marjorie daw-第4部分

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good　sense　that　forms　the　basis　of　your　character。　You　are　deeply
interested　in　Miss　Daw；　you　feel　that　she　is　a　person　whom　you　may
perhaps　greatly　admire　when　you　know　her：　at　the　same　time　you　bear
in　mind　that　the　chances　are　ten　to　five　that；　when　you　do　come　to
know　her；　she　will　fall　far　short　of　your　ideal；　and　you　will　not
care　for　her　in　the　least。　Look　at　it　in　this　sensible　light；　and　I
will　hold　back　nothing　from　you。

Yesterday　afternoon　my　father　and　myself　rode　over　to　Rivermouth
with　the　Daws。　A　heavy　rain　in　the　morning　had　cooled　the
atmosphere　and　laid　the　dust。　To　Rivermouth　is　a　drive　of　eight
miles；　along　a　winding　road　lined　all　the　way　with　wild　barberry
bushes。　I　never　saw　anything　more　brilliant　than　these　bushes；　the
green　of　the　foliage　and　the　faint　blush　of　the　berries　intensified
by　the　rain。　The　colonel　drove；　with　my　father　in　front；　Miss　Daw
and　I　on　the　back　seat。　I　resolved　that　for　the　first　five　miles
your　name　should　not　pass　my　lips。　I　was　amused　by　the　artful
attempts　she　made；　at　the　start；　to　break　through　my　reticence。
Then　a　silence　fell　upon　her；　and　then　she　became　suddenly　gay。
That　keenness　which　I　enjoyed　so　much　when　it　was　exercised　on　the
lieutenant　was　not　so　satisfactory　directed　against　myself。　Miss
Daw　has　great　sweetness　of　disposition；　but　she　can　be
disagreeable。　She　is　like　the　young　lady　in　the　rhyme；　with　the
curl　on　her　forehead；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃When　she　is　good；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　She　is　very；　very　good；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　when　she　is　bad；　she　is　horrid！〃

I　kept　to　my　resolution；　however；　but　on　the　return　home　I
relented；　and　talked　of　your　mare！　Miss　Daw　is　going　to　try　a　side…
saddle　on　Margot　some　morning。　The　animal　is　a　trifle　too　light　for
my　weight。　By　the　bye；　I　nearly　forgot　to　say　that　Miss　Daw　sat　for
a　picture　yesterday　to　a　Rivermouth　artist。　If　the　negative　turns
out　well；　I　am　to　have　a　copy。　So　our　ends　will　be　accomplished
without　crime。　I　wish；　though；　I　could　send　you　the　ivorytype　in
the　drawing…room；　it　is　cleverly　colored；　and　would　give　you　an
idea　of　her　hair　and　eyes；　which　of　course　the　other　will　not。

No；　Jack；　the　spray　of　mignonette　did　not　come　from　me。　A　man　of
twenty…eight　doesn't　enclose　flowers　in　his　lettersto　another
man。　But　don't　attach　too　much　significance　to　the　circumstance。
She　gives　sprays　of　mignonette　to　the　rector；　sprays　to　the
lieutenant。　She　has　even　given　a　rose　from　her　bosom　to　your　slave。
It　is　her　jocund　nature　to　scatter　flowers；　like　Spring。

If　my　letters　sometimes　read　disjointedly；　you　must　understand　that
I　never　finish　one　at　a　sitting；　but　write　at　intervals；　when　the
mood　is　on　me。

