Athomeherdresshadseemedbeautiful;butthatwasdifferent,too,wherethereweredozensofbrilliantfabrics,fashionedinnewways——someofthesenewwaysstartling,whichonlymadethewearerscentersofinterestandshockednoone。AndAlicerememberedthatshehadheardagirlsay,notlongbefore,\"Oh,ORGANDIE!Nobodywearsorgandieforeveninggownsexceptinmidsummer。\"Alicehadthoughtlittleofthis;butasshelookedaboutherandsawnoorgandieexceptherown,shefoundgreaterdifficultyinkeepinghersmileasarchandspontaneousasshewishedit。Infact,itwasbeginningtomakeherfaceachealittle。
Mildredcameinfromthecorridor,heavilyattended。Shecarriedagreatbouquetofvioletslacedwithliliesof-the-valley;andthevioletswerelusty,bigpurplethings,theirstemswrappedinclothofgold,withsilkencordsdependent,endinginlongtassels。SheandherconvoypassednearthetwoyoungAdamses;
anditappearedthatoneoftheconvoybesoughthishostesstopermit\"cuttingin\";theywere\"doingitotherplaces\"oflate,heurged;buthewasdeniedandtoldtoconsolehimselfbyholdingthebouquet,atintervals,untilhisthirdofthesixteenthdanceshouldcome。Alicelookeddubiouslyatherownbouquet。
Suddenlyshefeltthatthevioletsbetrayedher;thatanyonewholookedatthemcouldseehowrustic,howinnocentofanyflorist\'scrafttheywere\"Ican\'teatdeadviolets,\"Waltersaid。Thelittlewildflowers,dyingindeedinthewarmair,weredroopinginaforlornmass;anditseemedtoherthatwhoevernoticedthemwouldguessthatshehadpickedthemherself。Shedecidedtogetridofthem。
Walterwasbecomingrestive。\"Lookhere!\"hesaid。\"Can\'tyouflagoneo\'theselong-tailedbirdstotakeyouonforthenextdance?Youcametohaveagoodtime;whydon\'tyougetbusyandhaveit?Iwanttogetoutandsmoke。\"
\"YouMUSTN\'Tleaveme,Walter,\"shewhispered,hastily。
\"Somebody\'llcomeformebeforelong,butuntiltheydo——\"
\"Well,couldn\'tyousitsomewhere?\"
\"No,no!Thereisn\'tanyoneIcouldsitwith。\"
\"Well,whynot?Lookatthoseoledamesinthecorners。What\'sthematteryourtyin\'upwithsomeo\'themforawhile?\"
\"PLEASE,Walter;no!\"
Infact,thatindomitablesmileofherswasthemoredifficulttomaintainbecauseoftheseveryelderstowhomWalterreferred。
Theyweremothersofgirlsamongthedancers,andtheyweretheretofendandcontrivefortheiroffspring;tokeepthemincountenancethroughanytrial;tolendthemdiplomacyinthecarryingoutofallenterprises;tobe\"background\"forthem;andintheseessentiallybiologicalfunctioningstoimitatetheirownmatingsandrenewtheexcitementoftheirnuptialperiods。Oldermen,husbandsoftheseladiesandfathersofeligiblegirls,werealsotobeseen,mostofthemwithMr。Palmerinabilliard-roomacrossthecorridor。Mr。andMrs。Adamshadnotbeeninvited。
\"OfcoursepapaandmamajustbarelyknowMildredPalmer,\"Alicethought,\"andmostoftheothergirls\'fathersandmothersareoldfriendsofMr。andMrs。Palmer,butIdothinkshemighthaveASKEDpapaandmama,anyway——sheneedn\'thavebeenafraidjusttoaskthem;sheknewtheycouldn\'tcome。\"Andhersmilingliptwitchedalittlethreateningly,assheconcludedthesilentmonologue。\"IsupposeshethinksIoughttobegladenoughsheaskedWalter!\"
Walterwas,infact,rathernoticeable。HewasnotMildred\'sonlyguesttowearashortcoatandtoappearwithoutgloves;buthewassingularatleastinhispresentsurroundingsonaccountofakindofcoiffuringhefavoured,hishairhavingbeenshapedafterwhatseemedaMongolinspiration。Onlyuponthetopoftheheadwasactualhairperceived,therestappearingtobenudity。
Andevenmorethanbyanydifferenceinmodehewassetapartbyhislookandmanner,inwhichthereseemedtobeabrooding,secretiveandjeeringsuperiorityandthiswasmostvividlyexpressedwhenhefeltcalleduponforhisloud,short,lop-sidedlaugh。WheneverheuttereditAlicelaughed,too,asloudlyasshecould,tocoverit。
\"Well,\"hesaid。\"Howlongwegoin\'tostandhere?Myfeetaresproutin\'roots。\"
Alicetookhisarm,andtheybegantowalkaimlesslythroughtherooms,thoughshetriedtolookasiftheyhadadefinitedestination,keepinghereyeseagerandherlipsparted;——peoplehadcalledjoviallytothemfromthedistance,shemeanttoimply,andtheyweregoingtojointhesemerryfriends。Shewasstilluponthisghostlyerrandwhenafuriousoutbreakofdrumsandsaxophonessoundedapreludefortheseconddance。
Walterdancedwithheragain,buthegaveherawarning。\"I
don\'twanttoleaveyouhighanddry,\"hetoldher,\"butIcan\'tstandit。IgottogetsomewhereIdon\'thaf\'tohurtmyeyeswiththeseberries;I\'llgoblindifIgottolookatanymoreof\'em。I\'mgoin\'outtosmokeassoonasthemusicbeginsthenexttime,andyoubettergetfixedforit。\"
