fennel and rue-第10部分

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surprising　deduction　from　it　in　Verrian's　case　operated　to　make　them
refuse　the　help　of　their　captives　in　getting　home。　　When　they　had　bound
up　their　tumbled　hair；　in　some　cases；　and　repaired　the　ravages　of　war
among　their　feathers　and　furs　and　draperies；　in　other　cases；　they
accepted　the　hands　of　the　late　enemy　　at　difficult　points　of　the　path。　
But　they　ran　forward　when　they　neared　the　house；　and　they　were　prompt　to
scream　upon　Mrs。　Westangle　that　there　never　had　been　such　a　success　or
such　fun；　and　that　they　were　almost　dead；　and　soon　as　they　had　something
to　eat　they　were　going　to　bed　and　never　going　to　get　up　again。

In　the　details　which　they　were　able　to　give　at　luncheon；　they　did
justice　to　Verrian's　noble　part　in　the　whole　affair；　which　had　saved　the
day；　not　only　in　keeping　them　up　to　the　work　when　they　had　got　thinking
it　couldn't　be　carried　through；　but　in　giving　the　combat　a　validity　which
it　would　not　have　had　without　him。　　They　had　to　thank　him；　next　to　Mrs。
Westangle　herself；　whom　they　praised　beyond　any　articulate　expression；
for　thinking　up　such　a　delightful　thing。　　They　wondered　how　she　could
ever　have　thought　of　itsuch　a　simple　thing　too；　and　they　were　sure　that
when　people　heard　of　it　they　would　all　be　wanting　to　have　snow　battles。

Mrs。　Westangle　took　her　praises　as　passively；　if　not　as　modestly；　as
Verrian　received　his。　　She　made　no　show　of　disclaiming　them；　but　she　had
the　art；　invaluable　in　a　woman　who　meant　to　go　far　in　the　line　she　had
chosen；　of　not　seeming　to　have　done　anything；　or　of　not　caring　whether
people　liked　it　or　not。　　Verrian　asked　himself；　as　he　watched　her
twittering　back　at　those　girls；　and　shedding　equally　their　thanks　and
praises　from　her　impermeable　plumage；　how　she　would　have　behaved　if　Miss
Shirley's　attempt　had　been　an　entire　failure。　　He　decided　that　she　would
have　ignored　the　failure　with　the　same　impersonality　as　that　with　which
she　now　ignored　the　success。　　It　appeared　that　in　one　point　he　did　her
injustice；　for　when　he　went　up　to　dress　for　dinner　after　the　long　stroll
he　took　towards　night　he　found　a　note　under　his　door；　by　which　he　must
infer　that　Mrs。　Westangle　had　not　kept　the　real　facts　of　her　triumph　from
the　mistress　of　the　revels。

　　　　　　　　　　〃DEAR　MR。　VERRIAN；　I　am　not　likely　to　see　you；　but　I　must
　　　　　　　　　　thank　you。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　M。　SHIRLEY。
　　　　　　　　　　〃P。　S。　　Don't　try　to　answer；　please。〃

Verrian　liked；　the　note；　he　even　liked　the　impulse　which　had　dictated　it；
and　he　understood　the　impulse；　but　he　did　not　like　getting　the　note。　　If
Miss　Shirley　meant　business　in　taking　up　the　line　of　life　she　had
professed　to　have　entered　upon　seriously；　she　had　better；　in　the　case　of
a　young　man　whose　acquaintance　she　had　chanced　to　make；　let　her　gratitude
wait。　　But　when　did　a　woman　ever　mean　business；　except　in　the　one　great
business？




