some short stories-第14部分

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subjective　satisfaction　that　would　do　her　no　harm　and　nobody　else
any　good。　　Who　but　a　dufferhe　stuck　to　his　contentionwould　see
the　shadow　of　a　〃story〃　in　it？




FLICKERBRIDGE




CHAPTER　I



Frank　Granger　had　arrived　from　Paris　to　paint　a　portraitan　order
given　him；　as　a　young　compatriot　with　a　future；　whose　early　work
would　some　day　have　a　price；　by　a　lady　from　New　York；　a　friend　of
his　own　people　and　also；　as　it　happened；　of　Addie's；　the　young
woman　to　whom　it　was　publicly　both　affirmed　and　denied　that　he　was
engaged。　　Other　young　women　in　Parisfellow…members　there　of　the
little　tight　transpontine　world　of　art…studyprofessed　to　know
that　the　pair　had　〃several　times〃　over　renewed　their　fond
understanding。　　This；　however；　was　their　own　affair；　the　last　phase
of　the　relation；　the　last　time　of　the　times；　had　passed　into
vagueness；　there　was　perhaps　even　an　impression　that　if　they　were
inscrutable　to　their　friends　they　were　not　wholly　crystalline　to
each　other　and　themselves。　　What　had　occurred　for　Granger　at　all
events　in　connexion　with　the　portrait　was　that　Mrs。　Bracken；　his
intending　model；　whose　return　to　America　was　at　hand；　had　suddenly
been　called　to　London　by　her　husband；　occupied　there　with　pressing
business；　but　had　yet　desired　that　her　displacement　should　not
interrupt　her　sittings。　　The　young　man；　at　her　request；　had
followed　her　to　England　and　profited　by　all　she　could　give　him；
making　shift　with　a　small　studio　lent　him　by　a　London　painter　whom
he　had　known　and　liked　a　few　years　before　in　the　French　atelier
that　then　cradled；　and　that　continued　to　cradle；　so　many　of　their
kind。

The　British　capital　was　a　strange　grey　world　to　him；　where　people
walked；　in　more　ways　than　one；　by　a　dim　light；　but　he　was　happily
of　such　a　turn　that　the　impression；　just　as　it　came；　could　nowhere
ever　fail　him；　and　even　the　worst　of　these　things　was　almost　as
much　an　occupationputting　it　only　at　thatas　the　best。　　Mrs。
Bracken　moreover　passed　him　on；　and　while　the　darkness　ebbed　a
little　in　the　April　days　he　found　himself　consolingly　committed　to
a　couple　of　fresh　subjects。　　This　cut　him　out　work　for　more　than
another　month；　but　meanwhile；　as　he　said；　he　saw　a　lota　lot　that；
with　frequency　and　with　much　expression；　he　wrote　about　to　Addie。
She　also　wrote　to　her　absent　friend；　but　in　briefer　snatches；　a
meagreness　to　her　reasons　for　which　he　had　long　since　assented。
She　had　other　play　for　her　pen　as　well　as；　fortunately；　other
remuneration；　a　regular　correspondence　for　a　〃prominent　Boston
paper；〃　fitful　connexions　with　public　sheets　perhaps　also　in　cases
fitful；　and　a　mind　above　all　engrossed　at　times；　to　the　exclusion
of　everything　else；　with　the　study　of　the　short　story。　　This　last
was　what　she　had　mainly　come　out　to　go　into；　two　or　three　years
after　he　had　found　himself　engulfed　in　the　mystery　of　Carolus。　　She
was　indeed；　on　her　own　deep　sea；　more　engulfed　than　he　had　ever
been；　and　he　had　grown　to　accept　the　sense　that；　for　progress　too；
she　sailed　under　more　canvas。　　It　hadn't　been　particularly　present
to　him　till　now　that　he　had　in　the　least　got　on；　but　the　way　in
which　Addie　hadand　evidently　still　more　wouldwas　the　theme；　as
it　were；　of　every　tongue。　　She　had　thirty　short　stories　out　and
nine　descriptive　articles。　　His　three　or　four　portraits　of　fat
American　ladiesthey　were　all　fat；　all　ladies　and　all　American
were　a　poor　show　compared　with　these　triumphs；　especially　as　Addie
had　begun　to　throw　out　that　it　was　about　time　they　should　go　home。
It　kept　perpetually　coming　up　in　Paris；　in　the　transpontine　world；
that；　as　the　phrase　was；　America　had　grown　more　interesting　since
they　left。　　Addie　was　attentive　to　the　rumour；　and；　as　full　of
conscience　as　she　was　of　taste；　of　patriotism　as　of　curiosity；　had
often　put　it　to　him　frankly；　with　what　he；　who　was　of　New　York；
recognised　as　her　New　England　emphasis：　　〃I'm　not　sure；　you　know；
that　we　do　REAL　justice　to　our　country。〃　　Granger　felt　he　would　do
it　on　the　dayif　the　day　ever　camehe　should　irrevocably　marry
her。　　No　other　country　could　possibly　have　produced　her。



