lady baltimore-第37部分

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our　destined　bridegroom　and　another　who　expected　to　be　so；　meanwhile　keeping　each　in　ignorance　of　how　close　you　were　sailing　to　the　other。　In　Hortense's　place　I　should　have　wished　to　hasten　the　wedding　now；　have　it　safely　performed　this　afternoon；　say；　or　to…morrow　morning；　thus　precipitated　by　some　invaluable　turn　in　the　health　of　her　poor　dear　father。　But　she　had　worn　it　out；　his　health；　by　playing　it　for　decidedly　as　much　as　it　could　bear；　it　couldn't　be　used　again　without　risk；　the　date　must　stand　fixed；　and；　uneasy　as　she　might　have　begun　to　be　about　John；　Hortense　must；　with　no　shortening　of　the　course；　get　her　boat　in　safe　without　smashing　it　against　either　John　or　Charley。　I　wondered　a　little　that　she　should　feel　any　uncertainty　about　her　affianced　lover。　She　must　know　how　much　his　word　was　to　him；　and　she　had　had　his　word　twice；　given　her　the　second　time　to　put　his　own　honor　right　with　her　on　the　score　of　the　phosphates。　But　perhaps　Hortense's　rich　experiences　of　life　had　taught　her　that　a　man's　word　to　a　woman　should　not　be　subjected　to　the　test　of　another　woman's　advent。　On　the　whole；　I　suppose　it　was　quite　natural　those　flowers　should　annoy　her；　and　equally　natural　that　Eliza；　the　minx；　should　allow　them　to　do　so！　There's　a　joy　to　the　marrow　in　watching　your　enemy　harried　and　discomfited　by　his　own　gratuitous　contrivances；　you　look　on　serenely　at　a　show　which　hasn't　cost　you　a　groat。　However；　poor　Eliza　had　not　been　so　serene　at　the　very　end；　when　she　stormed　out　at　me。　For　this　I　did　not　have　to　forgive　her；　of　course；　little　as　I　had　merited　such　treatment。　Had　she　not　accepted　my　flowers？　But　it　was　a　gratification　to　reflect　that　in　my　sentimental　passages　with　her　I　had　not　gone　to　any　great　length；　nothing；　do　I　ever　find；　is　so　irksome　as　the　sense　of　having　unwittingly　been　in　a　false　position。　Was　John；　on　his　side；　in　love　with　her？　Was　it　possible　he　would　fail　in　his　word？　So　with　these　thoughts；　while　answering　and　accepting　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael's　invitation　to　make　one　of　a　party　of　strangers　to　whom　she　was　going　to　show　another　old　Kings　Port　church；　〃where　many　of　my　ancestors　lie；〃　as　her　note　informed　me；　I　added　one　sentence　which　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　subject　〃She　is　a　steel　wasp；〃　I　ventured　to　say。　And　when　on　the　next　afternoon　I　met　the　party　at　the　church；　I　received　from　the　little　lady　a　look　of　highly　spiced　comprehension　as　she　gently　remarked；　〃I　was　glad　to　get　your　acceptance。〃

When　I　went　down　to　the　dinner…table；　Juno　sat　in　her　best　clothes；　still　discussing　the　Daughters　of　Dixie。

I　can't　say　that　I　took　much　more　heed　of　this　at　dinner　than　I　had　done　at　tea；　but　I　was　interested　to　hear　Juno　mention　that　she；　too；　intended　to　call　upon　Hortense　Rieppe。　Kings　Port；　she　said；　must　take　a　consistent　position；　and　for　her　part；　so　far　as　behavior　went；　she　didn't　see　much　to　choose　between　the　couple。　〃As　to　whether　Mr。　Mayrant　had　really　concealed　the　discovery　of　his　fortune；〃　she　continued；　〃I　asked　Miss　Josephinein　a　perfectly　nice　way；　of　course。　But　old　Mr。　St。　Michael　Beaugarcon；　who　has　always　had　the　estate　in　charge；　did　that。　It　is　only　a　life　estate；　unless　Mr。　Mayrant　has　lawful　issue。　Well；　he　will　have　that　now；　and　all　that　money　will　be　his　to　squander。〃

