some short stories-第20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！


at　times　as　if　one　scarce　COULD　go　on；　but　the　advance　was；　in
spite　of　this　delicacy；　still　more　delicately　mademade　in　the
form　of　a　banknote；　several　sovereigns；　some　loose　silver；　and　two
coppers；　the　whole　contents　of　her　purse；　neatly　disposed　by　Mrs。
Medwin　on　one　of　the　tiny　tables。　　It　seemed　to　clear　the　air　for
deeper　intimacies；　the　fruit　of　which　was　that　Mamie；　lonely　after
all　in　her　crowd　and　always　more　helpful　than　helped；　eventually
brought　out　that　the　way　Scott　had　been　going　on　was　what　seemed
momentarily　to　overshadow　her　own　power　to　do　so。

〃I've　had　a　descent　from　him。〃　　But　she　had　to　explain。　　〃My　half…
brotherScott　Homer。　　A　wretch。〃

〃What　kind　of　a　wretch？〃

〃Every　kind。　　I　lose　sight　of　him　at　timeshe　disappears　abroad。
But　he　always　turns　up　again；　worse　than　ever。〃

〃Violent？〃

〃No。〃

〃Maudlin？〃

〃No。〃

〃Only　unpleasant？〃

〃No。　　Rather　pleasant。　　Awfully　cleverawfully　travelled　and
easy。〃

〃Then　what's　the　matter　with　him？〃

Mamie　mused；　hesitatedseemed　to　see　a　wide　past。　　〃I　don't　know。〃

〃Something　in　the　background？〃　　Then　as　her　friend　was　silent；
〃Something　queer　about　cards？〃　Mrs。　Medwin　threw　off。

〃I　don't　knowand　I　don't　want　to！〃

〃Ah　well；　I'm　sure　_I_　don't；〃　Mrs。　Medwin　returned　with　spirit。
The　note　of　sharpness　was　perhaps　also　a　little　in　the　observation
she　made　as　she　gathered　herself　to　go。　　〃Do　you　mind　my　saying
something？〃

Mamie　took　her　eyes　quickly　from　the　money　on　the　little　stand。
〃You　may　say　what　you　like。〃

〃I　only　mean　that　anything　awkward　you　may　have　to　keep　out　of　the
way　does　seem　to　make　more　wonderful；　doesn't　it；　that　you　should
have　got　just　where　you　are？　　I　allude；　you　know；　to　your
position。〃

〃I　see。〃　　Miss　Cutter　somewhat　coldly　smiled。　　〃To　my　power。〃

〃So　awfully　remarkable　in　an　American。〃

〃Ah　you　like　us　so。〃

Mrs。　Medwin　candidly　considered。　　〃But　we　don't；　dearest。〃

Her　companion's　smile　brightened。　　〃Then　why　do　you　come　to　me？〃

〃Oh　I　like　YOU！〃　Mrs。　Medwin　made　out。

〃Then　that's　it。　　There　are　no　'Americans。'　　It's　always　'you。'〃

〃Me？〃　　Mrs。　Medwin　looked　lovely；　but　a　little　muddled。

〃ME！〃　Mamie　Cutter　laughed。　　〃But　if　you　like　me；　you　dear　thing；
you　can　judge　if　I　like　YOU。〃　　She　gave　her　a　kiss　to　dismiss　her。
〃I'll　see　you　again　when　I've　seen　her。〃

〃Lady　Wantridge？　　I　hope　so；　indeed。　　I'll　turn　up　late　to…morrow；
if　you　don't　catch　me　first。　　Has　it　come　to　you　yet？〃　the　visitor；
now　at　the　door；　went　on。

〃No；　but　it　will。　　There's　time。〃

〃Oh　a　little　less　every　day！〃

Miss　Cutter　had　approached　the　table　and　glanced　again　at　the　gold
and　silver　and　the　note；　not　indeed　absolutely　overlooking　the　two
coppers。　　〃The　balance；〃　she　put　it；　〃the　day　after？〃

〃That　very　night　if　you　like。〃

〃Then　count　on　me。〃

〃Oh　if　I　didn't！〃　　But　the　door　closed　on　the　dark　idea。
Yearningly　then；　and　only　when　it　had　done　so；　Miss　Cutter　took　up
the　money。

