ragged lady, v2-第9节

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stopped　by　the　sound　of　groans　when　she　entered　their　apartment；　the
light　gushed　from　Mrs。　Lander's　door。　　Maddalena　came　out；　and　blessed
the　name　of　her　Latin　deity　（so　much　more　familiar　and　approachable　than
the　Anglo…Saxon　divinity）　that　Clementina　had　come　at　last；　and　poured
upon　her　the　story　of　a　night　of　suffering　for　Mrs。　Lander。　　Through　her
story　came　the　sound　of　Mrs。　Lander's　voice　plaintively　reproachful；
summoning　Clementina　to　her　bedside。　　〃Oh；　how　could　you　go　away　and
leave　me？　　I've　been　in　such　misery　the　whole　night　long；　and　the　docta
didn't　do　a　thing　for　me。　　I'm　puffectly　wohn　out；　and　I　couldn't　make　my
wants　known　with　that　Italian　crazy…head。　　If　it　hadn't　been　for　the
portyary　comin'　in　and　interpretin'；　when　the　docta　left；　I　don't　know
what　I　should　have　done。　　I　want　you　should　give　him　a　twenty…leary　note
just　as　quick　as　you　see　him；　and　oh；　isn't　the　docta　comin'？〃

Clementina　set　about　helping　Maddalena　put　the　room；　which　was　in　an
impassioned　disorder；　to　rights；　and　she　made　Mrs。　Lander　a　cup　of　her
own　tea；　which　she　had　brought　from　S。　S。　Pierces　in　passing　through
Boston；　it　was　the　first　thing；　the　sufferer　said；　that　had　saved　her
life。　　Clementina　comforted　her；　and　promised　her　that　the　doctor　should
be　there　very　soon；　and　before　Mrs。　Lander　fell　away　to　sleep；　she　was　so
far　out　of　danger　as　to　be　able　to　ask　how　Clementina　had　enjoyed
herself；　and　to　be　glad　that　she　had　such　a　good　time。

The　doctor　would　not　wake　her　when　he　came；　he　said　that　she　had　been
through　a　pretty　sharp　gastric　attack；　which　would　not　recur；　if　she　ate
less　of　the　most　unwholesome　things　she　could　get；　and　went　more　into　the
air；　and　walked　a　little。　　He　did　not　seem　alarmed；　and　he　made
Clementina　tell　him　about　the　dance；　which　he　had　been　called　from　to
Mrs。　Lander's　bed　of　pain。　　He　joked　her　for　not　having　missed　him；　in
the　midst　of　their　fun；　she　caught　herself　in　the　act　of　yawning；　and　the
doctor　laughed；　and　went　away。

Maddalena　had　to　call　her；　just　before　dinner；　when　Mrs。　Lander　had　been
awake　long　enough　to　have　sent　for　the　doctor　to　explain　the　sort　of　gone
feeling　which　she　was　now　the　victim　of。　　It　proved；　when　he　came；　to　be
hunger；　and　he　prescribed　tea　and　toast　and　a　small　bit　of　steak。　　Before
he　came　she　had　wished　to　arrange　for　going　home　at　once；　and　dying　in
her　own　country。　　But　his　opinion　so　far　prevailed　with　her　that　she
consented　not　to　telegraph　for　berths。　　〃I　presume；〃　she　said；　〃it'll　do；
any　time　before　the　icebugs　begin　to　run。　　But　I　d'　know；　afta　this；
Clementina；　as　I　can　let　you　leave　me　quite　as　you　be'n　doin'。　　There　was
a　lot　of　flowas　come　for　you；　this　aftanoon；　but　I　made　Maddalena　put　'em
on　the　balcony；　for　I　don't　want　you　should　get　poisoned　with　'em　in　your
sleep；　I　always　head　they　was　dangerous　in　a　person's　'bed　room。　　I　d'
know　as　they　are；　eitha。〃

