Howells_A_Chance_Acquaintance.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
she
approved of , and covered her with
praises and condolences.
", of course, , didn't, care
for knowing those people. should
want to know them fori what hurt
me was that he should so postpone me to
them, and ignore me before them, and leave
me without a word, then, when ought to
have been everything in the world to him
and first of all. believe things came to
me while sat there, as they do to drown-
ing people, all at once, and saw the whole
affiur more distinctly than ever did.
were too far apart in w^iat we had been and
what we believed in and respected, ever to
grow really together. if he gave me
the highest position in the world, should
have only that. never could like the
people who had been good to me, and whom
loved so dearly, and he only could like me
as far as he coidd estrange me from them.
he could coolly put me aside nowy how
would it be afterwards with the rest, and
with me too ? 's what flashed through
me, and don't believe that getting splen-
didly married is as good as being true to the
love that came long before, and honestly
living your own life out, without fear or
. 295
trembling, whatever it is. perhaps,"
said , with a fresh burst of tears,
**you needn't condole with me so much,
. if you had seen him, you
would have thought he was the one to be
pitied. / pitied him, though he toas so
cruel. he first turned to meet them,
you 'd have thought he was a man sentenced
to death, or under some dreadful spell or
other; and while he was walking up and
down listening to that horrible comical old
woman, the young lady didn't talk much,
and trying to make straight answers to her,
and to look as if didn't exist, it was the
most ridiculous thing in the world."
" queer you are, ! "
** ; but you needn't think didn't feel
it. seemed to be like two persons sitting
there, one in agony, and one just coolly
watchiDg it. oh," she broke out again
while held her closer in her arms,
**how could he have done it, how could he
have acted so towards me ; and just after
had begun to think him so generous and
noble ! seems too dreadful to be true."
with this kissed her cousin, and
they had a little cry together over the trust
so done to death ; and dried her eyes,
and bade a brave good night,
296 .
and went off to weep again, upon her
pillow.
before that, she called to her
door, and with a smile breaking through the
trouble of her face, she asked, '* do
you suppose he got back ? never thought
of it before."
" 0^ .'" cried . with profound
disgust, " hope he had to toaUs back.
'm afraid there were only too many chances
for him to ride. daresay he could get a
calash at the hotel there."
had not spoken a word of reproach
to for her part in promoting this
hapless affair ; and when the latter, return-
ing to her own room, found the colonel
there, she told him the story, and then
began to discern that she was not without
credit for 's fortunate escape, as she
called it.
"," said the colonel, "under exactly
similar circumstances she 11 know just what
to expect another time, if that 's any com-
fort."
"*s a great comfort," retorted .
; " you can't find out what the world
is, too soon, can tell you ; and if hadn't
manoeuvred a little to bring them together,
might have gone off with some linger-
. 297
!ng fancy for him; and think what a mis
fortune that would have been ! "
" 1"
** now, she 11 not have a single regret
for him."
'' should think not," said the colonel;
and he spoke in a tone of such dejection,
that it went to his wife's heart more than
any reproach of 's could have done.
** 're all right, and nobody blames you,
; but if you think it 's well for such a
girl as to find out that a man who has
had the best that the world can give, and
has really some fine qualities of his own,
can be such a poor devil, after all, then
don't. may be the wiser for it, but you
know she won't be the happier."
*' don't, , don't speak seriously !
's so dreadful from you. you feel so
about it, why don't you do something ? "
" yes, there's a fine opening.
know, because we know ever so much more,
how the case really is ; but the way it seems
to stand is, that couldn't bear to have
him show civility to his friends, and ran
away, and then wouldn't give him a chance
to explain. , what could do under
any circumstances?"
", , of course you 're right, and
298 .
wish could see things as clearly as you
do. really believe 's glad to be
out of it."
" ? " thundered the colonel.
** think 's secretly relieved to have
it all over. you needn't stun me."
'* do ? " colonel paused as if to
gain force enough for a reply. after wait-
ing, nothing whatever came to him, and he
wound up his watch.
