an unsocial socialist-第6章

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transferring　her　attention　to　Gertrude；　who　was　very　grave。

〃I　thinkI　am　now　speaking　seriously；　AgathaI　think　you　are　in
the　wrong。〃

〃Why　do　you　think　that；　pray？〃　demanded　Agatha；　a　little　roused。

〃You　must　be；　or　Miss　Wilson　would　not　be　angry　with　you。　Of
course；　according　to　your　own　account；　you　are　always　in　the
right；　and　everyone　else　is　always　wrong；　but　you　shouldn't　have
written　that　in　the　book。　You　know　I　speak　as　your　friend。〃

〃And　pray　what　does　your　wretched　little　soul　know　of　my　motives
and　feelings？〃

〃It　is　easy　enough　to　understand　you；〃　retorted　Gertrude；
nettled。　〃Self…conceit　is　not　so　uncommon　that　one　need　be　at　a
loss　to　recognize　it。　And　mind；　Agatha　Wylie；〃　she　continued；　as
if　goaded　by　some　unbearable　reminiscence；　〃if　you　are　really
going；　I　don't　care　whether　we　part　friends　or　not。　I　have　not
forgotten　the　day　when　you　called　me　a　spiteful　cat。〃

〃I　have　repented；〃　said　Agatha；　unmoved。　〃One　day　I　sat　down　and
watched　Bacchus　seated　on　the　hearthrug；　with　his　moony　eyes
looking　into　space　so　thoughtfully　and　patiently　that　I
apologized　for　comparing　you　to　him。　If　I　were　to　call　him　a
spiteful　cat　he　would　only　not　believe　me。〃

〃Because　he　is　a　cat；〃　said　Jane；　with　the　giggle　which　was
seldom　far　behind　her　tears。

〃No；　but　because　he　is　not　spiteful。　Gertrude　keeps　a　recording
angel　inside　her　little　head；　and　it　is　so　full　of　other　people's
faults；　written　in　large　hand　and　read　through　a　magnifying
glass；　that　there　is　no　room　to　enter　her　own。〃

〃You　are　very　poetic；〃　said　Gertrude；　〃but　I　understand　what　you
mean；　and　shall　not　forget　it。〃

〃You　ungrateful　wretch；〃　exclaimed　Agatha；　turning　upon　her　so
suddenly　and　imperiously　that　she　involuntarily　shrank　aside：
〃how　often；　when　you　have　tried　to　be　insolent　and　false　with　me；
have　I　not　driven　away　your　bad　angelby　tickling　you？　Had　you　a
friend　in　the　college；　except　half…a…dozen　toadies；　until　I　came？
And　now；　because　I　have　sometimes；　for　your　own　good；　shown　you
your　faults；　you　bear　malice　against　me；　and　say　that　you　don't
care　whether　we　part　friends　or　not！〃

〃I　didn't　say　so。〃

〃Oh；　Gertrude；　you　know　you　did；〃　said　Jane。

〃You　seem　to　think　that　I　have　no　conscience；〃　said　Gertrude
querulously。

〃I　wish　you　hadn't；〃　said　Agatha。　〃Look　at　me！　I　have　no
conscience；　and　see　how　much　pleasanter　I　am！〃

〃You　care　for　no　one　but　yourself；〃　said　Gertrude。　〃You　never
think　that　other　people　have　feelings　too。　No　one　ever　considers
me。〃

〃Oh；　I　like　to　hear　you　talk；〃　cried　Jane　ironically。　〃You　are
considered　a　great　deal　more　than　is　good　for　you；　and　the　more
you　are　considered　the　more　you　want　to　be　considered。〃

〃As　if；〃　declaimed　Agatha　theatrically；　〃increase　of　appetite　did
grow　by　what　it　fed　on。　Shakespeare！〃

〃Bother　Shakespeare；〃　said　Jane；　impetuously；　〃old　fool　that
expects　credit　for　saying　things　that　everybody　knows！　But　if　you
complain　of　not　being　considered；　Gertrude；　how　would　you　like　to
be　me；　whom　everybody　sets　down　as　a　fool？　But　I　am　not　such　a
fool　as〃

〃As　you　look；〃　interposed　Agatha。　〃I　have　told　you　so　scores　of
times；　Jane；　and　I　am　glad　that　you　have　adopted　my　opinion　at
last。　Which　would　you　rather　be；　a　greater　fool　than　y〃

〃Oh；　shut　up；〃　said　Jane；　impatiently；　〃you　have　asked　me　that
twice　this　week　already。〃

The　three　were　silent　for　some　seconds　after　this：　Agatha
meditating；　Gertrude　moody；　Jane　vacant　and　restless。　At　last
Agatha　said：

〃And　are　you　two　also　smarting　under　a　sense　of　the
inconsiderateness　and　selfishness　of　the　rest　of　the　worldboth
misunderstoodeverything　expected　from　you；　and　no　allowances
made　for　you？〃

〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean　by　both　of　us；〃　said　Gertrude　coldly。

〃Neither　do　I；〃　said　Jane　angrily。　〃That　is　just　the　way　people
treat　me。　You　may　laugh；　Agatha；　and　she　may　turn　up　her　nose　as
much　as　she　likes；　you　know　it's　true。　But　the　idea　of　Gertrude
wanting　to　make　out　that　she　isn't　considered　is　nothing　but
sentimentality；　and　vanity；　and　nonsense。〃

