Washington Square

it were true that she was in love, she was certainly very quiet about
it; but the Doctor was of course prepared to admit that her quietness
might mean volumes. She had told Morris Townsend that she would not
mention him to her father, and she saw no reason to retract this vow of
discretion. It was no more than decently civil, of course, that after
having dined in Washington Square, Morris should call there again; and it
was no more than natural that, having been kindly received on this
occasion, he should continue to present himself. He had had plenty of
leisure on his hands; and thirty years ago, in New York, a young man of
leisure had reason to be thankful for aids to self-oblivion. Catherine
said nothing to her father about these visits, though they had rapidly
become the most important, the most absorbing thing in her life. The
girl was very happy. She knew not as yet what would come of it; but the
present had suddenly grown rich and solemn. If she had been told she was
in love, she would have been a good deal surprised; for she had an idea
that love was an eager and exacting passion, and her own heart was filled
in these days with the impulse of self-effacement and sacrifice.
Whenever Morris Townsend had left the house, her imagination projected
itself, with all its strength, into the idea of his soon coming back; but
if she had been told at such a moment that he would not return for a
year, or even that he would never return, she would not have complained
nor rebelled, but would have humbly accepted the decree, and sought for
consolation in thinking over the times she had already seen him, the
words he had spoken, the sound of his voice, of his tread, the expression
of his face. Love demands certain things as a right; but Catherine had
no sense of her rights; she had only a consciousness of immense and
unexpected favours. Her very gratitude for these things had hushed
itself; for it seemed to her that there would be something of impudence
in making a festival of her secret. Her father suspected Morris
Townsend’s visits, and noted her reserve. She seemed to beg pardon for
it; she looked at him constantly in silence, as if she meant to say that
she said nothing because she was afraid of irritating him. But the poor
girl’s dumb eloquence irritated him more than anything else would have
done, and he caught himself murmuring more than once that it was a
grievous pity his only child was a simpleton. His murmurs, however, were
inaudible; and for a while he said nothing to any one. He would have
liked to know exactly how often young Townsend came; but he had
determined to ask no questions of the girl herself—to say nothing more to
her that would show that he watched her. The Doctor had a great idea of
being largely just: he wished to leave his daughter her liberty, and
interfere only when the danger should be proved. It was not in his
manner to obtain information by indirect methods, and it never even
occurred to him to question the servants. As for Lavinia, he hated to
talk to her about the matter; she annoyed him with her mock romanticism.
But he had to come to this. Mrs. Penniman’s convictions as regards the
relations of her niece and the clever young visitor who saved appearances
by coming ostensibly for both the ladies—Mrs. Penniman’s convictions had
passed into a riper and richer phase. There was to be no crudity in Mrs.
Penniman’s treatment of the situation; she had become as uncommunicative
as Catherine herself. She was tasting of the sweets of concealment; she
had taken up the line of mystery. “She would be enchanted to be able to
prove to herself that she is persecuted,” said the Doctor; and when at
last he questioned her, he was sure she would contrive to extract from
his words a pretext for this belief.

“Be so good as to let me know what is going on in the house,” he said to
her, in a tone which, under the circumstances, he himself deemed genial.

“Going on, Austin?” Mrs. Penniman exclaimed. “Why, I am sure I don’t
know! I believe that last night the old grey cat had kittens!”

“At her age?” said the Doctor. “The idea is startling—almost shocking.
Be so good as to see that they are all drowned. But what else has
happened?”

“Ah, the dear little kittens!” cried Mrs. Penniman. “I wouldn’t have
them drowned for the world!”

Her brother puffed his cigar a few moments in silence. “Your sympathy
with kittens, Lavinia,” he presently resumed, “arises from a feline
element in your own character.”

“Cats are very graceful, and very clean,” said Mrs. Penniman, smiling.

“And very stealthy. You are the embodiment both of grace and of
neatness; but you are wanting in frankness.”

“You certainly are not, dear brother.”

“I don’t pretend to be graceful, though I try to be neat. Why haven’t
you let me know that Mr. Morris Townsend is coming to the house four
times a week?”

Mrs. Penniman lifted her eyebrows. “Four times a week?”

“Five times, if you prefer it. I am away all day, and I see nothing.
But when such things happen, you should let me know.”

Mrs. Penniman, with her eyebrows still raised, reflected intently. “Dear
Austin,” she said at last, “I am incapable of betraying a confidence. I
would rather suffer anything.”

