an open-eyed conspiracy-第3章

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them；　and　I　got　up　and　strolled　away　toward　the　pavilion；　keeping　an
eye　in　the　back　of　my　head　upon　them。

I　sat　down　in　a　commanding　position；　and　watched　the　people
gathering　for　the　concert；　and　in　the　drama　of　a　group　of　Cubans；　or
of　South　Americans；　I　almost　forgot　for　a　moment　the　pale　idyl　of　my
compatriots　at　the　kiosk。　　There　was　a　short；　stout　little　Spanish
woman　speaking　in　the　shapely　sentences　which　the　Latin　race
everywhere　delights　in；　and　around　her　was　an　increasing　number　of
serious　Spanish　men；　listening　as　if　to　important　things；　and　paying
her　that　respectful　attention　which　always　amuses　and　puzzles　me。
In　view　of　what　we　think　their　low　estimate　of　women；　I　cannot　make
out　whether　it　is　a　personal　tribute　to　some　specific　woman　whom
they　regard　differently　from　all　the　rest　of　her　sex；　or　whether
they　choose　to　know　in　her　for　the　nouce　the　abstract　woman　who　is
better　than　woman　in　the　concrete。　　I　am　sure　I　have　never　seen　men
of　any　other　race　abandon　themselves　to　such　a　luxury　of　respect　as
these　black　and　grey　bearded　Spaniards　of　leaden　complexion　showed
this　dumpy　personification　of　womanhood；　with　their　prominent　eyes
bent　in　homage　upon　her；　and　their　hands　trembling　with　readiness　to
seize　their　hats　off　in　reverence。　　It　appeared　presently　that　the
matter　they　were　all　canvassing　so　devoutly　was　the　question　of
where　she　should　sit。　　It　seemed　to　be　decided　that　she　could　not　do
better　than　sit　just　at　that　point。　　When　she　actually　took　a　chair
the　stately　convocation　ended；　and　its　members；　with　low　obeisances；
dispersed　themselves　in　different　directions。　　They　had　probably　all
been　sitting　with　her　the　whole　afternoon　on　the　verandah　of　the
Everett　House；　where　their　race　chiefly　resorts　in　Saratoga；　and
they　were　availing　themselves　of　this　occasion　to　appear　to　be
meeting　her；　after　a　long　interval；　in　society。

I　said　to　myself　that　of　course　they　believed　Saratoga　was　still
that　centre　of　American　fashion　which　it　once　was；　and　that　they
came　and　went　every　summer；　probably　in　the　belief　that　they　saw　a
great　deal　of　social　gaiety　there。　　This　made　me　think；　by　a　natural
series　of　transitions；　of　the　persons　of　my　American　idyl；　and　I
looked　about　the　pavilion　everywhere　for　them　without　discovering；
till　the　last；　that　they　were　just　behind　me。

I　found　the　fact　touching。　　They　had　not　wished　to　be　in　any　wise
beholden　to　me；　and　had　even　tried　to　reject　my　friendly　readiness
to　know　them　better；　but　they　had　probably　sought　my　vicinity　in　a
sense　of　their　loneliness　and　helplessness；　which　they　hoped　I　would
not　divine；　but　which　I　divined　instantly。　　Still；　I　thought　it　best
not　to　show　any　consciousness　of　them；　and　we　sat　through　the　first
part　of　the　concert　without　taking　notice　of　one　another。　　Then　the
man　leaned　forward　and　touched　me　on　the　shoulder。

〃Will　you　let　me　take　your　programme　a　minute？〃

〃Why；　certainly；〃　said　I。

He　took　it；　and　after　a　vague　glance　at　it　he　passed　it　to　his　wife；
who　gave　it　in　turn　to　the　young　girl。　　She　studied　it　very　briefly；
and　then；　after　a　questioning　look；　offered　it　back　to　me。

〃Won't　you　keep　it？〃　I　entreated。　　〃I've　quite　done　with　it。〃

〃Oh；　thank　you；〃　she　answered　in　her　tender　voice；　and　she　and　the
wife　looked　hard　at　the　man；　whom　they　seemed　to　unite　in　pushing
forward　by　that　means。

He　hemmed；　and　asked；　〃Have　you　been　in　Saratoga　much？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　I　said；　〃rather　a　good　deal。　　My　wife　and　I　have　been
here　three　or　four　summers。〃

At　the　confession　of　my　married　state；　which　this　statement
implicated；　the　women　exchanged　a　glance；　I　fancied；　of　triumph；　as
if　they　had　been　talking　about　me；　and　I　had　now　confirmed　the
ground　they　had　taken　concerning　me。　　Then　they　joined　in　goading
the　man　on　again　with　their　eyes。

〃Which　hotel；〃　he　asked；　〃should　you　say　had　the　most　going　on？〃

The　young　girl　and　the　wife　transferred　their　gaze　to　me；　with　an
intensified　appeal　in　it。　　The　man　looked　away　with　a　certain　shame…
…the　shame　of　a　man　who　feels　that　his　wife　has　made　him　make　an　ass
of　himself。　　I　tried　to　treat　his　question；　by　the　quantity　and
quality　of　my　answer；　as　one　of　the　most　natural　things　in　the
world；　and　I　probably　deceived　them　all　by　this　effort；　though　I　am
sure　that　I　was　most　truthful　and　just　concerning　the　claims　of　the
different　hotels　to　be　the　centre　of　excitement。　　I　thought　I　had
earned　the　right　to　ask　at　the　end；　〃Are　you　stopping　at　the　Grand
Union？〃

