lady baltimore-第4部分

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。　You're　spared　earthquakes　in　the　North；　as　you　seem　to　be　spared　pretty　much　everything　disastrousexcept　the　prosperity　that's　going　to　ruin　you　all。　We're　better　off　with　our　poverty　than　you。　Just　ring　the　bell　once　more；　and　then　we'll　go。　I　fancy　JuliaI　fancy　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michaelhas　run　out　to　stare　at　the　Northern　steam　yacht　in　the　harbor。　It　would　be　just　like　her。　This　house　is　historic　itself。　Shabby　enough　now；　to　be　sure！　The　great…aunt　of　my　cousin；　John　Mayrant　（who　is　going　to　be　married　next　Wednesday；　to　such　a　brute　of　a　girl；　poor　boy！）；　lived　here　in　1840；　and　made　an　answer　to　the　Earl　of　Mainridge　that　put　him　in　his　place。　She　was　our　famous　Kings　Port　wit；　and　at　the　reception　which　her　father　（my　mother's　uncle）　gave　the　English　visitor；　he　conducted　himself　as　so　many　Englishmen　seem　to　think　they　can　in　this　country。　Miss　Beaufain　（pronounced　in　Kings　Port；　Bowfayne）；　as　she　was　then；　asked　the　Earl　how　he　liked　America；　and　he　replied；　very　well；　except　for　the　people；　who　were　so　vulgar。　'What　can　you　expect？'　said　Miss　Beaufain；　'we're　descended　from　the　English。'　Mrs。　St。　Michael　is　out；　and　the　servant　has　gone　home。　Slide　this　card　under　the　door；　with　your　own；　and　come　away。〃

She　took　me　with　her；　moving　through　the　quiet　South　Place　with　a　leisurely　grace　and　dignity　at　which　my　spirit　rejoiced；　she　was　so　beautiful；　and　so　easy；　and　afraid　of　nothing　and　nobody！　（This　must　be　modified。　I　came　later　to　suspect　that　they　all　stood　in　some　dread　of　their　own　immediate　families。）

In　the　North；　everybody　is　afraid　of　something：　afraid　of　the　legislature；　afraid　of　the　trusts；　afraid　of　the　strikes；　afraid　of　what　the　papers　will　say；　of　what　the　neighbors　will　say；　of　what　the　cook　will　say；　and　most　of　all；　and　worst　of　all；　afraid　to　be　different　from　the　general　pattern；　afraid　to　take　a　step　or　speak　a　syllable　that　shall　cause　them　to　be　thought　unlike　the　monotonous　millions　of　their　fellow…citizens；　the　land　of　the　free　living　in　ceaseless　fear！　Well；　I　was　already　afraid　of　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael。　As　we　walked　and　she　talked；　I　made　one　or　two　attempts　at　conversation；　and　speedily　found　that　no　such　thing　was　the　lady's　intention：　I　was　there　to　listen；　and　truly　I　could　wish　nothing　more　agreeable；　in　spite　of　my　desire　to　hear　further　about　next　Wednesday's　wedding　and　the　brute　of　a　girl。　But　to　this　subject　Mrs。　St。　Michael　did　not　return。　We　crossed　Worship　Street　and　Chancel　Street；　and　were　nearing　the　East　Place　where　a　cannon　was　being　shown　me；　a　cannon　with　a　history　and　an　inscription　concerning　the　〃war　for　Southern　independence；　which　I　presume　your　prejudice　calls　the　Rebellion；〃　said　my　guide。　〃There's　Mrs。　St。　Michael　now；　coming　round　the　corner。　Well；　Julia；　could　you　read　the　yacht's　name　with　your　naked　eye？　And　what's　the　name　of　the　gambler　who　owns　it？　He's　a　gambler；　or　he　couldn't　own　a　yachtunless　his　wife's　a　gambler's　daughter。〃

〃How　well　you're　feeling　to…day；　Maria！〃　said　the　other　lady；　with　a　gentle　smile。

〃Certainly。　I　have　been　talking　for　twenty　minutes。〃　I　was　now　presented　to　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael；　also　old；　also　charming；　in　widow's　dress　no　less　in　the　bloom　of　age　than　Mrs。　Gregory；　but　whiter　and　very　diminutive。　She　shyly　welcomed　me　to　Kings　Port。　〃Take　him　home　with　you；　Julia。　We　pulled　your　bell　three　times；　and　it's　too　damp　for　you　to　be　out。　Don't　forget；〃　Mrs。　Gregory　said　to　me；　〃that　you　haven't　told　me　a　word　about　your　Aunt　Carola；　and　that　I　shall　expect　you　to　come　and　do　it。〃　She　went　slowly　away　from　us；　up　the　East　Place；　tall；　graceful；　sweeping　into　the　distance　like　a　ship。　No　haste　about　her　dignified　movement；　no　swinging　of　elbows；　nothing　of　the　present　hour！

