the man between-第6部分

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〃One　thing；　girls；　amazes　meit　is　how　readily　women　go　to　church　and　promise　to　love；　honor；　and　obey　their　husbands；　when　they　never　intend　to　do　anything　of　the　kind。〃

〃There　is　a　still　more　amazing　thing；　Madam；〃　answered　Ruth；　〃that　is　that　men　should　be　so　foolish　as　to　think；　or　hope；　they　perhaps　might　do　so。〃

〃Old…fashioned　women　used　to　manage　it　some　way　or　other；　Ruth。　But　the　old…fashioned　woman　was　a　very　soft…hearted　creature；　and；　maybe；　it　was　just　as　well　that　she　was。〃

〃But　Woman's　Dark　Ages　are　nearly　over；　Madam；　and　is　not　the　New　Woman　a　great　improvement　on　the　Old　Woman？〃

〃I　haven't　made　up　my　mind　yet；　Ruth；　about　the　New　Woman。　I　notice　one　thing　that　a　few　of　the　new　kind　have　got　into　their　pretty　heads；　and　that　is；　that　they　ought　to　have　been　men；　and　they　have　followed　up　that　idea　so　far　that　there　is　now　very　little　difference　in　their　looks；　and　still　less　in　their　walk；　they　go　stamping　along　with　the　step　of　an　athlete　and　the　stride　of　a　peasant　on　fresh　plowed　fields。　It　is　the　most　hideous　of　walks　imaginable。　The　Grecian　bend；　which　you　cannot　remember；　but　may　have　heard　of；　was　a　lackadaisical；　vulgar　walking　fad；　but　it　was　grace　itself　compared　with　the　hideous　stride　which　the　New　Woman　has　acquired　on　the　golf　links　or　somewhere　else。〃

〃But　men　stamp　and　stride　in　the　same　way；　grandmother。〃

〃A　long　stride　suits　a　man's　anatomy　well　enough；　it　does　not　suit　a　woman'sshe　feels　every　stride　she　takes；　I'll　warrant　her。〃

〃If　she　plays　golf〃

〃My　dear　Ethel；　there　is　no　need　for　her　to　play　golf。　It　is　a　man's　game　and　was　played　for　centuries　by　men　only。　In　Scotland；　the　home　of　golf；　it　was　not　thought　nice　for　women　to　even　go　to　the　links；　because　of　the　awful　language　they　were　likely　to　hear。〃

〃Then；　grandmother；　is　it　not　well　for　ladies　to　play　golf　if　it　keeps　men　from　using　‘awful　language'　to　each　other）〃

〃God　love　you；　child！　Men　will　think　what　they　dare　not　speak。〃

〃If　we　could　only　have　some　new　men！〃　sighed　Ethel。　〃The　lover　of　to…day　is　just　what　a　girl　can　pick　up；　he　has　no　wit　and　no　wisdom　and　no　illusions。　He　talks　of　his　muscles　and　smells　of　cigarettesperhaps　of　whisky〃and　at　these　words；　Judge　Rawdon；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Fred　Mostyn；　entered　the　room。

The　introductions　slipped　over　easily；　they　hardly　seemed　to　be　necessary；　and　the　young　man　took　the　chair　offered　as　naturally　as　if　he　had　sat　by　the　hearth　all　his　life。　There　was　no　pause　and　no　embarrassment　and　no　useless　polite　platitudes；　and　Ethel's　first　feeling　about　her　kinsman　was　one　of　admiration　for　the　perfect　ease　and　almost　instinctive　at…homeness　with　which　he　took　his　place。　He　had　come　to　his　own　and　his　own　had　received　him；　that　was　the　situation；　a　very　pleasant　one；　which　he　accepted　with　the　smiling　trust　that　was　at　once　the　most　perfect　and　polite　of　acknowledgments。

〃So　you　do　not　enjoy　traveling？〃　said　Judge　Rawdon　as　if　continuing　a　conversation。

