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！
wished it。 Lottie was in open revolt； and animated her young men to a
share in the insurrection。 Her older brother was kindly and helpfully
acquiescent； but he was so far from advising the move that Kenton had
regularly to convince himself that Richard approved it； by making him say
that it was only for the winter and that it was the best way of helping
Ellen get rid of that fellow。 All this did not enable Kenton to meet the
problems of his younger son； who required him to tell what he was to do
with his dog and his pigeons； and to declare at once how he was to
dispose of the cocoons he had amassed so as not to endanger the future of
the moths and butterflies involved in them。 The boy was so fertile in
difficulties and so importunate for their solution； that he had to be
crushed into silence by his father； who ached in a helpless sympathy with
his reluctance。
Kenton came heavily upon the courage of his wife； who was urging forward
their departure with so much energy that he obscurely accused her of
being the cause of it； and could only be convinced of her innocence when
she offered to give the whole thing up if he said so。 When he would not
say so； she carried the affair through to the bitter end； and she did not
spare him some； pangs which she perhaps need not have shared with him。
But people are seldom man and wife for half their lives without wishing
to impart their sufferings as well as their pleasures to each other； and
Mrs。 Kenton； if she was no worse； was no better than other wives in
pressing to her husband's lips the cup that was not altogether sweet to
her own。 She went about the house the night before closing it； to see
that everything was in a state to be left； and then she came to Kenton in
his library； where he had been burning some papers and getting others
ready to give in charge to his son； and sat down by his cold hearth with
him； and wrung his soul with the tale of the last things she had been
doing。 When she had made him bear it all； she began to turn the bright
side of the affair to him。 She praised the sense and strength of Ellen；
in the course the girl had taken with herself； and asked him if he；
really thought they could have done less for her than they were doing。
She reminded him that they were not running away from the fellow； as she
had once thought they must； but Ellen was renouncing him； and putting him
out of her sight till she could put him out of her mind。 She did not
pretend that the girl had done this yet； but it was everything that she
wished to do it； and saw that it was best。 Then she kissed him on his
gray head； and left him alone to the first ecstasy of his homesickness。
It was better when they once got to New York； and were settled in an
apartment of an old…fashioned down…town hotel。 They thought themselves
very cramped in it； and they were but little easier when they found that
the apartments over and under them were apparently thought spacious for
families of twice their numbers。 It was the very quietest place in the
whole city； but Kenton was used to the stillness of Tuskingum； where；
since people no longer kept hens； the nights were stiller than in the
country itself； and for a week he slept badly。 Otherwise； as soon as
they got used to living in six rooms instead of seventeen； they were
really very comfortable。
He could see that his wife was glad of the release from housekeeping； and
she was growing gayer and seemed to be growing younger in the inspiration
of the great； good…natured town。 They had first come to New York on
their wedding journey； but since that visit she had always let him go
alone on his business errands to the East； these had grown less and less
frequent； and he had not seen New York for ten or twelve years。 He could
have waited as much longer； but he liked her pleasure in the place； and
with the homesickness always lurking at his heart he went about with her
to the amusements which she frequented； as she said； to help Ellen take
her mind off herself。 At the play and the opera he sat thinking of the
silent； lonely house at Tuakingum； dark among its leafless maples； and
the life that was no more in it than if they had all died out of it； and
he could not keep down a certain resentment； senseless and cruel； as if
the poor girl were somehow to blame for their exile。 When he betrayed
this feeling to his wife； as he sometimes must； she scolded him for it；
and then offered； if he really thought anything like that； to go back to
Tuskingum at once； and it ended in his having to own himself wrong； and
humbly promise that he never would let the child dream how he felt；
unless he really wished to kill her。 He was obliged to carry his self…
punishment so far as to take Lottie very sharply to task when she broke
out in hot rebellion； and declared that it was all Ellen's fault； she was
not afraid of killing her sister； and though she did not say it to her；
she said it of her； that anybody else could have got rid of that fellow
without turning the whole family out of house and home。
Lottie； in fact； was not having a bit good time in New York； which she
did not find equal in any way to Tuskingum for fun。 She hated the dull
propriety of the hotel； where nobody got acquainted； and every one was as
afraid as death of every one else； and in her desolation she was thrown
back upon the society of her brother Boyne。 They became friends in their
common dislike of New York； and pending some chance of bringing each
other under condemnation they lamented their banishment from Tuskingum
together。 But even Boyne contrived to make the heavy time pass more
lightly than she in the lessons he had with a tutor； and the studies of
the city which he carried on。 When the skating was not good in Central
Park he spent most of his afternoons and evenings at the vaudeville
theatres。 None of the dime museums escaped his research； and he
conversed with freaks and monsters of all sorts upon terms of friendly
confidence。 He reported their different theories of themselves to his
family with the same simple…hearted interest that he criticised the song
and dance artists of the vaudeville theatres。 He became an innocent but
by no means uncritical connoisseur of their attractions； and he surprised
with the constancy and variety of his experience in them a gentleman who
sat next him one night。 Boyne thought him a person of cultivation； and
consulted him upon the opinion he had formed that there was not so much
harm in such places as people said。 The gentleman distinguished in
saying that he thought you would not find more harm in them； if you did
not bring it with you； than you would in the legitimate theatres； and in
the hope of further wisdom from him； Boyne followed him out of the
theatre and helped him on with his overcoat。 The gentleman walked home
to his hotel with him； and professed a pleasure in his acquaintance which
he said he trusted they might sometime renew。
All at once the Kentons began to be acquainted in the hotel； as often
happens with people after they have long ridden up and down in the
elevator together in bonds of apparently perpetual strangeness。 From one
friendly family their acquaintance spread to others until they were；
almost without knowing it； suddenly and simultaneously on smiling and
then on speaking terms with the people of every permanent table in the
dining…room。 Lottie and Boyne burst the chains of the unnatural kindness
which bound them； and resumed their old relations of reciprocal censure。
He found a fellow of his own age in the apartment below； who had the same
country traditions and was engaged in a like inspection of the city； and
she discovered two girls on another floor； who said they received on
Saturdays and wanted her to receive with them。 They made a tea for her；
and asked some real New Yorkers； and such a round of pleasant little
events began for her that Boyne was forced to call his mother's attention
to the way Charlotte was going on with the young men whom she met and
frankly asked to call upon her without knowing anything about them； you
could not do that in New York； he said。
But by this time New York had gone to Mrs。 Kenton's head； too； and she
was less fitted to deal with Lottie than at home。 Whether she had
succeeded or not in helping Ellen take her mind off herself； she had
certainly freed her own from introspection in a dream of things which had
seemed impossible before。 She was in that moment of a woman's life which
has a certain pathos for the intelligent witness； when； having reared her
children and outgrown the more incessant cares of her motherhood； she
sometimes reverts to her girlish impulses and ideals； and confronts the
remaining opportunities of life with a joyful hope unknown to our heavier
and sullener sex in its later years。 It is this peculiar power of
rejuvenescence which perhaps makes so many women outlive their husbands；
who at the same age regard this world as an accomplished fact。 Mrs。
Kenton had kept up their reading long after Kenton found himself too busy
or too tired for it； and when he came from his office at night and fell
asleep over the book she wished him to hear； s