YourfatherwillcallonMr。Mostynto-morrow,andweshallgetunprejudicedinformation。\"
\"Oh,Idon’tknowthat,Ruth。FatherisintenselyAmericanthreehundredandsixty-
fourdaysandtwenty-threehoursinayear,andthenintheoddhourhewillflareupYorkshirelikeaconflagration。\"
\"English,youmean?\"
\"No。YorkshireISEnglandtograndmotherandfather。Theydon’tthinkanythingmuchoftheothercounties,andpeoplefromthemarejustrespectableforeigners。
Youmaydependuponit,whatevergrandmothersaysofMr。FredMostyn,fatherwillbelieveit,too。\"
\"Yourfatheralwaysbelieveswhateveryourgrandmothersays。Goodnight,dear。\"
\"Goodnight。IthinkIshallgotograndmotherinthemorning。Iknowhowtomanageher。Ishallmeethersquarelywiththetruth,andacknowledgethatIamdyingwithcuriosityaboutMr。Mostyn。\"
\"Andshewillteaseandlectureyou,sayyouare`notsweethearthighyet,onlyalittlemaid,’andsoon。FarbettergoandtalkwithDora。To-morrowshewillneedyou,Iamsure。Ethel,Iamverysleepy。Goodnightagain,dear。\"
\"Goodnight!\"Thenwithasuddenanimation,\"Iknowwhattodo,IshalltellgrandmotheraboutDora’smarriage。Itisallplainenoughnow。Goodnight,Ruth。\"
Andthisgoodnight,thoughdroppingsweetlyintotheminorthird,hadyetonitsfinalinflectionsomethingofthepleasanthopefulnessofitsmajorkey——itexpressedanticipationandsatisfaction。
Whathappenedinthenightsessionshecouldnottell,butsheawokewithapositivedisinclinationtoaskaquestionaboutMr。
Mostyn。\"Ihavereceivedordersfromsomeone,\"shesaidtoRuth;\"IsimplydonotcarewhetherIeverseeorhearofthemanagain。IamgoingtoDora,andImaynotcomehomeuntillate。Youknowtheywilldependuponmeforeverysuggestion。\"
Infact,Etheldidnotreturnhomeuntilthefollowingday,forasnowstormcameupintheafternoon,andthegirlwaswearywithplanningandwriting,andwellinclinedtoeatwithDorathedelicatelittledinnerservedtotheminDora’sprivateparlor。Thenaboutnineo’clockMr。Stanhopecalled,andEthelfounditpleasantenoughtowatchtheloversandlistentoMrs。Denning’sopinionsofwhathadbeenalreadyplanned。Andthenextdaysheseemedtobesoabsolutelynecessarytothemovementofthemarriagepreparations,thatitwasnearlydarkbeforeshewaspermittedtoreturnhome。
Itwasbutashortwalkbetweenthetwohouses,andEthelwasresolvedtohavetherefreshmentoftheexercise。Andhowgooditwastofeelthepinchofthefrostandthegustofthenorthwind,andafterittocometothehappyportalofhome,andthefamiliaratmosphereofthecheerfulhall,andthentopeepintothefirelitroominwhichRuthlaydreamingintheduskyshadows。
\"Ruth,darling!\"
\"Ethel!Ihavejustsentforyoutocomehome。\"ThensheroseandtookEthelinherarms。\"Howdelightfullycoldyouare!
Andwhatrosycheeks!Doyouknowthatwehavealittledinnerparty?\"
\"Mr。Mostyn?\"
\"Yes,andyourgrandmother,andperhapsDr。Fisher——theDoctorisnotcertain。\"
\"AndIseethatyouarealreadydressed。
Howhandsomeyoulook!Thatblacklacedress,withthedullgoldornaments,isallright。\"
\"Ifeltasifjewelswouldbeoverdressforafamilydinner。\"
\"Yes,butjewelsalwayssnubmensocompletely。
Itisnotaltogetherthattheyrepresentmoney;theygiveanairofroyalty,andawomanwithoutjewelsislikeanuncrownedqueen——shedoesnotgetthehomage。
Ican’taccountforit,butthereitis。Ishallwearmysapphirenecklace。Whatdidfathersayaboutournewkinsman?\"
\"Verylittle。Itwasimpossibletojudgefromhiswordswhathethought。Ifanciedthathemighthavebeenalittledisappointed。\"
\"Ishouldnotwonder。Weshallsee。\"
\"Youwillbedressedinanhour?\"
\"Inlesstime。ShallIwearwhiteorblue?\"
\"Paleblueandwhiteflowers。Therearesomewhitevioletsinthelibrary。Ihavearedrose。Weshallcontrasteachotherverywell。\"
\"Whatisitallabout?DowereallycarehowwelookintheeyesofthisMr。Mostyn?\"
\"Ofcoursewecare。Weshouldnotbewomenifwedidnotcare。Wemustmakesomesortofanimpression,andnaturallywepreferthatitshouldbeapleasantone。\"
\"Ifweconsiderthemortgage————\"
\"Nonsense!Themortgageisnotinit。\"
\"Good-by。TellMattietobringmeacupofteaupstairs。Iwillbedressedinanhour。\"
Theteawasbroughtanddrank,andEthelfellasleepwhilehermaidpreparedeveryitemforhertoilet。Thenshespoketohermistress,andEthelawakened,asshealwaysdid,withasmile;nature’ssurestsignofaradicallysweettemper。Andeverythingwentinaccordwiththesmile;herhairfellnaturallyintoitsmostbecomingwaves,herdressintoitsmostgracefulfolds;thesapphirenecklacematchedtheblueofherhappyeyes,therosesofyouthwereonhercheeks,andwhitevioletsonherbreast。Shefeltherownbeautyandwasgladofit,andwithalaughingwordofpleasurewentdowntotheparlor。
