an open-eyed conspiracy-第7部分

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brilliant　in　fashionable　society　was　to　be　seen　there　some　time
during　the　summer。　　I　think　that　I　failed　in　this；　but　apparently　I
succeeded　in　giving　them　an　evening　of　dazzling　splendour。

〃Well；　sir；　this　has　been　a　great　treat；〃　said　Mr。　Deering；　when　he
bade　us　goodbye　as　well　as　good…night；　he　was　going　early　in　the
morning。

The　ladies　murmured　their　gratitude；　Mrs。　Deering　with　an　emotion
that　suited　her　thanks；　and　Miss　Gage　with　a　touch　of　something
daughterly　toward　me　that　I　thought　pretty。



CHAPTER　VI



〃Well；　what　DID　you　make　of　her；　my　dear？〃　Mrs。　March　demanded　the
instant　she　was　beyond　their　hearing。　　〃I　must　say；　you　didn't　spare
yourself　in　the　cause；　you　did　bravely。　　What　is　she　like？〃

〃Really；　I　don't　know；〃　I　answered；　after　a　moment's　reflection。　　〃I
should　say　she　was　almost　purely　potential。　　She's　not　so　much　this
or　that　kind　of　girl；　she's　merely　a　radiant　image　of　girlhood。〃

〃Now；　your　chicquing　it；　you're　faking　it；〃　said　Mrs。　March；
borrowing　the　verbs　severally　from　the　art　editor　and　the　publisher
of　Every　Other　Week。　　〃You　have　got　to　tell　me　just　how　much　and　how
little　there　really　is　of　her　before　I　go　any　further　with　them。　　Is
she　stupid？〃

〃Nono；　I　shouldn't　say　stupid　exactly。　　She　iswhat　shall　I　say？…
…extremely　plain…minded。　　I　suppose　the　goddesses　were　plain…minded。
I'm　a　little　puzzled　by　her　attitude　toward　her　own　beauty。　　She
doesn't　live　her　beauty　any　more　than　a　poet　lives　his　poetry　or　a
painter　his　painting；　though　I've　no　doubt　she　knows　her　gift　is
hers　just　as　they　do。〃

〃I　think　I　understand。　　You　mean　she　isn't　conscious。〃

〃No。　　Conscious　isn't　quite　the　word；〃　I　said　fastidiously。　　〃Isn't
there　some　word　that　says　less；　or　more；　in　the　same　direction？〃

〃No；　there　isn't；　and　I　shall　think　you　don't　mean　anything　at　all
if　you　keep　on。　　Now；　tell　me　how　she　really　impressed　you。　　Does
she　know　anything？　　Has　she　read　anything？　　Has　she　any　ideas？〃

〃Really；　I　can't　say　whether　they　were　ideas　or　not。　　She　knew　what
Every　Other　Week　was；　she　had　read　the　stories　in　it；　but　I'm　not
sure　she　valued　it　at　its　true　worth。　　She　is　very　plain…minded。〃

〃Don't　keep　repeating　that！　　What　do　you　mean　by　plain…minded？〃

〃Well；　honest；　single；　common…sense；　coherent；　arithmetical。〃

〃Horrors！　　Do　you　mean　that　she　is　MANNISH？〃

〃No；　not　mannish。　　And　yet　she　gave　me　the　notion　that；　when　it　came
to　companionship；　she　would　be　just　as　well　satisfied　with　a　lot　of
girls　as　young　men。〃

Mrs。　March　pulled　her　hand　out　of　my　arm；　and　stopped　short　under
one　of　those　tall　Saratoga　shade…trees　to　dramatise　her　inference。
〃Then　she　is　the　slyest　of　all　possible　pusses！　　Did　she　give　you
the　notion　that　she　would　be　just　as　well　satisfied　with　you　as　with
a　young　man！〃

〃She　couldn't　deceive　me　so　far　as　THAT；　my　dear。〃

〃Very　well；　I　shall　take　her　in　hand　myself　to…morrow；　and　find　out
what　she　really　is。〃

Mrs。　March　went　shopping　the　next　forenoon　with　what　was　left　of　the
Deering　party；　Deering　had　taken　the　early　train　north；　and　she
seemed　to　have　found　the　ladies　livelier　without　him。　　She　formed
the　impression　from　their　more　joyous　behaviour　that　he　kept　his
wife　from　spending　as　much　money　as　she　would　naturally　have　done；
and　that；　while　he　was　not　perhaps　exactly　selfish；　he　was　forgetful
of　her　youth；　of　the　difference　in　years　between　them；　and　of　her
capacity　for　pleasures　which　he　could　not　care　for。　　She　said　that
Mrs。　Deering　and　Miss　Gage　now　acted　like　two　girls　together；　and；
if　anything；　Miss　Gage　seemed　the　elder　of　the　two。

