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  CHAPTERI。

  Iwasnotrich——onthecontrary;andIhadbeentoldthePensionBeaurepaswascheap。Ihad,moreover,beentoldthataboarding-

  houseisacapitalplaceforthestudyofhumannature。Ihadafancyforaliterarycareer,andafriendofminehadsaidtome,\"Ifyoumeantowriteyououghttogoandliveinaboarding-house;thereisnoothersuchplacetopickupmaterial。\"IhadreadsomethingofthiskindinaletteraddressedbyStendhaltohissister:\"Ihaveapassionatedesiretoknowhumannature,andhaveagreatmindtoliveinaboarding-house,wherepeoplecannotconcealtheirrealcharacters。\"IwasanadmirerofLaChartreusedeParme,anditappearedtomethatonecouldnotdobetterthanfollowinthefootstepsofitsauthor。Iremembered,too,themagnificentboarding-houseinBalzac’sPereGoriot,——the\"pensionbourgeoisedesdeuxsexesetautres,\"keptbyMadameVauquer,neeDeConflans。

  Magnificent,Imean,asapieceofportraiture;theestablishment,asanestablishment,wascertainlysordidenough,andIhopedforbetterthingsfromthePensionBeaurepas。ThisinstitutionwasoneofthemostesteemedinGeneva,and,standinginalittlegardenofitsown,notfarfromthelake,hadaveryhomely,comfortable,sociableaspect。Theregularentrancewas,asonemightsay,attheback,whichlookeduponthestreet,orratheruponalittleplace,adornedlikeeveryplaceinGeneva,greatorsmall,withafountain。Thisfactwasnotprepossessing,foroncrossingthethresholdyoufoundyourselfmoreorlessinthekitchen,encompassedwithculinaryodours。This,however,wasnogreatmatter,foratthePensionBeaurepastherewasnoattemptatgentilityoratconcealmentofthedomesticmachinery。Thelatterwasofaverysimplesort。MadameBeaurepaswasanexcellentlittleoldwoman——shewasveryfaradvancedinlife,andhadbeenkeepingapensionforfortyyears——

  whoseonlyfaultswerethatshewasslightlydeaf,thatshewasfondofasurreptitiouspinchofsnuff,andthat,attheageofseventy-

  three,sheworeflowersinhercap。Therewasatraditioninthehousethatshewasnotsodeafasshepretended;thatshefeignedthisinfirmityinordertopossessherselfofthesecretsofherlodgers。ButIneversubscribedtothistheory;IamconvincedthatMadameBeaurepashadoutlivedtheperiodofindiscreetcuriosity。

  Shewasaphilosopher,onamatter-of-factbasis;shehadbeenhavinglodgersforfortyyears,andallthatsheaskedofthemwasthattheyshouldpaytheirbills,makeuseofthedoor-mat,andfoldtheirnapkins。Shecaredverylittlefortheirsecrets。\"J’enaivusdetouteslescouleurs,\"shesaidtome。Shehadquiteceasedtocareforindividuals;shecaredonlyfortypes,forcategories。Herlargeobservationhadmadeheracquaintedwithagreatnumber,andhermindwasacompletecollectionof\"heads。\"Sheflatteredherselfthatsheknewataglancewheretopigeon-holeanew-comer,andifshemadeanymistakesherdeportmentneverbetrayedthem。Ithinkthat,asregardsindividuals,shehadneitherlikesnordislikes;butshewascapableofexpressingesteemorcontemptforaspecies。Shehadherownways,Isuppose,ofmanifestingherapproval,buthermannerofindicatingthereversewassimpleandunvarying。\"Jetrouvequec’estdeplace\"——thisexhaustedherviewofthematter。Ifoneofherinmateshadputarsenicintothepot-au-feu,IbelieveMadameBeaurepaswouldhavecontentedherselfwithremarkingthattheproceedingwasoutofplace。Thelineofmisconducttowhichshemostobjectedwasanundueassumptionofgentility;shehadnopatiencewithboarderswhogavethemselvesairs。\"Whenpeoplecomechezmoi,itisnottocutafigureintheworld;Ihaveneverhadthatillusion,\"Irememberhearinghersay;\"andwhenyoupaysevenfrancsaday,toutcompris,itcompriseseverythingbuttherighttolookdownupontheothers。Buttherearepeoplewho,thelesstheypay,themoretheytakethemselvesauserieux。Mymostdifficultboardershavealwaysbeenthosewhohavehadthelittlerooms。\"

  MadameBeaurepashadaniece,ayoungwomanofsomefortyoddyears;

  andthetwoladies,withtheassistanceofacoupleofthick-waisted,red-armedpeasantwomen,keptthehousegoing。Ifonyourexitsandentrancesyoupeepedintothekitchen,itmadeverylittledifference;forCelestine,thecook,hadnopretensiontobeaninvisiblefunctionaryortodealinoccultmethods。Shewasalwaysatyourservice,withagratefulgrinsheblackedyourboots;shetrudgedofftofetchacab;shewouldhavecarriedyourbaggage,ifyouhadallowedher,onherbroadlittleback。Shewasalwaystrampinginandout,betweenherkitchenandthefountainintheplace,whereitoftenseemedtomethatalargepartofthepreparationforourdinnerwentforward——thewringingoutoftowelsandtable-cloths,thewashingofpotatoesandcabbages,thescouringofsaucepansandcleansingofwater——bottles。Youenjoyed,fromthedoorstep,aperpetualback-viewofCelestineandofherlarge,loose,woollenankles,asshecraned,fromthewaist,overintothefountainanddabbledinhervariousutensils。Thissoundsasiflifewentoninaverymake-shiftfashionatthePensionBeaurepas——asifthetoneoftheestablishmentweresordid。Butsuchwasnotatallthecase。

  Weweresimplyverybourgeois;wepractisedthegoodoldGeneveseprincipleofnotsacrificingtoappearances。Thisisanexcellentprinciple——whenyouhavethereality。WehadtherealityatthePensionBeaurepas:wehaditintheshapeofsoftshortbeds,equippedwithfluffyduvets;ofadmirablecoffee,servedtousinthemorningbyCelestineinperson,aswelayrecumbentonthesedownycouches;ofcopious,wholesome,succulentdinners,conformabletothebestprovincialtraditions。Formyself,IthoughtthePensionBeaurepaspicturesque,andthis,withme,atthattimewasagreatword。Iwasyoungandingenuous:IhadjustcomefromAmerica。I

  wishedtoperfectmyselfintheFrenchtongue,andIinnocentlybelievedthatitflourishedbyLakeLeman。IusedtogotolecturesattheAcademy,andcomehomewithaviolentappetite。Ialwaysenjoyedmymorningwalkacrossthelongbridge(therewasonlyone,justthere,inthosedays)whichspansthedeepblueout-gushofthelake,andupthedarksteepstreetsoftheoldCalvinisticcity。Thegardenfacedthisway,towardthelakeandtheoldtown;andthiswasthepleasantestapproachtothehouse。Therewasahighwall,withadoublegateinthemiddle,flankedbyacoupleofancientmassiveposts;thebigrustygrillecontainedsomeold-fashionediron-work。

  Thegardenwasrathermouldyandweedy,tangledanduntended;butitcontainedalittlethin——flowingfountain,severalgreenbenches,aricketylittletableofthesamecomplexion,andthreeorange-trees,intubs,whichweredepositedaseffectivelyaspossibleinfrontofthewindowsofthesalon。

  CHAPTERII。

  Ascommonlyhappensinboarding-houses,therustleofpetticoatswas,atthePensionBeaurepas,themostfamiliarformofthehumantread。

