the titan- 第71部分

〃Wait；　I'll　get　some　for　you。　　It's　against　the　rules；　but　they　can't　do　more　than　send　me　away；　and　that's　what　I　want。〃

〃Berenice！　Come　back　here！〃

It　was　Mrs。　Carter　calling。

The　daughter　was　gone　in　a　fling　of　graceful　lines　and　flounces。　〃Now　what　do　you　make　of　her？〃　asked　Mrs。　Carter；　turning　to　her　friend。

〃Youth；　individuality；　energya　hundred　things。　　I　see　nothing　wrong　with　her。〃

〃If　I　could　only　see　to　it　that　she　had　her　opportunities　unspoiled。〃

Already　Berenice　was　returning；　a　subject　for　an　artist　in　almost　studied　lines。　　Her　arms　were　full　of　sweet…peas　and　roses　which　she　had　ruthlessly　gathered。

〃You　wilful　girl！〃　scolded　her　mother；　indulgently。　　〃I　shall　have　to　go　and　explain　to　your　superiors。　　Whatever　shall　I　do　with　her；　Mr。　Cowperwood？〃

〃Load　her　with　daisy　chains　and　transport　her　to　Cytherea；〃　commented　Cowperwood；　who　had　once　visited　this　romantic　isle；　and　therefore　knew　its　significance。

Berenice　paused。　　〃What　a　pretty　speech　that　is！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I　have　a　notion　to　give　you　a　special　flower　for　that。　　I　will；　too。〃　She　presented　him　with　a　rose。

For　a　girl　who　had　slipped　in　shy　and　still；　Cowperwood　commented；　her　mood　had　certainly　changed。　　Still；　this　was　the　privilege　of　the　born　actress；　to　change。　　And　as　he　viewed　Berenice　Fleming　now　he　felt　her　to　be　sucha　born　actress；　lissome；　subtle；　wise；　indifferent；　superior；　taking　the　world　as　she　found　it　and　expecting　it　to　obeyto　sit　up　like　a　pet　dog　and　be　told　to　beg。　　What　a　charming　character！　What　a　pity　it　should　not　be　allowed　to　bloom　undisturbed　in　its　make…believe　garden！　What　a　pity；　indeed！




