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Penelope's Irish Experiences-Part25_Kate Douglas Wiggin(1856-1923)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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well-balanced and logical-minded man attempt to follow in our

footsteps.



Being as free as air on this occasion (if I except the dread of

Benella's scorn, which descends upon us now and then, and moves us



to repentance, sometimes even to better behaviour), we passed

Porridgetown and Cloomore, and ferried across to the opposite side



of Lough Corrib. Salemina, of course, had fixed upon Cong as our

objective point, because of its caverns and archaeological remains,



which Dr. La Touche tells her not on any account to miss. Francesca

and I said nothing, but we had a very definite idea of avoiding



Cong, and going nearer Tuam, to climb Knockma, the hill of the

fairies, and explore their ancient haunts and archaeological



remains, which are more in our line than the caverns of Cong.

Speaking of Dr. La Touche reminds me that we have not the smallest



notion as to how our middle-agedromance is progressing. Absence

may, at this juncture, be just as helpful a force in its development



as daily intercourse would be; for when one is past thirty, I fancy

there is a deal of 'thinking-it-over' to do. Precious little there



is when we are younger; heart does it all then, and never asks

head's advice! But in too much delay there lies no plenty, and



there's the danger. Actually, Francesca and I could be no more

anxious to settle Salemina in life if she were lame, halt, blind,



and homeless, instead of being attractive, charming, absurdly young

for her age, and not without means. The difficulty is that she is



one of those 'continent, persisting, immovable persons' whom Emerson

describes as marked out for the blessing of the world. That quality



always makes a man anxious. He fears that he may only get his

rightful share of blessing, and he craves the whole output, so to



speak.

We naturally mention Dr. La Touche very often, since he is always



writing to Salemina or to me, offeringcounsel and suggestion.

Madame La Touche, the venerable aunt, has written also, asking us to



visit them in Meath; but this invitation we have declined,

principally because the Colquhouns will be with them, and they would



surely be burdened by the addition of three ladies and a maid to

their family; partly because we shall be freer in our own house,



which will be as near the La Touche mansion as possible, you may be

sure, if Francesca and I have anything to do with choosing it.



The La Touche name, then, is often on our lips, but Salemina offers

no intimation that it is indelibly imprinted on her heart of hearts.



It is a good name to be written anywhere, and we fancied there was

the slightest possible hint of pride and possession in Salemina's



voice when she read to us to-night, from her third volume of Lecky's

History of Ireland in the Eighteenth Century, a paragraph concerning



one David La Touche, from whom Dr. Gerald is descended:-

'In the last of the Irish Parliaments no less than five members of



the name sat together in the House of Commons, and his family may

claim what is in truth the highest honour of which an Irish family



can boast,--that during many successive governments, and in a period

of most lavishcorruption, it possessed great parliamentary



influence, and yet passed through political life untitled and

unstained.'



There is just the faintest gleam of hope, by the way, that Himself

may join us at the very end of June, and he is sure to be helpful on



this sentimental journey; he aided Ronald and Francesca more than

once in their tempestuous love-affair, and if his wits are not



dulled by marriage, as so often happens, he will be invaluable. It

will not be long then, probably, before I assume my natural, my



secondary position in the landscape of events. The junior partners

are now, so to speak, on their legs, although it is idle to suppose



that such brittle appendages will support them for any length of

time. As soon as we return in the autumn I should like to advertise



(if Himself will permit me) for a perfectly sound and kind junior

partner,--one who has been well broken to harness, and who will



neither shy nor balk, no matter what the provocation; the next step

being to urge Himself to relinquishaltogether the bondage of






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