  Therewastheusualallotmentofeconomicalwidowsandoldmaids,andtomaintainthebalanceofthesexestherewereonlyanoldFrenchmanandayoungAmerican。IthardlymadethemattereasierthattheoldFrenchmancamefromLausanne。Hewasanativeofthatestimabletown,buthehadoncespentsixmonthsinParis,hehadtastedofthetreeofknowledge;hehadgotbeyondLausanne,whoseresourceshepronouncedinadequate。Lausanne,ashesaid,\"manquaitd’agrements。\"

  Whenobliged,forreasonswhichheneverspecified,tobringhisresidenceinParistoaclose,hehadfallenbackonGeneva;hehadbrokenhisfallatthePensionBeaurepas。Genevawas,afterall,morelikeParis,andataGeneveseboarding-housetherewassuretobeplentyofAmericanswithwhomonecouldtalkabouttheFrenchmetropolis。M。Pigeonneauwasalittleleanman,withalargenarrownose,whosatagreatdealinthegarden,readingwiththeaidofalargemagnifyingglassavolumefromthecabinetdelecture。

  Oneday,afortnightaftermyarrivalatthePensionBeaurepas,I

  cameback,ratherearlierthanusualfrommyacademicsession;itwantedhalfanhourofthemiddaybreakfast。Iwentintothesalonwiththedesignofpossessingmyselfoftheday’sGalignanibeforeoneofthelittleEnglisholdmaidsshouldhaveremovedittohervirginalbower——aprivilegetowhichMadameBeaurepasfrequentlyalludedasoneoftheattractionsoftheestablishment。InthesalonIfoundanew-comer,atallgentlemaninahighblackhat,whomI

  immediatelyrecognisedasacompatriot。Ihadoftenseenhim,orhisequivalent,inthehotelparloursofmynativeland。Heapparentlysupposedhimselftobeatthepresentmomentinahotelparlour;hishatwasonhishead,or,rather,halfoffit——pushedbackfromhisforehead,andrathersuspendedthanpoised。Hestoodbeforeatableonwhicholdnewspaperswerescattered,oneofwhichhehadtakenupand,withhiseye-glassonhisnose,washoldingoutatarm’s-length。

  Itwasthathonourablebutextremelydiminutivesheet,theJournaldeGeneve,anewspaperofaboutthesizeofapocket-handkerchief。AsI

  drewnear,lookingformyGalignani,thetallgentlemangaveme,overthetopofhiseye-glass,asomewhatsolemnstare。Presently,however,beforeIhadtimetolaymyhandontheobjectofmysearch,hesilentlyofferedmetheJournaldeGeneve。

  \"Itappears,\"hesaid,\"tobethepaperofthecountry。\"

  \"Yes,\"Ianswered,\"Ibelieveit’sthebest。\"

  Hegazedatitagain,stillholdingitatarm’s-length,asifithadbeenalooking-glass。\"Well,\"hesaid,\"Isupposeit’snaturalasmallcountryshouldhavesmallpapers。Youcouldwrapitup,mountainsandall,inoneofourdailies!\"

  IfoundmyGalignani,andwentoffwithitintothegarden,whereI

  seatedmyselfonabenchintheshade。PresentlyIsawthetallgentlemaninthehatappearinoneoftheopenwindowsofthesalon,andstandtherewithhishandsinhispocketsandhislegsalittleapart。Helookedverymuchbored,and——Idon’tknowwhy——I

  immediatelybegantofeelsorryforhim。Hewasnotatallapicturesquepersonage;helookedlikeajaded,fadedmanofbusiness。

  Butafteralittlehecameintothegardenandbegantostrollabout;

  andthenhisrestless,unoccupiedcarriage,andthevague,unacquaintedmannerinwhichhiseyeswanderedovertheplace,seemedtomakeitproperthat,asanolderresident,Ishouldexerciseacertainhospitality。Isaidsomethingtohim,andhecameandsatdownbesidemeonmybench,claspingoneofhislongkneesinhishands。

  \"Whenisitthisbigbreakfastoftheirscomesoff?\"heinquired。

  \"That’swhatIcallit——thelittlebreakfastandthebigbreakfast。

  IneverthoughtIshouldlivetoseethetimewhenIshouldcaretoeattwobreakfasts。Butaman’sgladtodoanythingoverhere。\"

  \"Formyself,\"Iobserved,\"Ifindplentytodo。\"

  Heturnedhisheadandglancedatmewithadry,deliberate,kind-

  lookingeye。\"You’regettingusedtothelife,areyou?\"

  \"Ilikethelifeverymuch,\"Ianswered,laughing。

  \"Howlonghaveyoutriedit?\"

  \"Doyoumeaninthisplace?\"

  \"Well,Imeananywhere。Itseemstomeprettymuchthesameallover。\"

  \"Ihavebeeninthishouseonlyafortnight,\"Isaid。

  \"Well,whatshouldyousay,fromwhatyouhaveseen?\"mycompanionasked。

  \"Oh,\"saidI,\"youcanseeallthereisimmediately。It’sverysimple。\"

  \"Sweetsimplicity,eh?I’mafraidmytwoladieswillfindittoosimple。\"

  \"Everythingisverygood,\"Iwenton。\"AndMadameBeaurepasisacharmingoldwoman。Andthenit’sverycheap。\"

  \"Cheap,isit?\"myfriendrepeatedmeditatively。

  \"Doesn’titstrikeyouso?\"Iasked。Ithoughtitverypossiblehehadnotinquiredtheterms。Butheappearednottohaveheardme;hesatthere,claspinghiskneeandblinking,inacontemplativemanner,atthesunshine。

  \"AreyoufromtheUnitedStates,sir?\"hepresentlydemanded,turninghisheadagain。

  \"Yes,sir,\"Ireplied;andImentionedtheplaceofmynativity。

  \"Ipresumed,\"hesaid,\"thatyouwereAmericanorEnglish。I’mfromtheUnitedStatesmyself;fromNewYorkcity。Manyofourpeoplehere?\"

  \"Notsomanyas,Ibelieve,therehavesometimesbeen。Therearetwoorthreeladies。\"

  \"Well,\"myinterlocutordeclared,\"Iamveryfondofladies’society。

  Ithinkwhenit’ssuperiorthere’snothingcomesuptoit。I’vegottwoladiesheremyself;Imustmakeyouacquaintedwiththem。\"

  IrejoinedthatIshouldbedelighted,andIinquiredofmyfriendwhetherhehadbeenlonginEurope。

  \"Well,itseemspreciouslong,\"hesaid,\"butmytime’snotupyet。

  Wehavebeenherefourteenweeksandahalf。\"

  \"Areyoutravellingforpleasure?\"Iasked。

  Mycompanionturnedhisheadagainandlookedatme——lookedatmesolonginsilencethatIatlastalsoturnedandmethiseyes。

  \"No,sir,\"hesaidpresently。\"No,sir,\"herepeated,afteraconsiderableinterval。

  \"Excuseme,\"saidI,fortherewassomethingsosolemninhistonethatIfearedIhadbeenindiscreet。

  Hetooknonoticeofmyejaculation;hesimplycontinuedtolookatme。\"I’mtravelling,\"hesaid,atlast,\"topleasethedoctors。

  Theyseemedtothinktheywouldlikeit。\"

  \"Ah,theysentyouabroadforyourhealth?\"

  \"Theysentmeabroadbecausetheyweresoconfoundedlymuddledtheydidn’tknowwhatelsetodo。\"

  \"That’softenthebestthing,\"Iventuredtoremark。

  \"Itwasaconfessionofweakness;theywantedmetostopplaguingthem。Theydidn’tknowenoughtocureme,andthat’sthewaytheythoughttheywouldgetroundit。Iwantedtobecured——Ididn’twanttobetransported。Ihadn’tdoneanyharm。\"

