lady baltimore-第50部分

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〃Poets　and　people　of　that　sort　say〃　（Charley　concluded；　after　thanking　them）　〃that　happiness　cannot　be　bought　with　money。　Well；　I　guess　a　poet　never　does　learn　how　to　make　a　dollar　do　a　dollar's　work。　But　I　am　no　poet；　and　I　have　learned　it　is　as　well　to　have　a　few　dollars　around。　And　I　guess　that　my　friends　and　I；　right　here　at　this　table；　could　organize　a　corner　in　happiness　any　day　we　chose。　And　if　we　do；　we　will　let　you　all　in　on　it。〃

I　am　told　that　the　bride　looked　superb；　both　in　church　and　at　the　reception　which　took　place　in　the　house　of　Kitty；　and　that　General　Rieppe；　in　spite　of　his　shattered　health；　maintained　a　noble　appearance　through　the　whole　ordeal　of　parting　with　his　daughter。　I　noticed　that　Beverly　Rodgers　and　Gazza　figured　prominently　among　the　invited　guests：　Bohm　did　not　have　to　be　invited；　for　some　time　before　the　wedding　he　had　become　the　husband　of　the　successfully　divorced　Kitty。　So　much　for　the　nuptials　of　Hortense　and　Charley；　they　were；　as　one　paper　pronounced　them；　〃up　to　date　and　distingue。〃　The　paper　omitted　the　accent　in　the　French　word；　which　makes　it；　I　think；　fit　this　wedding　even　more　happily。

〃So　Hortense；〃　I　said　to　myself　as　I　read　the　paper；　〃has　squared　herself　with　Charley　after　all。〃　And　I　sat　wondering　if　she　would　be　happy。　But　she　was　not　constructed　for　happiness。　You　cannot　be　constructed　for　all　the　different　sorts　of　experiences　which　this　world　offers：　each　of　our　natures　has　its　specialty。　Hortense　was　constructed　for　pleasure；　and　I　have　no　doubt　she　got　it；　if　not　through　Charley；　then　by　other　means。

The　marriage　of　Eliza　La　Heu　and　John　Mayrant　was　of　a　different　quality；　no　paper　pronounced　it　〃up　to　date；〃　or　bestowed　any　other　adjectival　comments　upon　it；　for；　being　solemnized　in　Kings　Port；　where　such　purely　personal　happenings　are　still　held　（by　the　St。　Michael　family；　at　any　rate）　to　be　no　business　of　any　one's　save　those　immediately　concerned；　the　event　escaped　the　famishment　of　publicity。　Yes；　this　marriage　was　solemnized；　a　word　that　I　used　above　without　forethought；　and　now　repeat　with　intention；　for　certainly　no　respecter　of　language　would　write　it　of　the　yellow　rich　and　their　blatant　unions。　If　you're　a　Bohm　or　a　Charley；　you　may　trivialize　or　vulgarize　or　bestialize　your　wedding；　but　solemnize　it　you　don't；　for　that　is　not　〃up　to　date。〃

And　to　the　marriage　of　Eliza　and　John　I　went；　for　not　only　was　the　honor　of　my　presence　requested；　but　John　wrote　me；　in　both　their　names；　a　personal　note；　which　came　to　me　far　away　in　the　mountains；　whither　I　had　gone　from　Kings　Port。　This　was　the　body　of　the　note：

〃To　the　formal　invitation　which　you　will　receive；　Miss　La　Heu　joins　her　wish　with　mine　that　you　will　not　be　absent　on　that　day。　We　should　both　really　miss　you。　Miss　La　Heu　begs　me　to　add　that　if　this　is　not　sufficient　inducement；　you　shall　have　a　slice　of　Lady　Baltimore。〃