Alicetriedtogetfixedforit。Astheydancedshenoddedsunnilytoeverymanwhoseeyeshecaught,smiledhersmilewiththeunderlipcaughtbetweenherteeth;butitwasnotuntiltheendoftheintermissionafterthedancethatshesawhelpcoming。
Acrosstheroomsattheglobularladyshehadencounteredthatmorning,andbesidetheglobularladysataround-headed,round-bodiedgirl;herdaughter,atfirstglance。ThefamilycontourwasalsoasevidentacharacteristicoftheshortyoungmanwhostoodinfrontofMrs。Dowling,engagedwithherinadiscussionwhichwasnotwithoutevidencesofanearnestnessalmostimpassioned。LikeWalter,hewasdecliningtodanceathirdtimewithsister;hewishedtogoelsewhere。
Alicefromasidelongeyewatchedthecontroversy:shesawtheglobularyoungmanglancetowardher,overhisshoulder;
whereuponMrs。Dowling,followingthisglance,gaveAlicealookofopenfury,becamemuchmorevehementintheargument,andevenstruckherkneewitharound,fatfistforemphasis。
\"I\'monmyway,\"saidWalter。\"There\'sthemusicstartin\'upagain,andItoldyou——\"
Shenoddedgratefully。\"It\'sallright——butcomebackbeforelong,Walter。\"
Theglobularyoungman,redwithannoyance,hadtornhimselffromhisfamilyandwashasteningacrosstheroomtoher。\"C\'nIhavethisdance?\"
\"Why,youniceFrankDowling!\"Alicecried。\"Howlovely!\"
CHAPTERVII
Theydanced。Mr。Dowlingshouldhavefoundotherformsofexerciseandpastime。
Naturehasnotdesignedeveryonefordancing,thoughsometimesthoseshehasdeniedarethelasttodiscoverherniggardliness。
Buttheroundyoungmanwasatleastvigorousenough——toomuchso,whenhiskneescollidedwithAlice\'s——andhewastoosturdytobethrownoffhisfeet,himself,ortoallowhispartnertofallwhenhetrippedher。Heheldherupvaliantly,andcontinuedtobeatapaththroughthecrowdofotherdancersbymainforce。
Hepaidnoattentiontoanythingsuggestedbytheeffortsofthemusicians,andappearedtobeunawarethatthereshouldhavebeensomeconnectionbetweenwhattheyweredoingandwhathewasdoing;buthemayhavelistenedtoothermusicofhisown,forhisexpressionwasofhighcontent;heseemedtofeelnodoubtwhateverthathewasdancing。Alicekeptasfarawayfromhimasunderthecircumstancesshecould;andwhentheystoppedsheglanceddown,andfoundtheexecutionofunseenmanoeuvres,withintheprotectionofherskirt,helpfultooneofherinstepsandtothetoesofbothofherslippers。
Hercheerypartnerwaspaddlinghisrosybrowswithafinehandkerchief。\"Thatwasgreat!\"hesaid。\"Let\'sgooutandsitinthecorridor;they\'vegotsomecomfortablechairsoutthere。\"
\"Well——let\'snot,\"shereturned。\"IbelieveI\'dratherstayinhereandlookatthecrowd。\"
\"No;thatisn\'tit,\"hesaid,chidingherwithawaggishforefinger。\"Youthinkifyougooutthereyou\'llmissachanceofsomeoneelseaskingyouforthenextdance,andsoyou\'llhavetogiveittome。\"
\"Howabsurd!\"Then,afteralookaboutherthatrevealednothingencouraging,sheaddedgraciously,\"Youcanhavethenextifyouwantit。\"
\"Great!\"heexclaimed,mechanically。\"Nowlet\'sgetoutofhere——outofTHISroom,anyhow。\"
\"Why?What\'sthematterwith——\"
\"Mymother,\"Mr。Dowlingexplained。\"Butdon\'tlookather。
ShekeepsmotioningmetocomeandseeafterElla,andI\'msimplyNOTgoingtodoit,yousee!\"
Alicelaughed。\"Idon\'tbelieveit\'ssomuchthat,\"shesaid,andconsentedtowalkwithhimtoapointinthenextroomfromwhichMrs。Dowling\'scontinuoussignallingcouldnotbeseen。
\"Yourmotherhatesme。\"
\"Oh,no;Iwouldn\'tsaythat。No,shedon\'t,\"heprotested,innocently。\"Shedon\'tknowyoumorethanjusttospeakto,yousee。Sohowcouldshe?\"
\"Well,shedoes。Icantell。\"
Afrownappeareduponhisroundedbrow。\"No;I\'lltellyouthewayshefeels。It\'slikethis:Ellaisn\'tTOOpopular,youknow——it\'shardtoseewhy,becauseshe\'sarightnicegirl,inherway——andmotherthinksIoughttolookafterher,yousee。
ShethinksIoughttodanceawholelotwithhermyself,andstirupotherfellowstodancewithher——it\'ssimplyimpossibletomakemotherunderstandyouCAN\'Tdothat,yousee。Andthenaboutme,yousee,ifshehadherwayIwouldn\'tgettodancewithanybodyatallexceptgirlslikeMildredPalmerandHenriettaLamb。Motherwantstorunmywholeprogrammeforme,youunderstand,butthetroubleofitis——aboutgirlslikethat,youseewell,Icouldn\'tdowhatshewants,evenifIwantedtomyself,becauseyoutakethosegirls,andbythetimeIgetEllaoffmyhandsforaminute,why,theirdancesarealwayseverylastonetaken,andwheredoIcomein?\"
