an open-eyed conspiracy-第16章

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up　to　me　as　soon　as　she's　had　her　breakfast。　　Tell　her　I'm　not　well；
and　shall　not　be　down；　I　shall　not　close　my　eyes　the　whole　night。
And　now；〃　she　added；　〃I　want　you　to　tell　me　everything　that　happened
this　evening。　　Don't　omit　a　word；　or　a　look；　or　a　motion。　　I　wish　to
proceed　intelligently。〃

I　hope　I　was　accurate　in　the　history　of　the　hop　which　I　gave　Mrs。
March；　I　am　sure　I　was　full。　　I　think　my　account　may　be　justly
described　as　having　a　creative　truthfulness；　if　no　other　merit。　　I
had　really　no　wish　to　conceal　anything　except　the　fact　that　I　had
not；　in　my　utter　helplessness；　even　tried　to　get　Miss　Gage　any　other
partners。　　But　in　the　larger　interest　of　the　present　situation；　Mrs。
March　seemed　to　have　lost　the　sense　of　my　dereliction　in　this
respect。　　She　merely　asked；　〃And　it　was　after　you　went　back　to　the
parlour；　just　before　you　came　home；　that　you　wrote　those　names　on
her　card？〃

〃Kendricks　wrote　half　of　them；〃　I　said。

〃I　dare　say。　　Well；　it　was　very　amusing；　and　if　the　circumstances
were　different；　I　could　have　entered　into　the　spirit　of　it　too。　　But
you　see　yourself；　Basil；　that　we　can't　let　this　affair　go　any
further　without　dealing　frankly　with　her。　　YOU　can't　speak　to　her；
and　_I_　MUST。　　Don't　you　see？〃

I　said　that　I　saw；　but　I　had　suddenly　a　wild　wish　that　it　were
practicable　for　me　to　speak　to　Miss　Gage。　　I　should　have　liked　to
have　a　peep　into　a　girl's　heart　at　just　such　a　moment；　when　it　must
be　quivering　with　the　unconfessed　sense　of　love；　and　the　confident
hope　of　being　loved；　but　while　as　yet　nothing　was　assured；　nothing
was　ascertained。　　If　it　would　not　have　been　shocking；　if　it　would
not　have　been　sacrilegious；　it　would　have　been　infinitely
interesting；　and　from　an　aesthetic　point　of　view　infinitely
important。　　I　thought　that　I　should　have　been　willing　to　undergo　all
the　embarrassment　of　such　an　inquiry　for　the　sake　of　its　precious
results；　if　it　had　been　at　all　possible；　but　I　acquiesced　that　it
would　not　be　possible。　　I　felt　that　I　was　getting　off　pretty　lightly
not　to　have　it　brought　home　to　me　again　that　I　was　the　cause　of　all
this　trouble；　and　that　if　it　had　not　been　for　me　there　would　have
been；　as　far　as　Mrs。　March　was　concerned；　no　Miss　Gage；　and　no　love…
affair　of　hers　to　deal　with。　　I　debated　in　my　mind　a　moment　whether
I　had　better　urge　her　to　let　me　speak　to　Kendricks　after　all；　but　I
forbore；　and　in　the　morning　I　waited　about　in　much　perturbation；
after　I　had　sent　Miss　Gage　to　her；　until　I　could　know　the　result　of
their　interview。　　When　I　saw　the　girl　come　away　from　her　room；　which
she　did　rather　trippingly；　I　went　to　her；　and　found　her　by　no　means
the　wreck　I　had　expected　the　ordeal　to　leave　her。

〃Did　you　meet　Miss　Gage？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes；〃　I　returned；　with　tremulous　expectation。

〃Well；　don't　you　think　she　looks　perfectly　divine　in　that　gown？
It's　one　of　Mme。　Cody's；　and　we　got　it　for　thirty　dollars。　　It　would
have　been　fifty　in　New　York；　and　it　was；　here；　earlier　in　the
season。　　I　shall　always　come　here　for　some　of　my　things；　as　soon　as
the　season's　a　little　past　they　simply　FLING　them　away。　　Well；　my
dear！〃

〃Well；　what？〃

〃I　didn't　speak　to　her　after　all。〃

〃You　didn't！　　Don't　you　think　she's　in　love　with　him；　then？〃

〃Dead。〃

〃Well？〃

〃Well；　I　couldn't　somehow　seem　to　approach　the　subject　as　I　had
expected　to。　　She　was　so　happy；　and　so　good；　and　so　perfectly
obedient；　that　I　couldn't　get　anything　to　take　hold　of。　　You　see；　I
didn't　know　but　she　might　be　a　little　rebellious；　or　resentful　of　my
interference；　but　in　the　little　gingerly　attempts　I　did　make　she　was
so　submissive；　don't　you　understand？　　And　she　was　very　modest　about
Mr。　Kendricks'　attentions；　and　so　self…depreciatory　that；　well〃

