按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
their love； they might suffer； but they could not choose but do as they
were doing。
Clementina was trying to make what she could of this when Miss Milray's
name came up； and Miss Milray followed it。
〃I wanted to ask after Mrs。 Lander； and I want you to tell her ； I did。
Will you？ Dr。 Welwright says he's going to take her to Venice。 Well；
I'm sorrysorry for your going； Clementina； and I'm truly sorry for the
cause of it。 I shall miss you； my dear； I shall indeed。 You know I
always wanted to steal you； but you'll do me the justice to say I never
did； and I won't try； now。〃
〃Perhaps I wasn't worth stealing；〃 Clementina suggested； with a
ruefulness in her smile that went to Miss Milray's heart。
She put her arms round her and kissed her。 I wasn't very kind to you； the
other day； Clementina； was I？〃
〃I don't know；〃 Clementina faltered； with half…averted face。
〃Yes； you do！ I was trying to make…believe that I didn't want to meddle
with your affairs； but I was really vexed that you hadn't told me your
story before。 It hasn't taken me all this time to reflect that you
couldn't； but it has to make myself come and confess that I had been dry
and cold with you。〃 She hesitated。 〃It's come out all right； hasn't it；
Clementina？〃 she asked； tenderly。 〃You see I want to meddle； now。〃
〃We ah' trying to think so；〃 sighed the girl。
〃Tell me about it！〃 Miss Milray pulled her down on the sofa with her； and
modified her embrace to a clasp of Clementina's bands。
〃Why； there isn't much to tell；〃 she began； but she told what there was；
and Miss Milray kept her countenance concerning the scruple that had
parted Clementina and her lover。 〃Perhaps he wouldn't have thought of
it；〃 she said； in a final self…reproach； if I hadn't put it into his
head。〃
〃Well； then； I'm not sorry you put it into his head；〃 cried Miss Milray。
〃Clementina； may I say what I think of Mr。 Gregory's performance？〃
〃Why； certainly； Miss Milray！〃
I think he's not merely a gloomy little bigot； but a very hard…hearted
little wretch； and I'm glad you're rid of him。 No； stop！ Let me go on！
You said I might！ she persisted； at a protest which imparted itself from
Clementina's restive hands。 〃It was selfish and cruel of him to let you
believe that he had forgotten you。 It doesn't make it right now； when an
accident has forced him to tell you that he cared for you all along。〃
〃Why； do you look at it that way； Miss Milray？ If he was doing it on my
account？〃
〃He may think he was doing it on your account； but I think he was doing
it on his own。 In such a thing as that； a man is bound by his mistakes；
if he has made any。 He can't go back of them by simply ignoring them。
It didn't make it the same for you when he decided for your sake that he
would act as if he had never spoken to you。〃
〃I presume he thought that it would come right； sometime；〃 Clementina
urged。 〃I did。〃
〃Yes； that was very well for you； but it wasn't at all well for him。 He
behaved cruelly； there's no other word for it。〃
〃I don't believe he meant to be cruel； Miss Milray；〃 said Clementina。
〃You're not sorry you've broken with him？〃 demanded Miss Milray；
severely； and she let go of Clementina's hands。
〃I shouldn't want him to think I hadn't been fai'a。〃
〃I don't understand what you mean by not being fair；〃 said Miss Milray；
after a study of the girl's eyes。
〃I mean；〃 Clementina explained； 〃that if I let him think the religion was
all the'e was； it wouldn't have been fai'a。〃
Why； weren't you sincere about that？〃
〃Of cou'se I was！〃 returned the girl； almost indignantly。 〃But if the'e
was anything else； I ought to have told him that； too； and I couldn't。〃
〃Then you can't tell me； of course？〃 Miss Milray rose in a little pique。
〃Perhaps some day I will；〃 the girl entreated。 〃And perhaps that was
all。〃
Miss Milray laughed。 〃Well； if that was enough to end it； I'm satisfied；
and I'll let you keep your mysteryif it is onetill we meet in Venice；
I shall be there early in June。 Good bye； dear； and say good bye to Mrs。
Lander for me。〃
XXVIII。
Dr。 Welwright got his patient a lodging on the Grand Canal in Venice； and
decided to stay long enough to note the first effect of the air and the
baths； and to look up a doctor to leave her with。
This took something more than a week； which could not all be spent in
Mrs。 Lander's company； much as she wished it。 There were hours which he
gave to going about in a gondola with Clementina； whom he forbade to be
always at the invalid's side。 He tried to reassure her as to Mrs。
Lander's health； when be found her rather mute and absent； while they
drifted in the silvery sun of the late April weather； just beginning to
be warm； but not warm enough yet for the tent of the open gondola。 He
asked her about Mrs。 Lander's family； and Clementina could only tell him
that she had always said she had none。 She told him the story of her own
relation to her； and he said； 〃Yes； I heard something of that from Miss
Milray。〃 After a moment of silence； during which he looked curiously
into the girl's eyes； 〃Do you think you can bear a little more care； Miss
Claxon？〃
〃I think I can；〃 said Clementina； not very courageously； but patiently。
〃It's only this； and I wouldn't tell you if I hadn't thought you equal to
it。 Mrs。 Lander's case puzzles me： But I shall leave Dr。 Tradonico
watching it； and if it takes the turn that there's a chance it may take；
he will tell you； and you'd better find out about her friends； andlet
them know。 That's all。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Clementina； as if it were not quite enough。 Perhaps she did
not fully realize all that the doctor had intended； life alone is
credible to the young； life and the expectation of it。
The night before he was to return to Florence there was a full moon； and
when he had got Mrs。 Lander to sleep he asked Clementina if she would not
go out on the lagoon with him。 He assigned no peculiar virtue to the
moonlight； and he had no new charge to give her concerning his patient
when they were embarked。 He seemed to wish her to talk about herself；
and when she strayed from the topic； he prompted her return。 Then he
wished to know how she liked Florence； as compared with Venice； and all
the other cities she had seen； and when she said she had not seen any but
Boston and New York； and London for one night； he wished to know whether
she liked Florence as well。 She said she liked it best of all； and he
told her he was very glad； for he liked it himself better than any place
he had ever seen。 He spoke of his family in America； which was formed of
grownup brothers and sisters； so that he had none of the closest and
tenderest ties obliging him to return； there was no reason why he should
not spend all his days in Florence； except for some brief visits home。
It would be another thing with such a place as Venice； he could never
have the same settled feeling there： it was beautiful； but it was unreal；
it would be like spending one's life at the opera。 Did not she think so？
She thought so； oh； yes； she never could have the home…feeling at Venice
that she had at Florence。
〃Exactly； that'