lady baltimore-第15部分

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en　humor　which　made　him　so　delightful）〃because　we　haven't　got　any　pockets　to　think　of！〃

This　brought　me　down　to　cheerfulness　from　my　flight　among　the　cold　clouds。

He　continued：　〃Any　more　lamentations；　Mr。　Jeremiah？〃

〃Those　who　begin　to　call　names；　John　Mayrantbut　never　mind！　I　could　lament　you　sick　if　I　chose　to　go　on　about　our　corporations　and　corruption　that　I　see　with　my　pessimistic　eye；　but　the　other　eye　sees　the　American　man　himselfthe　type　that　our　eighty　millions　on　the　whole　melt　into　and　to　which　my　heart　warms　each　time　I　land　again　from　more　polished　and　colder　shoresmy　optimistic　eye　sees　that　American　dealing　adequately　with　these　political　diseases。　For　stronger　even　than　his　kindness；　his　ability；　and　his　dishonesty　is　his　self…preservation。　He's　going　to　stand　up　for　the　'open　shop'　and　sit　down　on　the　'trust'；　and　I　assure　you　that　I　don't　in　the　least　resemble　the　Evening　Post。〃

A　look　of　inquiry　was　in　John　Mayrant's　features。

〃The　New　York　Evening　Post；〃　I　repeated　with　surprise。　Still　the　inquiry　of　his　face　remained。

〃Oh；　fortunate　youth！〃　I　cried。　〃To　have　escaped　the　New　York　Evening　Post！〃

〃Is　it　so　heinous？〃

〃Well！　。。。　well！　。。。　how　exactly　describe　it？　。。。　make　you　see　it？　。。。　It's　partially　tongue…tied；　a　sad　victim　of　its　own　excesses。　Habitual　over…indulgence　in　blaming　has　given　it　a　painful　stutter　when　attempting　praise；　it's　the　sprucely　written　sheet　of　the　supercilious；　it's　the　after…dinner　pill　of　the　American　who　prefers　Europe；　it's　our　Republic's　common　scold；　the　Xantippe　of　journalism；　the　paper　without　a　country。〃

〃The　paper　without　a　country！　That's　very　good！〃

〃Oh；　no！　I'll　tell　you　something　much　better；　but　it　is　not　mine。　A　clever　New　Yorker　said　that　what　with　The　Sun〃

〃I　know　that　paper。〃

〃what　with　The　Sun　making　vice　so　attractive　in　the　morning　and　the　Post　making　virtue　so　odious　in　the　evening；　it　was　very　hard　for　a　man　to　be　good　in　New　York。〃

〃I　fear　I　should　subscribe　to　The　Sun；〃　said　John　Mayrant。　He　took　his　hand　from　the　church…gate　railing；　and　we　had　turned　to　stroll　down　Worship　Street　when　he　was　unexpectedly　addressed。

For　some　minutes；　while　John　Mayrant　and　I　had　been　talking；　I　had　grown　aware；　without　taking　any　definite　note　of　it；　that　the　old　custodian　of　the　churchyard；　Daddy　Ben；　had　come　slowly　near　us　from　the　distant　corner　of　his　demesne；　where　he　had　been　（to　all　appearances）　engaged　in　some　trifling　activity　among　the　flowersperhaps　picking　off　the　faded　blossoms。　It　now　came　home　to　me　that　the　venerable　negro　had　really　been；　in　a　surreptitious　way；　watching　John　Mayrant；　and　waiting　for　somethingeither　for　the　right　moment　to　utter　what　he　now　uttered；　or　his　own　delayed　decision　to　utter　it　at　all。

〃Mas'　John！〃　he　called　quite　softly。　His　tone　was　fairly　padded　with　caution；　and　I　saw　that　in　the　pause　which　followed；　his　eye　shot　a　swift　look　at　the　bruise　on　Mayrant's　forehead；　and　another　look；　equally　swift；　at　me

〃Well；　Daddy　Ben；　what　is　it？〃

The　custodian　shunted　close　to　the　gate　which　separated　him　from　us。　〃Mas'　John；　I　speck　de　President　he　dun'　know　de　cullud　people　like　we　knows　'um；　else　he　nebber　bin　'pint　dat　ar　boss　in　de　Cussum　House；　no；　sah。〃

After　this　effort　he　wiped　his　forehead　and　breathed　hard。

To　my　astonishment；　the　effort　brought　immediately　a　stern　change　over　John　Mayrant's　face；　then　he　answered　in　the　kindest　tones；　〃Thank　you；　Daddy　Ben。〃