  Iassentedtothegeneralpropositionoftheinefficiencyofdoctors,andaskedmycompanionifhehadbeenseriouslyill。

  \"Ididn’tsleep,\"hesaid,aftersomedelay。

  \"Ah,that’sveryannoying。Isupposeyouwereoverworked。\"

  \"Ididn’teat;Itooknointerestinmyfood。\"

  \"Well,Ihopeyoubotheatandsleepnow,\"Isaid。

  \"Icouldn’tholdapen,\"myneighbourwenton。\"Icouldn’tsitstill。Icouldn’twalkfrommyhousetothecars——andit’sonlyalittleway。Ilostmyinterestinbusiness。\"

  \"Youneededaholiday,\"Iobserved。

  \"That’swhatthedoctorssaid。Itwasn’tsoverysmartofthem。I

  hadbeenpayingstrictattentiontobusinessfortwenty-threeyears。\"

  \"Inallthattimeyouhaveneverhadaholiday?\"Iexclaimedwithhorror。

  Mycompanionwaitedalittle。\"Sundays,\"hesaidatlast。

  \"Nowonder,then,youwereoutofsorts。\"

  \"Well,sir,\"saidmyfriend,\"Ishouldn’thavebeenwhereIwasthreeyearsagoifIhadspentmytimetravellingroundEurope。Iwasinaveryadvantageousposition。Ididaverylargebusiness。Iwasconsiderablyinterestedinlumber。\"Hepaused,turnedhishead,andlookedatmeamoment。\"Haveyouanybusinessinterestsyourself?\"

  IansweredthatIhadnone,andhewentonagain,slowly,softly,deliberately。\"Well,sir,perhapsyouarenotawarethatbusinessintheUnitedStatesisnotwhatitwasashorttimesince。Businessinterestsareveryinsecure。Thereseemstobeageneralfalling-

  off。Differentpartiesofferdifferentexplanationsofthefact,butsofarasIamawarenoneoftheirobservationshavesetthingsgoingagain。\"Iingeniouslyintimatedthatifbusinesswasdull,thetimewasgoodforcomingaway;whereuponmyneighbourthrewbackhisheadandstretchedhislegsawhile。\"Well,sir,that’soneviewofthemattercertainly。There’ssomethingtobesaidforthat。Thesethingsshouldbelookedatallround。That’sthegroundmywifetook。That’stheground,\"headdedinamoment,\"thataladywouldnaturallytake;\"andhegavealittledrylaugh。

  \"Youthinkit’sslightlyillogical,\"Iremarked。

  \"Well,sir,thegroundItookwas,thattheworseaman’sbusinessis,themoreitrequireslookingafter。Ishouldn’twanttogoouttotakeawalk——noteventogotochurch——ifmyhousewasonfire。

  Myfirmisnotdoingthebusinessitwas;it’slikeasickchild,itrequiresnursing。WhatIwantedthedoctorstodowastofixmeup,sothatIcouldgoonathome。I’dhavetakenanythingthey’dhavegivenme,andasmanytimesaday。Iwantedtoberightthere;Ihadmyreasons;Ihavethemstill。ButIcameoffallthesame,\"saidmyfriend,withamelancholysmile。

  Iwasagreatdealyoungerthanhe,buttherewassomethingsosimpleandcommunicativeinhistone,soexpressiveofadesiretofraternise,andsoexemptfromanytheoryofhumandifferences,thatIquiteforgothisseniority,andfoundmyselfofferinghimpaternalIadvice。\"Don’tthinkaboutallthat,\"saidI。\"Simplyenjoyyourself,amuseyourself,getwell。TravelaboutandseeEurope。Attheendofayear,bythetimeyouarereadytogohome,thingswillhaveimprovedoverthere,andyouwillbequitewellandhappy。\"

  Myfriendlaidhishandonmyknee;helookedatmeforsomemoments,andIthoughthewasgoingtosay,\"Youareveryyoung!\"Buthesaidpresently,\"YOUhavegotusedtoEuropeanyway!\"

  CHAPTERIII。

  AtbreakfastIencounteredhisladies——hiswifeanddaughter。Theywereplaced,however,atadistancefromme,anditwasnotuntilthepensionnaireshaddispersed,andsomeofthem,accordingtocustom,hadcomeoutintothegarden,thathehadanopportunityofmakingmeacquaintedwiththem。

  \"Willyouallowmetointroduceyoutomydaughter?\"hesaid,movedapparentlybyapaternalinclinationtoprovidethisyoungladywithsocialdiversion。Shewasstandingwithhermother,inoneofthepaths,lookingaboutwithnogreatcomplacency,asIimagined,atthehomelycharacteristicsoftheplace,andoldM。Pigeonneauwashoveringnear,hesitatingapparentlybetweenthedesiretobeurbaneandtheabsenceofapretext。\"Mrs。Ruck——MissSophyRuck,\"saidmyfriend,leadingmeup。

  Mrs。Ruckwasalarge,plump,light-colouredperson,withasmoothfairface,asomnolenteye,andanelaboratecoiffure。MissSophywasagirlofone-and-twenty,verysmallandverypretty——whatI

  supposewouldhavebeencalledalivelybrunette。Bothoftheseladieswereattiredinblacksilkdresses,verymuchtrimmed;theyhadanairofthehighestelegance。

  \"Doyouthinkhighlyofthispension?\"inquiredMrs。Ruck,afterafewpreliminaries。

  \"It’salittlerough,butitseemstomecomfortable,\"Ianswered。

  \"DoesittakeahighrankinGeneva?\"Mrs。Ruckpursued。

  \"Iimagineitenjoysaveryfairfame,\"Isaid,smiling。

  \"IshouldneverdreamofcomparingittoaNewYorkboarding-house,\"

  saidMrs。Ruck。

  \"It’squiteadifferentstyle,\"herdaughterobserved。

  MissRuckhadfoldedherarms;shewasholdingherelbowswithapairofwhitelittlehands,andshewastappingthegroundwithaprettylittlefoot。

  \"Wehardlyexpectedtocometoapension,\"saidMrs。Ruck。\"Butwethoughtwewouldtry;wehadheardsomuchaboutSwisspensions。I

  wassayingtoMr。RuckthatIwonderedwhetherthiswasafavourablespecimen。Iwasafraidwemighthavemadeamistake。\"

  \"Weknewsomepeoplewhohadbeenhere;theythoughteverythingofMadameBeaurepas,\"saidMissSophy。\"Theysaidshewasarealfriend。\"

  \"Mr。andMrs。Parker——perhapsyouhaveheardherspeakofthem,\"Mrs。

  Ruckpursued。

  \"MadameBeaurepashashadagreatmanyAmericans;sheisveryfondofAmericans,\"Ireplied。

  \"Well,ImustsayIshouldthinkshewouldbe,ifshecomparesthemwithsomeothers。\"

  \"Motherisalwayscomparing,\"observedMissRuck。

  \"OfcourseIamalwayscomparing,\"rejoinedtheelderlady。\"Ineverhadachancetillnow;Ineverknewmyprivileges。GivemeanAmerican!\"AndMrs。Ruckindulgedinalittlelaugh。

  \"Well,ImustsaytherearesomethingsIlikeoverhere,\"saidMissSophy,withcourage。AndindeedIcouldseethatshewasayoungwomanofgreatdecision。

  \"Youliketheshops——that’swhatyoulike,\"herfatheraffirmed。

  Theyoungladyaddressedherselftome,withoutheedingthisremark。

  \"Isupposeyoufeelquiteathomehere。\"