She　went　out　with　it　ten　minutes　later；　and；　the　calls　on　her　time
being　many；　remained　out　so　long　that　at　half…past　six　she　hadn't
come　back。　　At　that　hour；　on　the　other　hand；　Scott　Homer　knocked　at
her　door；　where　her　maid；　who　opened　it　with　a　weak　pretence　of
holding　it　firm；　ventured　to　announce　to　him；　as　a　lesson　well
learnt；　that　he　hadn't　been　expected　till　seven。　　No　lesson；　none
the　less；　could　prevail　against　his　native　art。　　He　pleaded
fatigue；　her；　the　maid's；　dreadful　depressing　London；　and　the　need
to　curl　up　somewhere。　　If　she'd　just　leave　him　quiet　half　an　hour
that　old　sofa　upstairs　would　do　for　it；　of　which　he　took　quickly
such　effectual　possession　that　when　five　minutes　later　she　peeped；
nervous　for　her　broken　vow；　into　the　drawing…room；　the　faithless
young　woman　found　him　extended　at　his　length　and　peacefully　asleep。



CHAPTER　III



The　situation　before　Miss　Cutter's　return　developed　in　other
directions　still；　and　when　that　event　took　place；　at　a　few　minutes
past　seven；　these　circumstances　were；　by　the　foot　of　the　stair；
between　mistress　and　maid；　the　subject　of　some　interrogative　gasps
and　scared　admissions。　　Lady　Wantridge　had　arrived　shortly　after
the　interloper；　and　wishing；　as　she　said；　to　wait；　had　gone
straight　up　in　spite　of　being　told　he　was　lying　down。

〃She　distinctly　understood　he　was　there？〃

〃Oh　yes　ma'am；　I　thought　it　right　to　mention。〃

〃And　what　did　you　call　him？〃

〃Well；　ma'am；　I　thought　it　unfair　to　YOU　to　call　him　anything　but　a
gentleman。〃

Mamie　took　it　all　in；　though　there　might　well　be　more　of　it　than
one　could　quickly　embrace。　　〃But　if　she　has　had　time；〃　she　flashed；
〃to　find　out　he　isn't　one？〃

〃Oh　ma'am；　she　had　a　quarter　of　an　hour。〃

〃Then　she　isn't　with　him　still？〃

〃No　ma'am；　she　came　down　again　at　last。　　She　rang；　and　I　saw　her
here；　and　she　said　she　wouldn't　wait　longer。〃

Miss　Cutter　darkly　mused。　　〃Yet　had　already　waited？〃

〃Quite　a　quarter。〃

〃Mercy　on　us！〃　　She　began　to　mount。　　Before　reaching　the　top
however　she　had　reflected　that　quite　a　quarter　was　long　if　Lady
Wantridge　had　only　been　shocked。　　On　the　other　hand　it　was　short　if
she　had　only　been　pleased。　　But　how　COULD　she　have　been　pleased？
The　very　essence　of　their　actual　crisis　was　just　that　there　was　no
pleasing　her。　　Mamie　had　but　to　open　the　drawing…room　door　indeed
to　perceive　that　this　was　not　true　at　least　of　Scott　Homer；　who　was
horribly　cheerful。

Miss　Cutter　expressed　to　her　brother　without　reserve　her　sense　of
the　constitutional；　the　brutal　selfishness　that　had　determined　his
mistimed　return。　　It　had　taken　place；　in　violation　of　their
agreement；　exactly　at　the　moment　when　it　was　most　cruel　to　her　that
he　should　be　there；　and　if　she　must　now　completely　wash　her　hands
of　him　he　had　only　himself　to　thank。　　She　had　come　in　flushed　with
resentment　and　for　a　moment　had　been　voluble；　but　it　would　have
been　striking　that；　though　the　way　he　received　her　might　have
seemed　but　to　aggravate；　it　presently　justified　him　by　causing
their　relation　really　to　take　a　stride。　　He　had　the　art　of
confounding　those　who　would　quarrel　with　him　by　reducing　them　to
the　humiliation　of　a　stirred　curiosity。

〃What　COULD　she　have　made　of　you？〃　Mamie　demanded。

〃My　dear　girl；　she's　not　a　woman　who's　eager　to　make　too　much　of
anythinganything；　I　mean；　that　will　prevent　her　from　doing　as　she
likes；　what　she　takes　into　her　head。　　Of　course；〃　he　continued　to
explain；　〃if　it's　something　she　doesn't　want　to　do；　she'll　make　as
much　as　Moses。〃

Mamie　wondered　if　that　was　the　way　he　talked　to　her　visitor；　but
felt　obliged　to　own　to　his　acuteness。　　It　was　an　exact　description
of　Lady　Wantridge；　and　she　was　conscious　of　tucking　it　away　for
future　use　in　a　corner　of　her　miscellaneous　little　mind。　　She
withheld　however　all　present　acknowledgment；　only　addressing　him
another　question。　　〃Did　you　really　get　on　with　her？〃