XIV。

To　have　got　that　sillily　superfluous　note　to　Verrian　without　any　one's
knowing　besides；　Miss　Shirley　must　have　stolen　to　his　door　herself　and
slipped　it　under。　　In　order　to　do　this　unsuspected　and　unseen；　she　must
have　found　out　in　some　sort　that　would　not　give　her　away　which　his　room
was；　and　then　watched　her　chance。　　It　all　argued　a　pervasiveness　in　her；
after　such　a　brief　sojourn　in　the　house；　and　a　mastery　of　finesse　that　he
did　not　like；　though；　he　reflected；　he　was　not　authorized　to　like　or
dislike　anything　about　her。　　He　was　thirty…seven　years　old；　and　he　had
not　lived　through　that　time；　with　his　mother　at　his　elbow　to　suggest
inferences　from　facts；　without　being　versed　in　wiles　which；　even　when
they　were　honest；　were　always　wiles；　and　in　lures　which；　when　they　were
of　the　most　gossamer　tenuity；　were　yet　of　texture　close　enough　to　make
the　man　who　blundered　through　them　aware　that　they　had　been　thrown　across
his　path。　　He　understood；　of　course；　that　they　were　sometimes　helplessly
thrown　across　it；　and　were　mere　expressions　of　abstract　woman　with
relation　to　abstract　man；　but　that　did　not　change　their　nature。　　He　did
not　abhor　them；　but　he　believed　he　knew　them；　and　he　believed　now　that　he
detected　one　of　them　in　Miss　Shirley's　note。　　Of　course；　one　could　take
another　view　of　it。　　One　could　say　to　one's　self　that　she　was　really　so
fervently　grateful　that　she　could　not　trust　some　accident　to　bring　them
together　in　a　place　where　she　was　merely　a　part　of　the　catering；　as　she
said；　and　he　was　a　guest；　and　that　she　was　excusable；　or　at　least
mercifully　explicable；　in　her　wish　to　have　him　know　that　she　appreciated
his　goodness。　　Verrian　had　been　very　good；　he　knew　that；　he　had　saved　the
day　for　the　poor　thing　when　it　was　in　danger　of　the　dreariest　kind　of
slump。　　She　was　a　poor　thing；　as　any　woman　was　who　had　to　make　her　own
way；　and　she　had　been　sick　and　was　charming。　　Besides；　she　had　found　out
his　name　and　had　probably　recognized　a　quality　of　celebrity　in　it；
unknown　to　the　other　young　people　with　whom　he　found　himself　so　strangely
assorted　under　Mrs。　Westangle's　roof。

In　the　end；　and　upon　the　whole；　Verrian　would　rather　have　liked；　if　the
thing　could　have　been　made　to　happen；　meeting　Miss　Shirley　long　enough　to
disclaim　meriting　her　thanks；　and　to　ascribe　to　the　intrinsic　value　of
her　scheme　the　brilliant　success　it　had　achieved。　　This　would　not　have
been　true；　but　it　would　have　been　encouraging　to　her；　and　in　the　revery
which　followed　upon　his　conditional　desire　he　had　a　long　imaginary
conversation　with　her；　and　discussed　all　her　other　plans　for　the　revels
of　the　week。　　These　had　not　the　trouble　of　defining　themselves　very
distinctly　in　the　conversation　in　order　to　win　his　applause；　and　their
consideration　did　not　carry　him　with　Miss　Shirley　beyond　the　strictly
professional　ground　on　which　they　met。

She　had　apparently　invented　nothing　for　that　evening；　and　the　house　party
was　left　to　its　own　resources　in　dancing　and　sitting　out　dances；　which
apparently　fully　sufficed　it。　　They　were　all　tired；　and　broke　up　early。　
The　women　took　their　candles　and　went　off　to　bed；　and　the　men　went　to　the
billiard…room　to　smoke。　　On　the　way　down　from　his　room；　where　he　had　gone
to　put　on　his　smoking…jacket；　Verrian　met　Miss　Macroyd　coming　up；　candle
in　hand；　and　received　from　her　a　tacit　intimation　that　he　might　stop　her
for　a　joking　good…night。

〃I　hope　you'll　sleep　well　on　your　laurels　as　umpire；〃　he　said。

〃Oh；　thank　you；〃　she　returned；　〃and　I　hope　your　laurels　won't　keep　you
awake。　　It　must　seem　to　you　as　if　it　was　blowing　a　perfect　gale　in　them。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？　　I　did　nothing。〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　mean　your　promotion　of　the　snow　battle。　　But　haven't　you
heard？〃　He　stared。　　〃You've　been　found　out！〃

〃Found　out？〃　　Verrian's　soul　was　filled　with　the　joy　of　literary　fame。

〃Yes。　　You　can't　conceal　yourself　now。　　You're　Verrian　the　actor。〃

〃The　actor？〃　　Verrian　frowned　blackly　in　his　disgust；　so　blackly　that
Miss　Macroyd　laughed　aloud。

