stories of a western town-第13节

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often　that　he　is　a　young　lion　of　reform；　that　he　begins　to　study　the　role　in　dead　earnest。　I　don't　talk　this　way　to　Harry；　who　believes　in　him　and　is　training　him　for　the　representative　for　our　district。　What　harm？　　Verily；　his　is　the　faith　that　will　move　mountains。　Besides；　Tommy　is　now　rich；　he　must　be　worth　a　hundred　thousand　dollars；　which　makes　a　man　of　wealth　in　these　parts。　It　is　time　for　him　to　be　respectable。〃　Notwithstanding　this　preparation；　Mrs。　Carriswood　（then　giving　Washington　the　benefit　of　her　doubts　of　climate）　was　surprised　one　day　to　receive　a　perfectly　correct　visiting　card　whereon　was　engraved；　〃Mr。　Thomas　Sackville　Fitzmaurice；　M。C。〃　The　young　lady　who　was　with　her　lifted　her　brilliant　hazel　eyes　and　half　smiled。　　〃Is　it　the　droll　young　man　we　met　once　at　Mrs。　Lossing's？　　Pray　see　him；　Aunt　Margaret；〃　said　Miss　Van　Harlem。　Mrs。　Carriswood　shrugged　her　shoulders　and　ordered　the　man　to　show　him　up。　There　entered；　in　the　wake　of　the　butler；　a　distinguished…looking　personage　who　held　out　his　hand　with　a　perfect　copy　of　the　bow　that　she　saw　forty　times　a　day。　　〃He　is　taking　himself　very　seriously；〃　she　sighed；　〃he　is　precisely　like　anybody　else！〃　And　she　felt　her　interest　snuffed　out　by　Tommy's　correctness。　But；　directly；　she　changed　her　mind；　the　unfailing　charm　of　his　race　asserted　itself　in　Tommy；　she　decided　that　he　was　a　delightful；　original　young　man；　and　in　ten　minutes　they　were　talking　in　the　same　odd　confidence　that　had　always　marked　their　relation。　〃How　perfectly　you　are　gotten　up！　　Are　you　INSIDE；　now？〃　〃Ah；　do　you　remember　that？〃　said　he；　〃that's　awfully　good　of　you。　Which　is　so　fortunate　as　to　please　you；　my　clothes　or　my　deportment？〃　〃Both。　They　are　very　good。　　Where　did　you　get　them；　Tommy？　　I　shall　take　the　privilege　of　my　age　and　call　you　Tommy。〃　〃Thank　you。　　The　clothes？　　Oh；　I　asked　Harry　for　the　proper　thing；　and　he　recommended　a　tailor。　　I　think　Harry　gave　me　the　manners；　too。〃　〃And　your　new　principles？〃　　She　could　not　resist　this　little　fling。　〃I　owe　a　great　deal　in　that　way　to　Harry；　also；〃　answered　he；　with　gravity。　Gone　were　the　days　of　sarcastic　ridicule；　of　visionary　politics。　Tommy　talked　of　the　civil　service　in　the　tone　of　Harry　himself。　He　was　actually　eloquent。　〃Why；　Aunt　Margaret；　he　is　a　remarkable　young　man；〃　exclaimed　Miss　Van　Harlem；　〃his　honesty　and　enthusiasm　are　refreshing　in　this　pessimist　place。　　I　hope　he　will　come　again。　Did　you　notice　what　lovely　eyes　he　has？〃　Before　long　it　was　not　pure　good…nature　that　caused　Mrs。　Carriswood　to　ask　Fitzmaurice　to　her　house。　　He　was　known　as　a　rising　young　man；　One　met　him　at　the　best　houses；　yet　he　was　a　prodigious　worker；　and　had　made　his　mark　in　committees；　before　the　celebrated　speech　that　sent　him　into　all　the　newspaper　columns；　or　that　stubborn　and　infinitely　versatile　fight　against　odds　which　inspired　the　artist　of　PUCK。　Tommy　bore　the　cartoon　to　Mrs。　Carriswood；　beaming。　She　had　not　seen　that　light　in　his　face　since　the　memorable　June　afternoon　in　the　Opera…house。　