april hopes-第20部分

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strong　enough　to　do　it。〃

〃My　dear；　it　happens　every　day；〃　said　Mrs。　Brinkley。

〃I　always　felt　sorry　for　that　poor　fellow；　too；〃　said　Mavering。　　〃He
seemed　to　be　a　good　fellow；　and　it　was　pretty　hard　lines　for　him。〃

Alice　looked　round　at　him　with　deepening　gravity。

〃Confound　those　fellows！〃　said　the　photographer；　glancing　at　his　hastily
developed　plate。　　〃They　moved。〃




XVII。

The　picnic　party　gathered　itself　up　after　the　lunch；　and　while　some　of
the　men；　emulous　of　Mavering's　public　spirit；　helped　some　of　the　ladies
to　pack　the　dishes　and　baskets　away　under　the　wagon　seats；　others　threw　a
corked　bottle　into　the　water；　and　threw　stones　at　it。　　A　few　of　the
ladies　joined　them；　but　nobody　hit　the　bottle；　which　was　finally　left
bobbing　about　on　the　tide。

Mrs。　Brinkley　addressed　the　defeated　group；　of　whom　her　husband　was　one；
as　they　came　up　the　beach　toward　the　wagons。　　〃Do　you　think　that　display
was　calculated　to　inspire　the　lower　middle　classes　with　respectful　envy？〃

Her　husband　made　himself　spokesman　for　the　rest：　〃No；　but　you　can't　tell
how　they'd　have　felt　if　we'd　hit　it。〃

They　all　now　climbed　to　a　higher　level；　grassy　and　smooth；　on　the　bluff；
from　which　there　was　a　particular　view；　and　Mavering　came；　carrying　the
wraps　of　Mrs。　Pasmer　and　Alice；　with　which　he　associated　his　overcoat。　　A
book　fell　out　of　one　of　the　pockets　when　he　threw　it　down。

Miss　Anderson　picked　the　volume　up。　　〃Browning！　　He　reads　Browning！
Superior　young　man！〃

〃Oh；　don't　say　that！〃　pleaded　Mavering。

〃Oh；　read　something　aloud！〃　cried　another　of　the　young　ladies。

〃Isn't　Browning　rather　serious　for　a　picnic？〃　he　asked；　with　a　glance　at
Alice；　he　still　had　a　doubt　of　the　effect　of　the　rheumatic　uncle's　dance
upon　her；　and　would　have　been　glad　to　give　her　some　other　aesthetic
impression　of　him。

〃Oh　no！〃　said　Mrs。　Brinkley；　〃nothing　is　more　appropriate　to　a　picnic
than　conundrums；　they　always　have　them。　　Choose　a　good　tough　one。〃

〃I　don't　know　anything　tougher　than　the　'Legend　of　Pernik'or　lovelier；〃
he　said；　and　he　began　to　read；　simply；　and　with　a　passionate　pleasure　in
the　subtle　study；　feeling　its　control　over　his　hearers。

The　gentlemen　lay　smoking　about　at　their　ease；　at　the　end　a　deep　sigh
went　up　from　the　ladies；　cut　short　by　the　question　which　they　immediately
fell　into。

They　could　not　agree；　but　they　said；　one　after　another：　〃But　you　read
beautifully；　Mr。　Mavering！〃　　〃Beautifully！〃　　〃Yes；　indeed！〃

〃Well；　I'm　glad　there　is　one　point　clear；〃　he　said；　putting　the　book
away；　and　〃I'm　afraid　you'll　think　I'm　rather　sentimental；〃　he　added；　in
a　low　voice　to　Alice；　〃carrying　poetry　around　with　me。〃

〃Oh　no！〃　she　replied　intensely；　〃I　thank　you。〃

〃I　thank　you；〃　he　retorted；　and　their　eyes　met　in　a　deep　look。

One　of　the　outer　circle　of　smokers　came　up　with　his　watch　in　his　hand；
and　addressed　the　company；　〃Do　you　know　what　time　it's　got　to　be？　　It's
four　o'clock。〃