〃Have　you　still　to　learn；　darlingI　can't　help　again　putting　it　to
youthat　I　get　on　with　everybody？　　That's　just　what　I　don't　seem
able　to　drive　into　you。　　Only　see　how　I　get　on　with　YOU。〃

She　almost　stood　corrected。　　〃What　I　mean　is　of　course　whether〃

〃Whether　she　made　love　to　me？　　Shyly；　yetor　becauseshamefully？
She　would　certainly　have　liked　awfully　to　stay。〃

〃Then　why　didn't　she？〃

〃Because；　on　account　of　some　other　matterand　I　could　see　it　was
trueshe　hadn't　time。　　Twenty　minutesshe　was　here　lesswere　all
she　came　to　give　you。　　So　don't　be　afraid　I've　frightened　her　away。
She'll　come　back。〃

Mamie　thought　it　over。　　〃Yet　you　didn't　go　with　her　to　the　door？〃

〃She　wouldn't　let　me；　and　I　know　when　to　do　what　I'm　toldquite　as
much　as　what　I'm　not　told。　　She　wanted　to　find　out　about　me。　　I
mean　from　your　little　creature；　a　pearl　of　fidelity；　by　the　way。〃

〃But　what　on　earth　did　she　come　up　for？〃　Mamie　again　found　herself
appealing；　and　just　by　that　fact　showing　her　need　of　help。

〃Because　she　always　goes　up。〃　　Then　as；　in　the　presence　of　this
rapid　generalisation；　to　say　nothing　of　that　of　such　a　relative
altogether；　Miss　Cutter　could　only　show　as　comparatively　blank：　　〃I
mean　she　knows　when　to　go　up　and　when　to　come　down。　　She　has
instincts；　she　didn't　know　whom　you　might　have　up　here。　　It's　a
kind　of　compliment　to　you　anyway。　　Why　Mamie；〃　Scott　pursued；　〃you
don't　know　the　curiosity　we　any　of　us　inspire。　　You　wouldn't
believe　what　I've　seen。　　The　bigger　bugs　they　are　the　more　they're
on　the　lookout。〃

Mamie　still　followed；　but　at　a　distance。　　〃The　lookout　for　what？〃

〃Why　for　anything　that　will　help　them　to　live。　　You've　been　here
all　this　time　without　making　out　then；　about　them；　what　I've　had　to
pick　out　as　I　can？　　They're　dead；　don't　you　see？　　And　WE'RE　alive。〃

〃You？　　Oh！〃Mamie　almost　laughed　about　it。

〃Well；　they're　a　worn…out　old　lot　anyhow；　they've　used　up　their
resources。　　They　do　look　out　and　I'll　do　them　the　justice　to　say
they're　not　afraidnot　even　of　me！〃　he　continued　as　his　sister
again　showed　something　of　the　same　irony。　　〃Lady　Wantridge　at　any
rate　wasn't；　that's　what　I　mean　by　her　having　made　love　to　me。　　She
does　what　she　likes。　　Mind　it；　you　know。〃　　He　was　by　this　time
fairly　teaching　her　to　read　one　of　her　best　friends；　and　when；
after　it；　he　had　come　back　to　the　great　point　of　his　lessonthat
of　her　failure；　through　feminine　inferiority；　practically　to　grasp
the　truth　that　their　being　just　as　they　were；　he　and　she；　was　the
real　card　for　them　to　playwhen　he　had　renewed　that　reminder　he
left　her　absolutely　in　a　state　of　dependence。　　Her　impulse　to　press
him　on　the　subject　of　Lady　Wantridge　dropped；　it　was　as　if　she　had
felt　that；　whatever　had　taken　place；　something　would　somehow　come
of　it。　　She　was　to　be　in　a　manner　disappointed；　but　the　impression
helped　to　keep　her　over　to　the　next　morning；　when；　as　Scott　had
foretold；　his　new　acquaintance　did　reappear；　explaining　to　Miss
Cutter　that　she　had　acted　the　day　before　to　gain　time　and　that　she
even　now　sought　to　gain　it　by　not　waiting　longer。　　What；　she
promptly　intimated　she　had　asked　herself；　could　that　friend　be
thinking　of？　　She　must　show　where　she　stood　before　things　had　gone
too　far。　　If　she　had　brought　her　answer　without　more　delay　she
wished　make　it　sharp。　　Mrs。　Medwin？　　Never！　　〃No；　my　d