ragged lady, v2-第16章

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〃I　was　going　to　run　away；　for　I　shouldn't　like　to　mix　myself　up　in　your
affairit's　certainly　a　very　strange　oneunless　I　was　sure　I　could　help
you。　　But　if　you　think　I　can〃

Clementina　shook　her　head。　　〃I　don't　believe　you　can；〃　she　said；　with　a
candor　so　wistful　that　Miss　Milray　stopped　quite　short。　　〃How　does　Mr。
Gregory　take　this　Belsky　business？〃　she　asked。

〃I　guess　he　feels　it　moa　than　I　do；〃　said　the　girl。

〃He　shows　his　feeling　more？〃

〃Yesno　He　believes　he　drove　him　to　it。〃

Miss　Milray　took　her　hand；　for　parting；　but　did　not　kiss　her。　　〃I　won't
advise　you；　my　dear。　　In　fact；　yon　haven't　asked　me　to。　　You'll　know　what
to　do；　if　you　haven't　done　it　already；　girls　usually　have；　when　they　want
advice。　　Was　there　something　you　were　going　to　say？〃

〃Oh；　no。　　Nothing。　　Do　you　think；〃　she　hesitated；　appealingly；　〃do　you
think　we　are…engaged？〃

〃If　he's　anything　of　a　man　at　all；　he　must　think　he　is。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Clementina；　wistfully；　〃I　guess　he　does。〃

Miss　Milray　looked　sharply　at　her。　　〃And　does　he　think　you　are？〃

〃I　don't　knowhe　didn't　say。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Miss　Milray；　rather　dryly；　〃then　it's　something　for　you　to
think　over　pretty　carefully。〃




XXVI。

Hinkle　came　back　in　the　afternoon　to　make　a　hopeful　report　of　his　failure
to　learn　anything　more　of　Belsky；　but　Gregory　did　not　come　with　him。　　He
came　the　next　morning　long　before　Clementina　expected　visitors；　and　he
was　walking　nervously　up　and　down　the　room　when　she　appeared。　　As　if　he
could　not　speak；　he　held　toward　her　without　speaking　a　telegram　in
English；　dated　that　day　in　Rome：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Deny　report　of　my　death。　　Have　written。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Belsky。〃

She　looked　up　at　Gregory　from　the　paper；　when　she　had　read　it；　with
joyful　eyes。　　〃Oh；　I　am　so　glad　for　you！　　I　am　so　glad　he　is　alive。〃

He　took　the　dispatch　from　her　hand。　　〃I　brought　it　to　you　as　soon　as　it
came：

〃Yes；　yes！　　Of　cou'se！〃

〃I　must　go　now　and　do　what　he　saysI　don't　know　how　yet。〃　　He　stopped；
and　then　went　on　from　a　different　impulse。　　〃Clementina；　it　isn't　a
question　now　of　that　wretch's　life　and　death；　and　I　wish　I　need　never
speak　of　him　again。　　But　what　he　told　you　was　true。〃　　He　looked
steadfastly　at　her；　and　she　realized　how　handsome　he　was；　and　how　well
dressed。　　His　thick　red　hair　seemed　to　have　grown　darker　above　his
forehead；　his　moustache　was　heavier；　and　it　curved　in　at　the　corners　of
his　mouth；　he　bore　himself　with　a　sort　of　self…disdain　that　enhanced　his
splendor。　　〃I　have　never　changed　toward　you；　I　don't　say　it　to　make　favor
with　you；　I　don't　expect　to　do　that　now；　but　it　is　true。　　That　night；
there　at　Middlemount；　I　tried　to　take　back　what　I　said；　because　I
believed　that　I　ought。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　knew　that；〃　said　Clementina；　in　the　pause　he　made。

〃We　were　both　too　young；　I　had　no　prospect　in　life；　I　saw；　the　instant
after　I　had　spoken；　that　I　had　no　right　to　let　you　promise　anything。
I　tried　to　forget　you；　I　couldn't。　　I　tried　to　make　you　forget　me。〃
He　faltered；　and　she　did　not　speak；　but　her　head　drooped　a　little。
〃I　won't　ask　how　far　I　succeeded。　　I　always　hoped　that　the　time　would
come　when　I　could　speak　to　you　again。　　When　I　heard　from　Fane　that　you
were　at　Woodlake；　I　wished　to　come　out　and　see　you；　but　I　hadn't　the
courage；　I　hadn't　the　right。　　I've　had　to　come　to　you　without　either；
now。　　Did　he　speak　to　you　about　me？〃

〃I　thought　he　was　beginning　to；　once；　but　he　neva　did。〃

〃It　didn't　matter；　it　could　only　have　made　bad　worse。　　It　can't　help　me
to　say　that　somehow　I　was　wishing　and　trying　to　do　what　was　right；　but　I
was。〃

〃Oh；　I　know　that；　Mr。　Gregory；〃　said　Clementina；　generously。

〃Then　you　didn't　doubt　me；　in　spite　of　all？〃

〃I　thought　you　would　know　what　to　do。　　No；　I　didn't　doubt　you；　exactly。〃

〃I　didn't　deserve　your　trust！〃　he　cried。　　〃How　came　that　man　to　mention
me？〃　he　demanded；　abruptly；　after　a　moment's　silence。

