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！
grew older you would see it as we did； andand behave differently。 And
now； if； after all we've been through with you； you are going to say that
you won't have Mr。 Breckon〃
Mrs。 Kenton stopped for want of a figure that would convey all the
disaster that would fall upon Ellen in such an event； and she was given
further pause when the girl gently answered； 〃I'm not going to say that；
momma。〃
〃Then what in the world are you going to say？〃 Mrs。 Kenton demanded。
Ellen had turned her face away on the pillow； and now she answered；
quietly； 〃When Mr。 Breckon asks me I will tell him。〃
〃Well； you had better！〃 her mother threatened in return； and she did not
realize the falsity of her position till she reported Ellen's words to
the judge。
Well； Sarah； I think she had you there；〃 he said； and Mrs。 Kenton then
said that she did not care； if the child was only going to behave
sensibly at last； and she did believe she was。
〃Then it's all right〃 said the judge； and he took up the Tuskingum
Intelligencer； lying till then unread in the excitements which had
followed its arrival the day before； and began to read it。
Mrs。 Kenton sat dreamily watching him； with her hands fallen in her lap。
She suddenly started up； with the cry； 〃Good gracious！ What are we all
thinking of？〃
Kenton stared at her over the top of his paper。 〃How； thinking of？〃
〃Why Mr。 Breckon！ He must be crazy to know what we've decided； poor
fellow！〃
〃Oh；〃 said the judge； folding the Intelligencer on his knee。 〃I had
forgotten。 Somehow； I thought it was all settled。〃
Mrs； Kenton took his paper from him； and finished folding it。 〃It hasn't
begun to be settled。 You must go and let him know。〃
〃Won't he look me up？〃 the judge suggested。
〃You must look him up。 Go at once dear！ Think how anxious he must be！〃
Kenton was not sure that Breckon looked very anxious when he found him on
the brick promenade before the Kurhaus； apparently absorbed in noting the
convulsions of a large； round German lady in the water； who must have
supposed herself to be bathing。 But perhaps the young man did not see
her； the smile on his face was too vague for such an interest when he
turned at Kenton's approaching steps。
The judge hesitated for an instant； in which the smile left Breckon's
face。 〃I believe that's all right； Mr。 Breckon；〃 he said。 〃You'll find
Mrs。 Kenton in our parlor；〃 and then the two men parted； with an 〃Oh；
thank you！〃 from Breckon； who walked back towards the hotel； and left
Kenton to ponder upon the German lady； as soon as he realized that she
was not a barrel； the judge continued his walk along the promenade；
feeling rather ashamed。
Mrs。 Kenton had gone to Ellen's room again when she had got the judge off
upon his mission。 She rather flung in upon her。 〃Oh； you are up！〃 she
apologized to Ellen's back。 The girl's face was towards the glass； and
she was tilting her head to get the effect of the hat on it； which she
now took off。
〃I suppose poppa's gone to tell him；〃 she said； sitting tremulously down。
〃Didn't you want him to？〃 her mother asked； stricken a little at sight
of her agitation。
〃Yes； I wanted him to； but that doesn't make it any easier。 It makes it
harder。 Momma！〃
〃Well； Ellen？〃
〃You know you've got to tell him； first。〃
〃Tell him？〃 Mrs。 Kenton repeated； but she knew what Ellen meant。
〃AboutMr。 Bittridge。 All about it。 Every single thing。 About his
kissing me that night。〃
At the last demand Mrs。 Kenton was visibly shaken in her invisible assent
to the girl's wish。 〃Don't you think； Ellen； that you had better tell
him thatsome time？〃
〃No； now。 And you must tell him。 You let me go to the theatre with
him。〃 The faintest shadow of resentment clouded the girl's face； but
still Mrs。 Kenton； thought she knew her own guilt； could not yield。
〃Why； Ellen；〃 she pleaded； not without a reproachful sense of vulgarity
in such a plea； 〃don't you suppose HE everkissed any one？〃
〃That doesn't concern me； momma；〃 said Ellen； without a trace of
