ragged lady, v1-第3章

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the　old　man　tacitly　refused　to　take　any　further　part　in　the　talk；　which
began　to　flourish　apace；　in　question　and　answer；　between　his　wife　and　the
man　in　the　hay…field。　　It　seemed　that　the　children　had　all　inherited　the
father's　smartness。　　The　oldest　boy　could　beat　the　nation　at　figures；　and
one　of　the　young　ones　could　draw　anything　you　had　a　mind　to。　　They　were
all　clear　up　in　their　classes　at　school；　and　yet　you　might　say　they
almost　ran　wild；　between　times。　　The　oldest　girl　was　a　pretty…behaved
little　thing；　but　the　man　in　the　hay…field　guessed　there　was　not　very
much　to　her；　compared　with　some　of　the　boys。　　Any　rate；　she　had　not　the
name　of　being　so　smart　at　school。　　Good　little　thing；　too；　and　kind　of
mothered　the　young　ones。

Mrs。　Lander；　when　she　had　wrung　the　last　drop　of　information　out　of　him；
let　him　crawl　back　to　his　work；　mentally　flaccid；　and　let　her　husband
drive　on；　but　under　a　fire　of　conjecture　and　asseveration　that　was
scarcely　intermitted　till　they　reached　their　hotel。　　That　night　she
talked　along　time　about　their　afternoon's　adventure　before　she　allowed
him　to　go　to　sleep。　　She　said　she　must　certainly　see　the　child　again；
that　they　must　drive　down　there　in　the　morning；　and　ask　her　all　about
herself。

〃Albe't；〃　she　concluded；　〃I　wish　we　had　her　to　live　with　us。　　Yes；　I　do！
I　wonder　if　we　could　get　her　to。　　You　know　I　always　did　want　to　adopt　a
baby。〃

〃You　neva　said　so；〃　Mr。　Lander　opened　his　mouth　almost　for　the　first
time；　since　the　talk　began。

〃I　didn't　suppose　you'd　like　it；〃　said　his　wife。

〃Well；　she　a'n't　a　baby。　　I　guess　you'd　find　you　had　your　hands　full；
takon'　a　half…grown　gul　like　that　to　bring　up。〃

〃I　shouldn't　be　afraid　any；〃　the　wife　declared。　　〃She　has　just　twined
herself　round　my　heat。　　I　can't　get　her　pretty　looks　out　of　my　eyes。
I　know　she's　good。〃

〃We'll　see　how　you　feel　about　it　in　the　morning。〃

The　old　man　began　to　wind　his　watch；　and　his　wife　seemed　to　take　this　for
a　sign　that　the　incident　was　closed；　for　the　present　at　least。　　He　seldom
talked；　but　there　came　times　when　he　would　not　even　listen。　　One　of　these
was　the　time　after　he　had　wound　his　watch。　　A　minute　later　he　had
undressed；　with　an　agility　incredible　of　his　years；　and　was　in　bed；　as
effectively　blind　and　deaf　to　his　wife's　appeals　as　if　he　were　already
asleep。




II。

When　Albert　Gallatin　Lander　（he　was　named　for　an　early　Secretary　of　the
Treasury　as　a　tribute　to　the　statesman's　financial　policy）　went　out　of
business；　his　wife　began　to　go　out　of　health；　and　it　became　the　most
serious　affair　of　his　declining　years　to　provide　for　her　invalid　fancies。
He　would　have　liked　to　buy　a　place　in　the　Boston　suburbs　（he　preferred
one　of　the　Newtons）　where　they　could　both　have　had　something　to　do；　she
inside　of　the　house；　and　he　outside；　but　she　declared　that　what　they　both
needed　was　a　good　long　rest；　with　freedom　from　care　and　trouble　of　every
kind。　　She　broke　up　their　establishment　in　Boston；　and　stored　their
furniture；　and　she　would　have　made　him　sell　the　simple　old　house　in　which
they　had　always　lived；　on　an　unfashionable　up…and…down…hill　street　of　the
West　End；　if　he　had　not　taken　one　of　his　stubborn　stands；　and　let　it　for
a　term　of　years　without　consulting　her。　　But　she　had　her　way　about　their
own　movements；　and　they　began　that　life　of　hotels；　which　they　had　now
lived　so　long　that　she　believed　any　other　impossible。　　Its　luxury　and
idleness　had　told　upon　each　of　them　with　diverse　effect。

