eugene pickering-第11章

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Smyrna。　　She　listened　intently　to　my　story；　when　I　had　finished　it

there　was　a　faint　flush　of　excitement　in　each　of　her　cheeks。　　She

broke　out　into　a　dozen　exclamations　of　admiration　and　compassion。

〃What　a　wonderful　talewhat　a　romantic　situation！　　No　wonder　poor

Mr。　Pickering　seemed　restless　and　unsatisfied；　no　wonder　he　wished　to

put　off　the　day　of　submission。　　And　the　poor　little　girl　at　Smyrna；

waiting　there　for　the　young　Western　prince　like　the　heroine　of　an

Eastern　tale！　　She　would　give　the　world　to　see　her　photograph；　did　I

think　Mr。　Pickering　would　show　it　to　her？　　But　never　fear；　she　would

ask　nothing　indiscreet！　　Yes；　it　was　a　marvellous　story；　and　if　she

had　invented　it　herself；　people　would　have　said　it　was　absurdly

improbable。〃　　She　left　her　seat　and　took　several　turns　about　the

room；　smiling　to　herself；　and　uttering　little　German　cries　of

wonderment。　　Suddenly　she　stopped　before　the　piano　and　broke　into　a

little　laugh；　the　next　moment　she　buried　her　face　in　the　great

bouquet　of　roses。　　It　was　time　I　should　go；　but　I　was　indisposed　to

leave　her　without　obtaining　some　definite　assurance　that；　as　far　as

pity　was　concerned；　she　pitied　the　young　girl　at　Smyrna　more　than　the

young　man　at　Homburg。



〃Of　course　you　know　what　I　wished　in　telling　you　this；〃　I　said；

rising。　　〃She　is　evidently　a　charming　creature；　and　the　best　thing　he

can　do　is　to　marry　her。　　I　wished　to　interest　you　in　that　view　of

it。〃



She　had　taken　one　of　the　roses　from　the　vase　and　was　arranging　it　in

the　front　of　her　dress。　　Suddenly；　looking　up；　〃Leave　it　to　me；　leave

it　to　me！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　am　interested！〃　　And　with　her　little　blue…

