confidence-第16部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


The　evening　drew　to　a　close　and　the　crowd　of　Bernard's　fellow…loungers　dispersed。　　The　lighted　windows　of　the　Kursaal　still　glittered　in　the　bosky　darkness；　and　the　lamps　along　the　terrace　had　not　been　extinguished；　but　the　great　promenade　was　almost　deserted；　here　and　there　only　a　lingering　couple　the　red　tip　of　a　cigar　and　the　vague　radiance　of　a　light　dress　gave　animation　to　the　place。　　But　Bernard　sat　there　still　in　his　tilted　chair；　beneath　his　orange…tree；　his　imagination　had　wandered　very　far　and　he　was　awaiting　its　return　to　the　fold。　He　was　on　the　point　of　rising；　however；　when　he　saw　three　figures　come　down　the　empty　vista　of　the　terrace　figures　which　even　at　a　distance　had　a　familiar　air。　He　immediately　left　his　seat　and；　taking　a　dozen　steps；　recognized　Angela　Vivian；　Blanche　Evers　and　Captain　Lovelock。　In　a　moment　he　met　them　in　the　middle　of　the　terrace。

Blanche　immediately　announced　that　they　had　come　for　a　midnight　walk。

〃And　if　you　think　it　's　improper；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃it　's　not　my　invention　it　's　Miss　Vivian's。〃

〃I　beg　pardonit　's　mine；〃　said　Captain　Lovelock。　　〃I　desire　the　credit　of　it。　　I　started　the　idea；　you　never　would　have　come　without　me。〃

〃I　think　it　would　have　been　more　proper　to　come　without　you　than　with　you；〃　Blanche　declared。　　〃You　know　you　're　a　dreadful　character。〃

〃I　'm　much　worse　when　I　'm　away　from　you　than　when　I　'm　with　you；〃　said　Lovelock。　　〃You　keep　me　in　order。〃

The　young　girl　gave　a　little　cry。

〃I　don't　know　what　you　call　order！　　You　can't　be　worse　than　you　have　been　to…night。〃

Angela　was　not　listening　to　this；　she　turned　away　a　little；　looking　about　at　the　empty　garden。

〃This　is　the　third　time　to…day　that　you　have　contradicted　yourself；〃　he　said。　　Though　he　spoke　softly　he　went　nearer　to　her；　but　she　appeared　not　to　hear　himshe　looked　away。

〃You　ought　to　have　been　there；　Mr。　Longueville；〃　Blanche　went　on。　〃We　have　had　a　most　lovely　night；　we　sat　all　the　evening　on　Mrs。　Vivian's　balcony；　eating　ices。　　To　sit　on　a　balcony；　eating　ices　that　's　my　idea　of　heaven。〃

〃With　an　angel　by　your　side；〃　said　Captain　Lovelock。

〃You　are　not　my　idea　of　an　angel；〃　retorted　Blanche。

〃I　'm　afraid　you　'll　never　learn　what　the　angels　are　really　like；〃　said　the　Captain。　　〃That　's　why　Miss　Evers　got　Mrs。　Vivian　to　take　rooms　over　the　baker'sso　that　she　could　have　ices　sent　up　several　times　a　day。　　Well；　I　'm　bound　to　say　the　baker's　ices　are　not　bad。〃

〃Considering　that　they　have　been　baked！　　But　they　affect　the　mind；〃　Blanche　went　on。　　〃They　would　have　affected　Captain　Lovelock's　only　he　has　n't　any。　　They　certainly　affected　Angela's　putting　it　into　her　head；　at　eleven　o'clock；　to　come　out　to　walk。〃

Angela　did　nothing　whatever　to　defend　herself　against　this　ingenious　sally；　she　simply　stood　there　in　graceful　abstraction。　　Bernard　was　vaguely　vexed　at　her　neither　looking　at　him　nor　speaking　to　him；　her　indifference　seemed　a　contravention　of　that　right　of　criticism　which　Gordon　had　bequeathed　to　him。