“Never fear; you shall not suffer. To whose confidence is it you allude?
Has Catherine made you take a vow of eternal secrecy?”

“By no means. Catherine has not told me as much as she might. She has
not been very trustful.”

“It is the young man, then, who has made you his confidante? Allow me to
say that it is extremely indiscreet of you to form secret alliances with
young men. You don’t know where they may lead you.”

“I don’t know what you mean by an alliance,” said Mrs. Penniman. “I take
a great interest in Mr. Townsend; I won’t conceal that. But that’s all.”

“Under the circumstances, that is quite enough. What is the source of
your interest in Mr. Townsend?”

“Why,” said Mrs. Penniman, musing, and then breaking into her smile,
“that he is so interesting!”

The Doctor felt that he had need of his patience. “And what makes him
interesting?—his good looks?”

“His misfortunes, Austin.”

“Ah, he has had misfortunes? That, of course, is always interesting.
Are you at liberty to mention a few of Mr. Townsend’s?”

“I don’t know that he would like it,” said Mrs. Penniman. “He has told
me a great deal about himself—he has told me, in fact, his whole history.
But I don’t think I ought to repeat those things. He would tell them to
you, I am sure, if he thought you would listen to him kindly. With
kindness you may do anything with him.”

The Doctor gave a laugh. “I shall request him very kindly, then, to
leave Catherine alone.”

“Ah!” said Mrs. Penniman, shaking her forefinger at her brother, with her
little finger turned out, “Catherine had probably said something to him
kinder than that.”

“Said that she loved him? Do you mean that?”

Mrs. Penniman fixed her eyes on the floor. “As I tell you, Austin, she
doesn’t confide in me.”

“You have an opinion, I suppose, all the same. It is that I ask you for;
though I don’t conceal from you that I shall not regard it as
conclusive.”

Mrs. Penniman’s gaze continued to rest on the carpet; but at last she
lifted it, and then her brother thought it very expressive. “I think
Catherine is very happy; that is all I can say.”

“Townsend is trying to marry her—is that what you mean?”

“He is greatly interested in her.”

“He finds her such an attractive girl?”

“Catherine has a lovely nature, Austin,” said Mrs. Penniman, “and Mr.
Townsend has had the intelligence to discover that.”

“With a little help from you, I suppose. My dear Lavinia,” cried the
Doctor, “you are an admirable aunt!”

“So Mr. Townsend says,” observed Lavinia, smiling.

“Do you think he is sincere?” asked her brother.

“In saying that?”

“No; that’s of course. But in his admiration for Catherine?”

“Deeply sincere. He has said to me the most appreciative, the most
charming things about her. He would say them to you, if he were sure you
would listen to him—gently.”

“I doubt whether I can undertake it. He appears to require a great deal
of gentleness.”

“He is a sympathetic, sensitive nature,” said Mrs. Penniman.

Her brother puffed his cigar again in silence. “These delicate qualities
have survived his vicissitudes, eh? All this while you haven’t told me
about his misfortunes.”

“It is a long story,” said Mrs. Penniman, “and I regard it as a sacred
trust. But I suppose there is no objection to my saying that he has been
wild—he frankly confesses that. But he has paid for it.”

“That’s what has impoverished him, eh?”

“I don’t mean simply in money. He is very much alone in the world.”

“Do you mean that he has behaved so badly that his friends have given him
up?”

“He has had false friends, who have deceived and betrayed him.”

“He seems to have some good ones too. He has a devoted sister, and
half-a-dozen nephews and nieces.”

Mrs. Penniman was silent a minute. “The nephews and nieces are children,
and the sister is not a very attractive person.”

“I hope he doesn’t abuse her to you,” said the Doctor; “for I am told he
lives upon her.”

“Lives upon her?”

“Lives with her, and does nothing for himself; it is about the same
thing.”

“He is looking for a position—most earnestly,” said Mrs. Penniman. “He
hopes every day to find one.”

“Precisely. He is looking for it here—over there in the front parlour.
The position of husband of a weak-minded woman with a large fortune would
suit him to perfection!”

Mrs. Penniman was truly amiable, but she now gave signs of temper. She
rose with much animation, and stood for a moment looking at her brother.
“My dear Austin,” she remarked, “if you regard Catherine as a weak-minded
woman, you are particularly mistaken!” And with this she moved
majestically away.