〃You　are　exceedingly　rude；　Miss　Carpenter；〃　said　Gertrude。

〃My　manners　are　as　good　as　yours；　and　perhaps　better；〃　retorted
Jane。　〃My　family　is　as　good；　anyhow。〃

〃Children；　children；〃　said　Agatha；　admonitorily；　〃do　not　forget
that　you　are　sworn　friends。〃

〃We　didn't　swear；〃　said　Jane。　〃We　were　to　have　been　three　sworn
friends；　and　Gertrude　and　I　were　willing；　but　you　wouldn't　swear；
and　so　the　bargain　was　cried　off。〃

〃Just　so；〃　said　Agatha；　〃and　the　result　is　that　I　spend　all　my
time　in　keeping　peace　between　you。　And　now；　to　go　back　to　our
subject；　may　I　ask　whether　it　has　ever　occurred　to　you　that　no
one　ever　considers　me？〃

〃I　suppose　you　think　that　very　funny。　You　take　good　care　to　make
yourself　considered；〃　sneered　Jane。

〃You　cannot　say　that　I　do　not　consider　you；〃　said　Gertrude
reproachfully。

〃Not　when　I　tickle　you；　dear。〃

〃I　consider　you；　and　I　am　not　ticklesome；〃　said　Jane　tenderly。

〃Indeed！　Let　me　try；〃　said　Agatha；　slipping　her　arm　about　Jane's
ample　waist；　and　eliciting　a　piercing　combination　of　laugh　and
scream　from　her。

〃Shsh；〃　whispered　Gertrude　quickly。　〃Don't　you　see　the　Lady
Abbess？〃

Miss　Wilson　had　just　entered　the　room。　Agatha；　without　appearing
to　be　aware　of　her　presence；　stealthily　withdrew　her　arm；　and
said　aloud：

〃How　can　you　make　such　a　noise；　Jane？　You　will　disturb　the　whole
house。〃

Jane　reddened　with　indignation；　but　had　to　remain　silent；　for　the
eyes　of　the　principal　were　upon　her。　Miss　Wilson　had　her　bonnet
on。　She　announced　that　she　was　going　to　walk　to　Lyvern；　the
nearest　village。　Did　any　of　the　sixth　form　young　ladies　wish　to
accompany　her？

Agatha　jumped　from　her　seat　at　once；　and　Jane　smothered　a　laugh。

〃Miss　Wilson　said　the　sixth　form；　Miss　Wylie；〃　said　Miss　Ward；
who　had　entered　also。　〃You　are　not　in　the　sixth　form。〃

〃No；〃　said　Agatha　sweetly；　〃but　I　want　to　go；　if　I　may。〃

Miss　Wilson　looked　round。　The　sixth　form　consisted　of　four
studious　young　ladies；　whose　goal　in　life　for　the　present　was　an
examination　by　one　of　the　Universities；　or；　as　the　college　phrase
was；　〃the　Cambridge　Local。〃　None　of　them　responded。

〃Fifth　form；　then；〃　said　Miss　Wilson。

Jane；　Gertrude；　and　four　others　rose　and　stood　with　Agatha。

〃Very　well；〃　said　Miss　Wilson。　〃Do　not　be　long　dressing。〃

They　left　the　room　quietly；　and　dashed　at　the　staircase　the
moment　they　were　out　of　sight。　Agatha；　though　void　of　emulation
for　the　Cambridge　Local；　always　competed　with　ardor　for　the　honor
of　being　first　up　or　down　stairs。

They　soon　returned；　clad　for　walking；　and　left　the　college　in
procession；　two　by　two；　Jane　and　Agatha　leading；　Gertrude　and
Miss　Wilson　coming　last。　The　road　to　Lyvern　lay　through　acres　of
pasture　land；　formerly　arable；　now　abandoned　to　cattle；　which
made　more　money　for　the　landlord　than　the　men　whom　they　had
displaced。　Miss　Wilson's　young　ladies；　being　instructed　in
economics；　knew　that　this　proved　that　the　land　was　being　used　to
produce　what　was　most　wanted　from　it；　and　if　all　the　advantage
went　to　the　landlord；　that　was　but　natural；　as　he　was　the　chief
gentleman　in　the　neighborhood。　Still　the　arrangement　had　its
disagreeable　side；　for　it　involved　a　great　many　cows；　which　made
them　afraid　to　cross　the　fields；　a　great　many　tramps；　who　made
them　afraid　to　walk　the　roads；　and　a　scarcity　of　gentlemen
subjects　for　the　maiden　art　of　fascination。

The　sky　was　cloudy。　Agatha；　reckless　of　dusty　stockings；　waded
through　the　heaps　of　fallen　leaves　with　the　delight　of　a　child
paddling　in　the　sea；　Gertrude　picked　her　steps　carefully；　and　the
rest　tramped　along；　chatting　subduedly；　occasionally　making　some
scientific　or　philosophical　remark　in　a　louder　tone；　in　order
that　Miss　Wilson　might　overhear　and　give　them　due　credit。　Save　a
herdsman；　who　seemed　to　have　caught　something　of　the　nature　and
expression　of　the　beasts　he　tended；　they　met　no　one　until　they
approached　the　village；　where；　on　the　brow　of　an　acclivity；
masculine　humanity　appeared　in　the　shape　of　two　curates：　one
tall；　thin；　close…shaven；　with　a　book　under　his　arm；　and　his　neck
craned　forward；　the　other　middle…sized；　robust；　upright；　and
agg