第23章 VII.(1)

When Mrs. Kenton came from quieting the hysterical girl in her room she had the task, almost as delicate and difficult, of quieting her husband.

She had kept him, by the most solemn and exhaustive entreaty, from following Bittridge downstairs and beating him with his stick, and now she was answerable to him for his forbearance. "If yon don't behave yourself, Rufus," she had to say, "you will have some sort of stroke.

After all, there's no harm done."

"No harm! Do you call it no harm for that hound to kiss Ellen?""He wouldn't have attempted it unless something had led up to it, Isuppose."

"Sarah! How can you speak so of that angel?""Oh, that angel is a girl like the rest. You kissed me before we were engaged.""That was very different."

"I don't see how. If your daughter is so sacred, why wasn't her mother?

You men don't think your wives are sacred. That's it!""No, no, Sarah! It's because I don't think of you as apart from myself, that I can't think of you as I do of Ellen. I beg your pardon if Iseemed to set her above you. But when I kissed you we were very young, and we lived in a simple day, when such things meant no harm; and I was very fond of you, and you were the holiest thing in the world to me. Is Ellen holy to that fellow?""I know," Mrs. Kenton relented. "I'm not comparing him to you. And there is a difference with Ellen. She isn't like other girls. If it had been Lottie--""I shouldn't have liked it with Lottie, either," said the major, stiffly.

"But if it had been Lottie she would have boxed his ears for him, instead of running to you. Lottie can take care of herself. And I will take care of Ellen. When I see that scoundrel in the morning--""What will you do, an old man like you! I can tell you, it's something you've just got to bear it if you don't want the scandal to fill the whole hotel. It's a very fortunate thing, after all. It'll put an end to the whole affair.""Do you think so, Sarah? If I believed that. What does Ellen say?""Nothing; she won't say anything--just cries and hides her face.

I believe she is ashamed of having made a scene before us. But I know that she's so disgusted with him that she will never look at him again, and if it's brought her to that I should think his kissing her the greatest blessing in the world to us all. Yes, Ellen!"Mrs. Kenton hurried off at a faint call from the girl's room, and when she came again she sat down to a long discussion of the situation with her husband, while she slowly took down her hair and prepared it for the night. Her conclusion, which she made her husband's, was that it was most fortunate they should be sailing so soon, and that it was the greatest pity they were not sailing in the morning. She wished him to sleep, whether she slept herself or not, and she put the most hopeful face possible upon the matter. "One thing you can rest assured of, Rufus, and that is that it's all over with Ellen. She may never speak to you about him, and you mustn't ever mention him, but she feels just as you could wish. Does that satisfy you? Some time I will tell you all she says.""I don't care to hear," said Kenton. "All I want is for him to keep away from me. I think if he spoke to me I should kill him.""Rufus!"

"I can't help it, Sarah. I feel outraged to the bottom of my soul. Icould kill him."

Mrs. Kenton turned her head and looked steadfastly at him over her shoulder. "If you strike him, if you touch him, Mr. Kenton, you will undo everything that the abominable wretch has done for Ellen, and you will close my mouth and tie my hands. Will you promise that under no provocation whatever will you do him the least harm? I know Ellen better than you do, and I know that you will make her hate you unless--""Oh, I will promise. You needn't be afraid. Lord help me!" Kenton groaned. "I won't touch him. But don't expect me to speak to him.""No, I don't expect that. He won't offer to speak to you."They slept, and in the morning she stayed to breakfast with Ellen in their apartment, and let her husband go down with their younger children.