confidence- 第6部分

〃Ah；　then；　my　dear　fellow；　why　did　you　send　for　me？〃

Wright　looked　at　him　an　instant　in　silence。

〃Because　I　thought　you　were　a　good　fellow；　as　well　as　a　clever　one。〃

〃A　good　fellow！〃　repeated　Longueville。　　〃I　don't　understand　your　confounded　scientific　nomenclature。　　But　excuse　me；　I　won't　laugh。　I　am　not　a　clever　fellow；　but　I　am　a　good　one。〃　　He　paused　a　moment；　and　then　laid　his　hand　on　his　companion's　shoulder。　　〃My　dear　Gordon；　it　's　no　use；　you　are　in　love。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　want　to　be；〃　said　Wright。

〃Heavens；　what　a　horrible　sentiment！〃

〃I　want　to　marry　with　my　eyes　open。　　I　want　to　know　my　wife。　You　don't　know　people　when　you　are　in　love　with　them。　Your　impressions　are　colored。〃

〃They　are　supposed　to　be；　slightly。　　And　you　object　to　color？〃

〃Well；　as　I　say；　I　want　to　know　the　woman　I　marry；　as　I　should　know　any　one　else。　　I　want　to　see　her　as　clearly。〃

〃Depend　upon　it；　you　have　too　great　an　appetite　for　knowledge；　you　set　too　high　an　esteem　upon　the　dry　light　of　science。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Gordon　promptly；　〃of　course　I　want　to　be　fond　of　her。〃

Bernard；　in　spite　of　his　protest；　began　to　laugh　again。

〃My　dear　Gordon；　you　are　better　than　your　theories。　Your　passionate　heart　contradicts　your　frigid　intellect。　I　repeat　ityou　are　in　love。〃

〃Please　don't　repeat　it　again；〃　said　Wright。

Bernard　took　his　arm；　and　they　walked　along。

〃What　shall　I　call　it；　then？　　You　are　engaged　in　making　studies　for　matrimony。〃

〃I　don't　in　the　least　object　to　your　calling　it　that。　My　studies　are　of　extreme　interest。〃

〃And　one　of　those　young　ladies　is　the　fair　volume　that　contains　the　precious　lesson；〃　said　Longueville。　　〃Or　perhaps　your　text…book　is　in　two　volumes？〃

〃No；　there　is　one　of　them　I　am　not　studying　at　all。　　I　never　could　do　two　things　at　once。〃

〃That　proves　you　are　in　love。　　One　can't　be　in　love　with　two　women　at　once；　but　one　may　perfectly　have　two　of　themor　as　many　as　you　please　up　for　a　competitive　examination。　　However；　as　I　asked　you　before；　which　of　these　young　ladies　is　it　that　you　have　selected？〃

Gordon　Wright　stopped　abruptly；　eying　his　friend。

〃Which　should　you　say？〃

〃Ah；　that　's　not　a　fair　question；〃　Bernard　urged。　　〃It　would　be　invidious　for　me　to　name　one　rather　than　the　other；　and　if　I　were　to　mention　the　wrong　one；　I　should　feel　as　if　I　had　been　guilty　of　a　rudeness　towards　the　other。　Don't　you　see？〃

Gordon　saw；　perhaps；　but　he　held　to　his　idea　of　making　his　companion　commit　himself。

〃Never　mind　the　rudeness。　　I　will　do　the　same　by　you　some　day；　to　make　it　up。　Which　of　them　should　you　think　me　likely　to　have　taken　a　fancy　to？　On　general　grounds；　now；　from　what　you　know　of　me？〃　　He　proposed　this　problem　with　an　animated　eye。

〃You　forget；〃　his　friend　said；　〃that　though　I　know；　thank　heaven；　a　good　deal　of　you；　I　know　very　little　of　either　of　those　girls。　I　have　had　too　little　evidence。〃

