Эпоха невинности
Chapter 20
TheyhadevenmanagedtoavoidMay’sEnglishaunt,thebanker’swife,whowasstillinYorkshire;infact,theyhadpurposelypostponedgoingtoLondontilltheautumninorderthattheirarrivalduringtheseasonmightnotappearpushingandsnobbishtotheseunknownrelatives."Probablythere’llbenobodyatMrs.Carfry’s—London’sadesertatthisseason,andyou’vemadeyourselfmuchtoobeautiful,"ArchersaidtoMay,whosatathissideinthehansomsospotlesslysplendidinhersky-bluecloakedgedwithswansdownthatitseemedwickedtoexposehertotheLondongrime."Idon’twantthemtothinkthatwedresslikesavages,"shereplied,withascornthatPocahontasmighthaveresented;andhewasstruckagainbythereligiousreverenceofeventhemostunworldlyAmericanwomenforthesocialadvantagesofdress."It’stheirarmour,"hethought,"theirdefenceagainsttheunknown,andtheirdefianceofit."AndheunderstoodforthefirsttimetheearnestnesswithwhichMay,whowasincapableoftyingaribboninherhairtocharmhim,hadgonethroughthesolemnriteofselectingandorderingherextensivewardrobe.HehadbeenrightinexpectingthepartyatMrs.Carfry’stobeasmallone.Besidestheirhostessandhersister,theyfound,inthelongchillydrawing-room,onlyanothershawledlady,agenialVicarwhowasherhusband,asilentladwhomMrs.Carfrynamedashernephew,andasmalldarkgentlemanwithlivelyeyeswhomsheintroducedashistutor,pronouncingaFrenchnameasshedidso.