第 8 节
作者:淘气      更新:2024-07-17 14:41      字数:9322
  was a 〃corker。〃  And now; as he perceived; the reason why the Sellers
  household poverties and sterilities had been made to blossom like the
  rose; and charm the eye and satisfy the spirit; stood explained; here was
  the magician; here in the midst of her works; and furnishing in her own
  person the proper accent and climaxing finish of the whole。
  〃My daughter; Major Hawkinscome home to mourn; flown home at the call
  of affliction to help the authors of her being bear the burden of
  bereavement。  She was very fond of the late earlidolized him; sir;
  idolized him〃
  〃Why; father; I've never seen him。〃
  〃Trueshe's right; I was thinking of anothererof her mother〃
  〃I idolized that smoked haddock?that sentimental; spiritless〃
  〃I was thinking of myself!  Poor noble fellow; we were inseparable com〃
  〃Hear the man!  Mulberry SelMulRossmorehang the troublesome name I
  can neverif I've heard you say once; I've heard you say a thousand
  times that if that poor sheep〃
  〃I was thinking ofofI don't know who I was thinking of; and it
  doesn't make any difference anyway; somebody idolized him; I recollect it
  as if it were yesterday; and〃
  〃Father; I am going to shake hands with Major Hawkins; and let the
  introduction work along and catch up at its leisure。  I remember you very
  well in deed; Major Hawkins; although I was a little child when I saw you
  last; and I am very; very glad indeed to see you again and have you in
  our house as one of us;〃 and beaming in his face she finished her cordial
  shake with the hope that he had not forgotten her。
  He was prodigiously pleased by her outspoken heartiness; and wanted to
  repay her by assuring her that he remembered her; and not only that but
  better even than he remembered his own children; but the facts would not
  quite warrant this; still; he stumbled through a tangled sentence which
  answered just as well; since the purport of it was an awkward and
  unintentional confession that her extraordinary beauty had so stupefied
  him that he hadn't got back to his bearings; yet; and therefore couldn't
  be certain as to whether he remembered her at all or not。  The speech
  made him her friend; it couldn't well help it。
  In truth the beauty of this fair creature was of a rare type; and may
  well excuse a moment of our time spent in its consideration。  It did not
  consist in the fact that she had eyes; nose; mouth; chin; hair; ears; it
  consisted in their arrangement。  In true beauty; more depends upon right
  location and judicious distribution of feature than upon multiplicity of
  them。  So also as regards color。  The very combination of colors which in
  a volcanic irruption would add beauty to a landscape might detach it from
  a girl。  Such was Gwendolen Sellers。
  The family circle being completed by Gwendolen's arrival; it was decreed
  that the official mourning should now begin; that it should begin at six
  o'clock every evening; (the dinner hour;) and end with the dinner。
  〃It's a grand old line; major; a sublime old line; and deserves to be
  mourned for; almost royally; almost imperially; I may say。  ErLady
  Gwendolenbut she's gone; never mind; I wanted my Peerage; I'll fetch it
  myself; presently; and show you a thing or two that will give you a
  realizing idea of what our house is。  I've been glancing through Burke;
  and I find that of William the Conqueror's sixty…four natural ah
  my dear; would you mind getting me that book?  It's on the escritoire in
  our boudoir。  Yes; as I was saying; there's only St。 Albans; Buccleugh
  and Grafton ahead of us on the listall the rest of the British nobility
  are in procession behind us。  Ah; thanks; my lady。  Now then; we turn to
  William; and we findletter for XYZ?  Oh; splendidwhen'd you get it?〃
  〃Last night; but I was asleep before you came; you were out so late; and
  when I came to breakfast Miss Gwendolenwell; she knocked everything out
  of me; you know〃
  〃Wonderful girl; wonderful; her great origin is detectable in her step;
  her carriage; her featuresbut what does he say?  Come; this is
  exciting。〃
  〃I haven't read iterRossmMr。 Rossmer〃
  〃M'lord!  Just cut it short like that。  It's the English way。  I'll open
  it。  Ah; now let's see。〃
  A。  TO YOU KNOW WHO。  Think I know you。  Wait ten days。  Coming to
  Washington。
  The excitement died out of both men's faces。  There was a brooding
  silence for a while; then the younger one said with a sigh:
  〃Why; we can't wait ten days for the money。〃
  〃Nothe man's unreasonable; we are down to the bed rock; financially
  speaking。〃
  〃If we could explain to him in some way; that we are so situated that
