the chaperon-第2章

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went　nowhere。　　Apparently　she　had　not　the　qualities　for　which　London
compounds；　though　in　the　cases　in　which　it　does　compound　you　may
often　wonder　what　these　qualities　are。　　She　had　not　at　any　rate　been
successful：　　her　lover　was　dead；　her　husband　was　liked　and　her
children　were　pitied；　for　in　payment　for　a　topic　London　will
parenthetically　pity。　　It　was　thought　interesting　and　magnanimous
that　Charles　Tramore　had　not　married　again。　　The　disadvantage　to　his
children　of　the　miserable　story　was　thus　left　uncorrected；　and　this；
rather　oddly；　was　counted　as　HIS　sacrifice。　　His　mother；　whose
arrangements　were　elaborate；　looked　after　them　a　great　deal；　and　they
enjoyed　a　mixture　of　laxity　and　discipline　under　the　roof　of　their
aunt；　Miss　Tramore；　who　was　independent；　having；　for　reasons　that　the
two　ladies　had　exhaustively　discussed；　determined　to　lead　her　own
life。　　She　had　set　up　a　home　at　St。　Leonard's；　and　that　contracted
shore　had　played　a　considerable　part　in　the　upbringing　of　the　little
Tramores。　　They　knew　about　their　mother；　as　the　phrase　was；　but　they
didn't　know　her；　which　was　naturally　deemed　more　pathetic　for　them
than　for　her。　　She　had　a　house　in　Chester　Square　and　an　income　and　a
victoriait　served　all　purposes；　as　she　never　went　out　in　the
eveningand　flowers　on　her　window…sills；　and　a　remarkable　appearance
of　youth。　　The　income　was　supposed　to　be　in　part　the　result　of　a
bequest　from　the　man　for　whose　sake　she　had　committed　the　error　of
her　life；　and　in　the　appearance　of　youth　there　was　a　slightly
impertinent　implication　that　it　was　a　sort　of　afterglow　of　the　same
connection。

Her　children；　as　they　grew　older；　fortunately　showed　signs　of　some
individuality　of　disposition。　　Edith；　the　second　girl；　clung　to　her
aunt　Julia；　Eric；　the　son；　clung　frantically　to　polo；　while　Rose；　the
elder　daughter；　appeared　to　cling　mainly　to　herself。　　Collectively；
of　course；　they　clung　to　their　father；　whose　attitude　in　the　family
group；　however；　was　casual　and　intermittent。　　He　was　charming　and
vague；　he　was　like　a　clever　actor　who　often　didn't　come　to　rehearsal。
Fortune；　which　but　for　that　one　stroke　had　been　generous　to　him；　had
provided　him　with　deputies　and　trouble…takers；　as　well　as　with
whimsical　opinions；　and　a　reputation　for　excellent　taste；　and　whist
at　his　club；　and　perpetual　cigars　on　morocco　sofas；　and　a　beautiful
absence　of　purpose。　　Nature　had　thrown　in　a　remarkably　fine　hand；
which　he　sometimes　passed　over　his　children's　heads　when　they　were
glossy　from　the　nursery　brush。　　On　Rose's　eighteenth　birthday　he　said
to　her　that　she　might　go　to　see　her　mother；　on　condition　that　her
visits　should　be　limited　to　an　hour　each　time　and　to　four　in　the
year。　　She　was　to　go　alone；　the　other　children　were　not　included　in
the　arrangement。　　This　was　the　result　of　a　visit　that　he　himself　had
paid　his　repudiated　wife　at　her　urgent　request；　their　only　encounter
during　the　fifteen　years。　　The　girl　knew　as　much　as　this　from　her
aunt　Julia；　who　was　full　of　tell…tale　secrecies。　　She　availed　herself
eagerly　of　the　license；　and　in　course　of　the　period　that　elapsed
before　her　father's　death　she　spent　with　Mrs。　Tramore　exactly　eight
hours　by　the　watch。　　Her　father；　who　was　as　inconsistent　and
disappointing　as　he　was　amiable；　spoke　to　her　of　her　mother　only　once
afterwards。　　This　occasion　had　been　the　sequel　of　her　first　visit；
and　he　had　made　no　use　of　it　to　ask　what　she　thought　of　the
personality　in　Chester　Square　or　how　she　liked　it。　　He　had　only　said
〃Did　she　take　you　out？〃　and　when　Rose　answered　〃Yes；　she　put　me
straight　into　a　carriage　and　drove　me　up　and　down　Bond　Street；〃　had
rejoined　sharply　〃See　that　that　never　occurs　again。〃　　It　never　did；
but　once　was　enough；　every　one　they　knew　having　happened　to　be　in
Bond　Street　at　that　particular　hour。

