penrod-第35部分

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her。　　It　was　Sam　Williams'　mother　addressing　Mrs。　Bassett；

both　being　present　to　help　Mrs。　Schofield　make　the　festivities

festive。



〃Exquisite！〃



Here　was　a　second　heavy　surprise　for　Marjorie：　they　were　not

looking　at　her。　　They　were　looking　with　beaming　approval　at　a

girl　she　had　never　seen；　a　dark　and　modish　stranger　of　singularly

composed　and　yet　modest　aspect。　　Her　downcast　eyes；　becoming　in

one　thus　entering　a　crowded　room；　were　all　that　produced　the

effect　of　modesty；　counteracting　something　about　her　which　might

have　seemed　too　assured。　　She　was　very　slender；　very　dainty；　and

her　apparel　was　disheartening　to　the　other　girls；　it　was　of　a

knowing　picturesqueness　wholly　unfamiliar　to　them。　　There　was　a

delicate　trace　of　powder　upon　the　lobe　of　Fanchon's　left　ear；　and

the　outlines　of　her　eyelids；　if　very　closely　scrutinized；　would

have　revealed　successful　experimentation　with　a　burnt　match。



Marjorie's　lovely　eyes　dilated：　she　learned　the　meaning　of

hatred　at　first　sight。　　Observing　the　stranger　with　instinctive

suspicion；　all　at　once　she　seemed；　to　herself；　awkward。　　Poor

Marjorie　underwent　that　experience　which　hearty；　healthy；　little

girls　and　big　girls　undergo　at　one　time　or　anotherfrom　heels　to

head　she　felt　herself；　somehow；　too　THICK。



Fanchon　leaned　close　to　Penrod　and　whispered　in　his　ear：



〃Don't　you　forget！〃



Penrod　blushed。



Marjorie　saw　the　blush。　　Her　lovely　eyes　opened　even　wider；

and　in　them　there　began　to　grow　a　light。　　It　was　the　light　of

indignation；at　least；　people　whose　eyes　glow　with　that　light

always　call　it　indignation。



Roderick　Magsworth　Bitts；　Junior；　approached　Fanchon；　when

she　had　made　her　courtesy　to　Mrs。　Schofield。　　Fanchon　whispered

in　Roderick's　ear　also。



〃Your　hair　is　pretty；　Roddy！　　Don't　forget　what　you　said

yesterday！〃



Roderick　likewise　blushed。



Maurice　Levy；　captivated　by　the　newcomer's　appearance；

pressed　close　to　Roderick。



〃Give　us　an　intaduction；　Roddy？〃



Roddy　being　either　reluctant　or　unable　to　perform　the　rite；

Fanchon　took　matters　into　her　own　hands；　and　was　presently

favourably　impressed　with　Maurice；　receiving　the　information　that

his　tie　had　been　brought　to　him　by　his　papa　from　Skoone's；

whereupon　she　privately　informed　him　that　she　liked　wavy　hair；

and　arranged　to　dance　with　him。　　Fanchon　also　thought　sandy　hair

attractive；　Sam　Williams　discovered；　a　few　minutes　later；　and　so

catholic　was　her　taste　that　a　ring　of　boys　quite　encircled　her

before　the　musicians　in　the　yard　struck　up　their　thrilling　march；

and　Mrs。　Schofield　brought　Penrod　to　escort　the　lady　from

out…of…town　to　the　dancing　pavilion。



Headed　by　this　pair；　the　children　sought　partners　and　paraded

solemnly　out　of　the　front　door　and　round　a　corner　of　the　house。　

There　they　found　the　gay　marquee；　the　small　orchestra　seated　on

the　lawn　at　one　side　of　it；　and　a　punch　bowl　of　lemonade　inviting

attention；　under　a　tree。　　Decorously　the　small　couples　stepped

upon　the　platform；　one　after　another；　and　began　to　dance。



〃It's　not　much　like　a　children's　party　in　our　day；〃　Mrs。

Williams　said　to　Penrod's　mother。　　〃We'd　have　been　playing

‘Quaker…meeting；'　‘Clap…in；　Clap…out；'　or　‘Going　to　Jerusalem；'　I

suppose。〃



〃Yes；　or　‘Post…office'　and　‘Drop…the…handkerchief；'〃　said

