an open-eyed conspiracy- 第1部分

An　Open…Eyed　ConspiracyAn　Idyl　of　Saratoga

by　William　Dean　Howells







CHAPTER　I



The　day　had　been　very　hot　under　the　tall　trees　which　everywhere
embower　and　stifle　Saratoga；　for　they　shut　out　the　air　as　well　as
the　sun；　and　after　tea　（they　still　have　an　early　dinner　at　all　the
hotels　in　Saratoga；　and　tea　is　the　last　meal　of　the　day）　I　strolled
over　to　the　pretty　Congress　Park；　in　the　hope　of　getting　a　breath　of
coolness　there。　　Mrs。　March　preferred　to　take　the　chances　on　the
verandah　of　our　pleasant　little　hotel；　where　I　left　her　with　the
other　ladies；　forty　fanning　like　one；　as　they　rocked　to　and　fro
under　the　roof　lifted　to　the　third　story　by　those　lofty　shafts
peculiar　to　the　Saratoga　architecture。　　As　far　as　coolness　was
concerned；　I　thought　she　was　wise　after　I　reached　the　park；　for　I
found　none　of　it　there。　　I　tried　first　a　chair　in　the　arabesque
pavilion　（I　call　it　arabesque　in　despair；　it　might　very　well　be
Swiss；　it　is　charming；　at　all　events）；　and　studied　to　deceive　myself
with　the　fresh…looking　ebullition　of　the　spring　in　the　vast　glass
bowls　your　goblets　are　served　from　（people　say　it　is　pumped；　and
artificially　aerated）；　but　after　a　few　moments　this　would　not　do；
and　I　went　out　to　a　bench；　of　the　rows　beside　the　gravelled　walks。
It　was　no　better　there；　but　I　fancied　it　would　be　better　on　the
little　isle　in　the　little　lake；　where　the　fountain　was　flinging　a
sheaf　of　spray　into　the　dull　air。　　This　looked　even　cooler　than　the
bubbling　spring　in　the　glass　vases；　and　it　sounded　vastly　cooler。
There　would　be　mosquitoes　there；　of　course；　I　admitted　in　the　debate
I　had　with　myself　before　I　decided　to　make　experiment　of　the　place；
and　the　event　proved　me　right。　　There　were　certainly　some　mosquitoes
in　the　Grecian　temple　（if　it　is　not　a　Turkish　kiosk；　perhaps　we　had
better　compromise；　and　call　it　a　Grecian　kiosk）；　which　you　reach　by
a　foot…bridge　from　the　mainland；　and　there　was　a　damp　in　the　air
which　might　pass　for　coolness。　　There　were　three　or　four　people
standing　vaguely　about　in　the　kiosk；　but　my　idle　mind　fixed　itself
upon　a　young　French…Canadian　mother　of　low　degree；　who　sat；　with　her
small　boy；　on　the　verge　of　the　pavement　near　the　water。　　She　scolded
him　in　their　parlance　for　having　got　himself　so　dirty；　and　then　she
smacked　his　poor；　filthy　little　hands；　with　a　frown　of　superior
virtue；　though　I　did　not　find　her　so　very　much　cleaner　herself。　　I
cannot　see　children　beaten　without　a　heartache；　and　I　continued　to
suffer　for　this　small　wretch　even　after　he　had　avenged　himself　by
eating　a　handful　of　peanut　shells；　which　would　be　sure　to　disagree
with　him　and　make　his　mother　more　trouble。　　In　fact；　I　experienced
no　relief　till　his　mother；　having　spent　her　insensate　passion；
gathered　him　up　with　sufficient　tenderness；　and　carried　him　away。
Then；　for　the　first　time；　I　noticed　a　girl　sitting　in　a　chair　just
outside　the　kiosk；　and　showing　a　graceful　young　figure　as　she　partly
turned　to　look　after　the　departing　mother　and　her　child。　　When　she
turned　again　and　glanced　in　my　direction；　at　the　noise　I　made　in
placing　my　chair；　I　could　see　two　thingsthat　she　had　as　much
beauty　as　grace；　and　that　she　was　disappointed　in　me。　　The　latter
fact　did　not　wound　me；　for　I　felt　its　profound　impersonality。　　I　was
not　wrong　in　myself；　I　was　simply　wrong　in　being　an　elderly　man　with
a　grey　beard　instead　of　the　handsome　shape　and　phase　of　youth　which
her　own　young　beauty　had　a　right　to　in　my　place。　　I　was　not　only　not
wounded；　but　I　was　not　sorry　not　to　be　that　shape　and　phase　of
youth；　except　as　I　hate　to　disappoint　any　one。

Her　face　was　very　beautiful；　it　was　quite　perfectly　beautiful；　and
of　such　classic　mould　that　she　might　well　have　been　the　tutelary
goddess　of　that　temple　（if　it　was　a　temple；　and　not　a　kiosk）；　in　the
white　duck　costume　which　the　goddesses　were　wearing　that　summer。
Her　features　were　Greek；　but　her　looks　were　American；　and　she　was
none　the　less　a　goddess；　I　decided；　because　of　that　air　of　something
exacting；　of　not　quite　satisfied；　which　made　me　more　and　more
willing　to　be　elderly　and　grey…bearded。　　I　at　least　should　not　be
expected　to　supply　the　worship　necessary　to　keep　such　a　goddess　in
good　humour。

