the kentons-第4部分

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or　too　tired　for　it；　and　when　he　came　from　his　office　at　night　and　fell
asleep　over　the　book　she　wished　him　to　hear；　she　continued　it　herself；
and　told　him　about　it。　　When　Ellen　began　to　show　the　same　taste；　they
read　together；　and　the　mother　was　not　jealous　when　the　father　betrayed
that　he　was　much　prouder　of　his　daughter's　culture　than　his　wife's。　　She
had　her　own　misgivings　that　she　was　not　so　modern　as　Ellen；　and　she
accepted　her　judgment　in　the　case　of　some　authors　whom　she　did　not　like
so　well。

She　now　went　about　not　only　to　all　the　places　where　she　could　make
Ellen's　amusement　serve　as　an　excuse；　but　to　others　when　she　could　not
coax　or　compel　the　melancholy　girl。　　She　was　as　constant　at　matinees　of
one　kind　as　Boyne　at　another　sort；　she　went　to　the　exhibitions　of
pictures；　and　got　herself　up　in　schools　of　painting；　she　frequented
galleries；　public　and　private；　and　got　asked　to　studio　teas；　she　went　to
meetings　and　conferences　of　aesthetic　interest；　and　she　paid　an　easy　way
to　parlor　lectures　expressive　of　the　vague　but　profound　ferment　in
women's　souls；　from　these　her　presence　in　intellectual　clubs　was　a　simple
and　natural　transition。　　She　met　and　talked　with　interesting　people；　and
now　and　then　she　got　introduced　to　literary　people。　　Once；　in　a　book…
store；　she　stood　next　to　a　gentleman　leaning　over　the　same　counter；　whom
a　salesman　addressed　by　the　name　of　a　popular　author；　and　she　remained
staring　at　him　breathless　till　he　left　the　place。　　When　she　bragged　of
the　prodigious　experience　at　home；　her　husband　defied　her　to　say　how　it
differed　from　meeting　the　lecturers　who　had　been　their　guests　in
Tuskingum；　and　she　answered　that　none　of　them　compared　with　this　author；
and；　besides；　a　lion　in　his　own　haunts　was　very　different　from　a　lion
going　round　the　country　on　exhibition。　　Kenton　thought　that　was　pretty
good；　and　owned　that　she　had　got　him　there。

He　laughed　at　her；　to　the　children；　but　all　the　same　she　believed　that
she　was　living　in　an　atmosphere　of　culture；　and　with　every　breath　she　was
sensible　of　an　intellectual　expansion。　　She　found　herself　in　the
enjoyment　of　so　wide　and　varied　a　sympathy　with　interests　hitherto
strange　to　her　experience　that　she　could　not　easily　make　people　believe
she　had　never　been　to　Europe。　　Nearly　every　one　she　met　had　been　several
times；　and　took　it　for　granted　that　she　knew　the　Continent　as　well　as
they　themselves。

She　denied　it　with　increasing　shame；　she　tried　to　make　Kenton　understand
how　she　felt；　and　she　might　have　gone　further　if　she　had　not　seen　how
homesick　he　was　for　Tuskingum。　　She　did　her　best　to　coax　him　and　scold
him　into　a　share　of　the　pleasure　they　were　all　beginning　to　have　in　New
York。　　She　made　him　own　that　Ellen　herself　was　beginning　to　be　gayer；　she
convinced　him　that　his　business　was　not　suffering　in　his　absence　and　that
he　was　the　better　from　the　complete　rest　he　was　having。　　She　defied　him；
to　say；　then；　what　was　the　matter　with　him；　and　she　bitterly　reproached
herself；　in　the　event；　for　not　having　known　that　it　was　not　homesickness
alone　that　was　the　trouble。　　When　he　was　not　going　about　with　her；　or
doing　something　to　amuse　the　children；　he　went　upon　long；　lonely　walks；
and　came　home　silent　and　fagged。　　He　had　given　up　smoking；　and　he　did　not
care　to　sit　about　in　the　office　of　the　hotel　where　other　old　fellows
passed　the　time　over　their　papers　and　cigars；　in　the　heat　of　the　glowing
grates。　　They　looked　too　much　like　himself；　with　their　air　of
unrecognized　consequence；　and　of　personal　loss　in　an　alien　environment。　
He　knew　from　their　dress　and　bearing　that　they　were　country　people；　and
it　wounded　him　in　a　tender　place　to　realize　that　they　had　each　left
behind　him　in　his　own　town　an　authority　and　a　respect　which　they　could
not　enjoy　in　New　York。　　Nobody　called　them　judge；　or　general；　or　doctor；
or　squire；　nobody　cared　who　they　were；　or　what　they　thought；　Kenton　did
not　care　himself；　but　when　he　missed　one　of　them　he　envied　him；　for　then
he　knew　that　he　had　gone　back　to　the　soft；　warm　keeping　of　his　own
neighborhood；　and　resumed　the　intelligent　regard　of　a　community　he　had
grown　up　with。　　There　were　men　in　New　York　whom　Kenton　had　met　in　former
years；　and　whom　he　had　sometimes　fancied　looking　up；　but　he　did　not　let
them　know　he　was　in　town；　and　then　he　was　hurt　that　they　ignored　him。
He　kept　away　from　places　where　he　was　likely　to　meet　them；　he　thought
that　it　must　have　come　to　them　that　he　was　spending　the　winter　in　New
York；　and　as　bitterly　as　his　nature　would　suffer　he　resented　the
indifference　of　the　Ohio　Society　to　the　presence　of　an　Ohio　man　of　his
local　distinction。　　He　had　not　the　habit　of　clubs；　and　when　one　of　the
pleasant　younger　fellows　whom　he　met　in　the　hotel　offered　to　put　him　up
at　one；　he　shrank　from　the　courtesy　shyly　and　almost　dryly。　　He　had
outlived　the　period　of　active　curiosity；　and　he　did　not　explore　the　city
as　he　world　once　have　done。　　He　had　no　resorts　out　of　the　hotel；　except
the　basements　of　the　secondhand　book…dealers。　　He　haunted　these；　and
picked　up　copies　of　war　histories　and　biographies；　which；　as　fast　as　he
read　them；　he　sent　off　to　his　son　at　Tuskingum；　and　had　him　put　them　away
with　the　documents　for　the　life　of　his　regiment。　　His　wife　could　see；
with　compassion　if　not　sympathy；　that　he　was　fondly　strengthening　by
these　means　the　ties　that　bound　him　to　his　home；　and　she　silently
proposed　to　go　back　to　it　with　him　whenever　he　should　say　the　word。