He　sent　the　paper　to　his　mother；　who　vowed　the　picture　〃did　not　favor　Tommy　at　all；　at　all。　Sure　Tommy　never　had　such　a　red　nose！〃　　The　old　man；　however；　went　to　his　ex…saloon；　and　sat　in　state　all　the　morning；　showing　Tommy's　funny　picture。　It　was　about　this　time　that　Mrs。　Carriswood　observed　something　that　took　her　breath　away：　　Tommy　Fitzmaurice　had　the　presumption　to　be　attentive　to　my　lady's　goddaughter；　Miss　Van　Harlem。　Nor　was　this　the　worst；　there　were　indications　that　Miss　Van　Harlem；　who　had　refused　the　noble　names　and　titles　of　two　or　three　continental　nobles；　and　the　noble　name　unaccompanied　by　a　title　of　the　younger　son　of　an　English　earl；　without　mentioning　the　half…dozen　〃nice〃　American　claimantsMiss　Van　Harlem　was　not　angry。　The　day　this　staggering　blow　fell　on　her；　Mrs。　Carriswood　was　in　her　dressing…room；　peacefully　watching　Derry　unpack　a　box　from　Paris；　in　anticipation　of　a　state　dinner。　　And　Miss　Van　Harlem；　in　a　bewitching　wrapper；　sat　on　the　lounge　and　admired。　Upon　this　scene　of　feminine　peace　and　happiness　enter　the　Destroyer；　in　the　shape　of　a　note　from　Tommy　Fitzmaurice！　　Were　they　going　on　Beatoun's　little　excursion　to　Alexandria？　　If　they　were；　he　would　move　heaven　and　earth　to　put　off　a　committee　meeting；　in　order　to　join　them。　By　the　way；　he　was　to　get　the　floor　for　his　speech　that　afternoon。　Wouldn't　Mrs。　Carriswood　come　to　inspire　him？　　Perhaps　Miss　Van　Harlem　would　not　be　bored　by　a　little　of　it。　It　was　a　well…worded　note；　as　Mrs。　Carriswood　read　it　she　realized　for　the　first　time　how　completely　Tommy　was　acclimated　in　society。　She　remembered　his　plaint　years　ago；　and　his　awe　of　〃oil　paintings〃　and　〃people　of　culture；〃　and　she　laughed　half…sadly　as　she　passed　the　note　over　to　Miss　Van　Harlem。　〃I　presume　it　is　the　Alexandria　excursion　that　the　Beatouns　were　talking　about　yesterday；〃　she　said；　languidly。　〃He　wants　to　show　that　young　Irishman　that　we　have　a　mild　flavor　of　antiquity；　ourselves。　　We　are　to　see　Alexandria　and　have　a　real　old　Virginian　dinner；　including　one　of　the　famous　Beatoun　hams　and　some　of　the　'69　Cha…teau　Yquem　and　the　sacred　'47　port。　I　suppose　he　will　have　the　four…in…hand　buckboard。　　'A　small　party　'　that　will　mean　the　Honorable　Basil　Sackville；　Mrs。　Beatoun；　Lilly　Denning；　probably　one　of　the　Cabinet　girls；　Colonel　Turner；　and　that　young　Russian　Beatoun　is　so　fond　of；　Tommy　Fitzmaurice　〃　〃Why　do　you　always　call　Mr。　Fitzmaurice　Tommy？〃this　interruption　comes　with　a　slight　rise　of　color　from　young　Margaret。　〃Everybody　calls　him　Tommy　in　his　own　town；　a　politician　as　popular　as　he　with　the　boys　is　naturally　Tommy　or　Jerry　or　Billy。　They　slap　him　on　the　back　or　sit　with　an　arm　around　his　neck　and　concoct　the　ways　to　rule　us。〃　〃I　don't　think　anyone　slaps　Mr。　Fitzmaurice　on　the　back　and　calls　him　Tommy；　NOW；〃　says　Margaret；　with　a　little　access　of　dignity。　〃I　dare　say　his　poor　old　father　and　mother　don't　venture　on　that　liberty；　I　wish　you　had　seen　them　〃　〃He　has　told　me　about　them；〃　says　Margaret。　And　Mrs。　Carriswood's　dismay　was　such　that　for　a　second　she　simply　gasped。　　Were　things　so　far　along　that　such　confessions　were　made？　