\"I’vegotthreenewgirls,\"Mrs。Bonnycastlesaid。\"Youmusttalktothemall。\"
\"Allatonce?\"Vogelsteinasked,reversinginfancyapositionnotatallunknowntohim。Hehadsorepeatedlyheardhimselfaddressedinevenmorethantriplesimultaneity。
\"Ohno;youmusthavesomethingdifferentforeach;youcan’tgetoffthatway。Haven’tyoudiscoveredthattheAmericangirlexpectssomethingespeciallyadaptedtoherself?It’sverywellforEuropetohaveafewphrasesthatwilldoforanygirl。TheAmericangirlisn’tANYgirl;she’saremarkablespecimeninaremarkablespecies。
ButyoumustkeepthebestthiseveningforMissDay。\"
\"ForMissDay!\"——andVogelsteinhadastareofintelligence。\"DoyoumeanforPandora?\"
Mrs。Bonnycastlebrokeonhersideintofreeamusement。\"Onewouldthinkyouhadbeenlookingforherovertheglobe!Soyouknowheralready——andyoucallherbyherpetname?\"
\"Ohno,Idon’tknowher;thatisIhaven’tseenherorthoughtofherfromthatdaytothis。WecametoAmericainthesameship。\"
\"Isn’tsheanAmericanthen?\"
\"Ohyes;shelivesatUtica——intheinterior。\"
\"IntheinteriorofUtica?Youcan’tmeanmyyoungwomanthen,wholivesinNewYork,whereshe’sagreatbeautyandagreatbelleandhasbeenimmenselyadmiredthiswinter。\"
\"Afterall,\"saidCountOtto,consideringandalittledisappointed,\"thename’snotsouncommon;it’sperhapsanother。Buthassheratherstrangeeyes,alittleyellow,butverypretty,andanosealittlearched?\"
\"Ican’ttellyouallthat;Ihaven’tseenher。She’sstayingwithMrs。Steuben。Sheonlycameadayortwoago,andMrs。Steuben’stobringher。WhenshewrotetometoaskleaveshetoldmewhatI
tellyou。Theyhaven’tcomeyet。\"
VogelsteinfeltaquickhopethatthesubjectofthiscorrespondencemightindeedbetheyoungladyhehadpartedfromonthedockatNewYork,buttheindicationsseemedtopointanotherway,andhehadnowishtocherishanillusion。Itdidn’tseemtohimprobablethattheenergeticgirlwhohadintroducedhimtoMr。LansingwouldhavetheentreeofthebesthouseinWashington;besides,Mrs。
Bonnycastle’sguestwasdescribedasabeautyandbelongingtothebrilliantcity。
\"What’sthesocialpositionofMrs。Steuben?\"itoccurredtohimtoaskwhilehemeditated。Hehadanearnestartlessliteralwayofputtingsuchaquestionasthat;youcouldseefromitthathewasverythorough。
Mrs。Bonnycastlemetit,however,but,withmockinglaughter。\"I’msureIdon’tknow!What’syourown?\"——andshelefthimtoturntoherotherguests,toseveralofwhomsherepeatedhisquestion。
CouldtheytellherwhatwasthesocialpositionofMrs。Steuben?
TherewasCountVogelsteinwhowantedtoknow。Heinstantlybecameawareofcoursethatheoughtn’tsotohaveexpressedhimself。
Wasn’tthelady’splaceinthescalesufficientlyindicatedbyMrs。
Bonnycastle’sacquaintancewithher?Stilltherewerefinedegrees,andhefeltalittleundulysnubbed。Itwasperfectlytrue,ashetoldhishostess,thatwiththequickwaveofnewimpressionsthathadrolledoverhimafterhisarrivalinAmericatheimageofPandorawasalmostcompletelyeffaced;hehadseeninnumerablethingsthatwerequiteasremarkableintheirwayastheheroineoftheDonau,butatthetouchoftheideathathemightseeherandhearheragainatanymomentshebecameasvividinhismindasiftheyhadpartedthedaybefore:herememberedtheexactshadeoftheeyeshehaddescribedtoMrs。Bonnycastleasyellow,thetoneofhervoicewhenatthelastsheexpressedthehopehemightjudgeAmericacorrectly。HADhejudgedAmericacorrectly?Ifheweretomeetheragainshedoubtlesswouldtrytoascertain。ItwouldbegoingmuchtoofartosaythattheideaofsuchanordealwasterribletoCountOtto;butitmayatleastbesaidthatthethoughtofmeetingPandoraDaymadehimnervous。Thefactiscertainlysingular,butIshallnottakeonmyselftoexplainit;therearesomethingsthateventhemostphilosophichistorianisn’tboundtoaccountfor。
Hewanderedintoanotherroom,andthere,attheendoffiveminutes,hewasintroducedbyMrs。Bonnycastletooneoftheyoungladiesofwhomshehadspoken。ThiswasaveryintelligentgirlwhocamefromBostonandshowedmuchacquaintancewithSpielhagen’snovels。\"Doyoulikethem?\"Vogelsteinaskedrathervaguely,nottakingmuchinterestinthematter,ashereadworksoffictiononlyincaseofasea-voyage。TheyoungladyfromBostonlookedpensiveandconcentrated;thensheansweredthatshelikedSOMEofthemVERY
much,butthattherewereothersshedidn’tlike——andsheenumeratedtheworksthatcameundereachoftheseheads。Spielhagenisavoluminouswriter,andsuchacataloguetooksometime;attheendofitmoreoverVogelstein’squestionwasnotanswered,forhecouldn’thavetolduswhethershelikedSpielhagenornot。
Onthenexttopic,however,therewasnodoubtaboutherfeelings。
TheytalkedaboutWashingtonaspeopletalkonlyintheplaceitself,revolvingaboutthesubjectinwideningandnarrowingcircles,perchingsuccessivelyonitsmanybranches,consideringitfromeverypointofview。OuryoungmanhadbeenlongenoughinAmericatodiscoverthatafterhalfacenturyofsocialneglectWashingtonhadbecomethefashionandenjoyedthegreatadvantageofbeinganewresourceinconversation。Thiswasespeciallythecaseinthemonthsofspring,whentheinhabitantsofthecommercialcitiescamesofarsouthwardtoescape,afterthelongwinter,thatfinalaffront。TheywereallagreedthatWashingtonwasfascinating,andnoneofthemwerebetterpreparedtotalkitoverthantheBostonians。Vogelsteinoriginallyhadbeenratheroutofstepwiththem;hehadn’tseizedtheirpointofview,hadn’tknownwithwhattheycomparedthisobjectoftheirinfatuation。Butnowhekneweverything;hehadsettleddowntothepace;therewasn’tapossiblephaseofthediscussionthatcouldfindhimataloss。
TherewasakindofHegelianelementinit;inthelightoftheseconsiderationstheAmericancapitaltookonthesemblanceofamonstrousmysticalinfiniteWerden。ButtheyfatiguedVogelsteinalittle,anditwashispreference,asageneralthing,nottoengagethesameeveningwithmorethanonenewcomer,onevisitorinthefreshnessofinitiation。ThiswaswhyMrs。Bonnycastle’sexpressionofawishtointroducehimtothreeyoungladieshadstartledhimalittle;hesawacertainprocess,inwhichheflatteredhimselfthathehadbecomeproficient,butwhichwasafteralltolerablyexhausting,repeatedforeachofthedamsels。AfterseparatingfromhisjudiciousBostonianheratherevadedMrs。Bonnycastle,contentinghimselfwiththeconversationofoldfriends,pitchedforthemostpartinalowerandeasierkey。