After　this　the　periodical　interview　took　place　in　private；　in　Mrs。
Tramore's　beautiful　little　wasted　drawing…room。　　Rose　knew　that；　rare
as　these　occasions　were；　her　mother　would　not　have　kept　her　〃all　to
herself〃　had　there　been　anybody　she　could　have　shown　her　to。　　But　in
the　poor　lady's　social　void　there　was　no　one；　she　had　after　all　her
own　correctness　and　she　consistently　preferred　isolation　to　inferior
contacts。　　So　her　daughter　was　subjected　only　to　the　maternal；　it　was
not　necessary　to　be　definite　in　qualifying　that。　　The　girl　had　by
this　time　a　collection　of　ideas；　gathered　by　impenetrable　processes；
she　had　tasted；　in　the　ostracism　of　her　ambiguous　parent；　of　the
acrid　fruit　of　the　tree　of　knowledge。　　She　not　only　had　an
approximate　vision　of　what　every　one　had　done；　but　she　had　a　private
judgment　for　each　case。　　She　had　a　particular　vision　of　her　father；
which　did　not　interfere　with　his　being　dear　to　her；　but　which　was
directly　concerned　in　her　resolution；　after　his　death；　to　do　the
special　thing　he　had　expressed　the　wish　she　should　not　do。　　In　the
general　estimate　her　grandmother　and　her　grandmother's　money　had
their　place；　and　the　strong　probability　that　any　enjoyment　of　the
latter　commodity　would　now　be　withheld　from　her。　　It　included　Edith's
marked　inclination　to　receive　the　law；　and　doubtless　eventually　a
more　substantial　memento；　from　Miss　Tramore；　and　opened　the　question
whether　her　own　course　might　not　contribute　to　make　her　sister's
appear　heartless。　　The　answer　to　this　question　however　would　depend
on　the　success　that　might　attend　her　own；　which　would　very　possibly
be　small。　　Eric's　attitude　was　eminently　simple；　he　didn't　care　to
know　people　who　didn't　know　HIS　people。　　If　his　mother　should　ever
get　back　into　society　perhaps　he　would　take　her　up。　　Rose　Tramore　had
decided　to　do　what　she　could　to　bring　this　consummation　about；　and
strangely　enoughso　mixed　were　her　superstitions　and　her　heresiesa
large　part　of　her　motive　lay　in　the　value　she　attached　to　such　a
consecration。

Of　her　mother　intrinsically　she　thought　very　little　now；　and　if　her
eyes　were　fixed　on　a　special　achievement　it　was　much　more　for　the
sake　of　that　achievement　and　to　satisfy　a　latent　energy　that　was　in
her　than　because　her　heart　was　wrung　by　this　sufferer。　　Her　heart　had
not　been　wrung　at　all；　though　she　had　quite　held　it　out　for　the
experience。　　Her　purpose　was　a　pious　game；　but　it　was　still
essentially　a　game。　　Among　the　ideas　I　have　mentioned　she　had　her
idea　of　triumph。　　She　had　caught　the　inevitable　note；　the　pitch；　on
her　very　first　visit　to　Chester　Square。　　She　had　arrived　there　in
intense　excitement；　and　her　excitement　was　left　on　her　hands　in　a
manner　that　reminded　her　of　a　difficult　air　she　had　once　heard　sung
at　the　opera　when　no　one　applauded　the　performer。　　That　flatness　had
made　her　sick；　and　so　did　this；　in　another　way。　　A　part　of　her
agitation　proceeded　from　the　fact　that　her　aunt　Julia　had　told　her；
in　the　manner　of　a　burst　of　confidence；　something　she　was　not　to
repeat；　that　she　was　in　appearance　the　very　image　of　the　lady　in
Chester　Square。　　The　motive　that　prompted　this　declaration　was
between　aunt　Julia　and　her　conscience；　but　it　was　a　great　emotion　to
the　girl　to　find　her　entertainer　so　beautiful。　　She　was　tall　and
exquisitely　slim；　she　had　hair　more　exactly　to　Rose　Tramore's　taste
than　any　other　she　had　ever　seen；　even　to　every　detail　in　the　way　it
was　dressed；　and　a　complexion　and　a　figure　of　the　kind　that　are
always　spoken　of　as　〃lovely。〃　　Her　eyes　were　irresistible；　and　so
were　her　clothes；　though　the　clothes　were　perhaps　a　little　more
precisely　the　right　thing　than　the　eyes。　　Her　appearance　was　marked
to　her　daughter's　sense　by　the　highest　distinction；　though　it　may　be
mentioned　that　this　had　never　been　the　opinion　of　all　the　world。　　It
was　a　revelation　to　Rose　that　she　herself　might　look　a　little　like
that。　　She　knew　however　that　aunt　Julia　had　not　seen　her　deposed
sister…in…law　for　a　long　time；　and　she　had　a　general　impression　that
Mrs。　Tramore　was　to…day　a　more　complete　productionfor　instance　as
regarded　her　air　of　youththan　she　had　ever　been。　　There　was　no
excitement　on　her　sidethat　was　all　her　visitor's；　there　was　no
emotionthat　was　excluded　by　the　plan；　to　say　nothing　of　conditions
more　primal。　　Rose　had　from　the　first　a　glimpse　of　her　mother's　plan。
It　was　to　menti