the glimpses of the moon-第1部分

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The　Glimpses　of　the　Moon



by　Edith　Wharton











PART　I



I



IT　rose　for　themtheir　honey…moonover　the　waters　of　a　lake　so

famed　as　the　scene　of　romantic　raptures　that　they　were　rather

proud　of　not　having　been　afraid　to　choose　it　as　the　setting　of

their　own。



〃It　required　a　total　lack　of　humour；　or　as　great　a　gift　for　it

as　ours；　to　risk　the　experiment；〃　Susy　Lansing　opined；　as　they

hung　over　the　inevitable　marble　balustrade　and　watched　their

tutelary　orb　roll　its　magic　carpet　across　the　waters　to　their

feet。



〃Yesor　the　loan　of　Strefford's　villa；〃　her　husband　emended；

glancing　upward　through　the　branches　at　a　long　low　patch　of

paleness　to　which　the　moonlight　was　beginning　to　give　the　form

of　a　white　house…front。



〃Oh；　come　when　we'd　five　to　choose　from。　　At　least　if　you　count

the　Chicago　flat。〃



〃So　we　hadyou　wonder！〃　　He　laid　his　hand　on　hers；　and　his

touch　renewed　the　sense　of　marvelling　exultation　which　the

deliberate　survey　of　their　adventure　always　roused　in　her　。。。。

It　was　characteristic　that　she　merely　added；　in　her　steady

laughing　tone：　　〃Or；　not　counting　the　flatfor　I　hate　to　brag…

just　consider　the　others：　　Violet　Melrose's　place　at　Versailles；

your　aunt's　villa　at　Monte　Carloand　a　moor！〃



She　was　conscious　of　throwing　in　the　moor　tentatively；　and　yet

with　a　somewhat　exaggerated　emphasis；　as　if　to　make　sure　that　he

shouldn't　accuse　her　of　slurring　it　over。　　But　he　seemed　to　have

no　desire　to　do　so。　　〃Poor　old　Fred！〃　he　merely　remarked；　and

she　breathed　out　carelessly：　　〃Oh；　well〃



His　hand　still　lay　on　hers；　and　for　a　long　interval；　while　they

stood　silent　in　the　enveloping　loveliness　of　the　night；　she　was

aware　only　of　the　warm　current　running　from　palm　to　palm；　as　the

moonlight　below　them　drew　its　line　of　magic　from　shore　to　shore。



Nick　Lansing　spoke　at　last。　　〃Versailles　in　May　would　have　been

impossible：　　all　our　Paris　crowd　would　have　run　us　down　within

twenty…four　hours。　　And　Monte　Carlo　is　ruled　out　because　it's

exactly　the　kind　of　place　everybody　expected　us　to　go。　　So

with　all　respect　to　youit　wasn't　much　of　a　mental　strain　to

decide　on　Como。〃



His　wife　instantly　challenged　this　belittling　of　her　capacity。

〃It　took　a　good　deal　of　argument　to　convince　you　that　we　could

face　the　ridicule　of　Como！〃



〃Well；　I　should　have　preferred　something　in　a　lower　key；　at

least　I　thought　I　should　till　we　got　here。　　Now　I　see　that　this

place　is　idiotic　unless　one　is　perfectly　happy；　and　that　then

it's…as　good　as　any　other。〃



She　sighed　out　a　blissful　assent。　〃And　I　must　say　that　Streffy

has　done　things　to　a　turn。　Even　the　cigarswho　do　you　suppose

gave　him　those　cigars？〃　　She　added　thoughtfully：　　〃You'll　miss

them　when　we　have　to　go。〃



〃Oh；　I　say；　don't　let's　talk　to…night　about　going。　　Aren't　we

outside　of　time　and　space　。。。？　　Smell　that　guinea…a…bottle　stuff

over　there：　　what　is　it？　　Stephanotis？〃



〃Y…yes　。。。。　　I　suppose　so。　　Or　gardenias　。。。。　　Oh；　the　fire…

flies！　　Look　。。。　there；　against　that　splash　of　moonlight　on　the

water。　　Apples　of　silver　in　a　net…work　of　gold　。。。。〃　　They

leaned　together；　one　flesh　from　shoulder　to　finger…tips；　their

eyes　held　by　the　snared　glitter　of　the　ripples。



