pgw.adamselindistress-第50章

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　〃You　must　be　mad！〃　cried　Lady　Caroline。　〃Your　only　daughter　and　a　man　nobody　knows　anything　about！〃
　〃Quite！〃　said　Percy。
　Lord　Marshmoreton　seized　his　advantage　with　the　skill　of　an　adroit　debater。
　〃That's　where　you're　wrong。　I　know　all　about　him。　He's　a　very　rich　man。　You　heard　the　way　all　those　people　at　dinner　behaved　when　they　heard　his　name。　Very　celebrated　man！　　Makes　thousands　of　pounds　a　year。　Perfectly　suitable　match　in　every　way。〃
　〃It　is　not　a　suitable　match；〃　said　Lady　Caroline　vehemently。　　〃I　don't　care　whether　this　Mr。　Bevan　makes　thousands　of　pounds　a　year　or　twopence…ha'penny。　The　match　is　not　suitable。　Money　is　not　everything。〃
　She　broke　off。　A　knock　had　e　on　the　door。　The　door　opened；　and　Billie　Dore　came　in。　A　kind…hearted　girl；　she　had　foreseen　that　Lord　Marshmoreton　might　be　glad　of　a　change　of　subject　at　about　this　time。
　〃Would　you　like　me　to　help　you　tonight？〃　she　asked　brightly。　　〃I　thought　I　would　ask　if　there　was　anything　you　wanted　me　to　do。〃
　Lady　Caroline　snatched　hurriedly　at　her　aristocratic　calm。　　She　resented　the　interruption　acutely；　but　her　manner；　when　she　spoke；　was　bland。
　〃Lord　Marshmoreton　will　not　require　your　help　tonight；〃　she　said。　〃He　will　not　be　working。〃
　〃Good　night；〃　said　Billie。
　〃Good　night；〃　said　Lady　Caroline。
　Percy　scowled　a　valediction。
　〃Money；〃　resumed　Lady　Caroline；　〃is　immaterial。　Maud　is　in　no　position　to　be　obliged　to　marry　a　rich　man。　What　makes　the　thing　impossible　is　that　Mr。　Bevan　is　nobody。　He　es　from　nowhere。　He　has　no　social　standing　whatsoever。〃
　〃Don't　see　it；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton。　〃The　fellow's　a　thoroughly　decent　fellow。　That's　all　that　matters。〃
　〃How　can　you　be　so　pig…headed！　You　are　talking　like　an　imbecile。　Your　secretary；　Miss　Dore；　is　a　nice　girl。　But　how　would　you　feel　if　Percy　were　to　e　to　you　and　say　that　he　was　engaged　to　be　married　to　her？〃
　〃Exactly！〃　said　Percy。　〃Quite！〃
　Lord　Marshmoreton　rose　and　moved　to　the　door。　He　did　it　with　a　certain　dignity；　but　there　was　a　strange　hunted　expression　in　his　eyes。
　〃That　would　be　impossible；〃　he　said。
　〃Precisely；〃　said　his　sister。　〃I　am　glad　that　you　admit　it。〃
　Lord　Marshmoreton　had　reached　the　door；　and　was　standing　holding　the　handle。　He　seemed　to　gather　strength　from　its　support。
　〃I've　been　meaning　to　tell　you　about　that；〃　he　said。
　〃About　what？〃
　〃About　Miss　Dore。　I　married　her　myself　last　Wednesday；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton；　and　disappeared　like　a　diving　duck。
　
　CHAPTER　26。
　
　At　a　quarter　past　four　in　the　afternoon；　two　days　after　the　memorable　dinner…party　at　which　Lord　Marshmoreton　had　behaved　with　so　notable　a　lack　of　judgment；　Maud　sat　in　Ye　Cosy　Nooke；　waiting　for　Geoffrey　Raymond。　He　had　said　in　his　telegram　that　he　would　meet　her　there　at　four…thirty：　but　eagerness　had　brought　Maud　to　the　tryst　a　quarter　of　an　hour　ahead　of　time：　and　already　the　sadness　of　her　surroundings　was　causing　her　to　regret　this　impulsiveness。　Depression　had　settled　upon　her　spirit。　She　was　aware　of　something　that　resembled　foreboding。
　Ye　Cosy　Nooke；　as　its　name　will　immediately　suggest　to　those　who　know　their　London；　is　a　tea…shop　in　Bond　Street；　conducted　by　distressed　gentlewomen。　In　London；　when　a　gentlewoman　bees　distressedwhich　she　seems　to　do　on　the　slightest　provocationshe　collects　about　her　two　or　three　other　distressed　gentlewomen；　forming　a　quorum；　and　starts　a　tea…shop　in　the　West…End；　which　she　calls　Ye　Oak　Leaf；　Ye　Olde　Willow…Pattern；　Ye　Linden…Tree；　or　Ye　Snug　Harbour；　according　to　personal　taste。　There；　dressed　in　Tyrolese；　Japanese；　Norwegian；　or　some　other　exotic　costume；　she　and　her　associates　administer　refreshments　of　an　afternoon　with　a　proud　languor　calculated　to　knock　the　nonsense　out　of　the　cheeriest　customer。　　Here　you　will　find　none　of　the　coarse　bustle　and　efficiency　of　the　rival　establishments　of　Lyons　and　Co。；　nor　the　glitter　and　gaiety　of　Rumpelmayer's。　These　places　have　an　atmosphere　of　their　own。　　They　rely　for　their　effect　on　an　insufficiency　of　light；　an　almost　total　lack　of　ventilation；　a　property　chocolate　cake　which　you　are　not　supposed　to　cut；　and　the　sad　aloofness　of　their　ministering　angels。　It　is　to　be　doubted　whether　there　is　anything　in　the　world　more　damping　to　the　spirit　than　a　London　tea…shop　of　this　kind；　unless　it　be　another　London　tea…shop　of　the　same　kind。
