tales of trail and town-第21部分

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dear；　and　we'll　have　a　long　talk。〃　　Helen　pointed　out　hesitatingly

that　she　was　practically　a　guest　of　the　de　Laines。　　〃Ah；　well；

that's　true；　my　dear；　then　you　may　bring　one　of　them　with　you。〃



Helen　went　to　the　luncheon；　but　was　unaccompanied。　　She　had　a　long

talk　with　the　dowager。　　〃I　am　not　rich；　my　dear；　like　your　friends；

and　cannot　afford　to　pay　ten　napoleons　for　a　song。　　Like　you　I　have

seen　'better　days。'　　But　this　is　no　place　for　you；　child；　and　if

you　can　bear　with　an　old　woman's　company　for　a　while　I　think　I　can

find　you　something　to　do。〃　　That　evening　Helen　left　for　England

with　the　duchess；　a　piece　of　〃ingratitude；　indelicacy；　and

shameless　snobbery；〃　which　Miss　de　Laine　was　never　weary　of

dilating　upon。　　〃And　to　think　I　introduced　her；　though　she　was　a

professional！〃



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



It　was　three　years　after。　　Paris；　reviving　under　the　republic；　had

forgotten　Helen　and　the　American　colony；　and　the　American　colony；

emigrating　to　more　congenial　courts；　had　forgotten　Paris。



It　was　a　bleak　day　of　English　summer　when　Helen；　standing　by　the

window　of　the　breakfast…room　at　Hamley　Court；　and　looking　over　the

wonderful　lawn；　kept　perennially　green　by　humid　English　skies；

heard　the　practical；　masculine　voice　of　the　duchess　in　her　ear　at

the　same　moment　that　she　felt　the　gentle　womanly　touch　of　her　hand

on　her　shoulder。



〃We　are　going　to　luncheon　at　Moreland　Hall　to…day；　my　dear。〃



〃Why；　we　were　there　only　last　week！〃　said　Helen。



〃Undoubtedly；〃　returned　the　duchess　dryly；　〃and　we　may　luncheon

there　next　week　and　the　next　following。　　And；〃　she　added；　looking

into　her　companion's　gray　eyes；　〃it　rests　with　YOU　to　stay　there　if

you　choose。〃



Helen　stared　at　her　protector。



〃My　dear；〃　continued　the　duchess；　slipping　her　arm　around　Helen's

waist；　〃Sir　James　has　honored　MEas　became　my　relations　to　YOU

with　his　confidences。　　As　you　haven't　given　me　YOURS　I　suppose　you

have　none；　and　that　I　am　telling　you　news　when　I　say　that　Sir　James

wishes　to　marry　you。〃



The　unmistakable　astonishment　in　the　girl's　eye　satisfied　the

duchess　even　before　her　voice。



〃But　he　scarcely　knows　me　or　anything　of　me！〃　said　the　young　girl

quickly。



〃On　the　contrary；　my　dear；　he　knows　EVERYTHING　about　you。　　I　have

been　particular　in　telling　him　all　I　knowand　some　things　even　YOU

don't　know　and　couldn't　tell　him。　　For　instance；　that　you　are　a

very　nice　person。　　Come；　my　dear；　don't　look　so　stupefied；　or　I

shall　really　think　there's　something　in　it　that　I　don't　know。　　It's

not　a　laughing　nor　a　crying　matter　yetat　present　it's　only

luncheon　again　with　a　civil　man　who　has　three　daughters　and　a　place

in　the　county。　　Don't　make　the　mistake；　however；　of　refusing　him

before　he　offerswhatever　you　do　afterwards。〃



〃But〃stammered　Helen。



〃Butyou　are　going　to　say　that　you　don't　love　him　and　have　never

thought　of　him　as　a　husband；〃　interrupted　the　duchess；　〃I　read　it

in　your　face；and　it's　a　very　proper　thing　to　say。〃



〃It　is　so　unexpected；〃　urged　Helen。



〃Everything　is　unexpected　from　a　man　in　these　matters；〃　said　the

duchess。　　〃We　women　are　the　only　ones　that　are　prepared。〃



〃But；〃　persisted　Helen；　〃if　I　don't　want　to　marry　at　all？〃



〃I　should　say；　then；　that　it　is　a　sign　that　you　ought；　if　you　were

eager；　my　dear；　I　should　certainly　dissuade　you。〃　　She　paused；　and

then　drawing　Helen　closer　to　her；　said；　with　a　certain　masculine

tenderness；　〃As　long　as　I　live；　dear；　you　know　that　you　have　a　home

here。　　But　I　am　an　old　woman　living　on　the　smallest　of　settlements。

Death　is　as　inevitable　to　me　as　marriage　should　be　to　you。〃



Nevertheless；　they　did　not　renew　the　conversation；　and　later

received　the　greetings　of　their　host　at　Moreland　Hall　with　a

simplicity　and　frankness　that　were；　however；　perfectly　natural　and

unaffected　in　both　women。　　Sir　James；a　tall；　well…preserved　man

of　middle　age；　with　the　unmistakable　bearing　of　long　years　of

recognized　and　unchallenged　position；however；　exhibited　on　this

occasion　that　slight　consciousness　of　weakness　and　susceptibility

to　ridicule　which　is　apt　to　indicate　the　invasion　of　the　tender

passion　in　the　heart　of　the　average　Briton。　　His　duty　as　host

towards　the　elder　woman　of　superior　rank；　however；　covered　his

embarrassment；　and　for　a　moment　left　Helen　quite　undisturbed　to

gaze　again　upon　the　treasures　of　the　long　drawing…room　of　Moreland

