an international episode- 第12部分

humors　had　been　made　familiar　to　the　young　girl's　childhood

by　the　pictures　in　Punch。　　The　day　was　bright　and　warm；

and　the　crowd　of　riders　and　spectators；　and　the　great　procession

of　carriages；　were　proportionately　dense　and　brilliant。

The　scene　bore　the　stamp　of　the　London　Season　at　its　height；

and　Bessie　Alden　found　more　entertainment　in　it　than　she

was　able　to　express　to　her　companions。　　She　sat　silent；

under　her　parasol；　and　her　imagination；　according　to　its　wont；

let　itself　loose　into　the　great　changing　assemblage　of　striking

and　suggestive　figures。　　They　stirred　up　a　host　of　old

impressions　and　preconceptions；　and　she　found　herself　fitting

a　history　to　this　person　and　a　theory　to　that；　and　making

a　place　for　them　all　in　her　little　private　museum　of　types。

But　if　she　said　little；　her　sister　on　one　side　and　Willie　Woodley

on　the　other　expressed　themselves　in　lively　alternation。



〃Look　at　that　green　dress　with　blue　flounces；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。

〃Quelle　toilette！〃



〃That's　the　Marquis　of　Blackborough；〃　said　the　young　man〃the　one

in　the　white　coat。　　I　heard　him　speak　the　other　night　in　the　House

of　Lords；　it　was　something　about　ramrods；　he　called　them　'wamwods。'

He's　an　awful　swell。〃



〃Did　you　ever　see　anything　like　the　way　they　are　pinned　back？〃

Mrs。　Westgate　resumed。　　〃They　never　know　where　to　stop。〃



〃They　do　nothing　but　stop；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。　　〃It　prevents　them

from　walking。　　Here　comes　a　great　celebrityLady　Beatrice　Bellevue。

She's　awfully　fast；　see　what　little　steps　she　takes。〃



〃Well；　my　dear；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　pursued；　〃I　hope　you　are　getting　some　ideas

for　your　couturiere？〃



〃I　am　getting　plenty　of　ideas；〃　said　Bessie；　〃but　I　don't　know

that　my　couturiere　would　appreciate　them。〃



Willie　Woodley　presently　perceived　a　friend　on　horseback；

who　drove　up　beside　the　barrier　of　the　Row　and　beckoned　to　him。

He　went　forward；　and　the　crowd　of　pedestrians　closed　about　him；

so　that　for　some　ten　minutes　he　was　hidden　from　sight。

At　last　he　reappeared；　bringing　a　gentleman　with　hima　gentleman

whom　Bessie　at　first　supposed　to　be　his　friend　dismounted。

But　at　a　second　glance　she　found　herself　looking　at　Lord　Lambeth；

who　was　shaking　hands　with　her　sister。



〃I　found　him　over　there；〃　said　Willie　Woodley；　〃and　I　told

him　you　were　here。〃



And　then　Lord　Lambeth；　touching　his　hat　a　little；　shook　hands　with　Bessie。

〃Fancy　your　being　here！〃　he　said。　　He　was　blushing　and　smiling；

he　looked　very　handsome；　and　he　had　a　kind　of　splendor　that　he　had

not　had　in　America。　　Bessie　Alden's　imagination；　as　we　know；

was　just　then　in　exercise；　so　that　the　tall　young　Englishman；

as　he　stood　there　looking　down　at　her；　had　the　benefit　of　it。

〃He　is　handsomer　and　more　splendid　than　anything　I　have　ever　seen；〃

she　said　to　herself。　　And　then　she　remembered　that　he　was　a　marquis；

and　she　thought　he　looked　like　a　marquis。



〃I　say；　you　know；〃　he　cried；　〃you　ought　to　have　let　a　man　know

you　were　here！〃



〃I　wrote　to　you　an　hour　ago；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Doesn't　all　the　world　know　it？〃　asked　Bessie；　smiling。



〃I　assure　you　I　didn't　know　it！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。

〃Upon　my　honor　I　hadn't　heard　of　it。　　Ask　Woodley　now；

had　I；　Woodley？〃



〃Well；　I　think　you　are　rather　a　humbug；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。



〃You　don't　believe　thatdo　you；　Miss　Alden？〃　asked　his　lordship。

〃You　don't　believe　I'm　a　humbug；　eh？〃



〃No；〃　said　Bessie；　〃I　don't。〃



〃You　are　too　tall　to　stand　up；　Lord　Lambeth；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　observed。

〃You　are　only　tolerable　when　you　sit　down。　　Be　so　good　as　to　get　a　chair。〃



He　found　a　chair　and　placed　it　sidewise；　close　to　the　two　ladies。

〃If　I　hadn't　met　Woodley　I　should　never　have　found　you；〃　he　went　on。

〃Should　I；　Woodley？〃



〃Well；　I　guess　not；〃　said　the　young　American。



〃Not　even　with　my　letter？〃　asked　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Ah；　well；　I　haven't　got　your　letter　yet；　I　suppose　I　shall　get　it

this　evening。　　I　was　awfully　kind　of　you　to　write。〃



〃So　I　said　to　Bessie；〃　observed　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Did　she　say　so；　Miss　Alden？〃　　Lord　Lambeth　inquired。

〃I　daresay　you　have　been　here　a　month。〃



〃We　have　been　here　three；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃Have　you　been　here　three　months？〃　the　young　man　asked　again　of　Bessie。



〃It　seems　a　long　time；〃　Bessie　answered。



〃I　say；　after　that　you　had　better　not　call　me　a　humbug！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。

〃I　have　only　been　in　town　three　weeks；　but　you　must　have　been　hiding　away；

I　haven't　seen　you　anywhere。〃



〃Where　should　you　have　seen　uswhere　should　we　have　gone？〃

asked　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃You　should　have　gone　to　Hurlingham；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。



