the kentons-第35部分

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them；　by　a　prescience　derived　from　the　conversation　of　Mr。　Pogis；　and
from　the　instinct　of　a　society　woman；　already　rife　in　her。　　She　found
that　she　could　not　stay　in　a　hotel　with　Cook's　tourists；　and　she　took　her
father's　place　in　the　exploring　party　which　went　down　to　the　watering…
place　in　the　afternoon；　on　the　top　of　a　tram…car；　under　the　leafy　roof　of
the　adorable　avenue　of　trees　which　embowers　the　track　to　Scheveningen。　
She　disputed　Boyne's　impressions　of　the　Dutch　people；　whom　he　found
looking　more　like　Americans　than　any　foreigners　he　had　seen；　and　she
snubbed　Breckon　from　his　supposed　charge　of　the　party。　　But　after　the
start；　when　she　declared　that　Ellen　could　not　go；　and　that　it　was
ridiculous　for　her　to　think　of　it；　she　was　very　good　to　her；　and　looked
after　her　safety　and　comfort　with　a　despotic　devotion。

At　the　Kurhaus　she　promptly　took　the　lead　in　choosing　rooms；　for　she　had
no　doubt　of　staying　there　after　the　first　glance　at　the　place；　and　she
showed　a　practical　sense　in　settling　her　family　which　at　least　her　mother
appreciated　when　they　were　installed　the　next　day。

Mrs。　Kenton　could　not　make　her　husband　admire　Lottie's　faculty　so
readily。　　〃You　think　it　would　have　been　better　for　her　to　sit　down　with
Ellen；　on　the　sand　and　dream　of　the　sea；〃　she　reproached　him；　with　a
tender　resentment　on　behalf　of　Lottie。　　〃Everybody　can't　dream。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　wish　she　didn't　keep　awake　with　such　a　din；〃　said　the　judge。　
After　all；　he　admired　Lottie's　judgment　about　the　rooms；　and　he　censured
her　with　a　sigh　of　relief　from　care　as　he　sank　back　in　the　easy…chair
fronting　the　window　that　looked　out　on　the　North　Sea；　Lottie　had　already
made　him　appreciate　the　view　till　he　was　almost　sick　of　it。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　　said　Mrs。　Kenton；　sharply。　　〃Do　you　want　to　be　in
Tuskingum？　　I　suppose　you　would　rather　be　looking　into　Richard's　back…　
yard。〃

〃No；〃　said　the　judge；　mildly；　〃this　is　very　nice。〃

〃It　will　do　Ellen　good；　every　minute。　　I　don't　care　how　much　she　sits　on
the　sands　and　dream。　　I'll　love　to　see　her。〃