  \"Oh,helikesit;hehasgotusedtothelife!\"exclaimedMr。Ruck。

  \"Iwishyou’dteachMr。Ruck,\"saidhiswife。\"Itseemsasifhecouldn’tgetusedtoanything。\"

  \"I’musedtoyou,mydear,\"thehusbandretorted,givingmeahumorouslook。

  \"He’sintenselyrestless,\"continuedMrs。Ruck。

  \"That’swhatmademewanttocometoapension。Ithoughthewouldsettledownmore。\"

  \"Idon’tthinkIAMusedtoyou,afterall,\"saidherhusband。

  InviewofapossibleexchangeofconjugalreparteeItookrefugeinconversationwithMissRuck,whoseemedperfectlyabletoplayherpartinanycolloquy。Ilearnedfromthisyoungladythat,withherparents,aftervisitingtheBritishIslands,shehadbeenspendingamonthinParis,andthatshethoughtsheshouldhavediedwhensheleftthatcity。\"Ihungoutofthecarriage,whenweleftthehotel,\"saidMissRuck,\"IassureyouIdid。Andmotherdid,too。\"

  \"Outoftheotherwindow,Ihope,\"saidI。

  \"Yes,oneoutofeachwindow,\"sherepliedpromptly。\"Fatherhadhardwork,Icantellyou。Wehadn’thalffinished;therewereeversomanyplaceswewantedtogoto。\"

  \"Yourfatherinsistedoncomingaway?\"

  \"Yes;afterwehadbeenthereaboutamonthhesaidhehadenough。

  He’sfearfullyrestless;he’sverymuchoutofhealth。MotherandI

  saidtohimthatifhewasrestlessinParisheneedn’thopeforpeaceanywhere。Wedon’tmeantoleavehimalonetillhetakesusback。\"TherewasanairofkeenresolutioninMissRuck’sprettyface,oflucidapprehensionofdesirableends,whichmademe,asshepronouncedthesewords,directaglanceofcovertcompassiontowardherpoorrecalcitrantfather。Hehadwalkedawayalittlewithhiswife,andIsawonlyhisbackandhisstooping,patient-lookingshoulders,whoseairofacuteresignationwasthrownintoreliefbythevoluminoustranquillityofMrs。Ruck。\"HewillhavetotakeusbackinSeptember,anyway,\"theyounggirlpursued;\"hewillhavetotakeusbacktogetsomethingswehaveordered。\"

  \"Haveyouorderedagreatmanythings?\"Iaskedjocosely。

  \"Well,IguesswehaveorderedSOME。OfcoursewewantedtotakeadvantageofbeinginParis——ladiesalwaysdo。Wehavelefttheprincipalthingstillwegoback。Ofcoursethatistheprincipalinterest,forladies。Mothersaidsheshouldfeelsoshabbyifshejustpassedthrough。WehavepromisedallthepeopletobebackinSeptember,andIneverbrokeapromiseyet。SoMr。Ruckhasgottomakehisplansaccordingly。\"

  \"Andwhatarehisplans?\"

  \"Idon’tknow;hedoesn’tseemabletomakeany。HisgreatideawastogettoGeneva;butnowthathehasgotherehedoesn’tseemtocare。It’stheeffectofillhealth。Heusedtobesobright;butnowheisquitesubdued。It’sabouttimeheshouldimprove,anyway。

  Wewentoutlastnighttolookatthejewellers’windows——inthatstreetbehindthehotel。Ihadalwaysheardofthosejewellers’

  windows。Wesawsomelovelythings,butitdidn’tseemtorousefather。He’llgettiredofGenevasoonerthanhedidofParis。\"

  \"Ah,\"saidI,\"therearefinerthingsherethanthejewellers’

  windows。WeareverynearsomeofthemostbeautifulsceneryinEurope。\"

  \"Isupposeyoumeanthemountains。Well,wehaveseenplentyofmountainsathome。Weusedtogotothemountainseverysummer。Wearefamiliarenoughwiththemountains。Aren’twe,mother?\"theyoungladydemanded,appealingtoMrs。Ruck,who,withherhusband,haddrawnnearagain。

  \"Aren’twewhat?\"inquiredtheelderlady。

  \"Aren’twefamiliarwiththemountains?\"

  \"Well,Ihopeso,\"saidMrs。Ruck。

  Mr。Ruck,withhishandsinhispockets,gavemeasociablewink。——

  \"There’snothingmuchyoucantellthem!\"hesaid。

  Thetwoladiesstoodfacetofaceafewmoments,surveyingeachother’sgarments。\"Don’tyouwanttogoout?\"theyounggirlatlastinquiredofhermother。

  \"Well,Ithinkwehadbetter;wehavegottogouptothatplace。\"

  \"Towhatplace?\"askedMr。Ruck。

  \"Tothatjeweller’s——tothatbigone。\"

  \"Theyallseemedbigenough;theyweretoobig!\"AndMr。Ruckgavemeanotherwink。

  \"Thatonewherewesawthebluecross,\"saidhisdaughter。

  \"Oh,come,whatdoyouwantofthatbluecross?\"poorMr。Ruckdemanded。

  \"Shewantstohangitonablackvelvetribbonandtieitroundherneck,\"saidhiswife。

  \"Ablackvelvetribbon?No,Ithankyou!\"criedtheyounglady。\"DoyousupposeIwouldwearthatcrossonablackvelvetribbon?Onanicelittlegoldchain,ifyouplease——alittlenarrowgoldchain,likeanold-fashionedwatch-chain。That’stheproperthingforthatbluecross。IknowthesortofchainImean;I’mgoingtolookforone。WhenIwantathing,\"saidMissRuck,withdecision,\"Icangenerallyfindit。\"

  \"Lookhere,Sophy,\"herfatherurged,\"youdon’twantthatbluecross。\"

  \"Idowantit——Ihappentowantit。\"AndSophyglancedatmewithalittlelaugh。

  Herlaugh,whichinitselfwaspretty,suggestedthattherewerevariousrelationsinwhichonemightstandtoMissRuck;butIthinkIwasconsciousofacertainsatisfactioninnotoccupyingthepaternalone。\"Don’tworrythepoorchild,\"saidhermother。

  \"Comeon,mother,\"saidMissRuck。

  \"Wearegoingtolookaboutalittle,\"explainedtheelderladytome,bywayoftakingleave。

  \"Iknowwhatthatmeans,\"remarkedMr。Ruck,ashiscompanionsmovedaway。Hestoodlookingatthemamoment,whileheraisedhishandtohishead,behind,andstoodrubbingitalittle,withamovementthatdisplacedhishat。(ImayremarkinparenthesisthatIneversawahatmoreeasilydisplacedthanMr。Ruck’s。)Isupposedhewasgoingtosaysomethingquerulous,butIwasmistaken。Mr。Ruckwasunhappy,buthewasverygood-natured。\"Well,theywanttopickupsomething,\"hesaid。\"That’stheprincipalinterest,forladies。\"

