the patagonia-第4章

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〃I　don't　know　what　she　tries　to　be；　but　she　succeeds　in　being　very

handsome。〃



〃So　much　the　better　for　you。　　I'll　leave　her　to　you；　for　I　shall　be

shut　up。　　I　like　her　being　placed　under　my　'care'！〃　my　friend　cried。



〃She'll　be　under　Jasper's；〃　I　remarked。



〃Ah　he　won't　go；〃　she　wailed〃I　want　it　too　much！〃



〃But　I　didn't　see　it　that　way。　　I　have　an　idea　he'll　go。〃



〃Why　didn't　he　tell　me　so　thenwhen　he　came　in？〃



〃He　was　diverted　by　that　young　womana　beautiful　unexpected　girl

sitting　there。〃



〃Diverted　from　his　mother　and　her　fond　hope？his　mother　trembling

for　his　decision？〃



〃Well〃I　pieced　it　together〃she's　an　old　friend；　older　than　we

know。　　It　was　a　meeting　after　a　long　separation。〃



〃Yes；　such　a　lot　of　them　as　he　does　know！〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　sighed。



〃Such　a　lot　of　them？〃



〃He　has　so　many　female　friendsin　the　most　varied　circles。〃



〃Well；　we　can　close　round　her　then；〃　I　returned；　〃for　I　on　my　side

know；　or　used　to　know；　her　young　man。〃



〃Her　intended？〃she　had　a　light　of　relief　for　this。



〃The　very　one　she's　going　out　to。　　He　can't；　by　the　way；〃　it　occurred

to　me；　〃be　very　young　now。〃



〃How　odd　it　soundsher　muddling　after　him！〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



