lady baltimore-第51部分

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s　and　the　Replacers　had　also　disappeared；　and　people　were　divided　on　the　not　strikingly　important　question　as　to　whether　Hortense　and　the　General　had　accompanied　Charley　on　the　yacht；　or　continued　northward　in　an　automobile；　or　taken　the　train。　Gone；　in　any　case；　the　whole　party　indubitably　was；　leaving；　I　must　say；　a　sense　of　emptiness：　the　comedy　was　over；　the　players　departed。　I　never　heard　any　one；　not　even　Juno；　doubt　that　it　was　Hortense　who　had　broken　the　engagement；　this　part　of　the　affair　was　conducted　by　the　principals　with　great　skill。　Hortense　had　evidently　written　her　version　to　the　Cornerlys；　and　not　a　word　to　any　other　effect　ever　came　from　John's　mouth；　of　course。　One　result　I　had　not　looked　for；　though　it　was　a　natural　one：　if　the　old　ladies　had　felt　indignation　at　Hortense　for　her　determination　to　marry　John　Mayrant；　this　indignation　was　doubled　by　her　determination　not　to！　I　fear　that　few　of　us　live　by　logic；　even　in　Kings　Port；　and　then；　they　had　all　called　upon　her　in　that　garden　for　nothing！　The　sudden　thought　of　this　made　me　laugh　alone　in　my　bed　of　sickness；　and　when　I　came　out　of　it；　had　such　a　thing　been　possible；　I　should　have　liked　to　congratulate　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　on　her　absence　from　the　garden　occasion。　I　said；　however；　nothing　to　her；　or　to　any　of　the　other　ladies；　upon　this　or　any　subject；　for　I　was　so　unlucky　as　to　find　them　not　at　home　when　I　paid　my　round　of　farewell　visits。　Nor　（to　my　real　distress）　did　I　see　John　Mayrant　again。　The　boy　wrote　me　（I　received　it　in　bed）　a　short；　warm　note　of　regret；　with　nothing　else　in　it　save　the　fact　that　he　was　leaving　town；　having　become　free　from　the　Custom　House　at　last。　I　fancy　that　he　ran　away　for　a　judicious　interval。　Who　would　not？

Was　there　one　person　to　whom　he　told　the　truth　before　he　went？　Did　the　girl　behind　the　counter　hear　the　manner　in　which　the　engagement　was　broken？　Ah；　none　of　us　will　ever　know　that！　But；　although　I　could　not；　without　the　highest　impropriety；　have　spoken　to　any　of　the　old　ladies　about　this　business；　unless　they　had　chosen　to　speak　to　meand　somehow　I　feel　that　after　the　abrupt　close　of　it　not　even　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael　would　have　been　likely　to　touch　on　the　subject　with　an　outsiderthere　was　nothing　whatever　to　forbid　my　indulging　in　a　skirmish　with　Eliza　La　Heu；　therefore　I　lunched　at　the　Exchange　on　my　last　day。

〃To　the　mountains？〃　she　said；　in　reply　to　my　information　about　my　plans　of　travel。

〃Doctor　Beaugarcon　says　nothing　else　can　so　quickly　restore　me。〃

〃Stay　there　for　the　rhododendrons；　then；〃　she　bade　me。　〃No　sight　more　beautiful　in　all　the　South。〃

〃Town　seems　deserted；〃　I　pursued。　〃Everybody　gone。〃

〃Oh；　not　everybody！〃

〃All　the　interesting　people。〃

〃Thank　you。〃

〃I　meant；　interesting　to　you。〃

I　saw　her　decide　not　to　be　angry；　and　her　decision　changed　and　saved　our　conversation　from　the　trashy；　bantering　tone　which　it　was　taking；　and　brought　it　to　a　pass　most　unexpected　to　both　of　us。

She　gave　me　a　charming　and　friendly　smile。　〃Well；　you；　at　any　rate；　are　going　away。　And　I　am　really　sorry　for　that。〃

