第 9 节
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京文 更新:2024-09-15 09:12 字数:9321
stopped by the sound of groans when she entered their apartment; the
light gushed from Mrs。 Lander's door。 Maddalena came out; and blessed
the name of her Latin deity (so much more familiar and approachable than
the Anglo…Saxon divinity) that Clementina had come at last; and poured
upon her the story of a night of suffering for Mrs。 Lander。 Through her
story came the sound of Mrs。 Lander's voice plaintively reproachful;
summoning Clementina to her bedside。 〃Oh; how could you go away and
leave me? I've been in such misery the whole night long; and the docta
didn't do a thing for me。 I'm puffectly wohn out; and I couldn't make my
wants known with that Italian crazy…head。 If it hadn't been for the
portyary comin' in and interpretin'; when the docta left; I don't know
what I should have done。 I want you should give him a twenty…leary note
just as quick as you see him; and oh; isn't the docta comin'?〃
Clementina set about helping Maddalena put the room; which was in an
impassioned disorder; to rights; and she made Mrs。 Lander a cup of her
own tea; which she had brought from S。 S。 Pierces in passing through
Boston; it was the first thing; the sufferer said; that had saved her
life。 Clementina comforted her; and promised her that the doctor should
be there very soon; and before Mrs。 Lander fell away to sleep; she was so
far out of danger as to be able to ask how Clementina had enjoyed
herself; and to be glad that she had such a good time。
The doctor would not wake her when he came; he said that she had been
through a pretty sharp gastric attack; which would not recur; if she ate
less of the most unwholesome things she could get; and went more into the
air; and walked a little。 He did not seem alarmed; and he made
Clementina tell him about the dance; which he had been called from to
Mrs。 Lander's bed of pain。 He joked her for not having missed him; in
the midst of their fun; she caught herself in the act of yawning; and the
doctor laughed; and went away。
Maddalena had to call her; just before dinner; when Mrs。 Lander had been
awake long enough to have sent for the doctor to explain the sort of gone
feeling which she was now the victim of。 It proved; when he came; to be
hunger; and he prescribed tea and toast and a small bit of steak。 Before
he came she had wished to arrange for going home at once; and dying in
her own country。 But his opinion so far prevailed with her that she
consented not to telegraph for berths。 〃I presume;〃 she said; 〃it'll do;
any time before the icebugs begin to run。 But I d' know; afta this;
Clementina; as I can let you leave me quite as you be'n doin'。 There was
a lot of flowas come for you; this aftanoon; but I made Maddalena put 'em
on the balcony; for I don't want you should get poisoned with 'em in your
sleep; I always head they was dangerous in a person's 'bed room。 I d'
know as they are; eitha。〃
Maddalena seemed to know that Mrs。 Lander was speaking of the flowers。
She got them and gave them to Clementina; who found they were from some
of the men she had danced with。 Mr。 Hinkle had sent a vast bunch of
violets; which presently began to give out their sweetness in the warmth
of the room; and the odor brought him before her with his yellow hair;
scrupulously parted at the side; and smoothly brushed; showing his
forehead very high up。 Most of the gentlemen wore their hair parted in
the middle; or falling in a fringe over their brows; the Russian's was
too curly to part; and Lord Lioncourt had none except at the sides。
She laughed; and Mrs。 Lander said; 〃Tell about it; Clementina;〃 and she
began with Mr。 Hinkle; and kept coming back to him from the others。 Mrs。
Lander wished most to know how that lord had got down to Florence; and
Clementina said he was coming to see her。
〃Well; I hope to goodness he won't come to…day; I a'n't fit to see
anybody。〃
〃Oh; I guess he won't come till to…morrow;〃 said Clementina; she repeated
some of the compliments she had got; and she told of all Miss Milray's
kindness to her; but Mrs。 Lander said; 〃Well; the next time; I'll thank
her not to keep you so late。〃 She was astonished to hear that Mr。 Ewins
was there; and 〃Any of the nasty things out of the hotel the'e?〃 she
asked。
〃Yes;〃 Clementina said; 〃the'e we'e; and some of them we'e very nice。
They wanted to know if I wouldn't join them; and have an aftanoon of our
own here in the hotel; so that people could come to us all at once。〃
She went back to the party; and described the rest of it。 When she came
