ragged lady, v2-第7部分

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one　of　the　poorest；　and　I　shall　feel　that　I'm　doin'　just　what　Mr。　Landa
would　have　wanted　I　should。　　He　picked　her　out　himself；　moa　than　three
yea's　ago；　when　we　was　drivin'　past　her　house　at　Middlemount；　and　it　was
to　humor　him　afta　he　was　gone；　moa　than　anything　else；　that　I　took　her。
Well；　she　wa'n't　so　very　easy　to　git；　either；　I　can　tell　you。〃　　She　cut
short　her　history　of　the　affair　to　say　when　Clementina　came　back；　〃I　want
you　should　do　the　odderin'　yourself；　Miss　Milray；　and　not　let　her　scrimp
with　the　money。　　She　wants　to　git　some　visitin'　cahds；　and　if　you　miss
anything　about　her　that　she'd　ought　to　have；　or　that　any　otha　yong　lady's
got；　won't　you　just　git　it　for　her？〃

As　soon　as　she　imagined　the　case；　Miss　Milray　set　herself　to　overcome
Mrs。　Lander's　reluctance　from　a　maid。　　She　prevailed　with　her　to　try　the
Italian　woman　whom　she　sent　her；　and　in　a　day　the　genial　Maddalena　had
effaced　the　whole　tradition　of　the　bleak　Ellida。　　It　was　not　essential　to
the　understanding　which　instantly　established　itself　between　them　that
they　should　have　any　language　in　common。　　They　babbled　at　each　other；
Mrs。　Lander　in　her　Bostonized　Yankee；　and　Maddalena　in　her　gutteral
Florentine；　and　Mrs。　Lander　was　flattered　to　find　how　well　she　knew
Italian。

Miss　Milray　had　begun　being　nice　to　Clementina　in　fealty　to　her　brother；
who　so　seldom　made　any　proof　of　her　devotion　to　him；　and　to　whom　she　bad
remained　passionately　true　through　his　shady　past。　　She　was　eager　to
humor　his　whim　for　the　little　country　girl　who　had　taken　his　fancy；
because　it　was　his　whim；　and　not　because　she　had　any　hopes　that
Clementina　would　justify　it。　　She　had　made　Dr。　Welwright　tell　her　all　he
knew　about　her；　and　his　report　of　her　grace　and　beauty　had　piqued　her
curiosity；　his　account　of　the　forlorn　dullness　of　her　life　with　Mrs。
Lander　in　their　hotel　had　touched　her　heart。　　But　she　was　still　skeptical
when　she　went　to　get　her　letter　of　introduction；　when　she　brought
Clementina　home　from　the　dressmaker's　she　asked　if　she　might　kiss　her；
and　said　she　was　already　in　love　with　her。

