ragged lady, v2-第29章

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would　be　harder　to　refuse　them；　and　she　entered　upon　a　passage　of　her
life　which　a　nature　less　simple　would　have　found　much　more　trying。　　But
she　had　the　power　of　taking　everything　as　if　it　were　as　much　to　be
expected　as　anything　else。　　If　nothing　at　all　happened　she　accepted　the
situation　with　implicit　resignation；　and　with　a　gayety　of　heart　which
availed　her　long；　and　never　wholly　left　her。

While　the　suspense　lasted　she　could　not　write　home　as　frankly　as　before；
and　she　sent　off　letters　to　Middlemount　which　treated　of　her　delay　in
Venice　with　helpless　reticence。　　They　would　have　set　another　sort　of
household　intolerably　wondering　and　suspecting；　but　she　had　the　comfort
of　knowing　that　her　father　would　probably　settle　the　whole　matter　by
saying　that　she　would　tell　what　she　meant　when　she　got　round　to　it；　and
apart　from　this　she　had　mainly　the　comfort　of　the　vice…consul's　society。
He　had　little　to　do　besides　looking　after　her；　and　he　employed　himself
about　this　in　daily　visits　which　the　padrone　and　his　wife　regarded　as
official；　and　promoted　with　a　serious　respect　for　the　vice…consular
dignity。　　If　the　visits　ended；　as　they　often　did；　in　a　turn　on　the　Grand
Canal；　and　an　ice　in　the　Piazza；　they　appealed　to　the　imagination　of　more
sophisticated　witnesses；　who　decided　that　the　young　American　girl　had
inherited　the　millions　of　the　sick　lady；　and　become　the　betrothed　of　the
vice…consul；　and　that　they　were　thus　passing　the　days　of　their　engagement
in　conformity　to　the　American　custom；　however　much　at　variance　with　that
of　other　civilizations。

This　view　of　the　affair　was　known　to　Maddalena；　but　not　to　Clementina；
who　in　those　days　went　back　in　many　things　to　the　tradition　of　her　life
at　Middlemount。　　The　vice…consul　was　of　a　tradition　almost　as　simple；　and
his　longer　experience　set　no　very　wide　interval　between　them。　　It　quickly
came　to　his　telling　her　all　about　his　dead　wife　and　his　married
daughters；　and　how；　after　his　home　was　broken　up；　he　thought　he　would
travel　a　little　and　see　what　that　would　do　for　him。　　He　confessed　that　it
had　not　done　much；　he　was　always　homesick；　and　he　was　ready　to　go　as　soon
as　the　President　sent　out　a　consul　to　take　his　job　off　his　hands。　　He
said　that　he　had　not　enjoyed　himself　so　much　since　he　came　to　Venice　as
he　was　doing　now；　and　that　he　did　not　know　what　he　should　do　if
Clementina　first　got　her　call　home。　　He　betrayed　no　curiosity　as　to　the
peculiar　circumstances　of　her　stay；　but　affected　to　regard　it　as
something　quite　normal；　and　he　watched　over　her　in　every　way　with　a
fatherly　as　well　as　an　official　vigilance　which　never　degenerated　into
the　semblance　of　any　other　feeling。　　Clementina　rested　in　his　care　in
entire　security。　　The　world　had　quite　fallen　from　her；　or　so　much　of　it
as　she　had　seen　at　Florence；　and　in　her　indifference　she　lapsed　into　life
as　it　was　in　the　time　before　that　with　a　tender　renewal　of　her　allegiance
to　it。　　There　was　nothing　in　the　conversation　of　the　vice…consul　to
distract　her　from　this；　and　she　said　and　did　the　things　at　Venice　that
she　used　to　do　at　Middlemount；　as　nearly　as　she　could；　to　make　the　days
of　waiting　pass　more　quickly；　she　tried　to　serve　herself　in　ways　that
scandalized　the　proud　affection　of　Maddalena。　　It　was　not　fit　for　the
signorina　to　make　her　bed　or　sweep　her　room；　she　might　sew　and　knit　if
she　would；　but　these　other　things　were　for　servants　like　herself。　　She
continued　in　the　faith　of　Clementina's　gentility；　and　saw　her　always　as
she　had　seen　her　first　in　the　brief　hour　of　her　social　splendor　in
Florence。　　Clementina　tried　to　make　her　understand　how　she　lived　at
Middlemount；　but　she　only　brought　before　Maddalena　the　humiliating　image
of　a　contadina；　which　she　rejected　not　only　in　Clementina's　behalf；　but
that　of　Miss　Milray。　　She　told　her　that　she　was　laughing　at　her；　and　she
was　fixed　in　her　belief　when　the　girl　laughed　at　that　notion。　　Her
poverty　she　easily　conceived　of；　plenty　of　signorine　in　Italy　were　poor；
and　she　protected　her　in　it　with　the　duty　she　did　not　divide　quite　evenly
between　her　and　the　padrone。