〃I　supposed　people　went　to　bed　at　eleven　o'clock；〃　he　said。

Angela　glanced　about　her；　without　meeting　his　eye。

〃They　seem　to　have　gone。〃

Miss　Evers　strolled　on；　and　her　Captain　of　course　kept　pace　with　her；　so　that　Bernard　and　Miss　Vivian　were　left　standing　together。　He　looked　at　her　a　moment　in　silence；　but　her　eye　still　avoided　his　own。

〃You　are　remarkably　inconsistent；〃　Bernard　presently　said。　〃You　take　a　solemn　vow　of　seclusion　this　afternoon；　and　no　sooner　have　you　taken　it　than　you　proceed　to　break　it　in　this　outrageous　manner。〃

She　looked　at　him　nowa　long　timelonger　than　she　had　ever　done　before。

〃This　is　part　of　the　examination；　I　suppose；〃　she　said。

Bernard　hesitated　an　instant。

〃What　examination？〃

〃The　one　you　have　undertakenon　Mr。　Wright's　behalf。〃

〃What　do　you　know　about　that？〃

〃Ah；　you　admit　it　then？〃　the　girl　exclaimed；　with　an　eager　laugh。

〃I　don't　in　the　least　admit　it；〃　said　Bernard；　conscious　only　for　the　moment　of　the　duty　of　loyalty　to　his　friend　and　feeling　that　negation　here　was　simply　a　point　of　honor。

〃I　trust　more　to　my　own　conviction　than　to　your　denial。　You　have　engaged　to　bring　your　superior　wisdom　and　your　immense　experience　to　bear　upon　me！　　That　's　the　understanding。〃

〃You　must　think　us　a　pretty　pair　of　wiseacres；〃　said　Bernard。

〃There　it　isyou　already　begin　to　answer　for　what　I　think。　When　Mr。　Wright　comes　back　you　will　be　able　to　tell　him　that　I　am　'outrageous'！〃　And　she　turned　away　and　walked　on；　slowly　following　her　companions。

〃What　do　you　care　what　I　tell　him？〃　　Bernard　asked。　　〃You　don't　care　a　straw。〃

She　said　nothing　for　a　moment；　then；　suddenly；　she　stopped　again；　dropping　her　eyes。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　she　said；　very　gently；　〃I　care　a　great　deal。　It　's　as　well　that　you　should　know　that。〃

Bernard　stood　looking　at　her；　her　eyes　were　still　lowered。

〃Do　you　know　what　I　shall　tell　him？　　I　shall　tell　him　that　about　eleven　o'clock　at　night　you　become　peculiarly　attractive。〃

She　went　on　again　a　few　steps；　Miss　Evers　and　Captain　Lovelock　had　turned　round　and　were　coming　toward　her。

〃It　is　very　true　that　I　am　outrageous；〃　she　said；　〃it　was　extremely　silly　and　in　very　bad　taste　to　come　out　at　this　hour。　Mamma　was　not　at　all　pleased；　and　I　was　very　unkind　to　her。　I　only　wanted　to　take　a　turn；　and　now　we　will　go　back。〃　On　the　others　coming　up　she　announced　this　resolution；　and　though　Captain　Lovelock　and　his　companion　made　a　great　outcry；　she　carried　her　point。　　Bernard　offered　no　opposition。　He　contented　himself　with　walking　back　to　her　mother's　lodging　with　her　almost　in　silence。　　The　little　winding　streets　were　still　and　empty；　there　was　no　sound　but　the　chatter　and　laughter　of　Blanche　and　her　attendant　swain。　Angela　said　nothing。