Maddalena　seemed　to　know　that　Mrs。　Lander　was　speaking　of　the　flowers。
She　got　them　and　gave　them　to　Clementina；　who　found　they　were　from　some
of　the　men　she　had　danced　with。　　Mr。　Hinkle　had　sent　a　vast　bunch　of
violets；　which　presently　began　to　give　out　their　sweetness　in　the　warmth
of　the　room；　and　the　odor　brought　him　before　her　with　his　yellow　hair；
scrupulously　parted　at　the　side；　and　smoothly　brushed；　showing　his
forehead　very　high　up。　　Most　of　the　gentlemen　wore　their　hair　parted　in
the　middle；　or　falling　in　a　fringe　over　their　brows；　the　Russian's　was
too　curly　to　part；　and　Lord　Lioncourt　had　none　except　at　the　sides。

She　laughed；　and　Mrs。　Lander　said；　〃Tell　about　it；　Clementina；〃　and　she
began　with　Mr。　Hinkle；　and　kept　coming　back　to　him　from　the　others。　　Mrs。
Lander　wished　most　to　know　how　that　lord　had　got　down　to　Florence；　and
Clementina　said　he　was　coming　to　see　her。

〃Well；　I　hope　to　goodness　he　won't　come　to…day；　I　a'n't　fit　to　see
anybody。〃

〃Oh；　I　guess　he　won't　come　till　to…morrow；〃　said　Clementina；　she　repeated
some　of　the　compliments　she　had　got；　and　she　told　of　all　Miss　Milray's
kindness　to　her；　but　Mrs。　Lander　said；　〃Well；　the　next　time；　I'll　thank
her　not　to　keep　you　so　late。〃　　She　was　astonished　to　hear　that　Mr。　Ewins
was　there；　and　〃Any　of　the　nasty　things　out　of　the　hotel　the'e？〃　she
asked。

〃Yes；〃　Clementina　said；　〃the'e　we'e；　and　some　of　them　we'e　very　nice。
They　wanted　to　know　if　I　wouldn't　join　them；　and　have　an　aftanoon　of　our
own　here　in　the　hotel；　so　that　people　could　come　to　us　all　at　once。〃

She　went　back　to　the　party；　and　described　the　rest　of　it。　　When　she　came
to　the　part　about　the　Russian；　she　told　what　he　had　said　of　American
girls　being　fond　of　money；　and　wanting　to　marry　foreign　noblemen。

Mrs。　Lander　said；　〃Well；　I　hope　you　a'n't　a　going　to　get　married　in　a
hurry；　anyway；　and　when　you　do　I　hope　you'll　pick　out　a　nice　American。〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Clementina。

Mrs。　Lander　had　their　dinner　brought　to　their　apartment。　　She　cheered　up；
and　she　was　in　some　danger　of　eating　too　much；　but　with　Clementina's　help
she　denied　herself。　　Their　short　evening　was　one　of　the　gayest；
Clementina　declared　she　was　not　the　least　sleepy；　but　she　went　to　bed　at
nine；　and　slept　till　nine　the　next　day。

Mrs。　Lander；　the　doctor　confessed；　the　second　morning；　was　more　shaken　up
by；　her　little　attack　than　he　had　expected；　but　she　decided　to　see　the
gentleman　who　had　asked　to　call　on　Clementina。　　Lord　Lioncourt　did　not
come　quite　so　soon　as　she　was　afraid　he　might；　and　when　he　came　he　talked
mostly　to　Clementina。　　He　did　not　get　to　Mrs。　Lander　until　just　before　he
was　going。　　She　hospitably　asked　him　what　his　hurry　was；　and　then　he　said
that　he　was　off　for　Rome；　that　evening　at　seven。　　He　was　nice　about
hoping　she　was　comfortable　in　the　hotel；　and　he　sympathized　with　her　in
her　wish　that　there　was　a　set…bowl　in　her　room；　she　told　him　that　she
always　tried　to　have　one；　and　he　agreed　that　it　must　be　very　convenient
where　any　one　was；　as　she　said；　sick　so　much。

