an international episode-第6部分

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〃and　he　is　a　perfect　husband。　　But　all　Americans　are　that；〃

she　continued；　smiling。



〃Really！〃　　Lord　Lambeth　exclaimed　again　and　wondered　whether　all　American

ladies　had　such　a　passion　for　generalizing　as　these　two。



He　sat　there　a　good　while：　　there　was　a　great　deal　of　talk；

it　was　all　very　friendly　and　lively　and　jolly。　　Everyone　present；

sooner　or　later；　said　something　to　him；　and　seemed　to　make

a　particular　point　of　addressing　him　by　name。　　Two　or　three　other

persons　came　in；　and　there　was　a　shifting　of　seats　and　changing

of　places；　the　gentlemen　all　entered　into　intimate　conversation

with　the　two　Englishmen；　made　them　urgent　offers　of　hospitality；

and　hoped　they　might　frequently　be　of　service　to　them。

They　were　afraid　Lord　Lambeth　and　Mr。　Beaumont　were　not　very

comfortable　at　their　hotel；　that　it　was　not；　as　one　of　them　said；

〃so　private　as　those　dear　little　English　inns　of　yours。〃

This　last　gentleman　went　on　to　say　that　unfortunately；

as　yet；　perhaps；　privacy　was　not　quite　so　easily　obtained

in　America　as　might　be　desired；　still；　he　continued；

you　could　generally　get　it　by　paying　for　it；　in　fact；

you　could　get　everything　in　America　nowadays　by　paying　for　it。

American　life　was　certainly　growing　a　great　deal　more　private；

it　was　growing　very　much　like　England。　　Everything　at　Newport；

for　instance；　was　thoroughly　private；　Lord　Lambeth　would

probably　be　struck　with　that。　　It　was　also　represented　to

the　strangers　that　it　mattered　very　little　whether　their　hotel

was　agreeable；　as　everyone　would　want　them　to　make　visits；

they　would　stay　with　other　people；　and；　in　any　case；

they　would　be　a　great　deal　at　Mrs。　Westgate's。　They　would　find

that　very　charming；　it　was　the　pleasantest　house　in　Newport。

It　was　a　pity　Mr。　Westgate　was　always　away；　he　was　a　man

of　the　highest　abilityvery　acute；　very　acute。　　He　worked　like

a　horse；　and　he　left　his　wifewell；　to　do　about　as　she　liked。

He　liked　her　to　enjoy　herself；　and　she　seemed　to　know　how。

She　was　extremely　brilliant　and　a　splendid　talker。

Some　people　preferred　her　sister；　but　Miss　Alden　was　very　different；

she　was　in　a　different　style　altogether。　　Some　people　even

thought　her　prettier；　and；　certainly；　she　was　not　so　sharp。

She　was　more　in　the　Boston　style；　she　had　lived　a　great　deal

in　Boston；　and　she　was　very　highly　educated。　　Boston　girls；

it　was　propounded；　were　more　like　English　young　ladies。



Lord　Lambeth　had　presently　a　chance　to　test　the　truth　of　this　proposition；

for　on　the　company　rising　in　compliance　with　a　suggestion　from　their

hostess　that　they　should　walk　down　to　the　rocks　and　look　at　the　sea；

the　young　Englishman　again　found　himself；　as　they　strolled　across　the　grass；

in　proximity　to　Mrs。　Westgate's　sister。　　Though　she　was　but　a　girl　of　twenty；

she　appeared　to　feel　the　obligation　to　exert　an　active　hospitality；　and　this

was；　perhaps；　the　more　to　be　noticed　as　she　seemed　by　nature　a　reserved

and　retiring　person；　and　had　little　of　her　sister's　fraternizing　quality。

She　was　perhaps　rather　too　thin；　and　she　was　a　little　pale；　but　as　she　moved

slowly　over　the　grass；　with　her　arms　hanging　at　her　sides；　looking　gravely

for　a　moment　at　the　sea　and　then　brightly；　for　all　her　gravity；　at　him；

Lord　Lambeth　thought　her　at　least　as　pretty　as　Mrs。　Westgate；　and　reflected

that　if　this　was　the　Boston　style　the　Boston　style　was　very　charming。

He　thought　she　looked　very　clever；　he　could　imagine　that　she　was

highly　educated；　but　at　the　same　time　she　seemed　gentle　and　graceful。

For　all　her　cleverness；　however；　he　felt　that　she　had　to　think　a　little

what　to　say；　she　didn't　say　the　first　thing　that　came　into　her　head；

he　had　come　from　a　different　part　of　the　world　and　from　a　different　society；

and　she　was　trying　to　adapt　her　conversation。　　The　others　were　scattering

themselves　near　the　rocks；　Mrs。　Westgate　had　charge　of　Percy　Beaumont。



〃Very　jolly　place；　isn't　it？〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。

