stories by modern american authors-第6部分

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〃Yesuhby　all　meansuh；〃　replied　his　Excellency　with　a　pleasant

smile。　　He　evidently　had　no　idea　of　my　name；　which　was　not　to　be

wondered　at。



〃I　am　Lord　Cairngorm；〃　I　observed。



〃Ohby　all　means；〃　answered　the　Ambassador　with　the　same

hospitable　smile。　　〃Yesuhthe　fact　is；　I　must　try　and　find　out

who　they　are；　such　lots　of　people；　you　know。〃



〃Oh；　if　you　will　present　me；　I　will　try　and　find　out　for　you；〃　said

I；　laughing。



〃Ah；　yesso　kind　of　youcome　along；〃　said　my　host。　　We　threaded

the　crowd；　and　in　a　few　minutes　we　stood　before　the　two　ladies。



〃'Lowmintrduce　L'd　Cairngorm；〃　he　said；　then；　adding　quickly　to　me；

〃Come　and　dine　to…morrow；　won't　you？〃　he　glided　away　with　his

pleasant　smile　and　disappeared　in　the　crowd。




I　sat　down　beside　the　beautiful　girl；　conscious　that　the　eyes　of

the　duenna　were　upon　me。



〃I　think　we　have　been　very　near　meeting　before；〃　I　remarked；　by　way

of　opening　the　conversation。



My　companion　turned　her　eyes　full　upon　me　with　an　air　of　inquiry。

She　evidently　did　not　recall　my　face；　if　she　had　ever　seen　me。



〃ReallyI　cannot　remember；〃　she　observed；　in　a　low　and　musical

voice。　　〃When？〃



〃In　the　first　place；　you　came　down　from　Berlin　by　the　express　ten

days　ago。　　I　was　going　the　other　way；　and　our　carriages　stopped

opposite　each　other。　　I　saw　you　at　the　window。〃



〃Yeswe　came　that　way；　but　I　do　not　remember〃　　She　hesitated。



〃Secondly；〃　I　continued；　〃I　was　sitting　alone　in　my　garden　last

summernear　the　end　of　Julydo　you　remember？　　You　must　have

wandered　in　there　through　the　park；　you　came　up　to　the　house　and

looked　at　me〃



〃Was　that　you？〃　she　asked；　in　evident　surprise。　　Then　she　broke

into　a　laugh。　　〃I　told　everybody　I　had　seen　a　ghost；　there　had

never　been　any　Cairngorms　in　the　place　since　the　memory　of　man。　　We

left　the　next　day；　and　never　heard　that　you　had　come　there；　indeed；

I　did　not　know　the　castle　belonged　to　you。〃



〃Where　were　you　staying？〃　I　asked。



〃Where？　　Why；　with　my　aunt；　where　I　always　stay。　　She　is　your

neighbor；　since　it　IS　you。〃



〃Ibeg　your　pardonbut　thenis　your　aunt　Lady　Bluebell？　　I　did

not　quite　catch〃



〃Don't　be　afraid。　　She　is　amazingly　deaf。　　Yes。　　She　is　the　relict

of　my　beloved　uncle；　the　sixteenth　or　seventeenth　Baron　BluebellI

forget　exactly　how　many　of　them　there　have　been。　　And　Ido　you

know　who　I　am？〃　　She　laughed；　well　knowing　that　I　did　not。



〃No；〃　I　answered　frankly。　　〃I　have　not　the　least　idea。　　I　asked　to

be　introduced　because　I　recognized　you。　　Perhapsperhaps　you　are　a

Miss　Bluebell？〃



〃Considering　that　you　are　a　neighbor；　I　will　tell　you　who　I　am；〃

she　answered。　　〃No；　I　am　of　the　tribe　of　Bluebells；　but　my　name　is

Lammas；　and　I　have　been　given　to　understand　that　I　was　christened

Margaret。　　Being　a　floral　family；　they　call　me　Daisy。　　A　dreadful

American　man　once　told　me　that　my　aunt　was　a　Bluebell　and　that　I

was　a　Harebellwith　two　l's　and　an　ebecause　my　hair　is　so　thick。

I　warn　you；　so　that　you　may　avoid　making　such　a　bad　pun。〃



〃Do　I　look　like　a　man　who　makes　puns？〃　I　asked；　being　very

conscious　of　my　melancholy　face　and　sad　looks。



Miss　Lammas　eyed　me　critically。



〃No；　you　have　a　mournful　temperament。　　I　think　I　can　trust　you；〃

she　answered。　　〃Do　you　think　you　could　communicate　to　my　aunt　the

fact　that　you　are　a　Cairngorm　and　a　neighbor？　　I　am　sure　she　would

like　to　know。〃



I　leaned　toward　the　old　lady；　inflating　my　lungs　for　a　yell。　　But

Miss　Lammas　stopped　me。



〃That　is　not　of　the　slightest　use；〃　she　remarked。　　〃You　can　write

it　on　a　bit　of　paper。　　She　is　utterly　deaf。〃



〃I　have　a　pencil；〃　I　answered；　〃but　I　have　no　paper。　　Would　my　cuff

do；　do　you　think？〃



〃Oh；　yes！〃　replied　Miss　Lammas；　with　alacrity；　〃men　often　do　that。〃



I　wrote　on　my　cuff：　〃Miss　Lammas　wishes　me　to　explain　that　I　am

your　neighbor；　Cairngorm。〃　　Then　I　held　out　my　arm　before　the　old

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