the kentons-第42章

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fears；　and　breaking　down　in　helpless　subjection　to　the　nearest　member　of
his　household。　　Lottie　was　so　taken　up　with　her　student　that　she　scarcely
quarrelled　with　him　any　more；　and　they　had　no　longer　those　moments　of
union　in　which　they　stood　together　against　the　world。　　His　mother　had
cast　him　off；　as　he　felt；　very　heartlessly；　though　it　was　really　because
she　could　not　give　his　absurdities　due　thought　in　view　of　the　hopeful
seriousness　of　Ellen's　affair；　and　Boyne　was　aware　that　his　father　at　the
best　of　times　was　ignorant　of　him　when　he　was　not　impatient　of　him。　
These　were　not　the　best　of　times　with　Judge　Kenton；　and　Boyne　was　not　the
first　object　of　his　impatience。　　In　the　last　analysis　he　was　living　until
he　could　get　home；　and　so　largely　in　the　hope　of　this　that　his　wife　at
times　could　scarcely　keep　him　from　taking　some　step　that　would　decide　the
matter　between　Ellen　and　Breckon　at　once。　　They　were　tacitly　agreed　that
they　were　waiting　for　nothing　else；　and；　without　making　their　agreement
explicit；　she　was　able　to　quell　him　by　asking　what　he　expected　to　do　in
case　there　was　nothing　between　them？　　Was　he　going　to　take　the　child　back
to　Tuskingum；　which　was　the　same　as　taking　her　back　to　Bittridge？　it　hurt
her　to　confront　him　with　this　question；　and　she　tried　other　devices　for
staying　and　appeasing　him。　　She　begged　him　now；　seeing　Boyne　so　forlorn；
and　hanging　about　the　hotel　alone；　or　moping　over　those　ridiculous　books
of　his；　to　go　off　with　the　boy　somewhere　and　see　the　interesting　places
within　such　easy　reach；　like　Leyden　and　Delft　if　he　cared　nothing　for　the
place　where　William　the　Silent　was　shot；　he　ought　to　see　the　place　that
the　Pilgrims　started　from。　　She　had　counted　upon　doing　those　places
herself；　with　her　husband；　and　it　was　in　a　sacrifice　of　her　ideal　that
she　now　urged　him　to　go　with　Boyne。　　But　her　preoccupation　with　Ellen's
affair　forbade　her　self…abandon　to　those　high　historical　interests　to
which　she　urged　his　devotion。　She　might　have　gone　with　him　and　Boyne；　but
then　she　must　have　left　the　larger　half　of　her　divided　mind　with　Ellen；
not　to　speak　of　Lottie；　who　refused　to　be　a　party　to　any　such　excursion。　
Mrs。　Kenton　felt　the　disappointment　and　grieved　at　it；　but　not　without
hope　of　repairing　it　later；　and　she　did　not　cease　from　entreating　the
judge　to　do　what　he　could　at　once　towards　fulfilling　the　desires　she
postponed。　Once　she　prevailed　with　him；　and　really　got　him　and　Boyne　off
for　a　day；　but　they　came　back　early；　with　signs　of　having　bored　each
other　intolerably；　and　after　that　it　was　Boyne；　as　much　as　his　father；
who　relucted　from　joint　expeditions。　　Boyne　did　not　so　much　object　to
going　alone；　and　his　father　said　it　was　best　to　let　him；　though　his
mother　had　her　fears　for　her　youngest。　　He　spent　a　good　deal　of　his　time
on　the　trams　between　Scheveningen　and　The　Hague；　and　he　was　understood　to
have　explored　the　capital　pretty　thoroughly。　　In　fact；　he　did　go　about
with　a　valet　de　place；　whom　he　got　at　a　cheap　rate；　and　with　whom　he
conversed　upon　the　state　of　the　country　and　its　political　affairs。　　The
valet　said　that　the　only　enemy　that　Holland　could　fear　was　Germany；　but
an　invasion　from　that　quarter　could　be　easily　repulsed　by　cutting　the
dikes　and　drowning　the　invaders。　　The　sea；　he　taught　Boyne；　was　the　great
defence　of　Holland；　and　it　was　a　waste　of　money　to　keep　such　an　army　as
the　Dutch　had；　but　neither　the　sea　nor　the　sword　could　drive　out　the
Germans　if　once　they　insidiously　married　a　Prussian　prince　to　the　Dutch
Queen。