〃It's　a　very　jolly　place　to　sit。〃



〃Very　charming；〃　said　the　young　girl。　　〃I　often　sit　here；

there　are　all　kinds　of　cozy　cornersas　if　they　had　been

made　on　purpose。〃



〃Ah！　　I　suppose　you　have　had　some　of　them　made；〃　said　the　young　man。



Miss　Alden　looked　at　him　a　moment。　　〃Oh　no；　we　have　had　nothing　made。

It's　pure　nature。〃



〃I　should　think　you　would　have　a　few　little　benchesrustic　seats

and　that　sort　of　thing。　　It　might　be　so　jolly　to　sit　here；　you　know；〃

Lord　Lambeth　went　on。



〃I　am　afraid　we　haven't　so　many　of　those　things　as　you；〃

said　the　young　girl　thoughtfully。



〃I　daresay　you　go　in　for　pure　nature；　as　you　were　saying。

Nature　over　here　must　be　so　grand；　you　know。〃　　And　Lord　Lambeth

looked　about　him。



The　little　coast　line　hereabouts　was　very　pretty；　but　it　was　not

at　all　grand；　and　Miss　Alden　appeared　to　rise　to　a　perception

of　this　fact。　　〃I　am　afraid　it　seems　to　you　very　rough；〃　she　said。

〃It's　not　like　the　coast　scenery　in　Kingsley's　novels。〃



〃Ah；　the　novels　always　overdo　it；　you　know；〃　Lord　Lambeth　rejoined。

〃You　must　not　go　by　the　novels。〃



They　were　wandering　about　a　little　on　the　rocks；　and　they　stopped

and　looked　down　into　a　narrow　chasm　where　the　rising　tide　made

a　curious　bellowing　sound。　　It　was　loud　enough　to　prevent　their

hearing　each　other；　and　they　stood　there　for　some　moments　in　silence。

The　young　girl　looked　at　her　companion；　observing　him　attentively；

but　covertly；　as　women；　even　when　very　young；　know　how　to　do。

Lord　Lambeth　repaid　observation；　tall；　straight；　and　strong；

he　was　handsome　as　certain　young　Englishmen；　and　certain　young

Englishmen　almost　alone；　are　handsome；　with　a　perfect　finish

of　feature　and　a　look　of　intellectual　repose　and　gentle　good　temper

which　seemed　somehow　to　be　consequent　upon　his　well…cut　nose　and　chin。

And　to　speak　of　Lord　Lambeth's　expression　of　intellectual　repose

is　not　simply　a　civil　way　of　saying　that　he　looked　stupid。

He　was　evidently　not　a　young　man　of　an　irritable　imagination；

he　was　not；　as　he　would　himself　have　said；　tremendously　clever；

but　though　there　was　a　kind　of　appealing　dullness　in　his　eye；

he　looked　thoroughly　reasonable　and　competent；　and　his　appearance

proclaimed　that　to　be　a　nobleman；　an　athlete；　and　an　excellent

fellow　was　a　sufficiently　brilliant　combination　of　qualities。

The　young　girl　beside　him；　it　may　be　attested　without　further　delay；

thought　him　the　handsomest　young　man　she　had　ever　seen；

and　Bessie　Alden's　imagination；　unlike　that　of　her　companion；

was　irritable。　　He；　however；　was　also　making　up　his　mind　that　she

was　uncommonly　pretty。



〃I　daresay　it's　very　gay　here；　that　you　have　lots　of　balls　and　parties；〃

he　said；　for；　if　he　was　not　tremendously　clever；　he　rather　prided　himself

on　having；　with　women；　a　sufficiency　of　conversation。



〃Oh；　yes；　there　is　a　great　deal　going　on；〃　Bessie　Alden　replied。

〃There　are　not　so　many　balls；　but　there　are　a　good　many　other　things。

You　will　see　for　yourself；　we　live　rather　in　the　midst　of　it。〃



