stories by modern american authors-第24节

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（a　stupid　but　convenient　phrase）；　〃he　rather　thought　the

'Independence'　would　not　sail　for　a　day　or　two；　and　that　when　all

was　ready；　he　would　send　up　and　let　me　know。〃　　This　I　thought

strange；　for　there　was　a　stiff　southerly　breeze；　but　as　〃the

circumstances〃　were　not　forthcoming；　although　I　pumped　for　them

with　much　perseverance；　I　had　nothing　to　do　but　to　return　home　and

digest　my　impatience　at　leisure。



I　did　not　receive　the　expected　message　from　the　captain　for　nearly

a　week。　　It　came　at　length；　however；　and　I　immediately　went　on

board。　　The　ship　was　crowded　with　passengers；　and　every　thing　was

in　the　bustle　attendant　upon　making　sail。　　Wyatt's　party　arrived　in

about　ten　minutes　after　myself。　　There　were　the　two　sisters；　the

bride；　and　the　artistthe　latter　in　one　of　his　customary　fits　of

moody　misanthropy。　　I　was　too　well　used　to　these；　however；　to　pay

them　any　special　attention。　　He　did　not　even　introduce　me　to　his

wife；this　courtesy　devolving；　per　force；　upon　his　sister　Marian

a　very　sweet　and　intelligent　girl；　who；　in　a　few　hurried　words；

made　us　acquainted。



Mrs。　Wyatt　had　been　closely　veiled；　and　when　she　raised　her　veil；

in　acknowledging　my　bow；　I　confess　that　I　was　very　profoundly

astonished。　　I　should　have　been　much　more　so；　however；　had　not　long

experience　advised　me　not　to　trust；　with　too　implicit　a　reliance；

the　enthusiastic　descriptions　of　my　friend；　the　artist；　when

indulging　in　comments　upon　the　loveliness　of　woman。　　When　beauty

was　the　theme；　I　well　knew　with　what　facility　he　soared　into　the

regions　of　the　purely　ideal。



The　truth　is；　I　could　not　help　regarding　Mrs。　Wyatt　as　a　decidedly

plain…looking　woman。　　If　not　positively　ugly；　she　was　not；　I　think；

very　far　from　it。　　She　was　dressed；　however；　in　exquisite　taste

and　then　I　had　no　doubt　that　she　had　captivated　my　friend's　heart

by　the　more　enduring　graces　of　the　intellect　and　soul。　　She　said

very　few　words；　and　passed　at　once　into　her　state…room　with　Mr。　W。



My　old　inquisitiveness　now　returned。　　There　was　NO　servantTHAT

was　a　settled　point。　　I　looked；　therefore；　for　the　extra　baggage。

After　some　delay；　a　cart　arrived　at　the　wharf；　with　an　oblong　pine

box；　which　was　every　thing　that　seemed　to　be　expected。　　Immediately

upon　its　arrival　we　made　sail；　and　in　a　short　time　were　safely　over

the　bar　and　standing　out　to　sea。



The　box　in　question　was；　as　I　say；　oblong。　　It　was　about　six　feet

in　length　by　two　and　a　half　in　breadth；　I　observed　it　attentively；

and　like　to　be　precise。　　Now　this　shape　was　PECULIAR；　and　no　sooner

had　I　seen　it；　than　I　took　credit　to　myself　for　the　accuracy　of　my

guessing。　　I　had　reached　the　conclusion；　it　will　be　remembered；

that　the　extra　baggage　of　my　friend；　the　artist；　would　prove　to　be

pictures；　or　at　least　a　picture；　for　I　knew　he　had　been　for　several

weeks　in　conference　with　Nicolino：and　now　here　was　a　box；　which；

from　its　shape；　COULD　possibly　contain　nothing　in　the　world　but　a

copy　of　Leonardo's　〃Last　Supper；〃　and　a　copy　of　this　very　〃Last

Supper；〃　done　by　Rubini　the　younger；　at　Florence；　I　had　known；　for

some　time；　to　be　in　the　possession　of　Nicolino。　　This　point；

therefore；　I　considered　as　sufficiently　settled。　　I　chuckled

excessively　when　I　thought　of　my　acumen。　　It　was　the　first　time　I

had　ever　known　Wyatt　to　keep　from　me　any　of　his　artistical　secrets；

but　here　he　evidently　intended　to　steal　a　march　upon　me；　and

smuggle　a　fine　picture　to　New　York；　under　my　very　nose；　expecting

me　to　know　nothing　of　the　matter。　　I　resolved　to　quiz　him　WELL；　now

and　hereafter。



One　thing；　however；　annoyed　me　not　a　little。　　The　box　did　NOT　go

into　the　extra　stateroom。　　It　was　deposited　in　Wyatt's　own；　and

there；　too；　it　remained；　occupying　very　nearly　the　whole　of　the

floorno　doubt　to　the　exceeding　discomfort　of　the　artist　and　his

wife；this　the　more　especially　as　the　tar　or　paint　with　which　it

was　lettered　in　sprawling　capitals；　emitted　a　strong；　disagreeable；

and；　to　my　fancy；　a　peculiarly　disgusting　odor。　　On　the　lid　were

painted　the　words〃Mrs。　Adelaide　Curtis；　Albany；　New　York。　　Charge

of　Cornelius　Wyatt；　Esq。　　This　side　up。　　To　be　handled　with　care。〃



Now；　I　was　aware　that　Mrs。　Adelaide　Curtis；　of　Albany；　was　the

artist's　wife's　mother；but　then　I　looked　upon　the　whole　address

as　a　mystification；　intended　especially　for　myself。　　I　made　up　my

mind；　of　course；　that　the　box　and　contents　would　never　get　farther