Alicenodded,heramiabilityundamaged。\"Isee。Sothat\'swhyyoudancewithme。\"
\"No,Iliketo,\"heprotested。\"IratherdancewithyouthanI
dowiththosegirls。\"AndheaddedwitharetrospectivedeterminationwhichshowedthathehadbeenthroughquiteanexperiencewithMrs。Dowlinginthismatter。\"ITOLDmotherI
would,too!\"
\"Didittakeallyourcourage,Frank?\"
Helookedathershrewdly。\"Nowyou\'retryingtoteaseme,\"hesaid。\"Idon\'tcare;IWOULDratherdancewithyou!Inthefirstplace,you\'reaperfectlybeautifuldancer,yousee,andinthesecond,amanfeelsalotmorecomfortablewithyouthanhedoeswiththem。OfcourseIknowalmostalltheotherfellowsgetalongwiththosegirlsallright;butIdon\'twasteanytimeon\'emIdon\'thaveto。_I_likepeoplethatarealwayscordialtoeverybody,yousee——thewayyouare。\"
\"Thankyou,\"shesaid,thoughtfully。
\"Oh,IMEANit,\"heinsisted。\"Theregoesthebandagain。Shallwe?\"
\"Supposewesititout?\"shesuggested。\"IbelieveI\'dliketogooutinthecorridor,afterall——it\'sprettywarminhere。\"
Assentingcheerfully,Dowlingconductedhertoapairofeasy-chairswithinasecludinggroveofbox-trees,andwhentheycametothisretreattheyfoundMildredPalmerjustdeparting,underescortofawell-favouredgentlemanaboutthirty。Asthesetwowalkedslowlyaway,inthedirectionofthedancing-floor,theyleftitnottobedoubtedthattheywereonexcellenttermswitheachother;Mildredwasevidentlywillingtomaketheirprogressevenslower,forshehaltedmomentarily,onceortwice;
andherupwardglancestohertallcompanion\'sfacewereofagentle,almostblushingdeference。NeverbeforehadAliceseenanythinglikethisinherfriend\'smanner。
\"Howqueer!\"shemurmured。
\"What\'squeer?\"Dowlinginquiredastheysatdown。
\"Whowasthatman?\"
\"Haven\'tyoumethim?\"
\"Ineversawhimbefore。Whoishe?\"
\"Why,it\'sthisArthurRussell。\"
\"WhatArthurRussell?Ineverheardofhim。\"Mr。Dowlingwaspuzzled。\"Why,THAT\'Sfunny!OnlythelasttimeIsawyou,youweretellingmehowawfullywellyouknewMildredPalmer。\"
\"Why,certainlyIdo,\"Aliceinformedhim。\"She\'smymostintimatefriend。\"
\"That\'swhatmakesitseemsofunnyyouhaven\'theardanythingaboutthisRussell,becauseeverybodysaysevenifsheisn\'tengagedtohimrightnow,shemostlikelywillbebeforeverylong。Imustsayitlooksagooddealthatwaytome,myself。\"
\"Whatnonsense!\"Aliceexclaimed。\"She\'sneverevenmentionedhimtome。\"
Theyoungmanglancedatherdubiouslyandpassedafingeroverthetinyprongthatdashinglycomposedthewholesubstanceofhismoustache。
\"Well,yousee,MildredISprettyreserved,\"heremarked。\"ThisRussellissomekindofcousinofthePalmerfamily,I
understand。\"
\"Heis?\"
\"Yes——secondorthirdorsomething,thegirlssay。Yousee,mysisterEllahasn\'tgotmuchtodoathome,anddon\'treadanything,orsew,orplaysolitaire,yousee;andshehearsaboutprettymucheverythingthatgoeson,yousee。Well,EllasaysalotofthegirlshavebeentalkingaboutMildredandthisArthurRussellforquiteawhileback,yousee。Theywereallwonderingwhathewasgoingtolooklike,yousee;becauseheonlygothereyesterday;andthatprovesshemusthavebeentalkingtosomeof\'em,orelsehow——\"
Alicelaughedairily,buttheprettysoundendedabruptlywithanaudibleintakeofbreath。\"Ofcourse,whileMildredISmymostintimatefriend,\"shesaid,\"Idon\'tmeanshetellsmeeverything——andnaturallyshehasotherfriendsbesides。WhatelsedidyoursistersayshetoldthemaboutthisMr。Russell?\"
\"Well,itseemshe\'sVERYwelloff;atleastHenriettaLambtoldEllahewas。Ellasays——\"
Aliceinterruptedagain,withanincreasedirritability。\"Oh,nevermindwhatEllasays!Let\'sfindsomethingbettertotalkaboutthanMr。Russell!\"
\"Well,I\'Mwilling,\"Mr。Dowlingassented,ruefully。\"Whatyouwanttotalkabout?\"
Butthisliberalofferfoundherunresponsive;shesatleaningback,silent,herarmsalongthearmsofherchair,andhereyes,moistandbright,fixeduponawidedoorwaywherethedancersfluctuated。ShewasdisquietedbymorethanMildred\'sreserve,thoughreservesomarkedhadcertainlythesignificanceofawarningthatAlice\'sdefinition,\"mymostintimatefriend,\"
lackedsanction。Indirectnoticetothiseffectcouldnotwellhavebeenmoreemphatic,butthestingofitwasleftforalatermoment。SomethingelsepreoccupiedAlice:shehadjustbeensurprisedbyanoddexperience。AtfirstsightofthisMr。
ArthurRussell,shehadsaidtoherselfinstantly,inwordsasdefiniteasifshespokethemaloud,thoughtheyseemedmorelikewordsspokentoherbysomeunknownpersonwithinher:\"There!
