an open-eyed conspiracy-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


us　like　the　prospect　of　pleasant　things。　　She　took　you　for　society
smiling　upon　her；　and　of　course　she　smiled　back。　　But　it's　only　the
first　smile　of　prosperity　that　cheers。　　If　it　keeps　on　smiling　it
ends　by　making　us　dissatisfied　again。　　When　people　are　getting　into
society　they　are　very　glad；　when　they　have　got　in　they　seem　to　be
rather　gloomy。　　We　mustn't　let　these　things　go　too　far。　　Now　that
you've　got　your　friends　in　good　humour；　the　right　way　is　to　drop
themto　cut　them　dead　when　you　meet　them；　to　look　the　other　way。
That　will　send　them　home　perfectly　radiant。〃

〃Nonsense！　　I　am　going　to　do　all　I　can　for　them。　　What　do　you　think
we　can　do？　　They　haven't　the　first　idea　how　to　amuse　themselves
here。　　It's　a　miracle　they　ever　got　that　dress　the　girl　is　wearing。
They　just　made　a　bold　dash　because　they　saw　it　in　a　dressmaker's
window　the　first　day；　and　she　had　to　have　something。　　It's　killingly
becoming　to　her；　but　I　don't　believe　they　know　it；　and　they　don't
begin　to　know　how　cheap　it　was：　　it　was　simply　THROWN　away。　　I'm
going　shopping　with　them　in　the　morning。〃

〃Oh！〃

〃But　now　the　question　is；　what　we　can　do　to　give　them　some　little
glimpse　of　social　gaiety。　　That's　what　they've　come　for。〃

We　were　passing　the　corner　of　a　large　enclosure　which　seems　devoted
in　Saratoga　to　the　most　distracting　of　its　pleasures；　and　I　said：
〃Well；　we　might　give　them　a　turn　on　the　circular　railway　or　the
switchback；　or　we　could　take　them　to　the　Punch　and　Judy　drama；　or
get　their　fortunes　told　in　the　seeress's　tent；　or　let　them　fire　in
the　shooting…gallery；　or　buy　some　sweet…grass　baskets　of　the
Indians；　and　there　is　the　pop…corn　and　the　lemonade。〃

〃I　will　tell　you　what；〃　said　Mrs　March；　who　had　not　been　listening
to　a　word　I　said；　for　if　she　had　heard　me　she　would　not　have　had
patience　with　my　ironical　suggestions。

〃Well；　what？〃

〃Or；　no；　that　wouldn't　do；　either。〃

〃I'm　glad　you　don't　approve　of　the　notion；　on　second　thoughts。　　I
didn't　like　it　from　the　beginning；　and　I　didn't　even　know　what　it
was。〃

〃We　could　have　them　up　to　the　house　this　evening；　and　introduce　them
to　some　of　our　friends；only　there　isn't　a　young　man　in　the　whole
place；and　have　them　stay　to　the　charades。〃

〃What　do　you　think；〃　I　said；　〃of　their　having　come　up　this　morning
and　tried　to　get　rooms　at　our　house？〃

〃Yes；　they　told　me。〃

〃And　don't　you　call　that　rather　forth…putting？　　It　seems　to　me　that
it　was　taking　a　mean　advantage　of　my　brags。〃

〃It　was　perfectly　innocent　in　them。　　But　now；　dearest；　don't　be
tiresome。　　I　know　that　you　like　them　as　well　as　I　do；　and　I　will
take　all　your　little　teasing　affectations　for　granted。　　The　question
is；　what　can　we　do　for　them？〃

〃And　the　answer　is；　I　don't　in　the　least　know。　　There　isn't　any
society　life　at　Saratoga　that　I　can　see；　and　if　there　is；　we　are　not
in　it。　　How　could　we　get　any　one　else　in？　　I　see　that's　what　you're
aiming　at。　　Those　public　socialities　at　the　big　hotels　they　could
get　into　as　well　as　we　could；　but　they　wouldn't　be　anywhere　when
they　got　there；　and　they　wouldn't　know　what　to　do。　　You　know　what
hollow　mockeries　those　things　are。　　Don't　you　remember　that　hop　we
went　to　with　the　young　Braceys　the　first　summer？　　If　those　girls
hadn't　waltzed　with　each　other　they　wouldn't　have　danced　a　step　the
whole　evening。〃

〃I　know；　I　know；〃　sighed　my　wife；　〃it　was　terrible。　　But　these
people　are　so　very　unworldly　that　don't　you　think　they　could　be
deluded　into　the　belief　that　they　were　seeing　society　if　we　took　a
little　trouble？　　You　used　to　be　so　inventive！　　You　could　think　up
something　now　if　you　tried。〃

〃My　dear；　a　girl　knows　beyond　all　the　arts　of　hoodwinking　whether
she's　having　a　good　time；　and　your　little　scheme　of　passing　off　one
of　those　hotel　hops　for　a　festivity　would　never　work　in　the　world。〃

〃Well；　I　think　it　is　too　bad！　　What　has　become　of　all　the　easy
gaiety　there　used　to　be　in　the　world？〃

