ragged lady, v1-第14部分

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to　have　spoken　so；　it　must　be　wrong。　　She　did　not　wish　him　to　feel　badly；
even　if　he　had　done　wrong；　but　she　had　to　take　his　view　of　what　he　had
done。　　〃Why；　suttainly；　Mr。　Gregory；〃　she　answered。　　〃You　mustn't　mind
it。〃

〃But　I　do　mind　it。　　I　have　been　very；　very　selfish；　very　thoughtless。　　We
are　both　too　young。　　I　can't　ask　you　to　wait　for　me　till　I　could　marry〃

The　word　really　frightened　Clementina。　　She　said；　〃I　don't　believe　I
betta　promise。〃

〃Oh；　I　know　it！〃　　said　Gregory。　　〃I　am　going　away　from　here。　　I　am　going
to…morrow　as　soon　as　I　can　arrangeas　soon　as　I　can　get　away。　　Good…
nightI〃Clementina　in　her　agitation　put　her　hands　up　to　her　face。
〃Oh；　don't　cryI　can't　bear　to　have　you　cry。〃

She　took　down　her　hands。　　〃I'm　not　crying！　　But　I　wish　I　had　neva　seen
those　slippas。〃

They　had　come　to　the　bank　of　the　river；　whose　current　quivered　at　that
point　in　a　scaly　ripple　in　the　moonlight。　　At　her　words　Gregory　suddenly
pulled　the　box　from　under　his　arm；　and　flung　it　into　the　stream　as　far　as
he　could。　　It　caught　upon　a　shallow　of　the　ripple；　hung　there　a　moment；
then　loosed　itself；　and　swam　swiftly　down　the　stream。

〃Oh！〃　Clementina　moaned。

〃Do　you　want　them　back？〃　　he　demanded。　　〃I　will　go　in　for　them！〃

〃No；　no！　　No。　　But　it　seemed　such　awaste！〃

〃Yes；　that　is　a　sin；　too。〃　　They　climbed　silently　to　the　hotel。　　At　Mrs。
Atwell's　door；　he　spoke。　　〃Try　to　forget　what　I　said；　and　forgive　me；　if
you　can。〃

〃Yesyes；　I　will；　Mr。　Gregory。　　You　mustn't　think　of　it　any　moa。〃




XII。

Clementina　did　not　sleep　till　well　toward　morning；　and　she　was　still
sleeping　when　Mrs。　Atwell　knocked　and　called　in　to　her　that　her　brother
Jim　wanted　to　see　her。　　She　hurried　down；　and　in　the　confusion　of　mind
left　over　from　the　night　before　she　cooed　sweetly　at　Jim　as　if　he　had
been　Mr。　Gregory；　〃What　is　it；　Jim？　　What　do　you　want　me　for？〃

The　boy　answered　with　the　disgust　a　sister's　company　manners　always　rouse
in　a　brother。　　〃Motha　wants　you。　　Says　she's　wo'ked　down；　and　she　wants
you　to　come　and　help。〃　　Then　he　went　his　way。

Mrs。　Atwell　was　used　to　having　help　snatched　from　her　by　their　families
at　a　moment's　notice。　　〃I　presume　you've　got　to　go；　Clem；〃　she　said。

〃Oh；　yes；　I've　got　to　go；〃　Clementina　assented；　with　a　note　of　relief
which　mystified　Mrs。　Atwell。

〃You　tied　readin'　to　Mr。　Milray？〃

〃Oh；　no'm…no；　I　mean。　　But　I　guess　I　betta　go　home。　　I　guess　I've　been
away　long　enough。〃

〃Well；　you're　a　good　gul；　Clem。　　I　presume　your　motha's　got　a　right　to
have　you　home　if　she　wants　you。〃　　Clementina　said　nothing　to　this；　but
turned　briskly；　and　started　upstairs　toward　her　room　again。　　The　landlady
called　after　her；　〃Shall　you　speak　to　Mis'　Milray；　or　do　you　want　I
should？〃

Clementina　looked　back　at　her　over　her　shoulder　to　warble；　〃Why；　if　you
would；　Mrs。　Atwell；〃　and　kept　on　to　her　room。

Mrs。　Milray　was　not　wholly　sorry　to　have　her　go；　she　was　going　herself
very　soon；　and　Clementina's　earlier　departure　simplified　the　question　of
getting　rid　of　her；　but　she　overwhelmed　her　with　reproaches　which
Clementina　received　with　such　sweet　sincerity　that　another　than　Mrs。
Milray　might　have　blamed　herself　for　having　abused　her　ingenuousness。