This　incident　presented　itself　at　first　to　Bernard's　mind　as　a　sort　of　declaration　of　war。　　The　girl　had　guessed　that　she　was　to　be　made　a　subject　of　speculative　scrutiny。　The　idea　was　not　agreeable　to　her　independent　spirit；　and　she　placed　herself　boldly　on　the　defensive。　　She　took　her　stand　upon　her　right　to　defeat　his　purpose　by　every　possible　means　to　perplex；　elude；　deceive　himin　plain　English；　to　make　a　fool　of　him。　This　was　the　construction　which　for　several　days　Bernard　put　upon　her　deportment；　at　the　same　time　that　he　thought　it　immensely　clever　of　her　to　have　guessed　what　had　been　going　on　in　his　mind。　She　made　him　feel　very　much　ashamed　of　his　critical　attitude；　and　he　did　everything　he　could　think　of　to　put　her　off　her　guard　and　persuade　her　that　for　the　moment　he　had　ceased　to　be　an　observer。　His　position　at　moments　seemed　to　him　an　odious　one；　for　he　was　firmly　resolved　that　between　him　and　the　woman　to　whom　his　friend　had　proposed　there　should　be　nothing　in　the　way　of　a　vulgar　flirtation。　Under　the　circumstances；　it　savoured　both　of　flirtation　and　of　vulgarity　that　they　should　even　fall　out　with　each　other　a　consummation　which　appeared　to　be　more　or　less　definitely　impending。　Bernard　remarked　to　himself　that　his　own　only　reasonable　line　of　conduct　would　be　instantly　to　leave　Baden；　but　I　am　almost　ashamed　to　mention　the　fact　which　led　him　to　modify　this　decision。　It　was　simply　that　he　was　induced　to　make　the　reflection　that　he　had　really　succeeded　in　putting　Miss　Vivian　off　her　guard。　How　he　had　done　so　he　would　have　found　it　difficult　to　explain；　inasmuch　as　in　one　way　or　another；　for　a　week；　he　had　spent　several　hours　in　talk　with　her。　　The　most　effective　way　of　putting　her　off　her　guard　would　have　been　to　leave　her　alone；　to　forswear　the　privilege　of　conversation　with　her；　to　pass　the　days　in　other　society。　This　course　would　have　had　the　drawback　of　not　enabling　him　to　measure　the　operation　of　so　ingenious　a　policy；　and　Bernard　liked；　of　all　the　things　in　the　world；　to　know　when　he　was　successful。　He　believed；　at　all　events；　that　he　was　successful　now；　and　that　the　virtue　of　his　conversation　itself　had　persuaded　this　keen　and　brilliant　girl　that　he　was　thinking　of　anything　in　the　world　but　herself。　He　flattered　himself　that　the　civil　indifference　of　his　manner；　the　abstract　character　of　the　topics　he　selected；　the　irrelevancy　of　his　allusions　and　the　laxity　of　his　attention；　all　contributed　to　this　result。

Such　a　result　was　certainly　a　remarkable　one；　for　it　is　almost　superfluous　to　intimate　that　Miss　Vivian　was；　in　fact；　perpetually　in　his　thoughts。　He　made　it　a　point　of　conscience　not　to　think　of　her；　but　he　was　thinking　of　her　most　when　his　conscience　was　most　lively。　　Bernard　had　a　conscience　a　conscience　which；　though　a　little　irregular　in　its　motions；　gave　itself　in　the　long　run　a　great　deal　of　exercise；　but　nothing　could　have　been　more　natural　than　that；　curious；　imaginative；　audacious　as　he　was；　and　delighting；　as　I　have　said；　in　the　play　of　his　singularly　nimble　intelligence；　he　should　have　given　himself　up　to　a　sort　of　unconscious　experimentation。　〃I　will　leave　her　aloneI　will　be　hanged　if　I　attempt　to　draw　her　out！〃　he　said　to　himself；　and　meanwhile　he　was　roaming　afield　and　plucking　personal　impressions　in　great　fragrant　handfuls。　　All　this；　as　I　say；　was　natural；　given　the　man　and　the　situation；　the　only　oddity　is　that　he　should　have　fancied　himself　able　to　persuade　the　person　most　interested　that　he　had　renounced　h