an open-eyed conspiracy-第24章

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both　laughing　convulsively；　and　they　ran　down　to　meet　us　in　yet
wilder　throes　of　merriment。

〃We've　just　been　comparing　notes；〃　he　said；　〃and　at　the　very　moment
when　I　was　telling　you；　Mr。　March；　Julia　was　telling　Mrs。　March。〃

〃Wonderful　case　of　telepathy；〃　I　mocked。

〃Give　it　to　the　Psychical　Research。〃

They　both　seemed　a　little　daunted；　and　Miss　Gage　said；　〃I　know　Mr。
March　doesn't　like　the　way　we've　done。〃

〃Like　it！〃　cried　Mrs。　March；　contriving　to　shake　me　a　little　with
the　hand　she　still　had　in　my　arm。　　〃Of　course　he　likes　it。　　He　was
just　saying　you　had　behaved　splendidly。　　He　said　HE　wouldn't　attempt
to　compete　with　you。　　But　you　mustn't　regard　him　in　the　least。〃

I　admired　the　skill　with　which　Isabel　saved　her　conscience　in　this
statement　too　much　to　dispute　it；　and　I　suppose　that　whatever　she
had　said；　Miss　Gage　would　have　been　reassured。　　I　cannot
particularly　praise　the　wisdom　of　her　behaviour　during　that　day；　or；
for　the　matter　of　that；　the　behaviour　of　Kendricks　either。　　The
ideal　thing　would　have　been　for　him　to　keep　away　now　till　her　father
came；　but　it　seemed　to　me　that　he　was　about　under　our　feet　all　the
while；　and　that　she；　so　far　from　making　him　remain　at　his　own　hotel；
encouraged　him　to　pass　the　time　at　ours。　　Without　consulting　me；
Mrs。　March　asked　him　to　stay　to　dinner　after　he　had　stayed　all　the
forenoon；　and　he　made　this　a　pretext　for　spending　the　afternoon　in
our　corner　of　the　verandah。　　She　made　me　give　it　up　to　him　and　Miss
Gage；　so　that　they　could　be　alone　together；　though　I　must　say　they
did　not　seem　to　mind　us　a　great　deal　when　we　were　present；　he　was
always　leaning　on　the　back　of　her　chair；　or　sitting　next　her　with
his　hand　dangling　over　it　in　a　manner　that　made　me　sick。　　I　wondered
if　I　was　ever　such　an　ass　as　that；　and　I　quite　lost　the　respect　for
Kendricks's　good　sense　and　good　taste　which　had　been　the　ground　of
my　liking　for　him。

I　felt　myself　withdrawn　from　the　affair　farther　and　farther　in
sympathy；　since　it　had　now　passed　beyond　my　control；　and　I　resented
the　strain　of　the　responsibility　which　I　had　thrown　off；　I　found；
only　for　a　moment；　and　must　continue　to　suffer　until　the　girl's
father　appeared　and　finally　relieved　me。　　The　worst　was　that　I　had
to　bear　it　alone。　　It　was　impossible　to　detach　Mrs。　March's　interest
from　Miss　Gage；　as　a　girl　who　had　been　made　love　to；　long　enough　to
enable　her　to　realise　her　as　a　daughter　with　filial　ties　and　duties。
She　did　try　in　a　perfunctory　way　to　do　it；　but　I　could　see　that　she
never　gave　her　mind　to　it。　　I　could　not　even　make　her　share　my　sense
of　my　own　culpability；　a　thing　she　was　only　too　willing　to　do　in
most　matters。　　She　admitted　that　it　was　absurd　for　me　to　have　let　my
fancy　play　about　the　girl　when　I　first　saw　her　until　we　felt　that　I
must　do　something　for　her；　but　I　could　not　get　her　to　own　that　we
had　both　acted　preposterously　in　letting　Mrs。　Deering　leave　Miss
Gage　in　our　charge。　　In　the　first　place；　she　denied　that　she　had
been　left　in　our　charge。　　She　had　simply　been　left　in　the　hotel
where　we　were　staying；　and　we　should　have　been　perfectly　free　to　do
nothing　for　her。　　But　when　Kendricks　turned　up　so　unexpectedly；　it
was　quite　natural　we　should　ask　him　to　be　polite　to　her。　　Mrs。　March
saw　nothing　strange　in　all　that。　　What　was　I　worrying　about？　　What
she　had　been　afraid　of　was　that　he　had　not　been　in　love　with　the
girl　when　she　was　so　clearly　in　love　with　him。　　But　now！

〃And　suppose　her　father　doesn't　like　it！〃

〃Not　like　Mr。　Kendricks！〃　　She　stared　at　me；　and　I　could　see　how
infatuated　she　was。