This　answer　interpreted　for　me　the　whole　thing；　which　otherwise　would　have　been　obscure　enough：　the　old　man　held　it　to　be　an　indignity　that　his　young　〃Mas'　John〃　should；　by　the　President's　act；　find　himself　the　subordinate　of　a　member　of　the　black　race；　and　he　had　just　now；　in　his　perspiring　effort；　expressed　his　sympathy！　Why　he　had　chosen　this　particular　moment　（after　quite　obvious　debate　with　himself）　I　did　not　see　until　somewhat　later。

He　now　left　us　standing　at　the　gate；　and　it　was　not　for　some　moments　that　John　Mayrant　spoke　again；　evidently　closing；　for　our　two　selves；　this　delicate　subject。

〃I　wish　we　had　not　got　into　that　second　volume　of　yours。〃

〃That's　not　progressive。〃

〃I　hate　progress。〃

〃What's　the　use？　Better　grow　old　gracefully！

　　　　　　　　　　〃'Qui　no　pas　I'esprif　de　son　age　　　　　　　　　　　De　son　age　a　tout　le　malheur。'〃

〃Well；　I'm　personally　not　growing　old；　just　yet。〃

〃Neither　is　the　United　States。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　know。　It's　too　easy　for　sick　or　worthless　people　to　survive　nowadays。　They　are　clotting　up　our　square　miles　very　fast。　Philanthropists　don't　seem　to　remember　that　you　can　beget　children　a　great　deal　faster　than　you　can　educate　them；　and　at　this　rate　I　believe　universal　suffrage　will　kill　us　off　before　our　time。〃

〃Do　not　believe　it！　We　are　going　to　find　out　that　universal　suffrage　is　like　the　appendixuseful　at　an　early　stage　of　the　race's　evolution　but　to…day　merely　a　threat　to　life。〃

He　thought　this　over。　〃But　a　surgical　operation　is　pretty　serious；　you　know。〃

〃It'll　be　done　by　absorption。　Why；　you've　begun　it　yourselves；　and　so　has　Massachusetts。　The　appendix　will　be　removed；　black　and　whiteand　I　shouldn't　much　fear　surgery。　We're　not　nearly　civilized　enough　yet　to　have　lost　the　power　Of　recuperation；　and　in　spite　of　our　express…train　speed；　I　doubt　if　we　shall　travel　from　crudity　to　rottenness　without　a　pause　at　maturity。〃

〃That　is　the　old；　old　story；〃　he　said。

〃Yes；　is　there　anything　new　under　the　sun？〃

He　was　gloomy。　〃Nothing；　I　suppose。〃　Then　the　gloom　lightened。　〃Nothing　new　under　the　sunexcept　the　fashionable　families　of　Newport！〃

This　again　brought　us　from　the　clouds　of　speculation　down　to　Worship　Street；　where　we　were　walking　toward　South　Place。　It　also　unexpectedly　furnished　me　with　the　means　to　lead　back　our　talk　so　gently；　without　a　jolt　or　a　jerk；　to　my　moral　and　the　delicate　topic　of　matrimony　from　which　he　had　dodged　away；　that　he　never　awoke　to　what　was　coming　until　it　had　come。　He　began　pointing　out；　as　we　passed　them；　certain　houses　which　were　now；　or　had　at　some　period　been；　the　dwellings　of　his　many　relatives：　〃My　cousin　Julia　So…and…so　lives　there；〃　he　would　say；　or；　〃My　great…uncle；　known　as　Regent　Tom；　owned　that　before　the　War〃；　and　once；　〃The　Rev。　Joseph　Priedieu；　my　great…grandfather；　built　that　house　to　marry　his　fifth　wife　in；　but　the　grave　claimed　him　first。〃

So　I　asked　him　a　riddle。　〃What　is　the　difference　between　Kings　Port　and　Newport？〃

This　he；　of　course；　gave　up。

〃Here　you　are　all　connected　by　marriage；　and　there　they　are　all　connected　by　divorce。〃

〃That's　true！〃　he　cried。　〃that's　very　true。　I　met　the　most　embarrassingly　cater…cornered　families。〃

〃Oh；　they　weren't　embarrassed！〃　I　interjected。

〃No；　but　I　was；〃　said　John。

〃And　you　told　me　you　weren't　innocent！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃They　are　going　to　institute　a　divorce　march；〃　I　continued。　〃'Lohengrin'　or　'Midsummer…　Night's　Dream'　played　backward。　They　have　not　settled　which　it　is　to　be　taught　in　the　nursery　with　the　other　kindergarten　melodies。〃