Mrs。　Schofield。　　〃Things　change　so　quickly。　　Imagine　asking

little　Fanchon　Gelbraith　to　play　‘London　Bridge'！　　Penrod　seems

to　be　having　a　difficult　time　with　her；　poor　boy；　he　wasn't　a

shining　light　in　the　dancing　class。〃



However；　Penrod's　difficulty　was　not　precisely　of　the　kind

his　mother　supposed。　　Fanchon　was　showing　him　a　new　step；　which

she　taught　her　next　partner　in　turn；　continuing　instructions

during　the　dancing。　　The　children　crowded　the　floor；　and　in　the

kaleidoscopic　jumble　of　bobbing　heads　and　intermingling　figures

her　extremely　different　style　of　motion　was　unobserved　by　the

older　people；　who　looked　on；　nodding　time　benevolently。



Fanchon　fascinated　girls　as　well　as　boys。　　Many　of　the

former　eagerly　sought　her　acquaintance　and　thronged　about　her

between　the　dances；　when；　accepting　the　deference　due　a

cosmopolitan　and　an　oracle　of　the　mode；　she　gave　demonstrations

of　the　new　step　to　succeeding　groups；　professing　astonishment　to

find　it　unknown：　it　had　been　〃all　the　go；〃　she　explained；　at　the

Long　Shore　Casino　for　fully　two　seasons。　　She　pronounced　〃slow〃　a

〃Fancy　Dance〃　executed　during　an　intermission　by　Baby　Rennsdale

and　Georgie　Bassett；　giving　it　as　her　opinion　that　Miss　Rennsdale

and　Mr。　Bassett　were　〃dead　ones〃；　and　she　expressed　surprise　that

the　punch　bowl　contained　lemonade　and　not　champagne。



The　dancing　continued；　the　new　step　gaining　instantly　in

popularity；　fresh　couples　adventuring　with　every　number。　　The

word　〃step〃　is　somewhat　misleading；　nothing　done　with　the　feet

being　vital　to　the　evolutions　introduced　by　Fanchon。　　Fanchon's

dance　came　from　the　Orient　by　a　roundabout　way；　pausing　in　Spain；

taking　on　a　Gallic　frankness　in　gallantry　at　the　Bal　Bullier　in

Paris；　combining　with　a　relative　from　the　South　Seas　encountered

in　San　Francisco；　flavouring　itself　with　a　carefree　negroid

abandon　in　New　Orleans；　and；　accumulating；　too；　something

inexpressible　from　Mexico　and　South　America；　it　kept；　throughout

its　travels；　to　the　underworld；　or　to　circles　where　nature　is

extremely　frank　and　rank；　until　at　last　it　reached　the　dives　of

New　York；　when　it　immediately　broke　out　in　what　is　called

civilized　society。　　Thereafter　it　spread；　in　variously　modified

formssome　of　them　disinfectedto　watering…places；　and　thence；

carried　by　hundreds　of　older　male　and　female　Fanchons；　over　the

country；　being　eagerly　adopted　everywhere　and　made　wholly　pure

and　respectable　by　the　supreme　moral　axiom　that　anything　is　all

right　if　enough　people　do　it。　　Everybody　was　doing　it。



Not　quite　everybody。　　It　was　perhaps　some　test　of　this　dance

that　earth　could　furnish　no　more　grotesque　sight　than　that　of

children　doing　it。



Earth；　assisted　by　Fanchon；　was　furnishing　this　sight　at

Penrod's　party。　　By　the　time　ice…cream　and　cake　arrived；　about

half　the　guests　had　either　been　initiated　into　the　mysteries　by

Fanchon　or　were　learning　by　imitation；　and　the　education　of　the

other　half　was　resumed　with　the　dancing；　when　the　attendant

ladies；　unconscious　of　what　was　happening；　withdrew　into　the

house　for　tea。



〃That　orchestra's　a　dead　one；〃　Fanchon　remarked　to　Penrod。　

〃We　ought　to　liven　them　up　a　little！〃



She　approached　the　musicians。



〃Don't　you　know；〃　she　asked　the　leader；　〃the　Slingo　Sligo

Slide？〃