CHAPTER　II



But　meanwhile　it　befell　that；　in　London；　he　was　stricken　with
influenza　and　with　subsequent　sorrow。　　The　attack　was　short　but
sharphad　it　lasted　Addie　would　certainly　have　come　to　his　aid；
most　of　a　blight　really　in　its　secondary　stage。　　The　good　ladies
his　sittersthe　ladies　with　the　frizzled　hair；　with　the　diamond
earrings；　with　the　chins　tending　to　the　massiveleft　for　him；　at
the　door　of　his　lodgings；　flowers；　soup　and　love；　so　that　with
their　assistance　he　pulled　through；　but　his　convalescence　was　slow
and　his　weakness　out　of　proportion　to　the　muffled　shock。　　He　came
out；　but　he　went　about　lame；　it　tired　him　to　painthe　felt　as　if
he　had　been　ill　three　months。　　He　strolled　in　Kensington　Gardens
when　he　should　have　been　at　work；　he　sat　long　on　penny　chairs　and
helplessly　mused　and　mooned。　　Addie　desired　him　to　return　to　Paris；
but　there　were　chances　under　his　hand　that　he　felt　he　had　just　wit
enough　left　not　to　relinquish。　　He　would　have　gone　for　a　week　to
the　seahe　would　have　gone　to　Brighton；　but　Mrs。　Bracken　had　to　be
finishedMrs。　Bracken　was　so　soon　to　sail。　　He　just　managed　to
finish　her　in　timethe　day　before　the　date　fixed　for　his　breaking
ground　on　a　greater　business　still；　the　circumvallation　of　Mrs。
Dunn。　　Mrs。　Dunn　duly　waited　on　him；　and　he　sat　down　before　her；
feeling；　however；　ere　he　rose；　that　he　must　take　a　long　breath
before　the　attack。　　While　asking　himself　that　night；　therefore；
where　he　should　best　replenish　his　lungs　he　received　from　Addie；
who　had　had　from　Mrs。　Bracken　a　poor　report　of　him；　a　communication
which；　besides　being　of　sudden　and　startling　interest；　applied
directly　to　his　case。