  CHAPTERIV。

  Mr。Ruckdistinguishedme,astheFrenchsay。Hehonouredmewithhisesteem,and,asthedayselapsed,withalargeportionofhisconfidence。Sometimesheboredmealittle,forthetoneofhisconversationwasnotcheerful,tendingasitdidalmostexclusivelytoamelancholydirgeoverthefinancialprostrationofourcommoncountry。\"No,sir,businessintheUnitedStatesisnotwhatitoncewas,\"hefoundoccasiontoremarkseveraltimesaday。\"There’snotthesamespring——there’snotthesamehopefulfeeling。Youcanseeitinalldepartments。\"Heusedtositbythehourinthelittlegardenofthepension,witharollofAmericannewspapersinhislapandhishighhatpushedback,swingingoneofhislonglegsandreadingtheNewYorkHerald。HepaidadailyvisittotheAmericanbanker’s,ontheothersideoftheRhone,andremainedtherealongtime,turningovertheoldpapersonthegreenvelvettableinthemiddleoftheSalondesEtrangers,andfraternisingwithchancecompatriots。Butinspiteofthesediversionshistimehungheavilyuponhishands。Iusedsometimestoproposetohimtotakeawalk;

  buthehadamortalhorrorofpedestrianism,andregardedmyowntasteforitas’amorbidformofactivity。\"You’llkillyourself,ifyoudon’tlookout,\"hesaid,\"walkingalloverthecountry。I

  don’twanttowalkroundthatway;Iain’tapostman!\"Brieflyspeaking,Mr。Ruckhadfewresources。Hiswifeanddaughter,ontheotherhand,itwastobesupposed,werepossessedofagoodmanythatcouldnotbeapparenttoanunobtrusiveyoungman。Theyalsosatagreatdealinthegardenorinthesalon,sidebyside,withfoldedhands,contemplatingmaterialobjects,andwereremarkablyindependentofmostoftheusualfeminineaidstoidleness——lightliterature,tapestry,theuseofthepiano。Theywere,however,muchfonderoflocomotionthantheircompanion,andIoftenmetthemintheRueduRhoneandonthequays,loiteringinfrontofthejewellers’windows。TheymighthavehadacavalierinthepersonofoldM。Pigeonneau,whopossessedahighappreciationoftheircharms,butwho,owingtotheabsenceofacommonidiom,wasdeprivedofthepleasuresofintimacy。HeknewnoEnglish,andMrs。Ruckandherdaughterhad,asitseemed,anincurablemistrustofthebeautifultonguewhich,astheoldmanendeavouredtoimpressuponthem,waspre-eminentlythelanguageofconversation。

  \"Theyhaveatournuredeprincesse——adistinctionsupreme,\"hesaidtome。\"Oneissurprisedtofindtheminalittlepension,atsevenfrancsaday。\"

  \"Oh,theydon’tcomeforeconomy,\"Ianswered。\"Theymustberich。\"

  \"Theydon’tcomeformybeauxyeux——formine,\"saidM。Pigeonneau,sadly。\"Perhapsit’sforyours,youngman。Jevousrecommandelamere。\"

  Ireflectedamoment。\"TheycameonaccountofMr。Ruck——becauseathotelshe’ssorestless。\"

  M。Pigeonneaugavemeaknowingnod。\"Ofcourseheis,withsuchawifeasthat——afemmesuperbe。MadameRuckispreservedinperfection——amiraculousfraicheur。Ilikethoselarge,fair,quietwomen;theyareoften,dansl’intimite,themostagreeable。I’llwarrantyouthatatheartMadameRuckisafinishedcoquette。\"

  \"Iratherdoubtit,\"Isaid。

  \"Yousupposehercold?Nevousyfiezpas!\"

  \"ItisamatterinwhichIhavenothingatstake。\"

  \"YouyoungAmericansaredroll,\"saidM。Pigeonneau;\"youneverhaveanythingatstake!Butthelittleone,forexample;I’llwarrantyoushe’snotcold。Sheisadmirablymade。\"

  \"Sheisverypretty。\"

  \"’Sheisverypretty!’Vousditescelad’unton!WhenyoupaycomplimentstoMademoiselleRuck,Ihopethat’snotthewayyoudoit。\"

  \"Idon’tpaycomplimentstoMademoiselleRuck。\"

  \"Ah,decidedly,\"saidM。Pigeonneau,\"youyoungAmericansaredroll!\"

  IshouldhavesuspectedthatthesetwoladieswouldnotespeciallycommendthemselvestoMadameBeaurepas;thatasamaitressedesalon,whichsheinsomedegreeaspiredtobe,shewouldhavefoundthemwantinginacertainflexibilityofdeportment。ButIshouldhavegonequitewrong;MadameBeaurepashadnofaultatalltofindwithhernewpensionnaires。\"Ihavenoobservationwhatevertomakeaboutthem,\"shesaidtomeoneevening。\"Iseenothinginthoseladieswhichisatalldeplace。Theydon’tcomplainofanything;theydon’tmeddle;theytakewhat’sgiventhem;theyleavemetranquil。TheAmericansareoftenlikethat。Often,butnotalways,\"MadameBeaurepaspursued。\"Wearetohaveaspecimento-morrowofaverydifferentsort。\"

  \"AnAmerican?\"Iinquired。

  \"TwoAmericaines——amotherandadaughter。ThereareAmericansandAmericans:whenyouaredifficiles,youaremoresothananyone,andwhenyouhavepretensions——ah,perexemple,it’sserious。I

  foreseethatwiththislittleladyeverythingwillbeserious,beginningwithhercafeaulait。ShehasbeenstayingatthePensionChamousset——myconcurrent,youknow,fartherupthestreet;butsheiscomingawaybecausethecoffeeisbad。Sheholdstohercoffee,itappears。Idon’tknowwhatliquidMadameChamoussetmayhaveinvented,butwewilldothebestwecanforher。Only,Iknowshewillmakemedeshistoiresaboutsomethingelse。Shewilldemandanewlampforthesalon;vousallesvoircela。Shewishestopaybutelevenfrancsadayforherselfandherdaughter,toutcompris;andfortheirelevenfrancstheyexpecttobelodgedlikeprincesses。

  Butsheisvery’ladylike’——isn’tthatwhatyoucallitinEnglish?

  Oh,pourcela,sheisladylike!\"

  Icaughtaglimpseonthemorrowofthisladylikeperson,whowasarrivingathernewresidenceasIcameinfromawalk。Shehadcomeinacab,withherdaughterandherluggage;and,withanairofperfectsoftnessandserenity,shewasdisputingthefareasshestoodamongherboxes,onthesteps。SheaddressedhercabmaninaveryEnglishaccent,butwithextremeprecisionandcorrectness。\"I

  wishtobeperfectlyreasonable,butIdon’twishtoencourageyouinexorbitantdemands。Withafrancandahalfyouaresufficientlypaid。ItisnotthecustomatGenevatogiveapour-boireforsoshortadrive。Ihavemadeinquiries,andIfinditisnotthecustom,eveninthebestfamilies。Iamastranger,yes,butI

  alwaysadoptthecustomofthenativefamilies。Ithinkitmydutytowardthenatives。\"

  \"ButIamanative,too,moi!\"saidthecabman,withanangrylaugh。

  \"YouseemtometospeakwithaGermanaccent,\"continuedthelady。

  \"YouareprobablyfromBasel。Afrancandahalfissufficient。I

  seeyouhaveleftbehindthelittleredbagwhichIaskedyoutoholdbetweenyourknees;youwillpleasetogobacktotheotherhouseandgetit。Verywell,ifyouareimpoliteIwillmakeacomplaintofyouto-morrowattheadministration。Aurora,youwillfindapencilintheouterpocketofmyembroideredsatchel;pleasetowritedownhisnumber,——87;doyouseeitdistinctly?——incaseweshouldforgetit。\"

  Theyoungladyaddressedas\"Aurora\"——aslight,fairgirl,holdingalargeparcelofumbrellas——stoodathandwhilethisallocutionwentforward,butsheapparentlygavenoheedtoit。Shestoodlookingabouther,inalistlessmanner,atthefrontofthehouse,atthecorridor,atCelestinetuckingupheraproninthedoorway,atmeasIpassedinamidthedisseminatedluggage;hermother’sparsimoniousattitudeseemingtoproduceinMissAuroraneithersympathynorembarrassment。Atdinnerthetwoladieswereplacedonthesamesideofthetableasmyself,belowMrs。Ruckandherdaughter,myownpositionbeingontherightofMr。Ruck。IhadthereforelittleobservationofMrs。Church——suchIlearnedtobehername——butI

  occasionallyheardhersoft,distinctvoice。

  \"Whitewine,ifyouplease;wepreferwhitewine。Thereisnoneonthetable?Thenyouwillpleasetogetsome,andtoremembertoplaceabottleofitalwayshere,betweenmydaughterandmyself。\"