Tommy　must　be　very　confident　to　venture；　it　was　shrewd；　very　shrewd；　to　forestall　Mrs。　Carriswood's　sure　revelationsoh；　Tommy　was　not　a　politician　for　nothing！　〃Besides；〃　Margaret　went　on；　with　the　same　note　of　repressed　feeling　in　her　voice；　〃his　is　a　good　family；　if　they　have　decayed；　his　ancestor　was　Lord　Fitzmaurice　in　King　James's　time。〃　〃She　takes　HIM　seriously　too！〃　thought　Mrs。　Carriswood；　with　inexpressible　consternation；　〃what　SHALL　I　say　to　her　mother？〃　Strange　to　say；　perhaps；　considering　that　she　was　so　frankly　a　woman　of　the　world；　her　stub…bornest　objection　to　Tommy　was　not　an　objection　of　expediency。　　She　had　insensibly　grown　to　take　his　success　for　granted；　like　the　rest　of　the　Washington　world；　he　would　be　a　governor；　a　senator；　he　might　beanything！　And　he　was　perfectly　presentable；　now；　no；　it　would　be　on　the　whole　an　investment　in　the　future　that　would　pay　well　enough；　his　parents　would　be　awkward；　but　they　were　old　people；　not　likely　to　be　too　much　_en　evidence_。　Mrs。　Carriswood；　while　not　overjoyed；　would　not　feel　crushed　by　such　a　match；　but　she　did　view　what　she　regarded　as　Tommy's　moral　instability；　with　a　dubious　and　fearful　eye。　　He　was　earnest　enough　for　his　new　principles　now；　but　what　warrant　was　there　of　his　sincerity？　　Margaret　and　her　mother　were　high…minded　women。　It　was　the　gallant　knight　of　her　party　and　her　political　faith　that　the　girl　admired；　the　valiant　fight；　not　the　triumph！　No　mere　soldier　of　fortune；　no　matter　how　successful　or　how　brilliant；　could　win　her；　if　Tommy　were　the　mercenary；　not　the　knight；　no　worldly　glory　could　compensate　his　wife。　Wherefore；　after　a　bad　quarter　of　an　hour　reflecting　on　these　things；　Mrs。　Carriswood　went　to　the　Capitol；　resolved　to　take　her　goddaughter　away。　　She　would　not　withdraw　her　acceptance　of　the　Beatouns'　invitation；　no；　let　the　Iowa　congressman　have　every　opportunity　to　display　his　social　shortcomings　in　contrast　with　the　accomplished　Russian；　and　Jack　Turner；　the　most　elegant　man　in　the　army；　the　next　day　would　be　time　enough　for　a　telegram　and　a　sudden　flitting。　Yet　in　the　midst　of　her　plans　for　Tommy's　discomfiture　she　was　assailed　by　a　queer　regret　and　reluctance。　Tommy's　fascination　had　affected　even　a　professional　critic　of　life；　he　had　been　so　amusing；　so　willing；　so　trusting；　so　useful；　that　her　chill　interest　had　warmed　into　liking。　She　felt　a　moving　of　the　heart　as　the　handsome　black　head　arose；　and　the　first　notes　of　that　resonant；　thrilling　voice　swelled　above　the　din　on　the　floor。　It　was　the　day　of　his　great　speech；　the　speech　that　made　him；　it　was　said。　As　Mrs。　Carriswood　sank　back；　turning　a　little　in　an　instinctive　effort　to　repulse　her　own　sympathy；　she　was　aware　of　the　presence　near　her　of　an　elderly　man　and　woman。　　The　old　man　wore　a　shining　silk　hat　and　shining　new　black　clothes。　　His　expansive　shirt…bosom　was　very　white；　but　not　glossy；　and　rumpled　in　places；　and　his　collar　was　of　the　spiked　and　antique　pattern　known　as　a　〃dickey。〃　His　wrinkled；　red　face　was　edged　by　a　white　fringe　of　whisker。　He　wore　large　gold…bowed　spectacles；　and　his　jaws　worked　incessantly。　The　woman　was　a　little；　mild；　wrinkle