AtlasthehearditmentionedthatthePresidenthadarrived,hadbeensomehalf-hourinthehouse,andhewentinsearchoftheillustriousguest,whosewhereaboutsatWashingtonpartieswasneverindicatedbyaclusterofcourtiers。Hemadeitapoint,wheneverhefoundhimselfincompanywiththePresident,topayhimhisrespects,andhehadnotbeendiscouragedbythefactthattherewasnoassociationofideasintheeyeofthegreatmanasheputouthishandpresidentiallyandsaid,\"Happytomeetyou,sir。\"CountOttofelthimselftakenforamereloyalsubject,possiblyforanoffice-seeker;andheusedtoreflectatsuchmomentsthatthemonarchicalformhaditsmeritsitprovidedalineofheredityforthefacultyofquickrecognition。Hehadnowsomedifficultyinfindingthechiefmagistrate,andendedbylearningthathewasinthetea-room,asmallapartmentdevotedtolightrefectionneartheentranceofthehouse。Hereouryoungmanpresentlyperceivedhimseatedonasofaandinconversationwithalady。Therewereanumberofpeopleaboutthetable,eating,drinking,talking;andthecoupleonthesofa,whichwasnotnearitbutagainstthewall,inashallowrecess,lookedalittlewithdrawn,asiftheyhadsoughtseclusionandweredisposedtoprofitbythedivertedattentionoftheothers。ThePresidentleanedback;hisglovedhands,restingoneitherknee,madelargewhitespots。Helookedeminent,buthelookedrelaxed,andtheladybesidehimministeredfreelyandwithoutscruple,itwasclear,tothiseffectofhiscomfortablyunbending。Vogelsteincaughthervoiceasheapproached。Heheardhersay\"Wellnow,remember;Iconsideritapromise。\"Shewasbeautifullydressed,inrose-colour;herhandswereclaspedinherlapandhereyesattachedtothepresidentialprofile。
\"Well,madam,inthatcaseit’saboutthefiftiethpromiseI’vegivento-day。\"
Itwasjustasheheardthesewords,utteredbyhercompanioninreply,thatCountOttocheckedhimself,turnedawayandpretendedtobelookingforacupoftea。Itwasn’tusualtodisturbthePresident,evensimplytoshakehands,whenhewassittingonasofawithalady,andtheyoungsecretaryfeltitinthiscaselesspossiblethanevertobreaktherule,fortheladyonthesofawasnoneotherthanPandoraDay。Hehadrecognisedherwithoutherappearingtoseehim,andevenwithhalfaneye,astheysaid,hadtakeninthatshewasnowapersontobereckonedwith。Shehadanairofelation,ofsuccess;sheshone,tointensity,inherrose-
coloureddress;shewasextractingpromisesfromtheruleroffiftymillionsofpeople。Whatanoddplacetomeether,heroldshipmatethought,andhowlittleonecouldtell,afterall,inAmerica,whopeoplewere!Hedidn’twanttospeaktoheryet;hewantedtowaitalittleandlearnmore;butmeanwhiletherewassomethingattractiveinthefactthatshewasjustbehindhim,afewyardsoff,thatifheshouldturnhemightseeheragain。ItwassheMrs。
Bonnycastlehadmeant,itwasshewhowassomuchadmiredinNewYork。Herfacewasthesame,yethehadmadeoutinamomentthatshewasvaguelyprettier;hehadrecognisedthearchofhernose,whichsuggestedafineambition。Hetooksometea,whichhehadn’tdesired,inordernottogoaway。Herememberedherentourageonthesteamer;herfatherandmother,thesilentsenselessburghers,solittle\"oftheworld,\"herinfantsister,somuchofit,herhumorousbrotherwithhistallhatandhisinfluenceinthesmoking-
room。HerememberedMrs。Dangerfield’swarnings——yetherperplexitiestoo——andtheletterfromMr。Bellamy,andtheintroductiontoMr。Lansing,andthewayPandorahadstoopeddownonthedirtydock,laughingandtalking,mistressofthesituation,toopenhertrunkfortheCustoms。Hewasprettysureshehadpaidnodutiesthatday;thiswouldnaturallyhavebeenthepurposeofMr。
Bellamy’sletter。Wasshestillincorrespondencewiththatgentleman,andhadhegotoverthesicknessinterferingwiththeirreunion?TheseimagesandthesequestionscoursedthroughCountOtto’smind,andhesawitmustbequiteinPandora’slinetobemistressofthesituation,fortherewasevidentlynothingonthepresentoccasionthatcouldcallitselfhermaster。Hedrankhisteaandas;heputdownhiscupheardthePresident,behindhim,say:\"Well,IguessmywifewillwonderwhyIdon’tcomehome。\"
\"Whydidn’tyoubringherwithyou?\"Pandorabenevolentlyasked。
\"Well,shedoesn’tgooutmuch。Thenshehasgothersisterstayingwithher——Mrs。Runkle,fromNatchez。She’sagooddealofaninvalid,andmywifedoesn’tliketoleaveher。\"
\"Shemustbeaverykindwoman\"——andtherewasahighmaturecompetenceinthewaythegirlsoundedthenoteofapproval。
\"Well,Iguesssheisn’tspoiled——yet。\"
\"Ishouldlikeverymuchtocomeandseeher,\"saidPandora。
\"Docomeround。Couldn’tyoucomesomenight?\"thegreatmanresponded。
\"Well,I’llcomesometime。AndIshallremindyouofyourpromise。\"
\"Allright。There’snothinglikekeepingitup。Well,\"saidthePresident,\"Imustbidgood-byetothesebrightfolks。\"
Vogelsteinheardhimrisefromthesofawithhiscompanion;afterwhichhegavethepairtimetopassoutoftheroombeforehim。
Theydiditwithacertainimpressivedeliberation,peoplemakingwayfortheruleroffiftymillionsandlookingwithacertaincuriosityatthestrikingpinkpersonathisside。Whenalittlelaterhefollowedthemacrossthehall,intooneoftheotherrooms,hesawthehostandhostessaccompanythePresidenttothedoorandtwoforeignministersandajudgeoftheSupremeCourtaddressthemselvestoPandoraDay。Heresistedtheimpulsetojointhiscircle:ifheshouldspeaktoheratallhewouldsomehowwishittobeinmoreprivacy。Shecontinuedneverthelesstooccupyhim,andwhenMrs。Bonnycastlecamebackfromthehallheimmediatelyapproachedherwithanappeal。\"Iwishyou’dtellmesomethingmoreaboutthatgirl——thatoneoppositeandinpink。\"
\"ThelovelyDay——that’swhattheycallher,Ibelieve?Iwantedyoutotalkwithher。\"
\"IfindsheistheoneI’vemet。Butsheseemstobesodifferenthere。Ican’tmakeitout,\"saidCountOtto。
TherewassomethinginhisexpressionthatagainmovedMrs。
Bonnycastletomirth。\"HowwedopuzzleyouEuropeans!Youlookquitebewildered。\"
\"I’msorryIlookso——Itrytohideit。Butofcoursewe’reverysimple。Letmeaskthenasimpleearnestchildlikequestion。Areherparentsalsoinsociety?\"
\"Parentsinsociety?D’outombez-vous?Didyoueverhearoftheparentsofatriumphantgirlinrose-colour,withanoseallherown,insociety?\"
\"Isshethenallalone?\"hewentonwithastrainofmelancholyinhisvoice。
Mrs。Bonnycastlelaunchedathimallherlaughter。
\"You’retoopathetic。Don’tyouknowwhatsheis?Isupposedofcourseyouknew。\"
\"It’sexactlywhatI’maskingyou。\"
