第22章

“Ifoundtheyounglady，sir，“heremarkedtoMr。Pyecroft，“recallingmycherishedfriendStannardin——er——formandfeatures，and——although——er——personallyunacquaintedwithherdeceasedmother——whobelonged，sir，tooneofthefirstfamiliesofVirginia——Iamtoldthatsheis——er——remarkablylikeher。MissStannardisatpresentapupilinoneofthebesteducationalestablishmentsinSantaClara，wheresheisreceivingtuitionin—— er——theEnglishclassics，foreignbelleslettres，embroidery，theharp，and——er——theuseofthe——er——globes，and——er——blackboard—— underthemostfastidiouscare，andmyownpersonalsupervision。 Theprincipaloftheschool，MissEudoxiaTish——associatedwith—— er——er——MissPrinkwell——is——er——remarkablygiftedwoman；andasI waspresentatoneoftheschoolexercises，Ihadtheopportunityoftestifyingtoherexcellencein——er——shortaddressImadetotheyoungladies。“FromsuchglitteringbutunsatisfyinggeneralitiesastheseIprefertoturntotherealinterview，gatheredfromcontemporarywitnesses。 Itwastheusualcloudless，dazzling，Californiansummerday，temperedwiththeasperityofthenorthwesttradesthatMissTish，lookingthroughherwindowtowardstherose-emboweredgatewayoftheseminary，sawanextraordinaryfigureadvancinguptheavenue。 Itwasthatofamanslightlypastmiddleage，yeterectandjaunty，whosecostumerecalledtheearlywater-colorportraitsofherownyouthfuldays。Histightlybuttonedbluefrockcoatwithgiltbuttonswasopenedfarenoughacrossthechesttoallowtheexpandingofafrilledshirt，blackstock，andnankeenwaistcoat，andhisimmaculatewhitetrousersweresmartlystrappedoverhissmartvarnishedboots。Awhitebell-crownedhat，carriedinhishandtopermitthewipingofhisforeheadwithasilkhandkerchief，andagold-headedwalkingstickhookedoverhisarm，completedthissingularequipment。Hewasfollowed，afewpacesintherear，byanegrocarryinganenormousbouquet，andanumberofsmallboxesandparcelstiedupwithribbons。Asthefigurepausedbeforethedoor，MissTishgasped，andcastaquickrestrainingglancearoundtheclassroom。Butitwastoolate；adozenpairsofblue，black，round，inquiring，ormischievouseyeswerealreadydancingandgloatingoverthebizarrestrangerthroughthewindow。 “Acirkiss——orniggerminstrels——sureasyou’reborn！“saidMaryFrost，agednine，inafiercewhisper。 “No！——aagentfrom’TheEmporium，’withsamples，“returnedMissBriggs，agedfourteen。 “Youngladies，attendtoyourstudies，“saidMissTish，astheservantbroughtinacard。MissTishglancedatitwithsomenervousness，andreadtoherself，“ColonelCulpeperStarbottle，“ engravedinscript，andbelowitinpencil，“ToseeMissPansyStannard，underfavorofMissTish。“Risingwithsomeperturbation，MissTishhurriedlyintrustedtheclasstoanassistant，anddescendedtothereceptionroom。ShehadneverseenPansy’sguardianbefore(theexecutorhadbroughtthechild)；andthisextraordinarycreature，whosevisitshecouldnotdeny，mightberuinoustoschooldiscipline。Itwasthereforewithanextradegreeoffrigidityofdemeanorthatshethrewopenthedoorofthereceptionroom，andenteredmajestically。Buttoherutterastonishment，thecolonelmetherwithabowsostately，soceremonious，andsocommandingthatshestopped，disarmedandspeechless。 “IneednotaskifIamaddressingMissTish，“saidthecolonelloftily，“forwithouthavingthepleasureof——er——previousacquaintance，Icanatoncerecognizethe——er——LadySuperiorand—— er——chatelaineofthis——er——establishment。“MissTishheregavewaytoaslightcoughandanembarrassedcurtsy，asthecolonel，withawaveofhiswhitehandtowardstheburdencarriedbyhisfollower，resumedmorelightly:“Ihavebrought——er——fewtriflesandgewgawsformyward——subject，ofcourse，toyourrulesanddiscretion。Theyincludesome——er——dainties，freefromanydeleterioussubstance，asIaminformed——asash——aribbonortwoforthehair，gloves，mittens，andanosegay——fromwhich，Itrust，itwillbeHERpleasure，asitismyown，toinviteyoutocullsuchblossomsasmaysuityourtaste。Boy，youmaysetthemdownandretire！“ “Atthepresentmoment，“stammeredMissTish，“MissStannardisengagedonherlessons。But“——Shestoppedagain，hopelessly。 “Isee，“saidthecolonel，withanairofplayful，poeticalreminiscence——“herlessons！Certainly！ ’Wewill——er——gotoourplaces，Withsmilesonourfaces，Andsayallourlessonsdistinctlyandslow。’ Certainly！NotforworldswouldIinterruptthem；untiltheyaredone，wewill——er——walkthroughtheclassroomsandinspect“—— “No！no！“interruptedthehorrified，principal，withadreadfulpresentimentoftheappallingeffectofthecolonel’sentryupontheclass。“No！