an international episode-第3章

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！



it　better　than　I。〃



〃Well；　it　won't　last；〃　Mr。　Westgate　very　cheerfully　declared；

〃nothing　unpleasant　lasts　over　here。　　It　was　very　hot　when　Captain

Littledale　was　here；　he　did　nothing　but　drink　sherry　cobblers。

He　expressed　some　doubt　in　his　letter　whether　I　will　remember　him

as　if　I　didn't　remember　making　six　sherry　cobblers　for　him　one　day

in　about　twenty　minutes。　　I　hope　you　left　him　well；　two　years　having

elapsed　since　then。〃



〃Oh；　yes；　he's　all　right；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃I　am　always　very　glad　to　see　your　countrymen；〃　Mr。　Westgate　pursued。

〃I　thought　it　would　be　time　some　of　you　should　be　coming　along。

A　friend　of　mine　was　saying　to　me　only　a　day　or　two　ago；　'It's　time

for　the　watermelons　and　the　Englishmen。〃



〃The　Englishmen　and　the　watermelons　just　now　are　about　the　same　thing；〃

Percy　Beaumont　observed；　wiping　his　dripping　forehead。



〃Ah；　well；　we'll　put　you　on　ice；　as　we　do　the　melons。

You　must　go　down　to　Newport。〃



〃We'll　go　anywhere；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。



〃Yes；　you　want　to　go　to　Newport；　that's　what　you　want　to　do；〃

Mr。　Westgate　affirmed。　　〃But　let's　seewhen　did　you　get　here？〃



〃Only　yesterday；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont。



〃Ah；　yes；　by　the　Russia。　　Where　are　you　staying？〃



〃At　the　Hanover；　I　think　they　call　it。〃



〃Pretty　comfortable？〃　inquired　Mr。　Westgate。



〃It　seems　a　capital　place；　but　I　can't　say　we　like　the　gnats；〃

said　Lord　Lambeth。



Mr。　Westgate　stared　and　laughed。　　〃Oh；　no；　of　course　you　don't

like　the　gnats。　　We　shall　expect　you　to　like　a　good　many　things

over　here；　but　we　shan't　insist　upon　your　liking　the　gnats；

though　certainly　you'll　admit　that；　as　gnats；　they　are　fine；　eh？

But　you　oughtn't　to　remain　in　the　city。〃



〃So　we　think；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃If　you　would　kindly　suggest　something〃



〃Suggest　something；　my　dear　sir？〃　and　Mr。　Westgate　looked　at　him；

narrowing　his　eyelids。　　〃Open　your　mouth　and　shut　your　eyes！

Leave　it　to　me；　and　I'll　put　you　through。　　It's　a　matter　of　national

pride　with　me　that　all　Englishmen　should　have　a　good　time；

and　as　I　have　had　considerable　practice；　I　have　learned　to　minister

to　their　wants。　　I　find　they　generally　want　the　right　thing。

So　just　please　to　consider　yourselves　my　property；　and　if　anyone

should　try　to　appropriate　you；　please　to　say；　'Hands　off；

too　late　for　the　market。'　　But　let's　see；〃　continued　the　American；

in　his　slow；　humorous　voice；　with　a　distinctness　of　utterance

which　appeared　to　his　visitors　to　be　part　of　a　humorous　intention

a　strangely　leisurely；　speculative　voice　for　a　man　evidently

so　busy　and；　as　they　felt；　so　professional〃let's　see；

are　you　going　to　make　something　of　a　stay；　Lord　Lambeth？〃



〃Oh；　dear；　no；〃　said　the　young　Englishman；　〃my　cousin　was　coming

over　on　some　business；　so　I　just　came　across；　at　an　hour's　notice；

for　the　lark。〃



〃Is　it　your　first　visit　to　the　United　States？〃



〃Oh；　dear；　yes。〃



〃I　was　obliged　to　come　on　some　business；〃　said　Percy　Beaumont；

〃and　I　brought　Lambeth　along。〃



〃And　YOU　have　been　here　before；　sir？〃



〃Nevernever。〃



〃I　thought；　from　your　referring　to　business〃　said　Mr。　Westgate。



〃Oh；　you　see　I'm　by　way　of　being　a　barrister；〃　Percy　Beaumont　answered。

〃I　know　some　people　that　think　of　bringing　a　suit　against　one　of　your

railways；　and　they　asked　me　to　come　over　and　take　measures　accordingly。〃



〃What's　your　railroad？〃　he　asked。



〃The　Tennessee　Central。〃



The　American　tilted　back　his　chair　a　little　and　poised　it　an　instant。

〃Well；　I'm　sorry　you　want　to　attack　one　of　our　institutions；〃

he　said；　smiling。　　〃But　I　guess　you　had　better　enjoy　yourself　FIRST！〃



〃I'm　certainly　rather　afraid　I　can't　work　in　this　weather；〃

the　young　barrister　confessed。



〃Leave　that　to　the　natives；〃　said　Mr。　Westgate。

〃Leave　the　Tennessee　Central　to　me；　Mr。　Beaumont。

Some　day　we'll　talk　it　over；　and　I　guess　I　can　make　it　square。

But　I　didn't　know　you　Englishmen　ever　did　any　work；

in　the　upper　classes。〃



〃Oh；　we　do　a　lot　of　work；　don't　we；　Lambeth？〃　asked　Percy　Beaumont。



〃I　must　certainly　be　at　home　by　the　19th　of　September；〃

said　the　younger　Englishman；　irrelevantly　but　gently。



〃For　the　shooting；　eh？　or　is　it　the　hunting；　or　the　fishing？〃

inquired　his　entertainer。



〃Oh；　I　must　be　in　Scotland；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　blushing　a　little。