〃What　a　beautiful　girl　she　must　have　been！〃　I　murmured　aloud；　unconsciously。

〃No；　she　was　not　a　beauty　in　her　youth；〃　said　my　new　guide　in　her　shy　voice；　〃but　always　fluent；　always　a　wit。　Kings　Port　has　at　times　thought　her　tongue　too　downright。　We　think　that　wit　runs　in　her　family；　for　young　John　Mayrant　has　it；　and　her　first…cousin…once…removed　put　the　Earl　of　Mainridge　in　his　place　at　her　father's　ball　in　1840。　Miss　Beaufain　（as　she　was　then）　asked　the　Earl　how　he　liked　America；　and　he　replied；　very　well；　except　for　the　people；　who　were　so　vulgar。　'What　can　you　expect？'　said　Miss　Beaufain；　'we're　descended　from　the　English。'　I　am　very　sorry　for　Mariafor　Mrs。　St。　Michaeljust　at　present。　Her　young　cousin；　John　Mayrant；　is　making　an　alliance　deeply　vexatious　to　her。　Do　you　happen　to　know　Miss　Hortense　Rieppe？〃

I　had　never　heard　of　her。

〃No？　She　has　been　North　lately。　I　thought　you　might　have　met　her。　Her　father　takes　her　North；　I　believe；　whenever　any　one　will　invite　them。　They　have　sometimes　managed　to　make　it　extend　through　an　unbroken　year。　Newport；　I　am　credibly　informed；　greatly　admires　her。　We　in　Kings　Port　have　never　（except　John　Mayrant；　apparently）　seen　anything　in　her　beauty；　which　Northerners　find　so　exceptional。〃

〃What　is　her　type？〃　I　inquired。

〃I　consider　that　she　looks　like　a　steel　wasp。　And　she　has　the　assurance　to　call　herself　a　Kings　Port　girl。　Her　father　calls　himself　a　general；　and　it　is　repeated　that　he　ran　away　at　the　battle　of　Chattanooga。　I　hope　you　will　come　to　see　me　another　day；　when　you　can　spare　time　from　the　battle　of　Cowpens。　I　am　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael；　the　other　lady　is　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael。　I　wonder　if　you　will　keep　us　all　straight？〃　And　smiling；　the　little　lady；　whose　shy　manner　and　voice　I　had　found　to　veil　as　much　spirit　as　her　predecessor's；　dismissed　me　and　went　up　her　steps；　letting　herself　into　her　own　house。

The　boy　in　question；　the　boy　of　the　cake；　John　Mayrant；　was　coming　out　of　the　gate　at　which　I　next　rang。　The　appearance　of　his　boyish　figure　and　well…carried　head　struck　me　anew；　as　it　had　at　first；　from　his　whole　person　one　got　at　once　a　strangely　romantic　impression。　He　looked　at　me；　made　as　if　he　would　speak；　but　passed　on。　Probably　he　had　been　hearing　as　much　about　me　as　I　had　been　hearing　about　him。　At　this　house　the　black　servant　had　not　gone　home　for　the　night；　and　if　the　mistress　had　been　out　to　take　a　look　at　the　steam　yacht；　she　had　returned。

〃My　sister；〃　she　said；　presenting　me　to　a　supremely　fine…looking　old　lady；　more　chiselled；　more　august；　than　even　herself。　I　did　not　catch　this　lady's　name；　and　she　confined　herself　to　a　distant；　though　perhaps　not　unfriendly；　greeting。　She　was　sitting　by　a　work…table；　and　she　resumed　some　embroidery　of　exquisite　appearance；　while　my　hostess　talked　to　me。

