An American Politician Part 19

"I have been doing Boston," he said. "Of course it was the proper thing.

But I am afraid I do not know much about it."

"But do you like it?" she asked. "It is much more important, I think, to know whether you like things or dislike them, than to know everything about them. Do not you think so?"

"Oh, of course," said Ronald. "But I like Boston very much; I mean the part where you live. All this, you know--Commonwealth Place, and the Public Park, you know, and Beacon Avenue, of course, very much. But the city"--

"You do not like the city?" suggested Sybil, seeing he hesitated, and smiling at his strange confusion of names.

"No," said Ronald. "I think it is so cramped and ugly, and all little narrow streets. But then, of course, it is such a little place. You get into the country the moment you walk anywhere."

"It seems very big to the Bostonians," said Sybil, laughing.

"Oh, of course. You have lived here all your life, and so it is quite different."

"I? Dear me no! I am not a Bostonian at all."

"Oh," said Ronald, "I thought you were. That was the reason I was not sure of abusing the city to you. But it is not a bad place, I should think, when you know lots of people, and that was such a pretty drive we went yesterday."

"Yes, it must seem very new to you. Everything must, I should think, most of all this casual way we have of receiving people. But there really is a Mrs. Wyndham, with whom I am staying, and she will be in before long."

"Oh--don't--don't mention her," said Ronald, hastily, "I mean it--it is of no importance whatever, you know." He blushed violently.

Sybil laughed, and Ronald blushed again, but in all his embarra.s.sment lie could not help thinking what a silvery ring there was in her voice.

"I am afraid Mrs. Wyndham would not like it, if she heard you telling me she was not to be mentioned, and was not of any importance whatever. But she is a very charming woman, and I am very fond of her."

"She is your aunt, I presume, Miss Brandon?" said Ronald.

"My aunt?" repeated Sybil. "Oh no, not at all--only a friend."

"Oh, I thought all unattached young ladies lived with aunts here, like Miss Schenectady." Ronald smiled grimly at the recollections of the previous day.

"Not quite that," said Sybil, laughing. "Mrs. Wyndham is not the least like Miss Schenectady. She is less clever and more human."

"Really, I am so glad," said Ronald. "And she talks so oddly--Joe's--Miss Thorn's aunt. Could you tell me, if it is not a rude question, why so many people here are never certain of anything? It strikes me as so absurdly ridiculous, you know. She said yesterday that 'perhaps, if I rang the bell, she could send a message.' And the man at the hotel this morning had no postage stamps, and said that perhaps if I went to the General Post Office I might be able to get some there."

"Yes," said Sybil, "it is absurd, and one catches it so easily."

"But would it not be ridiculous if the guard called out at a station, 'Perhaps this is Boston!' or 'Perhaps this is New York?' It would be too utterly funny."

"I am afraid that if you begin to make a list of our peculiarities yon will find funnier things than that," said Sybil, laughing. "But then we always laugh at you in England, so that it is quite fair."

"Oh, we are very absurd, I know," said Ronald, "but I think we are much more comfortable. For instance, we do not have n.i.g.g.e.rs about who call us 'Mister.'"

"You must not use such words in Boston, Mr. Surbiton," said Sybil.

"Seriously, there are people who would be very much offended. You must speak of 'waiters of color,' or 'the colored help;' you must be very careful."

"I will," said Ronald. "Thanks. Is everything rechristened in that way? I am afraid I shall always be in hot water."

"Oh yes, there are no men and women here. They are all ladies and gentlemen, or 'the gurls,' and 'the fellows.' But it is very soon learnt."

"Yes, I can imagine," said Ronald, very much amused. "But--by the bye, this is the season here, is not it?"

So they chattered together for nearly an hour about the merest nothings, not saying anything particularly witty, but never seeming to each other in the least dull. Ronald had gone to Sybil for consolation, and he was so well consoled that he was annoyed when Mrs. Wyndham came in and interrupted his _tete-a-tete_. Sybil introduced Ronald, and when he rose to go, after a quarter of an hour, Mrs. Wyndham asked him to dinner on the following day.

That night, when Ronald was alone in his room at the hotel, he took Josephine's photograph from a case in his bag and set it before him on the table. He would think about her for a while, and reflect on his situation; and he sat down for that purpose, his chin resting on his folded hands.

Dear Joe--he loved her so dearly, and she was so cruel not to marry him!

But, somehow, as he looked, he seemed to see through the photograph, and another face came and smiled on him. Again and again he called his attention back, and tried to realize that the future would be very blank and dreary without Joe; but do what he would, it did not seem so blank and dreary after all; there was somebody else there.

"Joe is quite right," he said aloud. "I am a brute." And he went to bed, trying hard to be disgusted with himself. But his dreams were sweet, for he dreamed he was sitting among the ferns at Mrs. Wyndham's house, talking to Sybil Brandon.

"Why, my dear," said Mrs. Wyndham, when Ronald was gone, "he is perfectly charming. We have positively found a new man."

"Yes," said Sybil. "I am so glad you asked him to dinner. I do not think he is very clever, but he talks easily, and says funny things."

"I suppose he has come over to marry his cousin--has not he?" inquired Mrs. Wyndham.

"No," replied Sybil, "he is not going to marry Joe Thorn," she answered absently; for she was thinking of something, and her tone indicated such absolute certainty in the matter that Mrs. Wyndham looked quickly at her.

"Well, you seem quite certain about it, any way," she said.

"I? Oh--well, yes. I think it is extremely unlikely that he will marry her."

"I almost wish I had offered to take him to the party to-night," said Mrs.

Wyndham, evidently unsatisfied. "However, as he is coming to-morrow, that will do quite as well. Sybil, dear, you look tired. Why don't you go and lie down before dinner?"

"Oh, because--I am not tired, really. I am always pale, you know."

"Well, I am tired to death myself, my dear, and as there is no one here I will say I am not at home, and rest till dinner."

Mrs. Wyndham had been as much startled as any one by news of the senator's death that morning, and though she always professed to agree with her husband she was delighted at the prospect of John Harrington's election.

She had been a good friend to him, and he to her, for years, and she cared much more for his success than for the turn of events. She had met him in the street that afternoon, and they had perambulated the pavement of Beacon Street for more than an hour in the discussion of the future. John had also told her that he was now certain that Vancouver was the writer of the offensive articles that had so long puzzled him; at all events that the especial one which had appeared the morning after the skating-party was undoubtedly from his pen. Mrs. Wyndham, who had long suspected as much, was very angry when she found that her suspicions had been so just, and she proposed to deal summarily with Vancouver. John, however, begged her to temporize, and she promised to be prudent.

"By the way," she said to Sybil, as she was about to leave the room, "it was a special providence that you did not marry Vancouver. He has turned out badly."

Sybil started slightly and looked up. Her experience with Poc.o.c.k Vancouver was a thing she rarely referred to. She had undoubtedly given him great encouragement, and had then mercilessly refused him, to the great surprise of every one. But as that had occurred a year and a half ago, it was quite natural that she should treat him like any one else, now, just as though nothing had happened. She looked up at Mrs. Wyndham in some surprise.

"What has he done?" she asked.

"You know how he always talks about John Harrington?"

"He always says he respects him immensely."

"Very well. It is he who has been writing those scurrilous articles that we have talked about so much."

"How disgraceful!" exclaimed Sybil. "How perfectly detestable! Are you quite sure?"

"There is not the least doubt about it. John Harrington told me himself."