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The Coxon Fund-Part6_HENRY JAMES(1843-1916)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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sociably conversed. I saw things weren't well with him, but I

asked no question till something dropped by himself made, as it had



made on another occasion, an absence of curiosity invidious. He

mentioned that he was worried about his good old friend Lady Coxon,



who, with her niece likely to be detained some time in America, lay

seriously ill at Clockborough, much on his mind and on his hands.



"Ah Miss Anvoy's in America?"

"Her father has got into horrid straits--has lost no end of money."



I waited, after expressing due concern, but I eventually said: "I

hope that raises no objection to your marriage."



"None whatever; moreover it's my trade to meet objections. But it

may create tiresome delays, of which there have been too many, from



various causes, already. Lady Coxon got very bad, then she got

much better. Then Mr. Anvoy suddenly began to totter, and now he



seems quite on his back. I'm afraid he's really in for some big

reverse. Lady Coxon's worse again, awfully upset by the news from



America, and she sends me word that she MUST have Ruth. How can I

supply her with Ruth? I haven't got Ruth myself!"



"Surely you haven't lost her?" I returned.

"She's everything to her wretched father. She writes me every



post--telling me to smooth her aunt's pillow. I've other things to

smooth; but the old lady, save for her servants, is really alone.



She won't receive her Coxon relations--she's angry at so much of

her money going to them. Besides, she's hopelessly mad," said



Gravener very frankly.

I don't remember whether it was this, or what it was, that made me



ask if she hadn't such an appreciation of Mrs. Saltram as might

render that active person of some use.



He gave me a cold glance, wanting to know what had put Mrs. Saltram

into my head, and I replied that she was unfortunately never out of



it. I happened to remember the wonderful accounts she had given me

of the kindness Lady Coxon had shown her. Gravener declared this



to be false; Lady Coxon, who didn't care for her, hadn't seen her

three times. The only foundation for it was that Miss Anvoy, who



used, poor girl, to chuck money about in a manner she must now

regret, had for an hour seen in the miserable woman--you could



never know what she'd see in people--an interesting pretext for the

liberality with which her nature overflowed. But even Miss Anvoy



was now quite tired of her. Gravener told me more about the crash

in New York and the annoyance it had been to him, and we also



glanced here and there in other directions; but by the time we got

to Doncaster the principal thing he had let me see was that he was



keeping something back. We stopped at that station, and, at the

carriage-door, some one made a movement to get in. Gravener



uttered a sound of impatience, and I felt sure that but for this I

should have had the secret. Then the intruder, for some reason,



spared us his company; we started afresh, and my hope of a

disclosure returned. My companion held his tongue, however, and I



pretended to go to sleep; in fact I really dozed for

discouragement. When I reopened my eyes he was looking at me with



an injured air. He tossed away with some vivacity the remnant of a

cigarette and then said: "If you're not too sleepy I want to put



you a case." I answered that I'd make every effort to attend, and

welcomed the note of interest when he went on: "As I told you a



while ago, Lady Coxon, poor dear, is demented." His tone had much

behind it--was full of promise. I asked if her ladyship's



misfortune were a trait of her malady or only of her character, and

he pronounced it a product of both. The case he wanted to put to



me was a matter on which it concerned him to have the impression--

the judgement, he might also say--of another person. "I mean of



the average intelligent man, but you see I take what I can get."

There would be the technical, the strictly legal view; then there



would be the way the question would strike a man of the world. He

had lighted another cigarette while he talked, and I saw he was



glad to have it to handle when he brought out at last, with a laugh

slightly artificial: "In fact it's a subject on which Miss Anvoy



and I are pulling different ways."

"And you want me to decide between you? I decide in advance for



Miss Anvoy."

"In advance--that's quite right. That's how I decided when I



proposed to her. But my story will interest you only so far as

your mind isn't made up." Gravener puffed his cigarette a minute



and then continued: "Are you familiar with the idea of the

Endowment of Research?"



"Of Research?" I was at sea a moment.




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