The　sitting　on　the　sand　was　a　survival　of　Mr。　Kenton's　preoccupations　of
the　sea…side。　　As　a　mater　of　fact；　Ellen　was　at　that　moment　sitting　in
one　of　the　hooked　wicker　arm…chairs　which　were　scattered　over　the　whole
vast　beach　like　a　growth　of　monstrous　mushrooms；　and；　confronting　her　in
cosey　proximity；　Breckon　sat　equally　hidden　in　another　windstuhl。　　Her
father　and　her　mother　were　able　to　keep　them　placed；　among　the　multitude
of　windsiuhls；　by　the　presence　of　Lottie；　who　hovered　near　them；　and；
with　Boyne；　fended　off　the　demure；　wicked…looking　little　Scheveningen
girls。　　On　a　smaller　scale　these　were　exactly　like　their　demure；　wicked…
looking　Scheveningen　mothers；　and　they　approached　with　knitting　in　their
hands；　and　with　large　stones　folded　in　their　aprons；　which　they　had
pilfered　from　the　mole；　and　were　trying　to　sell　for　footstools。　　The
windstuhl　men　and　they　were　enemies；　and　when　Breckon　bribed　them　to　go
away；　the　windstuhl　men　chased　them；　and　the　little　girls　ran；　making
mouths　at　Boyne　over　their　shoulders。　　He　scorned　to　notice　them；　but　he
was　obliged　to　report　the　misconduct　of　Lottie；　who　began　making　eyes　at
the　Dutch　officers　as　soon　as　she　could　feel　that　Ellen　was　safely　off
her　hands。　　She　was　the　more　exasperating　and　the　more　culpable　to　Boyne；
because　she　had　asked　him　to　walk　up　the　beach　with　her；　and　had　then
made　the　fraternal　promenade　a　basis　of　operations　against　the　Dutch
military。　　She　joined　her　parents　in　ignoring　Boyne's　complaints；　and
continued　to　take　credit　for　all　the　pleasant　facts　of　the　situation；　she
patronized　her　family　as　much　for　the　table　d'hote　at　luncheon　as　for　the
comfort　of　their　rooms。　　She　was　able　to　assure　them　that　there　was　not　a
Cook's　tourist　in　the　hotel；　where　there　seemed　to　be　nearly　every　other
kind　of　fellow…creature。　　At　the　end　of　the　first　week　she　had
acquaintance　of　as　many　nationalities　as　she　could　reach　in　their　native
or　acquired　English；　in　all　the　stages　of　haughty　toleration；　vivid
intimacy；　and　cold　exhaustion。　　She　had　a　faculty　for　getting　through
with　people；　or　of　ceasing　to　have　any　use　for　them；　which　was　perhaps
her　best　safeguard　in　her　adventurous　flirting；　while　the　simple　aliens
were　still　in　the　full　tide　of　fancied　success；　Lottie　was　sick　of　them
all；　and　deep　in　an　indiscriminate　correspondence　with　her　young　men　in
Tuskingum。

The　letters　which　she　had　invited　from　these　while　still　in　New　York
arrived　with　the　first　of　those　readdressed　from　the　judge's　London
banker。　　She　had　more　letters　than　all　the　rest　of　the　family　together；
and　counted　a　half…dozen　against　a　poor　two　for　her　sister。　　Mrs。　Kenton
cared　nothing　about　Lottie's　letters；　but　she　was　silently　uneasy　about
the　two　that　Ellen　carelessly　took。　　She　wondered　who　could　be　writing　to
Ellen；　especially　in　a　cover　bearing　a　handwriting　altogether　strange　to
her。

〃It　isn't　from　Bittridge；　at　any　rate；〃　she　said　to　her　husband；　in　the
speculation　which　she　made　him　share。　　〃I　am　always　dreading　to　have　her
find　out　what　Richard　did。　　It　would　spoil　everything；　I'm　afraid；　and
now　everything　is　going　so　well。　　I　do　wish　Richard　hadn't；　though；　of
course；　he　did　it　for　the　best。　　Who　do　you　think　has　been　writing　to
her？〃

〃Why　don't　you　ask　her？〃

〃I　suppose　she　will　tell　me　after　a　while。　　I　don't　like　to　seem　to　be
following　her　up。　　One　was　from　Bessie　Pearl；　I　think。〃

Ellen　did　not　speak　of　her　letters　to　her　mother；　and　after　waiting　a　day
or　two；　Mrs。　Kenton　could　not　refrain　from　asking　her。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
〃Oh；　I　forgot；〃　said　Ellen。　　〃I　haven't　read　them　yet。〃

〃Haven't　read　them！〃　　said　Mrs。　Kenton。　　Then；　after　reflection；　she
added；　〃You　are　a　strange　girl；　Ellen；〃　and　did　not　venture　to　say　more。

〃I　suppose　I　thought　I　should　have　to　answer　them；　and　that　made　me
careless。　　But　I　will　read　them。〃　　Her　mother　was　silent；　and　presently
Ellen　added：　〃I　hate　to　think　of　the　past。　　Don't　you；　momma？〃

〃It　is　certainly　very　pleasant　here；〃　said　Mrs。　Kenton；　cautiously。　
〃You're　enjoying　yourselfI　mean；　you　seem　to　be　getting　so　much
stronger。〃