MadamRawdonwasstandingbeforethefire,butwhensheheardthedooropensheturnedherfacetowardit。
\"Comehere,EthelRawdon,\"shesaid,\"andletmehavealookatyou。\"AndEthelwenttoherside,laidherhandlightlyontheoldlady’sshoulderandkissedhercheek。
\"Youdolookmiddlingwell,\"shecontinued,\"andyourdressisaboutasitshouldbe。I
likeagirltodresslikeagirl——still,thesapphires。Aretheynecessary?\"
\"Youwouldnotsaycorals,wouldyou,grandmother?IhavethoseyougavemewhenIwasthreeyearsold。\"
\"Keepyourwit,mydear,forthisevening。
Ishouldnotwonderbutyoumightneedit。FredMostynisratherbetterthanIexpected。
Itwasagreatpleasuretoseehim。
Itwaslikeabitofmyownyouthbackagain。
Whenyouareaveryoldwomantherearefewthingssweeter,Ethel。\"
\"Butyouarenotanoldwoman,grandmother。\"
Norwasshe。Inspiteofherseventy-fiveyearsshestooderectatthesideofhergrand-
daughter。Herabundanthairwaspartlygray,butthegraymingledwiththelittleovalofcostlylacethatlayuponit,andtheeffectwassoftandfairaspowdering。Shehadbeenveryhandsome,andherbeautylingeredasthebeautyofsomeflowerslinger,infaintertintsandinlessfirmoutlines;forshehadneverfallenfromthat\"graceofGodvouchsafedtochildren,\"andthereforeshehadkeptnotonlytheenthusiasmsofheryouth,butthatsweetpromiseofthe\"timesofrestitution\"whenthechildshalldieonehundredyearsold,becausethechild-heartshallbekeptinallitsfreshnessandtrust。
Yes,inRachelRawdon’sheartthewell-
springsofloveandlifelaytoodeepforthefrostsofagetotouch。Shewouldbeeternallyyoungbeforeshegrewold。
ShesatdownasEthelspoke,anddrewthegirltoherside。\"Ihearyourfriendisgoingtomarry,\"shesaid。
\"Dora?Yes。\"
\"Areyousorry?\"
\"Perhapsnot。Dorahasbeenacaretomeforfouryears。IhopeherhusbandmaymanageheraswellasIhavedone。\"
\"Areyouafraidhewillnot?\"
\"Icannottell,grandmother。IseeallDora’sfaults。Mr。Stanhopeiscertainthatshehasnofaults。Hithertoshehashadherownwayineverything。Exceptingmyself,noonehasventuredtocontradicther。But,then,Doraisoverheadandearsinlove,andlove,itissaid,makesallthingseasytobearandtodo。\"
\"Onething,girls,amazesme——itishowreadilywomengotochurchandpromisetolove,honor,andobeytheirhusbands,whentheyneverintendtodoanythingofthekind。\"
\"Thereisastillmoreamazingthing,Madam,\"answeredRuth;\"thatisthatmenshouldbesofoolishastothink,orhope,theyperhapsmightdoso。\"
\"Old-fashionedwomenusedtomanageitsomewayorother,Ruth。Buttheold-fashionedwomanwasaverysoft-heartedcreature,and,maybe,itwasjustaswellthatshewas。\"
\"ButWoman’sDarkAgesarenearlyover,Madam;andisnottheNewWomanagreatimprovementontheOldWoman?\"
\"Ihaven’tmadeupmymindyet,Ruth,abouttheNewWoman。Inoticeonethingthatafewofthenewkindhavegotintotheirprettyheads,andthatis,thattheyoughttohavebeenmen;andtheyhavefollowedupthatideasofarthatthereisnowverylittledifferenceintheirlooks,andstilllessintheirwalk;theygostampingalongwiththestepofanathleteandthestrideofapeasantonfreshplowedfields。Itisthemosthideousofwalksimaginable。TheGrecianbend,whichyoucannotremember,butmayhaveheardof,wasalackadaisical,vulgarwalkingfad,butitwasgraceitselfcomparedwiththehideousstridewhichtheNewWomanhasacquiredonthegolflinksorsomewhereelse。\"
\"Butmenstampandstrideinthesameway,grandmother。\"
\"Alongstridesuitsaman’sanatomywellenough;itdoesnotsuitawoman’s——shefeelseverystrideshetakes,I’llwarranther。\"
\"Ifsheplaysgolf————\"
\"MydearEthel,thereisnoneedforhertoplaygolf。Itisaman’sgameandwasplayedforcenturiesbymenonly。InScotland,thehomeofgolf,itwasnotthoughtniceforwomentoevengotothelinks,becauseoftheawfullanguagetheywerelikelytohear。\"
\"Then,grandmother,isitnotwellforladiestoplaygolfifitkeepsmenfromusing`awfullanguage’toeachother)\"
\"Godloveyou,child!Menwillthinkwhattheydarenotspeak。\"
\"Ifwecouldonlyhavesomenewmen!\"
sighedEthel。\"Theloverofto-dayisjustwhatagirlcanpickup;hehasnowitandnowisdomandnoillusions。Hetalksofhismusclesandsmellsofcigarettes——perhapsofwhisky\"——andatthesewords,JudgeRawdon,accompaniedbyMr。FredMostyn,enteredtheroom。