Her　eyes　rested　upon　me　with　perfect　frankness。　I　was　not　in　love　with　Eliza　La　Heu；　but　nearer　to　love　than　I　had　ever　been　then；　and　it　would　have　been　easy；　very　easy；　to　let　one's　self　go　straight　onward　into　love。　There　are　for　a　man　more　ways　of　falling　into　that　state　than　romancers　would　have　us　to　believe；　and　one　of　them　is　by　an　assent　of　the　will　at　a　certain　given　moment；　which　the　heart　promptly　follows　just　as　a　man　in　a　moment　decides　he　will　espouse　a　cause；　and　soon　finds　himself　hotly　fighting　for　it　body　and　soul。　I　could　have　gone　out　of　that　Exchange　completely　in　love　with　Eliza　La　Heu；　but　my　will　did　not　give　its　assent；　and　I　saw　John　Mayrant　not　as　a　rival；　but　as　one　whose　happiness　I　greatly　desired。

〃Thank　you；〃　I　said；　〃for　telling　me　you　are　sorry　I　am　going。　And　now；　may　I　treat　you　more　than　ever　as　a　friend；　and　tell　you　of　a　　circumstance　which　Kings　Port　does　not　know？〃

It　put　her　on　her　guard。　〃Don't　be　indiscreet；〃　she　laughed。

〃Isn't　timely　indiscretion　discretion？〃

〃And　don't　be　clever；〃　she　said。　〃Tell　me　what　you　have　to　sayif　you're　quite　sure　you'll　not　be　sorry。〃

〃Quite　sure。　There's　no　reasonnow　that　the　untruth　is　properly　and　satisfactorily　establishedthat　one　person　should　not　know　that　John　Mayrant　broke　that　engagement。〃　And　I　told　her　the　whole　of　it。　〃If　I'm　outrageous　to　share　this　secret　with　you；〃　I　concluded；　〃I　can　only　say　that　I　couldn't　stand　the　unfairness　any　longer。〃

〃He　jumped　straight　in？〃　said　Eliza。

〃Oh；　straight！〃

〃Of　course；〃　she　murmured。

〃And　just　after　declaring　that　he　wouldn't。〃

〃Of　course；〃　she　murmured　again。　〃And　the　current　took　them　right　away？〃

〃Instantly。〃

〃Was　he　very　tired　when　you　got　to　him？〃

I　answered　this　question　and　a　number　of　others；　backward　and　forward；　until　she　had　led　me　to　cover　the　whole　incident　about　twice…and…a…half　times。　Then　she　had　a　silence；　and　after　this　a　reflection。

〃How　well　they　managed　it！〃

〃Managed　what？〃

〃The　accepted　version。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　indeed！〃

〃And　you　and　I　will　not　spoil　it　for　them；〃　she　declared。

As　I　took　my　final　leave　of　her　she　put　a　flower　in　my　buttonhole。　My　reflection　was　then；　and　is　now；　that　if　she　already　knew　the　truth　from　John　himself；　how　well　she　managed　it！

So　that　same　night　I　took　the　lugubrious　train　which　bore　me　with　the　grossest　deliberation　to　the　mountains；　and　among　the　mountains　and　their　waterfalls　I　stayed　and　saw　the　rhododendrons；　and　was　preparing　to　journey　home　when　the　invitation　came　from　John　and　Eliza。

I　have　already　said　that　of　this　wedding　no　word　was　in　the　papers。　Kings　Port　by　the　war　lost　all　material　things；　but　not　the　others；　among　which　precious　privacy　remains　to　her；　and；　O　Kings　Port；　may　you　never　lose　your　grasp　of　that　treasure！　May　you　never　know　the　land　where　the　reporter　blooms；　where　if　any　joy　or　grief　befall　you；　the　public　press　rings　your　doorbell　and　demands　the　particulars；　and　if　you　deny　it　the　particulars；　it　makes　them　up　and　says　something　scurrilous　about　you　into　the　bargain。　Therefore　nothing　was　printed；　morning　or　evening；　about　John　and　Eliza。　Nor　was　the　wedding　service　held　in　church　to　the　accompaniment　of　nodding　bonnets　and　gaping　stragglers。　No　eye　not　tender　with　regard　and　emotion　looked　on　while　John　took　Eliza　to　his　wedded　wife；　to　live　together　after　God's　ordinance　in　the　holy　state　of　matrimony。