Her　love　might　have　made　her　wish　to　do　everything　for　her　that　she　now
began　to　do；　but　it　simplified　the　situation　to　account　for　her　to　the
world　as　the　ward　of　Mrs。　Lander；　who　was　as　rich　as　she　was　vulgar；　and
it　was　with　Clementina　in　this　character　that　Miss　Milray　began　to　make
the　round　of　afternoon　teas；　and　inspired　invitations　for　her　at　pleasant
houses；　by　giving　a　young　ladies'　lunch　for　her　at　her　own。　　Before　the
night　of　her　little　dance；　she　had　lost　any　misgiving　she　had　felt　at
first；　in　the　delight　of　seeing　Clementina　take　the　world　as　if　she　had
thought　it　would　always　behave　as　amiably　as　that；　and　as　if　she　had
forgotten　her　unkind　experiences　to　the　contrary。　　She　knew　from　Mrs。
Lander　how　the　girls　at　their　hotel　had　left　her　out；　but　Miss　Milray
could　not　see　that　Clementina　met　them　with　rancor；　when　her　authority
brought　them　together。　　If　the　child　　was　humiliated　by　her　past　in　the
gross　lonely　luxury　of　Mrs。　Lander's　life　or　the　unconscious　poverty　of
her　own　home；　she　did　not　show　it　in　the　presence　of　the　world　that　now
opened　its　arms　to　her。　　She　remained　so　tranquil　in　the　midst　of　all　the
novel　differences；　that　it　made　her　friend　feel　rather　vulgar　in　her
anxieties　for　her；　and　it　was　not　always　enough　to　find　that　she　had　not
gone　wrong　simply　because　she　had　hold　still；　and　had　the　gift　of　waiting
for　things　to　happen。　　Sometimes　when　Miss　Milray　had　almost　decided　that
her　passivity　was　the　calm　of　a　savage；　she　betrayed　so　sweet　and
grateful　a　sense　of　all　that　was　done　for　her；　that　her　benefactress
decided　that；　she　was　not　rustic；　but　was　sylvan　in　a　way　of　her　own；
and　not　so　much　ignorant　as　innocent。　　She　discovered　that　she　was　not
ignorant　even　of　books；　but　with　no　literary　effect　from　them　she　had
transmitted　her　reading　into　the　substance　of　her　native　gentleness；　and
had　both　ideas　and　convictions。　　When　Clementina　most　affected　her　as　an
untried　wilderness　in　the　conventional　things　she　most　felt　her　equality
to　any　social　fortune　that　might　befall　her；　and　then　she　would　have
liked　to　see　her　married　to　a　title；　and　taking　the　glory　of　this　world
with　an　unconsciousness　that　experience　would　never　wholly　penetrate。
But　then　again　she　felt　that　this　would　be　somehow　a　profanation；　and　she
wanted　to　pack　her　up　and　get　her　back　to　Middlemount　before　anything　of
the　kind　should　happen。　　She　gave　Milray　these　impressions　of　Clementina
in　the　letter　she　wrote　to　thank　him　for　her；　and　to　scold　him　for
sending　the　girl　to　her。　　She　accused　him　of　wishing　to　get　off　on　her　a
riddle　which　he　could　not　read　himself；　but　she　owned　that　the　charm　of
Clementina's　mystery　was　worth　a　thousand　times　the　fatigue　of　trying　to
guess　her　out　and　that　she　was　more　and　more　infatuated　with　her　every
day。

In　the　meantime；　Miss　Milray's　little　dance　grew　upon　her　till　it　became
a　very　large　one　that　filled　her　villa　to　overflowing　when　the　time　came
for　it。　　She　lived　on　one　of　the　fine　avenues　of　the　Oltrarno　region；
laid　out　in　the　brief　period　of　prosperity　which　Florence　enjoyed　as　the
capital　of　Italy。　　The　villa　was　built　at　that　time；　and　it　was　much
newer　than　the　house　on　Seventeenth　street　in　New　York；　where　she　spent
the　girlhood　that　had　since　prolonged　itself　beyond　middle　life　with　her。
She　had　first　lived　abroad　in　the　Paris　of　the　Second　Empire；　and　she　had
been　one　winter　in　Rome；　but　she　had　settled　definitely　in　Florence
before　London　became　an　American　colony；　so　that　her　friends　were　chiefly
Americans；　though　she　had　a　wide　international　acquaintance。　　Perhaps　her
habit　of　taking　her　brother's　part；　when　he　was　a　black　sheep；　inclined
her　to　mercy　with　people　who　had　not　been　so　blameless　in　their　morals　as
they　were　in　their　minds　and　manners。　　She　exacted　that　they　should　be
interesting　and　agreeable；　and　not　too　threadbare；　but　if　they　had
something　that　decently　buttoned　over　the　frayed　places；　she　did　not
frown　upon　their　poverty。　　Bohemians　of　all　kinds　liked　her；　Philistines
liked　her　too；　and　in　such　a　place　as　Florence；　where　the　Philistines
themselves　are　a　little　Bohemian；　she　might　be　said　to　be　very　popular。
You　met　persons　whom　you　did　not　quite　wish　to　meet　at　her　house；　but　if
these　did　not　meet　you　there；　it　was　your　loss。

On　the　night　of　the　dance　the　line　of　private　carriages；　remises　and
cabs；　lined　the　Viale　Ariosto　for　a　mile　up　and　down　before　her　gates；
where　young　artists　of　both　sexes　arrived　on　foot。　　By　this　time　her
passion　for　Clementina　was　at　its　height。　　She　had　Maddalena　bring　her
out　early　in　the　evening；　and　made　her　dress　under　her　own　eye　and　her
French　maid's；　while　Maddalena　went　back　to　comfort　Mrs。　Lander。