〃Look　here；　Isabel；〃　I　broke　in；　〃this　is　pretty　shameless　of　you。
You　pretend　to　be　in　the　greatest　kind　of　fidge　about　this　girl；　and
you　make　me　lie　awake　all　night　thinking　what　you're　going　to　say　to
her；　and　now　you　as　much　as　tell　me　you　were　so　fascinated　with　the
modest　way　she　was　in　love　that　you　couldn't　say　anything　to　her
against　being　in　love　on　our　hands　in　any　sort　of　way。　　Do　you　call
this　business？〃

〃Well；　I　don't　care　if　I　DID　encourage　her〃

〃Oh；　you　even　encouraged　her！〃

〃I　DIDN'T　encourage　her。　　I　merely　praised　Mr。　Kendricks；　and　said
how　much　you　thought　of　him　as　a　writer。〃

〃Oh！　then　you　gave　the　subject　a　literary　cast。　　I　see！　　Do　you
think　Miss　Gage　was　able　to　follow　you？〃

〃That　doesn't　matter。〃

〃And　what　do　you　propose　to　do　now？〃

〃I　propose　to　do　nothing。　　I　think　that　I　have　done　all　my　duty
requires；　and　that　now　I　can　leave　the　whole　affair　to　you。　　It　was
your　affair　in　the　beginning。　　I　don't　see　why　I　should　worry　myself
about　it。〃

〃It　seems　to　me　that　this　is　a　very　strange　position　for　a　lady　to
take　who　was　not　going　to　close　an　eye　last　night　in　view　of　a
situation　which　has　not　changed　in　the　least；　except　for　the　worse。
Don't　you　think　you　are　rather　culpably　light…hearted　all　of　a
sudden？〃

〃I　am　light…hearted；　but　if　there　is　any　culpability　it　is　yours；
Basil。〃

I　reflected；　but　I　failed　to　find　any　novelty　in　the　fact。　　〃Very
well；　then；　what　do　you　propose　that　I　should　do？〃

〃I　leave　that　entirely　to　your　own　conscience。〃

〃And　if　my　conscience　has　no　suggestion　to　make？〃

〃That's　your　affair。〃

I　reflected　again；　and　then　I　said；　more　than　anything　to　make　her
uncomfortable；　I'm　afraid：　　〃I　feel　perfectly　easy　in　my　conscience；
personally；　but　I　have　a　social　duty　in　the　matter；　and　I　hope　I
shall　perform　it　with　more　fidelity　and　courage　than　you　have　shown。
I　shall　speak　to　Kendricks。〃

She　said：　　〃That　is　just　what　you　ought　to　do。　　I'm　quite
surprised。〃　　After　this　touch　of　irony　she　added　earnestly；　〃And　I
do　hope；　my　dear；　you　will　use　judgment　in　speaking　to　him；　and
tact。　　You　mustn't　go　at　it　bluntly。　　Remember　that　Mr。　Kendricks　is
not　at　all　to　blame。　　He　began　to　show　her　attention　to　oblige　us；
and　if　she　has　fallen　in　love　with　him　it　is　our　fault。〃

〃I　shall　handle　him　without　gloves；〃　I　said。　　〃I　shall　tell　him　he
had　better　go　away。〃

I　was　joking；　but　she　said　seriously；　〃Yes；　he　must　go　away。　　And　I
don't　envy　you　having　to　tell　him。　　I　suppose　you　will　bungle　it；　of
course。〃

〃Well；　then；　you　must　advise　me；〃　I　said；　and　we　really　began　to
consider　the　question。　　We　could　hardly　exaggerate　the　difficulty
and　delicacy　of　the　duty　before　me。　　We　recognised　that　before　I
made　any　explicit　demand　of　him　I　must　first　ascertain　the　nature　of
the　whole　ground　and　then　be　governed　by　the　facts。　　It　would　be
simple　enough　if　I　had　merely　to　say　that　we　thought　the　girl's
affections　were　becoming　engaged；　and　then　appeal　to　his　eager
generosity；　his　delicate　magnanimity；　but　there　were　possible
complications　on　his　side　which　must　be　regarded。　　I　was　to
ascertain；　we　concluded；　the　exact　nature　of　the　situation　before　I
ventured　to　say　anything　openly。　　I　was　to　make　my　approaches　by　a
series　of　ambushes　before　I　unmasked　my　purpose；　and　perhaps　I　must
not　unmask　it　at　all。　　As　I　set　off　on　my　mission；　which　must　begin
with　finding　Kendricks　at　his　hotel；　Mrs。　March　said　she　pitied　me。
She　called　me　back　to　ask　whether　I　thought　I　had　really　better　do
anything。　　Then；　as　I　showed　signs　of　weakening；　she　drove　me　from
her　with；　〃Yes；　yes！　　You　must！　　You　must！〃