They　had　both　entered　upon　it　in　much　the　same　corporal　figure；　but　she
had　constantly　grown　in　flesh；　while　he　had　dwindled　away　until　he　was
not　much　more　than　half　the　weight　of　his　prime。　　Their　digestion　was
alike　impaired　by　their　joint　life；　but　as　they　took　the　same　medicines
Mrs。　Lander　was　baffled　to　account　for　the　varying　result。　　She　was　sure
that　all　the　anxiety　came　upon　her；　and　that　logically　she　was　the　one
who　ought　to　have　wasted　away。　　But　she　had　before　her　the　spectacle　of　a
husband　who；　while　he　gave　his　entire　attention　to　her　health；　did　not
audibly　or　visibly　worry　about　it；　and　yet　had　lost　weight　in　such
measure　that　upon　trying　on　a　pair　of　his　old　trousers　taken　out　of
storage　with　some　clothes　of　her　own；　he　found　it　impossible　to　use　the
side　pockets　which　the　change　in　his　figure　carried　so　far　to　the　rear
when　the　garment　was　reduced　at　the　waist。　　At　the　same　time　her　own
dresses　of　ten　years　earlier　would　not　half　meet　round　her；　and　one　of
the　most　corroding　cares　of　a　woman　who　had　done　everything　a　woman　could
to　get　rid　of　care；　was　what　to　do　with　those　things　which　they　could
neither　of　them　ever　wear　again。　　She　talked　the　matter　over　with　herself
before　her　husband；　till　he　took　the　desperate　measure　of　sending　them
back　to　storage；　and　they　had　been　left　there　in　the　spring　when　the
Landers　came　away　for　the　summer。

They　always　spent　the　later　spring　months　at　a　hotel　in　the　suburbs　of
Boston；　where　they　arrived　in　May　from　a　fortnight　in　a　hotel　at　New
York；　on　their　way　up　from　hotels　in　Washington；　Ashville；　Aiken　and
St。　Augustine。　　They　passed　the　summer　months　in　the　mountains；　and　early
in　the　autumn　they　went　back　to　the　hotel　in　the　Boston　suburbs；　where
Mrs。　Lander　considered　it　essential　to　make　some　sojourn　before　going　to
a　Boston　hotel　for　November　and　December；　and　getting　ready　to　go　down　to
Florida　in　January。　　She　would　not　on　any　account　have　gone　directly　to
the　city　from　the　mountains；　for　people　who　did　that　were　sure　to　lose
the　good　of　their　summer；　and　to　feel　the　loss　all　the　winter；　if　they
did　not　actually　come　down　with　a　fever。

She　was　by　no　means　aware　that　she　was　a　selfish　or　foolish　person。　　She
made　Mr。　Lander　subscribe　statedly　to　worthy　objects　in　Boston；　which　she
still　regarded　as　home；　because　they　had　not　dwelt　any　where　else　since
they　ceased　to　live　there；　and　she　took　lavishly　of　tickets　for　all　the
charitable　entertainments　in　the　hotels　where　they　stayed。　　Few　if　any
guests　at　hotels　enjoyed　so　much　honor　from　porters；　bell…boys；　waiters；
chambermaids　and　bootblacks　as　the　Landers；　for　they　gave　richly　in　fees
for　every　conceivable　service　which　could　be　rendered　them；　they　went　out
of　their　way　to　invent　debts　of　gratitude　to　menials　who　had　done　nothing
for　them。　　He　would　make　the　boy　who　sold　papers　at　the　dining…room　door
keep　the　change；　when　he　had　been　charged　a　profit　of　a　hundred　per　cent。
already；　and　she　would　let　no　driver　who　had　plundered　them　according　to
the　carriage　tariff　escape　without　something　for　himself。

A　sense　of　their　munificence　penetrated　the　clerks　and　proprietors　with　a
just　esteem　for　guests　who　always　wanted　the　best　of　everything；　and
questioned　no　bill　for　extras。　　Mrs。　Lander；　in　fact；　who　ruled　these
expenditures；　had　no　knowledge　of　the　value　of　things；　and　made　her
husband　pay　whatever　was　asked。　　Yet　when　they　lived　under　their　own　roof
they　had　lived　simply；　and　Lander　had　got　his　money　in　an　old…fashioned
business　way；　and　not　in　some　delirious　speculation　such　as　leaves　a　man
reckless　of　money　afterwards。　　He　had　been　first　of　all　a　tailor；　and
then　he　had　gone　into　boys'　and　youths'　clothing　in　a　small　way；　and
finally　he　had　mastered　this　business　and　come　out　at　the　top；　with　his
hands　full。　　He　invested　his　money　so　prosperously　that　the　income　for
two　elderly　people；　who　had　no　children；　and　only　a　few　outlying
relations　on　his　side；　was　far　beyond　their　wants；　or　even　their　whims。

She　as　a　woman；　who　in　spite　of　her　bulk　and　the　jellylike　majesty　with
which　she　shook　in　her　smoothly　casing　brown　silks；　as　she　entered　hotel
dining…rooms；　and　the　severity　with　which　she　frowned　over　her　fan　down
the　length　of　the　hotel　drawing…rooms；　betrayed　more　than　her　husband　the
commonness　of　their　origin。　　She　could　not　help　talking；　and　her　accent
and　her　diction　gave　her　away　for　a　middle…class　New　England　person　of
village　birth　and　unfashionable　sojourn　in　Boston。　　He；　on　the　contrary；
lurked　about　the　hotels　where　they　passed　their　days　in　a　silence　so
dignified　that　when　his　verbs　and　nominatives　seemed　not　to　agree；　you
accused　your　own　hearing。　　He　was　correctly　dressed；　a