〃It's　very　kind　of　you　to　say　that。　　But　I　thought　you　Americans

were　always　dancing。〃



〃I　suppose　we　dance　a　good　deal；　but　I　have　never　seen　much　of　it。

We　don't　do　it　much；　at　any　rate；　in　summer。　　And　I　am　sure；〃

said　Bessie　Alden；　〃that　we　don't　have　so　many　balls　as　you

have　in　England。〃



〃Really！〃　exclaimed　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃Ah；　in　England　it　all　depends；　you　know。〃



〃You　will　not　think　much　of　our　gaieties；〃　said　the　young　girl；

looking　at　him　with　a　little　mixture　of　interrogation　and　decision

which　was　peculiar　to　her。　　The　interrogation　seemed　earnest　and

the　decision　seemed　arch；　but　the　mixture；　at　any　rate；　was　charming。

〃Those　things；　with　us；　are　much　less　splendid　than　in　England。〃



〃I　fancy　you　don't　mean　that；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　laughing。



〃I　assure　you　I　mean　everything　I　say；〃　the　young　girl　declared。

〃Certainly；　from　what　I　have　read　about　English　society；

it　is　very　different。〃



〃Ah　well；　you　know；〃　said　her　companion；　〃those　things　are

often　described　by　fellows　who　know　nothing　about　them。

You　mustn't　mind　what　you　read。〃



〃Oh；　I　SHALL　mind　what　I　read！〃　　Bessie　Alden　rejoined。

〃When　I　read　Thackeray　and　George　Eliot；　how　can　I　help　minding　them？〃



〃Ah　well；　Thackeray；　and　George　Eliot；〃　said　the　young　nobleman；

〃I　haven't　read　much　of　them。〃



〃Don't　you　suppose　they　know　about　society？〃　asked　Bessie　Alden。



〃Oh；　I　daresay　they　know；　they　were　so　very　clever。

But　these　fashionable　novels；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　〃they　are

awful　rot；　you　know。〃



His　companion　looked　at　him　a　moment　with　her　dark　blue　eyes；　and　then

she　looked　down　in　the　chasm　where　the　water　was　tumbling　about。

〃Do　you　mean　Mrs。　Gore；　for　instance？〃　she　said　presently；

raising　her　eyes。



〃I　am　afraid　I　haven't　read　that；　either；〃　was　the　young

man's　rejoinder；　laughing　a　little　and　blushing。

〃I　am　afraid　you'll　think　I　am　not　very　intellectual。〃



〃Reading　Mrs。　Gore　is　no　proof　of　intellect。　　But　I　like

reading　everything　about　English　lifeeven　poor　books。

I　am　so　curious　about　it。〃



〃Aren't　ladies　always　curious？〃　asked　the　young　man　jestingly。



But　Bessie　Alden　appeared　to　desire　to　answer　his　question　seriously。

〃I　don't　think　soI　don't　think　we　are　enough　sothat　we　care

about　many　things。　　So　it's　all　the　more　of　a　compliment；〃　she　added；

〃that　I　should　want　to　know　so　much　about　England。〃



The　logic　here　seemed　a　little　close；　but　Lord　Lambeth；　made　conscious

of　a　compliment；　found　his　natural　modesty　just　at　hand。

〃I　am　sure　you　know　a　great　deal　more　than　I　do。〃



〃I　really　think　I　know　a　great　dealfor　a　person　who　has　never　been　there。〃



〃Have　you　really　never　been　there？〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃Fancy！〃



〃Neverexcept　in　imagination；〃　said　the　young　girl。



〃Fancy！〃　repeated　her　companion。　　〃But　I　daresay　you'll　go　soon；　won't　you？〃



〃It's　the　dream　of　my　life！〃　declared　Bessie　Alden；　smiling。



〃But　your　sister　seems　to　know　a　tremendous　lot