That\'sexactlythekindoflookingmanI\'dliketomarry!\"
Intheeyesoftherestlessandthelonging,Providenceoftenappearstobeworsethaninscrutable:anunreliableOmnipotencegiventohaphazardwhimsiesindealingwithitsowncreatures,choosingatrandomsomeamongthemtoberentwithtragicdeprivationsandotherstobepettedwithblessinguponblessing。
InAlice\'seyes,Mildredhadbeenblessedenough;somethingoughttobeleftover,bythistime,foranothergirl。ThefinaltouchtotheheapingperfectionofChristmas-in-everythingforMildredwasthatthisMr。ArthurRussell,good-looking,kind-looking,graceful,theperfectfiance,shouldbealso\"VERYwelloff。\"Ofcourse!Theserichalwaysmarriedoneanother。AndwhiletheMildredsdancedwiththeirArthurRussellsthebestanoutsidercoulddoforherselfwastositwithFrankDowling——theonelastcourseleftherthatwasbetterthandancingwithhim。
\"Well,whatDOyouwanttotalkabout?\"heinquired。
\"Nothing,\"shesaid。\"Supposewejustsit,Frank。\"Butamomentlatersherememberedsomething,and,withasuddenanimation,begantoprattle。Shepointedtothemusiciansdownthecorridor。\"Oh,lookatthem!Lookattheleader!Aren\'ttheyFUNNY?Someonetoldmethey\'recalled\'JazzLouieandhishalf-breedbunch。\'Isn\'tthatjustcrazy?Don\'tyouloveit?Dowatchthem,Frank。\"
Shecontinuedtochatter,and,whilethuskeepinghisglanceawayfromherself,shedetachedtheforlornbouquetofdeadvioletsfromherdressandlaiditgentlybesidetheoneshehadcarried。
Thelatteralreadyreposedintheobscurityselectedforitatthebaseofoneofthebox-trees。
Thenshewasabruptlysilent。
\"Youcertainlyareafunnygirl,\"Dowlingremarked。\"Yousayyoudon\'twanttotalkaboutanythingatall,andallofasuddenyoubreakoutandtalkabluestreak;andjustaboutthetimeIbegintogetinterestedinwhatyou\'resayingyoushutoff!What\'sthematterwithgirls,anyhow,whentheydothingslikethat?\"
\"Idon\'tknow;we\'rejustqueer,Iguess。\"
\"Isayso!Well,what\'llwedoNOW?Talk,orjustsit?\"
\"Supposewejustsitsomemore。\",\"Anythingtooblige,\"heassented。\"I\'mwillingtositaslongasyoulike。\"
Butevenashemadehisamiabilityclearinthismatter,thepeacewasthreatened——hismothercamedownthecorridorlikearolling,ominouscloud。Shewaslookingaboutheronallsides,inafidgetofannoyance,searchingforhim,andtohisdismayshesawhim。Sheimmediatelymadeahorriblefaceathiscompanion,beckonedtohimimperiouslywithadumpyarm,andshookherheadreprovingly。Theunfortunateyoungmantriedtorepulseherwithanicystare,butthisefforthavingobtainedlittletoencouragehisfeeblehopeofdrivingheraway,heshiftedhischairsothathisbackwastowardherdiscomfitingpantomime。Heshouldhaveknownbetter,theinstantresultwasMrs。Dowlinginmotionatanimpetuouswaddle。
Sheenteredthebox-treeseclusionwiththelowerrotunditiesofherfacehastilymodelledintotheresemblanceofanover-benevolentsmileacontortionwhichneglectedtospreaditsintendedgenialityupwardtotheexasperatedeyesandanxiousforehead。
\"Ithinkyourmotherwantstospeaktoyou,Frank,\"Alicesaid,uponthisadvent。
Mrs。Dowlingnoddedtoher。\"Goodevening,MissAdams,\"shesaid。\"IjustthoughtasyouandFrankweren\'tdancingyouwouldn\'tmindmydisturbingyou——\"
\"Notatall,\"Alicemurmured。
Mr。Dowlingseemedofadifferentmind。\"Well,whatDOyouwant?\"heinquired,whereuponhismotherstruckhimroguishlywithherfan。
\"Badfellow!\"SheturnedtoAlice。\"I\'msureyouwon\'tmindexcusinghimtolethimdosomethingforhisoldmother,MissAdams。\"
\"WhatDOyouwant?\"thesonrepeated。
\"Twoverynicethings,\"Mrs。Dowlinginformedhim。\"EverybodyissoanxiousforHenriettaLambtohaveapleasantevening,becauseit\'stheveryfirsttimeshe\'sbeenanywheresinceherfather\'sdeath,andofcourseherdeargrandfather\'sanoldfriendofours,and——\"
\"Well,well!\"hersoninterrupted。\"MissAdamsisn\'tinterestedinallthis,mother。\"
\"ButHenriettacametospeaktoEllaandme,andItoldheryouweresoanxioustodancewithher——\"
\"Here!\"hecried。\"Lookhere!I\'dratherdomyown——\"
\"Yes;that\'sjustit,\"Mrs。Dowlingexplained。\"Ijustthoughtitwassuchagoodopportunity;andHenriettasaidshehadmostofherdancestaken,butshe\'dgiveyouoneifyouaskedherbeforetheywereallgone。SoIthoughtyou\'dbetterseeherassoonaspossible。\"
Dowling\'sfacehadbecomerosy。\"Irefusetodoanythingofthekind。\"
\"Badfellow!\"saidhismother,gaily。\"IthoughtthiswouldbethebesttimeforyoutoseeHenrietta,becauseitwon\'tbelongtillallherdancesaregone,andyou\'vepromisedonyourWORDtodancethenextwithElla,andyoumightn\'thaveachancetodoitthen。I\'msureMissAdamswon\'tmindifyou——\"
\"Notatall,\"Alicesaid。
\"Well,_I_mind!\"hesaid。\"IwishyouCOULDunderstandthatwhenIwanttodancewithanygirlIdon\'tneedmymothertoaskherforme。IreallyAMmorethansixyearsold!\"
Hespokewithtoomuchvehemence,andMrs。Dowlingatoncesawhowtohaveherway。Aswithhusbandsandwives,sowithmanyfathersanddaughters,andsowithsomesonsandmothers:themanwillhimselfbecrossinpublicandthinknothingofit,norwillhegreatlymindalittlecrossnessonthepartofthewoman;butlethershowagitationbeforeanyspectator,heisinstantlyreducedtoacoward\'sslavery。Womenunderstandthatancientweakness,ofcourse;foritisoneoftheirmostimportantmeansofdefense,butcanbeusedignobly。
