the glimpses of the moon-第33部分

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frizzled　thatch　of　hair　and　a　pediment　of　uncleaned　diamonds；

passed　on　to　the　vacuous　and　overfed　or　fashionably　haggard

masks　of　the　ladies　next　in　rank；　and　finally　caught；　between

branching　orchids；　a　distant　glimpse　of　Miss　Hicks。



In　contrast　with　the　others；　he　thought；　she　looked　surprisingly

noble。　　Her　large　grave　features　made　her　appear　like　an　old

monument　in　a　street　of　Palace　Hotels；　and　he　marvelled　at　the

mysterious　law　which　had　brought　this　archaic　face　out　of　Apex

City；　and　given　to　the　oldest　society　of　Europe　a　look　of　such

mixed　modernity。



Lansing　perceived　that　the　aide…de…camp；　who　was　his　neighbour；

was　also　looking　at　Miss　Hicks。　　His　expression　was　serious；　and

even　thoughtful；　but　as　his　eyes　met　Lansing's　he　readjusted　his

official　smile。



〃I　was　admiring　our　hostess's　daughter。　　Her　absence　of　jewels

iseran　inspiration；〃　he　remarked　in　the　confidential　tone

which　Lansing　had　come　to　dread。



〃Oh；　Miss　Hicks　is　full　of　inspirations；〃　he　returned　curtly；

and　the　aide…de…camp　bowed　with　an　admiring　air；　as　if

inspirations　were　rarer　than　pearls；　as　in　his　milieu　they

undoubtedly　were。　　〃She　is　the　equal　of　any　situation；　I　am

sure；〃　he　replied；　and　then　abandoned　the　subject　with　one　of

his　automatic　transitions。



After　dinner；　in　the　embrasure　of　a　drawing…room　window；　he

surprised　Nick　by　returning　to　the　same　topic；　and　this　time

without　thinking　it　needful　to　readjust　his　smile。　　His　face

remained　serious；　though　his　manner　was　studiously　informal。



〃I　was　admiring；　at　dinner；　Miss　Hicks's　invariable　sense　of

appropriateness。　　It　must　permit　her　friends　to　foresee　for　her

almost　any　future；　however　exalted。〃



Lansing　hesitated；　and　controlled　his　annoyance。　　Decidedly　he

wanted　to　know　what　was　in　his　companion's　mind。



〃What　do　you　mean　by　exalted？〃　he　asked；　with　a　smile　of　faint

amusement。



〃Wellequal　to　her　marvellous　capacity　for　shining　in　the

public　eye。〃



Lansing　still　smiled。　　〃The　question　is；　I　suppose；　whether　her

desire　to　shine　equals　her　capacity。〃



The　aide…de…camp　stared。　　〃You　mean；　she's　not　ambitious？〃



〃On　the　contrary；　I　believe　her　to　be　immeasurably　ambitious。〃



〃Immeasurably？〃　　The　aide…de…camp　seemed　to　try　to　measure　it。

〃But　not；　surely；　beyond〃　〃beyond　what　we　can　offer；〃　his　eyes

completed　the　sentence；　and　it　was　Lansing's　turn　to　stare。　　The

aide…de…camp　faced　the　stare。　　〃Yes；〃　his　eyes　concluded　in　a

flash；　while　his　lips　let　fall：　　〃The　Princess　Mother　admires

her　immensely。〃　　But　at　that　moment　a　wave　of　Mrs。　Hicks's　fan

drew　them　hurriedly　from　their　embrasure。



〃Professor　Darchivio　had　promised　to　explain　to　us　the

difference　between　the　Sassanian　and　Byzantine　motives　in

Carolingian　art；　but　the　Manager　has　sent　up　word　that　the　two

new　Creole　dancers　from　Paris　have　arrived；　and　her　Serene

Highness　wants　to　pop　down　to　the　ball…room　and　take　a　peep　at

them　。。。。　　She's　sure　the　Professor　will　understand　。。。。〃



〃And　accompany　us；　of　course；〃　the　Princess　irresistibly　added。



Lansing's　brief　colloquy　in　the　Nouveau　Luxe　window　had　lifted

the　scales　from　his　eyes。　　Innumerable　dim　corners　of　memory　had

been　flooded　with　light　by　that　one　quick　glance　of　the　aide…de…