I　was　myself　always　charmed　with　the　young　fellow。　　He　was　not　only
good　and　generous　and　handsome；　and　cleverI　never　thought　him　a
first…class　talentbut　he　was　beautifully　well　bred；　and　he　was
very　well　born；　as　those　things　go　with　us。　　That　is；　he　came　of
people　who　had　not　done　much　of　anything　for　a　generation；　and　had
acquired　merit　with　themselves　for　it。　　They　were　not　very　rich；　but
they　had　a　right　to　think　that　he　might　have　done　nothing；　or　done
something　better　than　literature；　and　I　wish　I　could　set　forth
exactly　the　terms；　tacit　and　explicit；　in　which　his　mother　and
sisters　condoned　his　dereliction　to　me　at　a　reception　where　he
presented　me　to　them。　　In　virtue　of　his　wish　to　do　something；　he　had
become　a　human　being；　and　they　could　not　quite　follow　him；　but　they
were　very　polite　in　tolerating　me；　and　trying　to　make　me　feel　that　I
was　not　at　all　odd；　though　he　was　so　queer　in　being　proud　of　writing
for　my　paper；　as　they　called　it。　　He　was　so　unlike　them　all　that　I
liked　him　more　than　ever　after　meeting　them。　　Still；　I　could　imagine
a　fond　father；　as　I　imagined　Miss　Gage's　father　to　be；　objecting　to
him；　on　some　grounds　at　least；　till　he　knew　him；　and　Mrs。　March
apparently　could　not　imagine　even　this。

I　do　not　know　why　I　should　have　prefigured　Miss　Gage's　father　as
tall　and　lank。　　She　was　not　herself　so　very　tall；　though　she　was
rather　tall　than　short；　and　though　she　was　rather　of　the　Diana　or
girlish　type　of　goddess；　she　was　by　no　means　lank。　　Yet　it　was　in
this　shape　that　I　had　always　thought　of　him；　perhaps　through　an
obscure　association　with　his　fellow…villager；　Deering。　　I　had
fancied　him　saturnine　of　spirit；　slovenly　of　dress；　and　lounging　of
habit；　upon　no　authority　that　I　could　allege；　and　I　was　wholly
unprepared　for　the　neat；　small　figure　of　a　man；　very　precise　of
manner　and　scrupulous　of　aspect；　who　said；　〃How　do　you　do；　sir？　　I
hope　I　see　you　well；　sir；〃　when　his　daughter　presented　us　to　each
other；　the　morning　after　the　eventful　day　described；　and　he　shook　my
hand　with　his　very　small；　dry　hand。

I　could　not　make　out　from　their　manner　with　each　other　whether　they
had　been　speaking　of　the　great　matter　in　hand　or　not。　　I　am　rather
at　a　loss　about　people　of　that　Philistine　make　as　to　what　their
procedure　will　be　in　circumstances　where　I　know　just　what　people　of
my　own　sort　of　sophistication　would　do。　　These　would　come　straight
at　the　trouble；　but　I　fancy　that　with　the　other　sort　the　convention
is　a　preliminary　reserve。　　I　found　Mr。　Gage　disposed　to　prolong；
with　me　at　least；　a　discussion　of　the　weather；　and　the　aspects　of
Saratoga；　the　events　of　his　journey　from　De　Witt　Point；　and　the
hardship　of　having　to　ride　all　the　way　to　Mooer's　Junction　in　a
stage…coach。　　I　felt　more　and　more；　while　we　bandied　these
futilities；　as　if　Mr。　Gage　had　an　overdue　note　of　mine；　and　was
waiting　for　me；　since　I　could　not　pay　it；　to　make　some　proposition
toward　its　renewal；　and　he　did　really　tire　me　out　at　last；　so　that　I
said；　〃Well；　Mr。　Gage；　I　suppose　Miss　Gage　has　told　you　something　of
the　tremendous　situation　that　has　developed　itself　here？〃

I　thought　I　had　better　give　the　affair　such　smiling　character　as　a
jocose　treatment　might　impart；　and　the　dry　little　man　twinkled　up
responsively　so　far　as　manner　was　concerned。　　〃Well；　yes；　yes。
There　has　been　some　talk　of　it　between　us；〃　and　again　he　left　the
word　to　me。

〃Mrs。　March　urged　your　daughter　to　send　for　you　at　once　because　that
was　the　right　and　fit　thing　to　do；　and　because　we　felt　that　the
affair　had　now　quite　transcended　our　powers；　such　as　they　were；　and
nobody　could　really　cope　with　it　but　yourself。　　I　hope　you　were　not
unduly　alarmed　by　the　summons？〃

〃Not　at　all。　　She　said　in　the　despatch　that　she　was　not　sick。　　I　had
been　anticipating　a　short　visit　to　Saratoga　for　some　days；　and　my
business　was　in　a　shape　so　that　I　could　leave。〃

〃Oh！〃　I　said　vaguely；　〃I　am　very　glad。　　Mrs。　March　felt；　as　I　did；
that　circumstances　had　given　us　a　certain　obligation　in　regard　to
Miss　Gage；　and　we　were　anxious　to　discharge　it　faithfully　and　to　the
utmost。　　We　should　have　written　to　you；　summoned　you；　before；　if　we
could　have　supposedor　been　sure；　but　you　know　these　things　go　on
so　obscurely；　and　we　acted　at　the　very　first　possible　moment。　　I
wish　you　to　understand　that。　　We　talked　it　over　a　great　deal；　and　I
hope　you　will　believe　that　we　studied　throughoutthat　we　were　most
solicitous　from　beginning　to　end　for　Miss　Gage's　happiness；　and　that
if　we　could　have　foreseen　or　imaginedif　we　could　have　taken　any
stepsI　trust　you　will　believe〃　　I　was　furious　at　myself　f