〃And　what　did　you　decide　about　her？〃　I　inquired。

〃Well；　I　helped　her　buy　a　hat　and　a　jacket　at　one　of　those　nice
shops　just　below　the　hotel　where　they're　stopping；　and　we've　started
an　evening　dress　for　her。　　She　can't　wear　that　white　duck　morning；
noon；　and　night。〃

〃But　her　characterher　nature？〃

〃Oh！　　Well；　she　is　rather　plain…minded；　as　you　call　it。　　I　think　she
shows　out　her　real　feelings　too　much　for　a　woman。〃

〃Why　do　you　prefer　dissimulation　in　your　sex；　my　dear？〃

〃I　don't　call　it　dissimulation。　　But　of　course　a　girl　ought　to　hide
her　feelings。　　Don't　you　think　it　would　have　been　better　for　her　not
to　have　looked　so　obviously　out　of　humour　when　you　first　saw　her　the
other　night？〃

〃She　wouldn't　have　interested　me　so　much；　then；　and　she　probably
wouldn't　have　had　your　acquaintance　now。〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　even　that　kind　of　girl　won't　get　on；
if　she　gives　her　mind　to　it；　but　I　think　I　should　prefer　a　little
less　plain…mindedness；　as　you　call　it；　if　I　were　a　man。〃

I　did　not　know　exactly　what　to　say　to　this；　and　I　let　Mrs。　March　go
on。

〃It's　so　in　the　smallest　thing。　　If　you're　choosing　a　thing　for　her；
and　she　likes　another；　she　lets　you　feel　it　at　once。　　I　don't　mean
that　she's　rude　about　it；　but　she　seems　to　set　herself　so　square
across　the　way；　and　you　come　up　with　a　kind　of　bump　against　her。　　I
don't　think　that's　very　feminine。　　That's　what　I　mean　by　mannish。
You　always　know　where　to　find　her。〃

I　don't　know　why　this　criticism　should　have　amused　me　so　much；　but　I
began　to　laugh　quite　uncontrollably；　and　I　laughed　on　and　on。　　Mrs。
March　kept　her　temper　with　me　admirably。　　When　I　was　quiet　again；
she　said　…

〃Mrs。　Deering　is　a　person　that　wins　your　heart　at　once；　she　has　that
appealing　quality。　　You　can　see　that　she's　cowed　by　her　husband；
though　he　means　to　be　kind　to　her；　and　yet　you　may　be　sure　she　gets
round　him；　and　has　her　own　way　all　the　time。　　I　know　it　was　her　idea
to　have　him　go　home　and　leave　them　here；　and　of　course　she　made　him
think　it　was　his。　　She　saw　that　as　long　as　he　was　here；　and　anxious
to　get　back　to　his　'stock；'　there　was　no　hope　of　giving　Miss　Gage
the　sort　of　chance　she　came　for；　and　so　she　determined　to　manage　it。
At　the　same　time；　you　can　see　that　she　is　true　as　steel；　and　would
abhor　anything　like　deceit　worse　than　the　pest。〃

〃I　see；　and　that　is　why　you　dislike　Miss　Gage？〃

〃Dislike　her？　　No；　I　don't　dislike　her；　but　she　is　disappointing。
If　she　were　a　plain　girl　her　plain…mindedness　would　be　all　right；　it
would　be　amusing；　she　would　turn　it　to　account　and　make　it　seem
humorous。　　But　it　doesn't　seem　to　go　with　her　beauty；　it　takes　away
from　thatI　don't　know　how　to　express　it　exactly。〃

〃You　mean　that　she　has　no　charm。〃

〃No；　I　don't　mean　that　at　all。　　She　has　a　great　deal　of　charm　of　a
certain　kind；　but　it's　a　very　peculiar　kind。　　After　all；　the　truth
is　the　truth；　Basil；　isn't　it？〃

〃It　is　sometimes；　my　dear；〃　I　assented。

〃And　the　truth　has　its　charm；　even　when　it's　too　blunt。〃

〃Ah；　I'm　not　so　sure　of　that。〃

〃Yesyes；　it　has。　　You　mustn't　say　so；　Basil；　or　I　shall　lose　all
my　faith　in　you。　　If　I　couldn't　trust　you；　I　don't　know　what　I
should　do。〃