I　was　going　to　reply　that　it　wasn't　odd　if　you　knew　Mr。　Porterfield；

but　I　reflected　that　that　perhaps　only　made　it　odder。　　I　told　my

companion　briefly　who　he　wasthat　I　had　met　him　in　the　old　Paris

days；　when　I　believed　for　a　fleeting　hour　that　I　could　learn　to

paint；　when　I　lived　with　the　jeunesse　des　ecoles；　and　her　comment　on

this　was　simply：　　〃Well；　he　had　better　have　come　out　for　her！〃



〃Perhaps　so。　　She　looked　to　me　as　she　sat　there　as　if；　she　might

change　her　mind　at　the　last　moment。〃



〃About　her　marriage？



〃About　sailing。　　But　she　won't　change　now。〃



Jasper　came　back；　and　his　mother　instantly　challenged　him。　　〃Well；

ARE　you　going？〃



〃Yes；　I　shall　go〃he　was　finally　at　peace　about　it。　　〃I've　got　my

telegram。〃



〃Oh　your　telegram！〃I　ventured　a　little　to　jeer。



〃That　charming　girl's　your　telegram。〃



He　gave　me　a　look；　but　in　the　dusk　I　couldn't　make　out　very　well　what

it　conveyed。　　Then　he　bent　over　his　mother；　kissing　her。　　〃My　news

isn't　particularly　satisfactory。　　I'm　going　for　YOU。〃



〃Oh　you　humbug！〃　she　replied。　　But　she　was　of　course　delighted。







CHAPTER　II







People　usually　spend　the　first　hours　of　a　voyage　in　squeezing

themselves　into　their　cabins；　taking　their　little　precautions；　either

so　excessive　or　so　inadequate；　wondering　how　they　can　pass　so　many

days　in　such　a　hole　and　asking　idiotic　questions　of　the　stewards；　who

appear　in　comparison　rare　men　of　the　world。　　My　own　initiations　were

rapid；　as　became　an　old　sailor；　and　so；　it　seemed；　were　Miss　Mavis's；

for　when　I　mounted　to　the　deck　at　the　end　of　half　an　hour　I　found　her

there　alone；　in　the　stern　of　the　ship；　her　eyes　on　the　dwindling

continent。　　It　dwindled　very　fast　for　so　big　a　place。　　I　accosted

her；　having　had　no　conversation　with　her　amid　the　crowd　of　leave…

takers　and　the　muddle　of　farewells　before　we　put　off；　we　talked　a

little　about　the　boat；　our　fellow…passengers　and　our　prospects；　and

then　I　said：　　〃I　think　you　mentioned　last　night　a　name　I　knowthat

of　Mr。　Porterfield。〃



〃Oh　no　I　didn't！〃　she　answered　very　straight　while　she　smiled　at　me

through　her　closely…drawn　veil。



〃Then　it　was　your　mother。〃



〃Very　likely　it　was　my　mother。〃　　And　she　continued　to　smile　as　if　I

ought　to　have　known　the　difference。



〃I　venture　to　allude　to　him　because　I've　an　idea　I　used　to　know　him；〃

I　went　on。



〃Oh　I　see。〃　　And　beyond　this　remark　she　appeared　to　take　no　interest；

she　left　it　to　me　to　make　any　connexion。



〃That　is　if　it's　the　same　one。〃　　It　struck　me　as　feeble　to　say

nothing　more；　so　I　added　〃My　Mr。　Porterfield　was　called　David。〃



〃Well；　so　is　ours。〃　　〃Ours〃　affected　me　as　clever。



〃I　suppose　I　shall　see　him　again　if　he's　to　meet　you　at　Liverpool；〃　I

continued。



〃Well；　it　will　be　bad　if　he　doesn't。〃



It　was　too　soon　for　me　to　have　the　idea　that　it　would　be　bad　if　he

did：　　that　only　came　later。　　So　I　remarked　that；　not　having　seen　him

for　so　many　years；　it　was　very　possible　I　shouldn't　know　him。



〃Well；　I've　not　seen　him　for　a　considerable　time；　but　I　expect　I

shall　know　him　all　the　same。〃



〃Oh　with　you　it's　different；〃　I　returned　with　harmlessly　bright

significance。　　〃Hasn't　he　been　back　since　those　days？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　sturdily　professed；　〃what　days　you　mean。〃



〃When　I　knew　him　in　Parisages　ago。　　He　was　a　pupil　of　the　Ecole　des

Beaux　Arts。　　He　was　studying　architecture。〃



〃Well；　he's　studying　it　still；〃　said　Grace　Mavis。



〃Hasn't　he　learned　it　yet？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　he　has　learned。　　I　shall　see。〃　　Then　she　added　for

the　benefit　of　my　perhaps　undue　levity：　　〃Architecture's　very

difficult　and　he's　tremendously　thorough。〃



〃Oh　yes；　I　remember　that。　　He　was　an　admirable　worker。　　But　he　must

have　become　quite　a　foreigner　if　it's　so　many　years　since　he　has　been

at　home。〃



She　seemed　to　regard　this　proposition　at　first　as　complicated；　but

she　did　what　she　could　for　me。　　〃Oh　he's　not　changeable。　　If　he　were

changeable〃



Then；　however；　she　paused。　　I　daresay　she　had　been　going　to　observe

that　if　he　were　changeable　he　would　long　ago　have　given　her　up。

After　an　instant　she　went　on：　　〃He　wouldn't　have　stuck　so　to　his

profession。　　You　can't　make　much　by　it。〃



I　sought　to　attenuate　her　rather　odd　maidenly　grimness。　　〃It　depends

on　what　you　call　much。〃



〃It　doesn't　make　you　rich。〃



〃Oh　of　course　you've　got　to　practise　itand　to　practise　it　long。〃



〃Yesso　Mr。　Porterfield　says。〃



Something　in　the　way　she　uttered　these　words　made　me　laughthey　were

so　calm　an　implication　that　the　gentleman　in　question　didn't　live　up

to　his　principles。　　But　I　checked　myself；　asking　her　if　she　expected

to　remain　in　Europe　longto　what　one　might　call　settle。



〃Well；　it　will　be　a　good　while　if　it　takes　me　as　long　to　come　back　as

it　has　taken　me　to　go　out。〃



〃And　I　think　your　mother　said　last　night　that　it　was　your　first

visit。〃



Miss　Mavis；　in　her　deliberate　way；　met　my　eyes。　　〃Didn't　mother

talk！〃



〃It　was　all　very　interesting。〃



She　continued　to　look　at　me。　　〃You　don't　think　that；〃　she　then　simply

stated。



〃What　have　I　to　gain　then　by　saying　it？〃



〃Oh　men　have　always　something　to　gain。〃



〃You　make　me　in　that　case　feel　a　terrible　failure！　　I　hope　at　any

rate　that　it　gives　you　pleasure；〃　I　went　on；　〃the　idea　of　seeing

foreign　lands。〃



〃MercyI　should　think　so！〃



This　was　almost　genial；　and　it　cheered　me　proportionately。　　〃It's　a

pity　our　ship's　not　one　of　the　fast　ones；　if　you're　impatient。〃



She　was　silent　a　little　after　which　she　brought　out：　　〃Oh　I　guess

it'll　be　fast　enough！〃



That　evening　I　went　in　to　see　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　and　sat　on　her　sea…