〃Yes；　but　you　are　a　man　who　notices。　　That　's　why　I　wanted　you　to　come。　〃

〃I　spoke　only　to　Miss　Evers。〃

〃Yes；　I　know　you　have　never　spoken　to　Miss　Vivian。〃　　Gordon　Wright　stood　looking　at　Bernard　and　urging　his　point　as　he　pronounced　these　words。　　Bernard　felt　peculiarly　conscious　of　his　gaze。　The　words　represented　an　illusion；　and　Longueville　asked　himself　quickly　whether　it　were　not　his　duty　to　dispel　it。　The　answer　came　more　slowly　than　the　question；　but　still　it　came；　in　the　shape　of　a　negative。　　The　illusion　was　but　a　trifling　one；　and　it　was　not　for　him；　after　all；　to　let　his　friend　know　that　he　had　already　met　Miss　Vivian。　It　was　for　the　young　girl　herself；　and　since　she　had　not　done　so　although　she　had　the　opportunityLongueville　said　to　himself　that　he　was　bound　in　honor　not　to　speak。　　These　reflections　were　very　soon　made；　but　in　the　midst　of　them　our　young　man；　thanks　to　a　great　agility　of　mind；　found　time　to　observe；　tacitly；　that　it　was　odd；　just　there；　to　see　his　〃honor〃　thrusting　in　its　nose。　　Miss　Vivian；　in　her　own　good　time；　would　doubtless　mention　to　Gordon　the　little　incident　of　Siena。　It　was　Bernard's　fancy；　for　a　moment；　that　he　already　knew　it；　and　that　the　remark　he　had　just　uttered　had　an　ironical　accent；　but　this　impression　was　completely　dissipated　by　the　tone　in　which　he　added〃All　the　same；　you　noticed　her。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　she　is　very　noticeable。〃

〃Well；　then；〃　said　Gordon；　〃you　will　see。　　I　should　like　you　to　make　it　out。　Of　course；　if　I　am　really　giving　my　attention　to　one　to　the　exclusion　of　the　other；　it　will　be　easy　to　discover。〃

Longueville　was　half　amused；　half　irritated　by　his　friend's　own　relish　of　his　little　puzzle。　　〃　'The　exclusion　of　the　other'　has　an　awkward　sound；〃　he　answered；　as　they　walked　on。　　〃Am　I　to　notice　that　you　are　very　rude　to　one　of　the　young　ladies？〃

〃Oh　dear；　no。　　Do　you　think　there　is　a　danger　of　that？〃

〃Well；〃　said　Longueville；　〃I　have　already　guessed。〃

Gordon　Wright　remonstrated。　　〃Don't　guess　yetwait　a　few　days。　I　won't　tell　you　now。〃

〃Let　us　see　if　he　does　n't　tell　me；〃　said　Bernard；　privately。　And　he　meditated　a　moment。　　〃When　I　presented　myself；　you　were　sitting　very　close　to　Miss　Evers　and　talking　very　earnestly。　Your　head　was　bent　toward　herit　was　very　lover…like。　Decidedly；　Miss　Evers　is　the　object！〃

For　a　single　instant　Gordon　Wright　hesitated；　and　then〃I　hope　I　have　n't　seemed　rude　to　Miss　Vivian！〃　he　exclaimed。

Bernard　broke　into　a　light　laugh。　　〃My　dear　Gordon；　you　are　very　much　in　love！〃　he　remarked；　as　they　arrived　at　their　hotel。






CHAPTER　V

Life　at　baden…baden　proved　a　very　sociable　affair；　and　Bernard　Longueville　perceived　that　he　should　not　lack　opportunity　for　the　exercise　of　those　gifts　of　intelligence　to　which　Gordon　Wright　had　appealed。　The　two　friends　took　long　walks　through　the　woods　and　over　the　mountains；　and　they　mingled　with　human　life　in　the　crowded　precincts　of　the　Conversation…house。　They　engaged　in　a　ramble　on　the　morning　after　Bernard's　arrival；　and　wandered　far　away；　over　hill　and　dale。　The　Baden　forests　are　superb；　and　the　composition　of　the　landscape　is　most　effective。　　There　is　always　a　bosky　dell　in　the　foreground；　and　a　purple　crag　embellished　with　a　ruined　tower　at　a　proper　angle。　A　little　timber…and…plaster　village　peeps　out　from　a　tangle　of　plum…trees；　and　a　way…side　tavern；　in　comfortable　recurrence；　solicits　concessions　to　the　national　custom　of　frequent　refreshment。　Gordon　Wright；　who　was　a　dogged　pedestrian；　always　enjoyed　doing　his　ten　miles；　and　Longueville；　who　was　an　incorrigible　stroller；　felt　a　keen　relish　for　the　picturesqueness　of　the　country。　But　it　was　not；　on　this　occasion；　of　the　charms　of　the　landscape　or　the　pleasures　of　locomotion　that　they　chiefly　discoursed。　Their　talk　took　a　more　closely　personal　turn。　　It　was　a　year　since　they　had　met；　and　there　were　many　questions　to　ask　and　answer；　many　arrears　of　gossip　to　make　up。　　As　they　stretched　themselves　on　the　grass　on　a　sun…warmed　hill…side；　beneath　a　great　German　oak　whose　arms　were　quiet　in　the　blue　summer　air；　there　was　a　lively　exchange　of　impressions；　opinions；　speculations；　anecdotes。　　Gordon　Wright　was　surely　an　excellent　friend。　　He　took　an　interest　in　you。　He　asked　no　idle　questions　and　made　no　vague　professions；　but　he　entered　into　your　situation；　he　examined　it　in　detail；　and　what　he　learned　he　never　forgot。　　Months　afterwards；　he　asked　you　about　things　which　you　yourself　had　forgotten。　　He　was　not　a　man　of　whom　it　would　be　generally　said　that　he　had　the　gift　of　sympathy；　but　he　gave　his　attention　to　a　friend's　circumstances　with　a　conscientious　fixedness　which　was　at　least　very　far　removed　from　indifference。　Bernard　had　the　gift　of　sympathyor　at　least　he　was　supposed　to　have　it；　but　even　he；　familiar　as　he　must　therefore　have　been　with　the　practice　of　this　charming　virtue；　was　at　times　so　struck　with　his　friend's　fine　faculty　of　taking　other　people's　affairs　seriously　that　he　constantly　exclaimed　to　himself；　〃The　excellent　fellowthe　admirable　nature！〃