Both　wore　their　hair　in　a　simple　fashion　to　suit　their　years；　which　must　have　been　seventy　or　more；　both　were　dressed　with　the　dignity　that　such　years　call　for；　and　I　may　mention　here　that　so　were　all　the　ladies　above　a　certain　age　in　this　town　of　admirable　old…fashioned　propriety。　In　New　York；　in　Boston；　in　Philadelphia；　ladies　of　seventy　won't　be　old　ladies　any　more；　they're　unwilling　to　wear　their　years　avowedly；　in　quiet　dignity　by　their　firesides；　they　bare　their　bosoms　and　gallop　egregiously　to　the　ball…rooms　of　the　young；　and　so　we　lose　a　particular　graciousness　that　Kings　Port　retains；　a　perspective　of　generations。　We　happen　all　at　once；　with　no　background；　in　a　swirl　of　haste　and　similarity。

One　of　the　many　things　which　came　home　to　me　during　the　conversation　that　now　began　（so　many　more　things　came　home　than　I　can　tell　you！）　was　that　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael's　tongue　was　assuredly　〃downright〃　for　Kings　Port。　This　I　had　not　at　all　taken　in　while　she　talked　to　me；　and　her　friend's　reference　to　it　had　left　me　somewhat　at　a　loss。　That　better　precision　and　choice　of　words　which　I　have　mentioned；　and　the　manner　in　which　she　announced　her　opinions；　had　put　me　in　mind　of　several　fine　ladles　whom　I　had　known　in　other　parts　of　the　world；　but　hers　was　an　individual　manner；　I　was　soon　to　find；　and　by　no　means　the　Kings　Port　convention。　This　convention　permitted；　indeed；　condemnations　of　one's　neighbor　no　less　sweeping；　but　it　conveyed　them　in　a　phraseology　far　more　restrained。

〃I　cannot　regret　your　coming　to　Kings　Port；〃　said　my　hostess；　after　we　had　talked　for　a　little　while；　and　I　had　complimented　the　balmy　March　weather　and　the　wealth　of　blooming　flowers；　〃but　I　fear　that　Fanning　is　not　a　name　that　you　will　find　here。　It　belongs　to　North　Carolina。〃

I　smiled　and　explained　that　North　Carolina　Fannings　were　useless　to　me。　〃And；　if　I　may　be　so　bold；　how　well　you　are　acquainted　with　my　errand！〃

I　cannot　say　that　my　hostess　smiled；　that　would　be　too　definite；　but　I　can　say　that　she　did　not　permit　herself　to　smile；　and　that　she　let　me　see　this　repression。　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃we　are　acquainted　with　your　errand；　though　not　with　its　motive。〃

I　sat　silent；　thinking　of　the　Exchange。

My　hostess　now　gave　me　her　own　account　of　why　all　things　were　known　to　all　people　in　this　town。　〃The　distances　in　your　Northern　cities　are　greater；　and　their　population　is　much　greater。　There　are　but　few　of　us　in　Kings　Port。〃　In　these　last　words　she　plainly　told　me　that　those　〃few〃　desired　no　others。　She　next　added：　〃My　nephew；　John　Mayrant；　has　spoken　of　you　at　some　length。〃

I　bowed。　〃I　had　the　pleasure　to　see　and　hear　him　order　a　wedding　cake。〃

〃Yes。　From　Eliza　La　Heu　（pronounced　Layhew）；　my　niece；　he　is　my　nephew；　she　is　my　niece　on　the　other　side。　My　niece　is　a　beginner　at　the　Exchange。　We　hope　that　she　will　fulfil　her　duties　there　in　a　worthy　manner。　She　comes　from　a　family　which　is　schooled　to　meet　responsibilities。〃

I　bowed　again；　again　it　seemed　fitting。　〃I　had　not；　until　now；　known　the　charming　girl's　name；〃　I　murmured。

My　hostess　now　bowed　slightly。　〃I　am　glad　that　you　find　her　charming。〃

〃Indeed；　yes！〃　I　exclaimed。

〃We；　also；　are　pleased　with　her。　She　is　of　good　familyfor　the　up…country。〃

Once　again　our　alphabet　fails　me。　The　peculiar　shade　of　kindness；　of　recognition；　of　patronage；　which　my　agreeable　hostess　（and　all　Kings　Port　ladies；　I　soon　noticed）　imparted　to　the　word　〃up…country〃　cannot　be　conveyed　except　by　the　human　voiceand　only　a　Kings　Port　voice　at　that。　It　is　a　much　lighter　damnation　than　what　they　make　of　the　phrase　〃from　Georgia；〃　which　I　was　soon　to　hear　uttered　by　the　lips　of　the　lady。　〃And　so　you　know　about　his　wedding　cake？〃

〃My　dear　madam；　I　fee