Theintroductionsslippedovereasily,theyhardlyseemedtobenecessary,andtheyoungmantookthechairofferedasnaturallyasifhehadsatbythehearthallhislife。Therewasnopauseandnoembarrassmentandnouselesspoliteplatitudes;andEthel’sfirstfeelingaboutherkinsmanwasoneofadmirationfortheperfecteaseandalmostinstinctiveat-homenesswithwhichhetookhisplace。
Hehadcometohisownandhisownhadreceivedhim;thatwasthesituation,averypleasantone,whichheacceptedwiththesmilingtrustthatwasatoncethemostperfectandpoliteofacknowledgments。
\"Soyoudonotenjoytraveling?\"saidJudgeRawdonasifcontinuingaconversation。
\"Ithinkitthemostpainfulwayoftakingpleasure,sir——thatistheactualtransit。Andsleepingcarsandelectric-lightedsteamersandhotelsdonotmitigatethesuffering。IfDantewaswritingnowhemightdepictaconstantroundofpersonallyconductedtoursinPurgatory。Ishouldthinkthepunishmentadequateforanyoffense。ButIlikearrivingatplaces。NewYorkhasgivenmealotofnewsensationsto-day,andIhaveforgottenthetransittroublesalready。\"
Hetalkedwellandtemperately,andyetEthelcouldnotavoidtheconclusionthathewasamanofpositivecharacteranduncompromisingprejudices。Andshealsofeltalittledisappointedinhispersonality,whichcontradictedheridealofaYorkshiresquire。
Forhewassmallandslenderinstature,andhisfacewaskeenandthin,fromthehighcheekbonestothesharppointoftheclean-
shavenchin。Yetitwasaninterestingface,forthebrowswerebroadandtheeyesbrightandglancing。Thathisnatureheldtheop-
positeofhisqualitieswasevidentfromthemouth,whichwascomposedanddiscreetandgenerallyclothedwithafranksmile,negativedbythedeep,sonorousvoicewhichbelongstotheindiscreetandquarrelsome。Hisdresswasperfect。Ethelcouldfindnofaultinit,exceptthemonoclewhichhedidnotuseonceduringtheevening,andwhichshethereforedecidedwasaquiteidleandunhandsomeadjunct。
Onefeatureofhischaracterwasdefinite——
hewasahome-lovingman。Helikedthesocietyofwomenwithwhomhecouldbefamiliar,andhepreferredthecompanyofbooksandmusictofashionablesocialfunctions。
Thispleasanthabitofdomesticitywasillustratedduringtheeveningbyanaccidentalincident——
anoisy,mechanicalstreetorganstoppedbeforethewindows,andinablatantmannerbeganitsperformance。ConversationwasparalyzedbytheintrusionandwhenitwasremovedJudgeRawdonsaid:\"Whatademocratic,leveling,aggressivethingmusicis!Itinsistsonbeingheard。Itisalwaysintheway,itthrustsitselfuponyou,whetheryouwantitornot。Nowartisdifferent。
Yougotoseepictureswhenyouwishto。\"
Mostyndidnotnoticethecriticismonmusicitself,butaddedinasoft,disapprovingway:\"Thatmanhasnomusicinhim。DoyouknowthatwasoneofMendelssohn’sdeliciousdreams。Thisishowitshouldhavebeenrendered,\"
andhewentimpulsivelytothepianoandthenthesweetmonotonouscadencesandmelodiousreveriesslippedfromhislongwhitefingerstillthewholeroomwaspermeatedwithadelicioussenseofmoonlitsolitudeandconversationwasstilledinitslanguor。Theyoungmanhadplayedhisowndismissal,butitwasaneffectiveone,andhecomplimentedhimselfonhisreadinesstoseizeopportunitiesfordisplay,andonhisgeniusinsatisfyingthem。
\"IthinkIastonishedthemalittle,\"hemused,\"andIwonderwhatthatpretty,cousinofminethoughtofthemusicandthemusician。Ifancyweshallbegoodfriends;
sheisproud——thatisnofault;andshehasverydecidedopinions——whichmightbeagreatfault;butIthinkIratherastonishedthem。\"
Tosuchreflectionshesteppedratherpompouslydowntheavenue,notatallinfluencedbyanypremonitionthathissatisfactoryfeelingsmightbeimperfectlyshared。Yetsilencewasthefirstresultofhisdeparture。JudgeRawdontookouthispocketbookandbegantostudyitsentries。RuthBayardroseandclosedthepiano。Ethelliftedamagazine,whileitwasMadamwhofinallyaskedinanimpatienttone:
\"WhatdoyouthinkofFrederick?Isuppose,Edward,youhaveanopinion。Isn’theaverycleverman?\"
\"Ishouldnotwonderifhewere,mother,clevertoafault。\"
\"Ineverheardayoungmantalkbetter。\"
\"Hetalkedagreatdeal,butthen,youknow,hewasnotonhisoath。\"
\"I’llwarranteverywordhesaid。\"
\"Yourwarrantisfinesurety,mother,butIamnotboundtobelieveallIhear。Youwomencanpleaseyourselves。\"
Andwiththesewordsheleftthewomentofindout,iftheycould,whatmannerofmantheirnewly-foundkinsmanmightbe。
*******
CHAPTERIII
