the kentons-第37部分

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with　Ellen；　far　more　wickedly　than　Bittridge；　he　was　in　love　with　her；
and　in　Mrs。　Kenton's　simple　experience　and　philosophy　of　life；　being　in
love　was　briefly　preliminary　to　marrying。　　If　she　went　with　her　anxieties
to　her　husband；　she　had　first　to　reduce　him　from　a　buoyant　optimism
concerning　the　affair　before　she　could　get　him　to　listen　seriously。
When　this　was　accomplished　he　fell　into　such　despair　that　she　ended　in
lifting　him　up　and　supporting　him　with　hopes　that　she　did　not　feel
herself。　　What　they　were　both　united　in　was　the　conviction　that　nothing
so　good　could　happen　in　the　world；　but　they　were　equally　united　in　the
old　American　tradition　that　they　must　not　lift　a　finger　to　secure　this
supreme　good　for　their　child。

It　did　not　seem　to　them　that　leaving　the　young　people　constantly　to
themselves　was　doing　this。　　They　interfered　with　Ellen　now　neither　more
nor　less　than　they　had　interfered　with　her　as　to　Bittridge；　or　than　they
would　have　interfered　with　her　in　the　case　of　any　one　else。　　She　was
still　to　be　left　entirely　to　herself　in　such　matters；　and　Mrs。　Kenton
would　have　kept　even　her　thoughts　off　her　if　she　could。　　She　would　have
been　very　glad　to　give　her　mind　wholly　to　the　study　of　the　great　events
which　had　long　interested　her　here　in　their　scene；　but　she　felt　that
until　the　conquest　of　Mr。　Breckon　was　secured　beyond　the　hazard　of
Ellen's　morbid　defection　at　the　supreme　moment；　she　could　not　give　her
mind　to　the　history　of　the　Dutch　republic。

〃Don't　bother　me　about　Lottie；　Boyne；〃　she　said。　　I　have　enough　to　think
of　without　your　nonsense。　　If　this　Mr。　Trannel　is　an　American；　that　is
all　that　is　necessary。　　We　are　all　Americans　together；　and　I　don't
believe　it　will　make　remark；　Lottie's　sitting　on　the　beach　with　him。〃

〃I　don't　see　how　he's　different　from　that　Bittridge；〃　said　Boyne。　　〃He
doesn't　care　for　anything；　and　he　plays　the　banjo　just　like　him。〃

Mrs。　Kenton　was　too　troubled　to　laugh。　　She　said；　with　finality；　〃Lottie
can　take　care　of　herself；〃　and　then　she　asked；　〃Boyne；　do　you　know　whom
Ellen's　letters　were　from？〃

〃One　was　from　Bessie　Pearl〃

〃Yes；　she　showed　me　that。　　But　you　don't　know　who　the　other　was　from？〃

〃No；　she　didn't　tell　me。　　You　know　how　close　Ellen　is。〃

〃Yes；〃　the　mother　sighed；　〃she　is　very　odd。〃

Then　she　added；　〃Don't　you　let　her　know　that　I　asked　you　about　her
letters。〃

〃No；〃　said　Boyne。　　His　audience　was　apparently　at　an　end；　but　he　seemed
still　to　have　something　on　his　mind。　　〃Momma；〃　he　began　afresh。

〃Well？〃　she　answered；　a　little　impatiently。

〃Nothing。　　Only　I　got　to　thinking；　Is　a　person　able　to　control　their
their　fancies？〃

〃Fancies　about　what？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　　About　falling　in　love。〃　　Boyne　blushed。

〃Why　do　you　want　to　know？　　You　musn't　think　about　such　things；　a　boy　like
you！　　It's　a　great　pity　that　you　ever　knew　anything　about　that　Bittridge
business。　　It's　made　you　too　bold。　　But　it　seems　to　have　been　meant　to
drag　us　down　and　humiliate　us　in　every　way。〃

