the red acorn- 第7部分

〃My　downfall？〃　broke　in　Harry　hotly。　　〃Great　heavens；　you　don't　say　that　you；　too；　have　been　carried　away　by　this　wretched　village　slander？〃

〃I　put　it　on；〃　she　continued；　unmindful　of　the　interruption；　〃because　I　suffered　a　loss　which　was　greater　than　any　merely　physical　death　could　have　occasioned。〃

〃I　don't　understand　you。〃

〃My　faith　in　you　as　a　man　superior　to　your　fellows　died　then。　　This　was　a　much　more　cruel　blow　than　your　bodily　death　would　have　been。〃

〃'Fore　gad；　you　take　a　pleasant　view　of　my　deceasea　much　cooler　one；　I　must　confess；　than　I　am　able　to　take　of　that　interesting　event　in　my　history。〃

Her　great　eyes　blazed；　and　she　seemed　about　to　reply　hotly；　but　she　restrained　herself　and　went　on　with　measured　calmness：

〃The　reason　I　selected　you　from　among　all　other　men；　and　loved　you；　and　joyfully　accepted　as　my　lot　in　life　to　be　your　devoted　wife　and　helpmate；　was　that　I　believed　you　superior　in　all　manly　things　to　other　men。　　Without　such　a　belief　I　could　love　no　man。〃

She　paused　for　an　instant；　and　Harry　managed　to　stammer：

〃But　what　have　I　done　to　deserve　being　thrown　over　in　this　unexpected　way？〃

〃You　have　not　done　anything。　　That　is　the　trouble。　　You　have　failed　to　do　that　which　was　rightfully　expected　of　you。　　You　have　allowed　others；　who　had　no　better　opportunities；　to　surpass　you　in　doing　your　manly　duty。　　Whatever　else　my　husband　may　not　be　he　must　not　fail　in　this。〃

〃Rachel；　you　are　hard　and　cruel。〃

〃No；　I　am　only　kind　to　you　and　to　myself。　　I　know　myself　too　well　to　make　a　mistake　in　this　respect。　　I　have　seen　too　many　women　who　have　been　compelled　to　defend；　apologize；　or　blush　for　their　husband's　acts；　and　have　felt　too　keenly　the　abject　misery　of　their　lives　to　take　the　least　chance　of　adding　myself　to　their　sorrowful　number。　　If　I　were　married　to　you　I　could　endure　to　be　beaten　by　you　and　perhaps　love　you　still；　but　the　moment　I　was　compelled　to　confess　your　inferiority　to　some　other　woman's　husband　I　should　hate　you；　and　in　the　end　drag　both　of　us　down　to　miserable　graves。〃

〃But　let　me　explain　this。〃

〃It　would　be　a　waste　of　time；〃　she　answered　coldly。　　〃It　is　sufficient　for　me　to　know　that　you　are　convicted　by　general　opinion　of　having　failed　where　a　number　of　commonplace　fellows　succeeded。　　You；　yourself；　admit　the　justice　of　this　verdict　by　tame　submission　to　it；　making　no　effort　to　retrieve　your　reputation。　　I　can　not　understand　how　this　could　be　so　if　you　had　any　of　the　qualities　that　I　fondly　imagined　you　possessed　in　a　high　degree。　　But　this　interview　is　being　protracted　to　a　painful　extent。　　Let　us　say　good　night　and　part。〃

〃Forever？〃　he　stammered。

〃Yes。〃

She　held　out　her　hand　for　farewell。　　Harry　caught　it　and　would　have　carried　it　to　his　lips；　but　she　drew　it　away。

〃No；　all　that　must　be　ended　now；〃　she　said；　with　the　first　touch　of　gentleness　that　had　shaded　her　sad；　serious　eyes。

〃Will　you　give　me　no　hope？〃　said　Harry；　pleadingly。

〃When　you　can　make　people　forget　the　pastif　ever〃　she　said；　〃then　I　will　change　this　dress　and　you　can　come　back　to　me。〃

She　bowed　and　entered　the　house。





Chapter　V。　　The　Lint…scraping　and　Bandage…making　Union。




At　length　I　have　acted　my　severest　part：　I　feel　the　woman　breaking　in　upon　me；　And　melt　about　my　heart：　　My　tears　will　flow。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Addison。