In　Royal　Street；　not　many　steps　from　South　Place；　there　stands　a　quiet　house　a　little　back；　upon　whose　face　sorrow　has　struck　many　blows；　but　made　no　deep　wounds　yet；　no　scorch　from　the　fires　of　war　is　visible；　arid　the　rending　of　the　earthquake　does　not　show　too　plainly；　but　there　hangs　about　the　house　a　gravity　that　comes　from　seeing　and　suffering　much；　and　a　sweetness　from　having　sheltered　many　generations　of　smiles　and　tears。　The　long　linked　chain　of　births　and　deaths　here　has　not　been　broken　and　scattered；　and　the　grandchildren　look　out　of　the　same　windows　from　which　the　grandsires　gazed；　whose　faces　now　in　picture　frames　still　watch　serenely　the　sad　present　from　their　happy　past。　Therefore　the　rooms　lie　in　still　depths　of　association；　and　from　the　walls；　the　stairs；　the　furniture；　flows　the　benign　influence　of　undispersed　memories；　it　sheds　its　tempered　radiance　upon　the　old　miniatures；　and　upon　every　fresh　flower　that　comes　in　from　the　garden；　it　seems　to　pass　through　the　open　doors　to　and　fro　like　a　tranquil　blessing；　it　is　beyond　joy　and　pain；　because　time　has　distilled　it　from　both　of　these；　it　is　the　assembled　essence　of　kinship　and　blood　unity；　enriched　by　each　succeeding　brood　that　is　born；　is　married；　is　fruitful　in　its　turn；　and　dies　remembered；　only　the　balm　of　faith　is　stronger　to　sustain　and　heal；　for　that　comes　from　heaven；　while　it　is　earth　that　gives　us　this；　and　the　sacred　cup　of　it　which　our　native　land　once　held　is　almost　empty。

Amid　this　influence　John　and　Eliza　were　made　one；　and　the　faces　of　the　older　generations　grew　soft　beneath　it；　and　pensive　eyes　became　lustrous；　and　into　pale　cheeks　the　rosy　tint　came　like　an　echo　faintly　back　for　a　short　hour。　They　made　so　little　sound　in　their　quiet　happiness　of　con…　gratulation　that　it　might　have　been　a　dream；　and　they　were　so　few　that　the　house　with　the　sense　of　its　memories　was　not　lost　with　the　movement　and　crowding；　but　seemed　still　to　preside　over　the　whole；　and　send　down　its　benediction。

When　it　was　my　turn　to　shake　the　hands　of　bride　and　groom；　John　asked：

〃What　did　your　friend　do　with　your　advice？〃

And　I　replied。　〃He　has　taken　it。〃

〃Perhaps　not　that；〃　John　returned；　〃but　you　must　have　helped　him　to　see　his　way。〃

When　the　bride　came　to　cut　the　cake；　she　called　me　to　her　and　fulfilled　her　promise。

〃You　have　always　liked　my　baking；〃　she　said。

〃Then　you　made　it　after　all；〃　I　answered。

〃I　would　not　have　been　married　without　doing　so；〃　she　declared　sweetly。

When　the　time　came　for　them　to　go　away；　they　were　surrounded　with　affectionate　God…speeds；　but　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　waited　to　be　the　last；　standing　a　little　apart；　her　severe　and　chiselled　face　turned　aside；　and　seeming　to　watch　a　mocking…bird　that　was　perched　in　his　cage　at　a　window　halfway　up　the　stairs。

〃He　is　usually　not　so　silent；〃　Miss　Josephine　said　to　me。　〃I　suppose　we　are　too　many　visitors　for　him。〃

Then　I　saw　that　the　old　lady；　beneath　her　severity；　was　deeply　moved；　and　almost　at　once　　John　and　Eliza　came　down　the　stairs。　Miss　Josephine　took　each　of　them　to　her　heart；　but　she　did　not　trust　herself　to　speak；　and　a　single　tear　rolled　down　her　face；　as　the　boy　and　girl　continued　to　the　hall…door。　There　Daddy　Ben　stood；　and　John's　gay　good…by　to　him　was　the　last　word　that　I　heard　the　bridegroom　say。　While　we　all　stood　silently　watching　them　as　they　drove　away　from　the　tall　iron　gate；　the　mocking…bird　on　the　staircase　broke　into　melodious　ripples　of　song。



XXIII：　Poor　Aunt　Carola！

And　now　here　goes　my　language　back　into　the　small…clothes　that　it　wore　at　the　beginning　of　all；　when　I　told　you　something　of　that　colonial　society；　the　Selected　Salic　Scions；　dear　to　the　heart　of　my　Aunt。　It　were　beyond　my　compass　to　approach　this　august　body　of　men