“I must speak, Johnny,” she exclaimed. “And as I have several engagements to-day, this is my only opportunity.”
“Where can you have engagements in London at this time of year?”
“I am lunching with Rosamond, and then we visit a flower show, and afterwards attend a committee meeting—one of her charities—”
“So she is in town?”
“It is no more remarkable1 that she should come to town in this stifling2 weather for the sake of doing good than that little American should suddenly discover that she must come up for second-rate concerts. It does not strike you as odd, I suppose?”
“If I for a moment believed that Miss Cutting came up to London in August on my account, I should be flattered to death; but as a matter of fact, she quite snubbed me.”
“Fiddlesticks!”
“But she did. I can assure you I have felt a walking tragedy ever since.”
“She was probably in a bad temper about something.”
“She looked precisely3 like an angel.”
“Well, no doubt angels have their moods, and she is a spoilt child of fortune. Two millions sterling4, and I cannot pay my dressmaker!”
“You wrote me once that an American daughter-in-law would be sure to pay your bills.”
“So would Rosamond. I do not want American dollars.”
“Am I to understand that Rosamond Hayle has also come up to London in August—”
“She does not know that you are back from the north, poor dear. I lured5 her up, pretending interest in her charity.” She leaned forward and took her son’s hands in the close grasp of her own. “Johnny,” she said intensely, “promise me that you will not marry this Cutting girl—at least that you will not propose to her until you have tried to like Rosamond. That dear English girl has vastly improved. And perhaps I have done wrong to hurry you. There are other girls growing up that will have a good bit of their own. I can think of three. If you will not consider poor Rosamond, at least promise me that you will not fall headlong into the net of these Americans.”
“Of course.”
“Do you forget that I brought you up?” His mother’s voice rose with her indignation. “At least pay me the compliment of frankness. And you will say ‘Of course’ at the altar instead of ‘I will,’ if you are not on your guard.”
“Well, then, I won’t. Eliminate Rosamond Hayle at once and forever. I am not at all sure that I wish to marry Miss Cutting. Before I met her again yesterday I knew that I should be hard driven indeed to make up my mind to marry a chatterbox. Now, although she has astonishingly improved, I do not know that I even like her. But she fascinates and interests me. I shall certainly see more of her. If I can like her well enough, and she will look at me—of which I am by no means sure—I fancy—I don’t know—it may be that I shall marry her. At least she would do me credit and assist me in my career. She is ideally beautiful, uncommonly7 clever, she has the grand air, and she has millions. You are asking me to marry a woman with less than half her fortune, whom smart Continental9 women would laugh at. I’d starve before I married a woman I should have to apologize for. No doubt I shall end by worrying along until Bridg drinks himself to death.”
“I don’t believe he is in any immediate10 danger—with that physique. And I had a remarkably11 lucid12 letter from him this morning. He wants me to try to persuade you to assist him in breaking the entail13 of Ordham—some rich brewer14 wants to buy it. Of course you will not?”
“I shan’t even discuss the question.”
Lady Bridgminster rose with an impatient jerk of her shoulders. As she stood there in the dim light, so long and narrow, draped, rather than dressed like ordinary women, she looked extraordinarily15 distinguished16 and handsome. Ordham’s ?sthetic sense stirred, and he put out his hand and took hers.
“We will pay those bills, somehow,” he said. “I got a thousand from Bridg, and Hines, who has been adding up, finds that I overestimated17 my indebtedness. I will bring you two hundred this afternoon, and if ever I do marry riches, be sure that you and the boys shall have all you want.”
A dark red tide rose to Lady Bridgminster’s hair. She stooped impulsively18 and kissed her son. “You are a dear generous boy!” she exclaimed. “And we are all cats! cats! Every one of us.”
And leaving her son puzzled as much by her unusual demonstration19 as by that cryptic20 arraignment21 of her sex, she swept her long draperies out of the room.
