an international episode- 第10部分

she　had　expected　the　〃associations〃　would　be　very　charming；

that　it　would　be　an　infinite　pleasure　to　rest　her　eyes　upon

the　things　she　had　read　about　in　the　poets　and　historians。

She　was　very　fond　of　the　poets　and　historians；　of　the　picturesque；

of　the　past；　of　retrospect；　of　mementos　and　reverberations

of　greatness；　so　that　on　coming　into　the　English　world；

where　strangeness　and　familiarity　would　go　hand　in　hand；

she　was　prepared　for　a　multitude　of　fresh　emotions。

They　began　very　promptlythese　tender；　fluttering　sensations；

they　began　with　the　sight　of　the　beautiful　English　landscape；

whose　dark　richness　was　quickened　and　brightened　by　the　season；

with　the　carpeted　fields　and　flowering　hedgerows；　as　she

looked　at　them　from　the　window　of　the　train；　with　the　spires

of　the　rural　churches　peeping　above　the　rook…haunted　treetops；

with　the　oak…studded　parks；　the　ancient　homes；　the　cloudy　light；

the　speech；　the　manners；　the　thousand　differences。

Mrs。　Westgate's　impressions　had；　of　course；　much　less　novelty

and　keenness；　and　she　gave　but　a　wandering　attention　to　her

sister's　ejaculations　and　rhapsodies。



〃You　know　my　enjoyment　of　England　is　not　so　intellectual　as　Bessie's；〃　she

said　to　several　of　her　friends　in　the　course　of　her　visit　to　this　country。

〃And　yet　if　it　is　not　intellectual；　I　can't　say　it　is　physical。

I　don't　think　I　can　quite　say　what　it　is；　my　enjoyment　of　England。〃

When　once　it　was　settled　that　the　two　ladies　should　come　abroad　and　should

spend　a　few　weeks　in　England　on　their　way　to　the　Continent；　they　of　course

exchanged　a　good　many　allusions　to　their　London　acquaintance。



〃It　will　certainly　be　much　nicer　having　friends　there；〃

Bessie　Alden　had　said　one　day　as　she　sat　on　the　sunny　deck

of　the　steamer　at　her　sister's　feet　on　a　large　blue　rug。



〃Whom　do　you　mean　by　friends？〃　　Mrs。　Westgate　asked。



〃All　those　English　gentlemen　whom　you　have　known　and　entertained。

Captain　Littledale；　for　instance。　　And　Lord　Lambeth　and　Mr。　Beaumont；〃

added　Bessie　Alden。



〃Do　you　expect　them　to　give　us　a　very　grand　reception？〃



Bessie　reflected　a　moment；　she　was　addicted；　as　we　know；

to　reflection。　　〃Well；　yes。〃



〃My　poor；　sweet　child；〃　murmured　her　sister。



〃What　have　I　said　that　is　so　silly？〃　asked　Bessie。



〃You　are　a　little　too　simple；　just　a　little。　　It　is　very　becoming；

but　it　pleases　people　at　your　expense。〃



〃I　am　certainly　too　simple　to　understand　you；〃　said　Bessie。



〃Shall　I　tell　you　a　story？〃　asked　her　sister。



〃If　you　would　be　so　good。　　That　is　what　they　do　to　amuse　simple　people。〃



Mrs。　Westgate　consulted　her　memory；　while　her　companion　sat　gazing

at　the　shining　sea。　　〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　the　Duke　of　Green…Erin？〃