〃Well；　then；〃　rejoined　Mr。　Westgate；　〃you　had　better　amuse

yourself　first；　also。　　You　must　go　down　and　see　Mrs。　Westgate。〃



〃We　should　be　so　happy；　if　you　would　kindly　tell　us　the　train；〃

said　Percy　Beaumont。



〃It　isn't　a　trainit's　a　boat。〃



〃Oh；　I　see。　　And　what　is　the　name　ofa　thea　town？〃



〃It　isn't　a　town；〃　said　Mr。　Westgate；　laughing。　　〃It's　awell；　what　shall

I　call　it？　　It's　a　watering　place。　　In　short；　it's　Newport。

You'll　see　what　it　is。　　It's　cool；　that's　the　principal　thing。

You　will　greatly　oblige　me　by　going　down　there　and　putting　yourself

into　the　hands　of　Mrs。　Westgate。　　It　isn't　perhaps　for　me　to　say　it；

but　you　couldn't　be　in　better　hands。　　Also　in　those　of　her　sister；

who　is　staying　with　her。　　She　is　very　fond　of　Englishmen。

She　thinks　there　is　nothing　like　them。〃



〃Mrs。　Westgate　ora　her　sister？〃　asked　Percy　Beaumont　modestly；

yet　in　the　tone　of　an　inquiring　traveler。



〃Oh；　I　mean　my　wife；〃　said　Mr。　Westgate。　　〃I　don't　suppose

my　sister…in…law　knows　much　about　them。　　She　has　always　led

a　very　quiet　life；　she　has　lived　in　Boston。〃



Percy　Beaumont　listened　with　interest。　　〃That；　I　believe；〃

he　said；　〃is　the　mosta　intellectual　town？〃



〃I　believe　it　is　very　intellectual。　　I　don't　go　there　much；〃

responded　his　host。



〃I　say；　we　ought　to　go　there；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth　to　his　companion。



〃Oh；　Lord　Lambeth；　wait　till　the　great　heat　is　over；〃

Mr。　Westgate　interposed。　　〃Boston　in　this　weather　would　be　very　trying；

it's　not　the　temperature　for　intellectual　exertion。　　At　Boston；

you　know；　you　have　to　pass　an　examination　at　the　city　limits；

and　when　you　come　away　they　give　you　a　kind　of　degree。〃



Lord　Lambeth　stared；　blushing　a　little；　and　Percy　Beaumont

stared　a　little　alsobut　only　with　his　fine　natural　complexion

glancing　aside　after　a　moment　to　see　that　his　companion　was　not　looking

too　credulous；　for　he　had　heard　a　great　deal　of　American　humor。

〃I　daresay　it　is　very　jolly；〃　said　the　younger　gentleman。



〃I　daresay　it　is；〃　said　Mr。　Westgate。　　〃Only　I　must　impress

upon　you　that　at　presenttomorrow　morning；　at　an　early　hour

you　will　be　expected　at　Newport。　　We　have　a　house　there；

half　the　people　in　New　York　go　there　for　the　summer。

I　am　not　sure　that　at　this　very　moment　my　wife　can　take

you　in；　she　has　got　a　lot　of　people　staying　with　her；

I　don't　know　who　they　all　are；　only　she　may　have　no　room。

But　you　can　begin　with　the　hotel；　and　meanwhile　you　can　live

at　my　house。　　In　that　waysimply　sleeping　at　the　hotel

you　will　find　it　tolerable。　　For　the　rest；　you　must　make

yourself　at　home　at　my　place。　　You　mustn't　be　shy；　you　know；

if　you　are　only　here　for　a　month　that　will　be　a　great　waste

of　time。　　Mrs。　Westgate　won't　neglect　you；　and　you　had　better

not　try　to　resist　her。　　I　know　something　about　that。

I　expect　you'll　find　some　pretty　girls　on　the　premises。

I　shall　write　to　my　wife　by　this　afternoon's　mail；

and　tomorrow　morning　she　and　Miss　Alden　will　look　out　for　you。

Just　walk　right　in　and　make　yourself　comfortable。

Your　steamer　leaves　from　this　part　of　the　city；　and　I　will

immediately　send　out　and　get　you　a　cabin。　　Then；　at　half　past

four　o'clock；　just　call　for　me　here；　and　I　will　go　with　you

and　put　you　on　board。　　It's　a　big　boat；　you　might　get　lost。

A　few　days　hence；　at　the　end　of　the　week；　I　will　come　down

to　Newport　and　see　how　you　are　getting　on。〃



The　two　young　Englishmen　inaugurated　the　policy　of　not　resisting　Mrs。　Westgate

by　submitting；　with　great　docility　and　thankfulness；　to　her　husband。

He　was　evidently　a　very　good　fellow；　and　he　made　an　impression　upon

his　visitors；　his　hospit