Mrs。Dowlingpermittedatremulousnesstobecomeaudibleinhervoice。\"Itisn\'tvery——verypleasant——tobetalkedtolikethatbyyourownson——beforestrangers!\"
\"Oh,my!Lookhere!\"thestrickenDowlingprotested。\"_I_
didn\'tsayanything,mother。IwasjustjokingabouthowyounevergetoverthinkingI\'malittleboy。Ionly——\"
Mrs。Dowlingcontinued:\"IjustthoughtIwasdoingyoualittlefavour。Ididn\'tthinkitwouldmakeyousoangry。\"
\"Mother,forgoodness\'sake!MissAdams\'llthink——\"
\"Isuppose,\"Mrs。Dowlinginterrupted,piteously,\"Isupposeitdoesn\'tmatterwhat_I_think!\"
\"Oh,gracious!\"
Aliceinterfered;sheperceivedthattheruthlessMrs。Dowlingmeanttohaveherway。\"Ithinkyou\'dbettergo,Frank。
Really。\"
\"There!\"hismothercried。\"MissAdamssaysso,herself!Whatmoredoyouwant?\"
\"Oh,gracious!\"helamentedagain,and,withasicklookoverhisshoulderatAlice,permittedhismothertotakehisarmandpropelhimaway。Mrs。Dowling\'sspiritshadstrikinglyrecoveredevenbeforethepairpassedfromthecorridor:shemovedalmostbouncinglybesideherembitteredson,andhereyesandalltheconvolutionsofherabundantfacewereblithe。
AlicewentinsearchofWalter,butwithoutmuchhopeoffindinghim。Whathedidwithhimselfatfrozen-facedanceswasoneofhismostsuccessfulmysteries,andherpresentexcursiongavehernoclueleadingtoitssolution。Whenthemusiciansagainloweredtheirinstrumentsforanintervalshehadreturned,alone,toherformerseatwithinthepartialshelterofthebox-trees。
Shehadnowtopracticeanartthataffordsbutalimitedvarietyofmethods,eventotheexpert:theartofseemingtohaveanescortorpartnerwhenthereisnone。Thepractitionermustimply,merelybyexpressionandattitude,thatthesupposedcompanionhasleftherforonlyafewmoments,thatsheherselfhassenthimuponanerrand;and,ifpossible,themindsofobserversmustbedirectedtowardaconclusionthatthiserrandofherdevisingisanamusingone;atallevents,sheisalonetemporarilyandofchoice,notdeserted。Sheawaitsadevotedmanwhomayreturnatanyinstant。
OtherpeopledesiredtositinAlice\'snook,butdiscoveredherinoccupancy。Shehadmovedthevacantchairclosertoherown,andshesatwithherarmextendedsothatherhand,holdingherlacekerchief,resteduponthebackofthissecondchair,claimingit。Suchapreemption,likethatofatraveller\'sbagintherack,wasunquestionable;and,foradditionalevidence,sittingwithherkneescrossed,shekeptonefootcontinuouslymovingalittle,incadencewiththeother,whichtappedthefloor。Moreover,sheaddedafinedetail:herhalf-smile,withtheunderlipcaught,seemedtostruggleagainstrepression,asifshefoundtheserviceengagingherabsentcompanionevenmoreamusingthanshewouldlethimseewhenhereturned:therewasjovialintrigueofsomesortafoot,evidently。Hereyes,beamingwithsecretfun,wereavertedfromintruders,butsometimes,whencouplesapproached,seekingpossessionofthenook,herthoughtsabouttheabsenteeappearedtothreatenherwithoutrightlaughter;andthoughoneortwogirlslookedatherskeptically,astheyturnedaway,theirescortsfeltnosuchdoubts,andmerelywonderedwhatimportantlyfunnyaffairAliceAdamswasengagedin。Shehadlearnedtodoitperfectly。
Shehadlearneditduringthelasttwoyears;shewastwentywhenforthefirsttimeshehadtheshockoffindingherselfwithoutanapplicantforoneofherdances。Whenshewassixteen\"alltheniceboysintown,\"ashermothersaid,crowdedtheAdamses\'
smallverandaandsteps,orsatnearby,cross-leggedonthelawn,onsummerevenings;andateighteenshehadreplacedtheboyswith\"theoldermen。\"Bythistimemostof\"theothergirls,\"hercontemporaries,wereawayatschoolorcollege,andwhentheycamehometostay,they\"cameout\"——thatfeeblerevivalofanancientcustomofferingthemaidentotheceremonialinspectionofthetribe。Aliceneitherwentawaynor\"cameout,\"
and,incontrastwiththosewhodid,shemayhaveseemedtolackfreshnessoflustre——jewelsarerichestwhenrevealedallnewinawhitevelvetbox。AndAlicemayhavebeentooeagertosecurenewretainers,tookindinhereffortstokeeptheoldones。Shehadbeenabelletoosoon。
CHAPTERVIII
Thedeviceoftheabsenteepartnerhasthedefectthatitcannotbeemployedforlongerthantenorfifteenminutesatatime,anditmaynotberepeatedmorethantwiceinoneevening:asinglerepetition,indeed,isweak,andmayproveabetrayal。Aliceknewthatherpresentperformancecouldbeeffectiveduringonlythisintervalbetweendances;andthoughhereyeswereguarded,sheanxiouslycountedoverthepartnerlessyoungmenwholoungedtogetherinthedoorwayswithinherview。Everyoneofthemoughttohaveaskedherfordances,shethought,andalthoughshemighthavebeenputtoittogiveareasonwhyanyofthem\"ought,\"herheartwashotwithresentmentagainstthem。
Foragirlwhohasbeenabelle,itishardertolivethroughthesebadtimesthanitisforonewhohasneverknownanythingbetter。Likeafigureofpaintedandbrightlyvarnishedwood,EllaDowlingsatagainstthewallthroughdanceafterdancewithglassyimperturbability;itwaseasiertobewooden,Alicethought,ifyouhadyourmotherwithyou,asEllahad。Youwereleftwithatleasttheshredofapretensethatyoucametositwithyourmotherasaspectator,andnottoofferyourselftobedancedwithbymenwholookedyouoverandrejectedyou——notforthefirsttime。\"Notforthefirsttime\":therelayasting!