The　mood　is　not　on　me　now。


IX。

EDWARD　DELANEY　TO　JOHN　FLEMMING。

August　23；　1872。

I　have　just　returned　from　the　strangest　interview　with　Marjorie。
She　has　all　but　confessed　to　me　her　interest　in　you。　But　with　what
modesty　and　dignity！　Her　words　elude　my　pen　as　I　attempt　to　put
them　on　paper；　and；　indeed；　it　was　not　so　much　what　she　said　as　her
manner；　and　that　I　cannot　reproduce。　Perhaps　it　was　of　a　piece　with
the　strangeness　of　this　whole　business；　that　she　should　tacitly
acknowledge　to　a　third　party　the　love　she　feels　for　a　man　she　has
never　beheld！　But　I　have　lost；　through　your　aid；　the　faculty　of
being　surprised。　I　accept　things　as　people　do　in　dreams。　Now　that　I
am　again　in　my　room；　it　all　appears　like　an　illusionthe　black
masses　of　Rembrandtish　shadow　under　the　trees；　the　fireflies
whirling　in　Pyrrhic　dances　among　the　shrubbery；　the　sea　over　there；
Marjorie　sitting　on　the　hammock！

It　is　past　midnight；　and　I　am　too　sleepy　to　write　more。

Thursday　Morning。

My　father　has　suddenly　taken　it　into　his　head　to　spend　a　few　days
at　the　Shoals。　In　the　meanwhile　you　will　not　hear　from　me。　I　see
Marjorie　walking　in　the　garden　with　the　colonel。　I　wish　I　could
speak　to　her　alone；　but　shall　probably　not　have　an　opportunity
before　we　leave。


X。

EDWARD　DELANEY　TO　JOHN　FLEMMING。

August　28；　1872。

You　were　passing　into　your　second　childhood；　were　you？　Your
intellect　was　so　reduced　that　my　epistolary　gifts　seemed　quite
considerable　to　you；　did　they？　I　rise　superior　to　the　sarcasm　in
your　favor　of　the　11th　instant；　when　I　notice　that　five　days'
silence　on　my　part　is　sufficient　to　throw　you　into　the　depths　of
despondency。

We　returned　only　this　morning　from　Appledore；　that　enchanted　island
at　four　dollars　per　day。　I　find　on　my　desk　three　letters　from
you！　Evidently　there　is　no　lingering　doubt　in　your　mind　as　to　the
pleasure　I　derive　from　your　correspondence。　These　letters　are
undated；　but　in　what　I　take　to　be　the　latest　are　two　passages　that
require　my　consideration。　You　will　pardon　my　candor；　dear　Flemming；
but　the　conviction　forces　itself　upon　me　that　as　your　leg　grows
stronger　your　head　becomes　weaker。　You　ask　my　advice　on　a　certain
point。　I　will　give　it。　In　my　opinion　you　could　do　nothing　more
unwise　that　to　address　a　note　to　Miss　Daw；　thanking　her　for　the
flower。　It　would；　I　am　sure；　offend　her　delicacy　beyond　pardon。　She
knows　you　only　through　me；　you　are　to　her　an　abstraction；　a　figure
in　a　dreama　dream　from　which　the　faintest　shock　would　awaken　her。
Of　course；　if　you　enclose　a　note　to　me　and　insist　on　its　delivery；
I　shall　deliver　it；　but　I　advise　you　not　to　do　so。

You　say　you　are　able；　with　the　aid　of　a　cane；　to　walk　about　your
chamber；　and　that　you　purpose　to　come　to　The　Pines　the　instant
Dillon　thinks　you　strong　enough　to　stand　the　journey。　Again　I
advise　you　not　to。　Do　you　not　see　that；　every　hour　you　remain　away；
Marjorie's　glamour　deepens；　and　your　influence　over　her　increases？
You　will　ruin　everything　by　precipitancy。　Wait　until　you　are
entirely　recovered；　in　any　case；　do　not　come　without　giving　me
warning。　I　fear　the　effect　of　your　abrupt　advent　hereunder　the
circumstances。