ONEofthemostcomfortablethingsaboutFrederickMostynwashisalmostboyishdelightinthenewlifewhichNewYorkopenedtohim。Everyphaseofitwassofresh,sounusual,thathisYorkshireexistenceatMostynHallgavehimnoprecedentsandnoexperiencesbywhichtomeasureevents。Thesimplestthingsweresurprisingorinteresting。
Hewasneverwearyoftakingthoseexciting\"lifts\"tothetopoftwenty-threestorybuildingsandadmiringthewonderfulviewssuchaltitudesgavehim。Hedidnotperhapscomprehendhowmuchhewasinfluencedbythefrictionoftwomillionwillsandinterests;didnotrealizehowtheyevokedanelectricconditionthatgotbehindtheforegroundofexistenceandstirredsomethingmoreattherootsofhisbeingthananypreviousexperiencehadeverdone。Andthisfeelingwasespeciallyentrancingwhenhesawthegreatcityandmajesticriverlyingathisfeetinthewhite,uncannylightofelectricity,allitscolorgone,itsbreathcold,itslifestrangelyremoteandquiet,menmovinglikeshadows,andsoundshollowandfaintandfaroff,asiftheycamefromadistantworld。Itgavehimasenseofdreamlandquiteasmuchasthatofreality。
TheYorkshiremoorsandwordsgrewdullanddrearyinhismemory;eventhethoughtofthehuntingfieldcouldnotlurehisdesire。NewYorkwasfullofmarvelousnovelties;itsdailyroutine,eveninthehotelandonthestreets,grippedhisheartandhisimagination;
andheconfessedtohimselfthatNewYorkwaslifeatfirsthand;freshdrawn,itsveryfoamsparklingandintoxicating。HewalkedfromtheParktotheBatteryandexaminedallthatcaughthiseye。Hehadahistoryofthecityandsoughtouteveryhistoricalsite;
heevenwentovertoWeehawken,anddidhisbesttolocatethespotwhereBurrandHamiltonfought。HeadmiredHamilton,butafterreadingallaboutthetwomen,gavehissympathytoBurr,\"aclever,unluckylittlechap,\"hesaid。\"Whydoclevermenhateeachother?\"andthenhesmiledqueerlyasherememberedpoliticalenemiesofgreatmeninhisowndayandhisowncountry;andconcludedthat\"itwastheirnaturetodoso。\"
Butintheseoutsideenthusiasmshedidnotforgethispersonalrelations。IttookhimbutafewdaystodomesticatehimselfinboththeRawdonhouses。Whentheweatherdrovehimoffthestreets,hefoundapleasantrefugeeitherwithMadamorwithEthelandMissBayard。Ethelhesawlessfrequentlythanheliked;shewasnearlyalwayswithDoraDenning,butwithRuthBayardhecontractedaverypleasantfriendship。HetoldherallhisadventuresandfoundhermoresympatheticthanMadameverpretendedtobe。Madamthoughthimprovincialinhistastes,andwasbetterpleasedtohearthathehadavisitingentryattwogoodclubs,andhadhiredamotorear,andwaslearninghowtomanageit。Thenshetoldherselfthatifhewasgoodtoher,shewouldbuyhimonetobeproudofbeforehereturnedtoYorkshire。
ItwasattheEliteClubBryceDenningfirstsawhim。HecameinwithShawMcLaren,ayoungmanwhoseacquaintancewasconsideredasmostdefinitelysatisfactory。
VainlyBryceDenninghadstriventoobtainanynoticewhateverfromMcLaren,whoseexclusivenesswasproverbial。Whothenwasthisstrangerheappearedsoanxioustoentertain?
Hislookofsupremesatisfaction,hishigh-
bredair,andpeculiarintonationquicklysatisfiedBryceastohisnationality。
\"English,ofcourse,\"hereflected,\"andprobablyoneofthearistocratsthatShawmeetsathisrecentlyennobledsister’splace。
Heisforeverbraggingaboutthem。ImustfindoutwhoShaw’slastBritishlionis,\"andjustashearrivedatthisdecisionthepersonappearedwhocouldsatisfyhim。
\"Thatman!\"wasthereplytotheinevitablequestion——\"why,heissomerelativeoftheoldladyRawdon。HeisstayingattheHollandHouse,butspendshistimewiththeRawdons,oldandyoung;theyoungoneisabeauty,youknow。\"
\"Doyouthinkso?Sheisagooddealatourhouse。Isupposethefellowhassomepretentions。JudgeRawdonwillbeamanhardtosatisfywithason-in-law。\"
\"Ifancyhisdaughterwilltakethatsubjectinherownhand。Shelookslikeagirlofspirit;andthismanisnotashandsomeasmostEnglishmen。\"
\"Notifyoujudgehimbybulk,butwomenwantmorethanmerebulk;hehasanairofbreedingyoucan’tmistake,andhelooksclever。\"
\"HisnameisMostyn。Ihaveheardhimspokenof。Wouldyouliketoknowhim?\"
\"Icouldlivewithoutthathonor\"——thenBryceturnedtheconversationuponarecenthorsesale,andafewmomentslaterwassaunteringuptheavenue。HewasnowresolvedtomakeuphisquarrelwithDora。ThroughDorahecouldmanagetomeetMostynsocially,andhesmiledinanticipationofthatproudmomentwhenheshouldparadeinhisownfriendlyleashMcLaren’snewBritishlion。Besides,theintroductiontoMr。Mostynmight,ifjudiciouslymanaged,promotehisownacquaintancewithShawMcLaren,asequencetobemuchdesired;anendhehadpersistentlylookedfor。
