登陆注册
15752500000021

第21章

We had undertaken rather a queer affair but it was not so queer after all, when Miss Gage was fairly settled with us. There were other young girls in that pleasant house who had only one another's protection and the general safety of the social atmosphere. We could not conceal from ourselves, of course, that we had done a rather romantic thing, and, in the light of Europe, which we had more or less upon our actions, rather an absurd thing; but it was a comfort to find that Miss Gage thought it neither romantic nor absurd. She took the affair with an apparent ignorance of anything unusual in it--with so much ignorance, indeed, that Mrs. March had her occasional question whether she was duly impressed with what was being done for her. Whether this was so or not, it is certain that she was as docile and as biddable as need be. She did not always ask what she should do; that would not have been in the tradition of village independence; but she always did what she was told, and did not vary from her instructions a hair's-breadth. I do not suppose she always knew why she might do this and might not do that; and Ido not suppose that young girls often understand the reasons of the proprieties. They are told that they must, and that they must not, and this in an astonishing degree suffices them if they are nice girls.

Of course there was pretty constant question of Kendricks in the management of Miss Gage's amusement, for that was really what our enterprise resolved itself into. He showed from the first the sweetest disposition to forward all our plans in regard to her, and, in fact, he even anticipated our wishes. I do not mean to give the notion that he behaved from an interested motive in going to the station the morning Mrs. Deering left, and getting her ticket for her, and checking her baggage, and posting her in the changes she would have to make. This was something I ought to have thought of myself, but I did not think of it, and I am willing that he should have all the credit.

I know that he did it out of the lovely generosity of nature which always took me in him. Miss Gage was there with her, and she remained to be consoled after Mrs. Deering departed. They came straight to us from the train, and then, when he had consigned Miss Gage to Mrs. March's care, he offered to go and see that her things were transferred from her hotel to ours; they were all ready, she said, and the bill was paid.

He did not come back that day, and, in fact, he delicately waited for some sign from us that his help was wanted. But when he did come he had formulated Saratoga very completely, and had a better conception of doing it than I had, after my repeated sojourns.

We went very early in our explorations to the House of Pansa, which you find in very much better repair at Saratoga than you do at Pompeii, and we contrived to pass a whole afternoon there. My wife and I had been there before more than once; but it always pleasantly recalled our wander-years, when we first met in Europe, and we suffered round after those young things with a patience which I hope will not be forgotten at the day of judgment. When we came to a seat we sat down, and let them go off by themselves; but my recollection is that there is not much furniture in the House of Pansa that you can sit down on, and for the most part we all kept together.

Kendricks and I thought alike about the Pompeian house as a model of something that might be done in the way of a seaside cottage in our own country, and we talked up a little paper that might be done for Every Other Week, with pretty architectural drawings, giving an account of our imaginary realisation of the notion.

"Have somebody," he said, "visit people who had been boring him to come down, or up, or out, and see them, and find them in a Pompeian house, with the sea in front and a blue-green grove of low pines behind. Might have a thread of story, but mostly talk about how they came to do it, and how delightfully livable they found it. You could work it up with some architect, who would help you to 'keep off the grass' in the way of technical blunders. With all this tendency to the classic in public architecture, I don't see why the Pompeian villa shouldn't be the next word for summer cottages.""Well, we'll see what Fulkerson says. He may see an ad. in it.

Would you like to do it?"

"Why not do it yourself? Nobody else could do it so well.""Thanks for the taffy; but the idea was yours.""I'll do it," said Kendricks after a moment, "if you won't.""We'll see."

Miss Gage stared, and Mrs. March said -

"I didn't suppose the House of Pansa would lead to shop with you two.""You never can tell which way copy lies," I returned; and I asked the girl, "What should YOU think, Miss Gage, of a little paper with a thread of story, but mostly talk, on a supposititious Pompeian cottage?""I don't believe I understand," said she, far too remote from our literary interests, as I saw, to be ashamed of her ignorance.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 总裁的娱乐圈女友

    总裁的娱乐圈女友

    不定时更新,希望大家支持。他,是全球黄金单身汉之一,换女人如换衣服,身家过亿。她,是娱乐圈一个跑龙套的,母亲重病在床,弟弟还在读高中,父亲在她生日那天,出了车祸,沉重的压力,她一个人扛。。。。。。。学生党命苦啊,希望大家支持。
  • 雨季少女

    雨季少女

    花样年华,雨季少女。青春的爱恋,叛逆,怎能几句概括。
  • 宠妃做将军

    宠妃做将军

    五年前,她拒绝了他,折损了他的骄傲,依他的性子,他怎么可能轻易罢休?他粗暴占有她,甚至有点刻意的折磨,只为发泄自己这五年,对她的念念不忘……
  • 无限伪书

    无限伪书

    是生存还是死亡?摆在绝望寻死的韩雨面前的,是通往新世界的大门,那里有无限的世界和无尽的谜团
  • 陌路青春—花季少女

    陌路青春—花季少女

    她曾经懵懵懂懂、不成熟玩弄别人的感情,却有一群至交好友,现在她却因为一场相识要和他厮守终生。是他让自己一步步走向成熟,让自己懂得了什么叫爱情!爱要放慢脚步慢慢去品尝,爱的酸甜苦辣,爱的刻苦艰难。一场简简单单的寻爱之旅就这样展开,可能在你们眼里很容易得到的爱情,在她眼里却异常艰难。
  • 从此我爱的人都像你

    从此我爱的人都像你

    “暖读”里的故事,都是平凡人间的小情感,主角不是王子和公主,情节不像韩剧跌宕起伏,但这里的每个故事,都有我们自己的影子。关于爱情、执念、宽恕和纪念。最应相爱的我们,故事最后才舍得放手,爱到不得己的我们都哭了,泪水却是温暖的。《从此我爱的人都像你》收录了20个爱情故事,“暖读”式疗愈风格,献给爱情路上执着却又不得不放下的你!
  • 魂弄九天

    魂弄九天

    人出生以来就存在着“魂”。而在这个大陆上人们的“魂”却不止于人之本源的“人魂”更有着赖于生存的“战魂”。而战魂在这个名为“魂陆”的地方就是强者的代名词。“魂陆”上有着一个传说,那就是——天生拥双战魂者,非王即尊。主角又如何在这个强者如云的大陆上展现光芒呢?
  • 设局

    设局

    认识岑昱之初,孟词以为他是男神、暖男,认识岑昱之后,孟词才知道,他就是一藏着尾巴的大灰狼。而他为她做的一切,只为引她入局。
  • 十洲记

    十洲记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 未曾伤心,何来无痕

    未曾伤心,何来无痕

    对于李裳昕来说,萧无痕是她的劫。对于萧无痕而已,李裳昕是他的孽。他从四年前的家教老师,到四年后的合作商。一点点走进她的心房。四年时光,再遇故人,开口却是生疏。历经背叛,重逢,逃婚,错位的爱情,能否走到最后?