〃No；〃　he　said；　and　he　mentioned　one　of　the　smaller　hotels；　which
depend　upon　the　great　houses　for　the　entertainment　of　their　guests。
〃Are　you　there？〃　he　asked；　meaning　the　Grand　Union。

〃Oh　no；〃　I　said；　〃we　couldn't　do　that　sort　of　thing；　even　if　we
wanted。〃　　And　in　my　turn　I　named　the　modest　hotel　where　we　were；　and
said　that　I　thought　it　by　all　odds　the　pleasantest　place　in
Saratoga。　　〃But　I　can't　say；〃　I　added；　〃that　there　is　a　great　deal
going　on　there；　either。　　If　you　want　that　sort　of　thing　you　will
have　to　go　to　some　of　the　great　hotels。　　We　have　our　little
amusements；　but　they're　all　rather　mild。〃　　I　kept　talking　to　the
man；　but　really　addressing　myself　to　the　women。　　〃There's　something
nearly　every　evening：　　prestidigitating；　or　elocutioning；　or　a
little　concert；　or　charades；　or　impromptu　theatricals；　or　something
of　that　sort。　　I　can't　say　there's　dancing；　though　really；　I
suppose；　if　any　one　wanted　to　dance　there　would　be　dancing。〃

I　was　aware　that　the　women　listened　intelligently；　even　if　the　man
did　not。　　The　wife　drew　a　long　breath；　and　said；　〃It　must　be　very
pleasant。〃

The　girl　saidrather　more　hungrily；　I　fancied〃Yes；　indeed。〃

I　don't　know　why　their　interest　should　have　prompted　me　to　go　on　and
paint　the　lily　a　little；　but　I　certainly　did　so。　　I　did　not　stop
till　the　music　began　again；　and　I　had　to　stop。　　By　the　time　the
piece　was　finished　I　had　begun　to　have　my　misgivings；　and　I　profited
by　the　brief　interval　of　silence　to　say　to　the　young　girl；　〃I
wouldn't　have　you　think　we　are　a　whirl　of　gaiety　exactly。〃

〃Oh　no；〃　she　answered　pathetically；　as　if　she　were　quite　past
expecting　that　or　anything　like　it。

We　were　silent　again。　　At　the　end　of　the　next　piece　they　all　rose；
and　the　wife　said　timidly　to　me；　〃Well；　good…evening；〃　as　if　she
might　be　venturing　too　far；　and　her　husband　came　to　her　rescue　with
〃Well；　good…evening；　sir。〃　　The　young　girl　merely　bowed。

I　did　not　stay　much　longer；　for　I　was　eager　to　get　home　and　tell　my
wife　about　my　adventure；　which　seemed　to　me　of　a　very　rare　and
thrilling　kind。　　I　believed　that　if　I　could　present　it　to　her　duly；
it　would　interest　her　as　much　as　it　had　interested　me。　　But　somehow；
as　I　went　on　with　it　in　the　lamplight　of　her　room；　it　seemed　to　lose
colour　and　specific　character。

〃You　are　always　making　up　these　romances　about　young　girls　being　off
and　disappointed　of　a　good　time　ever　since　we　saw　that　poor　little
Kitty　Ellison　with　her　cousins　at　Niagara；〃　said　Mrs。　March。　　〃You
seem　to　have　it　on　the　brain。〃

〃Because　it's　the　most　tragical　thing　in　the　world；　and　the
commonest　in　our　transition　state；〃　I　retorted。　　I　was　somewhat
exasperated　to　have　my　romance　treated　as　so　stale　a　situation；
though　I　was　conscious　now　that　it　did　want　perfect　novelty。　　〃It's
precisely　for　that　reason　that　I　like　to　break　my　heart　over　it。　　I
see　it　every　summer；　and　it　keeps　me　in　a　passion　of　pity。
Something　ought　to　be　done　about　it。〃

〃Well；　don't　YOU　try　to　do　anything；　Basil；　unless　you　write　to　the
newspapers。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　I　said；　〃that　if　the　newspapers　could　be　got　to　take
hold　of　it；　perhaps　something　might　be　done。〃　　The　notion　amused　me；
I　went　on　to　play　with　it；　and　imagined　Saratoga；　by　a　joint　effort
of　the　leading　journals；　recolonised　with　the　social　life　that　once
made　it　the　paradise　of　young　people。

〃I　have　been　writing　to　the　children；〃　said　my　wife；　〃and　telling
them　to　stay　on　at　York　Harbour　if　the　Herricks　want　them　so　much。
They　would　hate　it　here。　　You　say　the　girl　looked　cross。　　I　can't
exactly　imagine　a　cross　goddess。〃

〃There　were　lots　of　cross　goddesses；〃　I　said　rather　crossly　myself；
for　I　saw　that；　after　having　tr