〃Mr。　Belsky？　　It　was　the　first　night　I　saw　him；　and　we　were　talking　about
Americans；　and　he　began　to　tell　me　about　an　American　friend　of　his；　who
was　very　conscientious。　　I　thought　it　must　be　you　the　fust　moment；〃　said
Clementina；　smiling　with　an　impersonal　pleasure　in　the　fact。

〃From　the　conscientiousness？〃　　he　asked；　in　bitter　self…irony。

〃Why；　yes；〃　she　returned；　simply。　　〃That　was　what　made　me　think　of　you。
And　the　last　time　when　he　began　to　talk　about　you；　I　couldn't　stop　him；
although　I　knew　he　had　no　right　to。〃

〃He　had　no　right。　　But　I　gave　him　the　power　to　do　it！　　He　meant　no　harm；
but　I　enabled　him　to　do　all　the　harm。〃

〃Oh；　if　he's　only　alive；　now；　there　is　no　harm！〃

He　looked　into　her　eyes　with　a　misgiving　from　which　be　burst　impetuously。
〃Then　you　do　care　for　me　still；　after　all　that　I　have　done　to　make　you
detest　me？〃　　He　started　toward　her；　but　she　shrank　back。

〃I　didn't　mean　that；〃　she　hesitated。

〃You　know　that　I　love　you；that　I　have　always　loved　you？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　assented。　　〃But　you　might　be　sorry　again　that　you　had　said
it。〃　　It　sounded　like　coquetry；　but　he　knew　it　was　not　coquetry。

〃Never！　　I've　wished　to　say　it　again；　ever　since　that　night　at
Middlemount；　I　have　always　felt　bound　by　what　I　said　then；　though　I　took
back　my　words　for　your　sake。　　But　the　promise　was　always　there；　and　my
life　was　in　it。　　You　believe　that？〃

〃Why；　I　always　believed　what　you　said；　Mr。　Gregory。〃

〃Well？〃

Clementina　paused；　with　her　head　seriously　on　one　side。　　〃I　should　want
to　think　about　it　before　I　said　anything。〃

〃You　are　right；〃　he　submitted；　dropping　his　outstretched　arms　to　his
side。　　〃I　have　been　thinking　only　of　myself；　as　usual。〃

〃No；〃　she　protested；　compassionately。　　〃But　doesn't　it　seem　as　if　we
ought　to　be　su'a；　this　time？　　I　did　ca'e　for　you　then；　but　I　was　very
young；　and　I　don't　know　yet　I　thought　I　had　always　felt　just；　as　you
did；　but　now　Don't　you　think　we　had　both　betta　wait　a　little　while　till
we　ah'　moa　suttain？〃

They　stood　looking　at　each　other；　and　he　said；　with　a　kind　of　passionate
self…denial；　〃Yes；　think　it　over　for　me；　too。　　I　will　come　back；　if　you
will　let　me。〃

〃Oh；　thank　you！〃　she　cried　after　him；　gratefully；　as　if　his　forbearance
were　the　greatest　favor。

When　he　was　gone　she　tried　to　release　herself　from　the　kind　of　abeyance
in　which　she　seemed　to　have　gone　back　and　been　as　subject　to　him　as　in
the　first　days　when　he　had　awed　her　and　charmed　her　with　his　superiority
at　Middlemount；　and　he　again　older　and　freer　as　she　had　grown　since。

He　came　back　late　in　the　afternoon；　looking　jaded　and　distraught。
Hinkle；　who　looked　neither；　was　with　him。　　〃Well；〃　he　began；　〃this　is　the
greatest　thing　in　my　experience。　　Belsky's　not　only　alive　and　well；　but
Mr。　Gregory　and　I　are　both　at　large。　　I　did　think；　one　time；　that　the
police　would　take　us　into　custody　on　account　of　our　morbid　interest　in
the　thing；　and　I　don't　believe　we　should　have　got　off；　if　the　Consul
hadn't　gone　bail　for　us；　so　to　speak。　　I　thought　we　had　better　take　the
Consul　in；　on　our　way；　and　it　was　lucky　we　did。〃

Clementina　did　not　understand　all　the　implications；　but　she　was　willing
to　take　Mr。　Hinkle's　fun　on　trust。　　〃I　don't　believe　you'll　convince　Mrs。
Landa　that　Mr。　Belsky's　alive　and　well；　till　you　bring　him　back　to　say
so。〃

〃Is　that　so！〃　said　Hinkle。　　〃Well；　we　must　have　him　brought　back　by　the
authorities；　then。　　Perhaps　they'll　bring　him；　anyway。　　They　can't　try
him　for　suicide；　but　as　I　understand　the　police；　here；　a　man　can't　lose
his　hat　over　a　bridge　in　Florence　with　impunity；　especially　in　a　time　of
high　water。　　Anyway；　they're　identifying　Belsky　by　due　process　of　law　in
Rome；　now；　and　I　guess　Mr。　Gregory〃he　nodded　toward　Gregory；　who　sat
silent　and　absent　〃will　be　kept　under　surveillance　till　the　whole　mystery
is　cleared　up。〃

Clementina　responded　gayly　still；　but　with　less　and　less　sincerity；　and
she　let　Hinkle　go　at　last　with　the　feeling　that　he　knew　she　wished　him　to
go。　　He　made　a　brave　show　of　not　seeing　this；　and　when　he　was　gone；　she
remembered　that　she　had　not　thanked　him　for　the　trouble　he　had　taken　on
her　account；　and　her　heart　ached　after　him　with　a　sense　of　his　sweetness
and　goodness；　which　she　had　felt　from　the　first　through　his　q