Chapter　XLII



F。　A。　Cowperwood；　Guardian

It　was　some　time　after　this　first　encounter　before　Cowperwood　saw　Berenice　again；　and　then　only　for　a　few　days　in　that　region　of　the　Pocono　Mountains　where　Mrs。　Carter　had　her　summer　home。　　It　was　an　idyllic　spot　on　a　mountainside；　some　three　miles　from　Stroudsburg；　among　a　peculiar　juxtaposition　of　hills　which；　from　the　comfortable　recesses　of　a　front　veranda；　had　the　appearance；　as　Mrs。　Carter　was　fond　of　explaining；　of　elephants　and　camels　parading　in　the　distance。　　The　humps　of　the　hillssome　of　them　as　high　as　eighteen　hundred　feetrose　stately　and　green。　　Below；　quite　visible　for　a　mile　or　more；　moved　the　dusty；　white　road　descending　to　Stroudsburg。　Out　of　her　Louisville　earnings　Mrs。　Carter　had　managed　to　employ；　for　the　several　summer　seasons　she　had　been　here；　a　gardener；　who　kept　the　sloping　front　lawn　in　seasonable　flowers。　　There　was　a　trig　two…wheeled　trap　with　a　smart　horse　and　harness；　and　both　Rolfe　and　Berenice　were　possessed　of　the　latest　novelty　of　the　daylow…wheeled　bicycles；　which　had　just　then　superseded　the　old；　high…wheel　variety。　　For　Berenice；　also；　was　a　music…rack　full　of　classic　music　and　song　collections；　a　piano；　a　shelf　of　favorite　books；　painting…materials；　various　athletic　implements；　and　several　types　of　Greek　dancing…tunics　which　she　had　designed　herself；　including　sandals　and　fillet　for　her　hair。　　She　was　an　idle；　reflective；　erotic　person　dreaming　strange　dreams　of　a　near　and　yet　far…off　social　supremacy；　at　other　times　busying　herself　with　such　social　opportunities　as　came　to　her。　　A　more　safely　calculating　and　yet　wilful　girl　than　Berenice　Fleming　would　have　been　hard　to　find。　　By　some　trick　of　mental　adjustment　she　had　gained　a　clear　prevision　of　how　necessary　it　was　to　select　the　right　socially；　and　to　conceal　her　true　motives　and　feelings；　and　yet　she　was　by　no　means　a　snob；　mentally；　nor　utterly　calculating。　　Certain　things　in　her　own　and　in　her　mother's　life　troubled　herquarrels　in　her　early　days；　from　her　seventh　to　her　eleventh　year；　between　her　mother　and　her　stepfather；　Mr。　Carter；　the　latter's　drunkenness　verging　upon　delirium　tremens　at　times；　movings　from　one　place　to　anotherall　sorts　of　sordid　and　depressing　happenings。　　Berenice　had　been　an　impressionable　child。　　Some　things　had　gripped　her　memory　mightilyonce；　for　instance；　when　she　had　seen　her　stepfather；　in　the　presence　of　her　governess；　kick　a　table　over；　and；　seizing　the　toppling　lamp　with　demoniac　skill；　hurl　it　through　a　window。　She；　herself；　had　been　tossed　by　him　in　one　of　these　tantrums；　when；　in　answer　to　the　cries　of　terror　of　those　about　her；　he　had　shouted：　〃Let　her　fall！　It　won't　hurt　the　little　devil　to　break　a　few　bones。〃　This　was　her　keenest　memory　of　her　stepfather；　and　it　rather　softened　her　judgment　of　her　mother；　made　her　sympathetic　with　her　when　she　was　inclined　to　be　critical。　　Of　her　own　father　she　only　knew　that　he　had　divorced　her　motherwhy；　she　could　not　say。　　She　liked　her　mother　on　many　counts；　though　she　could　not　feel　that　she　actually　loved　herMrs。　Carter　was　too　fatuous　at　times；　and　at　other　times　too　restrained。　　This　house　at　Pocono；　or　Forest　Edge；　as　Mrs。　Carter　had　named　it；　was　conducted　after　a　peculiar　fashion。　　From　June　to　October　only　it　was　open；　Mrs。　Carter；　in　the　past；　having　returned　to　Louisville　at　that　time；　while　Berenice　and　Rolfe　went　back　to　their　respective　schools。　Rolfe　was　a　cheerful；　pleasant…mannered　youth；　well　bred；　genial；　and　courteous；　but　not　very　brilliant　intellectually。　　Cowperwood's　judgment　of　him　the　first　time　he　saw　him　was　that　under　ordinary　circumstances　he　would　make　a　good　confidential　clerk；　possibly　in　a　bank。　　Berenice；　on　the　other　hand；　the　child　of　the　first　husband；　was　a　creature　of　an　exotic　mind　and　an　opalescent　heart。　After　his　first　contact　with　her　in　the　reception…room　of　the　Brewster　School　Cowperwood　was　deeply　conscious　of　the　import　of　this　budding　character。　　He　was　by　now　so　familiar　with　types　and　kinds　of　women　that　an　exceptional　typequite　like　an　exceptional　horse　to　a　judge　of　horse…fleshstood　out　in　his　mind　with　singular　vividness。　　Quite　as　in　some　great　racing…stable　an　ambitious　horseman　might　imagine　that　he　detected　in　some　likely　filly　the　signs　and　lineaments　of　the　future　winner　of　a　Derby；　so　in　Berenice　Fleming；　in　the　quiet　precincts　of　the　Brewster　School；　Cowperwood　previsioned　the　central　figure　of　a　Newport　lawn　fete　or　a　London　drawing…room。　　Why？　She　had　the　air；　the　grace；　the　lineage；　the　bloodthat　was　why；　and　on　that　score　she　appealed　to　him　intensely；　quite　as　no　other　woman　before　had　ever　done。

It　was　on　the　lawn　of　Forest　Edge　that　Cowperwood　now　saw　Berenice。　The　latter　had　had　the　gardener　set　up　a　tall　pole；　to　which　was　attached　a　tennis…ball　by　a　cord；　and　she　and　Rolfe　were　hard　at　work　on　a　game　of　tether…ball。　　Cowperwood；　after　a　telegram　to　Mrs。　Carter；　had　been　met　at　the　station　in　Pocono　by　her　and　rapidly　driven　out　to　the　house。　　The　green　hills　pleased　him；　the　up…winding；　yellow　road；　the　silver…gray　cottage　with　the　brown…shingle　roof　in　the　distance。　　It　was　three　in　the　afternoon；　and　bright　for　a　sinking　sun。