I　do　not　know　just　how　I　can　account　for　a　strain　of　compassion
which　mingled　with　this　sense　of　irresponsibility　in　me；　perhaps　it
was　my　feeling　of　security　that　attuned　me　to　pity；　but　certainly　I
did　not　look　at　this　young　girl　long　without　beginning　to　grieve　for
her；　and　to　weave　about　her　a　web　of　possibilities；　which　grew
closer　and　firmer　in　texture　when　she　was　joined　by　a　couple　who　had
apparently　not　left　her　a　great　while　before；　and　who　spoke；　without
otherwise　saluting　her；　as　they　sat　down　on　either　side　of　her。　　I
instantly　interpreted　her　friends　to　be　the　young　wife　and　middle…
aged　husband　of　a　second　marriage；　for　they　were　evidently　man　and
wife；　and　he　must　have　been　nearly　twice　as　old　as　she。　　In　person
he　tended　to　the　weight　which　expresses　settled　prosperity；　and　a
certain　solidification　of　temperament　and　character；　as　to　his　face；
it　was　kind；　and　it　was　rather　humorous；　in　spite　of　being　a　little
slow　in　the　cast　of　mind　it　suggested。　　He　wore　an　iron…grey　beard
on　his　cheeks　and　chin；　but　he　had　his　strong　upper　lip　clean
shaven；　some　drops　of　perspiration　stood　upon　it；　and　upon　his
forehead；　which　showed　itself　well　up　toward　his　crown　under　the
damp　strings　of　his　scanty　hair。　　He　looked　at　the　young　goddess　in
white　duck　with　a　sort　of　trouble　in　his　friendly　countenance；　and
his　wife　（if　it　was　his　wife）　seemed　to　share　his　concern；　though
she　smiled；　while　he　let　the　corners　of　his　straight　mouth　droop。
She　was　smaller　than　the　young　girl；　and　I　thought　almost　as　young；
and　she　had　the　air　of　being　somehow　responsible　for　her；　and　cowed
by　her；　though　the　word　says　rather　more　than　I　mean。　　She　was　not
so　well　dressed；　that　is；　not　so　stylishly；　though　doubtless　her
costume　was　more　expensive。　　It　seemed　the　inspiration　of　a　village
dressmaker；　and　her　husband's　low…cut　waistcoat；　and　his　expanse　of
plaited　shirt…front；　betrayed　a　provincial　ideal　which　she　would
never　decrywhich　she　would　perhaps　never　find　different　from　the
most　worldly。　　He　had　probably；　I　swiftly　imagined；　been　wearing
just　that　kind　of　clothes　for　twenty　years；　and　telling　his　tailor
to　make　each　new　suit　like　the　last；　he　had　been　buying　for　the　same
period　the　same　shape　of　Panama　hat；　regardless　of　the　continually
changing　type　of　straw　hats　on　other　heads。　　I　cannot　say　just　why；
as　he　tilted　his　chair　back　on　its　hind…legs；　I　felt　that　he　was
either　the　cashier　of　the　village　bank　at　home；　or　one　of　the
principal　business　men　of　the　place。　　Village　people　I　was　quite
resolute　to　have　them　all；　but　I　left　them　free　to　have　come　from
some　small　manufacturing　centre　in　western　Massachusetts　or　southern
Vermont　or　central　New　York。　　It　was　easy　to　see　that　they　were　not
in　the　habit　of　coming　away　from　their　place；　wherever　it　was；　and　I
wondered　whether　they　were　finding　their　account　in　the　present
excursion。

I　myself　think　Saratoga　one　of　the　most　delightful　spectacles　in　the
world；　and　Mrs。　March　is　of　the　same　mind　about　it。　　We　like　all　the
waters；　and　drink　them　without　regard　to　their　different　properties；
but　we　rather　prefer　the　Congress　spring；　because　it　is　such　a
pleasant　place　to　listen　to　the　Troy　military　band　in　the　afternoon；
and　the　more　or　less　vocal　concert　in　the　evening。　　All　the　Saratoga
world　comes　and　goes　before　us；　as　we　sit　there　by　day　and　by　night；
and　we　find　a　perpetual　interest　in　it。　　We　go　and　look　at　the　deer
（a　herd　of　two；　I　think）　behind　their　wire　netting　in　the　southward
valley　of　the　park；　and　we　would　feed　the　trout　in　their　blue　tank
if　we　did　not　see　them　suffering　with　surfeit；　and　hanging　in
motionless　misery　amid　the　clear　water　under　a　cloud　of　bread
crumbs。　　We　are　such　devotees　of　the　special　attractions　offered
from　time　to　time　that　we　do　not　miss　a　single　balloon　ascension　or
pyrotechnic　display。　　In　fact；　it　happened　to　me　one　summer　that　I
studied　so　earnestly　and　so　closely　the　countenance　of　the　lady　who
went　up　（in　trunk…hose）；　in　order　to　make　out　just　what　were　the
emotions　of　a　lady　who　went　up　every　afternoon　in　a　balloon；　that
when　we　met　near　the　end　of　the　season　in　Broadway　I　thought　I　must
have　seen　her　somewhere　in　society；　and　took　off　my　hat　to　her　（she
was　not　at　the　moment　in　trunk…hose）。　　We　like　going　about　to　the
great　hotels；　and　sponging　on　them　for　the　music　in　the　forenoon；　we
like　the　gaudy　shops　of　modes　kept　by　artists　whose　addresses　are
French　and　whose　surnames　are　Irish；　and　the　bazaars　of　the
Armenians　and　Japanese；　whose　rugs　and　bric…a…brac　are　not　such
bargains　as　you　would　think。　　We　even　go　to　the　races　sometimes；　we
are　not　sure　it　is　quite　right；　but　as　we　do　not　bet；　and　are　never
decided　as　to　which　horse　has　won；　it　is　perhaps　not　so　wrong　as　it
might　be。

Somehow　I　could　not　predicate　these　simple　joys　of　the　people　I　have
been　talking　of；　for　the　very　reason；　that　they　were　themselves　so
simple。　　It　was　our　sophistication　which　enabled　us　to　taste
ple