some short stories-第15部分

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enough　to　Granger；　of　no　sign　or　symptom　of　climate　and
environment。　　The　graft　in　New　York　had　taken；　and　Addie　was　a
vivid；　an　unmistakable　flower。　　At　Flickerbridge；　or　wherever；　on
the　other　hand；　strange　to　say；　the　parent　stem　had　had　a　fortune
comparatively　meagre。　　Fortune；　it　was　true；　in　the　vulgarest
sense；　had　attended　neither　party。　　Addie's　immediate　belongings
were　as　poor　as　they　were　numerous；　and　he　gathered　that　Miss
Wenham's　pretensions　to　wealth　were　not　so　marked　as　to　expose　the
claim　of　kinship　to　the　imputation　of　motive。　　To　this　lady's
single　identity　the　original　stock　had　at　all　events　dwindled；　and
our　young　man　was　properly　warned　that　he　would　find　her　shy　and
solitary。　　What　was　singular　was　that　in　these　conditions　she
should　desire；　she　should　endure；　to　receive　him。　　But　that　was　all
another　story；　lucid　enough　when　mastered。　　He　kept　Addie's
letters；　exceptionally　copious；　in　his　lap；　he　conned　them　at
intervals；　he　held　the　threads。

He　looked　out　between　whiles　at　the　pleasant　English　land；　an　April
aquarelle　washed　in　with　wondrous　breadth。　　He　knew　the　French
thing；　he　knew　the　American；　but　he　had　known　nothing　of　this。　　He
saw　it　already　as　the　remarkable　Miss　Wenham's　setting。　　The
doctor's　daughter　at　Flickerbridge；　with　nippers　on　her　nose；　a
palette　on　her　thumb　and　innocence　in　her　heart；　had　been　the
miraculous　link。　　She　had　become　aware　even　there；　in　our　world　of
wonders；　that　the　current　fashion　for　young　women　so　equipped　was
to　enter　the　Parisian　lists。　　Addie　had　accordingly　chanced　upon
her；　on　the　slopes　of　Montparnasse；　as　one　of　the　English　girls　in
one　of　the　thorough…going　sets。　　They　had　met　in　some　easy
collocation　and　had　fallen　upon　common　ground；　after　which　the
young　woman；　restored　to　Flickerbridge　for　an　interlude　and
retailing　there　her　adventures　and　impressions；　had　mentioned　to
Miss　Wenham　who　had　known　and　protected　her　from　babyhood；　that
that　lady's　own　name　of　Adelaide　was；　as　well　as　the　surname
conjoined　with　it；　borne；　to　her　knowledge；　in　Paris；　by　an
extraordinary　American　specimen。　　She　had　then　recrossed　the
Channel　with　a　wonderful　message；　a　courteous　challenge；　to　her
friend's　duplicate；　who　had　in　turn　granted　through　her　every
satisfaction。　　The　duplicate　had　in　other　words　bravely　let　Miss
Wenham　know　exactly　who　she　was。　　Miss　Wenham；　in　whose　personal
tradition　the　flame　of　resentment　appeared　to　have　been　reduced　by
time　to　the　palest　ashesfor　whom　indeed　the　story　of　the　great
schism　was　now　but　a　legend　only　needing　a　little　less　dimness　to
make　it　romanticMiss　Wenham　had　promptly　responded　by　a　letter
fragrant　with　the　hope　that　old　threads　might　be　taken　up。　　It　was
a　relationship　that　they　must　puzzle　out　together；　and　she　had
earnestly　sounded　the　other　party　to　it　on　the　subject　of　a
possible　visit。　　Addie　had　met　her　with　a　definite　promise；　she
would　come　soon；　she　would　come　when　free；　she　would　come　in　July；
but　meanwhile　she　sent　her　deputy。　　Frank　asked　himself　by　what
name　she　had　described；　by　what　character　introduced　him　to
Flickerbridge。　　He　mainly　felt　on　the　whole　as　if　he　were　going
there　to　find　out　if　he　were　engaged　to　her。　　He　was　at　sea　really
now　as　to　which　of　the　various　views　Addie　herself　took　of　it。　　To
Miss　Wenham　she　must　definitely　have　taken　one；　and　perhaps　Miss
Wenham　would　reveal　it。　　This　expectation　was　in　fact　his　excuse
for　a　possible　indiscretion。