* * be sure," added . thought-
fully, after a pause, ''she's giving up a
great deal ; and she '11 probably never have
such another chance as long as she lives."
*' hope she won't," said the colonel.
*'0h, you needn't pretend that a high
position and the social advantages he could
have given her are to be despised."
*' , you heartless worldling ; and neither
are peace of mind, and self-respect, and
whole feelings, and your little joke."
'* , you you sickly sentimentalist ! "
** 's what they used to call us in the
good old abolition days," laughed the colo-
nel; and the two being quite alone, they
made their peace with a kiss, and were as
happy for the moi^ient as if they had thereby
assuaged 's grief and mortification.
*' , ," continued the colonel,
. 299
*' though 'm not much on religion, believe
these things are ordered."
't be blasphemous, ! "
cried his wife, who represented the church
if not religion in her family. '' if -
vidence had anything to do with love-
afiairs ! "
", won't; but will say that ii
turned her back on . and
the social advantages he could offer her, it 's
a sign she wasn't fit for them. , poor
thing, if she doesn't know how much she 's
lost, why, she has the less to grieve over.
she thinks she couldn't be happy with a
husband who would keep her snubbed and
frightened after he lifted her from her lowly
sphere, and would tremble whenever she
met any of his own sort, of course it may be
a sad mistake, but it can't be helped.
must go back to , and try to
worry along without him. she'll
work out her destiny some other way."
300 .
.
.
. had 's whole story,
and so has the reader, but for a little
thing that happened next day, and which is
perhaps scarcely worthy of being set down.
. 's yalise was sent for at night
from the . , and they did not
see him again. woke next
morning, a fine cold rain was falling upon
the drooping hollyhocks in the '
, which seemed stricken through
every leaf and flower with sudden autumn.
the forenoon the garden-pathb remained
empty, but under the porch by the poplars
sat the slender nun and the stout nun side
by side, and held each other's hands.
did not move, they did not appear to speak.
fine cold rain was still falling as
and drove down
. 301
towards the railway station, whither
and the baggage had preceded them, for
they were going away &om . -
way, their carriage was stopped by a mass
of ascending vehicles, and their driver drew
rein till the press was over. the same
time saw advancing up the sidewalk
a figure grotesquely resembling . .
was he, but shorter, and smaller, and
meaner. it was not he, but only a
light overcoat like his covering a very com-
mon little man about whom it hung loosely,
a burlesque of . 's self -respect-
ful overcoat, or the garment itself in a state
of miserable yet comical collapse.
*' is that ridiculous little wretch
staring at you for, ? " asked .
" don't know," answered absently.
man was now smiling and gesturing
violently. remembered having seen
him before, and then recognised the cooper
who had released . from the
dog in the au , and to whom
he had given his lacerated overcoat.
little creature awkwardly unbuttoned
the garment, and took from the breast-
pocket a few letters, which he handed to
, talking eagerly in all the
time.
802 .
" is he doing, ? "
" is he saying, ? "
*' about a ferocious dog that
was going to spring upon you, and the young
gontleman being brave as a lion and rush-
ing forward, and saving your life." .
was not a woman to let her transla-
tion lack colour, even though the original
wanted it.
*' him tell it again."
the man had done so, ","
sighed , ''it all happened that day
of the expedition ; but never
knew, before, of what he had done for me.
," she cried, with a great sob, " maybe
'm the one who has been cruel ? what
happened yesterday makes his having saved
my life seem such a very little matter."
*' at all 1 " answered , ** less
than nothing ! " her heart failed her.
little cooper had bowed himself away,
and was climbing the hill, . 's
coat-skirts striking his heels as he walked.
" letters are those ? " asked .
** , old letters to . , which he
found in the pocket. suppose he thought
would give them to him. "
'* how are you going to do it ? '*
" ought to send them to him," answered
. , after a silenoe that lasted
till they reached the boat, she handed the
letters to . " may send them,"
she said.