an open-eyed conspiracy-第7章

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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。　　Saratoga　is
reeking　with　just　such　forlornities　the　whole　summer　long；　but　I　can
quite　understand　how　you　feel　about　it；　Mrs。　March。〃　　We　came　to　a
corner；　and　she　said　abruptly：　　〃Excuse　my　interrupting　your
quarrel！　　Not　quite　so　LOUD；　Mr。　March！〃　and　she　flashed　back　a
mocking　look　at　me　as　she　skurried　off　down　the　street　with
astonishing　rapidity。

〃How　perfectly　heartless！〃　cried　my　wife。　　〃I　certainly　thought　she
would　suggest　somethingoffer　to　do　something。〃

〃I　relied　upon　her；　too；〃　I　said；　〃but　now　I　have　my　doubts　whether
she　was　really　going　down　that　street　till　she　saw　that　it　was　the
best　way　to　escape。　　We're　certainly　in　trouble；　my　dear；　if　people
avoid　us　in　this　manner。〃



CHAPTER　V



〃I　am　doing　it　entirely　on　Mrs。　Deering's　I　account；〃　said　my　wife
that　evening　after　tea；　as　we　walked　down　the　side…street　that
descended　from　our　place　to　Broadway。　　〃She　has　that　girl　on　her
hands；　and　I　know　she　must　be　at　her　wits'　end。〃

〃And　I　do　it　entirely　on　Deering's　account；〃　I　retorted。　　〃He　has
both　of　those　women　on　HIS　hands。〃

We　emerged　into　the　glistening　thoroughfare　in　front　of　the　vast
hotels；　and　I　was　struck；　as　I　never　fail　to　be；　with　its　futile　and
unmeaning　splendour。　　I　think　there　is　nothing　in　our　dun…coloured
civilisation　prettier　than　that　habit　the　ladies　have　in　Saratoga　of
going　out　on　the　street　after　dark　in　their　bare　heads。　　When　I
first　saw　them　wandering　about　so　in　the　glitter　of　the　shop…windows
and　the　fitful　glare　of　the　electrics　everywhere；　I　thought　they
must　be　some　of　those　Spanish…Americans　mistaking　the　warm；　dry　air
of　the　Northern　night　for　that　of　their　own　latitudes；　but　when　I
came　up　with　them　I　could　hear；　if　I　could　not　see；　that　they　were
of　our　own　race。　　Those　flat　and　shapeless　tones　could　come　through
the　noses　of　no　other。　　The　beauty　and　the　elegance　were　also　ours；
and　the　fearless　trust　of　circumstance。　　They　sauntered　up　and　down
before　the　gaunt；　high　porticoes　of　the　hotels；　as　much　at　home　as
they　could　have　been　in　their　own　houses；　and　in　much　the　same　dress
as　if　they　had　been　receiving　there。　　The　effect　is　one　of
incomparable　cheer；　and　is　a　promise　of　social　brilliancy　which
Saratoga　no　more　keeps　than　she　does　that　of　her　other
characteristic　aspects；　say　the　forenoon　effect　of　the　same
thoroughfare；　with　the　piazzas　banked　with　the　hotel　guests；　and　the
street　full　of　the　light　equipages　which　seem　peculiar　to　the　place
passing　and　repassing；　in　the　joyous　sunlight　and　out　of　it；　on　the
leaf…flecked　street。　　Even　the　public　carriages　of　Saratoga　have　a
fresh；　unjaded　air；　and　to　issue　from　the　railway　station　in　the
midst　of　those　buoyant　top…phaetons　and　surreys；　with　their　light…
limbed　horses；　is　to　be　thrilled　by　some　such　insensate　expectation
of　pleasure　as　fills　the　heart　of　a　boy　at　his　first　sally　into　the
world。　　I　always　expect　to　find　my　lost　youth　waiting　for　me　around
the　corner　of　the　United　States　Hotel；　and　I　accuse　myself　of　some
fault　if　it　disappoints　me；　as　it　always　does。　　I　can　imagine　what
gaudy　hopes　by　day　and　by　night　the　bright　staging　of　the　potential
drama　must　awaken　in　the　breast　of　a　young　girl　when　she　first　sees
it；　and　how　blank　she　must　feel　when　the　curtain　goes　down　and　there
has　been　no　play。　　It　was　a　real　anguish　to　me　when　that　young　girl
with　the　Deerings　welcomed　my　wife　and　me　with　a　hopeful　smile；　as
if　we　were　the　dramatis　personae；　and　now　the　performance　must　be
going　to　begin。　　I　could　see　how　much　our　chance　acquaintance　had
brightened　the　perspective　for　her；　and　how　eagerly　she　had　repaired
all　her　illusions；　and　I　thought　how　much　better　it　would　have　been
if　she　had　been　left　to　the　dull　and　spiritless　resignation　in　which
I　had　first　seen　her。　　From　that　there　could　no　fall；　at　least；　and
now　she　had　risen　from　it　only　to　sink　again。

