stories by modern american authors-第7节

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lady's　nose。　　She　seemed　perfectly　accustomed　to　the　proceeding；

put　up　her　glasses；　read　the　words；　smiled；　nodded；　and　addressed

me　in　the　unearthly　voice　peculiar　to　people　who　hear　nothing。



〃I　knew　your　grandfather　very　well；〃　she　said。　　Then　she　smiled　and

nodded　to　me　again；　and　to　her　niece；　and　relapsed　into　silence。



〃It　is　all　right；〃　remarked　Miss　Lammas。　　〃Aunt　Bluebell　knows　she

is　deaf；　and　does　not　say　much；　like　the　parrot。　　You　see；　she　knew

your　grandfather。　　How　odd　that　we　should　be　neighbors！　　Why　have

we　never　met　before？〃



〃If　you　had　told　me　you　knew　my　grandfather　when　you　appeared　in

the　garden；　I　should　not　have　been　in　the　least　surprised；〃　I

answered　rather　irrelevantly。　　〃I　really　thought　you　were　the　ghost

of　the　old　fountain。　　How　in　the　world　did　you　come　there　at　that

hour？〃



〃We　were　a　large　party　and　we　went　out　for　a　walk。　　Then　we　thought

we　should　like　to　see　what　your　park　was　like　in　the　moonlight；　and

so　we　trespassed。　　I　got　separated　from　the　rest；　and　came　upon　you

by　accident；　just　as　I　was　admiring　the　extremely　ghostly　look　of

your　house；　and　wondering　whether　anybody　would　ever　come　and　live

there　again。　　It　looks　like　the　castle　of　Macbeth；　or　a　scene　from

the　opera。　　Do　you　know　anybody　here？〃



〃Hardly　a　soul！　　Do　you？〃



〃No。　　Aunt　Bluebell　said　it　was　our　duty　to　come。　　It　is　easy　for

her　to　go　out；　she　does　not　bear　the　burden　of　the　conversation。〃



〃I　am　sorry　you　find　it　a　burden；〃　said　I。　　〃Shall　I　go　away？〃



Miss　Lammas　looked　at　me　with　a　sudden　gravity　in　her　beautiful

eyes；　and　there　was　a　sort　of　hesitation　about　the　lines　of　her

full；　soft　mouth。



〃No；〃　she　said　at　last；　quite　simply；　〃don't　go　away。　　We　may　like

each　other；　if　you　stay　a　little　longerand　we　ought　to；　because

we　are　neighbors　in　the　country。〃



I　suppose　I　ought　to　have　thought　Miss　Lammas　a　very　odd　girl。

There　is；　indeed；　a　sort　of　freemasonry　between　people　who　discover

that　they　live　near　each　other　and　that　they　ought　to　have　known

each　other　before。　　But　there　was　a　sort　of　unexpected　frankness

and　simplicity　in　the　girl's　amusing　manner　which　would　have　struck

anyone　else　as　being　singular；　to　say　the　least　of　it。　　To　me；

however；　it　all　seemed　natural　enough。　　I　had　dreamed　of　her　face

too　long　not　to　be　utterly　happy　when　I　met　her　at　last　and　could

talk　to　her　as　much　as　I　pleased。　　To　me；　the　man　of　ill　luck　in

everything；　the　whole　meeting　seemed　too　good　to　be　true。　　I　felt

again　that　strange　sensation　of　lightness　which　I　had　experienced

after　I　had　seen　her　face　in　the　garden。　　The　great　rooms　seemed

brighter；　life　seemed　worth　living；　my　sluggish；　melancholy　blood

ran　faster；　and　filled　me　with　a　new　sense　of　strength。　　I　said　to

myself　that　without　this　woman　I　was　but　an　imperfect　being；　but

that　with　her　I　could　accomplish　everything　to　which　I　should　set

my　hand。　　Like　the　great　Doctor；　when　he　thought　he　had　cheated

Mephistopheles　at　last；　I　could　have　cried　aloud　to　the　fleeting

moment；　Verweile　doch；　du　bist　so　schon！



〃Are　you　always　gay？〃　I　asked；　suddenly。　　〃How　happy　you　must　be！〃



〃The　days　would　sometimes　seem　very　long　if　I　were　gloomy；〃　she

answered；　thoughtfully。　　〃Yes；　I　think　I　find　life　very　pleasant；

and　I　tell　it　so。〃



〃How　can　you　'tell　life'　anything？〃　I　inquired。　　〃If　I　could　catch

my　life　and　talk　to　it；　I　would　abuse　it　prodigiously；　I　assure

you。〃



〃I　dare　say。　　You　have　a　melancholy　temper。　　You　ought　to　live　out…

of…doors；　dig　potatoes；　make　hay；　shoot；　hunt；　tumble　into　ditches；

and　come　home　muddy　and　hungry　for　dinner。　　It　would　be　much　better

for　you　than　moping　in　your　rook　tower　and　hating　everything。〃



〃It　is　rather　lonely　down　there；〃　I　murmured；　apologetically；

feeling　that　Miss　Lammas　was　quite　right。



〃Then　marry；　and　quarrel　with　your　wife；〃　she　laughed。　　〃Anything

is　better　than　being　alone。〃



〃I　am　a　very　peaceable　person。　　I　never　quarrel　with　anybody。　　You

can　try　it。　　You　will　find　it　quite　impossible。〃



〃Will　you　let　me　try？〃　she　asked；　still　smiling。



〃By　all　meansespecially　if　it　is　to　be　only　a　preliminary

canter；〃　I　answered；　rashly。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　inquired；　turning　quickly　upon　me。