The　leader　giggled；　nodded；　rapped　with　his　bow　upon　his

violin；　and　Penrod；　following　Fanchon　back　upon　the　dancing

floor；　blindly　brushed　with　his　elbow　a　solitary　little　figure

standing　aloof　on　the　lawn　at　the　edge　of　the　platform。



It　was　Marjorie。



In　no　mood　to　approve　of　anything　introduced　by　Fanchon；　she

had　scornfully　refused；　from　the　first；　to　dance　the　new　〃step；〃

and；　because　of　its　bonfire　popularity；　found　herself　neglected

in　a　society　where　she　had　reigned　as　beauty　and　belle。　

Faithless　Penrod；　dazed　by　the　sweeping　Fanchon；　had　utterly

forgotten　the　amber　curls；　he　had　not　once　asked　Marjorie　to

dance。　　All　afternoon　the　light　of　indignation　had　been　growing

brighter　in　her　eyes；　though　Maurice　Levy's　defection　to　the　lady

from　New　York　had　not　fanned　this　flame。　　From　the　moment　Fanchon

had　whispered　familiarly　in　Penrod's　ear；　and　Penrod　had　blushed；

Marjorie　had　been　occupied　exclusively　with　resentment　against

that　guilty　pair。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　Penrod　had　no　right　to

allow　a　strange　girl　to　whisper　in　his　ear；　that　his　blushing；

when　the　strange　girl　did　it；　was　atrocious；　and　that　the　strange

girl；　herself；　ought　to　be　arrested。



Forgotten　by　the　merrymakers；　Marjorie　stood　alone　upon　the

lawn；　clenching　her　small　fists；　watching　the　new　dance　at　its

high　tide；　and　hating　it　with　a　hatred　that　made　every　inch　of

her　tremble。　　And；　perhaps　because　jealousy　is　a　great　awakener

of　the　virtues；　she　had　a　perception　of　something　in　it　worse

than　lack　of　dignitysomething　vaguely　but　outrageously

reprehensible。　　Finally；　when　Penrod　brushed　by　her；　touched　her

with　his　elbow；　and；　did　not　even　see　her；　Marjorie's　state

of　mind　（not　unmingled　with　emotion！）　became　dangerous。　　In　fact；

a　trained　nurse；　chancing　to　observe　her　at　this　juncture；　would

probably　have　advised　that　she　be　taken　home　and　put　to　bed。　

Marjorie　was　on　the　verge　of　hysterics。



She　saw　Fanchon　and　Penrod　assume　the　double　embrace　required

by　the　dance；　the　〃Slingo　Sligo　Slide〃　burst　from　the　orchestra

like　the　lunatic　shriek　of　a　gin…maddened　nigger；　and　all　the

little　couples　began　to　bob　and　dip　and　sway。



Marjorie　made　a　scene。　　She　sprang　upon　the　platform　and

stamped　her　foot。



〃Penrod　Schofield！〃　she　shouted。　　〃You　BEHAVE　yourself！〃



The　remarkable　girl　took　Penrod　by　the　ear。　　By　his　ear　she

swung　him　away　from　Fanchon　and　faced　him　toward　the　lawn。



〃You　march　straight　out　of　here！〃　she　commanded。



Penrod　marched。



He　was　stunned；　obeyed　automatically；　without　question；　and

had　very　little　realization　of　what　was　happening　to　him。　

Altogether；　and　without　reason；　he　was　in　precisely　the　condition

of　an　elderly　spouse　detected　in　flagrant　misbehaviour。　

Marjorie；　similarly；　was　in　precisely　the　condition　of　the　party

who　detects　such　misbehaviour。　　It　may　be　added　that　she　had

acted　with　a　promptness；　a　decision　and　a　disregard　of

social　consequences　all　to　be　commended　to　the　attention　of

ladies　in　like　predicament。



〃You　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　yourself！〃　she　raged；　when　they

reached　the　lawn。　　〃Aren't　you　ashamed　of　yourself？〃



〃What　for？〃　he　inquired；　helplessly。



〃You　be　quiet！〃



〃But　what'd　_I_　do；　Marjorie？　　_I_　haven't　done　anything

to　you；〃　he　pleaded。　　〃I　haven