〃Yes；　the　coming　matinee　idol。　　One　of　the　girls　recognized　you　as　soon
as　you　came　into　the　house；　and　the　name　settled　it；　though；　of　course；
you're　supposed　to　be　here　incognito。〃

The　mention　of　that　name　which　he　enjoyed　in　common　with　the　actor　made
Verrian　furious；　for　when　the　actor　first　appeared　with　it　in　New　York
Verrian　had　been　at　the　pains　to　find　out　that　it　was　not　his　real　name；
and　that　he　had　merely　taken　it　because　of　the　weak　quality　of　romance　in
it；　which　Verrian　himself　had　always　disliked。　　But；　of　course；　he　could
not　vent　his　fury　on　Miss　Macroyd。　　All　he　could　do　was　to　ask；　〃Then
they　have　got　my　photograph　on　their　dressing…tables；　with　candles
burning　before　it？〃

〃No；　I　don't　believe　I　can　give　you　that　comfort。　　The　fact　is；　your
acting　is　not　much　admired　among　the　girls　here；　but　they　think　you　are
unexpectedly　nice　as　a　private　person。〃

〃That's　something。　　And　does　Mrs。　Westangle　think　I'm　the　actor；　too？〃

〃How　should　Mrs。　Westangle　know　what　she　thinks？　　And　if　she　doesn't；　how
should　I？〃

〃That's　true。　　And　are　you　going　to　give　me　away？〃

〃I　haven't　done　it　yet。　　But　isn't　it　best　to　be　honest？〃

〃It　mightn't　be　a　success。〃

〃The　honesty？〃

〃My　literary　celebrity。〃

〃There's　that；〃　Miss　Macroyd　rejoiced。　　〃Well；　so　far　I've　merely　said　I
was　sure　you　were　not　Verrian　the　actor。　　I'll　think　the　other　part
over。〃　　She　went　on　up…stairs；　with　the　sound　of　her　laugh　following　her；
and　Verrian　went　gloomily　back　to　the　billiard…room；　where　he　found　most
of　the　smokers　conspicuously　yawning。　　He　lighted　a　fresh　cigar；　and
while　he　smoked　they　dropped　away　one　by　one　till　only　Bushwick　was　left。

〃Some　of　the　fellows　are　going　Thursday；〃　he　said。　　〃Are　you　going　to
stick　it　out　to　the　bitter　end？〃

Till　then　it　had　not　occurred　to　Verrian　that　he　was　not　going　to　stay
through　the　week；　but　now　he　said；　〃I　don't　know　but　I　may　go　Thursday。　
Shall　you？〃

〃I　might　as　well　stay　on。　　I　don't　find　much　doing　in　real　estate　at
Christmas。　　Do　you？〃

This　was　fishing；　but　it　was　better　than　openly　taking　him　for　that
actor；　and　Verrian　answered；　unresentfully；　〃I　don't　know。　　I'm　not　in
that　line　exactly。〃

〃Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　Bushwick　said。　　〃I　thought　I　had　seen　your　name
with　that　of　a　West　Side　concern。〃

〃No；　I　have　a　sort　of　outside　connection　with　the　publishing　business。〃

〃Oh；〃　Bushwick　returned；　politely；　and　it　would　have　been　reassuringly　if
Verrian　had　wished　not　to　be　known　as　an　author。　　The　secret　in　which　he
lived　in　that　regard　was　apparently　safe　from　that　young；　amiable；　good…
looking　real…estate　broker。　　He　inferred；　from　the　absence　of　any
allusion　to　the　superstition　of　the　women　as　to　his　profession；　that　it
had　not　spread　to　Bushwick　at　least；　and　this　inclined　him　the　more　to
like　him。　　They　sat　up　talking　pleasantly　together　about　impersonal
affairs　till　Bushwick　finished　his　cigar。　　Then　he　started　for　bed；
saying；　〃Well；　good…night。　　I　hope　Mrs。　Westangle　won't　have　anything　so
active　on　the　tapis　for　tomorrow。〃

〃Try　and　sleep　it　off。　　Good…night。〃




XV。

Verrian　remained　to　finish　his　cigar；　but　at　the　end　he　was　not　yet
sleepy；　and　he　thought　he　would　get　a　book　from　the　library；　if　that　part
of　the　house　were　still　lighted；　and　he　looked　out　to　se