〃Well；　I　didn't　try　to　know　anything　about　it；〃　Boyne　retorted。

〃No；　that's　true；〃　his　mother　did　him　the　justice　to　recognize。　　〃Well；
what　is　it　you　want　to　know？〃　　Boyne　was　too　hurt　to　answer　at　once；　and
his　mother　had　to　coax　him　a　little。　　She　did　it　sweetly；　and　apologized
to　him　for　saying　what　she　had　said。　　After　all；　he　was　the　youngest；　and
her　baby　still。　　Her　words　and　caresses　took　effect　at　last；　and　he
stammered　out；　〃Is　everybody　so；　or　is　it　only　the　Kentons　that　seem　to
be　always　puttingwell；　their　affectionswhere　it's　perfectly　useless？〃

His　mother　pushed　him　from　her。　　〃Boyne；　are　you　silly　about　that
ridiculous　old　Miss　Rasmith？〃

〃No！〃　　Boyne　shouted；　savagely；　〃I'm　NOT！〃

〃Who　is　it；　then？〃

〃I　sha'n't　tell　you！〃　　Boyne　said；　and　tears　of　rage　and　shame　came　into
his　eyes。





XXI。

In　his　exile　from　his　kindred；　for　it　came　practically　to　that；　Boyne　was
able　to　add　a　fine　gloom　to　the　state　which　he　commonly　observed　with
himself　when　he　was　not　giving　way　to　his　morbid　fancies　or　his　morbid
fears；　and　breaking　down　in　helpless　subjection　to　the　nearest　member　of
his　household。　　Lottie　was　so　taken　up　with　her　student　that　she　scarcely
quarrelled　with　him　any　more；　and　they　had　no　longer　those　moments　of
union　in　which　they　stood　together　against　the　world。　　His　mother　had
cast　him　off；　as　he　felt；　very　heartlessly；　though　it　was　really　because
she　could　not　give　his　absurdities　due　thought　in　view　of　the　hopeful
seriousness　of　Ellen's　affair；　and　Boyne　was　aware　that　his　father　at　the
best　of　times　was　ignorant　of　him　when　he　was　not　impatient　of　him。　
These　were　not　the　best　of　times　with　Judge　Kenton；　and　Boyne　was　not　the
first　object　of　his　impatience。　　In　the　last　analysis　he　was　living　until
he　could　get　home；　and　so　largely　in　the　hope　of　this　that　his　wife　at
times　could　scarcely　keep　him　from　taking　some　step　that　would　decide　the
matter　between　Ellen　and　Breckon　at　once。　　They　were　tacitly　agreed　that
they　were　waiting　for　nothing　else；　and；　without　making　their　agreement
explicit；　she　was　able　to　quell　him　by　asking　what　he　expected　to　do　in
case　there　was　nothing　between　them？　　Was　he　going　to　take　the　child　back
to　Tuskingum；　which　was　the　same　as　taking　her　back　to　Bittridge？　it　hurt
her　to　confront　him　with　this　question；　and　she　tried　other　devices　for
staying　and　appeasing　him。　　She　begged　him　now；　seeing　Boyne　so　forlorn；
and　hanging　about　the　hotel　alone；　or　moping　over　those　ridiculous　books
of　his；　to　go　off　with　the　boy　somewhere　and　see　the　interesting　places
within　such　easy　reach；　like　Leyden　and　Delft　if　he　cared　nothing　for　the
place　where　William　the　Silent　was　shot；　he　ought　to　see　the　place　that
the　Pilgrims　started　from。　　She　had　counted　upon　doing　those　places
herself；　with　her　husband；　and　it　was　in　a　sacrifice　of　her　ideal　that
she　now　urged　him　to　go　with　Boyne。　　But　her　preoccupation　with　Ellen's
affair　forbade　her　self…abandon　to　those　high　historical　interests　to
which　she　urged　his　devotion。　She　might　have　gone　with　him　and　Boyne；　but
then　she　must　have　left　the　larger　half　of　her　divided　mind　with　Ellen；
not　to　speak　of　Lottie；　who　refused　to　be　a　party　to　any　such　excursion。　
Mrs。　Kenton　felt　the　disappointment　and　grieved　at　it；　but　not　without
hope　of　repairing　it　later；　and　she　did　not　cease　from　entreating　the
judge　to　do　what　he　could　at　once　towards　fulfilling　the　desires　she
postponed。　Once　she　prevailed　with　him；　and　really　got　him　and　Boyne　off
for　a　day；　but　they　came　back　early；　with　signs　of　having　bored　each
other　intolerably；　and　after　that　it　was　Boyne；　as　much　as　his　father；
who　relucted　from　joint　expeditions。　　Boyne　did　not　so　much　object　to
going　alone；　and　his　father　said　it　was　best　to　let　him；　though　his
mother　had　her　fears　for　her　youngest。　　He　spent　a　good　deal　of　his　time
on　the　trams　between　Scheveningen　and　The　Hague；　and　he　was　understood　to
have　explored　the　capital　pretty　thoroughly。　　In　fact；　he　did　go　about
with　a　valet　de　place；　whom　he　got　at　a　cheap　rate；　and　with　whom　he
conversed　upon　the　state　of　the　country　and　its　political　affairs。　　The
valet　said　that　the　only　enemy　that　Holland　could　fear　was　Germany；　but
an　invasion　from　that　quarter　could　be　easily　repulsed　by　cutting　the
dikes　and　drowning　the　invaders。　　The　sea；　he　taught　Boyne；　was　the　great
defence　of　Holland；　and　it　was　a　waste　of　money　to　keep　such　an　army　as
the　Dutch　had；　but　neither　the　sea　nor　the　sword　could　drive　out　the
Germans　if　once　they　insidiously　married　a　Prussian　prince　to　the　Dutch
Queen。