CHAPTER　III



He　was　indeed　to　learn　on　arrival　to　what　he　had　been　committed；
but　that　was　for　a　while　so　much　a　part　of　his　first　general
impression　that　the　particular　truth　took　time　to　detach　itself；
the　first　general　impression　demanding　verily　all　his　faculties　of
response。　　He　almost　felt　for　a　day　or　two　the　victim　of　a
practical　joke；　a　gross　abuse　of　confidence。　　He　had　presented
himself　with　the　moderate　amount　of　flutter　involved　in　a　sense　of
due　preparation；　but　he　had　then　found　that；　however　primed　with
prefaces　and　prompted　with　hints；　he　hadn't　been　prepared　at　all。
How　COULD　he　be；　he　asked　himself；　for　anything　so　foreign　to　his
experience；　so　alien　to　his　proper　world；　so　little　to　be
preconceived　in　the　sharp　north　light　of　the　newest　impressionism；
and　yet　so　recognised　after　all　in　the　event；　so　noted　and　tasted
and　assimilated？　　It　was　a　case　he　would　scarce　have　known　how　to
describecould　doubtless　have　described　best　with　a　full　clean
brush；　supplemented　by　a　play　of　gesture；　for　it　was　always　his
habit　to　see　an　occasion；　of　whatever　kind；　primarily　as　a　picture；
so　that　he　might　get　it；　as　he　was　wont　to　say；　so　that　he　might
keep　it；　well　together。　　He　had　been　treated　of　a　sudden；　in　this
adventure；　to　one　of　the　sweetest　fairest　coolest　impressions　of
his　lifeone　moreover　visibly　complete　and　homogeneous　from　the
start。　　Oh　it　was　THERE；　if　that　was　all　one　wanted　of　a　thing！　　It
was　so　〃there〃　that；　as　had　befallen　him　in　Italy；　in　Spain；
confronted　at　last；　in　dusky　side…chapel　or　rich　museum；　with　great
things　dreamed　of　or　with　greater　ones　unexpectedly　presented；　he
had　held　his　breath　for　fear　of　breaking　the　spell；　had　almost；
from　the　quick　impulse　to　respect；　to　prolong；　lowered　his　voice
and　moved　on　tiptoe。　　Supreme　beauty　suddenly　revealed　is　apt　to
strike　us　as　a　possible　illusion　playing　with　our　desireinstant
freedom　with　it　to　strike　us　as　a　possible　rashness。

This　fortunately；　howeverand　the　more　so　as　his　freedom　for　the
time　quite　left　himdidn't　prevent　his　hostess；　the　evening　of　his
advent　and　while　the　vision　was　new；　from　being　exactly　as　queer
and　rare　and　IMPAYABLE；　as　improbable；　as　impossible；　as　delightful
at　the　eight　o'clock　dinnershe　appeared　to　keep　these　immense
hoursas　she　had　overwhelmingly　been　at　the　five　o'clock　tea。　　She
was　in　the　most　natural　way　in　the　world　one　of　the　oddest
apparitions；　but　that　the　particular　means　to　such　an　end　COULD　be
natural　was　an　inference　difficult　to　make。　　He　failed　in　fact　to
make　it　for　a　couple　of　days；　but　thenthough　then　onlyhe　made
it　with　confidence。　　By　this　time　indeed　he　was　sure　of　everything；
luckily　including　himself。　　If　we　compare　his　impression；　with
slight　extravagance；　to　some　of　the　greatest　he　had　ever　received；
this　is　simply　because　the　image　before　him　was　so　rounded　and
stamped。　　It　expressed　with　pure　perfection；　it　exhausted　its
character。　　It　was　so　absolutely　and　so　unconsciously　what　it　was。
He　had　been　floated　by　the　strangest　of　chances　out　of　the　rushing
stream　into　a　clear　still　backwatera　deep　and　quiet　pool　in　which
objects　were　sharply　mirrored。　　He　had　hitherto　in　life　known
nothing　that　was　old　except　a　few　statues　and　pictures；　but　here
everything　was　old；　was　immemorial；　and　nothing　so　much　so　as　the
very　freshness　itself。　　Vaguely　to　have　supposed　there　were　such
nooks　in　the　world　had　done　little　enough；　he　now　saw；　to　temper
the　glare　of　their　opposites。　　It　was　the　fine　touches　that
counted；　and　these　had　to　be　seen　to　be　believed。