\"Whyshe’sthenewtype。Ithasonlycomeuplately。Theyhavehadarticlesaboutitinthepapers。That’sthereasonItoldMrs。
Steubentobringher。\"
\"Thenewtype?WHATnewtype,Mrs。Bonnycastle?\"hereturnedpleadingly——soconsciouswashethatalltypesinAmericawerenew。
Herlaughtercheckedherreplyamoment,andbythetimeshehadrecoveredherselftheyoungladyfromBoston,withwhomVogelsteinhadbeentalking,stoodtheretotakeleave。This,foranAmericantype,wasanoldone,hewassure;andtheprocessofpartingbetweentheguestandherhostesshadanancientelaboration。CountOttowaitedalittle;thenheturnedawayandwalkeduptoPandoraDay,whosegroupofinterlocutorshadnowbeenre-enforcedbyagentlemanwhohadheldanimportantplaceinthecabinetofthelateoccupantofthepresidentialchair。HehadaskedMrs。Bonnycastleifshewere\"allalone\";buttherewasnothinginherpresentsituationtoshowherforsolitary。Shewasn’tsufficientlyaloneforourfriend’staste;buthewasimpatientandhehopedshe’dgivehimafewwordstohimself。Sherecognisedhimwithoutamoment’shesitationandwiththesweetestsmile,asmilematchingtoashadethetoneinwhichshesaid:\"Iwaswatchingyou。Iwonderedifyouweren’tgoingtospeaktome。\"
\"MissDaywaswatchinghim!\"oneoftheforeignministersexclaimed;
\"andweflatteredourselvesthatherattentionwasallwithus。\"
\"Imeanbefore,\"saidthegirl,\"whileIwastalkingwiththePresident。\"
Atwhichthegentlemenbegantolaugh,oneofthemremarkingthatthiswasthewaytheabsentweresacrificed,eventhegreat;whileanotherputonrecordthathehopedVogelsteinwasdulyflattered。
\"OhIwaswatchingthePresidenttoo,\"saidPandora。\"I’vegottowatchHIM。Hehaspromisedmesomething。\"
\"ItmustbethemissiontoEngland,\"thejudgeoftheSupremeCourtsuggested。\"Agoodpositionforalady;they’vegotaladyattheheadoverthere。\"
\"Iwishtheywouldsendyoutomycountry,\"oneoftheforeignministerssuggested。\"I’dimmediatelygetrecalled。\"
\"WhyperhapsinyourcountryIwouldn’tspeaktoyou!It’sonlybecauseyou’rehere,\"theex-heroineoftheDonaureturnedwithagayfamiliaritywhichevidentlyrankedwithherbutasoneoftheartsofdefence。\"You’llseewhatmissionitiswhenitcomesout。
ButI’llspeaktoCountVogelsteinanywhere,\"shewenton。\"He’sanolderfriendthananyrighthere。I’veknownhimindifficultdays。\"
\"Ohyes,onthegreatocean,\"theyoungmansmiled。\"Onthewaterywaste,inthetempest!\"
\"OhIdon’tmeanthatsomuch;wehadabeautifulvoyageandtherewasn’tanytempest。ImeanwhenIwaslivinginUtica。That’sawaterywasteifyoulike,andatempesttherewouldhavebeenapleasantvariety。\"
\"Yourparentsseemedtomesopeaceful!\"herassociateintheothermemoriessighedwithavaguewishtosaysomethingsympathetic。
\"Ohyouhaven’tseenthemashore!AtUticatheywereverylively。
Butthat’snolongerournaturalhome。Don’tyourememberItoldyouIwasworkingforNewYork?Well,Iworked——lhadtoworkhard。
Butwe’vemoved。\"
CountOttoclungtohisinterest。\"AndIhopethey’rehappy。\"
\"Myfatherandmother?Ohtheywillbe,intime。Imustgivethemtime。They’reveryyoungyet,they’veyearsbeforethem。Andyou’vebeenalwaysinWashington?\"Pandoracontinued。\"Isupposeyou’vefoundouteverythingabouteverything。\"
\"Ohno——therearesomethingsICAN’Tfindout。\"
\"ComeandseemeandperhapsIcanhelpyou。I’mverydifferentfromwhatIwasinthatphase。I’veadvancedagreatdealsincethen。\"
\"OhhowwasMissDayinthatphase?\"askedacabinetministerofthelastadministration。
\"Shewasdelightfulofcourse,\"CountOttosaid。
\"He’sveryflattering;Ididn’topenmymouth!\"Pandoracried。
\"HerecomesMrs。Steubentotakemetosomeotherplace。Ibelieveit’saliterarypartyneartheCapitol。EverythingseemssoseparateinWashington。Mrs。Steuben’sgoingtoreadapoem。I
wishshe’dreadithere;wouldn’titdoaswell?\"
Thislady,arriving,signifiedtoheryoungfriendthenecessityoftheirmovingon。ButMissDay’scompanionshadvariousthingstosaytoherbeforegivingherup。Shehadavividanswerforeach,anditwasbroughthometoVogelsteinwhilehelistenedthatthiswouldbeindeed,inherdevelopment,asshesaid,anotherphase。
Daughterofsmallburghersasshemightbeshewasreallybrilliant。
HeturnedawayalittleandwhileMrs。Steubenwaitedputheraquestion。HehadmadeherhalfanhourbeforethesubjectofthatinquirytowhichMrs。Bonnycastlereturnedsoambiguousananswer;
butthiswasn’tbecausehefailedofalldirectacquaintancewiththeamiablewomanorofanygeneralideaoftheesteeminwhichshewasheld。Hehadmetherinvariousplacesandhadbeenatherhouse。Shewasthewidowofacommodore,wasahandsomemildsoftswayingperson,whomeveryoneliked,withglossybandsofblackhairandalittleringletdependingbehindeachear。Someonehadsaidthatshelookedlikethevieuxjeu,ideaofthequeeninHamlet。ShehadwrittenverseswhichwereadmiredintheSouth,woreafull-lengthportraitofthecommodoreonherbosomandspokewiththeaccentofSavannah。ShehadaboutherapositivestrongodourofWashington。IthadcertainlybeenverysuperfluousinouryoungmantoquestionMrs。Bonnycastleabouthersocialposition。
\"Dokindlytellme,\"hesaid,loweringhisvoice,\"what’sthetypetowhichthatyoungladybelongs?Mrs。Bonnycastletellsmeit’sanewone。\"
Mrs。Steubenforamomentfixedherliquideyesonthesecretaryoflegation。Shealwaysseemedtobetranslatingtheproseofyourspeechintothefinerrhythmswithwhichherownmindwasfamiliar。
\"Doyouthinkanything’sreallynew?\"shethenbegantoflute。\"I’mveryfondoftheold;youknowthat’saweaknessofweSoutherners。\"
Thepoorlady,itwillbeobserved,hadanotherweaknessaswell。
\"Whatweoftentaketobethenewissimplytheoldundersomenovelform。Weretherenotremarkablenaturesinthepast?IfyoudoubtityoushouldvisittheSouth,wherethepaststilllingers。\"
VogelsteinhadbeenstruckbeforethiswithMrs。Steuben’spronunciationofthewordbywhichhernativelatitudesweredesignated;transcribingitfromherlipsyouwouldhavewrittenit(asthenearestapproach)theSooth。Butatpresenthescarceheededthispeculiarity;hewaswonderingratherhowawomancouldbeatoncesocopiousandsouninforming。WhatdidhecareaboutthepastorevenabouttheSooth?Hewasafraidofstartingheragain。Helookedather,discouragedandhelpless,asbewilderedalmostasMrs。Bonnycastlehadfoundhimhalfanhourbefore;lookedalsoatthecommodore,who,onherbosom,seemedtobreatheagainwithhiswidow’srespirations。\"Callitanoldtypethenifyoulike,\"hesaidinamoment。\"AllIwanttoknowiswhattypeitIS!