〃There　they　are　now；〃　observed　Mrs。　Carter；　cheerful　and　smiling；　as　they　came　out　from　under　a　low　ledge　that　skirted　the　road　a　little　way　from　the　cottage。　　Berenice；　executing　a　tripping；　running　step　to　one　side；　was　striking　the　tethered　ball　with　her　racquet。　　〃They　are　hard　at　it；　as　usual。　　Two　such　romps！〃

She　surveyed　them　with　pleased　motherly　interest；　which　Cowperwood　considered　did　her　much　credit。　　He　was　thinking　that　it　would　be　too　bad　if　her　hopes　for　her　children　should　not　be　realized。　　Yet　possibly　they　might　not　be。　　Life　was　very　grim。　　How　strange；　he　thought；　was　this　type　of　womanat　once　a　sympathetic；　affectionate　mother　and　a　panderer　to　the　vices　of　men。　　How　strange　that　she　should　have　these　children　at　all。　　Berenice　had　on　a　white　skirt；　white　tennis…shoes；　a　pale…cream　silk　waist　or　blouse；　which　fitted　her　very　loosely。　　Because　of　exercise　her　color　was　highquite　pinkand　her　dusty；　reddish　hair　was　blowy。　　Though　they　turned　into　the　hedge　gate　and　drove　to　the　west　entrance；　which　was　at　one　side　of　the　house；　there　was　no　cessation　of　the　game；　not　even　a　glance　from　Berenice；　so　busy　was　she。

He　was　merely　her　mother's　friend　to　her。　　Cowperwood　noted；　with　singular　vividness　of　feeling；　that　the　lines　of　her　movementsthe　fleeting；　momentary　positions　she　assumedwere　full　of　a　wondrous　natural　charm。　　He　wanted　to　say　so　to　Mrs。　Carter；　but　restrained　himself。

〃It's　a　brisk　game；〃　he　commented；　with　a　pleased　glance。　　〃You　play；　do　you？〃

〃Oh；　I　did。　　I　don't　much　any　more。　　Sometimes　I　try　a　set　with　Rolfe　or　Bevy；　but　they　both　beat　me　so　badly。〃

〃Bevy？　Who　is　Bevy？〃

〃Oh；　that's　short　of　Berenice。　　It's　what　Rolfe　called　her　when　he　was　a　baby。〃

〃Bevy！　I　think　that　rather　nice。〃

〃I　always　like　it；　too。　　Somehow　it　seems　to　suit　her；　and　yet　I　don't　know　why。〃

Before　dinner　Berenice　made　her　appearance；　freshened　by　a　bath　and　clad　in　a　light　summer　dress　that　appeared　to　Cowperwood　to　be　all　flounces；　and　the　more　graceful　in　its　lines　for　the　problematic　absence　of　a　corset。　　Her　face　and　hands；　howevera　face　thin；　long；　and　sweetly　hollow；　and　hands　that　were　slim　and　sinewygripped　and　held　his　fancy。　　He　was　reminded　in　the　least　degree　of　Stephanie；　but　this　girl's　chin　was　firmer　and　more　delicately；　though　more　aggressively；　rounded。　　Her　eyes；　too；　were　shrewder　and　less　evasive；　though　subtle　enough。

〃So　I　meet　you　again；〃　he　observed；　with　a　somewhat　aloof　air；　as　she　came　out　on　the　porch　and　sank　listlessly　into　a　wicker　chair。　　〃The　last　time　I　met　you　you　were　hard　at　work　in　New　York。〃

〃Breaking　the　rules。　　No；　I　forget；　that　was　my　easiest　work。　　Oh；　Rolfe；〃　she　called　over　her　shoulder；　indifferently；　〃I　see　your　pocket…knife　out　on　the　grass。〃

Cowperwood；　properly　suppressed；　waited　a　brief　space。　　〃Who　won　that　exciting　game？〃

〃I　did；　of　course。　　I　always　win　at　tether…ball。〃

〃Oh；　do　you？〃　commented　Cowperwood。

〃I　mean　with　brother；　of　course。　　He　plays　so　poorly。〃　She　turned　to　the　westthe　house　faced　southand　studied　the　road　which　came　up　from　Stroudsburg。　　〃I　do　believe　that's　Harry　Kemp；〃　she　added；　quite　to　herself。　　〃If　so；　he'll　have　my　mail；　if　there　is　any。〃

She　got　up　again　and　disappeared　into　the　house；　coming　out　a　few　moments　later　to　saunter　down　to　the　gate；　which　was　over　a　hundred　feet　away。　　To　Cowperwood　she　seemed　to　float；　so　hale　and　graceful　was　she。　　A　smart