His　friend　wrote　to　him　under　the　lively　emotion　of　having　from　one
day　to　another　become　aware　of　a　new　relative；　an　ancient　cousin；　a
sequestered　gentlewoman；　the　sole　survival　of　〃the　English　branch
of　the　family；〃　still　resident；　at　Flickerbridge；　in　the　〃old
family　home；〃　and　with　whom；　that　he　might　immediately　betake
himself　to　so　auspicious　a　quarter　for　change　of　air；　she　had
already　done　what　was　proper　to　place　him；　as　she　said；　in　touch。
What　came　of　it　all；　to　be　brief；　was　that　Granger　found　himself　so
placed　almost　as　he　read：　　he　was　in　touch　with　Miss　Wenham　of
Flickerbridge；　to　the　extent　of　being　in　correspondence　with　her；
before　twenty…four　hours　had　sped。　　And　on　the　second　day　he　was　in
the　train；　settled　for　a　five…hours'　run　to　the　door　of　this
amiable　woman　who　had　so　abruptly　and　kindly　taken　him　on　trust　and
of　whom　but　yesterday　he　had　never　so　much　as　heard。　　This　was　an
odditythe　whole　incident　wasof　which；　in　the　corner　of　his
compartment；　as　he　proceeded；　he　had　time　to　take　the　size。　　But
the　surprise；　the　incongruity；　as　he　felt；　could　but　deepen　as　he
went。　　It　was　a　sufficiently　queer　note；　in　the　light；　or　the
absence　of　it；　of　his　late　experience；　that　so　complex　a　product　as
Addie　should　have　ANY　simple　insular　tie；　but　it　was　a　queerer　note
still　that　she　should　have　had　one　so　long　only　to　remain
unprofitably　unconscious　of　it。　　Not　to　have　done　something　with
it；　used　it；　worked　it；　talked　about　it　at　least；　and　perhaps　even
writtenthese　things；　at　the　rate　she　moved；　represented　a　loss　of
opportunity　under　which　as　he　saw　her；　she　was　peculiarly　formed　to
wince。　　She　was　at　any　rate；　it　was　clear；　doing　something　with　it
now；　using　it；　working　it；　certainly；　already　talkingand；　yes；
quite　possibly　writingabout　it。　　She　was　in　short　smartly　making
up　what　she　had　missed；　and　he　could　take　such　comfort　from　his　own
action　as　he　had　been　helped　to　by　the　rest　of　the　facts；
succinctly　reported　from　Paris　on　the　very　morning　of　his　start。

It　was　the　singular　story　of　a　sharp　splitin　a　good　English
housethat　dated　now　from　years　back。　　A　worthy　Briton；　of　the
best　middling　stock；　had；　during　the　fourth　decade　of　the　century；
as　a　very　young　man；　in　Dresden；　whither　he　had　been　despatched　to
qualify　in　German　for　a　stool　in　an　uncle's　counting…house；　met；
admired；　wooed　and　won　an　American　girl；　of　due　attractions；
domiciled　at　that　period　with　her　parents　and　a　sister；　who　was
also　attractive；　in　the　Saxon　capital。　　He　had　married　her；　taken
her　to　England；　and　there；　after　some　years　of　harmony　and
happiness；　lost　her。　　The　sister　in　question　had；　after　her　death；
come　to　him　and　to　his　young　child　on　a　visit；　the　effect　of　which；
between　the　pair；　eventually　defined　itself　as　a　sentiment　that　was
not　to　be　resisted。　　The　bereaved　husband；　yielding　to　a　new
attachment　and　a　new　response；　and　finding　a　new　union　thus
prescribed；　had　yet　been　forced　to　reckon　with　the　unaccommodating
law　of　the　land。　　Encompassed　with　frowns　in　his　own　country；
however；　marriages　of　this　particular　type　were　wreathed　in　smiles
in　his　sister's…in…law；　so　that　his　remedy　was　not　forbidden。
Choosing　between　two　allegiances　he　had　let　the　one　go　that　seemed
the　least　close；　and　had　in　brief　transplanted　his　possibilities　to
an　easier　air。　　The　knot　was　tied　for　the　couple　in　New　York；
where；　to　protect　the　legitimacy　of　such　other　children　as　might
come　to　them；　they　settled　and　prospered。　　Children　came；　and　one
of　the　daughters；　growing　up　and　marrying　in　her　turn；　was；　if
Frank　rightly　followed；　the　mother　of　his　own　Addie；　who　had　been
deprived　of　the　knowledge　of　her　indeed；　in　childhood；　by　death；
and　been　brought　up；　though　without　undue　tension；　by　a　stepmother…
…a　character　breaking　out　thus　anew。

The　breach　produced　in　England　by　the　invidious　action；　as　it　was
there　held；　of　the　girl's　grandfather；　had　not　failed　to　widenall
the　more　that　nothing　had　been　done　on　the　American　side　to　close
it。　　Frigidity　had　settled；　and　hostility　had　been　arrested　only　by
indifference。　　Darkness　therefore　had　fortunately　supervened；　and　a
cousinship　completely　divided。　　On　either　side　of　the　impassable
gulf；　of　the　impenetrable　curtain；　each　branch　had　put　forth　its
leavesa　foliage　failing；　in　the　American　quarter；　it　was　distinct
enough　to　Granger；　of　no　sign　or　symptom　of　climate　and
environment。　　The　graft　in　New　York　had　t