the kentons-第36部分

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〃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　subjection　of　the　women。　　It　would　have　been　more　difficult　to　put
these　down；　if　the　process　had　not　been　so　largely；　so　almost　entirely
subjective。　　As　it　was；　Lottie　exchanged　snubs　with　many　ladies　of　the
continental　nationalities　who　were　never　aware　of　having　offered　or
received　offence。　　In　some　cases；　when　they　fearlessly　ventured　to　speak
with　her；　they　behaved　very　amiable；　and　seemed　to　find　her　conduct
sufficiently　gracious　in　return。　　In　fact；　she　was　approachable　enough；
and　had　no　shame；　before　Boyne；　in　dismounting　from　the　high　horse　which
she　rode　when　alone　with　him；　and　meeting　these　ladies　on　foot；　at　least
half…way。　　She　made　several　of　them　acquainted　with　her　mother；　who；
after　a　timorous　reticence；　found　them　very　conversable；　with　a　range　of
topics；　however；　that　shocked　her　American　sense　of　decorum。　　One　Dutch
lady　talked　with　such　manly　freedom；　and　with　such　untrammelled　intimacy；
that　she　was　obliged　to　send　Boyne　and　Lottie　about　their　business；　upon
an　excuse　that　was　not　apparent　to　the　Dutch　lady。　　She　only　complimented
Mrs。　Kenton　upon　her　children　and　their　devotion　to　each　other；　and　when
she　learned　that　Ellen　was　also　her　daughter；　ventured　the　surmise　she
was　not　long　married。

〃It　isn't　her　husband；〃　Mrs。　Kenton　explained；　with　inward　trouble。　
〃It's　just　a　gentleman　that　came　over　with　us；〃　and　she　went　with　her
trouble　to　her　own　husband　as　soon　as　she　could。

〃I'm　afraid　it　isn't　the　custom　to　go　around　alone　with　young　men　as　much
as　Ellen　thinks；〃　she　suggested。

〃He　ought　to　know；〃　said　the　judge。　　〃I　don't　suppose　he　would　if　it
wasn't。〃

〃That　is　true；〃　Mrs。　Kenton　owned；　and　for　the　time　she　put　her
misgivings　away。

〃So　long　as　we　do　nothing　wrong；〃　the　judge　decided；　〃I　don't　see　why　we
should　not　keep　to　our　own　customs。〃

〃Lottie　says　they're　not　ours；　in　New　York。〃

〃Well；　we　are　not　in　New　York　now。〃

They　had　neither　of　them　the　heart　to　interfere　with　Ellen's　happiness；
for；　after　all；　Breckon　was　careful　enough　of　the　appearances；　and　it　was
only　his　being　constantly　with　Ellen　that　suggested　the　Dutch　lady's
surmise。　　In　fact；　the　range　of　their　wanderings　was　not　beyond　the
dunes；　though　once　they　went　a　little　way　on　one　of　the　neatly　bricked
country　roads　that　led　towards　The　Hague。　　As　yet　there　had　been　no
movement　in　any　of　the　party　to　see　the　places　that　lie　within　such　easy
tram…reach　of　The　Hague；　and　the　hoarded　interest　of　the　past　in　their
keeping。　　Ellen　chose　to　dwell　in　the　actualities　which　were　an
enlargement　of　her　own　present；　and　Lottie's　active　spirit　found
employment　enough　in　the　amusements　at　the　Kurhaus。　　She　shopped　in　the
little　bazars　which　make　a　Saratoga　under　the　colonnades　fronting　two
sides　of　the　great　space　before　the　hotel；　and　she　formed　a　critical　and
exacting　taste　in　music　from　a　constant　attendance　at　the　afternoon
concerts；　it　is　true　that　during　the　winter　in　New　York　she　had　cast
forever　behind　her　the　unsophisticated　ideals　of　Tuskingum　in　the　art；　so
that　from　the　first　she　was　able　to　hold　the　famous　orchestra　that　played
in　the　Kurhaus　concert…room　up　to　the　highest　standard。　　She　had　no　use
for　anybody　who　had　any　use　for　rag…time；　and　she　was　terribly　severe
with　a　young　American；　primarily　of　Boyne's　acquaintance；　who　tried　to
make　favor　with　her　by　asking　about　the　latest　coon…songs。　　She　took　the
highest　ethical　ground　with　him　about　tickets　in　a　charitable　lottery
which　he　had　bought　from　the　portier；　but　could　not　move　him　on　the　lower
level　which　he　occupied。　　He　offered　to　give　her　the　picture　which　was
the　chief　prize；　in　case　he　won　it；　and　she　assured　him　beforehand　that
she　should　not　take　it。　　She　warned　Boyne　against　hin：；　under　threats　of
exposure　to　their　mother；　as　not　a　good　influence；　but　one　afternoon；
when　the　young　Queen　of　Holland　came　to　the　concert　with　the　queen…
mother；　Lottie　cast　her　prejudices　to　the　winds　in　accepting　the　places
which　the　wicked　fellow…countryman　offered　Boyne　and　herself；　when　they
had　failed　to　get　any　where　they　could　see　the　queens；　as　the　Dutch
called　them。

The　hotel　was　draped　with　flags；　and　banked　with　flowers　about　the　main
entrance　where　the　queens　were　to　arrive；　and　the　guests　massed
themselves　in　a　dense　lane　for　them　to　pass　through。　　Lottie　could　not
fail　to　be　one　of　the　foremost　in　this　array；　and　she　was　able　to　decide；
when　the　queens　had　passed；　that　the　younger　would　not　be　considered　a
more　than　average　pretty　girl　in　America；　and　that　she　was　not　very　well
dressed。　　They　had　all　stood　within　five　feet　of　her；　and　Boyne　had
appropriated　one　of　the　prettiest　of　the　pretty　bends　which　the　gracious
young　creature　made　to　right　and　left；　and　had　responded　to　it　with　an
'empressement'　which　he　hoped　had　not　been　a　sacrifice　of　his　republican
principles。

