友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
读书室 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

the twins of table mountain-第21部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!

adopted son of the prospective head of the household; whose
culture; manners; and general elegance; fascinated and thrilled
Boston with a new sensation。  It seemed to many that Miss Alice
should; in the vicinity of this rare exotic; forget her former
enthusiasm for a professional life; but the young man was pitied by
society; and various plans for diverting him from any mesalliance
with the Rightbody family were concocted。

It was a wintry night; and the second anniversary of Mr。 Rightbody's
death; that a light was burning in his library。  But the dead man's
chair was occupied by young Mr。 Ryder; adopted son of the new
proprietor of the mansion; and before him stood Alice; with her dark
eyes fixed on the table。

〃There must have been something in it; Joe; believe me。  Did you
never hear your father speak of mine?〃

〃Never。〃

〃But you say he was college…bred; and born a gentleman; and in his
youth he must have had many friends。〃

〃Alice;〃 said the young man gravely; 〃when I have done something to
redeem my name; and wear it again before these people; before YOU;
it would be well to revive the past。  But till then〃

But Alice was not to be put down。  〃I remember;〃 she went on;
scarcely heeding him; 〃that; when I came in that night; papa was
reading a letter; and seemed to be disconcerted。〃

〃A letter?〃

〃Yes; but;〃 added Alice; with a sigh; 〃when we found him here
insensible; there was no letter on his person。  He must have
destroyed it。〃

〃Did you ever look among his papers?  If found; it might be a
clew。〃

The young man glanced toward the cabinet。  Alice read his eyes; and
answered;

〃Oh; dear; no!  The cabinet contained only his papers; all
perfectly arranged;you know how methodical were his habits;and
some old business and private letters; all carefully put away。〃

〃Let us see them;〃 said the young man; rising。

They opened drawer after drawer; files upon files of letters and
business papers; accurately folded and filed。  Suddenly Alice
uttered a little cry; and picked up a quaint ivory paper…knife
lying at the bottom of a drawer。

〃It was missing the next day; and never could be found: he must
have mislaid it here。  This is the drawer;〃 said Alice eagerly。

Here was a clew。  But the lower part of the drawer was filled with
old letters; not labelled; yet neatly arranged in files。  Suddenly
he stopped; and said; 〃Put them back; Alice; at once。〃

〃Why?〃

〃Some of these letters are in my father's handwriting。〃

〃The more reason why I should see them;〃 said the girl imperatively。
〃Here; you take part; and I'll take part; and we'll get through
quicker。〃

There was a certain decision and independence in her manner which
he had learned to respect。  He took the letters; and in silence
read them with her。  They were old college letters; so filled with
boyish dreams; ambitions; aspirations; and utopian theories; that I
fear neither of these young people even recognized their parents in
the dead ashes of the past。  They were both grave; until Alice
uttered a little hysterical cry; and dropped her face in her hands。
Joe was instantly beside her。

〃It's nothing; Joe; nothing。  Don't read it; please; please; don't。
It's so funny! it's so very queer!〃

But Joe had; after a slight; half…playful struggle; taken the
letter from the girl。  Then he read aloud the words written by his
father thirty years ago。

〃I thank you; dear friend; for all you say about my wife and boy。
I thank you for reminding me of our boyish compact。  He will be
ready to fulfil it; I know; if he loves those his father loves;
even if you should marry years later。  I am glad for your sake; for
both our sakes; that it is a boy。  Heaven send you a good wife;
dear Adams; and a daughter; to make my son equally happy。〃

Joe Silsbie looked down; took the half…laughing; half…tearful face
in his hands; kissed her forehead; and; with tears in his grave
eyes; said; 〃Amen!〃

        。        。        。        。        。        。

I am inclined to think that this sentiment was echoed heartily by
Mrs。 Rightbody's former acquaintances; when; a year later; Miss
Alice was united to a professional gentleman of honor and renown;
yet who was known to be the son of a convicted horse…thief。  A few
remembered the previous Californian story; and found corroboration
therefor; but a majority believed it a just reward to Miss Alice
for her conduct to Mr。 Marvin; and; as Miss Alice cheerfully
accepted it in that light; I do not see why I may not end my story
with happiness to all concerned。