〃Ohnothing。　　You　might　try　my　paces　with　a　view　to　quarreling　in

the　future。　　I　cannot　imagine　how　you　are　going　to　do　it。　　You　will

have　to　resort　to　immediate　and　direct　abuse。〃



〃No。　　I　will　only　say　that　if　you　do　not　like　your　life；　it　is　your

own　fault。　　How　can　a　man　of　your　age　talk　of　being　melancholy；　or

of　the　hollowness　of　existence？　　Are　you　consumptive？　　Are　you

subject　to　hereditary　insanity？　　Are　you　deaf；　like　Aunt　Bluebell？

Are　you　poor；　likelots　of　people？　　Have　you　been　crossed　in　love？

Have　you　lost　the　world　for　a　woman；　or　any　particular　woman　for

the　sake　of　the　world？　　Are　you　feeble…minded；　a　cripple；　an

outcast？　　Are　yourepulsively　ugly？〃　　She　laughed　again。　　〃Is

there　any　reason　in　the　world　why　you　should　not　enjoy　all　you　have

got　in　life？〃



〃No。　　There　is　no　reason　whatever；　except　that　I　am　dreadfully

unlucky；　especially　in　small　things。〃



〃Then　try　big　things；　just　for　a　change；〃　suggested　Miss　Lammas。

〃Try　and　get　married；　for　instance；　and　see　how　it　turns　out。〃



〃If　it　turned　out　badly　it　would　be　rather　serious。〃



〃Not　half　so　serious　as　it　is　to　abuse　everything　unreasonably。　　If

abuse　is　your　particular　talent；　abuse　something　that　ought　to　be

abused。　　Abuse　the　Conservativesor　the　Liberalsit　does　not

matter　which；　since　they　are　always　abusing　each　other。　　Make

yourself　felt　by　other　people。　　You　will　like　it；　if　they　don't。

It　will　make　a　man　of　you。　　Fill　your　mouth　with　pebbles；　and　howl

at　the　sea；　if　you　cannot　do　anything　else。　　It　did　Demosthenes　no

end　of　good；　you　know。　　You　will　have　the　satisfaction　of　imitating

a　great　man。〃



〃Really；　Miss　Lammas；　I　think　the　list　of　innocent　exercises　you

propose〃



〃Very　wellif　you　don't　care　for　that　sort　of　thing；　care　for　some

other　sort　of　thing。　　Care　for　something；　or　hate　something。　　Don't

be　idle。　　Life　is　short；　and　though　art　may　be　long；　plenty　of

noise　answers　nearly　as　well。〃



〃I　do　care　for　somethingI　mean；　somebody；〃　I　said。



〃A　woman？　　Then　marry　her。　　Don't　hesitate。〃



〃I　do　not　know　whether　she　would　marry　me；〃　I　replied。　　〃I　have

never　asked　her。〃



〃Then　ask　her　at　once；〃　answered　Miss　Lammas。　　〃I　shall　die　happy

if　I　feel　I　have　persuaded　a　melancholy　fellow　creature　to　rouse

himself　to　action。　　Ask　her；　by　all　means；　and　see　what　she　says。