Miss　Daw　was　evidently　glad　to　see　us　back　again；　and　gave　me　both
hands　in　the　frankest　way。　She　stopped　at　the　door　a　moment　this
afternoon　in　the　carriage；　she　had　been　over　to　Rivermouth　for　her
pictures。　Unluckily　the　photographer　had　spilt　some　acid　on　the
plate；　and　she　was　obliged　to　give　him　another　sitting。　I　have　an
intuition　that　something　is　troubling　Marjorie。　She　had　an
abstracted　air　not　usual　with　her。　However；　it　may　be　only　my
fancy。　。　。　。　I　end　this；　leaving　several　things　unsaid；　to
accompany　my　father　on　one　of　those　long　walks　which　are　now　his
chief　medicineand　mine！


XI。

EDWARD　DELANY　TO　JOHN　FLEMMING。

August　29；　1972。

I　write　in　great　haste　to　tell　you　what　has　taken　place　here　since
my　letter　of　last　night。　I　am　in　the　utmost　perplexity。　Only　one
thing　is　plainyou　must　not　dream　of　coming　to　The　Pines。　Marjorie
has　told　her　father　everything！　I　saw　her　for　a　few　minutes；　an
hour　ago；　in　the　garden；　and；　as　near　as　I　could　gather　from　her
confused　statement；　the　facts　are　these：　Lieutenant　Bradlythat's
the　naval　officer　stationed　at　Rivermouthhas　been　paying　court　to
Miss　Daw　for　some　time　past；　but　not　so　much　to　her　liking　as　to
that　of　the　colonel；　who　it　seems　is　an　old　fiend　of　the　young
gentleman's　father。　Yesterday　（I　knew　she　was　in　some　trouble　when
she　drove　up　to　our　gate）　the　colonel　spoke　to　Marjorie　of　Bradly
urged　his　suit；　I　infer。　Marjorie　expressed　her　dislike　for　the
lieutenant　with　characteristic　frankness；　and　finally　confessed　to
her　fatherwell；　I　really　do　not　know　what　she　confessed。　It　must
have　been　the　vaguest　of　confessions；　and　must　have　sufficiently
puzzled　the　colonel。　At　any　rate；　it　exasperated　him。　I　suppose　I
am　implicated　in　the　matter；　and　that　the　colonel　feels　bitterly
towards　me。　I　do　not　see　why：　I　have　carried　no　messages　between
you　and　Miss　Daw；　I　have　behaved　with　the　greatest　discretion。　I
can　find　no　flaw　anywhere　in　my　proceeding。　I　do　not　see　that
anybody　has　done　anythingexcept　the　colonel　himself。

It　is　probable；　nevertheless；　that　the　friendly　relations　between
the　two　houses　will　be　broken　off。　〃A　plague　o'　both　your　houses；〃
say　you。　I　will　keep　you　informed；　as　well　as　I　can；　of　what　occurs
over　the　way。　We　shall　remain　here　until　the　second　week　in
September。　Stay　where　you　are；　or；　at　all　events；　do　not　dream　of
joining　me。。。。Colonel　Daw　is　sitting　on　the　piazza　looking　rather
wicked。　I　have　not　seen　Marjorie　since　I　parted　with　her　in　the
garden。


XII。

EDWARD　DELANEY　TO　THOMAS　DILLON；　M。D。；　MADISON
SQUARE；　NEW　YORK。

August　30；　1872。

My　Dear　Doctor：　If　you　have　any　influence　over　Flemming；　I　beg　of
you　to　exert　it　to　prevent　his　coming　to　this　place　at　present。
There　are　circumstances；　which　I　will　explain　to　you　before　long；
that　make　it　of　the　first　importance　that　he　should　not　come　into
this　neighborhood。　His　appearance　here；　I　speak　advisedly；　would　be
disastrous　to　him。　In　urging　him　to　remain　in　New　York；　or　to　go　to
some　inland　resort；　you　will　be　doing　him　and　me　a　real　service。　Of
course　you　will　not　mention　my　name　in　this　connection。　You　know　me
well　enough；　my　dear　doctor；　to　be　assured　that；　in　begging　your
secret　cooperation；　I　have　reasons　that　will　meet　your　entire
approval　when　they　are　made　plain　to　you。　We　shall　return　to　town
on　the　15th　of　next　month；