He　was　still　unsuspectingly　diverted；　and　we　walked　along　until　we　turned　in　the　direction　of　my　boarding…house。

〃Did　you　ever　notice；〃　I　now　said；　〃what　a　perpetual　allegory　'Midsummer…Night's　Dream'　contains？〃

〃I　thought　it　was　just　a　fairy　sort　of　thing。〃

〃Yes；　but　when　a　great　poet　sets　his　hand　to　a　fairy　sort　of　thing；　you　getwell；　you　get　poor　Titania。〃

〃She　fell　in　love　with　a　jackass；〃　he　remarked。　〃Puck　bewitched　her。〃

〃Precisely。　A　lovely　woman　with　her　arms　around　a　jackass。　Does　that　never　happen　in　Kings　Port？〃

He　began　smiling　to　himself。　〃I'm　afraid　Puck　isn't　all　dead　yet。〃

I　was　now　in　a　position　to　begin　dropping　my　bitters。　〃Shakespeare　was　probably　too　gallant　to　put　it　the　other　way；　and　make　Oberon　fall　in　love　with　a　female　jackass。　But　what　an　allegory！〃

〃Yes；〃　he　muttered。　〃Yes。〃

I　followed　with　another　drop。　〃Titania　got　out　of　it。　It　is　not　always　solved　so　easily。〃

〃No；〃　he　muttered。　〃No。〃　It　was　quite　evident　that　the　flavor　of　my　bitters　reached　him。

He　was　walking　slowly；　with　his　head　down；　and　frowning　hard。　We　had　now　come　to　the　steps　of　my　boarding…house；　and　I　dropped　my　last　drop。　〃But　a　disenchanted　woman　has　the　best　of　itbefore　marriage；　at　least。〃

He　looked　up　quickly。　〃How？〃

I　evinced　surprise。　〃Why；　she　can　always　break　off　honorably；　and　we　never　can；　I　suppose。〃

For　the　third　time　this　day　he　made　me　an　astonishing　rejoinder：　〃Would　you　like　to　take　orders　from　a　negro？〃

It　reduced　me　to　stammering。　〃I　have　neversuch　a　juncture　has　never〃

〃Of　course　you　wouldn't。　Even　a　Northerner！〃

His　face；　as　he　said　this；　was　a　single　glittering　piece　of　fierceness。　I　was　still　so　much　taken　aback　that　I　said　rather　flatly：　〃But　who　has　to？〃

〃I　have　to。〃　With　this　he　abruptly　turned　on　his　heel　and　left　me　standing　on　the　steps。　For　a　moment　I　stared　after　him；　and　then；　as　I　rang　the　bell；　he　was　back　again；　and　with　that　formality　which　at　times　overtook　him　he　began：　〃I　will　ask　you　to　excuse　my　hasty〃

〃Oh；　John　Mayrant！　What　a　notion！〃

But　he　was　by　no　means　to　be　put　off；　and　he　proceeded　with　stiffer　formality：　〃I　feel　that　I　have　not　acted　politely　just　now；　and　I　beg　to　assure　you　that　I　intended　no　slight。〃

My　first　impulse　was　to　lay　a　hand　upon　his　shoulder　and　say　to　him：　〃My　dear　fellow；　stuff　and　nonsense！〃　Thus　I　should　have　treated　any　Northern　friend；　but　here　was　no　Northerner。　I　am　glad　that　I　had　the　sense　to　feel　that　any　careless；　good…natured　putting　away　of　his　deliberate　and　definitely　tendered　apology　would　seem　to　him　a　〃slight〃　on　my　part。　His　punctilious　value　for　certain　observances　between　man　and　man　reached　me　suddenly　and　deeply；　and　took　me　far　from　the　familiarity　which　breeds　contempt。

〃Why；　John　Mayrant；〃　I　said；　〃you　could　never　offend　me　unless　I　thought　that　you　wished　to；　and　how　should　I　possibly　think　that？〃

〃Thank　you；〃　he　replied　very　simply。

I　rang　the　bell　a　second　time。　〃If　we　can　get　into　the　house；〃　I　suggested；　〃won't　you　stop　and　dine　with　me？〃

He　was　going　to　accept。　〃I　shall　be〃　he　had　begun；　in　tones　of　gratification；　when　in　one　instant　his　face　was　stricken　with　complete　dismay。　〃I　had　forgotten；〃　he　said；　and　this　time　he　was　gone　indeed；　and　in　a　hurry　most