The　date　which　Clementina　had　fixed　for　hearing　from　Hinkle　by　cable　had
long　passed；　and　the　time　when　she　first　hoped　to　hear　from　him　by　letter
had　come　and　gone。　　Her　address　was　with　the　vice…consul　as　Mrs。　Lander's
had　been；　and　he　could　not　be　ignorant　of　her　disappointment　when　he
brought　her　letters　which　she　said　were　from　home。　　On　the　surface　of
things　it　could　only　be　from　home　that　she　wished　to　hear；　but　beneath
the　surface　he　read　an　anxiety　which　mounted　with　each　gratification　of
this　wish。　　He　had　not　seen　much　of　the　girl　while　Hinkle　was　in　Venice；
Mrs。　Lander　had　not　begun　to　make　such　constant　use　of　him　until　Hinkle
had　gone；　Mrs。　Milray　had　told　him　of　Clementina's　earlier　romance；　and
it　was　to　Gregory　that　the　vice…consul　related　the　anxiety　which　he　knew
as　little　in　its　nature　as　in　its　object。

Clementina　never　doubted　the　good　faith　or　constancy　of　her　lover；　but
her　heart　misgave　her　as　to　his　well…being　when　it　sank　at　each　failure
of　the　vice…consul　to　bring　her　a　letter　from　him。　　Something　must　have
happened　to　him；　and　it　must　have　been　something　very　serious　to　keep　him
from　writing；　or　there　was　some　mistake　of　the　post…office。　　The　vice…
consul　indulged　himself　in　personal　inquiries　to　make　sure　that　the
mistake　was　not　in　the　Venetian　post…office；　but　he　saw　that　he　brought
her　greater　distress　in　ascertaining　the　fact。　　He　got　to　dreading　a　look
of　resolute　cheerfulness　that　came　into　her　face；　when　he　shook　his　head
in　sign　that　there　were　no　letters；　and　he　suffered　from　the　covert
eagerness　with　which　she　glanced　at　the　superscriptions　of　those　he
brought　and　failed　to　find　the　hoped…for　letter　among　them。　　Ordeal　for
ordeal；　he　was　beginning　to　regret　his　trials　under　Mrs。　Lander。　　In　them
he　could　at　least　demand　Clementina's　sympathy；　but　against　herself　this
was　impossible。　　Once　she　noted　his　mute　distress　at　hers；　and　broke　into
a　little　laugh　that　he　found　very　harrowing。

〃I　guess　you　hate　it　almost　as　much　as　I　do；　Mr。　Bennam。〃

〃I　guess　I　do。　　I've　half　a　mind　to　write　the　letter　you　want；　myself。〃

〃I've　half　a　mind　to　let　youor　the　letter　I'd　like　to　write。〃

It　had　come　to　her　thinking　she　would　write　again　to　Hinkle；　but　she
could　not　bring　herself　to　do　it。　　She　often　imagined　doing　it；　she　had
every　word　of　such　a　letter　in　her　mind；　and　she　dramatized　every　fact
concerning　it　from　the　time　she　should　put　pen　to　paper；　to　the　time　when
she　should　get　back　the　answer　that　cleared　the　mystery　of　his　silence
away。　　The　fond　reveries　helped　her　to　bear　her　suspense；　they　helped　to
make　the　days　go　by；　to　ease　the　doubt　with　which　she　lay　down　at　night；
and　the　heartsick　hope　with　which　she　rose　up　in　the　morning。

One　day；　at　the　hour　of　his　wonted　visit；　she　say　the　vice…consul　from
her　balcony　coming；　as　it　seemed　to　her；　with　another　figure　in　his
gondola；　and　a　thousand　conjectures　whirled　through　her　mind；　and　then
centred　upon　one　idea。　　After　the　first　glance　she　kept　her　eyes　down；
and　would　not　look　again　while　she　told　herself　incessantly　that　it　could
not　be；　and　that　she　was　a　fool　and　a　goose　and　a　perfect　coot；　to　think
of　such　a　thing　for　a　single　moment。　　When　she　allowed　herself；　or　forced
herself；　to　look　a　second　time；　as　the　boat　drew　near；　she　had　to　cling
to　the　balcony　parapet　for　support；　in　her　disappointment。

The　person　whom　the　vice…consul　helped　out　of　the　gondola　was　an　elderly
man　like　himself；　and　she　took　a　last　refuge　in　the　chance　that　he　might
be　Hinkle's　father；　sent　to　bring　her　to　him　because　he　could　not　come　to
her；　or　to　soften　some　terrible　news　to　her。　　Then　her　fancy　fluttered
and　fell；　and　she　waited　patiently　for　the　fact　to　reveal　itself。　　There
was　something　countrified　in　the　figure　of　the　man；　and　something
clerical　in　his　face；　though　there　was　nothing　in　his　uncouth　best
clothes　that　confirmed　this　impression。　　In　both　face　and　figure　there
was　a　vague　resemblance　to　some　one　she　had　seen　before；　when　the　vice…
consul　said：

〃Miss　Claxon；　I　want　to　introduce　the　Rev。　Mr。　James　B。　　Orson；　of
Michigan。〃　　Mr。