Not　a　long　note！　But　you　will　imagine　how　genuinely　I　was　touched　by　their　joint　message。　I　was　not　an　old　acquaintance；　and　I　had　done　little　to　help　them　in　their　troubles；　but　I　came　into　the　troubles；　with　their　memory　of　those　days　I　formed　a　part；　and　it　was　a　part　which　it　warmed　me　to　know　they　did　not　dislike　to　recall。　I　had　actually　been　present　at　their　first　meeting；　that　day　when　John　visited　the　Exchange　to　order　his　wedding…cake；　and　Eliza　had　rushed　after　him；　because　in　his　embarrassment　　he　had　forgotten　to　tell　her　the　date　for　which　he　wanted　it。　The　cake　had　begun　it；　the　cake　had　continued　it；　the　cake　had　brought　them　together；　and　in　Eliza's　retrospect　now　I　doubted　If　she　could　find　the　moment　when　her　love　for　John　had　awakened；　but　if　with　women　there　ever　is　such　a　moment；　then；　as　I　have　before　said；　it　was　when　the　girl　behind　the　counter　looked　across　at　the　handsome；　blushing　boy；　and　felt　stirred　to　help　him　in　his　stumbling　attempts　to　be　businesslike　about　that　cake。　If　his　youth　unwittingly　kindled　hers；　how　could　he　or　she　help　that？　But；　had　he　ever　once　known　it　and　shown　it　to　her　during　his　period　of　bondage　to　Hortense；　then；　indeed；　the　flame　would　have　turned　to　ice　in　Eliza's　breast。　What　saved　him　for　her　was　his　blind　steadfastness　against　her。　That　was　the　very　thing　she　prized　most；　once　it　became　hers；　whereas；　any　secret　swerving　toward　her　from　Hortense　during　his　heavy　hours　of　probation　would　have　degraded　John　to　nothing　in　Eliza's　eyes。　And　so；　making　all　this　out　by　myself　in　the　mountains　after　reading　John's　note；　I　ordered　from　the　North　the　handsomest　old　china　cake…dish　that　Aunt　Carola　could　find　to　be　sent　to　Miss　Eliza　La　Heu　with　my　card。　I　wanted　to　write　on　the　card；　〃Rira　bien　qui　viva　le　dernier〃；　but　alas！　so　many　pleasant　thoughts　may　never　be　said　aloud　in　this　world　of　ours。　That　I　ordered　china；　instead　of　silver；　was　due　to　my　surmise　that　in　Kings　Portor　at　any　rate　by　Mrs。　Weguelin　and　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michaelsilver　from　any　one　not　of　the　family　would　be　considered　vulgar；　it　was　only　a　surmise；　and；　of　course；　it　was　precisely　the　sort　of　thing　that　I　could　not　verify　by　asking　any　of　them。

But　（you　may　be　asking）　how　on　earth　did　all　this　come　about？　What　happened　in　Kings　Port　on　the　day　following　that　important　swim　which　Hortense　and　John　took　together　in　the　waters　of　the　harbor？

I　wish　that　I　could　tell　you　all　that　happened；　but　I　can　only　tell　you　of　the　outside　of　things；　the　inside　was　wholly　invisible　and　inaudible　to　me；　although　we　may　be　sure；　I　think；　that　when　the　circles　that　widened　from　Hortense's　plunge　reached　the　shores　of　the　town；　there　must　have　been　in　certain　quarters　a　considerable　splashing。　I　presume　that　John　communicated　to　somebody　the　news　of　his　broken　engagement；　for　if　he　omitted　to　do　so；　with　the　wedding　invitations　to　be　out　the　next　day；　he　was　remiss　beyond　excuse；　and　I　think　this　very　unlikely；　and　I　also　presume　（with　some　evidence　to　go　on）　that　Hortense　did　not；　in　the　somewhat　critical　juncture　of　her　fortunes；　allow　the　grass　to　grow　under　her　feetif　such　an　expression　may　be　used　of　a　person　who　is　shut　up　in　the　stateroom　of　a　steam　yacht。　To　me　John　Mayrant　made　no　sign　of　any　sort　by　word　or　in　writing；　and　this　is　the　highest　proof　he　ever　gave　me　of　his　own　delicacy；　and　also　of　his　reliance　upon　mine；　for　he　must　have　been　pretty　sure　that　I　had　overheard　those　last　destiny…deciding　words　spoken　between　himself　and　Hortense　in　the　boat；　as　we　reached　the　Hermana's　gangway。　In　John's　place　almost　any　man；　even　Beverly　Rodgers；　would　have　either　dropped　a　hint　at　the　moment；　or　later　sent　me　some　line　to　the　effect　that　the　incident　was；　of　course；　〃between　ourselves。〃　That　would　have　been　both　permissible　and　practical；　but　there　it　was；　the　difference　between　John　of　Kings　Port　and　us　others；　he　was　not　practical　when　it　came　to　something　〃between　gentlemen；〃　as　he　would　have　said。　The　finest　flower　of　breeding　blossoms　above　the　level　of　the　practical；　and　that　is　why　you　do　not　find　it　growing　in　the　huge　truck…garden　of　our　age；　save　in　corners　where　it　has　not　yet　been　uprooted。　John's　silence　to　me　was　something　that　I　liked　very　much；　and　he　must　have　found　that　it　was　not　misplaced。