〃What　are　you　after　now；　Isabel？〃

〃I　am　not　after　anything。　　I　want　you　to　go　round　to　all　the　hotels
and　see　if　there　is　not　some　young　man　you　know　at　one　of　them。
There　surely　must　be。〃

〃Would　one　young　man　be　enough？〃

〃If　he　were　attentive　enough；　he　would　be。　　One　young　man　is　as　good
as　a　thousand　if　the　girl　is　the　right　kind。〃

〃But　you　have　just　been　implying　that　Miss　Gage　is　cold　and　selfish
and　greedy。　　Shall　I　go　round　exploring　hotel　registers　for　a　victim
to　such　a　divinity　as　that？〃

〃No；　you　needn't　go　till　I　have　had　a　talk　with　her。　　I　am　not　sure
she　is　worth　it；　I　am　not　sure　that　I　want　to　do　a　single　thing　for
her。〃



CHAPTER　VII



The　next　day；　after　another　forenoon's　shopping　with　her　friends；
Mrs。　March　announced：　　〃Well；　now；　it　has　all　come　out；　Basil；　and　I
wonder　you　didn't　get　the　secret　at　once　from　your　Mr。　Deering。
Have　you　been　supposing　that　Miss　Gage　was　a　poor　girl　whom　the
Deerings　had　done　the　favour　of　bringing　with　them？〃

〃Why；　what　of　it？〃　I　asked　provisionally。

〃She　is　very　well　off。　　Her　father　is　not　only　the　president；　as
they　call　it；　of　the　village；　but　he's　the　president　of　the　bank。〃

〃Yes；　I　told　you　that　Deering　told　me　so〃

〃But　he　is　very　queer。　　He　has　kept　her　very　close　from　the　other
young　people；　and　Mrs。　Deering　is　the　only　girl　friend　she's　ever
had；　and　she's　grown　up　without　having　been　anywhere　without　him。
They　had　to　plead　with　him　to　let　her　come　with　themor　Mrs。
Deering　had；but　when　he　once　consented；　he　consented　handsomely。
He　gave　her　a　lot　of　money；　and　told　them　he　wanted　her　to　have　the
best　time　that　money　could　buy；　and　of　course　you　can　understand　how
such　a　man　would　think　that　money　would　buy　a　good　time　anywhere。
But　the　Deerings　didn't　know　how　to　go　about　it。　　She　confessed　as
much　when　we　were　talking　the　girl　over。　　I　could　see　that　she　stood
in　awe　of　her　somehow　from　the　beginning；　and　that　she　felt　more
than　the　usual　responsibility　for　her。　　That　was　the　reason　she　was
so　eager　to　get　her　husband　off　home；　as　long　as　he　was　with　them
she　would　have　to　work　everything　through　him；　and　that　would　be
double　labour；　because　he　is　so　hopelessly　villaginous；　don't　you
know；　that　he　never　could　rise　to　the　conception　of　anything　else。
He　took　them　to　a　cheap；　second…class　hotel；　and　he　was　afraid　to　go
with　them　anywhere　because　he　never　was　sure　that　it　was　the　right
thing　to　do；　and　he　was　too　proud　to　ask；　and　they　had　to　keep
prodding　him　all　the　time。〃

〃That's　delightful！〃

〃Oh；　I　dare　say　you　think　so；　but　if　you　knew　how　it　wounded　a
woman's　self…respect　you　would　feel　differently；　or　you　wouldn't；
rather。　　But　now；　thank　goodness；　they've　got　him　off　their　hands；
and　they　can　begin　to　breathe　freely。　　That　is；　Mrs。　Deering　could；
if　she　hadn't　her　heart　in　her　mouth　all　the　time；　wondering　what
she　can　do　for　the　girl；　and　bullying　herself　with　the　notion　that
she　is　to　blame　if　she　doesn't　have　a　good　time。　　You　can　understand
just　how　it　was　with　them　always。　　Mrs。　Deering　is　one　of　those　meek
little　things　that　a　great；　splendid；　lonely　creature　like　Miss　Gage
would　take　to　in　a　small　place；　and　perfectly　crush　under　the　weight
of　her　confidence；　and　she　would　want　to　make　her　husband　live　up　to
her　ideal　of　the　girl；　and　would　be　miserable　because　he　wouldn't　or
couldn't。〃

〃I　believe　the　good　Deering　didn't　even　think　he