Bernard　had　two　or　three　questions　to　ask　about　the　three　persons　who　appeared　to　have　formed　for　some　time　his　companion's　principal　society；　but　he　was　indisposed　to　press　them。　He　felt　that　he　should　see　for　himself；　and　at　a　prospect　of　entertainment　of　this　kind；　his　fancy　always　kindled。　Gordon　was；　moreover；　at　first　rather　shy　of　confidences；　though　after　they　had　lain　on　the　grass　ten　minutes　there　was　a　good　deal　said。

〃Now　what　do　you　think　of　her　face？〃　　Gordon　asked；　after　staring　a　while　at　the　sky　through　the　oak…boughs。

〃Of　course；　in　future；〃　said　Longueville；　〃whenever　you　make　use　of　the　personal　pronoun　feminine；　I　am　to　understand　that　Miss　Vivian　is　indicated。〃

〃Her　name　is　Angela；〃　said　Gordon；　〃but　of　course　I　can　scarcely　call　her　that。〃

〃It　's　a　beautiful　name；〃　Longueville　rejoined；　〃but　I　may　say；　in　answer　to　your　question；　that　I　am　not　struck　with　the　fact　that　her　face　corresponds　to　it。〃

〃You　don't　think　her　face　beautiful；　then？〃

〃I　don't　think　it　angelic。　　But　how　can　I　tell？　　I　have　only　had　a　glimpse　of　her。〃

〃Wait　till　she　looks　at　you　and　speakswait　till　she　smiles；〃　said　Gordon。

〃I　don't　think　I　saw　her　smileat　least；　not　at　me；　directly。　I　hope　she　will！〃　　Longueville　went　on。　　〃But　who　is　she　this　beautiful　girl　with　the　beautiful　name？〃

〃She　is　her　mother's　daughter；〃　said　Gordon　Wright。　　〃I　don't　really　know　a　great　deal　more　about　her　than　that。〃

〃And　who　is　her　mother？〃

〃A　delightful　little　woman；　devoted　to　Miss　Vivian。　She　is　a　widow；　and　Angela　is　her　only　child。　　They　have　lived　a　great　deal　in　Europe；　they　have　but　a　modest　income。　Over　here；　Mrs。　Vivian　says；　they　can　get　a　lot　of　things　for　their　money　that　they　can't　get　at　home。　　So　they　stay；　you　see。　　When　they　are　at　home　they　live　in　New　York。　They　know　some　of　my　people　there。　　When　they　are　in　Europe　they　live　about　in　different　places。　　They　are　fond　of　Italy。　They　are　extremely　nice；　it　's　impossible　to　be　nicer。　They　are　very　fond　of　books；　fond　of　music；　and　art；　and　all　that。　They　always　read　in　the　morning。　　They　only　come　out　rather　late　in　the　day。〃

〃I　see　they　are　very　superior　people；〃　said　Bernard。　〃And　little　Miss　Everswhat　does　she　do　in　the　morning？　I　know　what　she　does　in　the　evening！〃

〃I　don't　know　what　her　regular　habits　are。　　I　have　n't　paid　much　atte