Itseemsimpossible,\"hegasped,\"tofindout。\"
\"Youcanfindoutinthenewspapers。They’vehadarticlesaboutit。
Theywriteabouteverythingnow。Butitisn’ttrueaboutMissDay。
It’soneofthefirstfamilies。Hergreat-grandfatherwasintheRevolution。\"PandorabythistimehadgivenherattentionagaintoMrs。Steuben。Sheseemedtosignifythatshewasreadytomoveon。
\"Wasn’tyourgreat-grandfatherintheRevolution?\"theelderladyasked。\"I’mtellingCountVogelsteinabouthim。\"
\"Whyareyouaskingaboutmyancestors?\"thegirldemandedoftheyoungGermanwithuntemperedbrightness。\"Isthatthethingyousaidjustnowthatyoucan’tfindout?Well,ifMrs。Steubenwillonlybequietyouneverwill。\"
Mrs。Steubenshookherheadratherdreamily。\"Well,it’snotroubleforweoftheSoothtobequiet。There’sakindoflanguorinourblood。Besides,wehavetobeto-day。ButI’vegottoshowsomeenergyto-night。I’vegottogetyoutotheendofPennsylvaniaAvenue。\"
PandoragaveherhandtoCountOttoandaskedhimifhethoughttheyshouldmeetagain。HeansweredthatinWashingtonpeoplewerealwaysmeetingagainandthatatanyrateheshouldn’tfailtowaituponher。Hereupon,justasthetwoladiesweredetachingthemselves,Mrs。SteubenremarkedthatiftheCountandMissDaywishedtomeetagainthepicnicwouldbeagoodchance——thepicnicshewasgettingupforthefollowingThursday。Itwastoconsistofabouttwentybrightpeople,andthey’dgodownthePotomactoMountVernon。TheCountansweredthatifMrs。Steubenthoughthimbrightenoughheshouldbedelightedtojointheparty;andhewastoldthehourforwhichthetrystwastaken。
HeremainedatMrs。Bonnycastle’saftereveryonehadgone,andthenheinformedthisladyofhisreasonforwaiting。Wouldshehavemercyonhimandlethimknow,inasingleword,beforehewenttorest——forwithoutitrestwouldbeimpossible——whatwasthisfamoustypetowhichPandoraDaybelonged?
\"Gracious,youdon’tmeantosayyou’venotfoundoutthattypeyet!\"Mrs。Bonnycastleexclaimedwithareturnofherhilarity。
\"Whathaveyoubeendoingalltheevening?YouGermansmaybethorough,butyoucertainlyarenotquick!\"
ItwasAlfredBonnycastlewhoatlasttookpityonhim。\"MydearVogelstein,she’sthelatestfreshestfruitofourgreatAmericanevolution。She’stheself-madegirl!\"
CountOttogazedamoment。\"ThefruitofthegreatAmericanRevolution?Yes,Mrs。Steubentoldmehergreat-grandfather——\"buttherestofhissentencewaslostinarenewedexplosionofMrs。
Bonnycastle’ssenseoftheridiculous。Hebravelypushedhisadvantage,suchasitwas,however,and,desiringhishost’sdefinitiontobedefined,inquiredwhattheself-madegirlmightbe。
\"Sitdownandwe’lltellyouallaboutit,\"Mrs。Bonnycastlesaid。
\"Iliketalkingthisway,afteraparty’sover。Youcansmokeifyoulike,andAlfredwillopenanotherwindow。Well,tobeginwith,theself-madegirl’sanewfeature。That,however,youknow。Inthesecondplacesheisn’tself-madeatall。Weallhelptomakeher——wetakesuchaninterestinher。\"
\"That’sonlyaftershe’smade!\"AlfredBonnycastlebrokein。\"Butit’sVogelsteinthattakesaninterest。WhatonearthhasstartedyouupsoonthesubjectofMissDay?\"
Thevisitorexplainedaswellashecouldthatitwasmerelytheaccidentofhishavingcrossedtheoceaninthesteamerwithher;
buthefelttheinadequacyofthisaccountofthematter,feltitmorethanhishosts,whocouldknowneitherhowlittleactualcontacthehadhadwithherontheship,howmuchhehadbeenaffectedbyMrs。Dangerfield’swarnings,norhowmuchobservationatthesametimehehadlavishedonher。Hesattherehalfanhour,andthewarmdeadstillnessoftheWashingtonnight——nowherearethenightssosilent——cameinattheopenwindow,mingledwithasoftsweetearthysmell,thesmellofgrowingthingsandinparticular,ashethought,ofMrs。Steuben’sSooth。Beforehewentawayhehadheardallabouttheself-madegirl,andtherewassomethinginthepicturethatstronglyimpressedhim。ShewaspossibledoubtlessonlyinAmerica;Americanlifehadsmoothedthewayforher。Shewasnotfast,noremancipated,norcrude,norloud,andtherewasn’tinher,ofnecessityatleast,agrainofthestuffofwhichtheadventuressismade。Shewassimplyverysuccessful,andhersuccesswasentirelypersonal。Shehadn’tbeenbornwiththesilverspoonofsocialopportunity;shehadgraspeditbyhonestexertion。
Youknewherbymanydifferentsigns,butchiefly,infallibly,bytheappearanceofherparents。Itwasherparentswhotoldherstory;youalwayssawhowlittleherparentscouldhavemadeher。
Herattitudewithregardtothemmightvaryindifferentways。Asthegreatfactonherownsidewasthatshehadliftedherselffromalowersocialplane,doneitallherself,anddoneitbythesimpleleverofherpersonality,itwasnaturallytobeexpectedthatshewouldleavetheauthorsofhermerematerialbeingintheshade。
Sometimesshehadtheminherwake,lostinthebubblesandthefoamthatshowedwhereshehadpassed;sometimes,asAlfredBonnycastlesaid,sheletthemslidealtogether;sometimesshekeptthemincloseconfinement,resortingtothemundercoverofnightandwitheveryprecaution;sometimessheexhibitedthemtothepublicindiscreetglimpses,inprearrangedattitudes。Butthegeneralcharacteristicoftheself-madegirlwasthat,thoughitwasfrequentlyunderstoodthatshewasprivatelydevotedtoherkindred,sheneverattemptedtoimposethemonsociety,anditwasstrikingthat,thoughinsomeofhermanifestationsabore,shewasatherworstlessofaborethanthey。Theywerealmostalwayssolemnandportentous,andtheywereforthemostpartofadeathlyrespectability。Shewasn’tnecessarilysnobbish,unlessitwassnobbishtowantthebest。Shedidn’tcringe,shedidn’tmakeherselfsmallerthanshewas;shetookonthecontraryastandofherownandattractedthingstoherself。NaturallyshewaspossibleonlyinAmerica——onlyinacountrywherewholerangesofcompetitionandcomparisonwereabsent。Thenaturalhistoryofthisinterestingcreaturewasatlastcompletelylaidbaretotheearneststranger,who,ashesatthereintheanimatedstillness,withthefragrantbreathoftheWesternworldinhisnostrils,wasconvincedofwhathehadalreadysuspected,thatconversationinthegreatRepublicwasmoreyearningly,nottosaygropingly,psychologicalthanelsewhere。Anotherthing,ashelearned,thatyouknewtheself-