He　had　a　mechanical　fidelity；　however；　to　their　agreement　that　they
should　stay　till　spring；　and　he　made　no　sign　of　going；　as　the　winter　wore
away　to　its　end；　except　to　write　out　to　Tuskingum　minute　instructions　for
getting　the　garden　ready。　　He　varied　his　visits　to　the　book…stalls　by
conferences　with　seedsmen　at　their　stores；　and　his　wife　could　see　that　he
had　as　keen　a　satisfaction　in　despatching　a　rare　find　from　one　as　from
the　other。

She　forbore　to　make　him　realize　that　the　situation　had　not　changed；　and
that　they　would　be　taking　their　daughter　back　to　the　trouble　the　girl
herself　had　wished　to　escape。　　She　was　trusting；　with　no　definite　hope；
for　some　chance　of　making　him　feel　this；　while　Kenton　was　waiting　with　a
kind　of　passionate　patience　for　the　term　of　his　exile；　when　he　came　in
one　day　in　April　from　one　of　his　long　walks；　and　said　he　had　been　up　to
the　Park　to　see　the　blackbirds。　　But　he　complained　of　being　tired；　and　he
lay　down　on　his　bed。　　He　did　not　get　up　for　dinner；　and　then　it　was　six
weeks　before　he　left　his　room。

He　could　not　remember　that　he　had　ever　been　sick　so　long　before；　and　he
was　so　awed　by　his　suffering；　which　was　severe　but　not　serious；　that　when
his　doctor　said　he　thought　a　voyage　to　Europe　would　be　good　for　him　he
submitted　too　meekly　for　Mrs。　Kenton。　　Her　heart　smote　her　for　her　guilty
joy　in　his　sentence；　and　she　punished　herself　by　asking　if　it　would　not
do　him　more　good　to　get　back　to　the　comfort　and　quiet　of　their　own　house。　
She　went　to　the　length　of　saying　that　she　believed　his　attack　had　been
brought　on　more　by　homesickness　than　anything　else。　　But　the　doctor
agreed　rather　with　her　wish　than　her　word；　and　held　out　that　his
melancholy　was　not　the　cause　but　the　effect　of　his　disorder。　　Then　she
took　courage　and　began　getting　ready　to　go。　　She　did　not　flag　even　in　the
dark　hours　when　Kenton　got　back　his　courage　with　his　returning　strength；
and　scoffed　at　the　notion　of　Europe；　and　insisted　that　as　soon　as　they
were　in　Tuskingum　he　should　be　all　right　again。

She　felt　the　ingratitude；　not　to　say　the　perfidy；　of　his　behavior；　and
she　fortified　herself　indignantly　against　it；　but　it　was　not　her　constant
purpose；　or　the　doctor's　inflexible　opinion；　that　prevailed　with　Kenton
at　last　a　letter　came　one　day　for　Ellen　which　she　showed　to　her　mother；
and　which　her　mother；　with　her　distress　obscurely　relieved　by　a　sense　of
its　powerful　instrumentality；　brought　to　the　girl's　father。　　It　was　from
that　fellow；　as　they　always　called　him；　and　it　asked　of　the　girl　a
hearing　upon　a　certain　point　in　which；　it　had　just　come　to　his　knowledge；
she　had　misjudged　him。　　He　made　no　claim　upon　her；　and　only　urged　his
wish　to　right　himself　with　her　because　she　was　the　one　person　in　the
whole　world；　after　his　mother；　for　whose　good　opinion　he　cared。　　With
some　tawdriness　of　sentiment；　the　letter　was　well　worded；　it　was
professedly　written　for　the　sole　purpose　of　knowing　whether；　when　she
came　back　to　Tuskingum；　she　would　see　him；　and　let　him　prove　to　her　that
he　was　not　wholly　unworthy　of　the　kindness　she　had　shown　him　when　he　was
without　other　friends。

〃What　does　she　say？〃　　the　judge　demanded。

〃What　do　you　suppose？〃　　his　wife　retorted。　　〃She　thinks　she　ought　to　see
him。〃

〃Very　well；　then。　　We　will　go　to　Europe。〃

〃Not　on　my　account！〃　　Mrs。　Kenton　consciously　protested。

〃No；　not　on　your　account；　or　mine；　either。　　On　Nelly's　account。　　Where　is
she？　　I　want　to　talk　with　her。〃

〃And　I　want　to　talk　with　you。　　She's　out；　with　Lottie；　and　when　she　comes
back　I　will　tell　her　what　you　say。　　But　I　want　to　know　what　you　think；
first。〃




III。

It　was　some　time　before　they　arrived　at　a　common　agreement　as　to　what
Kenton　thought；　and　when　t