the man between-第14章

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ce；　for　Dora　had　lately　put　away　all　her　ignorant　immaturities。　She　had　become　a　person　of　importance；　and　had　realized　the　fact。　The　young　ladies　of　St。　Jude's　had　made　a　pet　of　their　revered　rector's　love；　and　the　elder　ladies　had　also　shown　a　marked　interest　in　her。　The　Dennings'　fine　house　was　now　talked　about　and　visited。　Men　of　high　financial　power　respected　Mr。　Dan　Denning；　and　advised　the　social　recognition　of　his　family；　and　Mrs。　Denning　was　not　now　found　more　eccentric　than　many　other　of　the　new　rich；　who　had　been　tolerated　in　the　ranks　of　the　older　plutocrats。　Even　Bryce　had　made　the　standing　he　desired。　He　was　seen　with　the　richest　and　idlest　young　men；　and　was　invited　to　the　best　houses。　Those　fashionable　women　who　had　marriageable　daughters　considered　him　not　ineligible；　and　men　temporarily　hampered　for　cash　knew　that　they　could　find　smiling　assistance　for　a　consideration　at　Bryce's　little　office　on　William　Street。

These　and　other　points　of　reflection　troubled　Ethel；　and　she　was　glad　the　long　trial　was　nearing　its　end；　for　she　knew　quite　well　the　disagreement　of　that　evening　had　done　no　good。　Dora　would　certainly　repeat　their　conversation；　in　her　own　way　of　interpreting　it；　to　both　Basil　Stanhope　and　Fred　Mostyn。　More　than　likely　both　Bryce　and　Mrs。　Denning　would　also　hear　how　her　innocent　kindness　had　been　misconstrued；　and　in　each　case　she　could　imagine　the　conversation　that　took　place；　and　the　subsequent　bestowal　of　pitying；　scornful　or　angry　feeling　that　would　insensibly　find　its　way　to　her　consciousness　without　any　bird　of　the　air　to　carry　it。

She　felt；　too；　that　reprisals　of　any　kind　were　out　of　the　question。　They　were　not　only　impolitic；　they　were　difficult。　Her　father　had　an　aversion　to　Dora；　and　was　likely　to　seize　the　first　opportunity　for　requesting　Ethel　to　drop　the　girl's　acquaintance。　Ruth　also　had　urged　her　to　withdraw　from　any　active　part　in　the　wedding；　strengthening　her　advice　with　the　assurance　that　when　a　friendship　began　to　decline　it　ought　to　be　abandoned　at　once。　There　was　only　her　grandmother　to　go　to；　and　at　first　she　did　not　find　her　at　all　interested　in　the　trouble。　She　had　just　had　a　dispute　with　her　milkman；　was　inclined　to　give　him　all　her　suspicions　and　all　her　angry　words〃an　impertinent；　cheating　creature；〃　she　said；　and　then　Ethel　had　to　hear　the　history　of　the　month's　cream　and　of　the　milkman's　extortion；　with　the　old　lady's　characteristic　declaration：

〃I　told　him　plain　what　I　thought　of　his　ways；　but　I　paid　him　every　cent　I　owed　him。　Thank　God；　I　am　not　unreasonable！〃

Neither　was　she　unreasonable　when　Ethel　finally　got　her　to　listen　to　her　own　serious　grievance　with　Dora。

〃If　you　will　have　a　woman　for　a　friend；　Ethel；　you　must　put　up　with　womanly　ways；　and　it　is　best　to　keep　your　mouth　shut　concerning　such　ways。　I　hate　to　see　you　whimpering　and　whining　about　wrongs　you　have　been　cordially　inviting　for　weeks　and　months　and　years。〃

〃Grandmother！〃

〃Yes；　you　have　been　sowing　thorns　for　yourself；　and　then　you　go　unshod　over　them。　I　mean　that　Dora　has　this　fine　clergyman；　and　Fred　Mostyn；　and　her　brother；　and　mother；　and　father　all　on　her　side；　all　of　them　sure　that　Dora　can　do　no　wrong；　all　of　them　sure　that　Ethel；　poor　girl；　must　be　mistaken；　or　prudish；　or　jealous；　or　envious。〃

〃Oh；　grandmother；　you　are　too　cruel；〃

〃Why　didn't　you　have　a　few　friends　on　your　own　side？〃

〃Father　and　Ruth　never　liked　Dora。　And　FredI　told　you　how　Fred　acted　as　soon　as　he　saw　her！〃

〃There　was　Royal　Wheelock；　James　Clifton；　or　that　handsome　Dick　Potter。　Why　didn't　you　ask　them　to　join　you　at　your　lunches　and　dances？　You　ought　to　have　pillared　your　own　side。　A　girl　without　her　beaux　is　always　on　the　wrong　side　if　the　girl　with　beaux　is　against　her。〃

〃It　was　the　great　time　of　Dora's　life。　I　wished　her　to　have　all　the　glory　of　it。〃

〃All　her　own　sharethat　was　right。　All　of　your　share；　alsothat　was　as　wrong　as　it　could　be。〃

〃Clifton　is　yachting；　Royal　and　I　had　a　little　misunderstanding；　and　Dick　Potter　is　too　effusive。〃