——thatis——Imean——ourrulesexclude——exceptondaysofpublicexamination“—— “Saynomore，mydearmadam，“saidthecolonelpolitely。“UntilsheisfreeIwillstrolloutside，through——er——thegrovesoftheAcademus“—— ButMissTish，equallyalarmedatthediversionthiswouldcreateattheclassroomwindows，recalledherselfwithaneffort。“Pleasewaithereamoment，“shesaidhurriedly；“Iwillbringherdown；“ andbeforethecolonelcouldpolitelyopenthedoorforher，shehadfled。 Happilyunconsciousofthesensationhehadcaused，ColonelStarbottleseatedhimselfonthesofa，hiswhitehandsrestingeasilyonthegold-headedcane。Onceortwicethedoorbehindhimopenedandclosedquietly，scarcelydisturbinghim；oragainopenedmoreostentatiouslytothewords，“Oh，excuse，please，“andthebriefglimpseofaflaxenbraid，orablackcurlyhead——toallofwhichthecolonelnoddedpolitely——evenrisinglatertotheapparitionofataller，demureyounglady——andhermoreaffected“Really，Ibegyourpardon！“Theonlyresultofthisevidentcuriositywasslightlytochangethecolonel’sattitude，soastoenablehimtoputhisotherhandinhisbreastinhisfavoritepose。Butpresentlyhewasconsciousofamoreactivemovementinthehall，ofthesoundsofscuffling，ofahighyouthfulvoicesaying“Iwon’t“and“Ishan’t！“ofthedooropeningtoamomentaryapparitionofMissTishdraggingasmallhandandhalfofasmallblack-ribbonedarmintotheroom，andherrapiddisappearanceagain，apparentlypulledbackbythelittlehandandarm；ofanotherandlongerpause，ofawhisperedconferenceoutside，andthenthereappearanceofMissTishmajestically，reinforcedandsupportedbythegrimpresenceofherpartner，MissPrinkwell。 “This——er——unexpectedvisit，“beganMissTish——“notpreviouslyarrangedbyletter“—— “Whichisaninvariableruleofourestablishment，“supplementedMissPrinkwell—— “Andthefactthatyouarepersonallyunknowntous，“continuedMissTish—— “Anignorancesharedbythechild，whoexhibitsadistasteforaninterview，“interpolatedMissPrinkwell，inakindofantiphonalresponse—— “Forwhichwehavehadnotimetoprepareher，“continuedMissTish—— “Compelsusmostreluctantly“——Buthereshestoppedshort。 ColonelStarbottle，whohadrisenwithadeepbowattheirentranceandremainedstanding，herewalkedquietlytowardsthem。Hisusuallyhighcolorhadfadedexceptfromhiseyes，buthisexaltedmannerwasstillmorepronounced，withadreadfuldeliberationsuperadded。 “Ibelieve——er——Ihad——thehonah——tosendupmykyard！“(Inhissuprememomentsthecolonel’sSouthernaccentwasalwaysinevidence。)“Imay——er——bemistaken——but——er——thatismyimpression。“Thecolonelpaused，andplacedhisrighthandstatuesquelyonhisheart。 Thetwowomentrembled——MissTishfanciedtheveryshirtfrillofthecolonelwasmajesticallyerectingitself——astheystammeredinonevoice，—— “Ye-e-es！“ “Thatkyardcontainedmyfullname——witharequesttoseemyward—— MissStannard，“continuedthecolonelslowly。“Ibelievethatisthefact。“ “Certainly！certainly！“gaspedthewomenfeebly。 “ThenmayI——er——pointouttoyouthatIAM——er——WAITING？“ Althoughnothingcouldexceedthelaborioussimplicityandhuskysweetnessofthecolonel’sutterance，itappearedtodemoralizeutterlyhistwohearers——MissPrinkwellseemedtofadeintothepatternofthewallpaper，MissTishtodroopsubmissivelyforwardlikeapinkwaxcandleintheraysoftheburningsun。 “Wewillbringherinstantly。Athousandpardons，sir，“theyutteredinthesamebreath，backingtowardsthedoor。 Butheretheunexpectedintervened。Unnoticedbythethreeduringthecolloquy，alittlefigureinablackdresshadpeepedthroughthedoor，andthenglidedintotheroom。Itwasagirlofaboutten，who，inallcandor，couldscarcelybecalledpretty，althoughtheawkwardchangeofadolescencehadnotdestroyedthedelicateproportionsofherhandsandfeetnorthebeautyofherbrowneyes。 Thesewere，justthen，roundandwondering，andfixedalternatelyonthecolonelandthetwowomen。Butlikemanyotherroundandwonderingeyes，theyhadtakeninthefullmeaningofthesituation，withaquicknesstheadultmindisnotapttogivethemcreditfor。Theysawthecompleteanduttersubjugationofthetwosupremeautocratsoftheschool，and，Igrievetosay，theywerefilledwithasecretand“fearfuljoy。“Butthecasualspectatorsawnoneofthis；theroundandwonderingeyes，stillrimmedwithrecentandrecalcitranttears，onlylookedbigandinnocentlyshining。 Thereliefofthetwowomenwassuddenandunaffected。 “Oh，hereyouare，dearest，atlast！“saidMissTisheagerly。 “Thisisyourguardian，ColonelStarbottle。Cometohim，dear！“ Shetookthehandofthechild，whohungbackwithanoddminglingofshamefacednessandresentmentoftheinterference，whenthevoiceofColonelStarbottle，inthesamedeadlycalmdeliberation，said，