Mr。　Hinkle　came　a　day　later；　and　then　it　appeared　that　he　had　a　mother
whose　complaints　almost　exactly　matched　Mrs。　Lander's。　　He　had　her
photograph　with　him；　and　showed　it；　he　said　if　you　had　no　wife　to　carry
round　a　photograph　of；　you　had　better　carry　your　mother's；　and　Mrs。
Lander　praised　him　for　being　a　good　son。　　A　good　son；　she　added；　always
made　a　good　husband；　and　he　said　that　was　just　what　he　told　the　young
ladies　himself；　but　it　did　not　seem　to　make　much　impression　on　them。
He　kept　Clementina　laughing；　and　he　pretended　that　he　was　going　to　bring
a　diagram　of　his　patent　right　for　her　to　see；　because　she　would　be
interested　in　a　gleaner　like　that；　and　he　said　he　wished　her　father　could
see　it；　for　it　would　be　sure　to　interest　the　kind　of　man　Mrs。　Lander
described　him　to　be。　　〃I'll　be　along　up　there　just　about　the　time　you　get
home；　Miss　Clementina。　　Then　did　you　say　it　would　be？〃

〃I　don't　know；　pretty　ea'ly　in　the　spring；　I　guess。〃

She　looked　at　Mrs。　Lander；　who　said；　〃Well；　it　depends　upon　how　I　git　up
my　health。　　I　couldn't　bea'　the　voyage　now。〃

Mr。　Hinkle　said；　〃No；　best　look　out　for　your　health；　if　it　takes　all
summer。　　I　shouldn't　want　you　to　hurry　on　my　account。　　Your　time　is　my
time。　　All　I　want　is　for　Miss　Clementina；　here；　to　personally　conduct　me
to　her　father。　　If　I　could　get　him　to　take　hold　of　my　gleaner　in　New
England；　we　could　make　the　blueberry　crop　worth　twice　what　it　is。〃

Mrs。　Lander　perceived　that　he　was　joking；　and　she　asked　what　he　wanted　to
run　away　for　when　the　young　Russian's　card　came　up。　　He　said；　〃Oh；　give
every　man　a　chance；〃　and　he　promised　that　he　would　look　in　every　few
days；　and　see　how　she　was　getting　along。　　He　opened　the　door　after　he　had
gone　out；　and　put　his　head　in　to　say　in　confidence　to　Mrs。　Lander；　but　so
loud　that　Clementina　could　hear；　〃I　suppose　she's　told　you　who　the　belle
of　the　ball　was；　the　other　night？　　Went　out　to　supper　with　a　lord！〃
He　seemed　to　think　a　lord　was　such　a　good　joke　that　if　you　mentioned　one
you　had　to　laugh。

The　Russian's　card　bore　the　name　Baron　Belsky；　with　the　baron　crossed　out
in　pencil；　and　he　began　to　attack　in　Mrs。　Lander　the　demerits　of　the
American　character；　as　he　had　divined　them。　　He　instructed　her　that　her
countrymen　existed　chiefly　to　make　money；　that　they　were　more　shopkeepers
than　the　English　and　worse　snobs；　that　their　women　were　trivial　and　their
men　sordid；　that　their　ambition　was　to　unite　their　families　with　the
European　aristocracies；　and　their　doctrine　of　liberty　and　equality　was　a
shameless　hypocrisy。　　This　followed　hard　upon　her　asking；　as　she　did　very
promptly；　why　he　had　scratched　out　the　title　on　his　card。　　He　told　her
that　he　wished　to　be　known　solely　as　an　artist；　and　he　had　to　explain　to
her　that　he　was　not　a　painter；　but　was　going　to　be　a　novelist。　　She　taxed
him　with　never　having　been　in　America；　but　he　contended　that　as　all
America　came　to　Europe　he　had　the　materials　for　a　study　of　the　national
character　at　hand；　without　the　trouble　of　crossing　the　ocean。　　In　return
she　told　him　that　she　had　not　been　the　least　sea…sick　during　the　voyage；
and　that　it　was　no　trouble　at　all；　then　he　abruptly　left　her　and　went
over　to　beg　a　cup　of　tea　from　Clementina；　who　sat　behind　the　kettle　by