consciousness that she was saying anything uncommon。 〃If you won't tell
him； then that ends it。 I won't see him。〃
〃Oh； well！〃 her mother sighed。 〃I will try to tell him。 But I'd rather
be whipped。 I know he'll laugh at me。〃
〃He won't laugh at you；〃 said the girl； confidently； almost comfortingly。
〃I want him to know everything before I meet him。 I don't want to have a
single thing on my mind。 I don't want to think of myself！〃
Mrs。 Kenton understood the womansoul that spoke in these words。
〃Well；〃 she said； with a deep； long breath； 〃be ready； then。〃
But she felt the burden which had been put upon her to be so much more
than she could bear that when she found her husband in their parlor she
instantly resolved to cast it upon him。 He stood at the window with his
hat on。
〃Has Breckon been here yet？〃 he asked。
〃Have you seen him yet？〃 she returned。
〃Yes； and I thought he was coming right here。 But perhaps he stopped to
screw his courage up。 He only knew how little it needed with us！〃
〃Well； now； it's we who've got to have the courage。 Or you have。 Do you
know what Ellen wants to have done？〃 Mrs。 Kenton put it in these
impersonal terms； and as a preliminary to shirking her share of the
burden。
〃She doesn't want to have him refused？〃
〃She wants to have him told all about Bittridge。〃
After a momentary revolt the judge said； 〃Well； that's right。 It's like
Ellen。〃
〃There's something else that's more like her；〃 said Mrs。 Kenton；
indignantly。 〃She wants him to told about what Bittridge did that night
about him kissing her。〃
The judge looked disgusted with his wife for the word； then he looked
aghast。 〃About〃
〃Yes； and she won't have a word to say to him till he is told； and unless
he is told she will refuse him。〃
〃Did she say that？〃
〃No； but I know she will。〃
〃If she didn't say she would； I think we may take the chances that she
won't。〃
〃No； we mustn't take any such chances。 You must tell him。〃
〃I？ No； I couldn't manage it。 I have no tact； and it would sound so
confoundedly queer； coming from one man to another。 It would be
indelicate。 It's something that nobody but a woman Why doesn't she
tell him herself？〃
〃She won't。 She considers it our part； and something we ought to do
before he commits himself。〃
〃Very well； then； Sarah； you must tell him。 You can manage it so it
won't by soqueer。
〃That is just what I supposed you would say； Mr。 Kenton； but I must say I
didn't expect it of you。 I think it's cowardly。〃
〃Look out； Sarah！ I don't like that word。〃
〃Oh； I suppose you're brave enough when it comes to any kind of danger。
But when it comes to taking the brunt of anything unpleasant〃
〃It isn't unpleasantit's queer。〃
〃Why do you keep saying that over and over？ There's nothing queer about
it。 It's Ellenish but isn't it right？〃
〃It's right； yes； I suppose。 But it's squeamish。〃
〃I see nothing squeamish about it。 But I know you're determined to leave
it to me； and so I shall do it。 I don't believe Mr。 Breckon will think
it's queer or squeamish。〃
〃I've no doubt he'll take it in the right way； you'll know how to〃
Kenton looked into his hat； which he had taken off and then put it on
again。 His tone and his manner were sufficiently sneaking； and he could
not make them otherwise。 It was for this reason； no doubt； that he would
not prolong the interview。
〃Oh yes； go！〃 said Mrs。 Kenton； as he found himself with his hand on the
door。 〃Leave it all to me； do！〃 and he was aware of skulking out of the
room。 By the time that it would have taken him so long as to walk to the
top of the grand stairway he was back again。 〃He's coming！〃 he said；
breathlessly。 〃I saw him at the bottom of the stairs。 Go into your room
and wash your eyes。 I'LL tell him。〃
〃No； no； Rufus！ Let me！ It will be much better。 You'll be sure to
bungle it。〃
〃We must risk that。 You were quite right； Sarah。 It would have been
cowardly in me to let you do it。〃
〃Rufus！ You know I didn't mean it！ Surely you're not resenting that？〃
〃No。 I'm glad you made me see it。 You're all right； Sarah； and yo