ragged lady, v1-第3部分

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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；　as　an　elderly　man
should　be；　in　the　yesterday　of　the　fashions；　and　he　wore　with
impressiveness　a　silk　hat　whenever　such　a　hat　could　be　worn。　　A　pair　of
drab　cloth　gaiters　did　much　to　identify　him　with　an　old　school　of
gentlemen；　not　very　definite　in　time　or　place。　　He　had　a　full　gray　beard
cut　close；　and　he　was　in　the　habit　of　pursing　his　mouth　a　great　deal。
But　he　meant　nothing　by　it；　and　his　wife　meant　nothing　by　her　frowning。
They　had　no　wish　to　subdue　or　overawe　any　one；　or　to　pass　for　persons　of
social　distinction。　　They　really　did　not　know　what　society　was；　and　they
were　rather　afraid　of　it　than　otherwise　as　they　caught　sight　of　it　in
their　journeys　and　sojourns。　　They　led　a　life　of　public　seclusion；　and
dwelling　forever　amidst　crowds；　they　were　all　in　all　to　each　other；　and
nothing　to　the　rest　of　the　world；　just　as　they　had　been　when　they　resided
（as　they　would　have　said）　on　Pinckney　street。　　In　their　own　house　they
had　never　entertained；　though　they　sometimes　had　company；　in　the　style　of
the　country　town　where　Mrs。　Lander　grew　up。　　As　soon　as　she　was　released
to　the　grandeur　of　hotel　life；　she　expanded　to　the　full　measure　of　its
responsibilities　and　privileges；　but　still　without　seeking　to　make　it　the
basis　of　approach　to　society。　　Among　the　people　who　surrounded　her；　she
had　not　so　much　acquaintance　as　her　husband　even；　who　talked　so　little
that　he　needed　none。　　She　sometimes　envied　his　ease　in　getting　on　with
people　when　he　chose；　and　his　boldness　in　speaking　to　fellow　guests　and
fellow　travellers；　if　he　really　wanted　anything。　　She　wanted　something　of
them　all　the　time；　she　wanted　their　conversation　and　their　companionship；
but　in　her　ignorance　of　the　social　arts　she　was　thrown　mainly　upon　the
compassion　of　the　chambermaids。　　She　kept　these　talking　as　long　as　she
could　detain　them　in　her　rooms；　and　often　fed　them　candy　（which　she　ate
herself　with　childish　greed）　to　bribe　them　to　further　delays。　　If　she　was
staying　some　days　in　a　hotel；　she　sent　for　the　house…keeper；　and　made　all
she　could　of　her　as　a　listener；　and　as　soon　as　she　settled　herself　for　a
week；　she　asked　who　was　the　best　doctor　in　the　place。　　With　doctors　she
had　no　reserves；　and　she　poured　out　upon　them　the　history　of　her　diseases
and　symptoms　in　an　inexhaustible　flow　of　statement；　conjecture　and
misgiving；　which　was　by　no　means　affected　by　her　profound　and
inexpugnable　ignorance　of　the　principles　of　health。　　From　time　to　time
she　forgot　which　side　her　liver　was　on；　but　she　had　been　doctored　（as　she
called　it）　for　all　her　organs；　and　she　was　willing　to　be　doctored　for　any
one　of　them　that　happened　to　be　in　the　place　where　she　fancied　a　present
discomfort。　　She　was　not　insensible　to　the　claims　which　her　husband's
disorders　had　upon　science；　and　she　liked　to　end　the　tale　of　her　own
sufferings　with　some　such　appeal　as：　〃I　wish　you　could　do　something　for
Mr。　Landa；　too；　docta。〃　　She　made　him　take　a　little　of　each　medicine　that
was　left　for　her；　but　in　her　presence　he　always　denied　that　there　was
anything　the　matter　wit