  \"Thatladyseemstoknowwhatshewants,\"saidMr。Ruck,\"andshespeakssoIcanunderstandher。Ican’tunderstandeveryone,overhere。Ishouldliketomakethatlady’sacquaintance。Perhapssheknowswhat_I_want,too;itseemshardtofindout。ButIdon’twantanyoftheirsourwhitewine;that’soneofthethingsIdon’twant。Iexpectshe’llbeanadditiontothepension。\"

  Mr。RuckmadetheacquaintanceofMrs。Churchthateveningintheparlour,beingpresentedtoherbyhiswife,whopresumedontherightsconferreduponherselfbythemutualproximity,attable,ofthetwoladies。IsuspectedthatinMrs。Church’sviewMrs。Ruckpresumedtoofar。ThefugitivefromthePensionChamousset,asM。

  Pigeonneaucalledher,wasalittlefresh,plump,comelywoman,lookinglessthanherage,witharound,bright,seriousface。Shewasverysimplyandfrugallydressed,notatallinthemannerofMr。

  Ruck’scompanions,andshehadanairofquietdistinctionwhichwasanexcellentdefensiveweapon。SheexhibitedapolitedispositiontolistentowhatMr。Ruckmighthavetosay,buthermannerwasequivalenttoanintimationthatwhatshevaluedleastinboarding-

  houselifewasitssocialopportunities。Shehadplacedherselfnearalamp,aftercarefullyscrewingitandturningitup,andshehadopenedinherlap,withtheassistanceofalargeembroideredmarker,anoctavovolume,whichIperceivedtobeinGerman。ToMrs。Ruckandherdaughtershewasevidentlyapuzzle,withhereconomicalattireandherexpensiveculture。Thetwoyoungerladies,however,hadbeguntofraterniseveryfreely,andMissRuckpresentlywentwanderingoutoftheroomwithherarmroundthewaistofMissChurch。Itwasaverywarmevening;thelongwindowsofthesalonstoodwideopenintothegarden,and,inspiredbythebalmydarkness,M。PigeonneauandMademoiselleBeaurepas,amostobliginglittlewoman,wholispedandalwaysworeahugecravat,declaredtheywouldorganiseafetedenuit。Theyengagedinthisundertaking,andthefetedevelopeditself,consistingofhalf-a-dozenredpaperlanterns,hungaboutonthetrees,andofseveralglassesofsirop,carriedonatraybythestout-armedCelestine。AsthefestivaldeepenedtoitsclimaxIwentoutintothegarden,whereM。Pigeonneauwasmasterofceremonies。

  \"Butwherearethosecharmingyoungladies,\"hecried,\"MissRuckandthenew-comer,l’aimabletransfuge?Theirabsencehasbeenremarked,andtheyarewantingtothebrilliancyoftheoccasion。VoyezIhaveselectedaglassofsyrup——agenerousglass——forMademoiselleRuck,andIadviseyou,myyoungfriend,ifyouwishtomakeagoodimpression,toputasideonewhichyoumayoffertotheotheryounglady。Whatishername?MissChurch。Isee;it’sasingularname。

  ThereisachurchinwhichIwouldwillinglyworship!\"

  Mr。Ruckpresentlycameoutofthesalon,havingconcludedhisinterviewwithMrs。Church。ThroughtheopenwindowIsawthelatterladysittingunderthelampwithherGermanoctavo,whileMrs。Ruck,established,empty-handed,inanarm-chairnearher,gazedatherwithanairoffascination。

  \"Well,ItoldyoushewouldknowwhatIwant,\"saidMr。Ruck。\"ShesaysIwanttogouptoAppenzell,whereverthatis;thatIwanttodrinkwheyandliveinahighlatitude——whatdidshecallit?——ahighaltitude。SheseemedtothinkweoughttoleaveforAppenzellto-

  morrow;she’dgotitallfixed。Shesaysthisain’tahighenoughlat——ahighenoughaltitude。AndshesaysImustn’tgotoohigheither;thatwouldbejustasbad;sheseemstoknowjusttherightfigure。Shesaysshe’llgivemealistofthehotelswherewemuststop,onthewaytoAppenzell。Iaskedherifshedidn’twanttogowithas,butshesaysshe’drathersitstillandread。Iexpectshe’sabigreader。\"

  Thedaughterofthisaccomplishedwomannowreappeared,incompanywithMissRuck,withwhomshehadbeenstrollingthroughtheoutlyingpartsofthegarden。

  \"Well,\"saidMissRuck,glancingattheredpaperlanterns,\"aretheytryingtosticktheflower-potsintothetrees?\"

  \"It’sanilluminationinhonourofourarrival,\"theotheryounggirlrejoined。\"It’satriumphoverMadameChamousset。\"

  \"Meanwhile,atthePensionChamousset,\"Iventuredtosuggest,\"theyhaveputouttheirlights;theyaresittingindarkness,lamentingyourdeparture。\"

  Shelookedatme,smiling;shewasstandinginthelightthatcamefromthehouse。M。Pigeonneau,meanwhile,whohadbeenawaitinghischance,advancedtoMissRuckwithhisglassofsyrup。\"Ihavekeptitforyou,Mademoiselle,\"hesaid;\"Ihavejealouslyguardedit。Itisverydelicious!\"

  MissRucklookedathimandhissyrup,withoutanymotiontotaketheglass。\"Well,Iguessit’ssour,\"shesaidinamoment;andshegavealittleshakeofherhead。

  M。Pigeonneaustoodstaringwithhissyrupinhishand;thenheslowlyturnedaway。Helookedaboutattherestofus,asiftoappealfromMissRuck’sinsensibility,andwenttodeposithisrejectedtributeonabench。

  \"Won’tyougiveittome?\"askedMissChurch,infaultlessFrench。

  \"J’adorelesirop,moi。\"

  M。Pigeonneaucamebackwithalacrity,andpresentedtheglasswithaverylowbow。\"Iadoregoodmanners,\"murmuredtheoldman。

  ThisincidentcausedmetolookatMissChurchwithquickenedinterest。Shewasnotstrikinglypretty,butinhercharmingirregularfacetherewassomethingbrilliantandardent。Likehermother,shewasverysimplydressed。

  \"ShewantstogotoAmerica,andhermotherwon’tlether,\"saidMissSophytome,explaininghercompanion’ssituation。

  \"Iamverysorry——forAmerica,\"Ianswered,laughing。

  \"Well,Idon’twanttosayanythingagainstyourmother,butIthinkit’sshameful,\"MissRuckpursued。

  \"Mammahasverygoodreasons;shewilltellyouthemall。\"

  \"Well,I’msureIdon’twanttohearthem,\"saidMissRuck。\"Youhavegotarighttogotoyourowncountry;everyonehasarighttogototheirowncountry。\"

  \"Mammaisnotverypatriotic,\"saidAuroraChurch,smiling。

  \"Well,Icallthatdreadful,\"hercompaniondeclared。\"IhaveheardthattherearesomeAmericanslikethat,butIneverbelievedit。\"

  \"ThereareallsortsofAmericans,\"Isaid,laughing。

  \"Aurora’soneoftherightsort,\"rejoinedMissRuck,whohadapparentlybecomeveryintimatewithhernewfriend。