　Maud　sat　and　waited。　Somewhere　out　of　sight　a　kettle　bubbled　in　an　undertone；　like　a　whispering　pessimist。　Across　the　room　two　distressed　gentlewomen　in　fancy　dress　leaned　against　the　wall。　They；　too；　were　whispering。　Their　expressions　suggested　that　they　looked　on　life　as　low　and　wished　they　were　well　out　of　it；　like　the　body　upstairs。　One　assumed　that　there　was　a　body　upstairs。　One　cannot　help　it　at　these　places。　　One's　first　thought　on　entering　is　that　the　lady　assistant　will　approach　one　and　ask　in　a　hushed　voice　〃Tea　or　chocolate？　　And　would　you　care　to　view　the　remains？〃
　Maud　looked　at　her　watch。　It　was　twenty　past　four。　She　could　scarcely　believe　that　she　had　only　been　there　five　minutes；　but　the　ticking　of　the　watch　assured　her　that　it　had　not　stopped。　　Her　depression　deepened。　Why　had　Geoffrey　told　her　to　meet　him　in　a　cavern　of　gloom　like　this　instead　of　at　the　Savoy？　　She　would　have　enjoyed　the　Savoy。　But　here　she　seemed　to　have　lost　beyond　recovery　the　first　gay　eagerness　with　which　she　had　set　out　to　meet　the　man　she　loved。
　Suddenly　she　began　to　feel　frightened。　Some　evil　spirit；　possibly　the　kettle；　seemed　to　whisper　to　her　that　she　had　been　foolish　in　ing　here；　to　cast　doubts　on　what　she　had　hitherto　regarded　as　the　one　rock…solid　fact　in　the　world；　her　love　for　Geoffrey。　Could　she　have　changed　since　those　days　in　Wales？　　Life　had　been　so　confusing　of　late。　In　the　vividness　of　recent　happenings　those　days　in　Wales　seemed　a　long　way　off；　and　she　herself　different　from　the　girl　of　a　year　ago。　She　found　herself　thinking　about　George　Bevan。
　It　was　a　curious　fact　that；　the　moment　she　began　to　think　of　George　Bevan；　she　felt　better。　It　was　as　if　she　had　lost　her　way　in　a　wilderness　and　had　met　a　friend。　There　was　something　so　capable；　so　soothing　about　George。　And　how　well　he　had　behaved　at　that　last　interview。　George　seemed　somehow　to　be　part　of　her　life。　She　could　not　imagine　a　life　in　which　he　had　no　share。　And　he　was　at　this　moment；　probably；　packing　to　return　to　America；　and　she　would　never　see　him　again。　Something　stabbed　at　her　heart。　It　was　as　if　she　were　realizing　now　for　the　first　time　that　he　was　really　going。
　She　tried　to　rid　herself　of　the　ache　at　her　heart　by　thinking　of　Wales。　She　closed　her　eyes；　and　found　that　that　helped　her　to　remember。　With　her　eyes　shut；　she　could　bring　it　all　backthat　rainy　day；　the　graceful；　supple　figure　that　had　e　to　her　out　of　the　mist；　those　walks　over　the　hills　。　。　。　If　only　Geoffrey　would　e！　It　was　the　sight　of　him　that　she　needed。
　〃There　you　are！〃
　Maud　opened　her　eyes　with　a　start。　The　voice　had　sounded　like　Geoffrey's。　But　it　was　a　stranger　who　stood　by　the　table。　　And　not　a　particularly　prepossessing　stranger。　In　the　dim　light　of　Ye　Cosy　Nooke；　to　which　her　opening　eyes　had　not　yet　grown　accustomed；　all　she　could　see　of　the　man　was　that　he　was　remarkably　stout。　She　stiffened　defensively。　This　was　what　a　girl　who　sat　about　in　tea…rooms　alone　had　to　expect。
　〃Hope　I'm　not　late；〃　said　the　stranger；　sitting　down　and　breathing　heavily。　〃I　thought　a　little　exercise　would　do　me　good；　so　I　walked。〃
　Every　nerve　in　Maud's　body　seemed　to　e　to　life　simultaneously。　She　tingled　from　head　to　foot。　It　was　Geoffrey！
　He　was　looking　over　his　shoulder　and　endeavouring　by　snapping　his　fingers　to　attract　the　attention　of　the　nearest　distressed　gentlewoman：　and　this　gave　Maud　time　to　recover　from　the　frightful　shock　she　had　received。　Her　dizziness　left　her：　and；　leaving；　was　succeeded　by　a　panic　dismay。　This　couldn't　be　Geoffrey！　It　was　outrageous　that　it　should　be　Geoffrey！　And　yet　it　undeniably　was　Geoffrey。　For　a　year　she　had　prayed　that　Geoffrey　might　be　given　back　to　her；　and　the　gods　had　heard　her　prayer。　They　had　given　her　back　Geoffrey；　and　with　a　careless　generosity　they　had　given　her　twice　as　much　of　him　as　she　had　expected。　She　had　asked　for　the　slim　Apollo　whom　she　had　loved　in　W