Hewentstraighttohissister’sapartmentsandtouchedthebellquitegently。Hermaidopenedthedoorandlookedannoyedanduncertain。
SheknewallaboutthecruellywickedoppositionofMissDenning’sbrothertothatniceyoungman,BasilStanhope;andalsothegeneralattitudeoftheDenninghousehold,whichwasacomprehensivedisapprovalofallthatMr。Brycesaidanddid。
Dorahad,however,talkedallherangeraway;shewishednowtobefriendswithherbrother。Sheknewthathisabsencefromherweddingwouldcauseunpleasantnotice,andshehadotherreasons,purelyselfish,allemphasizingtheadvantagesofareconciliation。
SoshewenttomeetBrycewithapretty,patheticairofinjurypatientlyendured,andwhenBryceputouthishandsandsaid,\"Forgiveme,Dodo!Icannotbearyourangeranylonger!\"shewasquitereadyforthenextact,whichwastolayherprettyheadonhisshoulderandmurmur,\"Iamnotangry,Bryce——I
amgrieved,dear。\"
\"Iknow,Dodo——forgiveme!Itwasallmyfault。IthinkIwasjealousofyou;itwashardtofindthatyoulovedastrangerbetterthanyoulovedme。Kissme,andbemyownsweet,beautifulsisteragain。Ishalltrytolikeallthepeopleyoulike——foryoursake,youknow。\"
ThenDorawascharming。Shesatandtalkedandplannedandtoldhimallthathadbeendoneandallthatwasyettodo。AndBryceneveroncenamedeitherEthelorMr。
Mostyn。HeknewDorawasashrewdlittlewoman,andthathewouldhavetobeverycarefulinintroducingthesubjectofMr。
Mostyn,orelseshewouldbesuretoreachthecentraltruthofhissubmissiontoher。But,somehow,thingshappenforthosewhoarecontenttoleavetheirdesirestocontingenciesandaccidentals。ThenextmorninghebreakfastedwiththefamilyandfelthimselfrepaidforhisconcessiontoDorabytheevidentpleasuretheirrenewedaffectiongavehisfatherandmother;andthoughtheelderDenningmadenoremarkintherenewedfamilysolidarity,Bryceanticipatedmanylittlefavorsandaccommodationsfromhisfather’ssatisfaction。
Afterbreakfasthesatdown,lithiscigarandwaited。BothhismotherandDorahadmuchtotellhim,andhelistened,andgavethemsuchexcellentadvicethattheywerecompelledtoregretthearrangementsalreadymadehadlackedthebenefitofhiscounsels。
\"ButyouhadEthelRawdon,\"hesaid。
\"Ithoughtshewaseverybodyrolledintoone。\"
\"Oh,Etheldoesn’tknowasmuchasshethinksshedoes,\"saidMrs。Denning。\"I
don’tagreewithlotsofthingssheadvises。\"
\"Thentakemyadvice,mother。\"
\"Oh,Bryce,itisthebestofall。\"
\"Brycedoesnotknowaboutdressandsuchthings,mother。Ethelfindsoutwhatshedoesnotknow。Brycecannotgotomodistesandmillinerswithme。\"
\"Well,Etheldoesnotpayasmuchatten-
tionasshemight——sheisalwaysgoingsomewhereorotherwiththatEnglishman,thatshesaysisarelative——formypart,Idoubtit。\"
\"Oh,mother!\"
\"Girlswillsayanything,Dora,tohidealoveaffair。Whydoessheneverbringhimheretocall?\"
\"BecauseIaskedhernot。Idonotwanttomakenewfriends,especiallyEnglishones,now。Iamsobusyallday,andofcoursemyeveningsbelongtoBasil。\"
\"Yes,andthereisnoonetotalktome。
EthelandtheEnglishmanwouldpassanhourortwoverynicely,andyourfatherisveryfondofforeigners。IthinkyououghttoaskEtheltointroducehimtous;thenwecouldhavealittledinnerforhimandinvitehimtoouroperabox——don’tyouagreewithme,Bryce?\"
\"IfDoradoes。Ofcourse,atthistime,Dora’swishesandengagementsarethemostimportant。IhaveseentheyoungmanattheclubwithShawMcLarenandabouttownwithJudgeRawdonandothers。Heseemsanicelittlefellow。JackLacywantedtointroducemetohimyesterday,butItoldhimIcouldlivewithoutthehonor。Ofcourse,ifDorafeelslikehavinghimherethatisaverydif-
ferentmatter。Heiscertainlydistinguishedlooking,andwouldgiveanairtothewedding。\"
\"Ishehandsome,Bryce?\"
\"Yes——andno。Womenwouldraveabouthim;menwouldthinkhimfinicalanddandified。
Helooksasifhewerethehappiestfellowintheworld——infact,helookedtomesoprovokinglyhappythatIdislikedhim;butnowthatDodoismylittlesisteragain,Icanbehappyenoughtoenvynoone。\"
ThenDoraslippedherhandintoherbrother’shand,andBryceknewthathemighttakehiswaytohislittleofficeinWilliamStreet,theadventofMr。Mostynintohislifebeingnowascertainasanythinginthisquestionable,fluctuatingworldcouldbe。AshewassaunteringdowntheavenuehemetEthelandheturnedandwalkedbackwithhertotheDenninghouse。Hewassogood-naturedandsogood-humoredthatEthelcouldnotavoidaninquisitivelookattheusuallyglumyoungman,andhecaughtitwithalaughandsaid,\"Isupposeyouwonderwhatisthematterwithme,MissRawdon?\"
