lady baltimore-第6部分

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Now　I　desired　a　great　deal　of　information。　To　learn　of　an　imminent　wedding　where　the　bridegroom　attends　to　the　cake；　and　is　suspected　of　diminished　eagerness　for　the　bride；　who　is　a　steel　waspthat　is　not　enough　to　learn　of　such　nuptials。　Therefore　I　fearI　mean；　I　knowthat　it　was　not　wholly　for　the　sake　of　telling　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael　about　Aunt　Carola　that　I　repaired　again　to　Le　Maire　Street　and　rang　Mrs。　St。　Michael's　door…bell。

She　was　at　home；　to　be　sure；　but　with　her　sat　another　visitor；　the　tall；　severe　lady　who　had　embroidered　and　had　not　liked　the　freedom　with　which　her　sister　had　spoken　to　me　about　the　wedding。　There　was　not　a　bit　of　freedom　to…day；　the　severe　lady　took　care　of　that。

When；　after　some　utterly　unprofitable　conversation；　I　managed　to　say　in　a　casual　voice；　which　I　thought　very　well　tuned　for　the　purpose；　〃What　part　of　Georgia　did　you　say　that　General　Rieppe　came　from？〃　the　severe　lady　responded：

〃I　do　not　think　that　I　mentioned　him　at　all。〃

〃Georgia？〃　said　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael。　〃I　never　heard　that　they　came　from　Georgia。〃

And　this　revived　my　hopes。　But　the　severe　lady　at　once　remarked　to　her：

〃I　have　received　a　most　agreeable　letter　from　my　sister　in　Paris。〃

This　stopped　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael；　and　dashed　my　hopes　to　earth。

The　severe　lady　continued　to　me：

〃My　sister　writes　of　witnessing　a　performance　of　the　Lohengrin。　Can　you　tell　me　if　it　is　a　composition　of　merit？〃

I　assured　her　that　it　was　a　composition　of　the　highest　merit。

〃It　is　many　years　since　I　have　heard　an　opera；〃　she　pursued。　〃In　my　day　the　works　of　the　Italians　were　much　applauded。　But　I　doubt　if　Mozart　will　be　surpassed。　I　hope　you　admire　the　Nozze？〃

You　will　not　need　me　to　tell　you　that　I　came　out　of　Mrs。　Gregory　St。　Michael's　house　little　wiser　than　I　went　in。　My　experience　did　not　lead　me　to　abandon　all　hope。　I　paid　other　visits　to　other　ladies；　but　these　answered　my　inquiries　in　much　the　same　sort　of　way　as　had　the　lady　who　admired　Mozart。　They　spoke　delightfully　of　travel；　books；　people；　and　of　the　colonial　renown　of　Kings　Port　and　its　leading　families；　but　it　is　scarce　an　exaggeration　to　say　that　Mozart　was　as　near　the　cake；　the　wedding；　or　the　steel　wasp　as　I　came　with　any　of　them。　By　patience；　however；　and　mostly　at　our　boarding…house　table；　I　gathered　a　certain　knowledge；　though　small　in　amount。

If　the　health　of　John　Mayrant's　mother；　I　learned；　had　allowed　that　lady　to　bring　him　up　Herself；　many　follies　might　have　been　saved　the　youth。　His　aunt；　Miss　Eliza　St。　Michael；　though　a　pattern　of　good　intentions；　was　not　always　a　pattern　of　wisdom。　Moreover；　how　should　a　spinster　bring　up　a　boy　fitly？

Of　the　Rieppes；　father　and　daughter；　I　also　learned　a　little　more。　They　did　not　（most　people　believed）　come　from　Georgia。　Natchez　and　Mobile　seemed　to　divide　the　responsibility　of　giving　them　to　the　world。　It　was　quite　certain　the　General　had　run　away　from　Chattanooga。　Nobody　disputed　this；　or　offered　any　other　battle　as　the　authentic　one。　Of　late　the　Rieppes　were　seldom　to　be　seen　in　Kings　Port。　Their　house　（if　it　had　ever　been　their　own　property；　which　I　heard　hotly　argued　both　ways）　had　been　sold　more　than　two　years　ago；　and　their　recent　brief　sojourns　in　the　town　were　generally　beneath　the　roof　of　hospitable　friendspeople　by　the　name　of　Cornerly；　〃whom　we　do　not　know；〃　as　I　was　carefully　informed　by　more　than　one　member　of　the　St。　Michael　family。　The　girl　had　disturbed　a　number　of　mothers　whose　sons　were　prone　to　slip　out　of　the　strict　hereditary　fold　in　directions　where　beauty　or　champagne　was　to　be　found；　and　the　Cornerlys　dined　late；　and　had　champagne。　Miss　Hortense　had　〃splurged　it〃　a　good　deal　here；　and　the　measure　of　her　success　with　the　male　youth　was　the　measure　of　her　condemnation　by　their　female　elders。