During　the　concert　he　sat　with　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　Queen　where　she
sat　in　the　royal　box；　with　her　mother　and　her　ladies　behind　her；　and
wondered　and　blushed　to　wonder　if　she　had　noticed　him　when　be　bowed；　or
if　his　chivalric　devotion　in　applauding　her　when　the　audience　rose　to
receive　her　had　been　more　apparent　than　that　of　others；　whether　it　had
seemed　the　heroic　act　of　setting　forth　at　the　head　of　her　armies；　to　beat
back　a　German　invasion；　which　it　had　essentially　been；　with　his
instantaneous　return　as　victor；　and　the　Queen's　abdication　and　adoption
of　republican　principles　under　conviction　of　his　reasoning；　and　her
idolized　consecration　as　the　first　chief　of　the　Dutch　republic。　　His
cheeks　glowed；　and　he　quaked　at　heart　lest　Lottie　should　surprise　his
thoughts　and　expose　them　to　that　sarcastic　acquaintance；　who　proved　to　be
a　medical　student　resting　at　Scheveningen　from　the　winter's　courses　and
clinics　in；　Vienna。　　He　had　already　got　on　to　many　of　Boyne　s　curves；　and
had　sacrilegiously　suggested　the　Queen　of　Holland　when　he　found　him
feeding　his　fancy　on　the　modern　heroical　romances；　he　advised　him　as　an
American　adventurer　to　compete　with　the　European　princes　paying　court　to
her。　　So　thin　a　barrier　divided　that　malign　intelligence　from　Boyne's
most　secret　dreams　that　he　could　never　feel　quite　safe　from　him；　and　yet
he　was　always　finding　himself　with　him；　now　that　he　was　separated　from
Miss　Rasmith；　and　Mr。　Breckon　was　taken　up　so　much　with　Ellen。　　On　the
ship　he　could　put　many　things　before　Mr。　Breckon　which　must　here　perish
in　his　breast；　or　suffer　the　blight　of　this　Mr。　Trannel's　raillery。　　The
student　sat　near　the　Kentons　at　table；　and　he　was　no　more　reverent　of　the
judge's　modest　convictions　than　of　Boyne's　fantastic　preoccupations。　　The
worst　of　him　was　that　you　could　not　help　liking　him：　he　had　a　fascination
which　the　boy　felt　while　he　dreaded　him；　and　now　and　then　he　did
something　so　pleasant　that　when　he　said　something　unpleasant　you　could
hardly　believe　it。

At　the　end　of　the　concert；　when　he　rose　and　stood　with　all　the　rest；
while　the　royal　party　left　their　box；　and　the　orchestra　played　the　Dutch
national　hymn；　he　said；　in　a　loud　whisper；　to　Boyne：　〃Now's　your　time；　my
boy！　　Hurry　out　and　hand　her　into　her　carriage！〃

Boyne　fairly　reeled　at　the　words　which　translated　a　passage　of　the　wild
drama　playing　itself　in　his　brain；　and　found　little　support　in　bidding
his　tormentor；　〃Shut　up！〃　　The　retort；　rude　as　it　was；　seemed
insufficient；　but　Boyne　tried　in　vain　to　think　of　something　else。　　He
tried　to　punish　him　by　separating　Lottie　from　him；　but　failed　as　signally
in　that。　　She　went　off　with　him；　and　sat　in　a　windstuhl　facing　his　the
rest　of　the　afternoon；　with　every　effect　of　carrying　on。

Boyne　was　helpless；　with　his　mother　against　it；　when　he　appealed　to　her
to　let　him　go　and　tell　Lottie　that　she　wanted　her。　　Mrs。　Kenton　said　that
she　saw　no　harm　in　it；　that　Ellen　was　sitting　in　like　manner　with　Mr。
Breckon。

〃Mr。　Breckon　is　very　different；　and　Ellen　knows　how　to　behave；〃　he　urged；
but　his　mother　remained　unmoved；　or　was　too　absent　about　something　to
take　any　interest　in　the　matter。　　In　fact；　she　was　again　unhappy　about
Ellen；　though　she　put　on　such　an　air　of　being　easy　about　her。　　Clearly；
so　far　as　her　maternal　surmise　could　fathom　the　case；　Mr。　Breckon　was
more　and　more　interested　in　Ellen；　and　it　was　evident　that　the　child　was
interested　in　him。　　The　situation　was　everything　that　was　acceptable　to
Mrs。　Kenton；　but　she　shuddered　at　the　cloud　which　hung　over　it；　and　which
might　any　moment　involve　it。　　Again　and　again　she　had　made　sure　that
Lottie　had　given　Ellen　no　hint　of　Richard's　ill…advised　vengeance　upon
Bittridge；　but　it　was　not　a　thing　that　could　be　kept　always；　and　the
question　was　whether　it　could　be　kept　till　Ellen　had　accepted　Mr。　Breckon
and　married　him。　　This　was　beyond　the　question　of　his　asking　her　to　do
so；　but　it　was　so　much　more　important　that　Mrs。　Kenton　was　giving　it　her
attention　first；　quite　out　of　the　order　of　time。　　Besides；　she　had　every
reason；　as　she　felt；　to　count　upon　the　event。　　Unless　he　was　trifling
with　Ellen；　far　more　wickedly　than　Bittridge；　he　was　in　love　with　her；
an