〃I　think　not；〃　said　Bessie。



〃Well；　it's　no　matter；〃　her　sister　went　on。



〃It's　a　proof　of　my　simplicity。〃



〃My　story　is　meant　to　illustrate　that　of　some　other　people；〃

said　Mrs。　Westgate。　　〃The　Duke　of　Green…Erin　is　what　they　call　in

England　a　great　swell；　and　some　five　years　ago　he　came　to　America。

He　spent　most　of　his　time　in　New　York；　and　in　New　York　he　spent　his

days　and　his　nights　at　the　Butterworths'。　You　have　heard；　at　least；

of　the　Butterworths。　　Bien。　　They　did　everything　in　the　world　for　him

they　turned　themselves　inside　out。　　They　gave　him　a　dozen　dinner　parties

and　balls　and　were　the　means　of　his　being　invited　to　fifty　more。

At　first　he　used　to　come　into　Mrs。　Butterworth's　box　at　the　opera

in　a　tweed　traveling　suit；　but　someone　stopped　that。　　At　any　rate；

he　had　a　beautiful　time；　and　they　parted　the　best　friends　in　the　world。

Two　years　elapse；　and　the　Butterworths　come　abroad　and　go　to　London。

The　first　thing　they　see　in　all　the　papersin　England　those　things

are　in　the　most　prominent　placeis　that　the　Duke　of　Green…Erin

has　arrived　in　town　for　the　Season。　　They　wait　a　little；　and　then

Mr。　Butterworthas　polite　as　evergoes　and　leaves　a　card。

They　wait　a　little　more；　the　visit　is　not　returned；　they　wait

three　weekssilence　de　mortthe　Duke　gives　no　sign。

The　Butterworths　see　a　lot　of　other　people；　put　down　the　Duke

of　Green…Erin　as　a　rude；　ungrateful　man；　and　forget　all　about　him。

One　fine　day　they　go　to　Ascot　Races；　and　there　they　meet　him　face

to　face。　　He　stares　a　moment　and　then　comes　up　to　Mr。　Butterworth；

taking　something　from　his　pocketbooksomething　which　proves

to　be　a　banknote。　　'I'm　glad　to　see　you；　Mr。　Butterworth；'　he　says；

'so　that　I　can　pay　you　that　ten　pounds　I　lost　to　you　in　New　York。

I　saw　the　other　day　you　remembered　our　bet；　here　are　the　ten　pounds；

Mr。　Butterworth。　　Goodbye；　Mr。　Butterworth。'　　And　off　he　goes；

and　that's　the　last　they　see　of　the　Duke　of　Green…Erin。〃



〃Is　that　your　story？〃　asked　Bessie　Alden。



〃Don't　you　think　it's　interesting？〃　her　sister　replied。



〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　said　the　young　girl。



〃Ah；〃　cried　Mrs。　Westgate；　〃you　are　not　so　simple　after　all！

Believe　it　or　not；　as　you　please；　there　is　no　smoke　without　fire。〃



〃Is　that　the　way；〃　asked　Bessie　after　a　moment；　〃that　you　expect

your　friends　to　treat　you？〃



〃I　defy　them　to　treat　me　very　ill；　because　I　shall　not　give

them　the　opportunity。　　With　the　best　will　in　the　world；

in　that　case　they　can't　be　very　offensive。〃



Bessie　Alden　was　silent　a　moment。　　〃I　don't　see　what　makes　you　talk　that　way；〃

she　said。　　〃The　English　are　a　great　people。〃



〃Exactly；　and　that　is　just　the　way　they　have　grown　great

by　dropping　you　when　you　have　ceased　to　be　useful。

People　say　they　are　not　clever；　but　I　think　they　are　very　clever。〃



〃You　know　you　have　liked　themall　the　Englishmen　you　have　seen；〃　said　Bessie。



〃They　have　liked　me；〃　her　sister　rejoined；　〃it　would　be　more　correct

to　say　that。　　And；　of　course；　one　likes　that。〃



Bessie　Alden　resumed　for　some　moments　her　studies　in　sea　green。

〃Well；〃　she　said；　〃whether　they　like　me　or　not；　I　mean　to　like　them。

And　happily；〃　she　added；　〃Lord　Lambeth　does　not　owe　me　ten　pounds。〃



During　the　first　few　days　after　their　arrival　at　Jones's　Hotel　our　charming

Americans　were　much　occupied　with　what　they　would　have　called　looking

about　them。　　They　found　occasion　to　make　a　large　number　of　purchases；

and　their　opportunities　for　conversation　were　such　only　as　were　offered

by　the　deferential　London　shopmen。　　Bessie　Alden；　even　in　driving

from　the　station；　took　an　immense　fancy　to　the　British　metropolis；

and　at　the　risk　of　exhibiting　her　as　a　young　woman　of　vulgar　tastes　it

must　be　recorded　that　for　a　considerable　period　she　desired　no　higher

pleasure　than　to　drive　about　the　crowded　streets　in　a　hansom　cab。

To　her　attentive　eyes　they　were　full　of　a　strange　picturesque　life；

and　it　is　at　least　beneath　the　dignity　of　our　historic　muse　to　enumerate

the　trivial　objects　and　incidents　which　this　simple　young　lady　from　Boston

found　so　entertaining。　　It　may　be　freely　mentioned；　however；　that　whenever；

after　a　round　of　visits　in　Bond　Street　and　Regent　Street；　she　was

about　to　return　with　her　sister　to　Jones's　Hotel；　she　made　an　earnest

request　that　they　should　be　driven　home　by　way　of　Westminster　Abbey。

She　had　begun　by　asking　whether　it　would　not　be　possible　to　take　the　Tower

on　the　way　to　their　lodgings；　but　it　happened　that　at　a　more　primitive　stage

of　her　culture　Mrs。　Westgate　had　paid　a　visit　to　this　venerable　monument；

which　she　spoke　of　ever　afterward　vaguely　as　a　dreadful　disappointment；

so　that　she　expressed　the　liveliest　disapproval　of　any　attempt　to　combine

historical　researches　with　the　purchase　of　hairbrushes　and　notepaper。

The　most　she　would　consent　to　do　in　this　line　was　to　spend　half

an　hour　at　Madame　Tussaud's；　where　she　saw　several　dusty　wax　effigies

of　members　of　the　royal　family。　　She　told　Bessie　that　if　she

wished　to　go　to　the　Tower　she　must　get　someone　else　to　take　her。

Bessie　expressed　hereupon　an　earnest　disposition　to　go　alone；　but　upon

this　proposal　as　well　Mrs。　Westgate　sprinkled　cold　water。



〃Remember；〃　she　said；　〃that　you　are　not　in　your　innocent　little　Boston。

It　is　not　a　question　of　walking　up　and　down　Beacon　Street。〃

Then　she　went　on　to　explain　that　there　were　two　classes　of　American

girls　in　Europethose　that　walked　about　alone　and　those　that　did　not。

〃You　happen　to　belong；　my　dear；〃　she　said　to　her　sister；　〃to　the　class

that　does　not。〃



〃It　is　only；〃　answered　Bessie；　laughing；　〃because　you　happen　to　prevent　me。〃

And　she　devoted　much　private　meditation　to　this　question　of　effecting　a　visit

to　the　Tower　of　London。



Suddenly　it　seemed　as　if　the　problem　might　be　solved；　the　two

ladies　at　Jones's　Hotel　received　a　visit　from　Willie　Woodley。

Such　was　the　social　appellation　of　a　young　American　who　had　sailed

from　New　York　a　few　days　after　their　own　departure；　and　who；

having　the　privilege　of　intimacy　with　them　in　that　city；　had　lost

no　time；　on　his　arrival　in　London；　in　coming　to　pay　them　his　respects。

He　had；　in　fact；　gone　to　see　them　directly　after　going　to　see　his　tailor；

than　which　there　can　b