Whyhadyouthoughtthistimemightbedifferentfromtheothertimes?Whyhadyoubrokenyourbackpickingthosehundredsofviolets?
Hatingthefatuousyoungmeninthedoorwaysmorebitterlyforeveryinstantthatshehadtomaintainhertableau,thesmilingAliceknewfierceimpulsestospringtoherfeetandshoutatthem,\"YouIDIOTS!\"Handsinpockets,theyloungedagainstthepilasters,orfacedoneanother,laughingvaguely,eachoneofthemseemingtoAlicenomorethansomuchmeanbeefinclothes。
Shewantedtotellthemtheywerenobetterthanthat;anditseemedacruelthingofheaventoletthemgoonbelievingthemselvesyounglords。Theyweredoingnothing,killingtime。
Wasn\'tsheatherlowestvalueatleastameansofkillingtime?
Evidentlythemeanbeevesthoughtnot。Andwhenoneofthemfinallyloungedacrossthecorridorandspoketoher,hewastheveryonetowhomshepreferredherloneliness。
\"Waitingforsomebody,LadyAlicia?\"heasked,negligently;andhiseasyburlesqueofhernamewaslikethefamiliarityoftherestofhim。Hewasoneofthosefull-bodied,grosslyhandsomemenwhoarepowerfulandactive,butneversubmitthemselvestotherigourofbecomingathletes,thoughtheyshootandfishfromexpensivecamps。Glossisthemostshiningoutwardmarkofthetype。Nowadaysthesemennolongerusebrilliantineontheirmoustaches,buttheyhaveglossboughtfrommanicure-girls,frommasseurs,andfromautomobile-makers;andtheireyes,usuallylarge,areglossy。Noneofthisisallowedtointerferewithbusiness;theseare\"goodbusinessmen,\"andoftenmakelargefortunes。Theyaremenofimaginationabouttwothings——womenandmoney,and,combiningtheirimaginingsaboutboth,usuallymakeawisefirstmarriage。Later,however,theyareapttoimaginetoomuchaboutsomelittlewomanwithoutwhomlifeseemsdullerthanneedbe。Theyrunaway,leavingthefirstwifewellenoughdowered。Theyareneverintentionallyunkindtowomen,andintheendtheyusuallymakethemistakeofthinkingtheyhavehadtheirmoney\'sworthoflife。HerewasMr。HarveyMalone,ayoungspecimeninanearlierstageofdevelopment,tryingtomarryHenriettaLamb,andnowsaunteringovertospeaktoAlice,asatime-killerbeforehisnextdancewithHenrietta。
Alicemadenoresponsetohisquestion,andhedroppedlazilyintothevacantchair,fromwhichshesharplywithdrewherhand。
\"Imightaswellusehischairtillhecomes,don\'tyouthink?