\"Youlookmorethanusuallyhappy。IfI
supposeyouhavefoundawifeorafortune,shallIbewrong?\"
\"Youcomenearthetruth;Ihavefoundasister。DoyouknowIamveryfondofDoraandwehavemadeupourquarrel?\"
ThenEthellookedathimagain。Shedidnotbelievehim。ShewassurethatDorawasnottheonlyevokeroftheunboundedsatisfactioninBryceDenning’sfaceandmanner。
Butsheletthereasonpass;shehadnolikelyargumentstouseagainstit。AndthatdayMrs。Denning,withaslightairofinjury,openedthesubjectofMr。Mostyn’sintroductiontothem。ShethoughtEthelhadhardlytreatedtheDenningsfairly。Everyonewaswonderingtheyhadnotmethim。Ofcourse,sheknewtheywerenotaristocratsandshesupposedEthelwasashamedofthem,but,forherpart,shethoughttheywereasgoodasmostpeople,andifitcametomoney,theycouldputdowndollarfordollarwithanymulti-millionaireinAmerica,orEnglandeither,forthatmatter。
WhenthereproachtookthistonethereseemedtobeonlyonethingforEtheltosayortodo;butthatonethingwasexactlywhatshedidnotsayordo。ShetookupMrs。Denning’sreproachandcomplainedthat\"herrelativeandfriendhadbeenpurposelyanddefinitelyignored。DorahadtoldherplainlyshedidnotwishtomakeMr。Mostyn’sacquaintance;and,inaccordwiththisfeeling,nooneintheDenningfamilyhadcalledonMr。Mostyn,orshownhimtheleastcourtesy。
ShethoughtthewholeRawdonfamilyhadthebestofreasonsforfeelinghurtattheneglect。\"
ThisviewofthecasehadnotenteredMrs。
Denning’smind。ShewasquicklysorryandapologeticforDora’sselfishnessandherownthoughtlessness,andEthelwasnotdifficulttopacify。TherewasthennodutysoimperativeasthearrangementofalittledinnerforMr。Mostyn。\"Wewillmakeitquiteafamilyaffair,\"saidMrs。Denning,\"thenwecangototheoperaafterwards。ShallIcallonMr。MostynattheHollandHouse?\"sheaskedanxiously。
\"IwillaskBrycetocall,\"saidDora。
\"Brycewilldoanythingtopleasemenow,mother。\"
Inthisway,BryceDenning’sdesireswereallarrangedforhim,andthateveningDoramadeherrequest。Brycehearditwithapronouncedpoutofhislips,butfinallytoldDorashewas\"irresistible,\"andashistimeforpleasingherwasnearlyout,hewouldevencallontheEnglishmanatherrequest。
\"Mind!\"headded,\"IthinkheisasproudasLucifer,andImaygetnothingformycivilitybuttheexcuseofapreviousengagement。\"
ButBryceDenningexpectedmuchmorethanthis,andhegotallthatheexpected。
Theyoungmenhadacommongroundtomeeton,andtheyquicklybecameasintimateaseverFrederickMostynpermittedhimselftobewithastranger。BrycecouldhardlyhelpcatchingenthusiasmfromMostynonthesubjectofNewYork,andhewasabletoshowhisnewacquaintancephasesoflifeinthemarvelouscitywhichwereofthegreatestinteresttotheinquisitiveYorkshiresquire——
Chinesetheatersandopiumdives;German,Italian,Spanish,Jewish,FrenchcitiesshelteringthemselveswithinthegreatarmsofthegreatAmericancity;queerrestaurants,wherehecouldeatofthenationaldishesofeverycivilizedcountryunderthesun;placesofamusement,legalandillegal,andthevastundersideoftheevidentlife——alltheuncaredfortoilingofthethousandswhoworkthroughthemidnighthours。Intheseexcursionstheyoungmenbecameinawayfamiliar,thoughneitherofthemevertoldtheothertherealfeelingsoftheirheartsortherealaimoftheirlives。
Theproposeddinnertookplacetendaysafteritssuggestion。Therewasnothingremarkableinthefunctionitself;allmillionaireshavethesamedelicaciesandthesamewines,andservethesethingswithpreciselythesameceremonies。And,asageneralthing,thecompanyfollowrigidlyordainedlawsofconversation。Storiesaboutpublicpeople,remarksabouttheweatherandtheopera,areinorder;butoriginalideasordecidedopinionsareunpardonablesocialerrors。Yeteventhesecommonplaceeventsmaycontainsomeelementthatshallunexpectedlycutalifeintwo,andsochangeitsaimsanddesiresastovirtuallycreateanewcharacter。ItwasFrederickMostynwhointhisinstanceunderwentthisgreatpersonalchange;achangetotallyunexpectedandforwhichhewasabsolutelyunprepared。ForthepeoplegatheredinMrs。
Denning’sdrawing-roomweremostlyknowntohim,andtheexceptionsdidnotappeartopossessanyremarkabletraits,exceptBasilStanhope,whostoodthoughtfullyatawindow,hispale,loftybeautywearinganairofexpectation。Mostyndecidedthathewasnaturallyimpatientforthepresenceofhisfiancee,whosedelayedentranceheperceivedwasalsoannoyingEthel。Thentherewasaslightmovement,asuddensilence,andMostynsawStanhope’sfaceflushandturnmagicallyradiant。MechanicallyhefollowedhismovementandthenextmomenthiseyesmetFate,andLoveslippedinbetween。