There　seemed　to　be　no　getting　away　from　the　Queen；　for　Boyne。　　The　valet
not　only　talked　about　her；　as　the　pleasantest　subject　which　he　could
find；　but　he　insisted　upon　showing　Boyne　all　her　palaces。　　He　took　him
into　the　Parliament　house；　and　showed　him　where　she　sat　while　the　queen…
mother　read　the　address　from　the　throne。　　He　introduced　him　at　a　bazar
where　the　shop…girl　who　spoke　English　better　than　Boyne；　or　at　least
without　the　central　Ohio　accent；　wanted　to　sell　him　a　miniature　of　the
Queen　on　porcelain。　　She　said　the　Queen　was　such　a　nice　girl；　and　she　was
herself　such　a　nice　girl　that　Boyne　blushed　a　little　in　looking　at　her。　
He　bought　the　miniature；　and　then　he　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　it；　if
any　of　the　family；　if　Lottie；　found　out　that　he　had　it；　or　that　Trannel；
he　should　have　no　peace　any　more。　He　put　it　in　his　pocket；　provisionally；
and　when　he　came　giddily　out　of　the　shop　he　felt　himself　taken　by　the
elbow　and　placed　against　the　wall　by　the　valet；　who　said　the　queens　were
coming。　　They　drove　down　slowly　through　the　crowded；　narrow　street；
bowing　right　and　left　to　the　people　flattened　against　the　shops；　and
again　Boyne　saw　her　so　near　that　he　could　have　reached　out　his　hand　and
almost　touched　hers。

The　consciousness　of　this　was　so　strong　in　him　that　he　wondered　whether
he　had　not　tried　to　do　so。　　If　he　had　he　would　have　been　arrested
he　knew　that；　and　so　he　knew　that　he　had　not　done　it。　　He　knew　that　he
imagined　doing　so　because　it　would　be　so　awful　to　have　done　it；　and　he
imagined　being　in　love　with　her　because　it　would　be　so　frantic。　　At　the
same　time　he　dramatized　an　event　in　which　he　died　for　her；　and　she　became
aware　of　his　hopeless　passion　at　the　last　moment；　while　the　anarchist
from　whom　he　had　saved　her　confessed　that　the　bomb　had　been　meant　for
her。　　Perhaps　it　was　a　pistol。

He　escaped　from　the　valet　as　soon　as　he　could；　and　went　back　to
Scheveningen　limp　from　this　experience；　but　the　queens　were　before　him。　
They　had　driven　down　to　visit　the　studio　of　a　famous　Dutch　painter　there；
and　again　the　doom　was　on　Boyne　to　press　forward　with　the　other
spectators　and　wait　for　the　queens　to　appear　and　get　into　their　carriage。　
The　young　Queen's　looks　were　stamped　in　Boyne's　consciousness；　so　that　he
saw　her　wherever　he　turned；　like　the　sun　when　one　has　gazed　at　it。　　He
thought　how　that　Trannel　had　said　he　ought　to　hand　her　into　her　carriage；
and　he　shrank　away　for　fear　he　should　try　to　do　so；　but　he　could　not
leave　the　place　till　she　had　come　out　with　the　queenmother　and　driven
off。　　Then　he　went　slowly　and　breathlessly　into　the　hotel；　feeling　the
Queen's　miniature　in　his　pocket。　　It　made　his　heart　stand　still；　and　then
bound　forward。　　He　wondered　again　what　he　should　do　with　it。　　If　he　kept
it；　Lottie　would　be　sure　to　find　it；　and　he　could　not　bring　himself　to
the　sacrilege　of　destroying　it。　　He　thought　he　would　walk　out　on　the
breakwater　as　far　as　he　could　and　throw　it　into　the　sea；　but　when　he　got
to　the　end　of　the　mole　he　could　not　do　so。　　He　decided　that　he　would　give
it　to　Ellen　to　keep　for　him；　and　not　let　Lottie　see　it；　or　perhaps　he
might　pretend　he　had　bought　it　for　her。　　He　could　not　do　that；　though；
for　it　would　not　be　true；　and　if　he　did　he　could　not　ask　her　to　keep　it
from　Lottie。

At　dinner　Mr。　Trannel　told　him　he　ought　to　have　been　there　to　see　the
Queen；　that　she　had　asked　especially　for　him；　and　wanted　to　know　if　they
had　not　sent　up　her　card　to　him。　　Boyne　meditated　an　apt　answer　through
all　the　courses；　but　he　had　not　thought　of　one　when　they　had　come　to　the
'corbeille　de　fruits'；　and　he　was　forced　to　go　to　bed　without　having
avenged　himself。

In　taking　rooms　for　her　family　at　the　hotel；　Lottie　had　arranged　for　her
emancipation　from　the　thraldom　of　rooming　with　Ellen。　　She　said　that　had
gone　on　long　enough；　if　she　was　grown　up　at　all；　she　was　grown　up　enough
to　have　a　room　of　her　own；　and　her　mother　had　yielded　to　reasoning　which
began　and　ended　with　this　position。　　She　would　have　interfered　so　far　as
to　put　Lottie　into　the　room　next　her；　but　Lottie　said　that　if　Boyne　was
the　baby　he　ought　to　be　next　his　mother；　Ellen　might　come　next　him；　but
she　was　going　to　have　the　room　that　was　furthest　from　any　implication　of
the　dependence　in　which　she　had　languished；　and　her　mother　submitted
again。　　Boyne　was　not　sorry；　there　had　always　been　hours　of　the　night
when　he　felt　the　need　of　getting　at　his　mother　for　reassurance　as　to
forebodings　which　his　fancy　conjured　up　to　trouble　him　in　the　wakeful
dark。　　It　was　understood　that　he　might　freely　do　this；　and　though　the
judge　inwardly　fretted；　he　could　not　deny　the　boy　the　comfort　of