A LEGEND OF SAMMTSTADT。


It was the sacred hour of noon at Sammtstadt。  Everybody was at
dinner; and the serious Kellner of 〃Der Wildemann〃 glanced in mild
reproach at Mr。 James Clinch; who; disregarding that fact and the
invitatory table d'hote; stepped into the street。  For Mr。 Clinch
had eaten a late breakfast at Gladbach; was dyspeptic and American;
and; moveover; preoccupied with business。  He was consequently
indignant; on entering the garden…like court and cloister…like
counting…house of 〃Von Becheret; Sons; Uncles; and Cousins;〃 to
find the comptoir deserted even by the porter; and was furious at
the maidservant; who offered the sacred shibboleth 〃Mittagsessen〃
as a reasonable explanation of the solitude。  〃A country;〃 said Mr。
Clinch to himself; 〃that stops business at mid…day to go to dinner;
and employs women…servants to talk to business…men; is played out。〃

He stepped from the silent building into the equally silent
Kronprinzen Strasse。  Not a soul to be seen anywhere。  Rows on rows
of two…storied; gray…stuccoed buildings that might be dwellings; or
might be offices; all showing some traces of feminine taste and
supervision in a flower or a curtain that belied the legended
〃Comptoir;〃 or 〃Direction;〃 over their portals。  Mr。 Clinch thought
of Boston and State Street; of New York and Wall Street; and became
coldly contemptuous。

Yet there was clearly nothing to do but to walk down the formal
rows of chestnuts that lined the broad Strasse; and then walk back
again。  At the corner of the first cross…street he was struck with
the fact that two men who were standing in front of a dwelling…
house appeared to be as inconsistent; and out of proportion to the
silent houses; as were the actors on a stage to the painted canvas
thoroughfares before which they strutted。  Mr。 Clinch usually had
no fancies; had no eye for quaintness; besides; this was not a
quaint nor romantic district; only an entrepot for silks and
velvets; and Mr。 Clinch was here; not as a tourist; but as a
purchaser。  The guidebooks had ignored Sammtstadt; and he was too
good an American to waste time in looking up uncatalogued
curiosities。  Besides; he had been here once before;an entire
day!

One o'clock。  Still a full hour and a half before his friend would
return to business。  What should he do?  The Verein where he had
once been entertained was deserted even by its waiters; the garden;
with its ostentatious out…of…door tables; looked bleak and bare。
Mr。 Clinch was not artistic in his tastes; but even he was quick to
detect the affront put upon Nature by this continental; theatrical
gardening; and turned disgustedly away。  Born near a 〃lake〃 larger
than the German Ocean; he resented a pool of water twenty…five feet
in diameter under that alluring title; and; a frequenter of the
Adirondacks; he could scarce contain himself over a bit of rock…
work twelve feet high。  〃A country;〃 said Mr。 Clinch; 〃that〃 but
here he remembered that he had once seen in a park in his native
city an imitation of the Drachenfels in plaster; on a scale of two
inches to the foot; and checked his speech。

He turned into the principal allee of the town。  There was a long
white building at one end;the Bahnhof: at the other end he
remembered a dye…house。  He had; a year ago; met its hospitable
proprietor: he would call upon him now。

But the same solitude confronted him as he passed the porter's
lodge beside the gateway。  The counting…house; half villa; half
factory; must have convoked its humanity in some out…of…the…way
refectory; for the halls and passages were tenantless。  For the
first time he began to be impressed with a certain foreign
quaintness in the surroundings; he found himself also recalling
something he had read when a boy; about an enchanted palace whose
inhabitants awoke on the arrival of a long…predestined Prince。  To
assure himself of the absolute ridiculousness of this fancy; he
took from his pocket the business…card of its proprietor; a sample
of dye; and recalled his own personality in a letter of credit。
Having dismissed this idea from his mind; he lounged on again
through a rustic lane that might have led to a farmhouse; yet was
still; absurdly enough; a part of the factory gardens。  Crossing a
ditch by a causeway; he presently came to another ditch and another
causeway; and then found himself idly contemplating a massive; ivy…
clad; venerable brick wall。  As a mere wall it might not have
attracted his attention; but it seemed to enter and bury itself at
right angles in the side…wall of a quite modern…looking dwelling。
After satisfying himself of this fact; he passed o
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 2
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!