They　all　sprang　up　with　a　clamour　of　surprise。

Mrs。　Pasmer；　under　cover　of　the　noise；　said；　in　a　low　tone；　to　her
daughter；　〃Alice；　I　think　you'd　better　keep　a　little　more　with　me　now。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　girl；　in　a　sympathy　with　her　mother　in　which　she　did　not
always　find　herself。

But　when　Mavering；　whom　their　tacit　treaty　concerned；　turned　toward　them；
and　put　himself　in　charge　of　Alice；　Mrs。　Pasmer　found　herself
dispossessed　by　the　charm　of　his　confidence；　and　relinquished　her　to　him。
They　were　going　to　walk　to　the　Castle　Rocks　by　the　path　that　now　loses
and　now　finds　itself　among　the　fastnesses　of　the　forest；　stretching　to
the　loftiest　outlook　on　the　bay。　　The　savage　woodland　is　penetrated　only
by　this　forgetful　path；　that　passes　now　and　then　aver　the　bridge　of　a
ravine；　and　offers　to　the　eye　on　either　hand　the　mystery　deepening　into
wilder　and　weirder　tracts　of　solitude。　　The　party　resolved　itself　into
twos　and　threes；　and　these　straggled　far　apart；　out　of　conversational
reach　of　one　another。　　Mrs。　Pasmer　found　herself　walking　and　talking　with
John　Munt。

〃Mr。　Pasmer　hasn't　much　interest　in　these　excursions；〃　he　suggested。

〃No；　he　never　goes；〃　she　answered；　and；　by　one　of　the　agile　intellectual
processes　natural　to　women；　she　arrived　at　the　question；　〃You　and　the
Maverings　are　old　friends；　Mr。　Munt？〃

〃I　can't　say　about　the　son；　but　I'm　his　father's　friend；　and　I　suppose
that　I'm　his　friend　too。　　Everybody　seems　to　be　so；〃　suggested　Munt。

〃Oh　Yes；〃　Mrs。　Pasmer　assented；　〃he　appears　to　be　a　universal　favourite。〃

〃We　used　to　expect　great　things　of　Elbridge　Mavering　in　college。　　We　were
rather　more　romantic　than　the　Harvard　men　are　nowadays；　and　we　believed
in　one　another　more　than　they　do。　　Perhaps　we　idealised　one　another。
But；　anyway；　our　class　thought　Mavering　could　do　anything。　　You　know
about　his　taste　for　etchings？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　with　a　sigh　of　deep　appreciation。　　〃What　gifted
people！〃

〃I　understand　that　the　son　inherits　all　his　father's　talent。〃

〃He　sketches　delightfully。〃

〃And　Mavering　wrote。　　Why；　he　was　our　class　poet！〃　cried　Munt；
remembering　the　fact　with　surprise　and　gratification　to　himself。　　〃He　was
a　tremendous　satirist。〃

〃Really？　　And　he　seems　so　amiable　now。〃

〃Oh；　it　was　only　on　paper。〃

〃Perhaps　he　still　keeps　it　upon　wall…paper？〃　suggested　Mrs。　Pasmer。

Munt　laughed　at　the　little　joke　with　a　good…will　that　flattered　the
veteran　flatterer。　　〃I　should　like　to　ask　him　that　some　time。　　Will　you
lend　it　to　me？〃

〃Yes；　if　such　a　sayer　of　good　things　will　deign　to　borrow〃

〃Oh；　Mrs。　Pasmer！〃　cried　Munt；　otherwise　speechless。

〃And　the　mother？　　Do　you　know　Mrs。　Mavering？〃

〃Mrs。　Mavering　I've　never　seen。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　with　a　disappointment　for　which　Munt　tried　to
console　her。

〃I've　never　even　been　at　their　place。　　He　asked　me　once　a　great　while
ago；　but　you　know　how　those　things　are。　　I've　heard　that　she　used　to　be
very　pretty　and　very　gay。　　They　went　about　a　great　deal；　to　Saratoga　and
Cape　May　and　such　placesrather　out　of　our　beat。〃

〃And　now？〃

〃And　now　she's　been　an　invalid　for　a　great　many　years。　　Bedridden；　I
believe。　　Paralysis；　I　think。〃