Hall　with　which　she　was　already　familiar。　　There　were　the　half…

dozen　old　masters；　whose　respectability　had　been　as　recognized

through　centuries　as　their　owner's　ancestors；　there　were　the

ancestors　themselves；wigged；　ruffled；　and　white…handed；　by

Vandyke；　Lely；　Romney；　and　Gainsborough；　there　were　the　uniform；

expressionless　ancestresses　in　stiff　brocade　or　short…waisted；

clinging　draperies；　but　all　possessing　that　brilliant　coloring

which　the　gray　skies　outside　lacked；　and　which　seemed　to　have

departed　from　the　dresses　of　their　descendants。　　The　American　girl

had　sometimes　speculated　upon　what　might　have　been　the　appearance

of　the　lime…tree　walk；　dotted　with　these　gayly　plumaged　folk；　and

wondered　if　the　tyranny　of　environment　had　at　last　subdued　their

brilliant　colors。　　And　a　new　feeling　touched　her。　　Like　most　of　her

countrywomen；　she　was　strongly　affected　by　the　furniture　of　life；

the　thought　that　all　that　she　saw　there　MIGHT　BE　HERS；　that　she

might　yet　stand　in　succession　to　these　strange　courtiers　and

stranger　shepherdesses；　and；　like　them；　look　down　from　the　canvas

upon　the　intruding　foreigner；　thrilled　her　for　a　moment　with　a

half…proud；　half…passive　sense　of　yielding　to　what　seemed　to　be　her

fate。　　A　narrow…eyed；　stiff…haired　Dutch　maid　of　honor　before　whom

she　was　standing　gazed　at　her　with　staring　vacancy。　　Suddenly　she

started。　　Before　the　portrait　upon　a　fanciful　easel　stood　a　small

elaborately　framed　sketch　in　oils。　　It　was　evidently　some　recently

imported　treasure。　　She　had　not　seen　it　before。　　As　she　moved

quickly　forward；　she　recognized　at　a　glance　that　it　was　Ostrander's

sketch　from　the　Paris　grenier。



The　wall；　the　room；　the　park　beyond；　even　the　gray　sky；　seemed　to

fade　away　before　her。　　She　was　standing　once　more　at　her　attic

window　looking　across　the　roofs　and　chimney　stacks　upward　to　the

blue　sky　of　Paris。　　Through　a　gap　in　the　roofs　she　could　see　the

chestnut…trees　trilling　in　the　little　square；　she　could　hear　the

swallows　twittering　in　the　leaden　troughs　of　the　gutter　before　her；

the　call　of　the　chocolate　vender　or　the　cry　of　a　gamin　floated　up

to　her　from　the　street　below；　or　the　latest　song　of　the　cafe

chantant　was　whistled　by　the　blue…bloused　workman　on　the

scaffolding　hard　by。　　The　breath　of　Paris；　of　youth；　of　blended

work　and　play；　of　ambition；　of　joyous　freedom；　again　filled　her　and

mingled　with　the　scent　of　the　mignonette　that　used　to　stand　on　the

old　window…ledge。



〃I　am　glad　you　like　it。　　I　have　only　just　put　it　up。〃



It　was　the　voice　of　Sir　Jamesa　voice　that　had　regained　a　little

of　its　naturalnessa　calm；　even　lazy　English　voiceconfident　from

the　experience　of　years　of　respectful　listeners。　　Yet　it　somehow

jarred　upon　her　nerves　with　its　complacency　and　its　utter

incongruousness　to　her　feelings。　　Nevertheless；　the　impulse　to　know

more　about　the　sketch　was　the　stronger。



〃Do　you　mean　you　have　just　bought　it？〃　asked　Helen。　　〃It's　not

English？〃



〃No；〃　said　Sir　James；　gratified　with　his　companion's　interest。　　〃I

bought　it　in　Paris　just　after　the　Commune。〃



〃From　the　artist？〃　continued　Helen；　in　a　slightly　constrained

voice。



〃No；〃　said　Sir　James；　〃although　I　knew　the　poor　chap　well　enough。

You　can　easily　see　that　he　was　once　a　painter　of　great　promise。　　I

rather　think　it　was　stolen　from　him　while　he　was　in　hospital　by

those　incendiary　wretches。　　I　recognized　it；　however；　and　bought

for　a　few　francs　from　them　what　I　would　have　paid　HIM　a　thousand

for。〃



〃In　hospital？〃　repeated　Helen　dazedly。



〃Yes；〃　said　Sir　James。　　〃The　fact　is　it　was　the　ending　of　the　usual

Bohemian　artist's　life。　　Though　in　this　case　the　man　was　a　real

artist；and　I　believe；　by　the　way；　was　a　countryman　of　yours。〃



〃In　hospital？〃　again　repeated　Helen。　　〃Then　he　was　poor？〃



〃Reckless；　I　should　rather　say；　he　threw　himself　into　the　fighting

before　Paris　and　was　badly　wounded。　　But　it　was　all　the　result　of

the　usual　love　affairthe　girl；　they　say；　ran　off　with　the　usual

richer　man。　　At　all　events；　it　ruined　him　for　painting；　he　never

did　anything　worth　having　afterwards。〃



〃And　now？〃　said　Helen　in　the　same　unmoved　voice。



Sir　James　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃He　disappeared。　　Probably　he'll

turn　up　some　day　on　the　London　pavementwith　chalks。　　That　sketch；

by　the　way；　was　one　that　had　always　attracted　me　to　his　studio

though　he　never　would　part　with　it。　　I　rather　fancy；　don't　you

know；　that　the　girl　had　something　to　do　with　it。　　It's　a

wonderfully