Such　were　the　facts　which　I　gathered　from　women　and　from　the　few　men　whom　I　saw　in　Kings　Port。　This　town　seemed　to　me　almost　as　empty　of　men　as　if　the　Pied　Piper　had　passed　through　here　and　lured　them　magically　away　to　some　distant　country。　It　was　on　the　happy　day　that　saw　Miss　Eliza　La　Heu　again　providing　me　with　sandwiches　and　chocolate　that　my　knowledge　of　the　wedding　and　the　bride　and　groom　began　really　to　take　some　steps　forward。

It　was　not　I　who；　at　my　sequestered　lunch　at　the　Woman's　Exchange；　began　the　conversation　the　next　time。　That　confection；　〃Lady　Baltimore；〃　about　which　I　was　not　to　worry　myself；　had；　as　they　say；　〃broken　the　ice〃　between　the　girl　behind　the　counter　and　myself。

〃He　has　put　it　off！〃　This；　without　any　preliminaries；　was　her　direct　and　stimulating　news。

I　never　was　more　grateful　for　the　solitude　of　the　Exchange；　where　I　had；　before　this；　noted　and　blessed　an　absence　of　lunch　customers　as　prevailing　as　the　trade　winds；　the　people　I　saw　there　came　to　talk；　not　to　purchase。　Well；　I　was　certainly　henceforth　coming　for　both！

I　eagerly　plunged　in　with　the　obvious　question：

〃Indefinitely？〃

〃Oh；　no！　Only　Wednesday　week。〃

〃But　will　it　keep？〃

My　ignorance　diverted　her。　〃Lady　Baltimore？　Why；　the　idea！〃　And　she　laughed　at　me　from　the　immense　distance　that　the　South　is　from　the　North。

〃Then　he'll　have　to　pay　for　two？〃

〃Oh；　no！　I　wasn't　going　to　make　it　till　Tuesday。

〃I　didn't　suppose　that　kind　of　thing　would　keep；〃　I　muttered　rather　vaguely。

Her　young　spirits　bubbled　over。　〃Which　kind　of　thing？　The　weddingor　the　cake？〃

This　produced　a　moment　of　laughter　on　the　part　of　us　both；　we　giggled　joyously　together　amid　the　silence　and　wares　for　sale；　the　painted　cups；　the　embroidered　souvenirs；　the　new　food；　and　the　old　family　〃pieces。〃

So　this　delightful　girl　was　a　verbal　skirmisher！　Now　nothing　is　more　to　my　liking　than　the　verbal　skirmish；　and　therefore　I　began　one　immediately。　〃I　see　you　quite　know；〃　was　the　first　light　shot　that　I　hazarded。

Her　retort　to　this　was　merely　a　very　bland　and　inquiring　stare。

I　now　aimed　a　trifle　nearer　the　mark。　〃About　himherit！　Since　you　practically　live　in　the　Exchange；　how　can　you　exactly　help　yourself？〃

Her　laughter　came　back。　〃It's　all；　you　know；　so　much　later　than　1812。〃

〃Later！　Why；　a　lot　of　it　is　to　happen　yet！〃

She　leaned　over　the　counter。　〃Tell　me　what　you　know　about　it；〃　she　said　with　caressing　insinuation。

〃Oh；　wellbut　probably　they　mean　to　have　your　education　progress　chronologically。〃

〃I　think　I　can　pick　it　up　anywhere。　We　had　to　at　the　plantation。〃

It　was　from　my　table　in　the　distant　dim　back　of　the　room；　where　things　stood　lumpily　under　mosquito　netting；　that　I　told　her　my　history。　She　made　me　go　there　to　my　lunch。　She　seemed　to　desire　that　our　talk　over　the　counter　should　not　longer　continue。　And　so；　back　there；　over　my　chocolate　and　sandwiches；　I　brought　out　my　gleaned　and　arranged　knowledge　which　rang　out　across　the　distance；　comically；　like　a　lecture。　She；　at　her　counter；　now　and　then　busy　with　her　ledger；　received　it　with　the　attentive　solemnity　of　a　lecture。　The　ledger　might　have　been　notes　that　she　was　dutifully　and　improvingly　taking。　After　I　had　finished　she　wrote　on　for　a　little　while　in　silence。　The　curly　white　dog　rose　into　sight；　looked　amiably　and　vaguely　about；　stretched　himself；　and　sank　to　sleep　again　out　of　sight。