Yes；　Mrs。　Saintsbury　said　something　of　the　kind。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Munt；　anxious　to　add　to　the　store　of　knowledge　which　this
remark　let　him　understand　he　had　not　materially　increased；　〃I　think　Mrs。
Mavering　was　the　origin　of　the　wall…paperor　her　money。　　Mavering　was
poor；　her　father　had　started　it；　and　Mavering　turned　in　his　talent。〃

〃How　very　interesting！　　And　is　that　the　reasonits　being　ancestralthat
Mr。　Mavering　wishes　his　son　to　go　into　it？〃

〃Is　he　going　into　it？〃　asked　Munt。

〃He's　come　up　here　to　think　about　it。〃

〃I　should　suppose　it　would　be　a　very　good　thing；〃　said　Munt。

〃What　a　very　remarkable　forest！〃　said　Mrs。　Pasmer；　examining　it　on　either
side；　and　turning　quite　round。　　This　gave　her；　from　her　place　in　the　van
of　the　straggling　procession；　a　glimpse　of　Alice　and　Dan　Mavering　far　in
the　rear。

〃Don't　you　know；〃　he　was　saying　to　the　girl　at　the　same　moment；　〃it's
like　some　of　those　Dore　illustrations　to　the　Inferno；　or　the　Wandering
Jew。〃

〃Oh　yes。　　I　was　trying　to　think　what　it　was　made　me　think　I　had　seen　it
before；〃　she　answered。　　〃It　must　be　that。　　But　how　strange　it　is！〃　she
exclaimed；　〃that　sensation　of　having　been　there　beforein　some　place
before　where　you　can't　possibly　have　been。〃

〃And　do　you　feel　it　here？〃　he　asked；　as　vividly　interested　as　if　they　two
had　been　the　first　to　notice　the　phenomenon　which　has　been　a　psychical
consolation　to　so　many　young　observers。

〃Yes；〃　she　cried。

〃I　hope　I　was　with　you；〃　he　said；　with　a　sudden　turn　of　levity；　which　did
not　displease　her；　for　there　seemed　to　be　a　tender　earnestness　lurking　in
it。　　〃I　couldn't　bear　to　think　of　your　being　alone　in　such　a　howling
wilderness。〃

〃Oh；　I　was　with　a　large　picnic；〃　she　retorted　gaily。　　〃You　might　have
been　among　the　rest。　　I　didn't　notice。〃

〃Well；　the　next　time；　I　wish　you'd　look　closer。　　I　don't　like　being　left
out。〃　　They　were　so　far　behind　the　rest　that　he　devoted　himself　entirely
to　her；　and　they　had　grown　more　and　more　confidential。


They　came　to　a　narrow　foot…bridge　over　a　deep　gorge。　　The　hand…rail　had
fallen　away。　　He　sprang　forward　and　gave　her　his　hand　for　the　passage。
〃Who　helped　you　over　here？〃　he　demanded。　　〃Don't　say　I　didn't。〃

〃Perhaps　it　was　you；〃　she　murmured；　letting　him　keep　the　fingers　to　which
he　clung　a　moment　after　they　had　crossed　the　bridge。　　Then　she　took　them
away；　and　said：　〃But　I　can't　be　sure。　　There　were　so　many　others。〃

〃Other　fellows？〃　he　demanded；　placing　himself　before　her　on　the　narrow
path；　so　that　she　could　not　get　by。　　〃Try　to　remember；　Miss　Pasmer。　　This
is　very　important。　　It　would　break　my　heart　if　it　was　really　some　one
else。〃　　She　stole　a　glance　at　his　face；　but　it　was　smiling；　though　his
voice　was　so　earnest。　　〃I　want　to　help　you　over　all　the　bad　places；　and　I
don't　want　any　one　else　to　have　a　hand　in　it。〃

The　voice　and　the　face　still　belied　each　other；　and　between　them　the　girl
chose　to　feel　herself　trifled　with　by　the　artistic　temperament。　　〃If
you'll　please　step　out　of　the　way；　Mr。　Mavering；〃　she　said　severely；　〃I
shall　not　need　anybod