Henry James: Complete Stories 1864-1874 by Henry James Read Free Book Online Page A

took too good care of himself, in the manner of a man to whom something had happened which had given him a lesson. Of course what had happened was that his heart was buried somewhere, in some woman's grave; he had loved some beautiful girlmuch more beautiful, Kate was sure, than she, who thought herself meagre and duskyand the maiden had died, and his capacity to love had died with her. He loved her memory; that was the only thing he would care for now. He was quiet, gentle, clever, humorous, and very kind in his manner; but if any one save Mildred had said to her that if he came three times a week to Posilippo, it was for anything but to pass his time (he had told them he didn't know another lady in Naples), she would have felt that this was simply the kind of thingusually so idioticthat people always thought it necessary to say. It was very easy for him to come; he had the big ship's boat, with nothing else to do; and what could be more delightful than to be rowed across the bay, under a bright awning, by four brown sailors with Louisiana in blue letters on their immaculate white shirts and in gilt letters on their fluttering hat-ribbons? The boat came to the steps of the garden of the pension, where the orange-trees hung over and made vague yellow balls shine back out of the water. Kate Theory knew all about that, for Captain Benyon had persuaded her to take a turn in the boat, and if they had only had another lady to go with them he could have conveyed her to the ship and shown her all over it. It looked beautiful, just a little way off, with the American flag hanging loose in the Italian air. They would have another lady when Agnes should arrive; then Percival would remain with

 

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Mildred while they took this excursion. Mildred had stayed alone the day she went in the boat; she had insisted on it, and, of course it was really Mildred who had persuaded her; though now that Kate came to think of it, Captain Benyon had, in his quiet, waiting wayhe turned out to be waiting long after you thought he had let a thing passsaid a good deal about the pleasure it would give him. Of course, everything would give pleasure to a man who was so bored. He was keeping the Louisiana at Naples, week after week, simply because these were the commodore's orders. There was no work to be done there, and his time was on his hands; but of course the commodore, who had gone to Constantinople with the two other ships, had to be obeyed to the letter, however mysterious his motives. It made no difference that he was a fantastic, grumbling, arbitrary old commodore; only a good while afterwards it occurred to Kate Theory that, for a reserved, correct man, Captain Benyon had given her a considerable proof of confidence in speaking to her in these terms of his superior officer. If he looked at all hot when he arrived at the pension she offered him a glass of cold orangeade. Mildred thought this an unpleasant drinkshe called it messy; but Kate adored it and Captain Benyon always accepted it.
IX.
The day I speak of, to change the subject, she called her sister's attention to the extraordinary sharpness of a zigzaging cloud-shadow on the tinted slope of Vesuvius; but Mildred remarked in answer only that she wished her sister would marry the Captain. It was in this familiar way that constant meditation led Miss Theory to speak of him; it shows how constantly she thought of him, for, in general, no one was more ceremonious than she, and the failure of her health had not caused her to relax any form that it was possible to keep up. There was a kind of slim erectness even in the way she lay on her sofa; and she always received the doctor as if he were calling for the first time.
I had better wait till he asks me, Kate Theory said. Dear Milly, if I were to do some of the things you wish me to do, I should shock you very much.

 

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I wish he would marry you, then. You know there is very little time, if I wish to see it.
You will never see it,