〃I　hated　to　leave　her；〃　said　Clementina。　　〃I　don't　believe　she's　very
well。〃

〃Isn't　she　always　ill？〃　demanded　Miss　Milray。　　She　embraced　the　girl
again；　as　if　once　were　not　enough。　　〃Clementina；　if　Mrs。　Lander　won't
give　you　to　me；　I'm　going　to　steal　you。　　Do　you　know　what　I　want　you　to
do　tonight？　　I　want　you　to　stand　up　with　me；　and　receive；　till　the
dancing　begins；　as　if　it　were　your　coming…out。　　I　mean　to　introduce
everybody　to　you。　　You'll　be　easily　the　prettiest　girl；　there；　and　you'll
have　the　nicest　gown；　and　I　don't　mean　that　any　of　your　charms　shall　be
thrown　away。　　You　won't　be　frightened？〃

〃No；　I　don't　believe　I　shall；〃　said　Clementina。　　〃You　can　tell　me　what　to
do。〃

The　dress　she　wore　was　of　pale　green；　like　the　light　seen　in　thin　woods；
out　of　it　shone　her　white　shoulders；　and　her　young　face；　as　if　rising
through　the　verdurous　light。　　The　artists；　to　a　man　and　woman；　wished　to
paint　her；　and　severally　told　her　so；　during　the　evening　which　lasted
till　morning。　　She　was　not　surprised　when　Lord　Lioncourt　appeared；　toward
midnight；　and　astonished　Miss　Milray　by　claiming　acquaintance　with
Clementina。　　He　asked　about　Mrs。　Lander；　and　whether　she　had　got　to
Florence　without　losing　the　way；　he　laughed　but　he　seemed　really　to　care。
He　took　Clementina　out　to　supper；　when　the　time　came；　and　she　would　have
topped　him　by　half　a　head　as　she　leaned　on　his　arm；　if　she　had　not
considerately　drooped　and　trailed　a　little　after　him。

She　could　not　know　what　a　triumph　he　was　making　for　her；　and　it　was
merely　part　of　the　magic　of　the　time　that　Mr。　Ewins　should　come　in
presently　with　one　of　the　ladies。　　He　had　arrived　in　Florence　that　day；
and　had　to　be　brought　unasked。　　He　put　on　the　effect　of　an　old　friend
with　her；　but　Clementina's　curiosity　was　chiefly　taken　with　a　tall
American；　whom　she　thought　very　handsome。　　His　light　yellow　hair　was
brushed　smooth　across　his　forehead　like　a　well…behaving　boy's；　he　was
dressed　like　the　other　men；　but　he　seemed　not　quite　happy　in　his　evening
coat；　and　his　gloves　which　he　smote　together　uneasily　from　time　to　time。
He　appeared　to　think　that　somehow　the　radiant　Clementina　would　know　how
he　felt；　he　did　not　dance；　and　he　professed　to　have　found　himself　at　the
party　by　a　species　of　accident。　　He　told　her　that　he　was　out　in　Europe
looking　after　a　patent　right　that　he　had　just　taken　hold　of；　and　was
having　only　a　middling　good　time。　　He　pretended　surprise　to　hear　her　say
that　she　was　having　a　first…rate　time；　and　he　tried　to　reason　her　out　of
it。　　He　confessed　that　from　the　moment　he　came　into　the　room　he　had　made
up　his　mind　to　take　her　to　supper；　and　had　never　been　so　disgusted　in　his
life　as　when　he　saw　that　little　lord　toddling　off　with　her；　and　trying　to
look　as　large　as　life。　　He　asked　her　what　a　lord　was　like；　anyway；　and　he
made　her　laugh　all　the　time。

He　told　her　his　name；　G。　W。　Hinkle；　and　asked　whether　she　would　be　likely
to　remember　it　if　they　ever　met　again。

Another　man　who　interested　her　very　much　was　a　young　Russian；　with
curling　hair　and　neat；　small　features　who　spoke　better　English　than　she
did；　and　said　he　was　going　to　be　a　writer；　but　had　not　yet　decided
whether　to　write　in　Russian　or　French；　she　supposed　he　had　wanted　her
advice；　but　he　did　not　wait　for　it；　or　seem　to　expect　it。　　He　was　very
much　in　earnest；　while　he　fanned　her；　and　his　earnestness　amused　her　as
much　as　the　American's　irony。　　H