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！
hard to make the reader share； or perhaps to feel the importance of。
It is enough that it ended in the social vindication of Dan Mavering。
It would not have been enough for Mrs Pasmer that he was accepted in the
best Cambridge houses； she knew of old how people were accepted in
Cambridge for their intellectual brilliancy or solidity； their personal
worth； and all sorts of things； without consideration of the mystical
something which gives vogue in Boston。
〃How superb Alice was！〃 Mrs。 Saintsbury broke off abruptly。 〃She has
such a beautiful manner。 Such repose。〃
〃Repose！ Yes；〃 said her mother； thoughtfully。 〃But she's very intense。
And I don't see where she gets it。 Her father has repose enough； but he
has no intensity； and I'm all intensity； and no repose。 But I'm no more
like my mother than Alice is like me。〃
〃I think she has the Hibbins face；〃 said Mrs。 Saintsbury。
〃Oh！ she's got the Hibbins face；〃 said Mrs Pasmer； with a disdain of tone
which she did not at all feel； the tone was mere absent…mindedness。
She was about to revert to the question of Mavering's family； when the
door…bell rang； and another visitor interrupted her talk with Mrs。
Saintsbury。
IX。
Mrs。 Pasmer's husband looked a great deal older than herself； and； by
operation of a well…known law of compensation； he was lean and silent；
while she was plump and voluble。 He had thick eyebrows； which remained
black after his hair and beard had become white； and which gave him an
aspect of fierceness； expressive of nothing in his character。 It was
from him that their daughter got her height； and； as Mrs。 Pasmer freely
owned； her distinction。
Soon after their marriage the Pasmers had gone to live in Paris； where
they remained faithful to the fortunes of the Second Empire till its
fall； with intervals of return to their own country of a year or two
years at a time。 After the fall of the Empire they made their sojourn in
England； where they lived upon the edges and surfaces of things； as
Americans must in Europe everywhere； but had more permanency of feeling
than they had known in France； and something like a real social status。
At one time it seemed as if they might end their days there； but that
which makes Americans different from all other peoples； and which finally
claims their allegiance for their own land； made them wish to come back
to America； and to come back to Boston。 After all； their place in
England was strictly inferior； and must be。 They knew titles； and
consorted with them； but they had none themselves； and the English
constancy which kept their friends faithful to them after they had become
an old story； was correlated with the English honesty which never
permitted them to mistake themselves for even the lowest of the nobility。
They went out last； and they did not come in first； ever。
The invitations； upon these conditions； might have gone on indefinitely；
but they did not imply a future for the young girl in whom the interests
of her parents centred。 After being so long a little girl； she had
become a great girl； and then all at once she had become a young lady。
They had to ask themselves； the mother definitely and the father
formlessly； whether they wished their daughter to marry an Englishman；
and their hearts answered them； like true Republican hearts； Not an
untitled Englishman； while they saw no prospect of her getting any other。
Mrs。 Pasmer philosophised the case with a clearness and a courage which
gave her husband a series of twinges analogous to the toothache； for a
man naturally shrinks from such bold realisations。 She said Alice had
the beauty of a beauty； and she had the distinction of a beauty； but she
had not the principles of a beauty； there was no use pretending that she
had。 For this reason the Prince of Wales's set； so accessible to
American loveliness with the courage of its convictions； was beyond her；
and the question was whether there was money enough for a younger son； or
whether； if there was； a younger son was worth it。
However this might be； there was no question but there was now less money
than there had been； and a great deal less。 The investments had not
turned out as they promised； not only had dividends been passed； but
there had been permanent shrinkages。 What was once an amiable competency
from the pooling of their joint resources had dwindled to a sum that
needed a careful eye both to the income and the outgo。 Alice's becoming
a young lady had increased their expenses by the suddenly mounting cost
of her dresses； and of the dresses which her mother must now buy for the
different role she had to sustain in society。 They began to ask
themselves what it was for； and to question whether； if she could not
marry a noble Englishman； Alice had not better marry a good American。
Even with Mrs。 Pasmer this question was tacit； and it need not be
explained to any one who knows our life that in her most worldly dreams
she intended at the bottom of her heart that her daughter should marry
for love。 It is the rule that Americans marry for love； and the very
rare exception that they marry for anything else； and if our divorce
courts are so busy in spite of this fact； it is perhaps because the
Americans also unmarry for love； or perhaps because love is not so
sufficient in matters of the heart as has been represented in the
literature of people who have not been able to give it so fair a trial。
But whether it is all in all in marriage； or only a very marked
essential； it is certain that Mrs。 Pasmer expected her daughter's
marriage to involve it。 She would have shrunk from intimating anything
else to her as from a gross indecency； and she could not possibly； by any
finest insinuation； have made her a partner in her design for her
happiness。 That； so far as Alice was concerned； was a thing which was to
fall to her as from heaven； for this also is part of the American plan。
We are the children of the poets； the devotees of the romancers； so far
as that goes； and however material and practical we are in other things；
in this we are a republic of shepherds and shepherdesses； and we live in
a golden age； which if it sometimes seems an age of inconvertible paper；
is certainly so through no want of faith in us。
Though the Pasmers said that they ought to go home for Alice's sake； they
both understood that they were going home experimentally； and not with
the intention of laying their bones in their native soil； unless they
liked it； or found they could afford it。 Mrs。 Pasmer had no illusions in
regard to it。 She had learned from her former visits home that it was
frightfully expensive； and； during the fifteen years which they had spent
chiefly abroad； she had observed the decay of that distinction which
formerly attended returning sojourners from Europe。 She had seen them
cease gradually from the romantic reverence which once clothed them； and
decline through a gathering indifference into something like slight and
compassion； as people who have not been able to make their place or hold
their own at home； and she had taught herself so well how to pocket the
superiority natural to the Europeanised A