  \"Areyouverypatriotic?\"Iaskedoftheyounggirl。

  \"She’srightdownhomesick,\"saidMissSophy;\"she’sdyingtogo。IfIwereyoumymotherwouldhavetotakeme。\"

  \"MammaisgoingtotakemetoDresden。\"

  \"Well,IdeclareIneverheardofanythingsodreadful!\"criedMissRuck。\"It’slikesomethinginastory。\"

  \"IneverheardtherewasanythingverydreadfulinDresden,\"I

  interposed。

  MissRucklookedatmeamoment。\"Well,Idon’tbelieveYOUareagoodAmerican,\"shereplied,\"andIneversupposedyouwere。YouhadbettergointhereandtalktoMrs。Church。\"

  \"Dresdenisreallyverynice,isn’tit?\"Iaskedofhercompanion。

  \"Itisn’tniceifyouhappentopreferNewYork,\"saidMissSophy。

  \"MissChurchprefersNewYork。TellhimyouaredyingtoseeNewYork;itwillmakehimangry,\"shewenton。

  \"Ihavenodesiretomakehimangry,\"saidAurora,smiling。

  \"ItisonlyMissRuckwhocandothat,\"Irejoined。\"HaveyoubeenalongtimeinEurope?\"

  \"Always。\"

  \"Icallthatwicked!\"MissSophydeclared。

  \"Youmightbeinaworseplace,\"Icontinued。\"IfindEuropeveryinteresting。\"

  MissRuckgavealittlelaugh。\"IwassayingthatyouwantedtopassforaEuropean。\"

  \"Yes,IwanttopassforaDalmatian。\"

  MissRucklookedatmeamoment。\"Well,youhadbetternotcomehome,\"shesaid。\"Noonewillspeaktoyou。\"

  \"Wereyouborninthesecountries?\"Iaskedofhercompanion。

  \"Oh,no;IcametoEuropewhenIwasasmallchild。ButIrememberAmericaalittle,anditseemsdelightful。\"

  \"Waittillyouseeitagain。It’sjusttoolovely,\"saidMissSophy。

  \"It’sthegrandestcountryintheworld,\"Iadded。

  MissRuckbegantotossherhead。\"Comeaway,mydear,\"shesaid。

  \"Ifthere’sacreatureIdespiseit’samanthattriestosayfunnythingsabouthisowncountry。\"

  \"Don’tyouthinkonecanbetiredofEurope?\"Auroraasked,lingering。

  \"Possibly——aftermanyyears。\"

  \"Fatherwastiredofitafterthreeweeks,\"saidMissRuck。

  \"Ihavebeenheresixteenyears,\"herfriendwenton,lookingatmewithacharmingintentness,asifshehadapurposeinspeaking。\"Itusedtobeformyeducation。Idon’tknowwhatit’sfornow。\"

  \"She’sbeautifullyeducated,\"saidMissRuck。\"Sheknowsfourlanguages。\"

  \"IamnotverysurethatIknowEnglish。\"

  \"YoushouldgotoBoston!\"criedMissSophy。\"TheyspeaksplendidlyinBoston。\"

  \"C’estmonreve,\"saidAurora,stilllookingatme。

  \"HaveyoubeenalloverEurope,\"Iasked——\"inallthedifferentcountries?\"

  Shehesitatedamoment。\"Everywherethatthere’sapension。Mammaisdevotedtopensions。Wehavelived,atonetimeoranother,ineverypensioninEurope。\"

  \"Well,Ishouldthinkyouhadseenaboutenough,\"saidMissRuck。

  \"It’sadelightfulwayofseeingEurope,\"Aurorarejoined,withherbrilliantsmile。\"Youmayimaginehowithasattachedmetothedifferentcountries。Ihavesuchcharmingsouvenirs!ThereisapensionawaitingusnowatDresden,——eightfrancsaday,withoutwine。That’sratherdear。Mammameanstomakethemgiveuswine。

  Mammaisagreatauthorityonpensions;sheisknown,thatway,alloverEurope。LastwinterwewereinItaly,andshediscoveredoneatPiacenza,——fourfrancsaday。Wemadeeconomies。\"

  \"Yourmotherdoesn’tseemtominglemuch,\"observedMissRuck,glancingthroughthewindowatthescholasticattitudeofMrs。

  Church。

  \"No,shedoesn’tmingle,exceptinthenativesociety。Thoughshelivesinpensions,shedeteststhem。\"

  \"Whydoessheliveinthem,then?\"askedMissSophy,ratherresentfully。

  \"Oh,becausewearesopoor;it’sthecheapestwaytolive。Wehavetriedhavingacook,butthecookalwayssteals。Mammausedtosetmetowatchher;that’sthewayIpassedmyjeunesse——mybellejeunesse。Wearefrightfullypoor,\"theyounggirlwenton,withthesamestrangefrankness——acuriousmixtureofgirlishgraceandconsciouscynicism。\"Nousn’avonspaslesou。That’soneofthereasonswedon’tgobacktoAmerica;mammasayswecan’taffordtolivethere。\"

  \"Well,anyonecanseethatyou’reanAmericangirl,\"MissRuckremarked,inaconsolatorymanner。\"IcantellanAmericangirlamileoff。You’vegottheAmericanstyle。\"

  \"I’mafraidIhaven’ttheAmericantoilette,\"saidAurora,lookingattheother’ssuperiorsplendour。

  \"Well,yourdresswascutinFrance;anyonecanseethat。\"

  \"Yes,\"saidAurora,withalaugh,\"mydresswascutinFrance——atAvranches。\"

  \"Well,you’vegotalovelyfigure,anyway,\"pursuedhercompanion。

  \"Ah,\"saidtheyounggirl,\"atAvranches,too,myfigurewasadmired。\"Andshelookedatmeaskance,withacertaincoquetry。

  ButIwasaninnocentyouth,andIonlylookedbackather,wondering。ShewasagreatdealnicerthanMissRuck,andyetMissRuckwouldnothavesaidthat。\"ItrytobelikeanAmericangirl,\"

  shecontinued;\"Idomybest,thoughmammadoesn’tatallencourageit。Iamverypatriotic。Itrytocopythem,thoughmammahasbroughtmeupalafrancaise;thatis,asmuchasonecaninpensions。Forinstance,Ihaveneverbeenoutofthehousewithoutmamma;oh,never,never。ButsometimesIdespair;Americangirlsaresowonderfullyfrank。Ican’tbefrank,likethat。Iamalwaysafraid。ButIdowhatIcan,asyousee。Excusezdupeu!\"

  Ithoughtthisyoungladyatleastasoutspokenasmostofherunexpatriatedsisters;therewassomethingalmostcomicalinherdespondency。Butshehadbynomeanscaught,asitseemedtome,theAmericantone。Whateverhertonewas,however,ithadafascination;

  therewassomethingdaintyaboutit,andyetitwasdecidedlyaudacious。

  Theyoungladiesbegantostrollaboutthegardenagain,andI

  enjoyedtheirsocietyuntilM。Pigeonneau’sfestivalcametoanend。

  CHAPTERV。

  Mr。RuckdidnottakehisdepartureforAppenzellonthemorrow,inspiteoftheeagernesstowitnesssuchaneventwhichhehadattributedtoMrs。Church。Hecontinued,onthecontrary,formanydaysafter,tohangaboutthegarden,towanderuptothebanker’sandbackagain,toengageindesultoryconversationwithhisfellow-

  boarders,andtoendeavourtoassuagehisconstitutionalrestlessnessbyperusaloftheAmericanjournals。ButonthemorrowIhadthehonourofmakingMrs。Church’sacquaintance。Shecameintothesalon,afterthemiddaybreakfast,withherGermanoctavounderherarm,andsheappealedtomeforassistanceinselectingaquietcorner。