CHAPTER　XVII



It　was　still　so　early　that　I　had　my　doubts　whether　I　should　find
Kendricks　up　after　the　last　night's　revelry；　but　he　met　me　half…way
between　our　hotel　and　his。　　He　said　he　was　coming　to　see　how　Mrs。
March　was　bearing　Miss　Gage's　immense　success　at　the　ball；　but
perhaps　this　was　not　his　sole　motive。　　He　asked　frankly　how　the
young　lady　was；　and　whether　I　thought　Mrs。　March　would　consider　a
lunch　at　a　restaurant　by　the　lake　a　good　notion。　　When　I　said　I　had
very　little　doubt　she　would；　and　proposed　taking　a　turn　in　the　park
before　I　went　back　with　him；　he　looked　at　his　watch　and　laughed；　and
said　he　supposed　it　WAS　rather　early　yet；　and　came　very　willingly
with　me。

We　had　the　pretty　place　almost　to　ourselves　at　that　hour。　　There
were　a　half…dozen　or　so　nursemaids；　pushing　their　perambulators
about；　or　standing　the　vehicles　across　the　walk　in　front　of　the
benches　where　they　sat；　in　the　simple　belief　of　all　people　who　have
to　do　with　babies　that　the　rest　of　the　world　may　be　fitly
discommoded　in　their　behalf。　　But　they　did　not　actively　molest　us；
and　they　scarcely　circumscribed　our　choice　of　seats。　　We　were　by　no
means　driven　to　the　little　kiosk　in　the　lake　for　them；　and　I　should
rather　say　that　we　were　fatefully　led　there；　so　apt　were　the
associations　of　the　place　to　my　purpose。　　Nothing　could　have　been
more　natural　than　that　I　should　say；　as　we　sat　down　there；　〃This　was
where　I　first　saw　Miss　Gage　with　her　friends〃；　and　it　was　by　a
perfectly　natural　transition　that　I　should　go　on　to　speak；　in　a
semi…humorous　strain；　of　the　responsibility　which　Mrs。　March　and
myself　had　incurred　by　letting　our　sympathy　for　her　run　away　with
us。　　I　said　I　supposed　that　if　we　had　not　been　willing　from　the
first　to　try　to　realise　for　her　some　of　the　expectations　we　imagined
she　had　in　coming　to　Saratoga；　she　never　would　have　fallen　to　our
charge；　that　people　really　brought　a　great　many　more　things　upon
themselves　than　they　were　willing　to　own；　and　that　fate　was　perhaps
more　the　fulfilment　of　our　tacit　ambitions　than　our　overt　acts。
This　bit　of　philosophy；　which　I　confess　I　thought　fine；　did　not　seem
to　impress　Kendricks。　　He　merely　said　that　it　must　be　great　fun　to
have　the　chance　of　baffling　the　malice　of　circumstance　in　a　case
like　that；　and　I　perceived　that　he　felt　nothing　complex　in　the
situation。　　In　fact；　I　doubt　whether　youth　perceives　anything
complex　in　life。　　To　the　young；　life　is　a　very　plain　case。　　To　be
sure；　they　are　much　more　alarmed　than　their　elders　at　getting
tangled　up　in　its　web　at　times；　but　that　is　because　they　have　not
had　our　experience　in　getting　untangled；　and　think　they　are　never
going　to　get　out　alive。　　When　they　do；　they　think　that　it　is　the
only　tangle　they　are　ever　going　to　be　in；　and　do　not　know　that　they
are　simply　going　on　from　one　to　another　as　long　as　there　is　enough
of　them　left　to　be　caught　in　a　mesh。　　To　Kendricks　we　Marches　were
simply　two　amiable　people；　who　had　fancied　doing　a　pleasant　thing
for　a　beautiful　girl　that　accident　had　thrown　it　in　our　power　to
befriend；　and　were　by　no　means　the　trembling　arbiters　of　her　destiny
we　felt　ourselves　to　be。　　The　difference　between　his　objective　sense
and　my　subjective　sense　was　the　difference　between　his　twenty…seven
years　and　my　fifty…two；　and　while　this　remained　I　saw　that　it　would
be　useless　to　try　to　get　on　common　ground　with　him；　or　to　give　him
our　point　of　view。　　If　I　were　to　speak　to　him　at　all；　it　must　be
with　authority；　with　the　right　of　one　who　stood　in　the　place　of　the
girl's　parents；　and　had　her　happiness　at　heart。　　That　is；　it　was
something　like　that；　but　my　words　say　it　too　bluntly。　　I　found
myself　beginning；　〃I　have　rather　had　a　notion　that　her　father　might
come　on；　and　take　the　enterprise　off　our　hands；〃　though；　to　tell　the
truth；　I　had　never　imagined　such　a　thing；　which　came