〃Why；　momma；　why　do　you　talk　as　if　I　had　been　sick？〃　　Ellen　asked。

〃I　mean　you're　so　much　interested。〃

〃Don't　I　go　about　everywhere；　like　anybody？〃　　Ellen　pursued；　ignoring　her
explanation。

〃Yes；　you　certainly　do。　　Mr。　Breckon　seems　to　like　going　about。〃

Ellen　did　not　respond　to　the　suggestion　except　to　say：　〃We　go　into　all
sorts　of　places。　　This　morning　we　went　up　on　that　schooner　that's　drawn
up　on　the　beach；　and　the　old　man　who　was　there　was　very　pleasant。
I　thought　it　was　a　wreck；　but　Mr。　Breckon　says　they　are　always　drawing
their　ships　that　way　up　on　the　sand。　　The　old　man　was　patching　some　of
the　wood…work；　and　he　told　Mr。　Breckonhe　can　speak　a　little　Dutchthat
they　were　going　to　drag　her　down　to　the　water　and　go　fishing　as　soon　as
he　was　done。　　He　seemed　to　think　we　were　brother　and　sister。〃　　She
flushed　a　little；　and　then　she　said：　〃I　believe　I　like　the　dunes　as　well
as　anything。　　Sometimes　when　those　curious　cold　breaths　come　in　from　the
sea　we　climb　up　in　the　little　hollows　on　the　other　side　and　sit　there　out
of　the　draft。　　Everybody　seems　to　do　it。〃

Apparently　Ellen　was　submitting　the　propriety　of　the　fact　to　her　mother；
who　said：　〃Yes；　it　seems　to　be　quite　the　same　as　it　is　at　home。　　I　always
supposed　that　it　was　different　with　young　people　here。　　There　is
certainly　no　harm　in　it。〃

Ellen　went　on；　irrelevantly。　　〃I　like　to　go　and　look　at　the　Scheveningen
women　mending　the　nets　on　the　sand　back　of　the　dunes。　　They　have　such
good　gossiping　times。　　They　shouted　to　us　last　evening；　and　then　laughed
when　they　saw　us　watching　them。　　When　they　got　through　their　work　they
got　up　and　stamped　off　so　strong；　with　their　bare；　red　arms　folded　into
their　aprons；　and　their　skirts　sticking　out　so　stiff。　　Yes；　I　should　like
to　be　like　them。〃

〃You；　Ellen！〃

〃Yes；　why　not？〃

Mrs。　Kenton　found　nothing　better　to　answer　than；

〃They　were　very　material　looking。〃

〃They　are　very　happy　looking。　　They　live　in　the　present。　　That　is　what　I
should　like：　living　in　the　present；　and　not　looking　backwards　or
forwards。　　After　all；　the　present　is　the　only　life　we've　got；　isn't　it？〃

〃I　suppose　you　may　say　it　is；〃　Mrs。　Kenton　admitted；　not　knowing　just
where　the　talk　was　leading；　but　dreading　to　interrupt　it。

〃But　that　isn't　the　Scheveningen　woman's　only　ideal。　　Their　other　ideal
is　to　keep　the　place　clean。　　Saturday　afternoon　they　were　all　out
scrubbing　the　brick　sidewalks；　and　clear　into　the　middle　of　the　street。　
We　were　almost　ashamed　to　walk　over　the　nice　bricks；　and　we　picked　out　as
many　dirty　places　as　we　could　find。〃

Ellen　laughed；　with　a　light…hearted　gayety　that　was　very　strange　to　her；
and　Mrs。　Kenton；　as　she　afterwards　told　her　husband；　did　not　know　what　to
think。

〃I　couldn't　help　wondering；〃　she　said；　〃whether　the　poor　child　would　have
liked　to　keep　on　living　in　the　present　a　month　ago。〃

〃Well；　I'm　glad　you　didn't　say　so；〃　the　judge　answered。




XX。

From　the　easy　conquest　of　the　men　who　looked　at　her　Lottie　proceeded　to
the　s