The　Atwells　could　very　well　have　let　the　girl　walk　home；　but　they　sent
her　in　a　buckboard；　with　one　of　the　stablemen　to　drive　her。　　The　landlord
put　her　neat　bundle　under　the　seat　of　the　buckboard　with　his　own　hand。
There　was　something　in　the　child's　bearing；　her　dignity　and　her
amiability；　which　made　people　offer　her；　half　in　fun；　and　half　in
earnest；　the　deference　paid　to　age　and　state。

She　did　not　know　whether　Gregory　would　try　to　see　her　before　she　went。
She　thought　he　must　have　known　she　was　going；　but　since　he　neither　came
to　take　leave　of　her；　nor　sent　her　any　message；　she　decided　that　she　had
not　expected　him　to　do　so。　　About　the　third　week　of　September　she　heard
that　he　had　left　Middlemount　and　gone　back　to　college。

She　kept　at　her　work　in　the　house　and　helped　her　mother；　and　looked　after
the　little　ones；　she　followed　her　father　in　the　woods；　in　his　quest　of
stuff　for　walking　sticks；　and　advised　with　both　concerning　the　taste　of
summer　folks　in　dress　and　in　canes。　　The　winter　came；　and　she　read　many
books　in　its　long　leisure；　mostly　novels；　out　of　the　rector's　library。
He　had　a　whole　set　of　Miss　Edgeworth；　and　nearly　all　of　Miss　Austen　and
Miss　Gurney；　and　he　gave　of　them　to　Clementina；　as　the　best　thing　for　her
mind　as　well　as　her　morals；　he　believed　nothing　could　be　better　for　any
one　than　these　old　English　novels；　which　he　had　nearly　forgotten　in　their
details。　　She　colored　the　faded　English　life　of　the　stories　afresh　from
her　Yankee　circumstance；　and　it　seemed　the　consensus　of　their　testimony
that　she　had　really　been　made　love　to；　and　not　so　very　much　too　soon；　at
her　age　of　sixteen；　for　most　of　their　heroines　were　not　much　older。　　The
terms　of　Gregory's　declaration　and　of　its　withdrawal　were　mystifying；　but
not　more　mystifying　than　many　such　things；　and　from　what　happened　in　the
novels　she　read；　the　affair　might　be　trusted　to　come　out　all　right　of
itself　in　time。　　She　was　rather　thoughtfuller　for　it；　and　once　her　mother
asked　her　what　was　the　matter　with　her。　　〃Oh；　I　guess　I'm　getting　old；
motha；〃　she　said；　and　turned　the　question　off。　　She　would　not　have　minded
telling　her　mother　about　Gregory；　but　it　would　not　have　been　the　custom；
and　her　mother　would　have　worried；　and　would　have　blamed　him。　　Clementina
could　have　more　easily　trusted　her　father　with　the　case；　but　so　far　as
she　knew　fathers　never　were　trusted　with　anything　of　the　kind。　　She　would
have　been　willing　that　accident　should　bring　it　to　the　knowledge　of　Mrs。
Richling；　but　the　moment　never　came　when　she　could　voluntarily　confide　in
her；　though　she　was　a　great　deal　with　her　that　winter。　　She　was　Mrs。
Richling's　lieutenant　in　the　social　affairs　of　the　parish；　which　the
rector's　wife　took　under　her　care。　　She　helped　her　get　up　entertainments
of　the　kind　that　could　be　given　in　the　church　parlor；　and　they　managed
together　some　dances　which　had　to　be　exiled　to　the　town　hall。　　They
contrived　to　make　the　young　people　of　the　village　feel　that　they　were
having　a　gay　time；　and　Clementina　did　not　herself　feel　that　it　was　a　dull
one。　　She　taught　them　some　of　the　new　steps　and　figures　which　the　help
used　to　pick　up　from　the　summer　folks　at　the　Middlemount；　and　practise
together；　she　liked　doing　that；　her　mother　said　the　child　would　rather
dance　than　eat；　any　time。　　She　was　never　sad；　but　so　much　dignity　got
into　her　sweetness　that　the　rector　now　and　then　complained　of　feeling　put
down　by　her。

