“His name sounds like the toothache,” remarked Kate Strong, gazing at her mother with an unbending countenance1. They were seated in the drawing-room of one of the most luxurious2 homes in upper Fifth Avenue, half an hour before the time set for dinner.
Kate Strong resembled her mother in face and figure. They were tall, graceful3 women, with clear-cut, patrician4 features. The difference in their ages was not strongly marked. Mrs. Strong often remarked playfully that she and her daughter had grown up together. But, while Mrs. Strong’s hair had begun to turn white beneath the touch of advancing years, the golden glory of youth still rested upon Kate’s head. Furthermore, there was a great contrast in the habitual6 expression that animated7 their respective faces. There were firm, almost harsh, lines around Mrs. Strong’s mouth that told of a strong will and indicated a set purpose in life. Kate’s face, beautiful in contour and dazzling in the freshness of its tints8, betrayed a[10] rebellious9, restless nature that had not yet found in existence an ambition that fully5 satisfied her soul. The mother’s lips seemed fashioned for command, the daughter’s for something they had not yet tasted.
“You are so flippant, Kate,” remarked Mrs. Strong, reprovingly. “I am sure that when you see the count you will not feel inclined to joke about anything connected with him—not even his name.”
“He seems to have hypnotized you, mamma. Tell me about him. Is he very high in rank?”
Mrs. Strong smiled at her daughter’s show of interest. It pleased her.
“We really don’t know, Kate, just how prominent he is in Rexania. It’s a queer country, you know. They’re always having outbreaks there, and the kings and nobles have to go armed most of the time. But your father says that the count, although he is very reticent10 about his country and its affairs, seems to be on intimate terms with all the crowned heads of Europe.”
At this moment, Ned Strong, a youth a few years older than Kate, entered the room, carefully attired11 in evening dress.
“I suppose, mamma, that your friend the count will be late. It’s a way those foreigners have. There’s no snap about them: is there, Kate?”
The girl looked up admiringly at her tall, handsome brother, whose manly12, vibrant13 voice indicated an energetic temperament14 that possessed15 large dynamic possibilities for good or evil.
“That’s the reason I like them,” she exclaimed, inconsistently. “They don’t seem[11] to feel that they were put into the world to do something. They are clever. They made their ancestors do their work.”
Ned Strong glanced at his mother quizzically.
“I wish,” he said earnestly, “that we could get Kate to have a few firm convictions. What she is in favor of one day she is sure to be opposed to the next. It is so hard to tell what she really thinks.”
Kate smiled amusedly. “Forgive me, Ned,” she implored16. “I’m sorry I don’t please you. But I’ll make you a promise. If you are really anxious to know what I think of Count Szalaki, I’ll tell you to-night after he has gone. But here’s papa. He knows more about Count Szalaki than mamma does.”
“Yes, father,” put in Ned, rising as Gerald Strong, a portly, clean-shaven, gray-haired man, entered the drawing-room. “Tell us about the count. Is there anything to him besides his title?”
“Yes, Ned, I think there is,” answered Mr. Strong, seating himself and looking at his watch. “He’s got manners and good looks, speaks several languages, and seems to have read a good deal. But he’s awfully17 green about this country. He really seemed to think that Chicago was more of a place than New York. He’ll get over that, of course. I wanted to have him meet some of our people to-night, but he begged me to receive him en famille. He seems to dread18 notoriety.”
“That looks suspicious,” commented Kate.
“I am astonished, Kate,” exclaimed Mrs. Strong. “One would think that you could[12] not trust your father and myself to travel alone for fear that we should be imposed upon. Count Szalaki wants to see the country, not to be interviewed by reporters.”
“By the way,” remarked Ned, looking at his father, “are there many Rexanians in New York?”
“A few hundred, I believe, on the East Side,” answered Mr. Strong, who had taken a practical interest in politics during the revival19 of reform movements. “Most of them came over here about ten years ago, when the present king banished20 a large number of revolutionists. I have heard that they make good citizens, but are inclined to talk anarchy21 when under the influence of beer.”
“Did you talk politics with the count?”
“I tried to,” answered Mr. Strong, again glancing at his watch, for he was sorely in need of a dinner. “He is a very sensible young man, considering the fact that he has a title and estates in a monarchical22 country. But he got more out of me than I obtained from him. He asked me a hundred questions—some of them really laughable—about our form of government and my opinion of the ability of a free people to rule themselves.”
“Of course,” remarked Ned, sarcastically23, “you gave him to understand that we place entire confidence in the ‘people,’ hoi polloi, demos. You said nothing to him about ‘bosses’?”
Mr. Strong glanced at his son deprecatingly.
“Satire is not your strong point, Ned. Of course I didn’t dwell upon the defects of our system to the count. I rather encouraged him to think that our experiment in[13] self-government had been a thorough success.”
“It certainly has, father—for the bankers,” commented the young man, gazing quizzically at Mr. Strong.
“Isn’t Ned unbearable24!” cried Kate, warmly. “Perhaps, Ned, you’ll be willing to tell the count just how this country ought to be governed.”
“I leave that to you, Kate. Don’t you attend Professor Smith’s lectures on representative government? Surely the count can learn more about our institutions from the women of our set than from the men.”
“We have more patriotism,” cried Kate.
“No, you have more leisure,” answered Ned.
“Be quiet, children,” whispered Mrs. Strong, nervously25, as the butler appeared at the door and announced:
“Count Szalaki.”
A young man entered the drawing-room hastily, and bent26 courteously27 over Mrs. Strong’s outstretched hand.
“He looks like Lord Byron,” whispered Kate to her brother. Then she turned and met the smiling eyes of a youth whose glance was strangely magnetic.
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1
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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2
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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3
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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4
patrician
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| adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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5
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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6
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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7
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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8
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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9
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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10
reticent
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| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
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11
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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13
vibrant
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| adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的 | |
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14
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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15
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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16
implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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18
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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19
revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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20
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
anarchy
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| n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序 | |
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22
monarchical
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| adj. 国王的，帝王的，君主的，拥护君主制的 =monarchic | |
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23
sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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24
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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25
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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26
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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27
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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