Miss　Wenham；　fifty…five　years　of　age　and　unappeasably　timid；
unaccountably　strange；　had；　on　her　reduced　scale；　an　almost　Gothic
grotesqueness；　but　the　final　effect　of　one's　sense　of　it　was　an
amenity　that　accompanied　one's　steps　like　wafted　gratitude。　　More
flurried；　more　spasmodic；　more　apologetic；　more　completely　at　a
loss　at　one　moment　and　more　precipitately　abounding　at　another；　he
had　never　before　in　all　his　days　seen　any　maiden　lady；　yet　for　no
maiden　lady　he　had　ever　seen　had　he　so　promptly　conceived　a　private
enthusiasm。　　Her　eyes　protruded；　her　chin　receded　and　her　nose
carried　on　in　conversation　a　queer　little　independent　motion。　　She
wore　on　the　top　of　her　head　an　upright　circular　cap　that　made　her
resemble　a　caryatid　disburdened；　and　on　other　parts　of　her　person
strange　combinations　of　colours；　stuffs；　shapes；　of　metal；　mineral
and　plant。　　The　tones　of　her　voice　rose　and　fell；　her　facial
convulsions；　whether　tendingone　could　scarce　make　outto
expression　or　REpression；　succeeded　each　other　by　a　law　of　their
own；　she　was　embarrassed　at　nothing　and　at　everything；　frightened
at　everything　and　at　nothing；　and　she　approached　objects；　subjects；
the　simplest　questions　and　answers　and　the　whole　material　of
intercourse；　either　with　the　indirectness　of　terror　or　with　the
violence　of　despair。　　These　things；　none　the　less；　her　refinements
of　oddity　and　intensities　of　custom；　her　betrayal　at　once　of
conventions　and　simplicities；　of　ease　and　of　agony；　her　roundabout
retarded　suggestions　and　perceptions；　still　permitted　her　to　strike
her　guest　as　irresistibly　charming。　　He　didn't　know　what　to　call
it；　she　was　a　fruit　of　time。　　She　had　a　queer　distinction。　　She　had
been　expensively　produced　and　there　would　be　a　good　deal　more　of
her　to　come。

The　result　of　the　whole　quality　of　her　welcome；　at　any　rate；　was
that　the　first　evening；　in　his　room；　before　going　to　bed；　he
relieved　his　mind　in　a　letter　to　Addie；　which；　if　space　allowed　us
to　embody　it　in　our　text；　would　usefully　perform　the　office　of　a
〃plate。〃　　It　would　enable　us　to　present　ourselves　as　profusely
illustrated。　　But　the　process　of　reproduction；　as　we　say；　costs。
He　wished　his　friend　to　know　how　grandly　their　affair　turned　out。
She　had　put　him　in　the　way　of　something　absolutely　specialan　old
house　untouched；　untouchable；　indescribable；　an　old　corner　such　as
one　didn't　believe　existed；　and　the　holy　calm　of　which　made　the
chatter　of　studios；　the　smell　of　paint；　the　slang　of　critics；　the
whole　sense　and　sound　of　Paris；　come　back　as　so　many　signs　of　a
huge　monkey…cage。　　He　moved　about；　restless；　while　he　wrote；　he
lighted　cigarettes　and；　nervous　and　suddenly　scrupulous；　put　them
out　again；　the　night　was　mild　and　one　of　the　windows　of　his　large
high　room；　which　stood　over　the　garden；　was　up。　　He　lost　himself　in
the　things　about　him；　in　the　type　of　the　room；　the　last　century
with　not　a　chair　moved；　not　a　point　stretched。　　He　hung　over　the
objects　and　ornaments；　blissfully　few　and　adorably　good；　perfect
pieces　all；　and　never　one；　for　a　change；　French。　　The　scene　was　as
rare　as　some　fine　old　print　with　the　best　bits　down　in　the　corners。
Old　books　and　old　pictures；　allusion