confidence- 第15部分

〃It　is　very　true　that　I　am　outrageous；〃　she　said；　〃it　was　extremely　silly　and　in　very　bad　taste　to　come　out　at　this　hour。　Mamma　was　not　at　all　pleased；　and　I　was　very　unkind　to　her。　I　only　wanted　to　take　a　turn；　and　now　we　will　go　back。〃　On　the　others　coming　up　she　announced　this　resolution；　and　though　Captain　Lovelock　and　his　companion　made　a　great　outcry；　she　carried　her　point。　　Bernard　offered　no　opposition。　He　contented　himself　with　walking　back　to　her　mother's　lodging　with　her　almost　in　silence。　　The　little　winding　streets　were　still　and　empty；　there　was　no　sound　but　the　chatter　and　laughter　of　Blanche　and　her　attendant　swain。　Angela　said　nothing。

This　incident　presented　itself　at　first　to　Bernard's　mind　as　a　sort　of　declaration　of　war。　　The　girl　had　guessed　that　she　was　to　be　made　a　subject　of　speculative　scrutiny。　The　idea　was　not　agreeable　to　her　independent　spirit；　and　she　placed　herself　boldly　on　the　defensive。　　She　took　her　stand　upon　her　right　to　defeat　his　purpose　by　every　possible　means　to　perplex；　elude；　deceive　himin　plain　English；　to　make　a　fool　of　him。　This　was　the　construction　which　for　several　days　Bernard　put　upon　her　deportment；　at　the　same　time　that　he　thought　it　immensely　clever　of　her　to　have　guessed　what　had　been　going　on　in　his　mind。　She　made　him　feel　very　much　ashamed　of　his　critical　attitude；　and　he　did　everything　he　could　think　of　to　put　her　off　her　guard　and　persuade　her　that　for　the　moment　he　had　ceased　to　be　an　observer。　His　position　at　moments　seemed　to　him　an　odious　one；　for　he　was　firmly　resolved　that　between　him　and　the　woman　to　whom　his　friend　had　proposed　there　should　be　nothing　in　the　way　of　a　vulgar　flirtation。　Under　the　circumstances；　it　savoured　both　of　flirtation　and　of　vulgarity　that　they　should　even　fall　out　with　each　other　a　consummation　which　appeared　to　be　more　or　less　definitely　impending。　Bernard　remarked　to　himself　that　his　own　only　reasonable　line　of　conduct　would　be　instantly　to　leave　Baden；　but　I　am　almost　ashamed　to　mention　the　fact　which　led　him　to　modify　this　decision。　It　was　simply　that　he　was　induced　to　make　the　reflection　that　he　had　really　succeeded　in　putting　Miss　Vivian　off　her　guard。　How　he　had　done　so　he　would　have　found　it　difficult　to　explain；　inasmuch　as　in　one　way　or　another；　for　a　week；　he　had　spent　several　hours　in　talk　with　her。　　The　most　effective　way　of　putting　her　off　her　guard　would　have　been　to　leave　her　alone；　to　forswear　the　privilege　of　conversation　with　her；　to　pass　the　days　in　other　society。　This　course　would　have　had　the　drawback　of　not　enabling　him　to　measure　the　operation　of　so　ingenious　a　policy；　and　Bernard　liked；　of　all　the　things　in　the　world；　to　know　when　he　was　successful。　He　believed；　at　all　events；　that　he　was　successful　now；　and　that　the　virtue　of　his　conversation　itself　had　persuaded　this　keen　and　brilliant　girl　that　he　was　thinking　of　anything　in　the　world　but　herself。　He　flattered　himself　that　the　civil　indifference　of　his　manner；　the　abstract　character　of　the　topics　he　selected；　the　irrelevancy　of　his　allusions　and　the　laxity　of　his　attention；　all　contributed　to　this　result。

