the patagonia-第3章

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Nettlepoint　beforehand；　that　day；　to　tell　her　what　they　wanted：　　then

they　wouldn't　seem　to　spring　it　on　her　just　as　she　was　leaving。　　She

herself　（Mrs。　Allen）　would　call　and　say　a　word　for　them　if　she　could

save　ten　minutes　before　catching　her　train。　　If　she　hadn't　come　it

was　because　she　hadn't　saved　her　ten　minutes　but　she　had　made　them

feel　that　they　must　come　all　the　same。　　Mrs。　Mavis　liked　that　better；

because　on　the　ship　in　the　morning　there　would　be　such　a　confusion。

She　didn't　think　her　daughter　would　be　any　troubleconscientiously

she　didn't。　　It　was　just　to　have　some　one　to　speak　to　her　and　not

sally　forth　like　a　servant…girl　going　to　a　situation。



〃I　see；　I'm　to　act　as　a　sort　of　bridesmaid　and　to　give　her　away；〃

Mrs。　Nettlepoint　obligingly　said。　　Kind　enough　in　fact　for　anything；

she　showed　on　this　occasion　that　it　was　easy　enough　to　know　her。

There　is　notoriously　nothing　less　desirable　than　an　imposed

aggravation　of　effort　at　sea；　but　she　accepted　without　betrayed

dismay　the　burden　of　the　young　lady's　dependence　and　allowed　her；　as

Mrs。　Mavis　said；　to　hook　herself　on。　　She　evidently　had　the　habit　of

patience；　and　her　reception　of　her　visitors'　story　reminded　me

afreshI　was　reminded　of　it　whenever　I　returned　to　my　native　land

that　my　dear　compatriots　are　the　people　in　the　world　who　most　freely

take　mutual　accommodation　for　granted。　　They　have　always　had　to　help

themselves；　and　have　rather　magnanimously　failed　to　learn　just　where

helping　others　is　distinguishable　from　that。　　In　no　country　are　there

fewer　forms　and　more　reciprocities。



It　was　doubtless　not　singular　that　the　ladies　from　Merrimac　Avenue

shouldn't　feel　they　were　importunate：　　what　was　striking　was　that

Mrs。　Nettlepoint　didn't　appear　to　suspect　it。　　However；　she　would　in

any　case　have　thought　it　inhuman　to　show　thisthough　I　could　see

that　under　the　surface　she　was　amused　at　everything　the　more

expressive　of　the　pilgrims　from　the　South　End　took　for　granted。　　I

scarce　know　whether　the　attitude　of　the　younger　visitor　added　or　not

to　the　merit　of　her　good　nature。　　Mr。　Porterfield's　intended　took　no

part　in　the　demonstration；　scarcely　spoke；　sat　looking　at　the　Back

Bay　and　the　lights　on　the　long　bridge。　　She　declined　the　lemonade　and

the　other　mixtures　which；　at　Mrs。　Nettlepoint's　request；　I　offered

her；　while　her　mother　partook　freely　of　everything　and　I　reflected

for　I　as　freely　drained　a　glass　or　two　in　which　the　ice　tinkledthat

Mr。　Jasper　had　better　hurry　back　if　he　wished　to　enjoy　these

luxuries。



Was　the　effect　of　the　young　woman's　reserve　meanwhile　ungracious；　or

was　it　only　natural　that　in　her　particular　situation　she　shouldn't

have　a　flow　of　compliment　at　her　command？　　I　noticed　that　Mrs。

Nettlepoint　looked　at　her　often；　and　certainly　though　she　was

undemonstrative　Miss　Mavis　was　interesting。　　The　candlelight　enabled

me　to　see　that　though　not　in　the　very　first　flower　of　her　youth　she

was　still　fresh　and　handsome。　　Her　eyes　and　hair　were　dark；　her　face

was　pale；　and　she　held　up　her　head　as　if；　with　its　thick　braids　and

everything　else　involved　in　it；　it　were　an　appurtenance　she　wasn't

ashamed　of。　　If　her　mother　was　excellent　and　common　she　was　not

commonnot　at　least　flagrantly　soand　perhaps　also　not　excellent。

At　all　events　she　wouldn't　be；　in　appearance　at　least；　a　dreary

appendage；　which　in　the　case　of　a　person　〃hooking　on〃　was　always

something　gained。　　Was　it　because　something　of　a　romantic　or　pathetic

interest　usually　attaches　to　a　good　creature　who　has　been　the　victim

of　a　〃long　engagement〃　that　this　young　lady　made　an　impression　on　me

from　the　firstfavoured　as　I　had　been　so　quickly　with　this　glimpse

of　her　history？　　I　could　charge　her　certainly　with　no　positive

appeal；　she　only　held　her　tongue　and　smiled；　and　her　smile　corrected

whatever　suggestion　might　have　forced　itself　upon　me　that　the　spirit

within　her　was　deadthe　spirit　of　that　promise　of　which　she　found

herself　doomed　to　carry　out　the　letter。



