the chaperon-第3章

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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　mention　nothing　and　imply　nothing；　neither　to　acknowledge；
to　explain　nor　to　extenuate。　　She　would　leave　everything　to　her
child；　with　her　child　she　was　secure。　　She　only　wanted　to　get　back
into　society；　she　would　leave　even　that　to　her　child；　whom　she
treated　not　as　a　high…strung　and　heroic　daughter；　a　creature　of
exaltation；　of　devotion；　but　as　a　new；　charming；　clever；　useful
friend；　a　little　younger　than　herself。　　Already　on　that　first　day　she
had　talked　about　dressmakers。　　Of　course；　poor　thing；　it　was　to　be
remembered　that　in　her　circumstances　there　were　not　many　things　she
COULD　talk　about。　　〃She　wants　to　go　out　again；　that's　the　only　thing
in　the　wide　world　she　wants；〃　Rose　had　promptly；　compendiously　said
to　herself。　　There　had　been　a　sequel　to　this　observation；　uttered；　in
intense　engrossment；　in　her　own　room　half　an　hour　before　she　had；　on
the　important　evening；　made　known　her　decision　to　her　grandmother：
〃Then　I'll　TAKE　her　out！〃

〃She'll　drag　you　down；　she'll　drag　you　down！〃　Julia　Tramore　permitted
herself　to　remark　to　her　niece；　the　next　day；　in　a　tone　of　feverish
prophecy。

As　the　girl's　own　theory　was　that　all　the　dragging　there　might　be
would　be　upward；　and　moreover　administered　by　herself；　she　could　look
at　her　aunt　with　a　cold　and　inscrutable　eye。

〃Very　well；　then；　I　shall　be　out　of　your　sight；　from　the　pinnacle　you
occupy；　and　I　sha'n't　trouble　you。〃

〃Do　you　reproach　me　for　my　disinterested　exertions；　for　the　way　I've
toiled　over　you；　the　way　I've　lived　for　you？〃　Miss　Tramore　demanded。

〃Don't　reproach　ME　for　being　kind　to　my　mother　and　I　won't　reproach
you　for　anything。〃

〃She'll　keep　you　out　of　everythingshe'll　make　you　miss　everything；〃
Miss　Tramore　continued。

〃Then　she'll　make　me　miss　a　great　deal　that's　odious；〃　said　the　girl。

〃You're　too　young　for　such　extravagances；〃　her　aunt　declared。

〃And　yet　Edith；　who　is　younger　than　I；　seems　to　be　too　old　for　them：
how　do　you　arrange　that？　　My　mother's　society　will　make　me　older；〃
Rose　replied。

〃Don't　speak　to　me　of　your　mother；　you　HAVE　no　mother。〃

〃Then　if　I'm　an　orphan　I　must　settle　things　for　myself。〃

〃Do　you　justify　her；　do　you　approve　of　her？〃　cried　Miss　Tramore；　who
was　inferior　to　her　niece　in　capacity　for　retort　and　whose
limitations　made　the　girl　appear　pert。

Rose　looked　at　her　a　moment　in　silence；　then　she　said；　turning　away：
〃I　think　she's　charming。〃

〃And　do　you　propose　to　become　charming　in　the　same　manner？〃

〃Her　manner　is　perfect；　it　would　be　an　excellent　model。　　But　I　can't
discuss　my　mother　with　you。〃

〃You'll　have　to　discuss　her　with　some　other　people！〃　Miss　Tramore
proclaimed；　going　out　of　the　room。

Rose　wondered　whether　this　were　a　general　or　a　particular
vaticination。　　There　was　something　her　aunt　might　have　meant　by　it；
but　her　aunt　rarely　meant　the　best　thing　she　might　have　meant。　　Miss
Tramore　had　come　up　from　St。　Leonard's　in　response　to　a　telegram　from
her　own　parent；　for　an　occasion　like　the　present　brought　with　it；　for
a　few　hours；　a　certain　relaxation　of　their　dissent。　　〃Do　what　you　can
to　stop　her；〃　the　old　lady　had　said；　but　her　daughter　found　that　the
most　she　could　do　was　not　much。　　They　both　had　a　baffled　sense　that
Rose　had　thought　the　question　out　a　good　deal　further　than　they；　and
this　was　particularly　irritating　to　Mrs。　Tramore；　as　consciously　the
cleverer　of　the　two。　　A　question　thought　out　as　far　as　SHE　could
think　it　had　always　appeared　to　her　to　have　performed　its　human　uses；
she　had　never　encountered　a　ghost　emerging　from　that　extinction。
Their　great　contention　was　that　Rose　would　cut　herself　off；　and
certainly　if　she　wasn't　afraid　of　that　she　wasn't　afraid　of　anything。
Julia　Tramore　could　only　tell　her　mother　how　little　the　girl　was
afraid。　　She　was　already　prepared　to　leave　the　house；　taking　with　her
the　possessions；　or　her　share　of　them；　that　had　accumulated　there
during　her　father's　illness。　　There　had　been　a　going　and　coming　of
her　maid；　a　thumping　about　of　boxes；　an　ordering　of　four…wheelers；　it
appeared　to　old　Mrs。　Tramore　that　something　of　the　objectionableness；
the　indecency；　of　her　granddaughter's　prospective　connection　had
already　gathered　about　the　place。　　It　was　a　violation　of　the　decorum
of　bereavement　which　was　still　fresh　there；　and　from　the　indignant
gloom　of　the　mistress　of　the　house　you　might　have　inferred　not　so
much　that　the　daughter　was　about　to　depart　as　that　the　mother　was
about　to　arrive。　　There　had　been　no　conversation　on　the　dreadful
subject　at　luncheon；　for　at　luncheon　at　Mrs。　Tramore's　（her　son　never
came　to　it）　there　were　always；　even　after　funerals　and　other
miseries；　stray　guests　of　both　sexes　whose　policy　it　was　to　be
cheerful　and　superficial。　　Rose　had　sat　down　as　if　nothing　had
happenednothing　worse；　that　is；　than　her　father's　death；　but　no　one
had　spoken　of　anything　that　any　one　else　was　thinking　of。