Such　a　result　was　certainly　a　remarkable　one；　for　it　is　almost　superfluous　to　intimate　that　Miss　Vivian　was；　in　fact；　perpetually　in　his　thoughts。　He　made　it　a　point　of　conscience　not　to　think　of　her；　but　he　was　thinking　of　her　most　when　his　conscience　was　most　lively。　　Bernard　had　a　conscience　a　conscience　which；　though　a　little　irregular　in　its　motions；　gave　itself　in　the　long　run　a　great　deal　of　exercise；　but　nothing　could　have　been　more　natural　than　that；　curious；　imaginative；　audacious　as　he　was；　and　delighting；　as　I　have　said；　in　the　play　of　his　singularly　nimble　intelligence；　he　should　have　given　himself　up　to　a　sort　of　unconscious　experimentation。　〃I　will　leave　her　aloneI　will　be　hanged　if　I　attempt　to　draw　her　out！〃　he　said　to　himself；　and　meanwhile　he　was　roaming　afield　and　plucking　personal　impressions　in　great　fragrant　handfuls。　　All　this；　as　I　say；　was　natural；　given　the　man　and　the　situation；　the　only　oddity　is　that　he　should　have　fancied　himself　able　to　persuade　the　person　most　interested　that　he　had　renounced　his　advantage。

He　remembered　her　telling　him　that　she　cared　very　much　what　he　should　say　of　her　on　Gordon　Wright's　return；　and　he　felt　that　this　declaration　had　a　particular　significance。　After　this；　of　her　own　movement；　she　never　spoke　of　Gordon；　and　Bernard　made　up　his　mind　that　she　had　promised　her　mother　to　accept　him　if　he　should　repeat　his　proposal；　and　that　as　her　heart　was　not　in　the　matter　she　preferred　to　drop　a　veil　over　the　prospect。　　〃She　is　going　to　marry　him　for　his　money；〃　he　said；　〃because　her　mother　has　brought　out　the　advantages　of　the　thing。　Mrs。　Vivian's　persuasive　powers　have　carried　the　day；　and　the　girl　has　made　herself　believe　that　it　does　n't　matter　that　she　does　n't　love　him。　　Perhaps　it　does　n'tto　her；　it　's　hard；　in　such　a　case；　to　put　one's　self　in　the　woman's　point　of　view。　　But　I　should　think　it　would　matter；　some　day　or　other；　to　poor　Gordon。　　She　herself　can't　help　suspecting　it　may　make　a　difference　in　his　happiness；　and　she　therefore　does　n't　wish　to　seem　any　worse　to　him　than　is　necessary。　She　wants　me　to　speak　well　of　her；　if　she　intends　to　deceive　him　she　expects　me　to　back　her　up。　　The　wish　is　doubtless　natural；　but　for　a　proud　girl　it　is　rather　an　odd　favor　to　ask。　Oh　yes；　she　's　a　proud　girl；　even　though　she　has　been　able　to　arrange　it　with　her　conscience　to　make　a　mercenary　marriage。　To　expect　me　to　help　her　is　perhaps　to　treat　me　as　a　friend；　but　she　ought　to　rememberor　at　least　I　ought　to　remember　that　Gordon　is　an　older　friend　than　she。　　Inviting　me　to　help　her　as　against　my　oldest　friendis　n't　there　a　grain　of　impudence　in　that？〃