What　corrected　it　less；　I　must　add；　was　an　odd　recollection　which

gathered　vividness　as　I　listened　to　ita　mental　association　evoked

by　the　name　of　Mr。　Porterfield。　　Surely　I　had　a　personal　impression；

over…smeared　and　confused；　of　the　gentleman　who　was　waiting　at

Liverpool；　or　who　presently　would　be；　for　Mrs。　Nettlepoint's

protegee。　　I　had　met　him；　known　him；　some　time；　somewhere；　somehow；

on　the　other　side。　　Wasn't　he　studying　something；　very　hard；

somewhereprobably　in　Paristen　years　before；　and　didn't　he　make

extraordinarily　neat　drawings；　linear　and　architectural？　　Didn't　he

go　to　a　table　d'hote；　at　two　francs　twenty…five；　in　the　Rue

Bonaparte；　which　I　then　frequented；　and　didn't　he　wear　spectacles　and

a　Scotch　plaid　arranged　in　a　manner　which　seemed　to　say　〃I've

trustworthy　information　that　that's　the　way　they　do　it　in　the

Highlands〃？　　Wasn't　he　exemplary　to　positive　irritation；　and　very

poor；　poor　to　positive　oppression；　so　that　I　supposed　he　had　no

overcoat　and　his　tartan　would　be　what　he　slept　under　at　night？

Wasn't　he　working　very　hard　still；　and　wouldn't　he　be；　in　the　natural

course；　not　yet　satisfied　that　he　had　found　his　feet　or　knew　enough

to　launch　out？　　He　would　be　a　man　of　long　preparationsMiss　Mavis's

white　face　seemed　to　speak　to　one　of　that。　　It　struck　me　that　if　I

had　been　in　love　with　her　I　shouldn't　have　needed　to　lay　such　a　train

for　the　closer　approach。　　Architecture　was　his　line　and　he　was　a

pupil　of　the　Ecole　des　Beaux　Arts。　　This　reminiscence　grew　so　much

more　vivid　with　me　that　at　the　end　of　ten　minutes　I　had　an　odd　sense

of　knowingby　implicationa　good　deal　about　the　young　lady。



Even　after　it　was　settled　that　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　would　do　everything

possible　for　her　the　other　visitor　sat　sipping　our　iced　liquid　and

telling　how　〃low〃　Mr。　Mavis　had　been。　　At　this　period　the　girl's

silence　struck　me　as　still　more　conscious；　partly　perhaps　because　she

deprecated　her　mother's　free　flowshe　was　enough　of　an　〃improvement〃

to　measure　thatand　partly　because　she　was　too　distressed　by　the

idea　of　leaving　her　infirm；　her　perhaps　dying　father。　　It　wasn't

indistinguishable　that　they　were　poor　and　that　she　would　take　out　a

very　small　purse　for　her　trousseau。　　For　Mr。　Porterfield　to　make　up

the　sum　his　own　case　would　have　had　moreover　greatly　to　change。　　If

he　had　enriched　himself　by　the　successful　practice　of　his　profession

I　had　encountered　no　edifice　he　had　rearedhis　reputation　hadn't

come　to　my　ears。



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　notified　her　new　friends　that　she　was　a　very

inactive　person　at　sea：　　she　was　prepared　to　suffer　to　the　full　with

Miss　Mavis；　but　not　prepared　to　pace　the　deck　with　her；　to　struggle

with　her；　to　accompany　her　to　meals。　　To　this　the　girl　replied　that

she　would　trouble　her　little；　she　was　sure：　　she　was　convinced　she

should　prove　a　wretched　sailor　and　spend　the　voyage　on　her　back。　　Her

mother　scoffed　at　this　picture；　prophesying　perfect　weather　and　a

lovely　time；　and　I　interposed　to　the　effect　that　if　I　might　be

trusted；　as　a　tame　bachelor　fairly　sea…seasoned；　I　should　be

delighted　to　give　the　new　member　of　our　party　an　arm　or　any　other

countenance　whenever　she　should　require　it。　　Both　the　ladies　thanked

me　for　thistaking　my　professions　with　no　sort　of　abatementand　the

elder　one　declared　that　we　were　evidently　going　to　be　such　a　sociable

group　that　it　was　too　bad　to　have　to　stay　at　home。　　She　asked　Mrs。

Nettlepoint　if　there　were　any　one　else　in　our　party；　and　when　our

hostess　mentioned　her　sonthere　was　a　chance　of　his　embarking　but

（wasn't　it　absurd？）　he　hadn't　decided　yetshe　returned　with

extraordinary　candour：　　〃Oh　dear；　I　do　hope　he'll　go：　　that　would　be

so　lovely　for　Grace。〃



Somehow　the　words　made　me　think　of　poor　Mr。　Porterfield's　tartan；

especially　as　Jasper　Nettlepoint　strolled　in　again　at　that　moment。

His　mother　at　once　challenged　him：　　it　was　ten　o'clock；　had　he　by

chance　made　up　his　great　mind？　　Apparently　he　failed　to　hear　her；

being　in　the　f