〃I　think　it　the　most　painful　way　of　taking　pleasure；　sirthat　is　the　actual　transit。　And　sleeping　cars　and　electric…lighted　steamers　and　hotels　do　not　mitigate　the　suffering。　If　Dante　was　writing　now　he　might　depict　a　constant　round　of　personally　conducted　tours　in　Purgatory。　I　should　think　the　punishment　adequate　for　any　offense。　But　I　like　arriving　at　places。　New　York　has　given　me　a　lot　of　new　sensations　to…day；　and　I　have　forgotten　the　transit　troubles　already。〃

He　talked　well　and　temperately；　and　yet　Ethel　could　not　avoid　the　conclusion　that　he　was　a　man　of　positive　character　and　uncompromising　prejudices。　And　she　also　felt　a　little　disappointed　in　his　personality；　which　contradicted　her　ideal　of　a　Yorkshire　squire。　For　he　was　small　and　slender　in　stature；　and　his　face　was　keen　and　thin；　from　the　high　cheek　bones　to　the　sharp　point　of　the　clean…　shaven　chin。　Yet　it　was　an　interesting　face；　for　the　brows　were　broad　and　the　eyes　bright　and　glancing。　That　his　nature　held　the　op…　posite　of　his　qualities　was　evident　from　the　mouth；　which　was　composed　and　discreet　and　generally　clothed　with　a　frank　smile；　negatived　by　the　deep；　sonorous　voice　which　belongs　to　the　indiscreet　and　quarrelsome。　His　dress　was　perfect。　Ethel　could　find　no　fault　in　it；　except　the　monocle　which　he　did　not　use　once　during　the　evening；　and　which　she　therefore　decided　was　a　quite　idle　and　unhandsome　adjunct。

One　feature　of　his　character　was　definite　he　was　a　home…loving　man。　He　liked　the　society　of　women　with　whom　he　could　be　familiar；　and　he　preferred　the　company　of　books　and　music　to　fashionable　social　functions。　This　pleasant　habit　of　domesticity　was　illustrated　during　the　evening　by　an　accidental　incident　a　noisy；　mechanical　street　organ　stopped　before　the　windows；　and　in　a　blatant　manner　began　its　performance。　Conversation　was　paralyzed　by　the　intrusion　and　when　it　was　removed　Judge　Rawdon　said：　〃What　a　democratic；　leveling；　aggressive　thing　music　is！　It　insists　on　being　heard。　It　is　always　in　the　way；　it　thrusts　itself　upon　you；　whether　you　want　it　or　not。　Now　art　is　different。　You　go　to　see　pictures　when　you　wish　to。〃

Mostyn　did　not　notice　the　criticism　on　music　itself；　but　added　in　a　soft；　disapproving　way：　〃That　man　has　no　music　in　him。　Do　you　know　that　was　one　of　Mendelssohn's　delicious　dreams。　This　is　how　it　should　have　been　rendered；〃　and　he　went　impulsively　to　the　piano　and　then　the　sweet　monotonous　cadences　and　melodious　reveries　slipped　from　his　long　white　fingers　till　the　whole　room　was　permeated　with　a　delicious　sense　of　moonlit　solitude　and　conversation　was　stilled　in　its　languor。　The　young　man　had　played　his　own　dismissal；　but　it　was　an　effective　one；　and　he　complimented　himself　on　his　readiness　to　seize　opportunities　for　display；　and　on　his　genius　in　satisfying　them。

〃I　think　I　astonished　them　a　little；〃　he　mused；　〃and　I　wonder　what　that　pretty；　cousin　of　mine　thought　of　the　music　and　the　musician。　I　fancy　we　shall　be　good　friends；　she　is　proudthat　is　no　fault；　and　she　has　very　decided　opinionswhich　might　be　a　great　fault；　but　I　think　I　rather　astonished　them。〃