trunk；　which　was　pulled　out　from　under　the　berth　to　accommodate　me。

It　was　nine　o'clock　but　not　quite　dark；　as　our　northward　course　had

already　taken　us　into　the　latitude　of　the　longer　days。　　She　had　made

her　nest　admirably　and　now　rested　from　her　labours；　she　lay　upon　her

sofa　in　a　dressing…gown　and　a　cap　that　became　her。　　It　was　her

regular　practice　to　spend　the　voyage　in　her　cabin；　which　smelt

positively　goodsuch　was　the　refinement　of　her　art；　and　she　had　a

secret　peculiar　to　herself　for　keeping　her　port　open　without　shipping

seas。　　She　hated　what　she　called　the　mess　of　the　ship　and　the　idea；

if　she　should　go　above；　of　meeting　stewards　with　plates　of

supererogatory　food。　　She　professed　to　be　content　with　her　situation…

…we　promised　to　lend　each　other　books　and　I　assured　her　familiarly

that　I　should　be　in　and　out　of　her　room　a　dozen　times　a　daypitying

me　for　having　to　mingle　in　society。　　She　judged　this　a　limited

privilege；　for　on　the　deck　before　we　left　the　wharf　she　had　taken　a

view　of　our　fellow…passengers。



〃Oh　I'm　an　inveterate；　almost　a　professional　observer；〃　I　replied；

〃and　with　that　vice　I'm　as　well　occupied　as　an　old　woman　in　the　sun

with　her　knitting。　　It　makes　me；　in　any　situation；　just　inordinately

and　submissively　SEE　things。　　I　shall　see　them　even　here　and　shall

come　down　very　often　and　tell　you　about　them。　　You're　not　interested

today；　but　you　will　be　tomorrow；　for　a　ship's　a　great　school　of

gossip。　　You　won't　believe　the　number　of　researches　and　problems

you'll　be　engaged　in　by　the　middle　of　the　voyage。〃



〃I？　　Never　in　the　world！lying　here　with　my　nose　in　a　book　and　not

caring　a　straw。〃



〃You'll　participate　at　second　hand。　　You'll　see　through　my　eyes；　hang

upon　my　lips；　take　sides；　feel　passions；　all　sorts　of　sympathies　and

indignations。　　I've　an　idea；〃　I　further　developed；　〃that　your　young

lady's　the　person　on　board　who　will　interest　me　most。〃



〃'Mine'　indeed！　　She　hasn't　been　near　me　since　we　left　the　dock。〃



〃There　you　areyou　do　feel　she　owes　you　something。　　Well；〃　I　added；

〃she's　very　curious。〃



〃You've　such　cold…blooded　terms！〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　wailed。　　〃Elle　ne

sait　pas　se　conduire；　she　ought　to　have　come　to　ask　about　me。〃



〃Yes；　since　you're　under　her　care；〃　I　laughed。　　〃As　for　her　not

knowing　how　to　behavewell；　that's　exactly　what　we　shall　see。〃



〃You　will；　but　not　I！　　I　wash　my　hands　of　her。〃



〃Don't　say　thatdon't　say　that。〃



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　looked　at　me　a　moment。　　〃Why　do　you　speak　so

solemnly？〃



In　return　I　considered　her。　　〃I'll　tell　you　before　we　land。　　And　have

you　seen　much　of　your　son？〃



〃Oh　yes；　he　has　come　in　several　times。　　He　seems　very　much　pleased。

He　has　got　a　cabin　to　himself。〃



〃That's　great　luck；〃　I　said；　〃but　I've　an　idea　he's　always　in　luck。

I　was　sure　I　should　have　to　offer　him　the　second　berth　in　my　room。〃



〃And　you　wouldn't　have　enjoyed　that；　because　you　don't　like　him；〃　she

took　upon　herself　to　say。



〃What　put　that　into　your　head？〃



〃It　isn't　in　my　headit's　in　my　heart；　my　coeur　de　mere。　　We　guess

those　things。　　You　think　he's　selfish。　　I　could　see　it　last　night。〃



〃Dear　lady；〃　I　contrived　promptly　enough　to　reply；　〃I've　no　general

ideas　about　him　at　all。　　He's　just　one　of　the　phenomena　I　am　going　to

observe。　　He　seems　to　me　a　very　fine　young　man。　　However；〃　I　added；

〃since　you've　mentioned　last　night　I'll　admit　that　I　thought　he

rather　tantalised　you。　　He　played　with　your　suspense。〃



〃Why　he　came　at　the　last　just　to　please　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



I　was　silent　a　little。　　〃Are　you　sure　it　was　for　your　sake？〃



〃Ah；　perhaps　it　was　for　yours！〃



I　bore　up；　however；　against　this　thrust；　characteristic　of　perfidious

woman　when　you　presume　to　side　with　her　against　a　fond　tormentor。

〃When　he　went　out　on　the　balcony　with　that　girl；〃　I　found　assurance

to　suggest；　〃perhaps　she　asked　him　to　come　for　HERS。〃



〃Perhaps　she　did。　　But　why　should　he　do