There　seemed　to　be　no　getting　away　from　the　Queen；　for　Boyne。　　The　valet
not　only　talked　about　her；　as　the　pleasantest　subject　which　he　could
find；　but　he　insisted　upon　showing　Boyne　all　her　palaces。　　He　took　him
into　the　Parliament　house；　and　showed　him　where　she　sat　while　the　queen…
mother　read　the　address　from　the　throne。　　He　introduced　him　at　a　bazar
where　the　shop…girl　who　spoke　English　better　than　Boyne；　or　at　least
without　the　central　Ohio　accent；　wanted　to　sell　him　a　miniature　of　the
Queen　on　porcelain。　　She　said　the　Queen　was　such　a　nice　girl；　and　she　was
herself　such　a　nice　girl　that　Boyne　blushed　a　little　in　looking　at　her。　
He　bought　the　miniature；　and　then　he　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　it；　if
any　of　the　family；　if　Lottie；　found　out　that　he　had　it；　or　that　Trannel；
he　should　have　no　peace　any　more。　He　put　it　in　his　pocket；　provisionally；
and　when　he　came　giddily　out　of　the　shop　he　felt　himself　taken　by　the
elbow　and　placed　against　the　wall　by　the　valet；　who　said　the　queens　were
coming。　　They　drove　down　slowly　through　the　crowded；　narrow　street；
bowing　right　and　left　to　the　people　flattened　against　the　shops；　and
again　Boyne　saw　her　so　near　that　he　could　have　reached　out　his　hand　and
almost　touched　hers。

The　consciousness　of　this　was　so　strong　in　him　that　he　wondered　whether
he　had　not　tried　to　do　so。　　If　he　had　he　would　have　been　arrested
he　knew　that；　and　so　he　knew　that　he　had　not　done　it。　　He　knew　that　he
imagined　doing　so　because　it　would　be　so　awful　to　have　done　it；　and　he
imagined　being　in　love　with　her　because　it　would　be　so　frantic。　　At　the
same　time　he　dramati