If　she　does　not　accept　you　at　once；　she　may　take　you　the　next　time。

Meanwhile；　you　will　have　entered　for　the　race。　　If　you　lose；　there

are　the　'All…aged　Trial　Stakes；'　and　the　'Consolation　Race。'〃



〃And　plenty　of　selling　races　into　the　bargain。　　Shall　I　take　you　at

your　word；　Miss　Lammas？〃



〃I　hope　you　will；〃　she　answered。



〃Since　you　yourself　advise　me；　I　will。　　Miss　Lammas；　will　you　do　me

the　honor　to　marry　me？〃



For　the　first　time　in　my　life　the　blood　rushed　to　my　head　and　my

sight　swam。　　I　cannot　tell　why　I　said　it。　　It　would　be　useless　to

try　to　explain　the　extraordinary　fascination　the　girl　exercised

over　me；　or　the　still　more　extraordinary　feeling　of　intimacy　with

her　which　had　grown　in　me　during　that　half　hour。　　Lonely；　sad；

unlucky　as　I　had　been　all　my　life；　I　was　certainly　not　timid；　nor

even　shy。　　But　to　propose　to　marry　a　woman　after　half　an　hour's

acquaintance　was　a　piece　of　madness　of　which　I　never　believed

myself　capable；　and　of　which　I　should　never　be　capable　again；　could

I　be　placed　in　the　same　situation。　　It　was　as　though　my　whole　being

had　been　changed　in　a　moment　by　magicby　the　white　magic　of　her

nature　brought　into　contact　with　mine。　　The　blood　sank　back　to　my

heart；　and　a　moment　later　I　found　myself　staring　at　her　with

anxious　eyes。　　To　my　amazement　she　was　as　calm　as　ever；　but　her

beautiful　mouth　smiled；　and　there　was　a　mischievous　light　in　her

dark…brown　eyes。



〃Fairly　caught；〃　she　answered。　　〃For　an　individual　who　pretends　to

be　listless　and　sad　you　are　not　lacking　in　humor。　　I　had　really　not

the　least　idea　what　you　were　going　to　say。　　Wouldn't　it　be

singularly　awkward　for　you　if　I　had　said　'Yes'？　　I　never　saw

anybody　begin　to　practice　so　sharply　what　was　preached　to　himwith

so　very　little　loss　of　time！〃



〃You　probably　never　met　a　man　who　had　dreamed　of　you　for　seven

months　before　being　introduced。〃



〃No；　I　never　did；〃　she　answered　gayly。　　〃It　smacks　of　the　romantic。

Perhaps　you　are　a　romantic　character；　after　all。　　I　should　think

you　were　if　I　believed　you。　　Very　well；　you　have　taken　my　advice；

entered　for　a　Stranger's　Race　and　lost　it。　　Try　the　All…aged　Trial

Stakes。　　You　have　another　cuff；　and　a　pencil。　　Propose　to　Aunt

Bluebell；　she　would　dance　with　astonishment；　and　she　might　recover

her　hearing。〃





III





That　wa