Ordham dined that evening in the beautiful house, which, under artificial light, looked more than ever a palace evoked22 by the stroke of a wand for a fairy princess to dwell in. The princess wore misty23 robes of white, with green leaves in her hair, her ethereal loveliness rendered almost nebulous by her mother’s substantial gown of black jet, and the five big footmen in dark green plush. The dinner might have been sent over from Bignon’s. Certainly these Americans knew how to spend their money. Their very newness inspired them to aim at effects that never would enter the old indifferent heads of the homogeneous races.
Mabel had almost nothing to say. She made no effort whatever, but Mrs. Cutting, accustomed all her life to lead in conversation, as well as to keep it from flagging, entertained the guest so conscientiously24 that he hardly had time to feel snubbed by the young beauty. Mrs. Cutting’s talk rarely bored him, for she had a wide range of subjects and never clung too long to any one of them, after the fashion of some Americans, and he at least found time to realize that he could not have stood the same amount of chatter6 from a miss of one season. Mabel’s new reticence25 became her, the more particularly as when she did speak it was to the point; and it was more and more apparent that she was not the charming little goose he had thought her in Munich. But he was taken aback, as they left the dining room, to receive a polite good night from the young lady, who floated down the long line of rooms and disappeared.
Mrs. Cutting bit her lip and tapped her fan in manifest annoyance26 as she led the way to the front drawing-room. “Mabel has a slight headache,” she said apologetically. “She always droops27 a little in warm weather. She wants to return to the country; but I shall continue to be very frank with you, Mr. Ordham—I am most anxious that you should know one another.”
“It looks as if the less she knows me the better she may like me.” Ordham spoke28 with some humour; he was piqued29 but not angry. “However, I shall always be grateful to you for letting me look at her.”
“Ah! You do think my chick a beauty?” There was a little break in Mrs. Cutting’s cultivated voice, but she did not lift her eyes to Ordham’s.
“I have never seen a girl half as beautiful.”
Mrs. Cutting rose and moved about with uncommon8 restlessness. “Oh, if it could only be!” she cried. “Why not? Why not? I cannot live forever. The few relatives I have live in New York, and Mabel is so thoroughly30 Europeanized. She must marry. There is no other solution for a dainty helpless creature like that. Some man must take care of her as well as of her fortune. I have set my heart upon it, and I have had very few disappointments in life. I really could not endure the failure of this darling project. And you two should be as mutually attracted as the first man and the first woman. I cannot understand it!”
“I can fancy myself feeling the full force of the attraction if encouraged a bit. But if Miss Cutting will not speak to or look at me—”
“Girls are the eternal enigmas—and the most provoking little beasts that nature ever invented. She was quite mad about you when we left Munich. Now she fancies that no man will ever come up to her ideal—whatever it may be! She has no inordinate31 social ambitions; titles here and in France have been offered to her. But let us not talk about it. Come and see me. I positively32 refuse to return to the country and the society of tutors. They can come here. If Mabel droops, she can take a tonic33. I could remain in this London I adore, winter and summer, autumn and spring. . . . And who knows? All this indifference34, this nonchalance35, may be but a ruse36 to draw you on. No one knows a girl less than her mother. And as to girls in general—there is no end to their nonsense and affectations. Fortunately they outgrow37 them, or what would become of the race? Do light another cigarette and let us sit on the balcony. I am too old for moonlight and balconies, and shall only inspire you with vain regrets—but never mind. At least it will be pleasant for me, and unselfishness is good for the soul!”
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1
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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7
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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lucid
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| adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的 | |
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entail
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| vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要 | |
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brewer
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| n. 啤酒制造者 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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16
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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overestimated
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| 对（数量）估计过高，对…作过高的评价( overestimate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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19
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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cryptic
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| adj.秘密的，神秘的，含义模糊的 | |
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arraignment
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| n.提问，传讯，责难 | |
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evoked
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| [医]诱发的 | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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conscientiously
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| adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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droops
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的名词复数 ) | |
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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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29
piqued
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| v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心） | |
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30
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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inordinate
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| adj.无节制的；过度的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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33
tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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34
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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nonchalance
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| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
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ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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outgrow
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| vt.长大得使…不再适用；成长得不再要 | |
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