madegirlbywasherculture,whichwasperhapsalittletoorestlessandobvious。Shehadusuallygotintosocietymoreorlessbyreading,andherconversationwasapttobegarnishedwithliteraryallusions,evenwithfamiliarquotations。Vogelsteinhadn’thadtimetoobservethiselementasadevelopedforminPandoraDay;butAlfredBonnycastlehintedthathewouldn’ttrusthertokeepitunderinatete-a-tete。ItwasneedlesstosaythattheseyoungpersonshadalwaysbeentoEurope;thatwasusuallythefirstplacetheygotto。Bysuchartstheysometimesenteredsocietyontheothersidebeforetheydidsoathome;itwastobeaddedatthesametimethatthisresourcewaslessandlessvaluable,forEurope,intheAmericanworld,hadlessandlessprestigeandpeopleintheWesternhemispherenowkeptawatchonthatroundaboutroad。AllofwhichquiteappliedtoPandoraDay——
thejourneytoEurope,theculture(asexemplifiedinthebooksshereadontheship),therelegation,theeffacement,ofthefamily。
Theonlythingthatwasexceptionalwastherapidityofhermarch;
forthejumpshehadtakensinceheleftherinthehandsofMr。
LansingstruckVogelstein,evenafterhehadmadeallallowancefortheabnormalhomogeneityoftheAmericanmass,asreallyconsiderable。Ittookallherclevernesstoaccountforsuchthings。Whenshe\"moved\"fromUtica——mobilisedhercommissariat——
thebattleappearedvirtuallytohavebeengained。
CountOttocalledthenextday,andMrs。Steuben’sblackamoorinformedhim,inthecommunicativemannerofhisrace,thattheladieshadgoneouttopaysomevisitsandlookattheCapitol。
Pandoraapparentlyhadnothithertoexaminedthismonument,andouryoungmanwishedhehadknown,theeveningbefore,ofheromission,sothathemighthaveofferedtobeherinitiator。ThereistooobviousaconnexionforustofailofcatchingitbetweenhisregretandthefactthatinleavingMrs。Steuben’sdoorheremindedhimselfthathewantedagoodwalk,andthathethereupontookhiswayalongPennsylvaniaAvenue。Hiswalkhadbecomefairlygoodbythetimehereachedthegreatwhiteedificethatunfoldsitsrepeatedcolonnadesandupliftsitsisolateddomeattheendofalongvistaofsaloonsandtobacco-shops。Heslowlyclimbedthegreatsteps,hesitatingalittle,evenwonderingwhyhehadcome。Thesuperficialreasonwasobviousenough,buttherewasarealonebehinditthatstruckhimasratherwantinginthesoliditywhichshouldcharacterisethemotivesofanemissaryofPrinceBismarck。ThesuperficialreasonwasabeliefthatMrs。Steubenwouldpayhervisitfirst——itwasprobablyonlyaquestionofleavingcards——andbringheryoungfriendtotheCapitolatthehourwhentheyellowafternoonlightwouldgiveatonetotheblanknessofitsmarblewalls。TheCapitolwasasplendidbuilding,butitwasratherwantingintone。
Vogelstein’scuriosityaboutPandoraDayhadbeenmuchmorequickenedthancheckedbytherevelationsmadetohiminMrs。
Bonnycastle’sdrawing-room。Itwasarelieftohavethecreatureclassified;buthehadadesire,ofwhichhehadnotbeenconsciousbefore,toseereallytotheendhowwell,inotherwordshowcompletelyandartistically,agirlcouldmakeherself。Hiscalculationshadbeenjust,andhehadwanderedabouttherotundaforonlytenminutes,lookingagainatthepaintings,commemorativeofthenationalannals,whichoccupyitslowerspaces,andatthesimulatedsculptures,sotouchinglycharacteristicofearlyAmericantaste,whichadornitsupperreaches,whenthecharmingwomenhehadbeencountingonpresentedthemselvesinchargeofalicensedguide。
Hewenttomeetthemanddidn’tconcealfromthemthathehadmarkedthemforhisveryown。Theencounterwashappyonbothsides,andheaccompaniedthemthroughthequeerandendlessinterior,throughlabyrinthsofbleakbaredevelopment,intolegislativeandjudicialhalls。Hethoughtitahideousplace;hehadseenitallbeforeandaskedhimselfwhatsenselessgamehewasplaying。InthelowerHousewerecertainbedaubedwalls,inthebaseststyleofimitation,whichmadehimfeelfaintlysick,nottospeakofalobbyadornedwithartlessprintsandphotographsofeminentdefunctCongressmenthatwasalltooseriousforajokeandtoocomicforaValhalla。
ButPandorawasgreatlyinterested;shethoughttheCapitolveryfine;itwaseasytocriticisethedetails,butasawholeitwasthemostimpressivebuildingshehadeverseen。Sheprovedacharmingfellowtourist;shehadconstantlysomethingtosay,butneversaidittoomuch;itwasimpossibletodraginthewakeofaciceronelessofalengtheningoranirritatingchain。Vogelsteincouldseetoothatshewishedtoimprovehermind;shelookedatthehistoricalpictures,attheuncannystatuesoflocalworthies,presentedbythedifferentStates——theywereofdifferentsizes,asiftheyhadbeen\"numbered,\"inashop——sheaskedquestionsoftheguideandinthechamberoftheSenaterequestedhimtoshowherthechairsofthegentlemenfromNewYork。Shesatdowninoneofthem,thoughMrs。SteubentoldherTHATSenator(shemistookthechair,droppingintoanotherState)wasahorridoldthing。
ThroughoutthehourhespentwithherVogelsteinseemedtoseehowitwasshehadmadeherself。Theywalkedabout,afterwardsonthesplendidterracethatsurroundstheCapitol,thegreatmarbleflooronwhichitstands,andmadevagueremarks——Pandora’swerethemostdefinite——abouttheyellowsheenofthePotomac,thehazyhillsofVirginia,thefar-gleamingpedimentofArlington,therawconfused-
lookingcountry。Washingtonwasbeneaththem,bristlingandgeometrical;thelonglinesofitsavenuesseemedtostretchintonationalfutures。PandoraaskedCountOttoifhehadeverbeentoAthensand,onhisadmittingsomuch,soughttoknowwhethertheeminenceonwhichtheystooddidn’tgivehimanideaoftheAcropolisinitsprime。Vogelsteindeferredthesatisfactionofthisappealtotheirnextmeeting;hewasglad——inspiteoftheappeal——tomakepretextsforseeingheragain。Hedidsoonthemorrow;Mrs。Steuben’spicnicwasstillthreedaysdistant。HecalledonPandoraasecondtime,alsomethereacheveningintheWashingtonworld。IttookverylittleofthistoremindhimthathewasforgettingbothMrs。Dangerfield’swarningsandtheadmonitions——
longfamiliartohim——ofhisownconscience。Washeinperiloflove?WashetobesacrificedonthealtaroftheAmericangirl,analtaratwhichthoseotherpoorfellowshadpouredoutsomeofthebluestbloodinGermanyandhehadhimselftakenoathhewouldneverseriouslyworship?Hedecidedthathewasn’tinrealdanger,thathehadratherclinchedhisprecautions。Itwastruethatayoungpersonwhohadsucceededsowellforherselfmightbeagreathelptoherhusband;butthisdiplomaticaspirantpreferredonthewholethathissuccessshouldbehisown:itwouldn’tpleasehimtohavetheairofbeingpushedbyhiswife。Suchawifeasthatwouldwishtopushhim,andhecouldhardlyadmittohimselfthatthiswaswhatfatehadinreserveforhim——tobepropelledinhiscareerbyayoungladywhowouldperhapsattempttotalktotheKaiserashehadheardhertheothernighttalktothePresident。Wouldsheconsenttodiscontinuerelationswithherfamily,orwouldshewishstilltoborrowplasticrelieffromthatdomesticbackground?Thatherfamilywassoimpossiblewastoacertainextentanadvantage;foriftheyhadbeenalittlebetterthequestionofarupturewouldbelesseasy。Heturnedoverthesequestionsinspiteofhissecurity,orperhapsindeedbecauseofit。Thesecuritymadethemspeculativeanddisinterested。
