按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Is it a storm？〃 she asked； indifferently。
〃It's what they call half a gale； I believe。 I don't know how they
measure it。〃
She smiled warily in response to his laugh； and said to her father； 〃Are
you going up after breakfast； poppa？〃
〃Why； if you want to go； Ellen〃
〃Oh； I wasn't asking for that； I am going back to Lottie。 But I should
think you would like the air。 Won't it do you good？〃
〃I'm all right；〃 said the judge； cheered by her show of concern for some
one else。 〃I suppose it's rather wet on deck？〃 he referred himself to
Breckon。
〃Well； not very； if you keep to the leeward。 She doesn't seem a very wet
boat。〃
〃What is a wet boat〃 Ellen asked； without lifting her sad eyes。
〃Well； really； I'm afraid it's largely a superstition。 Passengers like
to believe that some boats are less liable to ship seasto run into
wavesthan others； but I fancy that's to give themselves the air of old
travellers。〃
She let the matter lapse so entirely that he supposed she had forgotten
it in all its bearings； when she asked； 〃Have you been across many
times？〃
〃Not many…four or five。〃
〃This is our first time；〃 she volunteered。
〃I hope it won't be your last。 I know you will enjoy it。〃 She fell
listless again； and Breckon imagined he had made a break。 〃Not；〃 he
added； with an endeavor for lightness； 〃that I suppose you're going for
pleasure altogether。 Women； nowadays； are above that； I understand。
They go abroad for art's sake； and to study political economy； and
history； and literature〃
〃My daughter；〃 the judge interposed； 〃will not do much in that way； I
hope。〃
The girl bent her head over her plate and frowned。
〃Oh； then；〃 said Breckon； 〃I will believe that she's going for purely
selfish enjoyment。 I should like to be justified in making that my
object by a good example。〃
Ellen looked up and gave him a look that cut him short in his glad note。
The lifting of her eyelids was like the rise of the curtain upon some
scene of tragedy which was all the more impressive because it seemed
somehow mixed with shame。 This poor girl； whom he had pitied as an
invalid； was a sufferer from some spiritual blight more pathetic than
broken health。 He pulled his mind away from the conjecture that tempted
it and went on： 〃One of the advantages of going over the fourth or fifth
time is that you're relieved from a discoverer's duties to Europe。 I've
got absolutely nothing before me now； but at first I had to examine every
object of interest on the Continent； and form an opinion about thousands
of objects that had no interest for me。 I hope Miss Kenton will take
warning from me。〃
He had not addressed Ellen directly； and her father answered： 〃We have no
definite plans as yet； but we don't mean to overwork ourselves even if
we've come for a rest。 I don't know；〃 he added； 〃but we had better spend
our summer in England。 It's easier getting about where you know the
language。
The judge seemed to refer his ideas to Breckon for criticism； and the
young man felt authorized to say； 〃Oh； so many of them know the language
everywhere now； that it's easy getting about in any country。〃
〃Yes； I suppose so；〃 the judge vaguely deferred。
〃Which；〃 Ellen demanded of the young man with a nervous suddenness； 〃do
you think is the most interesting country？〃
He found himself answering with equal promptness； 〃Oh； Italy； of course。〃
〃Can we go to Italy； poppa？〃 asked the girl。
〃I shouldn't advise you to go there at once〃 Breckon intervened； smiling。
〃You'd find it Pretty hot there now。 Florence； or Rome； or Naples〃you
can't think of them。〃
〃We have it pretty hot in Central Ohio；〃 said the judge； with latent
pride in his home climate； 〃What sort of place is Holland？〃
〃Oh； delightful！ And the boat goes right on to Rotterdam； you know。〃
〃Yes。 We had arranged to leave it at Boulogne；〃 but we could change。
Do you think your mother would like Holland？〃 The judge turned to his
daughter。
〃I think she would like Italy better。 She's read more about it；〃 said
the girl。
〃Rise of the Dutch Republic；〃 her father suggested。
〃Yea； I know。 But she's read more about Italy！〃
〃Oh； well；〃 Breckon yielded； 〃the Italian lakes wouldn't be impossible。
And you might find Venice fairly comfortable。〃
〃We could go to Italy； then；〃 said the judge to his daughter； 〃if your
mother prefers。〃
Breckon found the simplicity of this charming； and he tasted a yet finer
pleasure in the duplicity； for he divined that the father was seeking
only to let his daughter have her way in pretending to yield to her
mother's preference。
It was plain that the family's life centred； as it ought； about this sad；
sick girl； the heart of whose mystery he perceived； on reflection； he had
not the wish to pluck out。 He might come to know it； but he would not
try to know it； if it offered itself he might even try not to know it。
He had sometimes found it more helpful with trouble to be ignorant of its
cause。
In the mean time he had seen that these Kentons were sweet； good people；
as he phrased their quality to himself。 He had come to terms of
impersonal confidence the night before with Boyne； who had consulted him
upon many more problems and predicaments of life than could have yet
beset any boy's experience； probably with the wish to make provision for
any possible contingency of the future。 The admirable principles which
Boyne evolved for his guidance from their conversation were formulated
with a gravity which Breckon could outwardly respect only by stifling his
laughter in his pillow。 He rather liked the way Lottie had tried to
weigh him in her balance and found him； as it were； of an imponderable
levity。 With his sense of being really very light at most times； and
with most people； he was aware of having been particularly light with
Lottie； of having been slippery； of having； so far as responding to her
frankness was concerned； been close。 He relished the unsparing honesty
with which she had denounced him； and though he did not yet know his
outcast condition with relation to her； he could not think of her without
a smile of wholly disinterested liking。 He did not know； as a； man of
earlier date would have known； all that the little button in the judge's
lapel meant； but he knew that it meant service in the civil war； a
struggle which he vaguely and impersonally revered； though its details
were of much the same dimness for him as those of the Revolution and the
War of 1812。 The modest distrust which had grown upon the bold self…
confidence of Kenton's earlier manhood could not have been more tenderly
and reverently imagined； and Breckon's conjecture of things suffered for
love's sake against sense and conviction in him were his further tribute
to a character which existed； of course； mainly in this conjecture。 It
appeared to him that Kenton was held not only in the subjection to his
wife's； judgment； which befalls； and doubtless becomes； a man after many
years of marriage； but that he was in the actual performance of more than
common renunciation of his judgment in deference to the good woman。 She
in turn； to be sure； offered herself