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The Chaperon
by Henry James
CHAPTER I。
An old lady； in a high drawing…room； had had her chair moved close to
the fire； where she sat knitting and warming her knees。 She was
dressed in deep mourning； her face had a faded nobleness； tempered；
however； by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in
obedience to something that was passing in her mind。 She was far
from the lamp； but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles
she was not looking at them。 What she really saw was quite another
train of affairs。 The room was spacious and dim； the thick London
fog had oozed into it even through its superior defences。 It was
full of dusky； massive； valuable things。 The old lady sat motionless
save for the regularity of her clicking needles； which seemed as
personal to her and as expressive as prolonged fingers。 If she was
thinking something out； she was thinking it thoroughly。
When she looked up； on the entrance of a girl of twenty； it might
have been guessed that the appearance of this young lady was not an
interruption of her meditation； but rather a contribution to it。 The
young lady； who was charming to behold； was also in deep mourning；
which had a freshness； if mourning can be fresh； an air of having
been lately put on。 She went straight to the bell beside the
chimney…piece and pulled it； while in her other hand she held a
sealed and directed letter。 Her companion glanced in silence at the
letter； then she looked still harder at her work。 The girl hovered
near the fireplace； without speaking； and after a due； a dignified
interval the butler appeared in response to the bell。 The time had
been sufficient to make the silence between the ladies seem long。
The younger one asked the butler to see that her letter should be
posted； and after he had gone out she moved vaguely about the room；
as if to give her grandmotherfor such was the elder personagea
chance to begin a colloquy of which she herself preferred not to
strike the first note。 As equally with herself her companion was on
the face of it capable of holding out； the tension； though it was
already late in the evening； might have lasted long。 But the old
lady after a little appeared to recognise； a trifle ungraciously； the
girl's superior resources。
〃Have you written to your mother？〃
〃Yes； but only a few lines； to tell her I shall come and see her in
the morning。〃
〃Is that all you've got to say？〃 asked the grandmother。
〃I don't quite know what you want me to say。〃
〃I want you to say that you've made up your mind。〃
〃Yes； I've done that； granny。〃
〃You intend to respect your father's wishes？〃
〃It depends upon what you mean by respecting them。 I do justice to
the feelings by which they were dictated。〃
〃What do you mean by justice？〃 the old lady retorted。
The girl was silent a moment； then she said： 〃You'll see my idea of
it。〃
〃I see it already！ You'll go and live with her。〃
〃I shall talk the situation over with her to…morrow and tell her that
I think that will be best。〃
〃Best for her； no doubt！〃
〃What's best for her is best for me。〃
〃And for your brother and sister？〃 As the girl made no reply to this
her grandmother went on： 〃What's best for them is that you should
acknowledge some responsibility in regard to them and； considering
how young they are； try and do something for them。〃
〃They must do as I've donethey must act for themselves。 They have
their means now； and they're free。〃
〃Free？ They're mere children。〃
〃Let me remind you that Eric is older than I。〃
〃He doesn't like his mother；〃 said the old lady； as if that were an
answer。
〃I never said he did。 And she adores him。〃
〃Oh； your mother's adorations！〃
〃Don't abuse her now；〃 the girl rejoined； after a pause。
The old lady forbore to abuse her； but she made up for it the next
moment by saying： 〃It will be dreadful for Edith。〃
〃What will be dreadful？〃
〃Your desertion of her。〃
〃The desertion's on her side。〃
〃Her consideration for her father does her honour。〃
〃Of course I'm a brute； n'en parlons plus；〃 said the girl。 〃We must
go our respective ways；〃 she added； in a tone of extreme wisdom and
philosophy。
Her grandmother straightened out her knitting and began to roll it
up。 〃Be so good as to ring for my maid；〃 she said； after a minute。
The young lady rang； and there was another wait and another conscious
hush。 Before the maid came her mistress remarked： 〃Of course then
you'll not come to ME； you know。〃
〃What do you mean by 'coming' to you？〃
〃I can't receive you on that footing。〃
〃She'll not come WITH me； if you mean that。〃
〃I don't mean that；〃 said the old lady； getting up as her maid came
in。 This attendant took her work from her； gave her an arm and
helped her out of the room； while Rose Tramore； standing before the
fire and looking into it； faced the idea that her grandmother's door
would now under all circumstances be closed to her。 She lost no time
however in brooding over this anomaly： it only added energy to her
determination to act。 All she could do to…night was to go to bed；
for she felt utterly weary。 She had been living； in imagination； in
a prospective struggle； and it had left her as exhausted as a real
fight。 Moreover this was the culmination of a crisis； of weeks of
suspense； of a long； hard strain。 Her father had been laid in his
grave five days before； and that morning his will had been read。 In
the afternoon she had got Edith off to St。 Leonard's with their aunt
Julia； and then she had had a wretched talk with Eric。 Lastly； she
had made up her mind to act in opposition to the formidable will； to
a clause which embodied if not exactly a provision； a recommendation
singularly emphatic。 She went to bed and slept the sleep of the
just。
〃Oh； my dear； how charming！ I must take another house！〃 It was in
these words that her mother responded to the announcement Rose had
just formally made and with which she had vaguely expected to produce
a certain dignity of effect。 In the way of emotion there was
apparently no effect at all； and the girl was wise enough to know
that this was not simply on account of the general line of non…
allusion taken by the extremely pretty woman before her； who looked
like her elder sister。 Mrs。 Tramore had never manifested； to her
daughter； the slightest consciousness that her position was peculiar；
but the recollection of something more than that fine policy was
required to explain such a failure； to appreciate Rose's sacrifice。
It was simply a fresh reminder that she had never appreciated
anything； that she was nothing but a tinted and stippled surface。
Her situation was peculiar indeed。 She had been the heroine of a
scandal which had grown dim only because； in the eyes of the London
world； it paled in the lurid light of the contemporaneous。 That
attention had been fixed on it for several days； fifteen years
before； there had been a high relish of the vivid evidence as to his
wife's misconduct with which； in the divorce…court； Charles Tramore
had judged well to regale a cynical public。 The case was pronounced
awfully bad； and he obtained his decree。 The folly of the wife had
been inconceivable； in spite of other examples： she had quitted her
children； she had followed the 〃other fellow〃 abroad。 The other
fellow hadn't married her； not having had time： he had lost his life
in the Mediterranean by the capsizing of a boat； before the
prohibitory term had expired。
Mrs。 Tramore had striven to extract from this accident something of
the austerity of widowhood； but her mourning only made her deviation
more public； she was a widow whose husband was awkwardly alive。 She
had not prowled about the Continent on the classic lines； she had
come back to London to take her chance。 But London would give her no
chance； would have nothing to say to her； as many persons had
remarked； you could never tell how London would behave。 It would not
receive Mrs。 Tramore again on any terms； and when she was spoken of；
which now was not often； it was inveterately said of her that she
went nowhere。 Apparently she had not the quali