TheyhauntedhimduringtheexcursiontoMountVernon,whichtookplaceaccordingtotraditionslongestablished。Mrs。Steuben’sconfederatesassembledonthesteamerandweresetafloatonthebigbrownstreamwhichhadalreadyseemedtoourspecialtravellertohavetoomuchbosomandtoolittlebank。Hereandthere,however,hebecameconsciousofashorewheretherewassomethingtolookat,eventhoughconsciousatthesametimethathehadofoldlostgreatopportunitiesofanidylliccastinnothavingmanagedtobemore\"thrownwith\"acertainyoungladyonthedeckoftheNorthGermanLloyd。ThetwoturnedroundtogethertohangoverAlexandria,whichforPandora,asshedeclared,wasapictureofOldVirginia。ShetoldVogelsteinthatshewasalwayshearingaboutitduringtheCivilWar,agesbefore。Littlegirlasshehadbeenatthetimesherememberedallthenamesthatwereonpeople’slipsduringthoseyearsofreiteration。Thishistoricspothadatouchoftheromanceofrichdecay,areferencetoolderthings,toadramaticpast。ThepastofAlexandriaappearedinthevistaofthreeorfourshortstreetsslopingupahillandlinedwithpoorbrickwarehouseserectedformerchandisethathadceasedtocomeorgo。Itlookedhotandblankandsleepy,downtotheshabbywatersidewheretattereddarkiesdangledtheirbarefeetfromtheedgeofrottingwharves。PandorawasevenmoreinterestedinMountVernon——whenatlastitswoodedbluffbegantocommandtheriver——thanshehadbeenintheCapitol,andaftertheyhaddisembarkedandascendedtothecelebratedmansionsheinsistedongoingintoeveryroomitcontained。She\"claimedforit,\"asshesaid——someofherturnsweresocharacteristicbothofhernationalityandherownstyle——
thefinestsituationintheworld,andwasdistinctastotheshameoftheirnotgivingittothePresidentforhiscountry-seat。Mostofhercompanionshadseenthehouseoften,andwerenowcouplingthemselvesinthegroundsaccordingtotheirsympathies,sothatitwaseasyforVogelsteintoofferthebenefitofhisownexperiencetothemostinquisitivememberoftheparty。Theywerenottolunchforanotherhour,andintheintervaltheyoungmanroamedwithhisfirstandfairestacquaintance。ThebreathofthePotomac,ontheboat,hadbeenalittleharsh,butonthesoftly-curvinglawn,beneaththeclusteredtrees,withtheriverrelegatedtoamereshiningpresencefarbelowandinthedistance,thedaygaveoutnothingbutitsmildness,thewholescenebecamenobleandgenial。
CountOttocouldjokealittleongreatoccasions,andthepresentonewasworthyofhishumour。Hemaintainedtohiscompanionthattheshallowpaintedmansionresembledafalsehouse,a\"wing\"orstructureofdaubedcanvas,onthestage;butsheansweredhimsowellwithcertaineconomicalpalacesshehadseeninGermany,where,asshesaid,therewasnothingbutchinastovesandstuffedbirds,thathewasobligedtoallowthehomeofWashingtontobeafterallreallygemuthlich。Whathefoundsoinfactwasthesofttextureoftheday,hispersonalsituation,thesweetnessofhissuspense。Forsuspensehaddecidedlybecomehisportion;hewasunderacharmthatmadehimfeelhewaswatchinghisownlifeandthathissusceptibilitieswerebeyondhiscontrol。Ithungoverhimthatthingsmighttakeaturn,fromonehourtotheother,whichwouldmakethemverydifferentfromwhattheyhadbeenyet;andhisheartcertainlybeatalittlefasterashewonderedwhatthatturnmightbe。WhydidhecometopicnicsonfragrantAprildayswithAmericangirlswhomightleadhimtoofar?Wouldn’tsuchgirlsbegladtomarryaPomeraniancount?AndWOULDthey,afterall,talkthatwaytotheKaiser?Ifheweretomarryoneofthemheshouldhavetogiveherseveralthoroughlessons。
Intheirlittletourofthehouseouryoungfriendandhiscompanionhadhadagreatmanyfellowvisitors,whohadalsoarrivedbythesteamerandwhohadhithertonotleftthemanidealprivacy。Buttheothersgraduallydispersed;theycircledaboutakindofshowmanwhowastheauthorisedguide,abigslowgenialvulgarheavily-
beardedman,withawhimsicaledifyingpatronisingtone,atonethathadimmensesuccesswhenhestoppedhereandtheretomakehispoints——topasshiseyesoverhislisteningflock,thenfixthemquiteaboveitwithameditativelookandbringoutsomeancientpleasantryasifitwereasuddeninspiration。Hemadeacheerfulthing,anechooftheplatformbeforetheboothofacountryfair,evenofavisittothetombofthepaterpatriae。Itisenshrinedinakindofgrottointhegrounds,andVogelsteinremarkedtoPandorathathewasagoodmanfortheplace,butwastoofamiliar。
\"Ohhe’dhavebeenfamiliarwithWashington,\"saidthegirlwiththebrightdrynesswithwhichsheoftenutteredamusingthings。
Vogelsteinlookedatheramoment,anditcameoverhim,ashesmiled,thatsheherselfprobablywouldn’thavebeenabashedevenbytheherowithwhomhistoryhastakenfewestliberties。\"Youlookasifyoucouldhardlybelievethat,\"Pandorawenton。\"YouGermansarealwaysinsuchaweofgreatpeople。\"AnditoccurredtohercriticthatperhapsafterallWashingtonwouldhavelikedhermanner,whichwaswonderfullyfreshandnatural。ThemanwiththebeardwasanidealministertoAmericanshrines;heplayedonthecuriosityofhislittlebandwiththetouchofamaster,drawingthemattherightmomentawaytoseetheclassicice-housewheretheoldladyhadbeenfoundweepinginthebeliefitwasWashington’sgrave。Whilethismonumentwasunderinspectionourinterestingcouplehadthehousetothemselves,andtheyspentsometimeonaprettyterracewherecertainwindowsofthesecondflooropened——alittlerootlessverandahwhichoverhung,inamanner,obliquely,allthemagnificenceoftheview;theimmensesweepoftheriver,theartisticplantations,thelast-centurygardenwithitsbigboxhedgesandremainsofoldespaliers。Theylingeredherefornearlyhalfanhour,anditwasinthisretirementthatVogelsteinenjoyedtheonlyapproachtointimateconversationappointedforhim,aswastoappear,withayoungwomaninwhomhehadbeenunabletopersuadehimselfthathewasnotabsorbed。It’snotnecessary,andit’snotpossible,thatIshouldreproducethiscolloquy;butImaymentionthatitbegan——astheyleanedagainsttheparapetoftheterraceandheardthecheerfulvoiceoftheshowmanwafteduptothemfromadistance——withhissayingtoherratherabruptlythathecouldn’tmakeoutwhytheyhadn’thadmoretalktogetherwhentheycrossedtheAtlantic。