〃No；　let　Lord　Lambeth　tell　us；〃　Mrs。　Westgate　insisted。



〃There　are　plenty　of　places　to　go　to；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；

〃each　one　stupider　than　the　other。　　I　mean　people's　houses；

they　send　you　cards。〃



〃No　one　has　sent　us　cards；〃　said　Bessie。



〃We　are　very　quiet；〃　her　sister　declared。　　〃We　are　here　as　travelers。〃



〃We　have　been　to　Madame　Tussaud's；〃　Bessie　pursued。



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　cried　Lord　Lambeth。



〃We　thought　we　should　find　your　image　there；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate〃yours

and　Mr。　Beaumont's。〃



〃In　the　Chamber　of　Horrors？〃　laughed　the　young　man。



〃It　did　duty　very　well　for　a　party；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。

〃All　the　women　were　decolletes；　and　many　of　the　figures

looked　as　if　they　could　speak　if　they　tried。〃



〃Upon　my　word；〃　Lord　Lambeth　rejoined；　〃you　see　people　at　London

parties　that　look　as　if　they　couldn't　speak　if　they　tried。〃



〃Do　you　think　Mr。　Woodley　could　find　us　Mr。　Beaumont？〃

asked　Mrs。　Westgate。



Lord　Lambeth　stared　and　looked　round　him。　　〃I　daresay　he　could。

Beaumont　often　comes　here。　　Don't　you　think　you　could　find　him；　Woodley？

Make　a　dive　into　the　crowd。〃



〃Thank　you；　I　have　had　enough　diving；〃　said　Willie　Woodley。

〃I　will　wait　till　Mr。　Beaumont　comes　to　the　surface。〃



〃I　will　bring　him　to　see　you；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　〃where　are　you　staying？〃



〃You　will　find　the　address　in　my　letterJones's　Hotel。〃



〃Oh；　one　of　those　places　just　out　of　Piccadilly？　　Beastly　hole；　isn't　it？〃

Lord　Lambeth　inquired。



〃I　believe　it's　the　best　hotel　in　London；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃But　they　give　you　awful　rubbish　to　eat；　don't　they？〃

his　lordship　went　on。



〃Yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



〃I　always　feel　so　sorry　for　the　people　that　come　up　to　town

and　go　to　live　in　those　places；〃　continued　the　young　man。

〃They　eat　nothing　but　filth。〃



〃Oh；　I　say！〃　cried　Willie　Woodley。



〃Well；　how　do　you　like　London；　Miss　Alden？〃　　Lord　Lambeth　asked；

unperturbed　by　this　ejaculation。



〃I　think　it's　grand；〃　said　Bessie　Alden。



〃My　sister　likes　it；　in　spite　of　the　'filth'！〃　Mrs。　Westgate　exclaimed。



〃I　hope　you　are　going　to　stay　a　long　time。〃



〃As　long　as　I　can；〃　said　Bessie。



〃And　where　is　Mr。　Westgate？〃　asked　Lord　Lambeth　of　this　gentleman's　wife。



〃He's　where　he　always　isin　that　tiresome　New　York。〃



〃He　must　be　tremendously　clever；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃I　suppose　he　is；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate。



Lord　Lambeth　sat　for　nearly　an　hour　with　his　American　friends；

but　it　is　not　our　purpose　to　relate　their　conversation　in　full。

He　addressed　a　great　many　remarks　to　Bessie　Alden；　and　finally　turned

toward　her　altogether；　while　Willie　Woodley　entertained　Mrs。　Westgate。

Bessie　herself　said　very　little；　she　was　on　her　guard；　thinking　of

what　her　sister　had　said　to　her　at　lunch。　　Little　by　little；　however；

she　interested　herself　in　Lord　Lambeth　again；　as　she　had　done　at　Newport；

only　it　seemed　to　her　that　here　he　might　become　more　interesting。

He　would　be　an　unconscious　part　of　the　antiquity；　the　impressiveness；

the　picturesqueness；　of　England；　and　poor　Bessie　Alden；　like　many

a　Yankee　maiden；　was　terribly　at　the　mercy　of　picturesqueness。



〃I　have　often　wished　I　were　at　Newport　again；〃　said　the　young　man。

〃Those　days　I　spent　at　your　sister's　were　awfully　jolly。〃



〃We　enjoyed　them　very　much；　I　hope　your　father　is　better。〃



〃Oh；　dear；　yes。　　When　I　got　to　England；　he　was　out　grouse　shooting。

It　was　what　you　call　in　America　a　gigantic　fraud。　　My　mother　had　got　nervous。

My　three　weeks　at　Newport　seemed　like　a　happy　dream。〃



〃America　certainly　is　very　different　from　England；〃　said　Bessie。



〃I　hope　you　like　England　better；　eh？〃　　Lord　Lambeth

rejoined　almost　persuasively。



〃No　Englishman　can　ask　that　seriously　of　a　person　of　another　country。〃



Her　companion　looked　at　her　for　a　moment。　　〃You　mean　it's

a　matter　of　course？〃



〃If　I　were　English；〃　said　Bessie；　〃it　would　certainly　seem　to　me

a　matter　of　course　that　everyone　should　be　a　good　patriot。〃



〃Oh；　dear；　yes；　patriotism　is　everything；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；

not　quite　following；　but　very　contented。　　〃Now；　what　are　you

going　to　do　here？〃



〃On　Thursday　I　am　going　to　the　Tower。〃



〃The　Tower？〃



〃The　Tower　of　London。　　Did　you　never　hear　of　it？〃



〃Oh；　yes；　I　have　been　t