The　first　external　splash　of　the　few　that　I　have　to　narrate　was　a　negative　manifestation；　and　occurred　at　breakfast：　Juno　supposed　if　the　wedding　invitations　would　be　out　later　in　the　day。　The　next　splash　was　somewhat　louder　on；　was　at　dinner；　when　Juno　inquired　of　Mrs。　Trevise　if　she　had　received　any　wedding　invitation。　At　tea　time　was　very　decided　splashing。　No　invitation　had　come　to　anybody。　Juno　had　called　at　five　of　the　St。　Michael　houses　and　got　in　at　none　of　them；　and　there　was　a　rumor　that　the　Hermana　had　disappeared　from　the　harbor。　So　far；　none　of　the　splashing　had　wet　me　but　I　now　came　in　for　a　light　sprinkle。

〃Were　you　not　on　board　that　boat　yesterday？〃　Juno　inquired；　and　to　see　her　look　at　me　you　might　have　gathered　that　I　was　suspected　of　sinking　the　vessel。

〃A　most　delightful　occasion！〃　I　exclaimed；　filling　my　face　with　a　bright　blankness。

〃Isn't　he　awful　to　speak　that　way　about　Sunday！〃　said　the　up…country　bride。

This　was　a　chance　for　the　poetess；　and　she　took　it。　〃To　me；〃　she　mused；　〃every　day　seems　fraught　with　an　equal　holiness。〃

〃But　I　should　think；〃　observed　the　Briton；　〃that　you　could　knock　off　a　hymn　better　on　Sundays。〃

All　this　while　Juno　was　looking　at　me；　and　I　knew　it；　and　therefore　I　ate　my　food　in　a　kindly　sort　of　unconscious　way；　until　she　fired　another　shot　at　me。　〃There　is　an　absurd　report　that　somebody　fell　overboard。〃

〃Dear　me！〃　I　laughed。　〃So　that　is　what　it　has　grown　to　already！　I　did　go　out　on　the　boat　boom；　and　I　did　drop　offbut　into　a　boat。〃

At　this　confession　of　mine　the　up…country　bride　became　extraordinarily　arch　on　the　subject　of　the　well…known　hospitality　of　steam　yachts；　and　for　this　I　was　honestly　grateful　to　her；　but　Juno　brooded　still。　〃I　hope　there　is　nothing　wrong；〃　she　said　solemnly。

Feeling　that　silence　at　this　point　would　not　be　golden；　I　went　into　it　with　spirit　I　told　them　of　our　charming　party；　of　General　Rieppe's　rich　store　of　quotations；　of　the　strict　discipline　on　board　the　well…appointed　Hermana；　of　the　great　beauty　of　Hortense；　and　her　evident　happiness　when　her　lover　was　by　her　side。　This　talk　of　mine　turned　off　any　curiosity　or　suspicion　which　the　rest　of　the　company　may　have　begun　to　entertain；　but　upon　Juno　I　think　it　made　scant　impression；　save　causing　her　to　set　me　down　as　an　imbecile。　For　there　was　Doctor　Beaugarcon　when　we　came　into　the　sitting…room；　who　told　us　before　any　one　could　even　say　〃How…do…you…do；〃　that　Miss　Hortense　Rieppe　had　broken　her　engagement　with　John　Mayrant；　and　that　he　had　it　from　Mrs。　Cornerly；　whom　he　was　visiting　professionally。　I　caught　the　pitying　look　which　Juno　threw　at　me　at　this　news；　and　I　was　happy　to　have　acquitted　myself　so　creditably　in　the　manipulation　of　my　secret：　nobody　asked　me　any　more　questions！

There　is　almost　nothing　else　to　tell　you　of　how　the　splashes　broke　on　Kings　Port。　Before　the　day　when　I　was　obliged　to　call　in　Doctor　Beaugarcon's　professional　services　（quite　a　sharp　attack　put　me　to　bed　for　half　a　week）　I　found　merely　the　following　things：　the　Hermana　gone　to　New　York；　the　automobiles　and　the　Replacers　had　also　dis