the illustrious prince- 第35部分

Curiously　enough；　Penelope　and　Prince　Maiyo　met　that　morning　for　the　first　time　in　several　days。　They　were　both　guests　of　the　Duchess　of　Devenham　at　a　large　luncheon　party　at　the　Savoy　Restaurant。　Penelope　felt　a　little　shiver　when　she　saw　him　coming　down　the　stairs。　Somehow　or　other；　she　had　dreaded　this　meeting；　yet　when　it　came；　she　knew　that　it　was　a　relief。　There　was　no　change　in　his　manner；　no　trace　of　anxiety　in　his　smooth；　unruffled　face。　He　seemed；　if　possible；　to　have　grown　younger；　to　walk　more　buoyantly。　His　eyes　met　hers　frankly；　his　smile　was　wholly　unembarrassed。　It　was　not　possible　for　a　man　to　bear　himself　thus　who　stood　beneath　the　great　shadow！

So　far　from　avoiding　her；　he　came　over　to　her　side　directly　he　had　greeted　his　hostess。

〃This　morning；〃　he　said；　〃I　heard　some　good　news。　You　are　to　be　a　fellow　guest　at　Devenham。〃

〃I　am　afraid；〃　she　admitted；　〃that　of　my　two　aunts　I　impose　most　frequently　upon　the　one　where　my　claims　are　the　slightest。　The　Duchess　is　so　good…natured。〃

〃She　is　charming；〃　the　Prince　declared。　〃I　am　looking　forward　to　my　visit　immensely。　I　think　I　am　a　little　weary　of　London。　A　visit　to　the　country　seems　to　me　most　delightful。　They　tell　me；　too；　that　your　spring　gardens　are　wonderful。　What　London　suffers　from；　I　think；　at　this　time　of　the　year；　is　a　lack　of　flowers。　We　want　something　to　remind　us　that　the　spring　is　coming；　besides　these　occasional　gleams　of　blue　sky　and　very　occasional　bursts　of　sunshine。〃

〃You　are　a　sentimentalist；　Prince；〃　she　declared；　smiling。

〃No；　I　think　not；〃　he　answered　seriously。　〃I　love　all　beautiful　things。　I　think　that　there　are　many　men　as　well　as　women　who　are　like　that。　Shall　I　be　very　rude　and　say　that　in　the　matter　of　climate　and　flowers　one　grows；　perhaps；　to　expect　a　little　more　in　my　own　country。〃

An　uncontrollable　impulse　moved　her。　She　leaned　a　little　towards　him。

〃Climate　and　flowers　only？〃　she　murmured。　〃What　about　the　third　essential？〃

〃Miss　Penelope；〃　he　said　under　his　breath；　〃I　have　to　admit　that　one　must　travel　further　afield　for　Heaven's　greatest　gift。　Even　then　one　can　only　worship。　The　stars　are　denied　to　us。〃

The　Duchess　came　sailing　over　to　them。

〃Every　one　is　here；〃　she　said。　〃I　hope　that　you　are　all　hungry。　After　lunch；　Prince；　I　want　you　to　speak　to　General　Sherrif。　He　has　been　dying　to　meet　you；　to　talk　over　your　campaign　together　in　Manchuria。　There's　another　man　who　is　anxious　to　meet　you；　too；Professor　Spenlove。　He　has　been　to　Japan　for　a　month；　and　thinks　about　writing　a　book　on　your　customs。　I　believe　he　looks　to　you　to　correct　his　impressions。〃

〃So　long　as　he　does　not　ask　me　to　correct　his　proofs！〃　the　Prince　murmured。

〃That　is　positively　the　most　unkind　thing　I　have　ever　heard　you　say；〃　the　Duchess　declared。　〃Come　along；　　you　good　people。　Jules　has　promised　me　a　new　omelet；　on　condition　that　we　sit　down　at　precisely　half…past　one。　If　we　are　five　minutes　late；　he　declines　to　send　it　up。〃