Dorawasthere,afairy-likevisioninpaleamberdraperies,softenedwithsilklace。Diamondswereinherwonderfullywavedhairandroundherfairwhiteneck。Theyclaspedherbeltandadornedtheinstepofherlittleambersilkslippers。Sheheldayellowroseinherhand,andyellowrosebudslayamongthelaceatherbosom,andMostyn,stupefiedbyherundreamed-ofloveliness,sawgoldenemanationsfromtheclearpallorofherface。
Hefeltforamomentortwoasifheshouldcertainlyfaint;onlybyamiracleofstubbornwilldidhedraghisconsciousnessfromthatgolden-tinted,sparklinghazeofbeautywhichhadsmittenhimlikeanenchantment。Thenthegirlwaslookingathimwithhersoft,dark,gazelleeyes;shewasevenspeakingtohim,butwhatshesaid,orwhatreplyhemade,hecouldneverbyanymeansremember。MissBayardwastobehiscompanion,andwithsomeeffortandafewindistinctwordshegaveherhisarm。Sheaskedifhewasill,andwhenashakeoftheheadansweredthequery,shecoveredthefewminutesofhisdisconcertionwithherconversation。Helookedathergratefullyandgatheredhispersonalitytogether。
ForLovehadcometohimlikeatwo-
edgedsword,dividingthefleshandthespirit,andhelongedtocryaloudandrelievethesweettortureofthepossession。
Reaction,however,camequickly,andwithitawonderfulaccessofallhispowers。Thesweet,strongwineofLovewenttohisbrainlikecelestialnectar。Allthewitty,amusingthingshehadeverheardcametroopingintohismemory,andthedinnerwaslongdelayedbyhisfinehumor,hispleasantanecdotes,andthelaughingthoughtswhichotherscaughtupandillustratedintheirownway。
Itwasafeastfullofgoodthings,butitsspiritwasnotabletobeartransition。Thecompanyscatteredquicklywhenitwasovertotheoperaortheaterortotherestofaquieteveningathome,forattheendenthusiasmofanykindhasachillingeffectonthefeelings。
Noneofthepartyunderstoodthisresult,andyetallwere,intheirway,affectedbythesuddenfallofmentaltemperature。
Mr。Denningwenttohislibraryandtookouthisprivateledger,apenitentialsortofreadingwhichherelishedaftermoodsofanykindofenjoyment。Mrs。DenningselectedEthelRawdonforhertextofdisillusion。She\"thoughtEthelhadbeenalittlejealousofDora’sdress,\"andDorasaid,\"Itwasoneofhersurprises,andEthelthoughtsheoughttoknoweverything。\"\"YouaretooobedienttoEthel,\"continuedMrs。DenningandDoralookedwithacharmingdemurenessatherlover,andsaid,\"Shehadtobeobedienttosomeonewiserthanherself,\"andsoslippedherhandintoBasil’shand。Andheunderstoodthepromise,andwithalookofpassionateaffectionraisedthelittlejeweledpledgeandkissedit。
Perhapsnoonewasmoreaffectedbythischill,criticalafter-hourthanMissBayardandEthel。Mostynaccompaniedthemhome,buthewasdepressed,andhiscourtesyhadtheairofanobligation。Hesaidhehadasuddenheadache,andwasnotsorrywhentheladiesbidhim\"goodnight\"onthethreshold。
Indeed,hefeltthathemusthaverefusedanyinvitationtolengthenoutthehourswiththemoranybody。Hewantedonething,andhewantedthatwithallhissoul——solitude,thathemightfillitwithimagesofDora,andwithpassionatepromisesthateitherbyfairmeansorbyfoul,byrightorbywrong,hewouldwinthebewitchingwomanforhiswife。
CHAPTERIV
\"WHATdoyouthinkoftheevening,AuntRuth?\"Ethelwasinheraunt’sroom,comfortablywrappedinapinkkimono,whensheaskedthisquestion。
\"Whatdoyouthinkofit,Ethel?\"
\"Iamnotsure。\"
\"Thedinnerwaswellserved。\"
\"Yes。Whowasthelittledarkmanyoutalkedwith,aunt?\"
\"HewasaMr。Marriot,abanker,andafriendofBryceDenning’s。Heisafreshadditiontosociety,Ithink。Hehadtheword`gold’alwaysonhislips;andhebelievesinitasgoodmenbelieveinGod。Thegeneralconversationannoyedhim;hecouldnotunderstandmenbeingentertainedbyit。\"
\"Theywere,though,foronceJamieSayerforgottotalkabouthispictures。\"
\"Isthatthenameofyourescort?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Andisheanartist?\"
\"Asecond-rateone。HeispaintingDora’spicture,andisagreatfavoriteofMrs。Denning’s。\"
\"Astrange,wild-lookingman。WhenI
sawhimfirsthewaslying,dislocated,overhisottomanratherthansittingonit。\"
\"Oh,thatisapartofhisaffectations。
Heisreallyachildish,self-consciouscreature,withaverydecideddashofvulgarity。
Heonlytriestolookstrangeandwild,andhewouldbedelightedifheknewyouhadthoughthimso。\"
