the chaperon-第8章
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〃Come out with you？〃
〃My daughters are married。 You know I'm a lone woman。 It would be
an immense pleasure to me to have so charming a creature as yourself
to present to the world。〃
〃I go out with my mother；〃 said Rose； after a moment。
〃Yes； but sometimes when she's not inclined？〃
〃She goes everywhere she wants to go；〃 Rose continued； uttering the
biggest fib of her life and only regretting it should be wasted on
Mrs。 Donovan。
〃Ah； but do you go everywhere YOU want？〃 the lady asked sociably。
〃One goes even to places one hates。 Every one does that。〃
〃Oh； what I go through！〃 this social martyr cried。 Then she laid a
persuasive hand on the girl's arm。 〃Let me show you at a few places
first； and then we'll see。 I'll bring them all here。〃
〃I don't think I understand you；〃 replied Rose； though in Mrs。
Donovan's words she perfectly saw her own theory of the case
reflected。 For a quarter of a minute she asked herself whether she
might not； after all； do so much evil that good might come。 Mrs。
Donovan would take her out the next day； and be thankful enough to
annex such an attraction as a pretty girl。 Various consequences
would ensue and the long delay would be shortened； her mother's
drawing…room would resound with the clatter of teacups。
〃Mrs。 Bray's having some big thing next week； come with me there and
I'll show you what I mane；〃 Mrs。 Donovan pleaded。
〃I see what you mane；〃 Rose answered； brushing away her temptation
and getting up。 〃I'm much obliged to you。〃
〃You know you're wrong； my dear；〃 said her interlocutress； with angry
little eyes。
〃I'm not going to Mrs。 Bray's。〃
〃I'll get you a kyard； it'll only cost me a penny stamp。〃
〃I've got one；〃 said the girl； smiling。
〃Do you mean a penny stamp？〃 Mrs。 Donovan； especially at departure；
always observed all the forms of amity。 〃You can't do it alone； my
darling；〃 she declared。
〃Shall they call you a cab？〃 Rose asked。
〃I'll pick one up。 I choose my horse。 You know you require your
start；〃 her visitor went on。
〃Excuse my mother；〃 was Rose's only reply。
〃Don't mention it。 Come to me when you need me。 You'll find me in
the Red Book。〃
〃It's awfully kind of you。〃
Mrs。 Donovan lingered a moment on the threshold。 〃Who will you HAVE
now； my child？〃 she appealed。
〃I won't have any one！〃 Rose turned away； blushing for her。 〃She
came on speculation；〃 she said afterwards to Mrs。 Tramore。
Her mother looked at her a moment in silence。 〃You can do it if you
like； you know。〃
Rose made no direct answer to this observation； she remarked instead：
〃See what our quiet life allows us to escape。〃
〃We don't escape it。 She has been here an hour。〃
〃Once in twenty years！ We might meet her three times a day。〃
〃Oh； I'd take her with the rest！〃 sighed Mrs。 Tramore； while her
daughter recognised that what her companion wanted to do was just
what Mrs。 Donovan was doing。 Mrs。 Donovan's life was her ideal。
On a Sunday； ten days later； Rose went to see one of her old
governesses； of whom she had lost sight for some time and who had
written to her that she was in London； unoccupied and ill。 This was
just the sort of relation into which she could throw herself now with
inordinate zeal； the idea of it； however； not preventing a foretaste
of the queer expression in the excellent lady's face when she should
mention with whom she was living。 While she smiled at this picture
she threw in another joke； asking herself if Miss Hack could be held
in any degree to constitute the nucleus of a circle。 She would come
to see her； in any eventcome the more the further she was dragged
down。 Sunday was always a difficult day with the two ladiesthe
afternoons made it so apparent that they were not frequented。 Her
mother； it is true； was comprised in the habits of two or three old
gentlemenshe had for a long time avoided male friends of less than
seventywho disliked each other enough to make the room； when they
were there at once； crack with pressure。 Rose sat for a long time
with Miss Hack； doing conscientious justice to the conception that
there could be troubles in the world worse than her own； and when she
came back her mother was alone； but with a story to tell of a long
visit from Mr。 Guy Mangler； who had waited and waited for her return。
〃He's in love with you； he's coming again on Tuesday；〃 Mrs。 Tramore
announced。
〃Did he say so？〃
〃That he's coming back on Tuesday？〃
〃No； that he's in love with me。〃
〃He didn't need； when he stayed two hours。〃
〃With you？ It's you he's in love with； mamma！〃
〃That will do as well；〃 laughed Mrs。 Tramore。 〃For all the use we
shall make of him！〃 she added in a moment。
〃We shall make great use of him。 His mother sent him。〃
〃Oh； she'll never come！〃
〃Then HE sha'n't；〃 said Rose。 Yet he was admitted on the Tuesday；
and after she had given him his tea Mrs。 Tramore left the young
people alone。 Rose wished she hadn'tshe herself had another view。
At any rate she disliked her mother's view； which she had easily
guessed。 Mr。 Mangler did nothing but say how charming he thought his
hostess of the Sunday； and what a tremendously jolly visit he had
had。 He didn't remark in so many words 〃I had no idea your mother
was such a good sort〃； but this was the spirit of his simple
discourse。 Rose liked it at firsta little of it gratified her；
then she thought there was too much of it for good taste。 She had to
reflect that one does what one can and that Mr。 Mangler probably
thought he was delicate。 He wished to convey that he desired to make
up to her for the injustice of society。 Why shouldn't her mother
receive gracefully； she asked （not audibly） and who had ever said she
didn't？ Mr。 Mangler had a great deal to say about the disappointment
of his own parent over Miss Tramore's not having come to dine with
them the night of his aunt's ball。
〃Lady Maresfield knows why I didn't come；〃 Rose answered at last。
〃Ah； now； but _I_ don't； you know； can't you tell ME？〃 asked the
young man。
〃It doesn't matter； if your mother's clear about it。〃
〃Oh； but why make such an awful mystery of it； when I'm dying to
know？〃
He talked about this； he chaffed her about it for the rest of his
visit： he had at last found a topic after his own heart。 If her
mother considered that he might be the emblem of their redemption he
was an engine of the most primitive construction。 He stayed and
stayed； he struck Rose as on the point of bringing out something for
which he had not quite； as he would have said； the cheek。 Sometimes
she thought he was going to begin： 〃By the way； my mother told me to
propose to you。〃 At other moments he seemed charged with the
admission： 〃I say； of course I really know what you're trying to do
for her；〃 nodding at the door： 〃therefore hadn't we better speak of
it frankly； so that I can help you with my mother； and more
particularly with my sister Gwendolen； who's the difficult one？ The
fact is； you see； they won't do anything for nothing。 If you'll
accept me they'll call； but they won't call without something
'down。'〃 Mr。 Mangler departed without their speaking frankly； and
Rose Tramore had a hot hour during which she almost entertained；
vindictively； the project of 〃accepting〃 the limpid youth until after
she should have got her mother into circulation。 The cream of the
vision was that she might break with him later。 She could read that
this was what her mother would have liked； but the next time he came
the door was closed to him； and the next and the next。
In August there was nothing to do but to go abroad； with the sense on
Rose's part that the battle was still all to fight； for a round of
country visits was not in prospect； and English watering…places
constituted one of the few subjects on which the girl had heard her
mother express herself with disgust。 Continental autumns had been
indeed for years； one of the various forms of Mrs。 Tramore's
atonement； but Rose could only infer that such fruit as they had
borne was bitter。 The stony stare of Belgravia could be practised at
Homburg； and somehow it was inveterately only gentlemen who sat next
to her at the
