This conversation occurred the night before I went back to town. I settled on the morrow to take a late train, so that I had still my morning to spend at Folkestone, where during the greater part of it I was out with my mother. Every one in the place was as usual out with some one else, and even had I been free to go and take leave of her I should have been sure that Flora1 Saunt would not be at home. Just where she was I presently discovered: she was at the far end of the cliff, the point at which it overhangs the pretty view of Sandgate and Hythe. Her back however was turned to this attraction; it rested with the aid of her elbows, thrust slightly behind her so that her scanty2 little shoulders were raised toward her ears, on the high rail that inclosed the down. Two gentlemen stood before her whose faces we couldn’t see but who even as observed from the rear were visibly absorbed in the charming figure-piece submitted to them. I was freshly struck with the fact that this meagre and defective4 little person, with the cock of her hat and the flutter of her crape, with her eternal idleness, her eternal happiness, her absence of moods and mysteries and the pretty presentation of her feet, which especially now in the supported slope of her posture5 occupied with their imperceptibility so much of the foreground — I was reminded anew, I say, how our young lady dazzled by some art that the enumeration6 of her merits didn’t explain and that the mention of her lapses7 didn’t affect. Where she was amiss nothing counted, and where she was right everything did. I say she was wanting in mystery, but that after all was her secret. This happened to be my first chance of introducing her to my mother, who had not much left in life but the quiet look from under the hood8 of her chair at the things which, when she should have quitted those she loved, she could still trust to make the world good for them. I wondered an instant how much she might be moved to trust Flora Saunt, and then while the chair stood still and she waited I went over and asked the girl to come and speak to her. In this way I saw that if one of Flora’s attendants was the inevitable9 young Hammond Synge, master of ceremonies of her regular court, always offering the use of a telescope and accepting that of a cigar, the other was a personage I had not yet encountered, a small pale youth in showy knickerbockers, whose eyebrows10 and nose and the glued points of whose little moustache were extraordinarily11 uplifted and sustained. I remember taking him at first for a foreigner and for something of a pretender: I scarcely know why, unless because of the motive12 I felt in the stare he fixed13 on me when I asked Miss Saunt to come away. He struck me a little as a young man practising the social art of “impertinence”; but it didn’t matter, for Flora came away with alacrity14, bringing all her prettiness and pleasure and gliding15 over the grass in that rustle16 of delicate mourning which made the endless variety of her garments, as a painter could take heed17, strike one always as the same obscure elegance18. She seated herself on the floor of my mother’s chair, a little too much on her right instep as I afterwards gathered, caressing19 her stiff hand, smiling up into her cold face, commending and approving her without a reserve and without a doubt. She told her immediately, as if it were something for her to hold on by, that she was soon to sit to me for a “likeness,” and these words gave me a chance to inquire if it would be the fate of the picture, should I finish it, to be presented to the young man in the knickerbockers. Her lips, at this, parted in a stare; her eyes darkened to the purple of one of the shadow-patches on the sea. She showed for the passing instant the face of some splendid tragic20 mask, and I remembered for the inconsequence of it what Mrs. Meldrum had said about her sight. I had derived21 from this lady a worrying impulse to catechise her, but that didn’t seem exactly kind; so I substituted another question, inquired who the pretty young man in knickerbockers might happen to be.
“Oh, a gentleman I met at Boulogne. He has come over to see me.” After a moment she added: “He’s Lord Iffield.”
I had never heard of Lord Iffield, but her mention of his having been at Boulogne helped me to give him a niche22. Mrs. Meldrum had incidentally thrown a certain light on the manners of Mrs. Floyd–Taylor, Flora’s recent hostess in that charming town, a lady who, it appeared, had a special vocation23 for helping24 rich young men to find a use for their leisure. She had always one or other in hand and she had apparently25 on this occasion pointed26 her lesson at the rare creature on the opposite coast. I had a vague idea that Boulogne was not a resort of the aristocracy; at the same time there might very well have been a strong attraction there even for one of the darlings of fortune. I could perfectly27 understand in any case that such a darling should be drawn28 to Folkestone by Flora Saunt. But it was not in truth of these things I was thinking; what was uppermost in my mind was a matter which, though it had no sort of keeping, insisted just then on coming out.
“Is it true, Miss Saunt,” I suddenly demanded, “that you’re so unfortunate as to have had some warning about your beautiful eyes?”
I was startled by the effect of my words; the girl threw back her head, changing colour from brow to chin. “True? Who in the world says so?” I repented29 of my question in a flash; the way she met it made it seem cruel, and I saw that my mother looked at me in some surprise. I took care, in answer to Flora’s challenge, not to incriminate Mrs. Meldrum. I answered that the rumour30 had reached me only in the vaguest form and that if I had been moved to put it to the test my very real interest in her must be held responsible. Her blush died away, but a pair of still prettier tears glistened31 in its track. “If you ever hear such a thing said again you can say it’s a horrid32 lie!” I had brought on a commotion33 deeper than any I was prepared for; but it was explained in some degree by the next words she uttered: “I’m happy to say there’s nothing the matter with any part of my body; not the least little thing!” She spoke34 with her habitual35 complacency, with triumphant36 assurance; she smiled again, and I could see that she was already sorry she had shown herself too disconcerted. She turned it off with a laugh. “I’ve good eyes, good teeth, a good digestion37 and a good temper. I’m sound of wind and limb!” Nothing could have been more characteristic than her blush and her tears, nothing less acceptable to her than to be thought not perfect in every particular. She couldn’t submit to the imputation38 of a flaw. I expressed my delight in what she told me, assuring her I should always do battle for her; and as if to rejoin her companions she got up from her place on my mother’s toes. The young men presented their backs to us; they were leaning on the rail of the cliff. Our incident had produced a certain awkwardness, and while I was thinking of what next to say she exclaimed irrelevantly39: “Don’t you know? He’ll be Lord Considine.” At that moment the youth marked for this high destiny turned round, and she went on, to my mother: “I’ll introduce him to you — he’s awfully40 nice.” She beckoned41 and invited him with her parasol; the movement struck me as taking everything for granted. I had heard of Lord Considine and if I had not been able to place Lord Iffield it was because I didn’t know the name of his eldest42 son. The young man took no notice of Miss Saunt’s appeal; he only stared a moment and then on her repeating it quietly turned his back. She was an odd creature: she didn’t blush at this; she only said to my mother apologetically, but with the frankest, sweetest amusement: “You don’t mind, do you? He’s a monster of shyness!” It was as if she were sorry for every one — for Lord Iffield, the victim of a complaint so painful, and for my mother, the object of a trifling43 incivility. “I’m sure I don’t want him!” said my mother; but Flora added some remark about the rebuke44 she would give him for slighting us. She would clearly never explain anything by any failure of her own power. There rolled over me while she took leave of us and floated back to her friends a wave of tenderness superstitious45 and silly. I seemed somehow to see her go forth46 to her fate; and yet what should fill out this orb3 of a high destiny if not such beauty and such joy? I had a dim idea that Lord Considine was a great proprietor47, and though there mingled48 with it a faint impression that I shouldn’t like his son the result of the two images was a whimsical prayer that the girl mightn’t miss her possible fortune.
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1
flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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orb
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| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
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defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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6
enumeration
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| n.计数，列举；细目；详表；点查 | |
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7
lapses
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| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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8
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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9
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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10
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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28
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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29
repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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31
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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36
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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digestion
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| n.消化，吸收 | |
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imputation
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| n.归罪，责难 | |
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irrelevantly
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| adv.不恰当地，不合适地；不相关地 | |
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40
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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41
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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44
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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45
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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46
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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47
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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48
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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