Youdon\'tMIND,doyou,oldgirl?\"
\"Oh,no,\"Alicesaid。\"Itdoesn\'tmatteronewayortheother。
Pleasedon\'tcallmethat。\"
\"Sothat\'showyoufeel?\"Mr。Malonelaughedindulgently,withoutmuchinterest。\"I\'vebeenmeaningtocometoseeyouforalongtimehonestlyIhave——becauseIwantedtohaveagoodtalkwithyouaboutoldtimes。Iknowyouthinkitwasfunny,afterthewayIusedtocometoyourhousetwoorthreetimesaweek,andsometimesoftener——well,Idon\'tblameyouforbeinghurt,thewayIstoppedwithoutexplainingoranything。Thetruthistherewasn\'tanyreason:Ijusthappenedtohavealotofimportantthingstodoandcouldn\'tfindthetime。ButIAM
goingtocallonyousomeevening——honestlyIam。Idon\'twonderyouthink——\"
\"You\'remistaken,\"Alicesaid。\"I\'veneverthoughtanythingaboutitatall。\"
\"Well,well!\"hesaid,andlookedatherlanguidly。\"What\'stheuseofbeingcrosswiththisoldman?Healwaysmeanswell。\"
And,extendinghisarm,hewouldhavegivenherafriendlypatupontheshoulderbutsheevadedit。\"Well,well!\"hesaid。
\"Seemstomeyou\'regettingawfultetchy!Don\'tyoulikeyouroldfriendsanymore?\"
\"Notallofthem。\"
\"Who\'sthenewone?\"heasked,teasingly。\"Comeonandtellus,Alice。Whoisityouwereholdingthischairfor?\"
\"Nevermind。\"
\"Well,allI\'vegottodoistositheretillhecomesback;thenI\'llseewhoitis。\"
\"Hemaynotcomebackbeforeyouhavetogo。\"
\"GuessyougotmeTHATtime,\"Maloneadmitted,laughingasherose。\"They\'retuningup,andI\'vegotthisdance。IAMcomingaroundtoseeyousomeevening。\"Hemovedaway,callingbackoverhisshoulder,\"Honestly,Iam!\"
Alicedidnotlookathim,Shehadheldhertableauaslongasshecould;itwastimeforhertoabandonthebox-trees;andshesteppedforthfrowning,asifalittleannoyedwiththeabsenteeforbeingsuchatimeuponhererrand;whereuponthetwochairswereinstantlyseizedbyacoquettingpairwhointendedto\"sitout\"thedance。Shewalkedquicklydownthebroadcorridor,turnedintothebroaderhall,andhurriedlyenteredthedressing-roomwhereshehadleftherwraps。
Shestayedhereaslongasshecould,pretendingtoarrangeherhairatamirror,thenfidgetingwithoneofherslipper-buckles;
buttheintelligentelderlywomaninchargeoftheroommadeanindefinitesojournimpracticable。\"PerhapsIcouldhelpyouwiththatbuckle,Miss,\"shesuggested,approaching。\"Hasitcomeloose?\"Alicewrencheddesperately;thenitwasloose。Thecompetentwoman,producingneedleandthread,deftlymadethebucklefast;andtherewasnothingforAlicetodobuttoexpresshergratitudeandgo。
Shewenttothedoorofthecloak-roomopposite,whereacolouredmanstoodwatchfullyinthedoorway。\"Iwonderifyouknowwhichofthegentlemenismybrother,Mr。WalterAdams,\"shesaid。
\"Yes\'m;Iknowhim。\"
\"Couldyoutellmewhereheis?\"
\"No\'m;Icouldn\'tsay。\"
\"Well,ifyouseehim,wouldyoupleasetellhimthathissister,MissAdams,islookingforhimandveryanxioustospeaktohim?\"
\"Yes\'m。Sho\'ly,sho\'ly!\"
Asshewentawayhestaredafterherandseemedtoswellwithsomeburstingemotion。Infact,itwastoomuchforhim,andhesuddenlyretiredwithintheroom,releasingstrangulatedlaughter。
Walterremonstrated。Behindanexcellentscreenofcoatsandhats,inaremotepartoftheroom,hewaskneelingonthefloor,engagedinagameofchancewithasecondcolouredattendant;andthelaughterbecamesovehementthatitnotonlyinterferedwiththepastimeinhand,butthreatenedtoattractfrozen-faceattention。
\"Icain\'he\'pit,man,\"thelaughterexplained。\"Icain\'he\'pit!Yousut\'n\'ythebeatin\'es\'whiteboy\'n\'iscity!\"
Thedancerswereswingingintoan\"encore\"asAlicehaltedforanirresolutemomentinadoorway。Acrosstheroom,aclusterofmatronssatchattingabsently,theireyesontheirdancingdaughters;andAlice,findingarefugee\'scourage,dodgedthroughthescurryingcouples,seatedherselfinachairontheoutskirtsofthiscolonyofelders,andbegantotalkeagerlytothematronnearesther。Thematronseemedunaccustomedtosomuchvivacity,andrespondedbutdryly,whereuponAlicewasmorevivaciousthanever;forshemeantnowtopresentthepictureofajollygirltoomuchinterestedinthesewiseolderwomentobotherabouteveryfoolishyoungmanwhoaskedherforadance。
Hermatronwasconstrainedtogosofarastosupplyatolerantnod,nowandthen,incomplementtothegirl\'sanimation,andAlicewasgratefulforthenods。Inthisfashionshesupplementedtheexhaustedresourcesofthedressing-roomandthebox-treenook;andlivedthroughtwomoredances,whenagainMr。
FrankDowlingpresentedhimselfasapartner。
Sheneedednopretensetoseekthedressing-roomforrepairsafterthatnumber;thistimetheywerenecessaryandgenuine。
Dowlingwaitedforher,andwhenshecameoutheexplainedforthefourthorfifthtimehowtheaccidenthadhappened。\"Itwasentirelythoseotherpeople\'sfault,\"hesaid。\"Theygotmeinakindofacorner,becauseneitherofthosefellowsknowstheleastthingaboutguiding;theyjustjamaheadandexpecteverybodytogetoutoftheirway。ItwasCharlotteThom\'sdiamondcrescentpinthatgotcaughtonyourdressinthebackandmadesucha——\"