〃I　could　bear；〃　Lansing　remarked；　〃even　a　nightingale　at　this

moment　。。。。〃



A　faint　gurgle　shook　the　magnolias　behind　them；　and　a　long

liquid　whisper　answered　it　from　the　thicket　of　laurel　above

their　heads。



〃It's　a　little　late　in　the　year　for　them：　　they're　ending　just

as　we　begin。〃



Susy　laughed。　　〃I　hope　when　our　turn　comes　we　shall　say　good…bye

to　each　other　as　sweetly。〃



It　was　in　her　husband's　mind　to　answer：　　〃They're　not　saying

good…bye；　but　only　settling　down　to　family　cares。〃　　But　as　this

did　not　happen　to　be　in　his　plan；　or　in　Susy's；　he　merely　echoed

her　laugh　and　pressed　her　closer。



The　spring　night　drew　them　into　its　deepening　embrace。　　The

ripples　of　the　lake　had　gradually　widened　and　faded　into　a

silken　smoothness；　and　high　above　the　mountains　the　moon　was

turning　from　gold　to　white　in　a　sky　powdered　with　vanishing

stars。　　Across　the　lake　the　lights　of　a　little　town　went　out；

one　after　another；　and　the　distant　shore　became　a　floating

blackness。　　A　breeze　that　rose　and　sank　brushed　their　faces　with

the　scents　of　the　garden；　once　it　blew　out　over　the　water　a

great　white　moth　like　a　drifting　magnolia　petal。　　The

nightingales　had　paused　and　the　trickle　of　the　fountain　behind

the　house　grew　suddenly　insistent。



When　Susy　spoke　it　was　in　a　voice　languid　with　visions。　　〃I　have

been　thinking；〃　she　said；　〃that　we　ought　to　be　able　to　make　it

last　at　least　a　year　longer。〃



Her　husband　received　the　remark　without　any　sign　of　surprise　or

disapprobation；　his　answer　showed　that　he　not　only　understood

her；　but　had　been　inwardly　following　the　same　train　of　thought。



〃You　mean；〃　he　enquired　after　a　pause；　〃without　counting　your

grandmother's　pearls？〃



〃Yeswithout　the　pearls。〃



He　pondered　a　while；　and　then　rejoined　in　a　tender　whisper：

〃Tell　me　again　just　how。〃



〃Let's　sit　down；　then。　　No；　I　like　the　cushions　best。〃　　He

stretched　himself　in　a　long　willow　chair；　and　she　curled　up　on

a　heap　of　boat…cushions　and　leaned　her　head　against　his　knee。

Just　above　her；　when　she　lifted　her　lids；　she　saw　bits　of

moonflooded　sky　incrusted　like　silver　in　a　sharp　black

patterning　of　plane…boughs。　　All　about　them　breathed　of　peace

and　beauty　and　stability；　and　her　happiness　was　so　acute　that　it

was　almost　a　relief　to　remember　the　stormy　background　of　bills

and　borrowing　against　which　its　frail　structure　had　been　reared。

〃People　with　a　balance　can't　be　as　happy　as　all　this；〃　Susy

mused；　letting　the　moonlight　filter　through　her　lazy　lashes。



People　with　a　balance　had　always　been　Susy　Branch's　bugbear；

they　were　still；　and　more　dangerously；　to　be　Susy　Lansing's。

She　detested　them；　detested　them　doubly；　as　the　natural　enemies

of　mankind　and　as　the　people　one　always　had　to　put　one's　self

out　for。　　The　greater　part　of　her　life　having　been　passed　among

them；　she　knew　nearly　all　that　there　was　to　know　about　them；　and

judged　them　with　the　contemptuous　lucidity　of　nearly　twenty

years　of　dependence。　　But　at　the　present　moment　her　animosity

was　diminished　not　only　by　the　softening　effect　of　love　but　by

the　fact　that　she　had　got　out　of　those　very　people　moreyes；

ever　so　much　morethan　she　and　Nick；　in　their　hours　of　most

reckless　planning；　had　ever　dared　to　hope　for。



〃After　all；　we　owe　them　this！〃　she　mused。