It　will　be　gathered　that　Bernard's　meditations　were　not　on　the　whole　favorable　to　this　young　lady；　and　it　must　be　affirmed　that　he　was　forcibly　struck　with　an　element　of　cynicism　in　her　conduct。　On　the　evening　of　her　so…called　midnight　visit　to　the　Kursaal　she　had　suddenly　sounded　a　note　of　sweet　submissiveness　which　re…appeared　again　at　frequent　intervals。　　She　was　gentle；　accessible；　tenderly　gracious；　expressive；　demonstrative；　almost　flattering。　　From　his　own　personal　point　of　view　Bernard　had　no　complaint　to　make　of　this　maidenly　urbanity；　but　he　kept　reminding　himself　that　he　was　not　in　question　and　that　everything　must　be　looked　at　in　the　light　of　Gordon's　requirements。　There　was　all　this　time　an　absurd　logical　twist　in　his　view　of　things。　In　the　first　place　he　was　not　to　judge　at　all；　and　in　the　second　he　was　to　judge　strictly　on　Gordon's　behalf。　　This　latter　clause　always　served　as　a　justification　when　the　former　had　failed　to　serve　as　a　deterrent。　When　Bernard　reproached　himself　for　thinking　too　much　of　the　girl；　he　drew　comfort　from　the　reflection　that　he　was　not　thinking　well。　To　let　it　gradually　filter　into　one's　mind；　through　a　superficial　complexity　of　more　reverent　preconceptions；　that　she　was　an　extremely　clever　coquettethis；　surely；　was　not　to　think　well！　　Bernard　had　luminous　glimpses　of　another　situation；　in　which　Angela　Vivian's　coquetry　should　meet　with　a　different　appreciation；　but　just　now　it　was　not　an　item　to　be　entered　on　the　credit　side　of　Wright's　account。　Bernard　wiped　his　pen；　mentally　speaking；　as　he　made　this　reflection；　and　felt　like　a　grizzled　old　book…keeper；　of　incorruptible　probity。　He　saw　her；　as　I　have　said；　very　often；　she　continued　to　break　her　vow　of　shutting　herself　up；　and　at　the　end　of　a　fortnight　she　had　reduced　it　to　imperceptible　particles。　　On　four　different　occasions；　presenting　himself　at　Mrs。　Vivian's　lodgings；　Bernard　found　Angela　there　alone。　　She　made　him　welcome；　receiving　him　as　an　American　girl；　in　such　circumstances；　is　free　to　receive　the　most　gallant　of　visitors。　She　smiled　and　talked　and　gave　herself　up　to　charming　gayety；　so　that　there　was　nothing　for　Bernard　to　say　but　that　now　at　least　she　was　off　her　guard　with　a　vengeance。　　Happily　he　was　on　his　own！　He　flattered　himself　that　he　remained　so　on　occasions　that　were　even　more　insidiously　relaxingwhen；　in　the　evening；　she　strolled　away　with　him　to　parts　of　the　grounds　of　the　Conversation…house；　where　the　music　sank　to　sweeter　softness　and　the　murmur　of　the　tree…tops　of　the　Black　Forest；　stirred　by　the　warm　night…air；　became　almost　audible；　or　when；　in　the　long　afternoons；　they　wandered　in　the　woods　apart　from　the　others　from　Mrs。　Vivian　and　the　amiable　object　of　her　more　avowed　solicitude；　the　object　of　the　sportive　adoration　of　the　irrepressible；　the　ever…present　Lovelock。　　They　were　constantly　having　parties　in　the　woods　at　this　timedriving　over　the　hills　to　points　of　interest　which　Bernard　had　looked　out　in　the　guide…book。　Bernard；　in　such　matters；　was　extremely　alert　and　considerate；　he　developed　an　unexpected　talent　for　arranging　excursions；　and　he　had　taken　regularly　into　his　service　the　red…waistcoated　proprietor　of　a　big　Teutonic　landau；　which　had　a　courier's　seat　behind　and　was　always　at　the　service　of　the　ladies。　The　functionary　in　the　red　waistcoat　was　a　capital　charioteer；　he　was　constantly　proposing　new　drives；　and　he　introduced　our　little　party　to　treasures　of　romantic　scenery。






CHAPTER　XIII

More　than　a　fortnight　had　elapsed；　but　Gordon　Wright　had　not　re…appeared；　and　Bernard　suddenly　decided　that　he　would　leave　Baden。　He　found　Mrs。　Vivian　and　her　daughter；　very　opportunely；　in　the　garden　of　the　pleasant；　homely　Schloss　which　forms　the　residence　of　the　Grand　Dukes　of　Baden　during　their　visits　to　the　scene　of　our　narrative；　and　which；　perched　upon　the　hill…side　directly　above　the　little　town；　is　surrounded　with　charming　old　shrubberies　and　terraces。　　To　this　garden　a　portion　of　the　public　is　admitted；　and　Bernard；　who　liked　the　place；　had　been　there　more　than　once。　　One　of　the　terraces　had　a　high　parapet；　against　which　Angela　was　leaning；　looking　across　the　valley。　Mrs。　Vivian　was　not　at　first　in　sight；　but　Bernard　presently　perceived　her　seated　under　a　tree　with　Victor　Cousin　in　her　hand。　As　Bernard　approached　the　young　girl；　Angela；　who　had　not　seen　him；　turned　round。

〃Don't　move；〃　he　said。　　〃You　were　just　in　the　position　in　which　I　painted　your　portrait　at　Siena。〃

〃Don't　speak　of　that；〃　she　answered。

〃I　have　never　un