mrs。
March；　an　awful　silence　fell　upon　us　in　the　deserted　parlour　where
she　had　waited　up。

I　knew　that　when　she　broke　the　silence　she　would　begin　with；　〃Well；
my　dear！〃　and　this　was　what　she　did。　　She　added；　〃I　hope　you're
convinced　NOW！〃

I　did　not　even　pretend　not　to　understand。　　〃You　mean　that　they　are
in　love？　　I　suppose　that　their　we…ing　and　us…ing　so　much　would
indicate　something　of　the　kind。〃

〃It　isn't　that　alone；　everything　indicates　it。　　She　would　hardly　let
go　of　him　with　her　eyes。　　I　wish；〃　sighed　Mrs。　March；　and　she　let
her　head　droop　upon　her　hand　a　moment；　〃I　could　be　as　sure　of　him　as
I　am　of　her。〃

''Wouldn't　that　double　the　difficulty？〃　I　ventured　to　suggest；
though　till　she　spoke　I　had　not　doubted　that　it　was　the　case。

〃I　should　make　you　speak　to　him　if　I　were　sure　of　him；　but　as　it　is
I　shall　speak　to　her；　and　the　sooner　the　better。〃

〃To…night？〃　I　quaked。

〃No；　I　shall　let　the　poor　thing　have　her　sleep　to…night。　　But　the
first　thing　in　the　morning　I　shall　speak；　and　I　want　you　to　send　her
up　to　me　as　soon　as　she's　had　her　breakfast。　　Tell　her　I'm　not　well；
and　shall　not　be　down；　I　shall　not　close　my　eyes　the　whole　night。
And　now；〃　she　added；　〃I　want　you　to　tell　me　everything　that　happened
this　evening。　　Don't　omit　a　word；　or　a　look；　or　a　motion。　　I　wish　to
proceed　intelligently。〃

I　hope　I　was　accurate　in　the　history　of　the　hop　which　I　gave　Mrs。
March；　I　am　sure　I　was　full。　　I　think　my　account　may　be　justly
described　as　having　a　creative　truthfulness；　if　no　other　merit。　　I
had　really　no　wish　to　conceal　anything　except　the　fact　that　I　had
not；　in　my　utter　helplessness；　even　tried　to　get　Miss　Gage　any　other
partners。　　But　in　the　larger　interest　of　the　present　situation；　Mrs。
March　seemed　to　have　lost　the　sense　of　my　dereliction　in　this
respect。　　She　merely　asked；　〃And　it　was　after　you　went　back　to　the
parlour；　just　before　you　came　home；　that　you　wrote　those　names　on
her　card？〃

〃Kendricks　wrote　half　of　them；〃　I　said。

〃I　dare　say。　　Well；　it　was　very　amusing；　and　if　the　circumstances
were　different；　I　could　have　entered　into　the　spirit　of　it　too。　　But
you　see　yourself；　Basil；　that　we　can't　let　this　affair　go　any
further　without　dealing　frankly　with　her。　　YOU　can't　speak　to　her；
and　_I_　MUST。　　Don't　you　see？〃

I　said　that　I　saw；　but　I　had　suddenly　a　wild　wish　that　it　were
practicable　for　me　to　speak　to　Miss　Gage。　　I　should　have　liked　to
have　a　peep　into　a　girl's　heart　at　just　such　a　moment；　when　it　must
be　quivering　with　the　unconfessed　sense　of　love；　and　the　confident
hope　of　being　loved；　but　while　as　yet　nothing　was　assured；　nothing
was　ascertained。　　If　it　would　not　have　been　shocking；　if　it　would
not　have　been　sacrilegious；　it　would　have　been　infinitely
interesting；　and　from　an　aesthetic　point　of　view　infinitely
important。　　I　thought　that　I　should　have　been　willing　to　undergo　all
the　embarrassment　of　such　an　inquiry　for　the　sake　of　its　precious
results；　if　it　had　been　at　all　possible；　but　I　acquiesced　that　it
would　not　be　possible。　　I　felt　that　I　was　getting　off　pretty　lightly
not　to　have　it　brought　home　to　me　again　that　I　was　the　cause　of　all
this　trouble；　and　that　if　it　had　not　been　for　me　there　would　have
been；　as　far　as　Mrs。　March　was　concerned；　no　Miss　Gage；　and　no　love…
affair　of　hers　to　deal　with。　　I　debated　in　my　mind　a　moment　whether
I　had　better　urge　her　to　let　me　speak　to　Kendricks　after　all；　but　I
forbore；　and　in　the　morning　I　waited　about　in　much　perturbation；
after　I　had　sent　Miss　Gage　to　her；　until　I　could　know　the　result　of
their　interview。　　When　I　saw　the　girl　come　away　from　her　room；　which
she　did　rather　trippingly；　I　went　to　her；　and　found　her　by　no　means
the　wreck　I　had　expected　the　ordeal　to　leave　her。

〃Did　you　meet　Miss　Gage？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes；〃　I　returned；　with　tremulous　expectation。

〃Well；　don't　you　think　she　looks　perfectly　divine　in　that　gown？
It's　one　of　Mme。　Cody's；　and　we　got　it　for　thirty　dollars。　　It　would
have　been　fifty　in　New　York；　and　it　was；　here；　earlier　in　the
season。　　I　shall　always　come　here　for　some　of　my　things；　as　soon　as
the　season's　a　little　past　they　simpl