\"IwasgladtoseeClaudineJeffrys。Howslimandgracefulsheis!And,pray,whoisthatMissUllman?\"
\"Averyrichwoman。ShehasBryceunderconsideration。Manyothermenhavebeeninthesameposition,forsheissuretheyallwanthermoneyandnother。Perhapssheisright。Isawyoutalkingtoher,aunt。\"
\"Forashorttime。Ididnotenjoyhercompany。Sheissomercilesslyrealistic,shetakesallthecoloroutoflife。Everythingabouther,evenherspeech,issharp-linedastheedgeofaknife。ShecouldmakeBryce’slifeverymiserable。\"
\"Perhapsitmightturnouttheotherway。
BryceDenninghascapacitiesinthesameline。Howfarapart,howfaraboveeverymanthere,stoodBasilStanhope!\"
\"Heisstrikinglyhandsomeandgraceful,andIamsurethathisluminousserenitydoesnotarisefromapathy。Ishouldsayhewasamanofverystrongandtenderfeelings。\"
\"AndhegivesallthestrengthandtendernessofhisfeelingstoDora。Menarestrangecreatures。\"
\"WhodirectedDora’sdressthisevening?\"
\"Herselforhermaid。Ihadnothingtodowithit。Theeffectwasstunning。\"
\"Fredthoughtso。Infact,FredHostyn————\"
\"Fellinlovewithher。\"
\"Exactly。`Fell,’thatistheword——fellprostrate。Usuallytheloverofto-daywalksverytimidlyandcarefullyintothecondition,stepbystep,andcalculatingeverystepbeforehetakesit。Fredplungedheadlongintothewhirlingvortex。Iamverysorry。Itisacatastrophe。\"
\"Ineverwitnessedtheaccidentbefore。I
haveheardofmengettingwoundsandfalls,anddevelopingnewfacultiesinconsequence,butwesawthephenomenontakeplacethisevening。\"
\"Love,ifitbelove,isknowninamoment。
manwhoneversawthesunbeforewouldknowitwasthesun。InFred’scaseitwasaninstantaneous,impetuouspassion,flamingupatthesightofsuchunexpectedbeauty——
apassionthatwillprobablyfadeasrapidlyasitrose。\"
\"Fredisnotthatkindofaman,aunt。Hedoesnotlikeeveryoneandeverything,butwhoeverorwhateverhedoeslikebecomesalastingpartofhislife。EventheoldchairsandtablesatMostynareheldassacredobjectsbyhim,thoughIhavenodoubtanAmericangirlwouldtrundlethemofftothegarret。Itisthesamewiththepeople。HeactuallyregardstheRawdonsasbelonginginsomewaytotheMostyns;andIdonotbelievehehaseverbeeninlovebefore。\"
\"Nonsense!\"
\"Hewassosurprisedbytheattack。Ifithadbeenthetenthortwentiethtimehewouldhavetakenitmorephilosophically;
besides,ifhehadeverlovedanywoman,hewouldhavegoneonlovingher,andweshouldhaveknownallaboutherperfectionsbythistime。\"
\"Doraisnearlyamarriedwoman,andMostynknowsit。\"
\"Nearlymaymakeallthedifference。
WhenDoraismarriedhewillbecompelledtoaccepttheinevitableandmakethebestofit。\"
\"WhenDoraismarriedhewillidealizeher,andassurehimselfthathermarriageisthetragedyofboththeirlives。\"
\"Dorawillgivehimnoreasontosupposesuchathing。Iamsureshewillnot。SheistoomuchinlovewithMr。Stanhopetonoticeanyotherlover。\"
\"Youaremistaken,Ethel。SwiftlyasFredwasvanquishedshenoticedit,andmanytimes——onceevenwhileleaningonMr。Stanhope’sarm——sheturnedthearrowintheheartwoundwithsweetlittleglancesandsmiles,andprettyappealstotheblindadorationofhernewlover。Itwas,tome,ahumiliatingspectacle。Howcouldshedoit?\"
\"IamsureDorameantnowrong。Itissonaturalforalovelygirltoshowoffalittle。ShewillmarryandforgetFredMostynlives。\"
\"AndFredwillforget?\"
\"Fredwillnotforget。\"
\"ThenIshallbeverysorryforyourfatherandgrandmother。\"
\"WhathavetheytodowithFredmarrying?\"
\"Agreatdeal。Fredhasbeensofamiliarandhomelythelasttwoorthreeweeks,thattheyhavecometolookuponhimasafuturememberofthefamily。Ithasbeen`CousinEthel’and`AuntRuth’andeven`grandmother’
and`CousinFred,’andnoobjectionshavebeenmadetotheuseofsuchpersonalterms。IthinkyourfatherhopesforaclosertiebetweenyouandFredMostynthancousinship。\"
\"Whatevermighthavebeenisover。DoyouimagineIcouldconsenttobethesecondarydeity,tocomeafterDora——DoraofallthegirlsIhaveeverknown?Theideaisaninsulttomyheartandmyintelligence。
Nothingonearthcouldmakemesubmittosuchanindignity。\"
\"Idonotsuppose,Ethel,thatanywifeisthefirstobjectofherhusband’slove。\"
\"Atleasttheytellhersheisso,swearitaninchdeep;andnowomanisfoolenoughtolookbeyondthatoath,butwhensheissurethatsheisasecondbest!AH!ThatisnotapositionIwillevertakeinanyman’sheartknowingly。\"
\"Ofcourse,FredMostynwillhavetomarry。\"
\"Ofcourse,hewillmakeadutyoftheevent。ThelineofMostynsmustbecontinued。