Aunt　Carola　had　written　me　again　this　morning；　but　I　had　been　in　no　haste　to　open　her　letter；　my　neglect　of　the　Bombos　did　not　weigh　too　heavily　upon　me；　I　fear；　but　I　certainly　did　put　off　reading　what　I　expected　to　be　a　reprimand。　And　concerning　this　I　was　right；　her　first　words　betokened　reprimand　at　once。　〃My　dear　nephew　Augustus；〃　she　began；　in　her　fine；　elegant　handwriting。　That　was　always　her　mode　of　address　to　me　when　something　was　coming；　while　at　other　times　it　would　be；　less　portentously；　〃My　dear　Augustus；〃　or　〃My　dear　nephew　〃；　but　whenever　my　name　and　my　relationship　to　her　occurred　conjointly；　I　took　the　communication　away　with　me　to　some　corner；　and　opened　it　in　solitude。

It　wasn't　about　the　Bombos；　though；　and　for　what　she　took　me　to　task　I　was　able　to　defend　myself；　I　think；　quite　adequately。　She　found　fault　with　me　for　liking　the　South　too　much；　and　this　she　based　upon　the　enthusiastic　accounts　of　Kings　Port　and　its　people　that　I　had　written　to　her；　nor　had　she　at　all　approved　of　my　remarks　on　the　subject　of　the　negro；　called　forth　by　Daddy　Ben　and　his　grandson　Charles　Cotesworth。

〃When　I　sent　you　（wrote　Aunt　Carola）　to　admire　Kings　Port　good…breeding；　I　did　not　send　you　to　forget　your　country。　Remember　that　those　people　were　its　mortal　enemies；　that　besides　their　treatment　of　our　prisoners　in　Libby　and　Andersonville　（which　killed　my　brother　Alexander）　they　displayed　in　their　dealings；　both　social　and　political；　an　arrogance　in　success　and　a　childish　petulance　at　opposition；　which　we　who　saw　and　suffered　can　never　forget；　any　more　than　we　can　forget　our　loved　ones　who　laid　down　their　lives　for　this　cause。〃

These　were　not　the　only　words　with　which　Aunt　Carola　reproved　what　she　termed　my　〃disloyalty；〃　but　they　will　serve　to　indicate　her　feeling　about　the　Civil　War。　It　wason　her　sideprecisely　the　feeling　of　all　the　Kings　Port　old　ladies　on　Heir　side。　But　why　should　it　be　mine？　And　so；　after　much　thinking　how　I　might　best　reply　respectfully　yet　say　to　Aunt　Carola　what　my　feeling　was；　I　sat　down　upstairs　at　my　window；　and；　after　some　preliminary　sentences；　wrote：

〃There　are　dead　brothers　here　also；　who；　like　your　brother；　laid　down　their　lives　for　what　they　believed　was　their　country；　and　whom　their　sisters　never　can　forget　as　you　can　never　forget　him。　I　read　their　names　upon　sad　church　tablets；　and　their　boy　faces　look　out　at　me　from　cherished　miniatures　and　dim　daguerreotypes。　Upon　their　graves　the　women　who　mourn　them　leave　flowers　as　you　leave　flowers　upon　the　grave　of　your　young　soldier。　You　will　tell　me；　perhaps；　that　since　the　bereavement　is　equal；　I　have　not　justified　my　sympathy　for　these　people。　But　the　bereavement　was　not　equal。　More　homes　here　were　robbed　by　death　of　their　light　and　promise　than　with　us；　and　to　this　you　must　add　the　material　desolation　of　the　homes　themselves。　Our　roofs　were　not　laid　in　ashes；　and　to…day　we　sit　in　affluence　while　they　sit　in　privation。　You　will　say　to　this；　perhaps；　that　they　brought　it　upon　themselves。　But　even　granting　that　they　did　so；　surely　to　suffer　and　to　lose　is　more　bitter　than　to　suffer　and　to　win。　My　dear　aunt；　you　could　not　see　what　I　have　seen　here；　and　write　to　me　as　you　do；　and　if　those　years　have　left　upon　your　heart　a　scar　which　will　not　vanish；　do　not　ask　me；　who　came　afterward；　to　wear　the　scar　also。　I　should　then　resemble　certain　of　the　younger　ones　here；　with　less　excuse　than　is　theirs。　As　for　the　negro；　forgive　me　if　I　assure　you　that　you　retain　an　Abolitionist　exaltation　for　a　creature　who　does　not　exist；　or　whose　existence　is　an　ineffectual　drop　in　the　bucket；　a　creature　on　grateful　knees　raising　faithful　eyes　to　one　who　has　struck　off　his　chains　of　slavery；　whereas　the　creature　who　does　exist　is〃