To　such　reflections　he　stepped　rather　pompously　down　the　avenue；　not　at　all　influenced　by　any　premonition　that　his　satisfactory　feelings　might　be　imperfectly　shared。　Yet　silence　was　the　first　result　of　his　departure。　Judge　Rawdon　took　out　his　pocketbook　and　began　to　study　its　entries。　Ruth　Bayard　rose　and　closed　the　piano。　Ethel　lifted　a　magazine；　while　it　was　Madam　who　finally　asked　in　an　impatient　tone：

〃What　do　you　think　of　Frederick？　I　suppose；　Edward；　you　have　an　opinion。　Isn't　he　a　very　clever　man？〃

〃I　should　not　wonder　if　he　were；　mother；　clever　to　a　fault。〃

〃I　never　heard　a　young　man　talk　better。〃

〃He　talked　a　great　deal；　but　then；　you　know；　he　was　not　on　his　oath。〃

〃I'll　warrant　every　word　he　said。〃

〃Your　warrant　is　fine　surety；　mother；　but　I　am　not　bound　to　believe　all　I　hear。　You　women　can　please　yourselves。〃

And　with　these　words　he　left　the　women　to　find　out；　if　they　could；　what　manner　of　man　their　newly…found　kinsman　might　be。

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CHAPTER　III

ONE　of　the　most　comfortable　things　about　Frederick　Mostyn　was　his　almost　boyish　delight　in　the　new　life　which　New　York　opened　to　him。　Every　phase　of　it　was　so　fresh；　so　unusual；　that　his　Yorkshire　existence　at　Mostyn　Hall　gave　him　no　precedents　and　no　experiences　by　which　to　measure　events。　The　simplest　things　were　surprising　or　interesting。　He　was　never　weary　of　taking　those　exciting　〃lifts〃　to　the　top　of　twenty…three　story　buildings　and　admiring　the　wonderful　views　such　altitudes　gave　him。　He　did　not　perhaps　comprehend　how　much　he　was　influenced　by　the　friction　of　two　million　wills　and　interests；　did　not　realize　how　they　evoked　an　electric　condition　that　got　behind　the　foreground　of　existence　and　stirred　something　more　at　the　roots　of　his　being　than　any　previous　experience　had　ever　done。　And　this　feeling　was　especially　entrancing　when　he　saw　the　great　city　and　majestic　river　lying　at　his　feet　in　the　white；　uncanny　light　of　electricity；　all　its　color　gone；　its　breath　cold；　its　life　strangely　remote　and　quiet；　men　moving　like　shadows；　and　sounds　hollow　and　faint　and　far　off；　as　if　they　came　from　a　distant　world。　It　gave　him　a　sense　of　dreamland　quite　as　much　as　that　of　reality。　The　Yorkshire　moors　and　words　grew　dull　and　dreary　in　his　memory；　even　the　thought　of　the　hunting　field　could　not　lure　his　desire。　New　York　was　full　of　marvelous　novelties；　its　daily　routine；　even　in　the　hotel　and　on　the　streets；　gripped　his　heart　and　his　imagination；　and　he　confessed　to　himself　that　New　York　was　life　at　first　hand；　fresh　drawn；　its　very　foam　sparkling　and　intoxicating。　He　walked　from　the　Park　to　the　Battery　and　examined　all　that　caught　his　eye。　He　had　a　history　of　the　city　and　sought　out　every　historical　site；　he　even　went　over　to　Weehawken；　and　did　his　best　to　locate　the　spot　where　Burr　and　Hamilton　fought。　He　admired　Hamilton；　but　after　reading　all　about　the　two　men；　gave　his　sympathy　to　Burr；　〃a　clever；　unlucky　little　chap；〃　he　said。　〃Why　do　clever　men　hate　each　other？〃　and　then　he　smiled　queerly　as　he　remembered　political　enemies　of　great　men　in　his　own　day　and　his　own　country；　and　concluded　that　〃it　was　their　nature　to　do　so。〃

But　in　th