  time is of the utmost importance to us〃
  〃Yesyes; that's itand so if it would be as convenient for him to come
  at once it would be a great accommodation to us; and one which wewhich
  wewhich wewhwell; which we should sincerely appreciate〃
  〃That's itand most gladly reciprocate〃
  〃Certainlythat'll fetch him。  Worded right; if he's a mangot any of
  the feelings of a man; sympathies and all that; he'll be here inside of
  twenty…four hours。  Pen and papercome; we'll get right at it。〃
  Between them they framed twenty…two different advertisements; but none
  was satisfactory。  A main fault in all of them was urgency。  That feature
  was very troublesome: if made prominent; it was calculated to excite
  Pete's suspicion; if modified below the suspicion…point it was flat and
  meaningless。  Finally the Colonel resigned; and said:
  〃I have noticed; in such literary experiences as I have had; that one of
  the most taking things to do is to conceal your meaning when you are
  trying to conceal it。  Whereas; if you go at literature with a free
  conscience and nothing to conceal; you can turn out a book; every time;
  that the very elect can't understand。  They all do。〃
  Then Hawkins resigned also; and the two agreed that they must manage to
  wait the ten days some how or other。  Next; they caught a ray of cheer:
  since they had something definite to go upon; now; they could probably
  borrow money on the rewardenough; at any rate; to tide them over till
  they got it; and meantime the materializing recipe would be perfected;
  and then good bye to trouble for good and all。
  The next day; May the tenth; a couple of things happenedamong others。
  The remains of the noble Arkansas twins left our shores for England;
  consigned to Lord Rossmore; and Lord Rossmore's son; Kirkcudbright
  Llanover Marjoribanks Sellers Viscount Berkeley; sailed from Liverpool
  for America to place the reversion of the earldom in the hands of the
  rightful peer; Mulberry Sellers; of Rossmore Towers in the District of
  Columbia; U。 S。 A。
  These two impressive shipments would meet and part in mid…Atlantic; five
  days later; and give no sign。
  CHAPTER VI。
  In the course of time the twins arrived and were delivered to their great
  kinsman。  To try to describe the rage of that old man would profit
  nothing; the attempt would fall so far short of the purpose。  However
  when he had worn himself out and got quiet again; he looked the matter
  over and decided that the twins had some moral rights; although they had
  no legal ones; they were of his blood; and it could not be decorous to
  treat them as common clay。  So he laid them with their majestic kin in
  the Cholmondeley church; with imposing state and ceremony; and added the
  supreme touch by officiating as chief mourner himself。  But he drew the
  line at hatchments。
  Our friends in Washington watched the weary days go by; while they waited
  for Pete and covered his name with reproaches because of his calamitous
  procrastinations。  Meantime; Sally Sellers; who was as practical and
  democratic as the Lady Gwendolen Sellers was romantic and aristocratic;
  was leading a life of intense interest and activity and getting the most
  she could out of her double personality。  All day long in the privacy of
  her work…room; Sally Sellers earned bread for the Sellers family; and all
  the evening Lady Gwendolen Sellers supported the Rossmore dignity。  All
  day she was American; practically; and proud of the work of her head and
  hands and its commercial result; all the evening she took holiday and
  dwelt in a rich shadow…land peopled with titled and coroneted fictions。
  By day; to her; the place was a plain; unaffected; ramshackle old trap
  just that; and nothing more; by night it was Rossmore Towers。  At college
  she had learned a trade without knowing it。  The girls had found out that
  she was the designer of her own gowns。  She had no idle moments after
  that; and wanted none; for the exercise of an extraordinary gift is the
  supremest pleasure in life; and it was manifest that Sally Sellers
  possessed a gift of that sort in the matter of costume…designing。  Within
  three days after reaching home she had hunted up some work; before Pete
  was yet due in Washington; and before the twins were fairly asleep in
  English soil; she was already nearly swamped with work; and the
  sacrificing of the family chromos for debt had got an effective check。
  〃She's a brick;〃 said Rossmore to the Major; 〃just her father all over:
  prompt to labor with head or hands; and not ashamed of it; capable;
  always capable; let the enterprise be what it may; successful by nature
  don't know wh