  \"Wouldyouverykindly,\"shesaid,\"movethatlargefauteuilalittlemorethisway?Notthelargest;theonewiththelittlecushion。

  Thefauteuilshereareveryinsufficient;ImustaskMadameBeaurepasforanother。Thankyou;alittlemoretotheleft,please;thatwilldo。Areyouparticularlyengaged?\"sheinquired,aftershehadseatedherself。\"Ifnot,Ishouldliketohavesomeconversationwithyou。ItissometimesinceIhavemetayoungAmericanofyour——

  whatshallIcallit?——youraffiliations。IhavelearnedyournamefromMadameBeaurepas;IthinkIusedtoknowsomeofyourpeople。I

  don’tknowwhathasbecomeofallmyfriends。Iusedtohaveacharminglittlecircleathome,butnowImeetnooneIknow。Don’tyouthinkthereisagreatdifferencebetweenthepeopleonemeetsandthepeopleonewouldliketomeet?Fortunately,sometimes,\"

  addedmyinterlocutressgraciously,\"it’squitethesame。Isupposeyouareaspecimen,afavourablespecimen,\"shewenton,\"ofyoungAmerica。Tellme,now,whatisyoungAmericathinkingofinthesedaysofours?Whatareitsfeelings,itsopinions,itsaspirations?

  WhatisitsIDEAL?\"IhadseatedmyselfnearMrs。Church,andshehadpointedthisinterrogationwiththegazeofherbrightlittleeyes。IfeltitembarrassingtobetreatedasafavourablespecimenofyoungAmerica,andtobeexpectedtoanswerforthegreatrepublic。Observingmyhesitation,Mrs。Churchclaspedherhandsontheopenpageofherbookandgaveanintense,melancholysmile。

  \"HASitanideal?\"shesoftlyasked。\"Well,wemusttalkofthis,\"

  shewenton,withoutinsisting。\"Speak,forthepresent,foryourselfsimply。HaveyoucometoEuropewithanyspecialdesign?\"

  \"Nothingtoboastof,\"Isaid。\"Iamstudyingalittle。\"

  \"Ah,Iamgladtohearthat。YouaregatheringupalittleEuropeanculture;that’swhatwelack,youknow,athome。Noindividualcandomuch,ofcoarse。Butyoumustnotbediscouraged;everylittlecounts。\"

  \"Iseethatyou,atleast,aredoingyourpart,\"Irejoinedgallantly,droppingmyeyesonmycompanion’slearnedvolume。

  \"Yes,IfranklyadmitthatIamfondofstudy。Thereisnoone,afterall,liketheGermans。Thatis,forfacts。ForopinionsIbynomeansalwaysgowiththem。Iformmyopinionsmyself。Iamsorrytosay,however,\"Mrs。Churchcontinued,\"thatIcanhardlypretendtodiffusemyacquisitions。IamafraidIamsadlyselfish;Idolittletoirrigatethesoil。Ibelong——Ifranklyconfessit——totheclassofabsentees。\"

  \"Ihadthepleasure,lastevening,\"Isaid,\"ofmakingtheacquaintanceofyourdaughter。ShetoldmeyouhadbeenalongtimeinEurope。\"

  Mrs。Churchsmiledbenignantly。\"Canoneeverbetoolong?Weshallneverleaveit。\"

  \"Yourdaughterwon’tlikethat,\"Isaid,smilingtoo。

  \"Hasshebeentakingyouintoherconfidence?Sheisamoresensibleyoungladythanshesometimesappears。Ihavetakengreatpainswithher;sheisreally——Imaybepermittedtosayit——superblyeducated。\"

  \"Sheseemedtomeaverycharminggirl,\"Irejoined。\"AndIlearnedthatshespeaksfourlanguages。\"

  \"Itisnotonlythat,\"saidMrs。Church,inatonewhichsuggestedthatthismightbeaverysuperficialspeciesofculture。\"Shehasmadewhatwecalldefortesetudes——suchasIsupposeyouaremakingnow。Sheisfamiliarwiththeresultsofmodernscience;shekeepspacewiththenewhistoricalschool。\"

  \"Ah,\"saidI,\"shehasgonemuchfartherthanI!\"

  \"YoudoubtlessthinkIexaggerate,andyouforceme,therefore,tomentionthefactthatIamabletospeakofsuchmatterswithacertainintelligence。\"

  \"Thatisveryevident,\"Isaid。\"Butyourdaughterthinksyououghttotakeherhome。\"Ibegantofear,assoonasIhadutteredthesewords,thattheysavouredoftreacherytotheyounglady,butIwasreassuredbyseeingthattheyproducedonhermother’splacidcountenancenosymptomwhateverofirritation。

  \"Mydaughterhasherlittletheories,\"Mrs。Churchobserved;\"shehas,Imaysay,herillusions。Andwhatwonder!Whatwouldyouthbewithoutitsillusions?AurorahasatheorythatshewouldbehappierinNewYork,inBoston,inPhiladelphia,thaninoneofthecharmingoldcitiesinwhichourlotiscast。Butsheismistaken,thatisall。Wemustallowourchildrentheirillusions,mustwenot?Butwemustwatchoverthem。\"

  Althoughsheherselfseemedproofagainstdiscomposure,Ifoundsomethingvaguelyirritatinginhersoft,sweetpositiveness。

  \"Americancities,\"Isaid,\"aretheparadiseofyounggirls。\"

  \"Doyoumean,\"askedMrs。Church,\"thattheyounggirlswhocomefromthoseplacesareangels?\"

  \"Yes,\"Isaid,resolutely。

  \"Thisyounglady——whatisheroddname?——withwhommydaughterhasformedasomewhatprecipitateacquaintance:isMissRuckanangel?

  ButIwon’tforceyoutosayanythinguncivil。Itwouldbetoocrueltomakeasingleexception。\"

  \"Well,\"saidI,\"atanyrate,inAmericayounggirlshaveaneasierlot。Theyhavemuchmoreliberty。\"

  Mycompanionlaidherhandforaninstantonmyarm。\"Mydearyoungfriend,IknowAmerica,Iknowtheconditionsoflifethere,sowell。

  ThereisperhapsnosubjectonwhichIhavereflectedmorethanonournationalidiosyncrasies。\"

  \"Iamafraidyoudon’tapproveofthem,\"saidI,alittlebrutally。

  Brutalindeedmypropositionwas,andMrs。Churchwasnotpreparedtoassenttoitinthisroughshape。Shedroppedhereyesonherbook,withanairofacutemeditation。Then,raisingthem,\"Weareverycrude,\"shesoftlyobserved——\"weareverycrude。\"Lesteventhisdelicately-utteredstatementshouldseemtosavourofthevicethatshedeprecated,shewentontoexplain。\"Therearetwoclassesofminds,youknow——thosethatholdback,andthosethatpushforward。

  MydaughterandIarenotpushers;wemovewithlittlesteps。Weliketheold,troddenpaths;weliketheold,oldworld。\"

  \"Ah,\"saidI,\"youknowwhatyoulike;thereisagreatvirtueinthat。\"

  \"Yes,welikeEurope;wepreferit。WeliketheopportunitiesofEurope;weliketheREST。Thereissomuchinthat,youknow。Theworldseemstometobehurrying,pressingforwardsofiercely,withoutknowingwhereitisgoing。’Whither?’Ioftenask,inmylittlequietway。ButIhaveyettolearnthatanyonecantellme。\"

  \"You’reagreatconservative,\"Iobserved,whileIwonderedwhetherI

  myselfcouldanswerthisinquiry。

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