camp's：　　things　he　had　heard；　hints　he　had　let　pass；　smiles；

insinuations；　cordialities；　rumours　of　the　improbability　of　the

Prince's　founding　a　family；　suggestions　as　to　the　urgent　need　of

replenishing　the　Teutoburger　treasury　。。。。



Miss　Hicks；　perforce；　had　accompanied　her　parents　and　their

princely　guests　to　the　ballroom；　but　as　she　did　not　dance；　and

took　little　interest　in　the　sight　of　others　so　engaged；　she

remained　aloof　from　the　party；　absorbed　in　an　archaeological

discussion　with　the　baffled　but　smiling　savant　who　was　to　have

enlightened　the　party　on　the　difference　between　Sassanian　and

Byzantine　ornament。



Lansing；　also　aloof；　had　picked　out　a　post　from　which　he　could

observe　the　girl：　　she　wore　a　new　look　to　him　since　he　had　seen

her　as　the　centre　of　all　these　scattered　threads　of　intrigue。

Yes；　decidedly　she　was　growing　handsomer；　or　else　she　had

learned　how　to　set　off　her　massive　lines　instead　of　trying　to

disguise　them。　　As　she　held　up　her　long　eye…glass　to　glance

absently　at　the　dancers　he　was　struck　by　the　large　beauty　of　her

arm　and　the　careless　assurance　of　the　gesture。　　There　was

nothing　nervous　or　fussy　about　Coral　Hicks；　and　he　was　not

surprised　that；　plastically　at　least；　the　Princess　Mother　had

discerned　her　possibilities。



Nick　Lansing；　all　that　night；　sat　up　and　stared　at　his　future。

He　knew　enough　of　the　society　into　which　the　Hickses　had　drifted

to　guess　that；　within　a　very　short　time；　the　hint　of　the

Prince's　aide…de…camp　would　reappear　in　the　form　of　a　direct

proposal。　　Lansing　himself　would　probablyas　the　one　person　in

the　Hicks　entourage　with　whom　one　could　intelligibly　commune…be

entrusted　with　the　next　step　in　the　negotiations：　　he　would　be

asked；　as　the　aide…de…camp　would　have　said；　〃to　feel　the

ground。〃　　It　was　clearly　part　of　the　state　policy　of　Teutoburg

to　offer　Miss　Hicks；　with　the　hand　of　its　sovereign；　an

opportunity　to　replenish　its　treasury。



What　would　the　girl　do？　　Lansing　could　not　guess；　yet　he　dimly

felt　that　her　attitude　would　depend　in　a　great　degree　upon　his

own。　　And　he　knew　no　more　what　his　own　was　going　to　be　than　on

the　night；　four　months　earlier；　when　he　had　flung　out　of　his

wife's　room　in　Venice　to　take　the　midnight　express　for　Genoa。



The　whole　of　his　past；　and　above　all　the　tendency；　on　which　he

had　once　prided　himself；　to　live　in　the　present　and　take

whatever　chances　it　offered；　now　made　it　harder　for　him　to　act。

He　began　to　see　that　he　had　never；　even　in　the　closest　relations

of　life；　looked　ahead　of　his　immediate　satisfaction。　　He　had

thought　it　rather　fine　to　be　able　to　give　himself　so　intensely

to　the　fullness　of　each　moment　instead　of　hurrying　past　it　in

pursuit　of　something　more；　or　something　else；　in　the　manner　of

the　over…scrupulous　or　the　under…imaginative；　whom　he　had　always

grouped　together　and　equally　pitied。　　It　was　not　till　he　had

linked　his　life　with　Susy's　that　he　had　begun　to　feel　it

reaching　forward　into　a　future　he　longed　to　make　sure　of；　to

fasten　upon　and　shape　to　his　own　wants　and　purposes；　till；　by　an

imperceptible　substitution；　that　future　had　become　his　real

present；　his　all…absorbing　moment　of　time。



Now　the　moment　was　shattered；　and　the　power　to　rebuild　it　failed

him。　　He　had　never　before　thought　about　putting　together　broken

