rs.undertheandes-第3部分

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　She　passed　from　the　brougham　to　her　railway　carriage　supremely　unconscious　of　the　hundreds　of　eyes　turned　on　her；　and　a　general　sigh　of　satisfaction　and　appreciation　came　from　the　throng　as　she　disappeared　within　her　partment。　I　turned　to　Janvour。
　〃Who　is　she？〃
　〃What？〃　he　exclaimed　in　surprise。　〃But　my　dear　Lamar；　not　to　know　her　argues　one　a　barbarian。〃
　〃Nevertheless；　I　do　not　know　her。〃
　〃Well；　you　will　have　an　opportunity。　She　is　going　to　America；　and；　since　she　is　on　this　train；　she　will；　of　course；　take　the　same　boat　as　yourself。　But；　my　friend；　beware！〃
　〃But　who　is　she？〃
　〃Desiree　Le　Mire。〃
　
　
　Chapter　II。
　BEGINNING　THE　DANCE。
　
　It　developed；　luckily　for　me；　that　my　lawyers　had　allowed　themselves　to　bee　unduly　excited　over　a　trifle。　A　discrepancy　had　been　discovered　in　my　agent's　accounts；　it　was　clearly　established　that　he　had　been　speculating；　but　the　fellow's　excessive　modesty　and　moderation　had　saved　me　from　any　serious　inconvenience　or　loss。
　Some　twenty　thousand　or　so　was　the　amount；　and　I　did　not　even　put　myself　to　the　trouble　of　recovering　it。　I　placed　a　friend　of　mine；　a　plodder　and　one　of　those　chaps　who　are　honest　on　account　of　lack　of　imagination；　in　the　position　thus　vacated　and　sighed　with　mild　relief。
　My　experiment　with　Harry　had　proved　a　plete　success。　Left　to　the　management　of　his　own　affairs；　he　had　shown　a　wisdom　and　restraint　none　the　less　wele　because　unexpected。　He　was　glad　to　see　me；　and　I　was　no　less　glad　to　see　him。
　There　was　little　new　in　town。
　Bob　Garforth；　having　gambled　away　his　entire　patrimony；　had　shot　and　killed　himself　on　the　street；　Mrs。　Ludworth　had　publicly　defied　gossip　and　smiled　with　favor　on　young　Driscoll；　the　new　director　of　the　Metropolitan　Museum　had　announced　himself　an　enemy　to　tradition　and　a　friend　of　progress；　and　Desiree　Le　Mire　had　consented　to　a　two　weeks'　engagement　at　the　Stuyvesant。
　The　French　dancer　was　the　favorite　topic　of　discussion　in　all　circles。
　The　newspapers　were　full　of　her　and　filled　entire　columns　with　lists　of　the　kings；　princes；　and　dukes　who　had　been　at　her　feet。
　Bets　were　made　on　her　nationality；　the　color　of　her　eyes；　the　value　of　her　pearls；　the　number　of　suicides　she　had　caused…corresponding；　in　some　sort；　to　the　notches　on　the　gun　of　a　Western　bad　man。　Gowns　and　hats　were　named　for　her　by　the　enterprising　department　stores。
　It　was　announced　that　her　engagement　at　the　Stuyvesant　would　open　in　ten　days；　and　when　the　box…office　opened　for　the　advance　sale　every　seat　for　every　performance　was　sold　within　a　few　hours。
　In　the　mean　time　the　great　Le　Mire　kept　herself　secluded　in　her　hotel。　She　had　appeared　but　once　in　the　public　dining…room；　and　on　that　occasion　had　nearly　caused　a　riot；　whereupon　she　had　discreetly　withdrawn。　She　remained　unseen　while　the　town　shouted　itself　hoarse。
　I　had　not　mentioned　her　name　to　Harry；　nor　had　I　heard　him　speak　of　her；　until　one　evening　about　two　weeks　after　my　return。
　We　were　at　dinner　and　had　been　discussing　some　monplace　subject；　from　which；　by　one　of　the　freaks　of　association；　the　conversation　veered　and　touched　on　classical　dancing。
　〃The　Russians　are　preeminent；〃　said　I；　〃because　they　possess　both　the　inspiration…the　fire…and　the　training。　In　no　other　nation　or　school　are　the　two　so　perfectly　joined。　In　the　Turkish　dancers　there　is　perfect　grace　and　freedom；　but　no　life。　In　Desiree　Le　Mire；　for　example；　there　is　indeed　life；　but　she　has　not　had　the　necessary　training。〃
　〃What？　Le　Mire！　Have　you　seen　her？〃　cried　Harry。
　〃Not　on　the　stage；〃　I　answered；　〃but　I　crossed　on　the　same　ship　with　her；　and　she　was　kind　enough　to　give　me　a　great　deal　of　her　time。　She　seems　to　understand　perfectly　her　own　artistic　limitations；　and　I　am　taking　her　word　for　it。〃
　But　Harry　was　no　longer　interested　in　the　subject　of　dancing。
　I　was　besieged　on　the　instant　with　a　thousand　questions。
　Had　I　known　Le　Mire　long？　What　was　she　like？　Was　it　true　that　Prince　Dolansky　had　shot　himself　in　despair　at　losing　her？
　Was　she　beautiful？　How　well　did　I　know　her？　Would　I　take　him　to　see　her？
