Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 1 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/98

 touching in their worldly fears and diffident hopes, something almost terrible in the way poor little Mrs. Hudson seemed to flutter and quiver with maternal passion. She put forth one timid conversational venture after another, and asked Rowland a number of questions about himself, his age, his family, his occupations, his tastes, his religious opinions. Rowland had an odd feeling at last that she had begun to believe him very exemplary and that she might make later some perturbing discovery. He tried therefore to invent something that would prepare her to find him fallible. But he could think of nothing. It only seemed to him that Miss Garland secretly mistrusted him and that he must leave her to render him the service, after he had gone, of making him the object of a little conscientious derogation. Mrs. Hudson talked with low-voiced eagerness about her son.

"He 's very loveable, sir, I assure you. When you come to know him you 'll find him very loveable. He 's a little spoiled, of course; he has always done with me as he pleased; but he 's a dear good boy, I 'm sure he 's a dear good boy. And every one thinks him very attractive: I 'm sure he would be noticed anywhere. Don't you think he 's very handsome, sir? He 's the very copy of his poor father. I had another—perhaps you have been told. He was awfully killed." And the poor little lady smiled for fear of doing worse. "He was a very fine boy, but very different from Roderick. Roderick 's a little strange; he has never been an easy boy. Sometimes I feel like the goose—was n't it a goose, dear?" 64