\"Nevermind,\"Alicesaidinatiredvoice。\"Themaidfixeditsothatshesaysitisn\'tverynoticeable。\"
\"Well,itisn\'t,\"hereturned。\"Youcouldhardlytellthere\'dbeenanythingthematter。Wheredoyouwanttogo?Mother\'sbeeninterferinginmyaffairssomemoreandI\'vegotthenexttaken。\"
\"IwassittingwithMrs。GeorgeDresser。Youmighttakemebackthere。\"
Heleftherwiththematron,andAlicereturnedtoherpicture-making,sothatoncemore,whiletwonumberspassed,whoevercaredtolookwasofferedthesketchofajolly,clevergirlpreoccupiedwithherelders。ThenshefoundherfriendMildredstandingbeforeher,presentingMr。ArthurRussell,whoaskedhertodancewithhim。
Alicelookeduncertain,asthoughnotsurewhatherengagementswere;butherperplexitycleared;shenodded,andswungrhythmicallyawaywiththetallapplicant。Shewasnotgratefultoherhostessforthisalms。Whatayounghostessdoeswithafiance,Alicethought,istomakehimdancewiththeunpopulargirls。ShesupposedthatMr。ArthurRussellhadalreadydancedwithEllaDowling。
Theloanofalover,underthesecircumstances,maybepainfultothelessee,andAlice,smilingnevermorebrightly,foundnothingtosaytoMr。Russell,thoughshethoughthemighthavefoundsomethingtosaytoher。\"IwonderwhatMildredtoldhim,\"shethought。\"Probablyshesaid,\'Dearest,there\'sonemoregirlyou\'vegottohelpmeoutwith。Youwouldn\'tlikehermuch,butshedanceswellenoughandshe\'shavingarottentime。Nobodyevergoesnearheranymore。\'\"
Whenthemusicstopped,Russelladdedhisapplausetothehand-clappingthatencouragedtheuproariousinstrumentstocontinue,andastheyrenewedthetumult,hesaidheartily,\"That\'ssplendid!\"
Alicegavehimaglance,necessarilyatshortrange,andfoundhiseyeskindlyandpleased。Herewasafriendlysoul,itappeared,whoprobably\"likedeverybody。\"Nodoubthehadapplaudedforan\"encore\"whenhedancedwithEllaDowling,gaveEllathesamegeniallook,andsaid,\"That\'ssplendid!\"
Whenthe\"encore\"wasover,Alicespoketohimforthefirsttime。
\"Mildredwillbelookingforyou,\"shesaid。\"Ithinkyou\'dbettertakemebacktowhereyoufoundme。\"
Helookedsurprised。\"Oh,ifyou——\"
\"I\'msureMildredwillbeneedingyou,\"Alicesaid,andasshetookhisarmandtheywalkedtowardMrs。Dresser,shethoughtitmightbejustpossibletomakeafurtheruseoftheloan。\"Oh,I
wonderifyou——\"shebegan。
\"Yes?\"hesaid,quickly。
\"Youdon\'tknowmybrother,WalterAdams,\"shesaid。\"Buthe\'ssomewhereIthinkpossiblyhe\'sinasmoking-roomorsomeplacewheregirlsaren\'texpected,andifyouwouldn\'tthinkittoomuchtroubletoinquire——\"
\"I\'llfindhim,\"Russellsaid,promptly。\"Thankyousomuchforthatdance。I\'llbringyourbrotherinamoment。\"
Itwastobealongmoment,Alicedecided,presently。Mrs。
Dresserhadgrownrestive;andhernodsandvagueresponsestoheryoungdependent\'sgaietieswereasmeagerastheycouldwellbe。EvidentlythematronhadnointentionofappearingtoherworldinthelightofachaperoneforAliceAdams;andshefinallymadethisclear。Withawordortwoofexcuse,breakingintosomethingAlicewassaying,sheroseandwenttositnexttoMildred\'smother,whohadbecomethenucleusofthecluster。SoAlicewasleftverymuchagainstthewall,withshortstretchesofvacantchairsoneachsideofher。Shehadcometotheendofherpicture-making,andcouldonlypretendthattherewassomethingamusingthematterwiththearmofherchair。
ShesupposedthatMildred\'sMr。RussellhadforgottenWalterbythistime。\"I\'mnotevenanintimateenoughfriendofMildred\'sforhimtohavethoughtheoughttobothertotellmehecouldn\'tfindhim,\"shethought。AndthenshesawRussellcomingacrosstheroomtowardher,withWalterbesidehim。Shejumpedupgaily。
\"Oh,thankyou!\"shecried。\"Iknowthisnaughtyboymusthavebeenterriblyhardtofind。Mildred\'llNEVERforgiveme!I\'veputyoutosomuch——\"
\"Notatall,\"hesaid,amiably,andwentaway,leavingthebrotherandsistertogether。
\"Walter,let\'sdancejustoncemore,\"Alicesaid,touchinghisarmplacatively。\"Ithought——well,perhapswemightgohomethen。\"
ButWalter\'sexpressionwasthatofapersonuponwhomanoutragehasjustbeenperpetrated。\"No,\"hesaid。\"We\'vestayedTHIS
long,I\'mgoin\'towaitandseewhattheygottoeat。Andyoulookhere!\"Heturneduponherangrily。\"Don\'tyoueverdothatagain!\"
\"Dowhat?\"
\"Sendsomebodyaftermethatpokeshisnoseintoeverycornerofthehousetillhefindsme!\'AreyouMr。WalterAdams?\'hesays。IguesshemustaskedeverybodyintheplaceiftheywereMr。WalterAdams!Well,I\'llbetafewironmenyouwouldn\'tsendanybodytohuntformeagainifyouknewwherehefoundme!\"
\"Wherewasit?\"
Walterdecidedthatherfitpunishmentwastoknow。\"Iwasshootin\'dicewiththosecoonsinthecloak-room。\"
\"Andhesawyou?\"
\"Unlesshewasblind!\"saidWalter。\"Comeon,I\'lldancethisonemoredancewithyou。Suppercomesafterthat,andTHENwe\'llgohome。\"
Mrs。AdamsheardAlice\'skeyturninginthefrontdoorandhurrieddownthestairstomeether。
\"Didyougetwetcomingin,darling?\"sheasked。\"Didyouhaveagoodtime?\"