They　took　their　places　at　the　round　table　which　had　been　reserved　for　the　Duchess　of　Devenham；not　very　far；　Penelope　remembered；　from　the　table　at　which　they　had　sat　for　dinner　a　little　more　than　a　fortnight　ago。　The　recollection　of　that　evening　brought　her　a　sudden　realization　of　the　tragedy　which　seemed　to　have　taken　her　life　into　its　grip。　Again　the　Prince　sat　by　her　side。　She　watched　him　with　eyes　in　which　there　was　a　gleam　sometimes　almost　of　horror。　Easy　and　natural　as　usual；　with　his　pleasant　smile　and　simple　speech；　he　was　making　himself　agreeable　to　one　of　the　older　ladies　of　the　party；　to　whom；　by　chance；　no　one　had　addressed　more　than　a　word　or　so。　It　was　always　the　samealways　like　this；　she　realized；　with　a　sudden　keen　apprehension　of　this　part　of　the　man's　nature。　If　there　was　a　kindness　to　be　done；　a　thoughtful　action；　it　was　not　only　he　who　did　it　but　it　was　he　who　first　thought　of　it。　The　papers　during　the　last　few　days　had　been　making　public　an　incident　which　he　had　done　his　best　to　keep　secret。　He　had　signalized　his　arrival　in　London；　some　months　ago；　by　going　overboard　from　a　police　boat　into　the　Thames　to　rescue　a　half…drunken　lighterman；　and　when　the　Humane　Society　had　voted　him　their　medal；　he　had　accepted　it　only　on　condition　that　the　presentation　was　private　and　kept　out　of　the　papers。　It　was　not　one　but　fifty　kindly　deeds　which　stood　to　his　credit。　Always　with　the　manners　of　a　Princegracious；　courteous；　and　genialnever　a　word　had　passed　his　lips　of　evil　towards　any　human　being。　The　barriers　today　between　the　smoking　room　and　the　drawing　room　are　shadowy　things；　and　she　knew　very　well　that　he　was　held　in　a　somewhat　curious　respect　by　men；　as　a　person　to　whom　it　was　impossible　to　tell　a　story　in　which　there　was　any　shadow　of　indelicacy。　The　ways　of　the　so…called　man　of　world　seemed　in　his　presence　as　though　they　must　be　the　ways　of　some　creature　of　a　different　and　a　lower　stage　of　existence。　A　young　man　whom　he　had　once　corrected　had　christened　him；　half　jestingly；　Sir　Galahad；　and　certainly　his　life　in　London；　a　life　which　had　to　bear　all　the　while　the　test　of　the　limelight；　had　appeared　to　merit　some　such　title。　These　thoughts　chased　one　another　through　her　mind　as　she　looked　at　him　and　marvelled。　Surely　those　other　things　must　be　part　of　a　bad　nightmare！　It　was　not　possible　that　such　a　man　could　be　associated　with　wrong…doingsuch　manner　of　wrong…doing！

Even　while　these　thoughts　passed　through　her　brain；　he　turned　to　talk　to　her；　and　she　felt　at　once　that　little　glow　of　pleasure　which　the　sound　of　his　voice　nearly　always　evoked。

〃I　am　looking　forward　so　much；〃　he　said；　〃to　my　stay　at　Devenham。　You　know；　it　will　not　be　very　much　longer　that　I　shall　have　the　opportunity　of　accepting　such　invitations。〃

〃You　mean　that　the　time　is　really　coming　when　we　shall　lose　you？〃　she　asked　suddenly。

〃When　my　work　is　finished；　I　return　home；〃　he　answered。　〃I　fancy　that　it　will　not　be　very　long　now。〃

〃When　you　do　leave　England；〃　she　asked　after　a　moment's　pause；　〃do　you　go　straight　to　Japan？〃

He　bowed。

〃With　the　Continent　I　have　finished；〃　he　said。　〃The　cruiser　which　His　Majesty　has　sent　to　fetch　me　waits　even　now　at　Southampton。〃