Before　she　left　the　house　a　servant　brought　her　a　message　from　her
grandmotherthe　old　lady　desired　to　see　her　in　the　drawing…room。
She　had　on　her　bonnet；　and　she　went　down　as　if　she　were　about　to　step
into　her　cab。　　Mrs。　Tramore　sat　there　with　her　eternal　knitting；　from
which　she　forebore　even　to　raise　her　eyes　as；　after　a　silence　that
seemed　to　express　the　fulness　of　her　reprobation；　while　Rose　stood
motionless；　she　began：　　〃I　wonder　if　you　really　understand　what
you're　doing。〃

〃I　think　so。　　I'm　not　so　stupid。〃

〃I　never　thought　you　were；　but　I　don't　know　what　to　make　of　you　now。
You're　giving　up　everything。〃

The　girl　was　tempted　to　inquire　whether　her　grandmother　called
herself　〃everything〃；　but　she　checked　this　question；　answering
instead　that　she　knew　she　was　giving　up　much。

〃You're　taking　a　step　of　which　you　will　feel　the　effect　to　the　end　of
your　days；〃　Mrs。　Tramore　went　on。

〃In　a　good　conscience；　I　heartily　hope；〃　said　Rose。

〃Your　father's　conscience　was　good　enough　for　his　mother；　it　ought　to
be　good　enough　for　his　daughter。〃

Rose　sat　downshe　could　afford　toas　if　she　wished　to　be　very
attentive　and　were　still　accessible　to　argument。　　But　this
demonstration　only　ushered　in；　after　a　moment；　the　surprising　words
〃I　don't　think　papa　had　any　conscience。〃

〃What　in　the　name　of　all　that's　unnatural　do　you　mean？〃　Mrs。　Tramore
cried；　over　her　glasses。　　〃The　dearest　and　best　creature　that　ever
lived！〃

〃He　was　kind；　he　had　charming　impulses；　he　was　delightful。　　But　he
never　reflected。〃

Mrs。　Tramore　stared；　as　if　at　a　language　she　had　never　heard；　a
farrago；　a　galimatias。　　Her　life　was　made　up　of　items；　but　she　had
never　had　to　deal；　intellectually；　with　a　fine　shade。　　Then　while　her
needles；　which　had　paused　an　instant；　began　to　fly　again；　she
rejoined：　　〃Do　you　know　what　you　are；　my　dear？　　You're　a　dreadful
little　prig。　　Where　do　you　pick　up　such　talk？〃

〃Of　course　I　don't　mean　to　judge　between　them；〃　Rose　pursued。　　〃I　can
only　judge　between　my　mother　and　myself。　　Papa　couldn't　judge　for
me。〃　　And　with　this　she　got　up。

〃One　would　think　you　were　horrid。　　I　never　thought　so　before。〃

〃Thank　you　for　that。〃

〃You're　embarking　on　a　struggle　with　society；〃　continued　Mrs。
Tramore；　indulging　in　an　unusual　flight　of　oratory。　　〃Society　will
put　you　in　your　place。〃

〃Hasn't　it　too　many　other　things　to　do？〃　asked　the　girl。

This　question　had　an　ingenuity　which　led　her　grandmother　to　meet　it
with　a　merely　provisional　and　somewhat　sketchy　answer。　　〃Your
ignorance　would　be　melancholy　if　your　behaviour　were　not　so　insane。〃

〃Oh；　no；　I　know　perfectly　what　she'll　do！〃　Rose　replied；　almost
gaily。　　〃She'll　drag　me　down。〃

〃She　won't　even　do　that；〃　the　old　lady　declared　contradictiously。
〃She'll　keep　you　forever　in　the　same　dull　hole。〃

〃I　shall　come　and　see　YOU；　granny；　when　I　want　something　more
lively。〃

〃You　may　come　if　you　like；　but　you'll　come　no　further　than　the　door。
If　you　leave　this　house　now　you　don't　enter　it　again。〃

Rose　hesitated　a　moment。　　〃Do　you　really　mean　that？〃

〃You　may　judge　whether　I　choose　such　a　time　to　joke。〃

〃Good…bye；　then；〃　said　the　girl。

〃Good…by