Her　husband；　lost　in　the　drowsy　beatitude　of　the　hour；　had　not

repeated　his　question；　but　she　was　still　on　the　trail　of　the

thought　he　had　started。　　A　yearyes；　she　was　sure　now　that

with　a　little　management　they　could　have　a　whole　year　of　it！

〃It〃　was　their　marriage；　their　being　together；　and　away　from

bores　and　bothers；　in　a　comradeship　of　which　both　of　them　had

long　ago　guessed　the　immediate　pleasure；　but　she　at　least　had

never　imagined　the　deeper　harmony。



It　was　at　one　of　their　earliest　meetingsat　one　of　the

heterogeneous　dinners　that　the　Fred　Gillows　tried　to　think

〃literary〃that　the　young　man　who　chanced　to　sit　next　to　her；

and　of　whom　it　was　vaguely　rumoured　that　he　had　〃written；〃　had

presented　himself　to　her　imagination　as　the　sort　of　luxury　to

which　Susy　Branch；　heiress；　might　conceivably　have　treated

herself　as　a　crowning　folly。　　Susy　Branch；　pauper；　was　fond　of

picturing　how　this　fancied　double　would　employ　her　millions：　　it

was　one　of　her　chief　grievances　against　her　rich　friends　that

they　disposed　of　theirs　so　unimaginatively。



〃I'd　rather　have　a　husband　like　that　than　a　steam…yacht！〃　　she

had　thought　at　the　end　of　her　talk　with　the　young　man　who　had

written；　and　as　to　whom　it　had　at　once　been　clear　to　her　that

nothing　his　pen　had　produced；　or　might　hereafter　set　down；　would

put　him　in　a　position　to　offer　his　wife　anything　more　costly

than　a　row…boat。



〃His　wife！　　As　if　he　could　ever　have　one！　　For　he's　not　the　kind

to　marry　for　a　yacht　either。〃　　In　spite　of　her　past；　Susy　had

preserved　enough　inner　independence　to　detect　the　latent　signs

of　it　in　others；　and　also　to　ascribe　it　impulsively　to　those　of

the　opposite　sex　who　happened　to　interest　her。　　She　had　a

natural　contempt　for　people　who　gloried　in　what　they　need　only

have　endured。　　She　herself　meant　eventually　to　marry；　because

one　couldn't　forever　hang　on　to　rich　people；　but　she　was　going

to　wait　till　she　found　some　one　who　combined　the　maximum　of

wealth　with　at　least　a　minimum　of　companionableness。



She　had　at　once　perceived　young　Lansing's　case　to　be　exactly　the

opposite：　　he　was　as　poor　as　he　could　be；　and　as　companionable

as　it　was　possible　to　imagine。　　She　therefore　decided　to　see　as

much　of　him　as　her　hurried　and　entangled　life　permitted；　and

this；　thanks　to　a　series　of　adroit　adjustments；　turned　out　to　be

a　good　deal。　　They　met　frequently　all　the　rest　of　that　winter；

so　frequently　that　Mrs。　Fred　Gillow　one　day　abruptly　and　sharply

gave　Susy　to　understand　that　she　was　〃making　herself

ridiculous。〃



〃Ah〃　said　Susy　with　a　long　breath；　looking　her　friend　and

patroness　straight　in　the　painted　eyes。



〃Yes；〃　cried　Ursula　Gillow　in　a　sob；　〃before　you　interfered　Nick

liked　me　awfully　。。。　and；　of　course；　I　don't　want　to　reproach

you　。。。　but　when　I　think　。。。。〃



Susy　made　no　answer。　　How　could　she；　when　she　thought？　　The

dress　she　had　on　had　been　given　her　by　Ursula；　Ursula's　motor

had　carried　her　to　the　feast　from　which　they　were　both

returning。　　She　counted　on　spending　the　following　August　with

the　Gillows　at　Newport　。。。　and　the　only　alternative　was　to　go　to

California　with　the　Bockheimers；　whom　she　had　hitherto　refused

even　to　dine　with。



〃Of　course；　what　you　fancy　is　perfect　nonsense；　Ursula；　and　as

to　my　interfering〃　Susy　hesitated；　and　then　murmured：　　〃But　if

it