　And　within　half　an　hour　the　last　question　was　repeated　so　many　times　and　with　such　insistence　that　I　finally　consented　and　left　Harry　delighted　beyond　words。
　My　own　experience　with　Desiree　Le　Mire　had　been　anything　but　exciting。　The　woman　was　interesting；　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　that；　but　she　possessed　little　attraction　for　me。　Her　charms；　on　close　inspection；　were　really　quite　too　evident。
　I　require　subtlety　in　a　woman；　and　so　far　as　I　could　discover　Le　Mire　knew　not　the　meaning　of　the　word。　We　had　spent　many　hours　during　the　trip　across　in　pleasant　panionship；　she　had　done　me　the　honor　to　tell　me　that　she　found　my　conversation　amusing；　and；　after　all；　she　was　undeniably　a　pretty　woman。　She　had　invited　me　with　evident　sincerity　to　call　on　her　in　New　York；　but　I　had　not　as　yet　taken　advantage　of　the　invitation。
　I　did　not　then　think；　and　I　do　not　now　believe；　that　I　acted　foolishly　when　I　took　Harry　to　see　her。　In　any　event；　he　would　have　seen　her　sooner　or　later；　and　since　all　temptations　meet　us　at　one　time　or　another；　it　is　best　to　have　it　out　with　them　at　as　early　a　date　as　possible。　At　the　time；　indeed；　I　gave　the　subject　no　thought　whatever；　but　if　I　had　I　should　not　have　hesitated。
　We　took　tea　with　her　the　following　afternoon　in　her　apartment；　and　I　must　confess　that　I　myself　was　more　than　a　little　impressed　when　I　entered。　I　realized　then　that　on　the　ship　nothing　had　been　in　her　favor；　she　had　been　pletely　out　of　her　element；　and　she　was　not　a　good　sailor。
　Here　all　was　different。　The　stiffly　ostentatious　hotel　rooms；　by　her　own　genius　or　that　of　her　maid；　had　been　transformed　into　something　very　nearly　approaching　perfection。　I　was　amazed　at　the　excellent　taste　displayed　in　her　furniture　and　its　arrangement；　for　it　was　clear　that　these　were　no　hotel　properties。　Certainly　a　woman　is　at　her　best　only　when　she　is　able　to　choose　or　create　her　own　surroundings。
　Harry　was　captivated；　and　I　can　scarcely　blame　him。　But　the　poor　lad　betrayed　himself　so　frankly！　Though　I　suppose　Le　Mire　was　more　or　less　accustomed　to　immediate　surrender。
　On　that　day；　at　least；　she　had　reason　to　expect　it。　She　satisfied　the　eye；　which　is　saying　a　great　deal　and　is　the　highest　praise　possible　for　a　woman's　beauty；　when　you　consider　the　full　strength　of　the　word。
　She　was　radiant；　adorable；　irresistible；　I　had　to　own　that　my　first　impression　of　her　had　been　far　too　weak。
　We　talked　for　an　hour。　Harry　had　little　to　say　as　he　sat　devouring　Le　Mire　with　his　eyes；　and　whenever　she　turned　to　him　for　an　answer　to　a　question　or　confirmation　of　an　opinion　he　stammered　and　kept　his　posure　with　difficulty。　Never；　I　suppose；　did　woman　have　clearer　evidence　of　her　power；　nor　sweeter；　for　Harry　was　by　no　means　a　fool　to　be　carried　away　by　the　first　pretty　face　that　came　in　his　way。
　She　simply　overwhelmed　him；　and　I　repeat　that　I　do　not　wonder　at　it；　for　my　own　pulse　was　not　exactly　steady。　She　asked　us　to　dine　with　her。
　I　pleaded　an　engagement　at　the　club　and　signed　to　Harry　to　do　likewise；　but　he　was　pletely　gone　and　paid　no　attention　to　me。
　He　accepted　the　invitation　gratefully；　with　frank　delight；　and　I　left　them　together。
　It　was　about　ten　o'clock　when　he　came　home　that　evening。　I　was　seated　in　the　library　and；　hearing　him　enter　the　hall；　called　to　him。
　What　a　face　was　his！　His　lips　trembled　with　nervous　feeling；　his　eyes　glowed　like　the　eyes　of　a　madman。　I　half　started　from　my　chair　in　amazement。
　〃I　have　no　time；〃　said　he　in　answer　to　my　invitation　to　join　me　with　a　bottle。　〃I　have　a　letter　or　two　to　write；　and…and　I　must　get　some　sleep。〃
　〃Did　you　just　leave　Le　Mire？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　I　looked　at　my　watch。
　〃What　under　the　sun　did　you　find　to　talk　about？〃
　〃Oh；　anything…nothing。　I　say；　she's　charming。〃
　His　essay　at　indifference　was　amusing。
　〃You　find　her　so？〃
　〃Rather。〃
　〃She　seems　to　have　taken　a　fancy　to　you。〃
　Harry　actually　grew　red。
　〃Hardly；〃　he　said；　but　there　was　hope　in　the　word。
　〃She　is　hardly　your　kind；　Harry。　You　know　that。　You　aren't　going　in　for　this　sort　of　thing？〃
　〃This　sort…I　don't　know　what　you　mean。〃
　〃Yes；　you　do；　Hal。　You