north　than　the　studio　of　my　misanthropic　friend；　in　Chambers

Street；　New　York。



For　the　first　three　or　four　days　we　had　fine　weather；　although　the

wind　was　dead　ahead；　having　chopped　round　to　the　northward；

immediately　upon　our　losing　sight　of　the　coast。　　The　passengers

were；　consequently；　in　high　spirits　and　disposed　to　be　social。　　I

MUST　except；　however；　Wyatt　and　his　sisters；　who　behaved　stiffly；

and；　I　could　not　help　thinking；　uncourteously　to　the　rest　of　the

party。　　Wyatt's　conduct　I　did　not　so　much　regard。　　He　was　gloomy；

even　beyond　his　usual　habitin　fact　he　was　MOROSEbut　in　him　I

was　prepared　for　eccentricity。　　For　the　sisters；　however；　I　could

make　no　excuse。　　They　secluded　themselves　in　their　staterooms

during　the　greater　part　of　the　passage；　and　absolutely　refused；

although　I　repeatedly　urged　them；　to　hold　communication　with　any

person　on　board。



Mrs。　Wyatt　herself　was　far　more　agreeable。　　That　is　to　say；　she　was

CHATTY；　and　to　be　chatty　is　no　slight　recommendation　at　sea。　　She

became　EXCESSIVELY　intimate　with　most　of　the　ladies；　and；　to　my

profound　astonishment；　evinced　no　equivocal　disposition　to　coquet

with　the　men。　　She　amused　us　all　very　much。　　I　say　〃amused〃and

scarcely　know　how　to　explain　myself。　　The　truth　is；　I　soon　found

that　Mrs。　W。　was　far　oftener　laughed　AT　than　WITH。　　The　gentlemen

said　little　about　her；　but　the　ladies；　in　a　little　while；

pronounced　her　〃a　good…hearted　thing；　rather　indifferent　looking；

totally　uneducated；　and　decidedly　vulgar。〃　　The　great　wonder　was；

how　Wyatt　had　been　entrapped　into　such　a　match。　　Wealth　was　the

general　solutionbut　this　I　knew　to　be　no　solution　at　all；　for

Wyatt　had　told　me　that　she　neither　brought　him　a　dollar　nor　had　any

expectations　from　any　source　whatever。　　〃He　had　married；〃　he　said；

〃for　love；　and　for　love　only；　and　his　bride　was　far　more　than

worthy　of　his　love。〃　　When　I　thought　of　these　expressions；　on　the

part　of　my　friend；　I　confess　that　I　felt　indescribably　puzzled。

Could　it　be　possible　that　he　was　taking　leave　of　his　senses？　　What

else　could　I　think？　　HE；　so　refined；　so　intellectual；　so

fastidious；　with　so　exquisite　a　perception　of　the　faulty；　and　so

keen　an　appreciation　of　the　beautiful！　　To　be　sure；　the　lady　seemed

especially　fond　of　HIMparticularly　so　in　his　absencewhen　she

made　herself　ridiculous　by　frequent　quotations　of　what　had　been

said　by　her　〃beloved　husband；　Mr。　Wyatt。〃　　The　word　〃husband〃

seemed　foreverto　use　one　of　her　own　delicate　expressionsforever

〃on　the　tip　of　her　tongue。〃　　In　the　meantime；　it　was　observed　by

all　on　board；　that　he　avoided　HER　in　the　most　pointed　manner；　and；

for　the　most　part；　shut　himself　up　alone　in　his　state…room；　where；

in　fact；　he　might　have　been　said　to　live　altogether；　leaving　his

wife　at　full　liberty　to　amuse　herself　as　she　thought　best；　in　the

public　society　of　the　main　cabin。



My　conclusion；　from　what　I　saw　and　heard；　was；　that；　the　artist；　by

some　unaccountable　freak　of　fate；　or　perhaps　in　some　fit　of

enthusiastic　and　fanciful　passion；　had　been　induced　to　unite

himself　with　a　person　altogether　beneath　him；　and　that　the　natural

result；　entire　and　speedy　disgust；　had　ensued。　　I　pitied　him　from

the　bottom　of　my　heartbut　could　not；　for　that　reason；　quite

forgive　his　incommunicativeness　in　the　matter　of　the　〃Last　Supper。〃

For　this　I　resolved　to　have　my　revenge。



One　day　he　came　upon　deck；　and；　taking　his　arm　as　had　been　my　wont；

I　sauntered　with　him　backward　and　forward。　　His　gloom；　however

（which　I　considered　quite　natural　under　the　circumstances）；　seemed

entirely　unabated。　　He　said　little；　and　that　moodily；　and　with

evident　effort。　　I　ventured　a　jest　or　two；　and　he　made　a　sickening

attempt　at　a　smile。　　Poor　fellow！as　I　thought　of　HIS　WIFE；　I

wondered　that　he　could　have　heart　to　put　on　even　the　semblance　of

mirth。　　At　last　I　ventured　a　home　thrust。　　I　determined　to　commence

a　series　of　covert　insinuations；　or　innuendoes；　about　the　oblong

boxjust　to　let　him　perceive；　gradually；　that　I　was　NOT　altogether

the　butt；　or　victim；　of　his　little　bit　of　pleasant　mystification。

My　first　observation　was　by　way　of　opening　a　masked　battery。　　I

said　something　about　the　〃peculiar　shape　of　THAT　box；〃and；　as　I

spoke　the　words；　I　smiled　knowingly；　winked；　and　touched　him　gently

with　my　forefinger　in　the　ribs。



The　manner　in　which　Wyatt　received　this　harmless　pleasantry

convinced　me；　at　once；　that　he　was　mad。　　At　first　he　stared　at　me

as　if　he　found　it　impossible　to　comprehend　the　witticism　of　my

rema