〃That's　all？〃　she　asked　abruptly。

〃So　far；〃　I　answered。

〃And　what　do　you　think　of　such　a　young　man？〃　she　inquired。

〃I　know　what　I　think　of　such　a　young　woman。〃

She　was　still　pensive。　〃Yes；　yes；　but　then　that　is　so　simple。〃

I　had　a　short　laugh。　〃Oh；　if　you　come　to　the　simplicity！〃

She　nodded；　seeming　to　be　doing　sums　with　her　pencil。

〃Men　are　always　simplewhen　they're　in　love。〃

I　assented。　〃And　womenyou'll　agree？are　always　simple　when　they're　not！〃

She　finished　her　sums。　〃Well；　I　think　he's　foolish！〃　she　frankly　stated。　〃Didn't　Aunt　Josephine　think　so；　too？〃

〃Aunt　Josephine？〃

〃Miss　Josephine　St。　Michaelmy　greet…auntthe　lady　who　embroidered。　She　brought　me　here　from　the　plantation。〃

〃No；　she　wouldn't　talk　about　it。　But　don't　you　think　it　is　your　turn　now？〃

〃I've　taken　my　turn！〃

〃Oh；　not　much。　To　say　you　think　he's　foolish　isn't　much。　You've　seen　him　since？〃

〃Seen　him？　Since　when？〃

〃Here。　Since　the　postponement。　I　take　it　he　came　himself　about　it。〃

〃Yes；　he　came。　You　don't　suppose　we　discussed　the　reasons；　do　you？〃

〃My　dear　young　lady；　I　suppose　nothing；　except　that　you　certainly　must　have　seen　how　he　looked　（he　can　blush；　you　know；　handsomely）；　and　that　you　may　have　some　knowledge　or　some　guess〃

〃Some　guess　why　it's　not　to　be　until　Wednesday　week？　Of　course　he　said　why。　Her　poor；　dear　father；　the　General；　isn't　very　well。〃

〃That；　indeed；　must　be　an　anxiety　for　Johnny；〃　I　remarked。

This　led　her　to　indulge　in　some　more　merriment。　〃But　he　does；〃　she　then　said；　〃seem　anxious　about　something。〃

〃Ah；〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Then　you　admit　it；　too！〃

She　resorted　again　to　the　bland；　inquiring　stare。

〃What　he　won't　admit；〃　I　explained；　〃even　to　his　intimate　Aunt；　because　he's　so　honorable。〃

〃He　certainly　is　simple；〃　she　commented；　in　soft　and　pensive　tones。

〃Isn't　there　some　one；〃　I　asked；　〃who　couldnot　too　directly；　of　coursesuggest　that　to　him？〃

〃I　think　I　prefer　men　to　be　simple；〃　she　returned　somewhat　quickly。

〃Especially　when　they're　in　love；〃　I　reminded　her　somewhat　slowly。

〃Do　you　want　some　Lady　Baltimore　to…day？〃　she　inquired　in　the　official　Exchange　tone。

I　rose　obediently。　〃You're　quite　right；　I　should　have　gone　back　to　the　battle　of　Cowpens　long　ago；　and　I'll　just　say　thissince　you　asked　me　what　I　thought　of　himthat　if　he's　descended　from　that　John　Mayrant　who　fought　the　Serapes　under　Paul　Jones〃

〃He　is！〃　she　broke　in　eagerly。

〃Then　there's　not　a　name　in　South　Carolina　that　I'd　rather　have　for　my　own。〃

I　intended　that　thrust　to　strike　home；　but　she　turned　it　off　most　competently。　〃Oh；　you　mustn't　accept　us　because　of　our　ancestors。　That's　how　we've　been　accepting　ourselves；　and　only　look　where　we　are　in　the　race！〃

〃Ah！〃　I　said；　as　a　parting　attempt；　〃don't　pretend　you're　not　perfectly　satisfiedall　of　youas　to　where　you　are　in　the　race！〃

〃We　don't　pretend　anything！〃　she　flashed　back。



V：　The　Boy　of　the　Cake

One　is　unthankful；　I　suppose；　to　call　a　day　so　dreary　when　one　has　lunched　under　the　circumstances　that　I　have　attempted　to　indicate