第 9 节
作者: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