〃You　speak　of　your　work；〃　she　remarked；　〃as　though　you　had　been　collecting　material　for　a　book。〃

He　smiled。

〃I　have　been　busy　collecting　information　in　many　ways；〃　he　said；〃trying　to　live　your　life　and　feel　as　you　feel；　trying　to　understand　those　things　in　your　country；　and　in　other　countries　too；　which　seem　at　first　so　strange　to　us　who　come　from　the　other　side　of　the　East。〃

〃And　the　end　of　it　all？〃　she　asked。

His　eyes　gleamed　for　a　moment　with　a　light　which　she　did　not　understand。　His　smile　was　tolerant；　even　genial；　but　his　face　remained　like　the　face　of　a　sphinx。

〃It　is　for　the　good　of　Japan　I　came；〃　he　said；　〃for　her　good　that　I　have　stayed　here　so　long。　At　the　same　time　it　has　been　very　pleasant。　I　have　met　with　great　kindness。〃

She　leaned　a　little　forward　so　as　to　look　into　his　face。　The　impassivity　of　his　features　was　like　a　wall　before　her。

〃After　all；〃　she　said；　〃I　suppose　it　is　a　period　of　probation。　You　are　like　a　schoolboy　already　who　is　looking　forward　to　his　holidays。　You　will　be　very　happy　when　you　return。〃

〃I　shall　be　very　happy　indeed；〃　he　admitted　simply。　〃Why　not？〃　I　am　a　true　son　of　Japan；　and；　for　every　true　son　of　his　country；　absence　from　her　is　as　hard　a　thing　to　be　borne　as　absence　from　one's　own　family。〃

Somerfield；　who　was　sitting　on　her　other　side；　insisted　at　last　upon　diverting　her　attention。

〃Penelope；〃　he　declared；　lowering　his　voice　a　little；　〃it　isn't　fair。　You　never　have　a　word　to　say　to　me　when　the　Prince　is　here。〃

She　smiled。

〃You　must　remember　that　he　is　going　away　very　soon；　Charlie；〃　she　reminded　him。

〃Good　job；　too！〃　Somerfield　muttered；　sotto　voce。

〃And　then；〃　Penelope　continued；　with　the　air　of　not　having　heard　her　companion's　last　remark；　〃he　possesses　also　a　very　great　attraction。　He　is　absolutely　unlike　any　other　human　being　I　ever　met　or　heard　of。〃

Somerfield　glanced　across　at　his　rival　with　lowering　brows。

〃I've　nothing　to　say　against　the　fellow；〃　he　remarked；　〃except　that　it　seems　queer　nowadays　to　run　up　against　a　man　of　his　birth　who　is　not　a　sportsman；in　the　sense　of　being　fond　of　sport；　I　mean；〃　he　corrected　himself　quickly。

〃Sometimes　I　wonder；〃　Penelope　said　thoughtfully；　〃whether　such　speeches　as　the　one　which　you　have　just　made　do　not　indicate　something　totally　wrong　in　our　modern　life。　You；　for　instance；　have　no　profession；　Charlie；　and　you　devote　your　life　to　a　systematic　course　of　what　is　nothing　more　or　less　than　pleasure…seeking。　You　hunt　or　you　shoot；　you　play　polo　or　golf；　you　come　to　town　or　you　live　in　the　country；　entirely　according　to　the　seasons。　If　any　one　asked　you　why　you　had　not　chosen　a　profession；　you　would　as　good　as　tell　them　that　it　was　because　you　were　a　rich　man　and　had　no　need　to　work　for　your　living。　That　is　practically　what　it　comes　to。　You　Englishmen　work　only　if　you　need　money。　If　you　do　not　need　money；　you　play。　The　Prince　is　wealthy；　but　his　profession　was　ordained　for　him　from　the　moment　when　he　left　the　cradle。　The　end　and　aim　of　his　life　is　to　serve　his　country；　and　I　believe　that　he　would　consider　it　sacrilege　if　h