She　did　not　know　whether　she　expected　Gregory　to　write　to　her　or　not；　but
when　no　letters　came　she　decided　that　she　had　not　expected　them。　　She
wondered　if　he　would　come　back　to　the　Middlemount　the　next　summer；　but
when　the　summer　came；　she　heard　that　they　had　another　student　in　his
place。　　She　heard　that　they　had　a　new　clerk；　and　that　the　boarders　were
not　so　pleasant。　　Another　year　passed；　and　towards　the　end　of　the　season
Mrs。　Atwell　wished　her　to　come　and　help　her　again；　and　Clementina　went
over　to　the　hotel　to　soften　her　refusal。　　She　explained　that　her　mother
had　so　much　sewing　now　that　she　could　not　spare　her；　and　Mrs。　Atwell
said：　Well；　that　was　right；　and　that　she　must　be　the　greatest　kind　of
dependence　for　her　mother。　　〃You　ah'　going　on　seventeen　this　year；　ain't
you？〃

〃I　was　nineteen　the　last　day　of　August；〃　said　Clementina；　and　Mrs。　Atwell
sighed；　and　said；　How　the　time　did　fly。

It　was　the　second　week　of　September；　but　Mrs。　Atwell　said　they　were　going
to　keep　the　house　open　till　the　middle　of　October；　if　they　could；　for　the
autumnal　foliage；　which　there　was　getting　to　be　quite　a　class　of　custom
for。

〃I　presume　you　knew　Mr。　Landa　was　dead；〃　she　added；　and　at　Clementina's
look　of　astonishment；　she　said　with　a　natural　satisfaction；　〃Mm！　died　the
thutteenth　day　of　August。　　I　presumed　somehow　you'd　know　it；　though　you
didn't　see　a　great　deal　of　'em；　come　to　think　of　it。　　I　guess　he　was　a
good　man；　too　good　for　her；　I　guess；〃　she　concluded；　in　the　New　England
necessity　of　blaming　some　one。　　〃She　sent　us　the　papah。〃

There　was　an　early　frost；　and　people　said　there　was　going　to　be　a　hard
winter；　but　it　was　not　this　that　made　Clementina's　father　set　to　work
finishing　his　house。　　His　turning　business　was　well　started；　now；　and　he
had　got　together　money　enough　to　pay　for　the　work。　　He　had　lately
enlarged　the　scope　of　his　industry　by　turning　gate…posts　and　urns　for　the
tops　of　them；　which　had　become　very　popular；　for　the　front　yards　of　the
farm　and　village　houses　in　a　wide　stretch　of　country。　　They　sold　more
steadily　than　the　smaller　wares；　the　cups；　and　tops；　and　little　vases　and
platters　which　had　once　been　the　output　of　his　lathe；　after　the　first
season　the　interest　of　the　summer　folks　in　these　fell　off；　but　the　gate
posts　and　the　urns　appealed　to　a　lasting　taste　in　the　natives。

Claxon　wished　to　put　the　finishing　touches　on　the　house　himself；　and　he
was　willing　to　suspend　more　profitable　labors　to　do　so。　　After　some
attempts　at　plastering　he　was　forced　to　leave　that　to　the　plasterers；　but
he　managed　the　clap…boarding；　with　Clementina　to　hand　him　boards　and
nails；　and　to　keep　him　supplied　with　the　hammer　he　was　apt　to　drop　at
critical　moments。　　They　talked　pretty　constantly　at　their　labors；　and　in
their　leisure；　which　they　spent　on　the　brown　needles　under　the　pines　at
the　side　of　the　house。　　Sometimes　the　hammering　or　the　talking　would　be
interrupted　by　a　voice　calling；　from　a　passing　vehicle　in　the　hidden
roadway；　something　about　urns。　　Claxon　would　answer；　without　troubling
himself　to　verify　the　inquirer；　or　moving　from　his　place；　that　he　would
get　round　to　them；　and　then　would　hammer　on；　or　talk　on　with　Clementina。

One　day　in　October　a　carriage　drove　up　to　the　door；　after　the　work　on　the
house　had　been　carried　as　far　as　Claxon's　mood　and　money　allowed；　and　he
and　Clementina　were　picking　up　the　litter　of　his　carpentering。　　He　had
replaced　the　block　of　wood　which　once　served　at　the　front　door　by　some
steps　under　an　arbor　of　rustic　work；　but　this　was　still　so　novel　that　the
younger　c