Rachel　Bond's　will　had　carried　her　triumphantly　through　a　terrible　ordealhow　terrible　no　one　could　guess；　unless　he　followed　her　to　her　room　after　the　interview　and　saw　her　alone　with　her　agony。　She　did　not　weep。　　Tears　did　not　lie　near　the　surface　with　her。　　The　lachrymal　glands　had　none　of　that　ready　sensitiveness　which　gives　many　superficial　women　the　credit　of　deep　feeling。　　But　when　she　did　weep　it　was　not　an　April　shower；　but　a　midsummer　tempest。

Now　it　was　as　if　her　intense　grief　were　a　powerful　cautery　which　seared　and　sealed　every　duct　of　the　fountain　of　tears　and　left　her　eyes　hot　and　dry　as　her　heart　was　ashes。

With　pallid　face　and　lips　set　until　the　blood　was　forced　from　them；　and　they　made　a　thin　purplish　line　in　the　pale　flesh；　she　walked　the　floor　back　and　forth；　ever　back　and　forth；　until　a　half…stumble；　as　she　was　turning　in　a　dreary　round；　revealed　to　her　that　she　was　almost　dropping　from　exhaustion。

She　had　thought　her　love　for　Harry　had　received　its　death…blow　when　her　pride　in　him　had　been　so　rudely　shattered。　　But　this　meeting；　in　which　she　played　the　part　set　for　herself　with　a　brave　perfection　that　she　had　hardly　deemed　possible；　had　resurrected　every　dear　memory；　and　her　passion　sprung　into　life　again　to　mock　and　jeer　at　her　efforts　to　throttle　it　out　of　existence。　　With　him　toppling　from　the　pedestal　on　which　her　husband　must　stand；　she　had　told　herself　that　there　was　naught　left　but　to　roll　a　great　stone　against　the　sepulcher　in　which　her　love　must　henceforth　lie　buried；　hopeless　of　the　coming　of　any　bright　angle　to　unseal　the　gloomy　vault。　　Yet；　despite　the　entire　approval　given　this　by　her　judgment；　her　woman's　heart　cried　bitterly　for　a　return　of　the　joys　out　of　which　the　beauty　had　fled　forever。

Hours　passed　in　this　wrestle　with　pain。　　How　many　she　did　not　know；　but　when　she　came　forth　it　was　with　the　composure　of　one　who　had　fought　the　fight　and　won　the　victory；　but　at　a　cost　that　forbade　exultation。

…

There　was　one　ordeal　that　thus　far　she　had　not　been　called　upon　to　endure。　　From　the　day　on　which　she　had　donned　her　sable　robes　to　that　of　Harry's　return　no　one　had　ventured　to　speak　his　name　in　her　presence。　　Even　her　father　and　mother；　after　the　first　burst　of　indignation；　had　kept　silence　in　pity　for　her　suffering；　and　there　was　that　in　her　bearing　that　forbade　others　touching　upon　a　subject　in　her　hearing　that　elsewhere　was　discussed　with　the　hungry　avidity　of　village　gossips　masticating　a　fresh　scandal。

But　she　could　not　be　always　spared　thus。　　She　had　not　been　so　careful　of　the　feelings　of　less　favored　women　and　girls；　inferior　to　her　in　brightness；　as　to　gain　any　claim　for　clement　treatment　now；　when　the　displacement　of　a　portion　of　her　armor　of　superiority　gave　those　who　envied　or　disliked　her　an　unprotected　spot　upon　which　to　launch　their　irritating　little　darts。

All　the　sewing；　dorcas　and　mite　societies　of　the　several　churches　in　Sardis　had　been　merged　into　one　consolidated　Lint…Scraping　and　Bandage…Making　Union；　in　whose　enlarged　confines　the　waves　of　gossip　flowed　with　as　much　more　force　and　volume　as　other　waves　gain　when　the　floods　unite　a　number　of　small　pools　into　one　great　lake。

In　other　days　a　sensational　ripple　starting；　say　in　the　Episcopalian　〃Dorcas；〃　was　stilled　into　calmness　ere　it　passed　the　calm　and　stately　church　boundaries。　　It　would　not　do　to　let　its　existence　be　even　suspected　by　the　keen　eyes　of　the　freely…censorious　Presbyterian　dames；　or　the　sharp…witted；　agile…tongued　Methodist　ladies。