\"Well,Icanifyoucan’t,\"saidPandora。\"I’dhavetalkedquickenoughifyouhadspokentome。Ispoketoyoufirst。\"
\"Yes,Irememberthat\"——anditaffectedhimawkwardly。
\"YoulistenedtoomuchtoMrs。Dangerfield。\"
Hefeignedavagueness。\"ToMrs。Dangerfield?\"
\"Thatwomanyouwerealwayssittingwith;shetoldyounottospeaktome。I’veseenherinNewYork;shespeakstomenowherself。
Sherecommendedyoutohavenothingtodowithme。\"
\"Ohhowcanyousaysuchdreadfulthings?\"CountOttocriedwithaverybecomingblush。
\"Youknowyoucan’tdenyit。Youweren’tattractedbymyfamily。
They’recharmingpeoplewhenyouknowthem。Idon’thaveabettertimeanywherethanIhaveathome,\"thegirlwentonloyally。\"Butwhatdoesitmatter?Myfamilyareveryhappy。They’regettingquiteusedtoNewYork。Mrs。Dangerfield’savulgarwretch——nextwintershe’llcallonme。\"
\"YouareunlikeanyMadchenI’veeverseen——Idon’tunderstandyou,\"
saidpoorVogelsteinwiththecolourstillinhisface。
\"Well,youneverWILLunderstandme——probably;butwhatdifferencedoesitmake?\"
Heattemptedtotellherwhatdifference,butI’venospacetofollowhimhere。It’sknownthatwhentheGermanmindattemptstoexplainthingsitdoesn’talwaysreducethemtosimplicity,andPandorawasfirstmystified,thenamused,bysomeoftheCount’srevelations。AtlastIthinkshewasalittlefrightened,forsheremarkedirrelevantly,withsomedecision,thatluncheonwouldbereadyandthattheyoughttojoinMrs。Steuben。Hercompanionwalkedslowly,onpurpose,astheyleftthehousetogether,forheknewthepangofavaguesensethathewaslosingher。
\"AndshallyoubeinWashingtonmanydaysyet?\"heappealedastheywent。
\"Itwillalldepend。I’mexpectingimportantnews。WhatIshalldowillbeinfluencedbythat。\"
Thewayshetalkedaboutexpectingnews——andimportant!——madehimfeelsomehowthatshehadacareer,thatshewasactiveandindependent,sothathecouldscarcelyhopetostopherasshepassed。Itwascertainlytruethathehadneverseenanygirllikeher。ItwouldhaveoccurredtohimthatthenewsshewasexpectingmighthavereferencetothefavourshehadbeggedofthePresident,ifhehadn’talreadymadeuphismind——inthecalmofmeditationafterthattalkwiththeBonnycastles——thatthisfavourmustbeapleasantry。Whatshehadsaidtohimhadadiscouraging,asomewhatchillingeffect;neverthelessitwasnotwithoutacertainardourthatheinquiredofherwhether,solongasshestayedinWashington,hemightn’tpayhercertainrespectfulattentions。
\"Asmanyasyoulike——andasrespectfulones;butyouwon’tkeepthemupforever!\"
\"Youtrytotormentme,\"saidCountOtto。
Shewaitedtoexplain。\"ImeanthatImayhavesomeofmyfamily。\"
\"Ishallbedelightedtoseethemagain。\"
Againshejusthungfire。\"Therearesomeyou’veneverseen。\"
Intheafternoon,returningtoWashingtononthesteamer,Vogelsteinreceivedawarning。ItcamefromMrs。Bonnycastleandconstituted,oddlyenough,thesecondjunctureatwhichanofficiousfemalefriendhad,whilesociablyafloatwithhim,advisedhimonthesubjectofPandoraDay。
\"There’sonethingweforgottotellyoutheothernightabouttheself-madegirl,\"saidtheladyofinfinitemirth。\"It’sneversafetofixyouraffectionsonher,becauseshehasalmostalwaysanimpedimentsomewhereinthebackground。\"
Helookedatheraskance,butsmiledandsaid:\"Ishouldunderstandyourinformation——forwhichI’msomuchobliged——alittlebetterifIknewwhatyoumeanbyanimpediment。\"
\"OhImeanshe’salwaysengagedtosomeyoungmanwhobelongstoherearlierphase。\"
\"Herearlierphase?\"
\"Thetimebeforeshehadmadeherself——whenshelivedunconsciousofherpowers。AyoungmanfromUtica,say。Theyusuallyhavetowait;he’sprobablyinastore。It’salongengagement。\"
CountOttosomehowpreferredtounderstandaslittleaspossible。
\"Doyoumeanabetrothal——totakeeffect?\"
\"Idon’tmeananythingGermanandmoonstruck。ImeanthatpieceofpeculiarlyAmericanenterpriseaprematureengagement——totakeeffect,buttoocomplacently,attheendoftime。\"
Vogelsteinveryproperlyreflectedthatitwasnousehishavingenteredthediplomaticcareerifheweren’tabletobearhimselfasifthisinterestinggeneralisationhadnoparticularmessageforhim。HedidMrs。Bonnycastlemoreoverthejusticetobelievethatshewouldn’thaveapproachedthequestionwithsuchlevityifshehadsupposedsheshouldmakehimwince。Thewholethingwas,likeeverythingelse,butforhertolaughat,andthebetrayalmoreoverofagoodintention。\"Isee,Isee——theself-madegirlhasofcoursealwayshadapast。Yes,andtheyoungmaninthestore——fromUtica——ispartofherpast。\"
\"Youexpressitperfectly,\"saidMrs。Bonnycastle。\"Icouldn’tsayitbettermyself。\"
\"Butwithherpresent,withherfuture,whentheychangelikethisyounglady’s,Isupposeeverythingelsechanges。HowdoyousayitinAmerica?Sheletshimslide。\"
\"Wedon’tsayitatall!\"Mrs。Bonnycastlecried。\"Shedoesnothingofthesort;forwhatdoyoutakeher?Shestickstohim;thatatleastiswhatweEXPECThertodo,\"sheaddedwithlessassurance。
\"AsItellyou,thetype’snewandthecaseunderconsideration。Wehaven’tyethadtimeforcompletestudy。\"
\"OhofcourseIhopeshestickstohim,\"VogelsteindeclaredsimplyandwithhisGermanaccentmoreaudible,asitalwayswaswhenhewasslightlyagitated。
Fortherestofthetriphewasratherrestless。Hewanderedabouttheboat,talkinglittlewiththereturningpicnickers。Towardthelast,astheydrewnearWashingtonandthewhitedomeoftheCapitolhungaloftbeforethem,lookingassimpleasasuspendedsnowball,hefoundhimself,onthedeck,inproximitytoMrs。Steuben。Hereproachedhimselfwithhavingratherneglectedherduringanentertainmentforwhichhewasindebtedtoherbounty,andhesoughttorepairhisomissionbyaproperdeference。ButtheonlyactofhomagethatoccurredtohimwastoaskherasbychancewhetherMissDaywere,toherknowledge,engaged。
Mrs。SteubenturnedherSoutherneyesuponhimwithalookofalmostromanticcompassion。\"Tomyknowledge?WhyofcourseI’dknow!I
shouldthinkyou’dknowtoo。Didn’tyouknowshewasengaged?Whyshehasbeenengagedsinceshewassixteen。\"
CountOttogazedatthedomeoftheCapitol。\"ToagentlemanfromUtica?