gemmed　hand　she　tapped　her　forehead。　　〃I　am　deeply　interested！〃



And　with　this　I　had　to　content　myself。　　But　more　than　once　the　next

day　I　repented　of　my　zeal；　and　wondered　whether　a　providence　with　a

white　rose　in　her　bosom　might　not　turn　out　a　trifle　too　human。　　In

the　evening；　at　the　Kursaal；　I　looked　for　Pickering；　but　he　was　not

visible；　and　I　reflected　that　my　revelation　had　not　as　yet；　at　any

rate；　seemed　to　Madame　Blumenthal　a　reason　for　prescribing　a　cooling…

term　to　his　passion。　　Very　late；　as　I　was　turning　away；　I　saw　him

arrivewith　no　small　satisfaction；　for　I　had　determined　to　let　him

know　immediately　in　what　way　I　had　attempted　to　serve　him。　　But　he

straightway　passed　his　arm　through　my　own　and　led　me　off　towards　the

gardens。　　I　saw　that　he　was　too　excited　to　allow　me　to　speak　first。



〃I　have　burnt　my　ships！〃　he　cried；　when　we　were　out　of　earshot　of　the

crowd。　　〃I　have　told　her　everything。　　I　have　insisted　that　it's

simple　torture　for　me　to　wait　with　this　idle　view　of　loving　her　less。

It's　well　enough　for　her　to　ask　it；　but　I　feel　strong　enough　now　to

override　her　reluctance。　　I　have　cast　off　the　millstone　from　round　my

neck。　　I　care　for　nothing；　I　know　nothing；　but　that　I　love　her　with

every　pulse　of　my　beingand　that　everything　else　has　been　a　hideous

dream；　from　which　she　may　wake　me　into　blissful　morning　with　a　single

word！〃



I　held　him　off　at　arm's…length　and　looked　at　him　gravely。　　〃You　have

told　her；　you　mean；　of　your　engagement　to　Miss　Vernor？〃



〃The　whole　story！　　I　have　given　it　upI　have　thrown　it　to　the　winds。

I　have　broken　utterly　with　the　past。　　It　may　rise　in　its　grave　and

give　me　its　curse；　but　it　can't　frighten　me　now。　　I　have　a　right　to

be　happy；　I　have　a　right　to　be　free；　I　have　a　right　not　to　bury

myself　alive。　　It　was　not　_I_　who　promisedI　was　not　born　then。　　I

myself；　my　soul；　my　mind；　my　optionall　this　is　but　a　month　old！

Ah；〃　he　went　on；　〃if　you　knew　the　difference　it　makesthis　having

chosen　and　broken　and　spoken！　　I　am　twice　the　man　I　was　yesterday！

Yesterday　I　was　afraid　of　her；　there　was　a　kind　of　mocking　mystery　of

knowledge　and　cleverness　about　her；　which　oppressed　me　in　the　midst

of　my　love。　　But　now　I　am　afraid　of　nothing　but　of　being　too　happy！〃



I　stood　silent；　to　let　him　spend　his　eloquence。　　But　he　paused　a

moment；　and　took　off　his　hat　and　fanned　himself。　　〃Let　me　perfectly

understand；〃　I　said　at　last。　　〃You　have　asked　Madame　Blumenthal　to　be

your　wife？〃



〃The　wife　of　my　intelligent　choice！〃



〃And　does　she　consent？〃



〃She　asks　three　days　to　decide。〃



〃Call　it　four！　　She　has　known　your　secret　since　this　morning。　　I　am

bound　to　let　you　know　I　told　her。〃



〃So　much　the　better！〃　cried　Pickering；　without　apparent　resentment　or

surprise。　　〃It's　not　a　brilliant　offer　for　such　a　woman；　and　in　spite

of　what　I　have　at　stake；　I　feel　that　it　would　be　brutal　to　press

her。〃



〃What　does　she　say　to　your　breaking　your　promise？〃　I　asked　in　a

moment。



Pickering　was　too　much　in　love　for　false　shame。　　〃She　tells　me　that

she　loves　me　too　much　to　find　courage　to　condemn　me。　　She　agrees　with

me　that　I　have　a　right　to　be　happy。　　I　ask　no　exemption　from　the

common　law。　　What　I　claim　is　simply　freedom　to　try　to　be！〃



Of　course　I　was　puzzled；　it　was　not　in　that　fashion　that　I　had

expected　Madame　Blumenthal　to　make　use　of　my　information。　　But　the

matter　now　was　quite　out　of　my　hands；　and　all　I　could　do　was　to　bid

my　companion　not　work　himself　into　a　fever　over　either　fortune。



The　next　day　I　had　a　visit　from　Niedermeyer；　on　whom；　after　our　talk

at　the　opera；　I　had　left　a　card。　　We　gossiped　a　while；　and　at　last　he

said　suddenly；　〃By　the　way；　I　have　a　sequel　to　the　history　of

Clorinda。　　The　major　is　at　Homburg！〃



〃Indeed！〃　said　I。　　〃Since　when？〃



〃These　three　days。〃



〃And　what　is　he　doing？〃



〃He　seems；〃　said　Niedermeyer；　with　a　laugh；　〃to　be　chiefly　occupied

in　sending　flowers　to　Madame　Blumenthal。　　That　is；　I　went　with　him

the　morning　of　his　arrival　to　choose　a　nosegay；　and　nothing　would

suit　him　but　a　small　haystack　of　white　roses。　　I　hope　it　was

received。〃



〃I　can　assure　you　it　was；〃　I　cried。　　〃I　saw　the　lady　fairly　nestling

her　head　in　it。　　But　I　advise　the　major　not　to　build　upon　that。　　He

has　a　rival。〃



〃Do　you　mean　the　soft　young　man　of　the　other　night？〃



〃Pickering　is　soft；　if　you　will；　but　his　softness　seems　to　have

served　him。　　He　has　offered　her　everything；　and　she　has　not　yet

refused　it。〃　　I　had　handed　my　visitor　a　cigar；　and　he　was　puffing　it

in　silence。　　At　last　he　abruptly　asked　if　I　had　been　introduced　to

Madame　Blumenthal；　and；　on　my　affirmative；　inquired　what　I　thought　of

her。　　〃I　will　not　tell　you；〃　I　said；　〃or　you'll　call　ME　soft。〃



He　knocked　away　his　ashes；　eyeing　me　askance。　　〃I　have　noticed　your

friend　about；〃　he　said；　〃and　even　if　you　had　not　told　me；　I　should

have　known　he　was　in　love。　　After　he　has　left　his　adored；　his　face

wears　for　the　rest　of　the　day　the　expression　with　which　he　has　risen

from　her　feet；　and　more　than　once　I　have　felt　like　touching　his

elbow；　as　you　would　that　of　a　man　who　has　inadvertently　come　into　a

drawing…room　in　his　overshoes。　　You　say　he　has　offered　our　friend

everything；　but；　my　dear　fellow；　he　has　not　everything　to　offer　her。

He　evidently　is　as　amiable　as　the　morning；　but　the　lady　has　no　taste

for　daylight。〃



〃I　assure　you　Pickering　is　a　very　interesting　fellow；〃　I　said。



〃Ah；　there　it　is！　　Has　he　not　some　story　or　other？　　Isn't　he　an

orphan；　or　a　natural　child；　or　consumptive；　or　contingent　heir　to

great　estates？　　She　will　read　his　little　story　to　the　end；　and　close

the　book　very　tenderly　and　smooth　down　the　cover；　and　then；　when　he

least　expects　it；　she　will　toss　it　into　the　dusty　limbo　of　her　other

romances。　　She　will　let　him　dangle；　but　she　will　let　him　drop！〃



〃Upon　my　word；〃　I　cried；　with　heat；　〃if　she　does；　she　will　be　a　very

unprincipled　little　creature！〃



Niedermeyer　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃I　never　said　she　was　a　saint！〃



Shrewd　as　I　felt　Niedermeyer　to　be；　I　was　not　prepared　to　take　his

simple　word　for　this　event；　and　in　the　evening　I　received　a

communication　which　fortified　my　doubts。　　It　was　a　note　from

Pickering；　and　it　ran　as　follows：…





〃My　Dear　FriendI　have　every　hope　o