I　paused　here　in　my　letter　to　Aunt　Carola；　and　sought　for　some　fitting　expression　that　should　characterize　for　her　with　sufficient　severity　the　new　type　of　deliberately　worthless　negro；　and　as　I　sought；　my　eyes　wandered　to　the　garden　next　door；　the　garden　of　the　Cornerlys。　On　a　bench　near　a　shady　arrangement　of　vines　over　bars　sat　Hortense　Rieppe。　She　was　alone；　and；　from　her　attitude；　scemed　to　be　thinking　deeply。　The　high　walls　of　the　garden　shut　her　into　a　privacy　that　her　position　near　the　shady　vines　still　more　increased。　It　was　evident　that　she　had　come　here　for　the　sake　of　being　alone；　and　I　regretted　that　she　was　so　turned　from　me　that　I　could　not　see　her　face。　But　her　solitude　did　not　long　continue；　there　came　into　view　a　gentleman　of　would…be　venerable　appearance；　who　approached　her　with　a　walk　carefully　constructed　for　public　admiration；　and　who；　upon　reaching　her；　bent　over　with　the　same　sort　of　footlight　elaboration　and　gave　her　a　paternal　kiss。　I　did　not　need　to　hear　her　call　him　father；　he　was　so　obviously　General　Rieppe；　the　prudent　hero　of　Chattanooga；　that　words　would　have　been　perfectly　superfluous　in　his　identification。

I　was　destined　upon　another　day　to　hear　the　tones　of　his　voice；　and　thereupon　may　as　well　state　now　that　they　belonged　altogether　with　the　rest　of　him。　There　is　a　familiar　type　of　Northern　fraud；　and　a　Southern　type；　equally　familiar；　but　totally　different　in　appearance。　The　Northern　type　has　the　straight；　flat；　earnest　hair；　the　shaven　upper　lip；　the　chin…beard；　and　the　benevolent　religious　expression。　He　will　be　the　president　of　several　charities；　and　the　head　of　one　great　business。　He　plays　no　cards；　drinks　no　wine；　and　warns　young　men　to　beware　of　temptation。　He　is　as　genial　as　a　hair…sofa；　and　he　is　seldom　found　out　by　the　public　unless　some　financial　crash　in　general　affairs　uncovers　his　cheating；　which　lies　most　often　beyond　the　law's　reach；　and　because　he　cannot　be　put　in　jail；　he　quite　honestly　believes　heaven　is　his　destination。　We　see　less　of　him　since　we　have　ceased　to　be　a　religious　country；　religion　no　longer　being　an　essential　disguise　for　him。　The　Southern　type；　with　his　unction　and　his　juleps；　is　better　company；　unless　he　is　the　hero　of　too　many　of　his　own　anecdotes。　He　is　commonly　the　possessor　of　a　poetic　gaze；　a　mane　of　silvery　hair；　and　a　noble　neck。　As　war　days　and　cotton…factor　days　recede　into　a　past　more　and　more　filmed　over　with　romance；　he　too　grows　rare　among　us；　and　I　regret　it；　for　he　was　in　truth　a　picturesque　figure。　General　Rieppe　was　perfect。

At　first　I　was　sorry　that　the　distance　they　were　from　me　rendered　hearing　what　they　were　saying　impossible；　very　soon；　however；　the　frame　of　my　open　window　provided　me　with　a　living　picture　which　would　have　been　actually　spoiled　had　the　human　voice　disturbed　its　eloquent　pantomime。

General　Rieppe's　daughter　responded　to　her　father's　caress　but　languidly；　turning　to　him　her　face；　with　its　luminous；　stationary　beauty。　He　pointed　to　the　house；　and　then　waved　his　hand　toward　the　bench　where　she　sat；　and　she；　in　response　to　this；　nodded　slightly。　Upon　which　the　General；　after　another　kiss　of　histrionic　paternity　administered　to　her　forehead；　left　her　sitting　and　proceeded　along　the　garden　walk　at　a　stately　pac