〃It　has　been　starched　and　ironed　out　of　it；　apparently。　　Saratoga　is
still　trying　to　do　the　good　old　American　act；　with　its　big　hotels
and　its　heterogeneous　hops；　and　I　don't　suppose　there's　ever　such　a
thing　as　a　society　person　at　any　of　them。　　That　wouldn't　be　so　bad。
But　the　unsociety　people　seem　to　be　afraid　of　one　another。　　They
feel　that　there　is　something　in　the　airsomething　they　don't　and
can't　understand；　something　alien；　that　judges　their　old…fashioned
American　impulse　to　be　sociable；　and　contemns　it。　　No；　we　can't　do
anything　for　our　hapless　friendsI　can　hardly　call　them　our
acquaintances。　　We　must　avoid　them；　and　keep　them　merely　as　a
pensive　colour　in　our　own　vivid　memories　of　Saratoga。　　If　we　made
them　have　a　good　time；　and　sent　them　on　their　way　rejoicing；　I
confess　that　I　should　feel　myself　distinctly　a　loser。　　As　it　is；
they're　a　strain　of　melancholy　poetry　in　my　life；　of　music　in　the
minor　key。　　I　shall　always　associate　their　pathos　with　this　hot
summer　weather；　and　I　shall　think　of　them　whenever　the　thermometer
registers　eighty…nine。　　Don't　you　see　the　advantage　of　that？　　I
believe　I　can　ultimately　get　some　literature　out　of　them。　　If　I　can
think　of　a　fitting　fable　for　them　Fulkerson　will　feature　it　in　Every
Other　Week。　　He'll　get　out　a　Saratoga　number；　and　come　up　here　and
strike　the　hotels　and　springs　for　ad's。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　〃I　wish　I　had　never　seen　them；　and　it's　all
your　fault；　Basil。　　Of　course；　when　you　played　upon　my　sympathies　so
about　them；　I　couldn't　help　feeling　interested　in　them。　　We　are　a
couple　of　romantic　old　geese；　my　dear。〃

〃Not　at　all；　or　at　least　I'm　not。　　I　simply　used　these　people
conjecturally　to　give　myself　an　agreeable　pang。　　I　didn't　want　to
know　anything　more　about　them　than　I　imagined；　and　I　certainly
didn't　dream　of　doing　anything　for　them。　　You'll　spoil　everything　if
you　turn　them　from　fiction　into　fact；　and　try　to　manipulate　their
destiny。　　Let　them　alone；　they　will　work　it　out　for　themselves。〃

〃You　know　I　can't　let　them　alone　now；〃　she　lamented。　　〃I　am　not　one
of　those　who　can　give　themselves　an　agreeable　pang　with　the
unhappiness　of　their　fellow…creatures。　　I'm　not　satisfied　to　study
them；　I　want　to　relieve　them。〃

She　went　on　to　praise　herself　to　my　disadvantage；　as　I　notice　wives
will　with　their　husbands；　and　I　did　not　attempt　to　deny　her　this
source　of　consolation。　　But　when　she　ended　by　saying；　〃I　believe　I
shall　send　you　alone；〃　and　explained　that　she　had　promised　Mrs。
Deering　we　would　come　to　their　hotel　for　them　after　tea；　and　go　with
them　to　hear　the　music　at　the　United　States　and　the　Grand　Union；　I
protested。　　I　said　that　I　always　felt　too　sneaking　when　I　was
prowling　round　those　hotels　listening　to　their　proprietary　concerts；
and　I　was　aware　of　looking　so　sneaking　that　I　expected　every　moment
to　be　ordered　off　their　piazzas。　　As　for　convoying　a　party　of　three
strangers　about　alone；　I　should　certainly　not　do　it。

〃Not　if　I've　a　headache？〃

〃Not　if　you've　a　headache。〃

〃Oh；　very　well；　then。〃

〃What　are　you　two　quarrelling　about？〃　cried　a　gay　voice　behind　us；
and　we　looked　round　into　the　laughing　eyes　of　Miss　Dale。　　She　was
the　one　cottager　we　knew　in　Saratoga；　but　when　we　were　with　her　we
felt　that　we　knew　everybody；　so　hospitable　was　the　sense　of　world
which　her　kindness　exhaled。

〃It　was　Mrs。　March　who　was　quarrelling；〃　I　said。　　〃I　was　only　trying
to　convince　her　that　she　was　wrong；　and　of　course　one　has　to　lift
one's　voice。　　I　hope　I　hadn't　the　effect　of　halloaing。〃

〃Well；　I　merely　heard　you　above　the　steam　harmonicon　at　the
switchback；〃　said　Miss　Dale。　　〃I　don't　know　whether　you　call　THAT
holloaing。〃

〃Oh；　Miss　Dale；〃　said　my　wife；　〃we　are　in　such　a　fatal〃

〃Pickle；〃　I　suggested；　and　she　instantly　adopted　the　word　in　her
extremity。

〃pickle　with　some　people　that　Providence　has　thrown　in　our　way；
and　that　we　want　to　do　something　for〃；　and　in　a　labyrinth　of
parentheses　that　no　man　could　have　found　his　way　into　or　out　of；　she
possessed　Miss　Dale　of　the　whole　romantic　fact。　　〃It　was　Mr。　March；
of　course；　who　first　discovered　them；〃　she　concluded；　in　plaintive
accusation。

〃Poor　Mr。　March！〃　cried　Miss　Dale。　　〃Well；　it　is　a　pathetic　case；
but　it　isn't　the　only　one；　if　that's　any　comfort