But；　in　fact；　the　whole　party　seemed　falsely　cheered　by　the　event　of
the　afternoon；　and　in　the　few　moments　that　we　sat　with　them　on　their
verandah；　before　going　to　the　music　at　the　Grand　Union；　I　could　hear
the　ladies　laughing　together；　while　Deering　joyously　unfolded　to　me
his　plan　of　going　home　the　next　morning　and　leaving　his　wife　and
Miss　Gage　behind　him。　　〃They　will　stay　in　this　hotelthey　might　as
welland　I　guess　they　can　get　along。　　My　wife　feels　more　acquainted
since　she　met　Mrs。　March；　and　I　shan't　feel　so　much　like　leavin'　her
among　strangers　here　I　don't　know　when　she's　taken　such　a　fancy　to
any　one　as　she　has　to　your　wife；　or　Miss　Gage　either。　　I　guess
she'll　want　to　ask　her　about　the　stores。〃

I　said　that　I　believed　the　fancy　was　mutual；　and　that　there　was
nothing　my　wife　liked　better　than　telling　people　about　stores。　　I
added；　in　generalisation；　that　when　a　woman　had　spent　all　her　own
money　on　dress；　it　did　her　quite　as　much　good　to　see　other　women
spending　theirs；　and　Deering　said　he　guessed　that　was　about　so。　　He
gave　me　a　push　on　the　shoulder　to　make　me　understand　how　keenly　he
appreciated　the　joke；　and　I　perceived　that　we　had　won　his　heart　too。

We　joined　the　ladies；　and　I　thought　that　my　sufferings　for　her
authorised　me　to　attach　myself　more　especially　to　Miss　Gage；　and　to
find　out　all　I　could　about　her。　　We　walked　ahead　of　the　others；　and
I　was　aware　of　her　making　believe　that　it　was　quite　the　same　as　if
she　were　going　to　the　music　with　a　young　man。　　Not　that　she　seemed
disposed　to　trifle　with　my　grey　hairs；　I　quickly　saw　that　this　would
not　be　in　character　with　her；　but　some　sort　of　illusion　was
essential　to　her　youth；　and　she　could　not　help　rejuvenating　me。
This　was　quite　like　the　goddess　she　looked；　I　reflected；　but
otherwise　she　was　not　formidably　divine；　and；　in　fact；　I　suppose　the
goddesses　were；　after　all；　only　nice　girls　at　heart。　　This　one；　at
any　rate；　I　decided；　was　a　very　nice　girl　when　she　was　not　sulking；
and　she　was　so　brightened　by　her　little　adventure；　which　was　really
no　adventure；　that　I　could　not　believe　I　had　ever　seen　her　sulking。

The　hotel　people　did　not　keep　us　from　going　into　the　court　of　the
hotel；　as　I　was　afraid　they　might；　and　we　all　easily　found　places。
In　the　pauses　of　the　music　I　pointed　out　such　notables　and
characters　as　I　saw　about　us；　and　tried　to　possess　her　of　as　much　of
the　Saratoga　world　as　I　knew。　　It　was　largely　there　in　that　bold
evidence　it　loves；　and　in　that　social　solitude　to　which　the　Saratoga
of　the　hotels　condemns　the　denizens　of　her　world。　　I　do　not　mean
that　the　Saratoga　crowd　is　at　all　a　fast…looking　crowd。　　There　are
sporting　people　and　gamblers；　but　the　great　mass　of　the　frequenters
are　plain；　honest　Americans；　out　upon　a　holiday　from　all　parts　of
the　country；　and　of　an　innocence　too　inveterate　to　have　grasped　the
fact　that　there　is　no　fashion　in　Saratoga　now　but　the　fashion　of　the
ladies'　dresses。　　These；　I　must　say；　are　of　the　newest　and
prettiest；　the　dressing　of　the　women　always　strikes　me　there。　　My
companion　was　eager　to　recognise　the　splendours　which　she　had　heard
of；　and　I　pointed　out　an　old　lady　by　the　door；　who　sat　there
displaying　upon　her　vast　person　an　assortment　of　gems　and　jewels
which　she　seemed　as　personally　indifferent　to　as　if　she　were　a　show…
window；　and　I　was　glad　to　have　the　girl　shrink　from　the　spectacle　in
a　kind　of　mute　alarm。　　I　tried　to　make　her　share　my　pleasure　in　a
group　of　Cubansfat　father；　fat　mother；　fat　daughterwho　came　down
the　walk　toward　us　in　the　halo　of　tropical　tradition；　but　she　had
not　the　taste　for　olives；　and　I　saw　that　I　failed　to　persuade　her　of
the　aesthetic　value　of　this　alien　element　among　us。　　She　apparently
could　do　almost　as　little　with　some　old　figures　of　bygone　beaus
spectrally　revisiting　the　hotel　haunts　of　their　youth；　but　she　was
charmed　with　the　sylvan　loveliness　of　that　incomparable　court。　　It
is；　in　fact；　a　park　of　the　tall；　slim　Saratoga　trees　enclosed　by　the
quadrangle　of　the　hotel；　exquisitely　kept；　and　with　its　acres　of
greensward　now　showing　their　colour　vividly　in　the　light　of　the
electrics；　which　shone　from　all　sides　on　the　fountain　flashing　and
plashing　in　t