\"Yes,anativeofherplace。She’sexpectinghimsoon。\"
\"I’msoverygladtohearit,\"saidVogelstein,whodecidedly,forhiscareer,hadpromise。\"Andisshegoingtomarryhim?\"
\"WhywhatdopeoplefallinlovewitheachotherFOR?Ipresumethey’llmarrywhenshegetsroundtoit。AhifshehadonlybeenfromtheSooth——!\"
Atthishebrokequicklyin:\"Butwhyhavetheyneverbroughtitoff,asyousay,insomanyyears?\"
\"Well,atfirstshewastooyoung,andthenshethoughtherfamilyoughttoseeEurope——ofcoursetheycouldseeitbetterWITHher——
andtheyspentsometimethere。AndthenMr。Bellamyhadsomebusinessdifficultiesthatmadehimfeelasifhedidn’twanttomarryjustthen。ButhehasgivenupbusinessandIpresumefeelsmorefree。Ofcourseit’sratherlong,butallthewhilethey’vebeenengaged。It’satrue,truelove,\"saidMrs。Steuben,whosesoundoftheadjectivewasthatofafeebleflute。
\"IshisnameMr。Bellamy?\"theCountaskedwithhishauntingreminiscence。\"D。F。Bellamy,so?Andhashebeeninastore?\"
\"Idon’tknowwhatkindofbusinessitwas:itwassomekindofbusinessinUtica。IthinkhehadabranchinNewYork。He’soneoftheleadinggentlemenofUticaandveryhighlyeducated。He’sagooddealolderthanMissDay。He’saveryfineman——Ipresumeacollegeman。HestandsveryhighinUtica。Idon’tknowwhyyoulookasifyoudoubtedit。\"
VogelsteinassuredMrs。Steubenthathedoubtednothing,andindeedwhatshetoldhimwasprobablythemorecredibleforseemingtohimeminentlystrange。Bellamyhadbeenthenameofthegentlemanwho,ayearandahalfbefore,wastohavemetPandoraonthearrivaloftheGermansteamer;itwasinBellamy’snamethatshehadaddressedherselfwithsucheffusiontoBellamy’sfriend,themaninthestrawhatwhowasabouttofumbleinhermother’soldclothes。ThiswasafactthatseemedtoCountOttotofinishthepictureofhercontradictions;itwantedatpresentnotouchtobecomplete。Yetevenasithungtherebeforehimitcontinuedtofascinatehim,andhestaredatit,detachedfromsurroundingthingsandfeelingalittleasifhehadbeenpitchedoutofanoverturnedvehicle,tilltheboatbumpedagainstoneoftheoutstandingpilesofthewharfatwhichMrs。Steuben’spartywastodisembark。Therewassomedelayingettingthesteameradjustedtothedock,duringwhichthepassengerswatchedtheprocessoveritssideandextractedwhatentertainmenttheymightfromtheappearanceofthevariouspersonscollectedtoreceiveit。Thereweredarkiesandloafersandhackmen,andalsovagueindividuals,theloosestandblankesthehadeverseenanywhere,withtuftsontheirchins,toothpicksintheirmouths,handsintheirpockets,ruminationintheirjawsanddiamondpinsintheirshirt-fronts,wholookedasiftheyhadsaunteredoverfromPennsylvaniaAvenuetowhileawayhalfanhour,forsakingforthatintervaltheirvariousslantingposturesintheporticoesofthehotelsandthedoorwaysofthesaloons。
\"OhI’msoglad!Howsweetofyoutocomedown!\"ItwasavoiceclosetoCountOtto’sshoulderthatspokethesewords,andhehadnoneedtoturntoseefromwhomitproceeded。Ithadbeeninhisearsthegreaterpartoftheday,though,ashenowperceived,withoutthefullestrichnessofexpressionofwhichitwascapable。Stilllesswasheobligedtoturntodiscovertowhomitwasaddressed,forthefewsimplewordsIhavequotedhadbeenflungacrossthenarrowingintervalofwater,andagentlemanwhohadsteppedtotheedgeofthedockwithoutouryoungman’sobservinghimtossedbackanimmediatereply。
\"Igotherebythethreeo’clocktrain。TheytoldmeinKStreetwhereyouwere,andIthoughtI’dcomedownandmeetyou。\"
\"Charmingattention!\"saidPandoraDaywiththelaughthatseemedalwaystoinvitethewholeofanycompanytopartakeinit;thoughforsomemomentsafterthissheandherinterlocutorappearedtocontinuetheconversationonlywiththeireyes。MeanwhileVogelstein’salsowerenotidle。Helookedathervisitorfromheadtofoot,andhewasawarethatshewasquiteunconsciousofhisownproximity。Thegentlemanbeforehimwastall,good-looking,well-
dressed;evidentlyhewouldstandwellnotonlyatUtica,but,judgingfromthewayhehadplantedhimselfonthedock,inanypositionthatcircumstancesmightcompelhimtotakeup。Hewasaboutfortyyearsold;hehadablackmoustacheandheseemedtolookattheworldoversomecounter-likeexpanseonwhichheinviteditallwarilyandpleasantlytoputdownfirstitsideaofthetermsofatransaction。HewavedaglovedhandatPandoraasif,whensheexclaimed\"Gracious,ain’ttheylong!\"tourgehertobepatient。
Shewaspatientseveralsecondsandthenaskedhimifhehadanynews。Helookedatherbriefly,insilence,smiling,afterwhichhedrewfromhispocketalargeletterwithanofficial-lookingsealandshookitjocoselyabovehishead。Thiswasdiscreetly,covertlydone。Noonebutouryoungmanappearedawareofhowmuchwastakingplace——andpoorCountOttomainlyfeltitintheair。Theboatwastouchingthewharfandthespacebetweenthepairinconsiderable。
\"DepartmentofState?\"Pandoraveryprettilyandsoundlesslymouthedacrossathim。
\"That’swhattheycallit。\"
\"Well,whatcountry?\"
\"What’syouropinionoftheDutch?\"thegentlemanaskedforanswer。
\"Ohgracious!\"criedPandora。
\"Well,areyougoingtowaitforthereturntrip?\"saidthegentleman。
Oursilentsuffererturnedaway,andpresentlyMrs。Steubenandhercompaniondisembarkedtogether。WhenthisladyenteredacarriagewithMissDaythegentlemanwhohadspokentothegirlfollowedthem;theothersscattered,andVogelstein,decliningwiththanksa\"lift\"fromMrs。Bonnycastle,walkedhomealoneandinsomeintensityofmeditation。TwodayslaterhesawinanewspaperanannouncementthatthePresidenthadofferedthepostofMinistertoHollandtoMr。D。F。BellamyofUtica;andinthecourseofamonthheheardfromMrs。SteubenthatPandora,athousandotherdutiesperformed,hadfinally\"gotround\"tothealtarofherownnuptials。
HecommunicatedthisnewstoMrs。Bonnycastle,whohadnothearditbutwho,shriekingatthequeerfaceheshowedher,metitwiththeremarkthattherewasnowgroundforanewinductionastotheself-
madegirl。