to the part about the Russian; she told what he had said of American
girls being fond of money; and wanting to marry foreign noblemen。
Mrs。 Lander said; 〃Well; I hope you a'n't a going to get married in a
hurry; anyway; and when you do I hope you'll pick out a nice American。〃
〃Oh; yes;〃 said Clementina。
Mrs。 Lander had their dinner brought to their apartment。 She cheered up;
and she was in some danger of eating too much; but with Clementina's help
she denied herself。 Their short evening was one of the gayest;
Clementina declared she was not the least sleepy; but she went to bed at
nine; and slept till nine the next day。
Mrs。 Lander; the doctor confessed; the second morning; was more shaken up
by; her little attack than he had expected; but she decided to see the
gentleman who had asked to call on Clementina。 Lord Lioncourt did not
come quite so soon as she was afraid he might; and when he came he talked
mostly to Clementina。 He did not get to Mrs。 Lander until just before he
was going。 She hospitably asked him what his hurry was; and then he said
that he was off for Rome; that evening at seven。 He was nice about
hoping she was comfortable in the hotel; and he sympathized with her in
her wish that there was a set…bowl in her room; she told him that she
always tried to have one; and he agreed that it must be very convenient
where any one was; as she said; sick so much。
Mr。 Hinkle came a day later; and then it appeared that he had a mother
whose complaints almost exactly matched Mrs。 Lander's。 He had her
photograph with him; and showed it; he said if you had no wife to carry
round a photograph of; you had better carry your mother's; and Mrs。
Lander praised him for being a good son。 A good son; she added; always
made a good husband; and he said that was just what he told the young
ladies himself; but it did not seem to make much impression on them。
He kept Clementina laughing; and he pretended that he was going to bring
a diagram of his patent right for her to see; because she would be
interested in a gleaner like that; and he said he wished her father could
see it; for it would be sure to interest the kind of man Mrs。 Lander
described him to be。 〃I'll be along up there just about the time you get
home; Miss Clementina。 Then did you say it would be?〃
〃I don't know; pretty ea'ly in the spring; I guess。〃
She looked at Mrs。 Lander; who said; 〃Well; it depends upon how I git up
my health。 I couldn't bea' the voyage now。〃
Mr。 Hinkle said; 〃No; best look out for your health; if it takes all
summer。 I shouldn't want you to hurry on my account。 Your time is my
time。 All I want is for Miss Clementina; here; to personally conduct me
to her father。 If I could get him to take hold of my gleaner in New
England; we could make the blueberry crop worth twice what it is。〃
Mrs。 Lander perceived that he was joking; and she asked what he wanted to
run away for when the young Russian's card came up。 He said; 〃Oh; give
every man a chance;〃 and he promised that he would look in every few
days; and see how she was getting along。 He opened the door after he had
gone out; and put his head in to say in confidence to Mrs。 Lander; but so
loud that Clementina could hear; 〃I suppose she's told you who the belle
of the ball was; the other night? Went out to supper with a lord!〃
He seemed to think a lord was such a good joke that if you mentioned one
you had to laugh。
The Russian's card bore the name Baron Belsky; with the baron crossed out
in pencil; and he began to attack in Mrs。 Lander the demerits of the
American character; as he had divined them。 He instructed her that her
countrymen existed chiefly to make money; that they were more shopkeepers
than the English and worse snobs; that their women were trivial and their
men sordid; that their ambition was to unite their families with the
European aristocracies; and their doctrine of liberty and equality was a
shameless hypocrisy。 This followed hard upon her asking; as she did very
promptly; why he had scratched out the title on his card。 He told her
that he wished to be known solely as an artist; and he had to explain to
her that he was not a painter; but was going to be a novelist。 She taxed
him with never having been in America; but he contended that as all
America came to Europe he had the materials for a study of the national
character at hand; without the trouble of crossing the ocean。 In return
she told him that she had not been the least sea…sick during the voyage;
and that it was no trouble at all; then he abruptly left her and went
over to beg a cup of tea from Clementina; who sat behind the kettle by