〃But　Dick's　effusiveness　would　have　been　a　good　thing　for　Fred's　effusiveness。　Two　men　can't　go　on　a　complimentary　ran…tan　at　the　same　table。　They　freeze　one　another　out。　That　goes　without　saying。　But　Dora's　indiscretions　are　none　of　your　business　while　she　is　under　her　father's　roof；　and　I　don't　know　if　she　hadn't　a　friend　in　the　world；　if　they　would　be　your　business。　I　have　always　been　against　people　trying　to　do　the　work　of　THEM　that　are　above　us。　We　are　told　THEY　seek　and　THEY　save；　and　it's　likely　they　will　look　after　Dora　in　spite　of　her　being　so　unknowing　of　herself　as　to　marry　a　priest　in　a　surplice；　when　a　fool　in　motley　would　have　been　more　like　the　thing。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　quarrel　with　Dora。　After　all；　I　like　her。　We　have　been　friends　a　long　time。〃

〃Well；　then；　don't　make　an　enemy　of　her。　One　hundred　friends　are　too　few　against　one　enemy。　One　hundred　friends　will　wish　you　well；　and　one　enemy　will　DO　you　ill。　God　love　you；　child！　Take　the　world　as　you　find　it。　Only　God　can　make　it　any　better。　When　is　this　blessed　wedding　to　come　off？〃

〃In　two　weeks。　You　got　cards；　did　you　not？〃

〃I　believe　I　did。　They　don't　matter。　Let　Dora　and　her　flirtations　alone；　unless　you　set　your　own　against　them。　Like　cures　like。　If　the　priest　sees　nothing　wrong〃

〃He　thinks　all　she　does　is　perfect。〃

〃I　dare　say。　Priests　are　a　soft　lot；　they'll　believe　anything。　He's　love…blind　at　present。　Some　day；　like　the　prophet　of　Pethor；＇1＇　he　will　get　his　eyes　opened。　As　for　Fred　Mostyn；　I　shall　have　a　good　deal　to　say　about　him　by　and　by；　so　I'll　say　nothing　now。〃


＇1＇　One　of　the　Hebrew　prophets。


〃You　promised；　grandmother；　not　to　talk　to　me　any　more　about　Fred。〃

〃It　was　a　very　inconsiderate　promise；　a　very　irrational　promise！　I　am　sorry　I　made　itand　I　don't　intend　to　keep　it。〃

〃Well；　it　takes　two　to　hold　a　conversation；　grandmother。〃

〃To　be　sure　it　does。　But　if　I　talk　to　you；　I　hope　to　goodness　you　will　have　the　decency　to　answer　me。　I　wouldn't　believe　anything　different。〃　And　she　looked　into　Ethel's　face　with　such　a　smiling　confidence　in　her　good　will　and　obedience；　that　Ethel　could　only　laugh　and　give　her　twenty　kisses　as　she　stood　up　to　put　on　her　hat　and　coat。

〃You　always　get　your　way；　Granny；〃　she　said；　and　the　old　lady；　as　she　walked　with　her　to　the　door；　answered；　〃I　have　had　my　way　for　nearly　eighty　years；　dearie；　and　I've　found　it　a　very　good　way。　I'm　not　likely　to　change　it　now。〃

〃And　none　of　us　want　you　to　change　it；　dear。　Granny's　way　is　always　a　wise　way。〃　And　she　kissed　her　again　ere　she　ran　down　the　steps　to　her　carriage。　Yet　as　the　old　lady　stepped　slowly　back　to　the　parlor；　she　muttered；　〃Fred　Mostyn　is　a　fool！　If　he　had　any　sense　when　he　left　England；　he　has　lost　it　since　he　came　here。〃

Of　course　nothing　good　came　of　this　irritable　interference。　Meddling　with　the　conscience　of　another　person　is　a　delicate　and　difficult　affair；　and　Ruth　had　already　warned　Ethel　of　its　certain　futility。　But　the　days　were　rapidly　wearing　away　to　the　great　day；　for　which　so　many　other　days　had　been　wasted　in　fatiguing　worry；　and　incredible　extravagance　of　health　and　temper　and　moneyand　after　it？　There　would　certainly　be　a　break　in　associations。　Temptation　would　be　removed；　and　Basil　Stanhope；　relieved　for　a　time　from　all　the　duties　of　his　office；　would　have　continual　opportunities　for　making　eternally　secure　the　affection　of　the　woman　he　had　chosen。

It　was　to　be　a　white　wedding；　and　for　twenty　hours　previous　to　its　celebration　it　seemed　as　if　all　the　florists　in　New　York　were　at　work　in　the　Denning　house　and　in　St。　Jude's　church。　The　sacred　place　was　radiant　with　white　lilies。　White　lilies　everywhere；　and　the　perfume　would　have　been　overpowering；　had　not　the　weather　been　so　exquisite　that　open　windows　were　possible　and　even　pleasant。　To　the　softest　strains　of　music　Dora　entered　leaning　on　her　father's　arm　and　her　beauty　and　splendor　evoked　from　the　crowd　present　an　involuntary；　simultaneous　stir　of　wonder　and　delight。　She　had　hesitated　many　days　between　the　simplicity　of　white　chiffon　and　lilies　of　the　valley；　and　the　magnificence　of　brocaded　satin　in　which　a　glittering　thread　of　silver　was　interwoven。　The　satin　had　won　the　day；　and　the　s