bits：　　he　felt　like　a　man　whose　house　has　been　wrecked　by　an

earthquake；　and　who；　for　lack　of　skilled　labour；　is　called　upon

for　the　first　time　to　wield　a　trowel　and　carry　bricks。　　He

simply　did　not　know　how。



Will…power；　he　saw；　was　not　a　thing　one　could　suddenly　decree

oneself　to　possess。　　It　must　be　built　up　imperceptibly　and

laboriously　out　of　a　succession　of　small　efforts　to　meet

definite　objects；　out　of　the　facing　of　daily　difficulties

instead　of　cleverly　eluding　them；　or　shifting　their　burden　on

others。　　The　making　of　the　substance　called　character　was　a

process　about　as　slow　and　arduous　as　the　building　of　the

Pyramids；　and　the　thing　itself；　like　those　awful　edifices；　was

mainly　useful　to　lodge　one's　descendants　in；　after　they　too　were

dust。　　Yet　the　Pyramid…instinct　was　the　one　which　had　made　the

world；　made　man；　and　caused　his　fugitive　joys　to　linger　like

fading　frescoes　on　imperishable　walls　。。。。







XXI



ON　the　drive　back　from　her　dinner　at　the　Nouveau　Luxe；　events

had　followed　the　course　foreseen　by　Susy。



She　had　promised　Strefford　to　seek　legal　advice　about　her

divorce；　and　he　had　kissed　her；　and　the　promise　had　been　easier

to　make　than　she　had　expected；　the　kiss　less　difficult　to

receive。



She　had　gone　to　the　dinner　a…quiver　with　the　mortification　of

learning　that　her　husband　was　still　with　the　Hickses。　　Morally

sure　of　it　though　she　had　been；　the　discovery　was　a　shock；　and

she　measured　for　the　first　time　the　abyss　between　fearing　and

knowing。　　No　wonder　he　had　not　writtenthe　modern　husband　did

not　have　to：　　he　had　only　to　leave　it　to　time　and　the　newspapers

to　make　known　his　intentions。　　Susy　could　imagine　Nick's　saying

to　himself；　as　he　sometimes　used　to　say　when　she　reminded　him　of

an　unanswered　letter：　　〃But　there　are　lots　of　ways　of　answering

a　letterand　writing　doesn't　happen　to　be　mine。〃



Wellhe　had　done　it　in　his　way；　and　she　was　answered。　　For　a

minute；　as　she　laid　aside　the　paper；　darkness　submerged　her；　and

she　felt　herself　dropping　down　into　the　bottomless　anguish　of

her　dreadful　vigil　in　the　Palazzo　Vanderlyn。　　But　she　was　weary

of　anguish：　　her　healthy　body　and　nerves　instinctively　rejected

it。　　The　wave　was　spent；　and　she　felt　herself　irresistibly

struggling　back　to　light　and　life　and　youth。　　He　didn't　want

her！　　Well；　she　would　try　not　to　want　him！　　There　lay　all　the

old　expedients　at　her　handthe　rouge　for　her　white　lips；　the

atropine　for　her　blurred　eyes；　the　new　dress　on　her　bed；　the

thought　of　Strefford　and　his　guests　awaiting　her；　and　of　the

conclusions　that　the　diners　of　the　Nouveau　Luxe　would　draw　from

seeing　them　together。　　Thank　heaven　no　one　would　say：　　〃Poor　old

Susydid　you　know　Nick　had　chucked　her？〃　　They　would　all　say：

〃Poor　old　Nick！　　Yes；　I　daresay　she　was　sorry　to　chuck　him；　but

Altringham's　mad　to　marry　her；　and　what　could　she　do？　〃



And　once　again　events　had　followed　the　course　she　had　foreseen。

Seeing　her　at　Lord　Altringham's　table；　with　the　Ascots　and　the

old　Duchess　of　Dunes；　the　interested　spectators　could　not　but

regard　the　dinner　as　confirming　the　rumour　of　her　marriage。　　As

Ellie　said；　people　didn't　wait　nowadays　to　announce　their

〃engagements〃　till　the　tiresome　divorce　proceedings　were　over。

Ellie　herself；　prodigally　pearled　and　ermined；　had　floated　in

late　with　Al