And；　much　as　these　latter　were　disposed　to　talk　over　the　weaknesses　and　foibles　of　their　absent　sisters　in　the　confidential　environments　of　the　Mite　Society　or　the　Sewing　Circle；　they　were　as　reluctant　to　expose　these　to　the　invidious　criticisms　of　the　women　of　the　other　churches　as　if　the　discussed　ones　had　been　their　sisters　in　fact；　and　not　simply　through　sectarian　affiliation。　　Church　pride；　if　nothing　else；　contributed　to　the　bridling　of　their　tongues；　and　checking　the　free　circulation　of　gossip。

〃Them　stuck…up　Presbyterian　and　Episcopalian　women　think　little　enough　on　us　now；　the　land　knows；〃　Mrs。　Deborah　Pancake　explained　to　a　newly…received　sister；　whom　she　was　instructing　in　elementary　duties。　　〃There's　no　use　giving　'em　more　reason　for　looking　down　upon　us。　　We　may　talk　over　each　other's　short…comings　among　ourselves；　private　like；　because　the　Bible　tells　us　to　admonish　and　watch　over　each　other。　　But　it　don't　say　that　we're　to　give　outsiders　any　chance　to　speak　ill　of　our　sisters…in…Christ。〃

And　Mrs。　Euphrosyne　Pursifer　remarked　to　the　latest　agreeable　accession　to　the　parish　of　St。　Marks；　with　that　graceful　indirection　that　gave　her　the　reputation　in　Sardis　of　being　a　feminine　Talleyrand：

〃Undoubtedly　the　ladies　in　these　outside　denominations　are　very　worthy　women；　dear；　but　a　certain　circumspection　seems　advisable　in　conversing　with　them　on　subjects　that　we　may　speak　of　rather　freely　among　ourselves。〃

The　rising　fervor　of　the　war　spirit　melted　away　most　of　these　barriers　to　a　free　interchange　of　gossip。　　With　the　first　thrill　of　pleasure　at　finding　that　patriotism　had　drawn　together　those　whom　the　churches　had　long　held　aloof　came　to　all　the　gushing　impulse　to　cement　the　newly…formed　relationship　by　confiding　to　each　other　secrets　heretofore　jealously　guarded。　　Nor　should　be　forgotten　the　〃narrative　stimulus〃　every　one　feels　on　gaining　new　listeners　to　old　stories。

It　was　so　graciously　condescending　in　Mrs。　Euphrosyne　Pursifer　to　communicate　to　Mrs。　Elizabeth　Baker　some　few　particulars　in　which　her　aristocratic　associates　of　St。　Marks　had　grieved　her　by　not　rising　to　her　standard　of　womanly　dignity　and　Christian　duty；　that　Mrs。　Baker　in　turn　was　only　too　happy　to　reciprocate　with　a　similar　confidence　in　regard　to　her　intimate　friends　of　Wesley　Chapel。

It　was　this　sudden　lapsing　of　all　restraint　that　made　the　waves　of　gossip　surge　like　sweeping　billows。

And　the　flotsam　that　appeared　most　frequently　of　late　on　their　crests；　and　that　was　tossed　most　relentlessly　hither　and　thither；　was　Rachel　Bond's　and　Harry　Glen's　conduct　and　relations　to　each　other。

The　Consolidated　Lint…scraping　and　Bandage…making　Union　was　holding　a　regular　session；　and　gossip　was　at　spring…tide。

〃It　is　certainly　queer；〃　said　Mrs。　Tufis；　one　of　her　regulation　smiles　illuminating　her　very　artificial　countenance；　〃it　is　singular　to　the　last　degree　that　we　don't　have　Miss　Rachel　Bond　among　us。　She　is　such　a　LOVELY　girl。　　I　am　very；　very　fond　of　her；　and　her　heart　is　thoroughly　in　unison　with　our　objects。　　It　would　seem　impossible　for　her　to　keep　away。〃

All　this　with　the　acrid　sub…flavor　of　irony　and　insincerity　with　which　an　insincere　woman　can　not　help　tainting　even　her　most　sincere　words。

〃Yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Tabitha　Grimes；　with　a　premeditated　acerbity　apparent　even　in　the　threading　of　her　needle；　into　the　eye　of　which　she　thrust　the　thread　as