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Lady Baltimore-Part39_Owen Wister(1860-1938)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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grown so very little nearer that I abandoned this fruitless proceeding.

Charley's boat had gone ahead to announce the good news to General Rieppe



as soon as possible. But if our return was long to me, to Hortense it was

not so. She sat beside her lover in the stern, and I knew that he was



more to her than ever: it was her spirit also that wanted him now. Poor

Kitty's words of prophecy had come perversely true: "Something will



happen, and that boy'll be conspicuous." Well, it had happened with a

vengeance, and all wrong for Kitty, and all wrong for me! Then I



remembered Charley, last of all. My doubt as to what he would have done,

had he been on deck, was settled later by learning from his own lips that



he did not know how to swim.

Yes, the sentimental world (and by that I mean the immense and mournful



preponderance of fools, and not the few of true sentiment) would soon be

exclaiming: "How romantic! She found her heart! She had a glimpse of



Death's angel, and in that light saw her life's true happiness!" But I

should say nothing like that, nor would Miss Josephine St. Michael, if I



read that lady at all right. She didn't know what I did about Hortense.

She hadn't overheard Sophistication confessing amorous curiosity about



Innocence; but the old Kings Port lady's sound instinct would tell her

that a souse in the water wasn't likely to be enough to wash away the



seasoning of a lifetime; and she would wait, as I should, for the day

when Hortense, having had her taste of John's innocence, and having grown



used to the souse in the water, would wax restless for the Replacers, for

excitement, for complexity, for the prismatic life. Then it might



interest her to corrupt John; but if she couldn't, where would her

occupation be, and how were they going to pull through?



But now, there sat Hortense in the stern, melted into whatever best she

was capable of; it had come into her face, her face was to be read--for



the first time since I had known it--and, strangely enough, I couldn't

read John's at all. It seemed happy, which was impossible.



"Way enough!" he cried suddenly, and, at his command, the sailor and I

took in our oars. Here was Hermana's gangway, and crowding faces above,



and ejaculations and tears from Kitty. Yes, Hortense would have liked

that return voyage to last longer. I was first on the gangway, and stood



to wait and give them a hand out; but she lingered, and; rising slowly,

spoke her first word to him, softly:--



"And so I owe you my life."

"And so I restore it to you complete," said John, instantly.



None could have heard it but myself--unless the sailor, beyond whose

comprehension it was--and I doubted for a moment if I could have heard



right; but it was for a moment only. Hortense stood stiff, and then,

turning, came in front of him, and I read her face for an instant longer



before the furious hate in it was mastered to meet her father's embrace,

as I helped her up the gang



"Daughter mine!" said the General, with a magnificent break in his voice.

But Hortense was game to the end. She took Kitty's-hysterics and the



men's various grades of congratulation; her word to Gazza would have been

supreme, but for his imperishable rejoinder.



"I told you you wouldn't jump," was what she said.

Gazza stretched both arms, pointing to John. "But a native! He was surer



to find you!"

At this they all remembered John, whom they thus far hadn't thought of.



"Where is that lion-hearted boy?" the General called out.

John hadn't got out of the boat; he thought he ought to change his



clothes, he said; and when Charley, truly astonished, proffered his

entire wardrobe and reminded him of lunch, it was thank you very much,



but if he could be put ashore--I looked for Hortense, to see what she

would do, but Hortense, had gone below with Kitty to change her clothes,



and the genuinelyhearty protestations from all the rest brought merely

pleasantly firm politeness from John, as he put on again the coat he had



flung off on jumping. At least he would take a drink, urged Charley. Yes,

thank you, he would; and he chose brandy-and-soda, of which he poured



himself a remarkably stiff one. Charley and I poured ourselves milder

ones, for the sake of company.



"Here's how," said Charley to John.

"Yes, here's how," I added more emphatically.



John looked at Charley with a somewhat extraordinary smile. "Here's

unquestionably how!" he exclaimed.



We had a gay lunch; I should have supposed there was plenty of room in

the Hermana's refrigerator; nor did the absence of Hortense and John, the






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