the captives-第6章

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〃What　is　it；　Uncle　Mathew？〃　she　said　again。　Her　voice　was　steady；　although　her　heart　hammered。　Some　other　part　of　her　brain　was　wondering　where　it　was　that　he　had　got　the　drink。　He　must　have　had　a　bottle　of　whisky　in　his　room；　she　remembered　his　shyness　when　he　said　good…night　to　her。

He　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　swaying　on　his　feet　and　smiling　at　her。　The　flame　of　the　light　rose　and　fell　in　jerks　and　spasms。

〃I　thought；〃　he　said；　〃I'd　cometo　see　m'little　Maggie；　m'little　niece；　jus'　to　talk　a　lill　bit　and　cheer　her　upup。〃　He　drew　nearer　the　bed。　〃She'll　be　lonely；　I　saidlonelyveryaren't　youlonely　Maggie？〃

〃It's　very　late；〃　she　said；　〃and　you're　dropping　grease　ail　over　the　floor　with　that　candle。　You　go　back　to　bed；　uncle。　I'm　all　right。　You　go　back　to　bed。〃

〃Go　back？　No；　no；　no。　Oh　no；　not　back　to　bed。　It'll　soon　be　mornin'。　That'll　be　jolly…jolly。　We'll　talktogether　till　mornin'。〃

He　put　the　candle　on　a　chair；　nearly　falling　as　he　did　so；　then　came　towards　her。　He　stood　over　her；　his　shirt；　open　at　the　neck；　protuberating　over　his　stomach；　his　short　thick　legs　swaying。　His　red；　unshaven　face　with　the　trembling　lips　was　hateful　to　her。

Suddenly　he　sat　on　the　edge　of　her　bed　and　put　his　hands　out　towards　her。　He　caught　her　hair。

〃My　little　Maggiemy　little　Maggie；〃　he　said。

The　fright；　the　terror；　the　panic　that　seized　her　was　like　the　sudden　rising　of　some　black　figure　who　grew　before　her；　bent　towards　her　and　with　cold　hard　fingers　squeezed　her　throat。　For　an　instant　she　was　helpless；　quivering；　weak　in　every　bone　of　her　body。

Then　some　one　said　to　her：

〃But　you　can　manage　this。〃

〃I　can　manage　this；〃　she　answered　almost　aloud。

〃You're　alone　now。　You　mustn't　let　things　be　too　much　for　you。〃

She　jumped　out　of　bed；　on　the　farther　side　away　from　her　uncle。　She　put　on　her　dressing…gown。　She　stood　and　pointed　at　the　door。

〃Now；　uncle；　you　go　back　to　your　room　at　once。　It's　disgraceful　coming　in　the　middle　of　the　night　and　disturbing　every　one。　Go　back　to　bed。〃

The　new　tone　in　her　voice　startled　him。　He　looked　at　her　in　a　bewildered　fashion。　He　got　up　from　the　bed。

〃Why；　MaggieI　onlyonly〃

He　stared　from　her　to　the　candle　and　from　the　candle　back　to　her　again。

〃Now　go；〃　she　repeated。　〃Quick　now。〃

He　hung　his　head。　〃Now　you're　angryangry　with　your　poor　ole　uncle…　…poor　ole　uncle。〃　He　looked　at　her；　his　eyes　puzzled　as　though　he　had　never　seen　her　before。

〃You're　very　hard；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head。　He　stumbled　towards　the　door〃Very　hard；〃　he　repeated；　and　went　out；　his　head　still　hanging。

She　heard　him　knock　his　foot　against　the　stairs。　Soon　there　was　silence。

She　blew　out　the　candle　and　went　back　to　bed。　She　lay　there；　her　heart；　at　first；　throbbing；　her　eyes　straining　the　darkness。　Then　she　grew　more　tranquil。　She　felt　in　her　heart　a　strange　triumph　as　though　already　she　had　begun　life　and　had　begun　it　with　success。　She　thought；　before　she　sank　deep　into　sleep；　that　anything　would　yield　to　one　did　one　only　deal　sensibly　with　it　。　。　。　After　all；　it　was　a　fine　thing　to　be　alone。




CHAPTER　II

AUNT　ANNE


In　the　morning；　however；　she　discovered　no　fine　things　anywhere。　The　hours　that　had　elapsed　since　her　father's　death　had　wrought　in　him　a　〃sea…change。〃　He　had　gained　nobility；　almost　beauty。　She　wondered　with　a　desolate　self…criticism　whether　during　all　those　years　she　had　been　to　blame　and　not　he。　Perhaps　he　had　wished　for　sympathy　and　intimacy　and　she　had　repulsed　him。　His　little　possessions　here　and　there　about　the　house　reproached　her。

Uncle　Mathew　had　a　bad　headache　and　would　not　come　down　to　breakfast。　She　felt　indignant　with　him　but　also　indulgent。　He　had　shown　himself　hopelessly　lacking　in　good　taste；　and　good　feeling；　but　then　she　had　never　supposed　that　he　had　these　things。　At　the　same　time　the　last　support　seemed　to　have　been　removed　from　her；　it　might　well　be　that　her　Aunt　Anne　would　not　care　for　her　and　would　not　wish　to　have　her　in　her　house。　What　should　she　do　then？　Whither　should　she　go？　She　flung　up　her　head　and　looked　bravely　into　the　face　of　Ellen；　the　cook；　who　came　to　remove　the　breakfast；　but　she　had　to　bite　her　lip　to　keep　back　the　tears　that　WOULD　come　and　fill　her　eyes　so　that　the　world　was　misty　and　obscure。

There　was；　she　fancied；　something　strange　about　Ellen。　In　HER　eyes　some　obscure　triumph　or　excitement；　some　scorn　and　derision；　Maggie　fancied；　of　herself。　Had　the　woman　been　drinking？　。　。　。

Then　there　arrived　Mr。　Brassy；　her　father's　solicitor；　from　Cator　Hill。　He　had　been　often　in　the　house；　a　short　fat　man　with　a　purple　face；　clothes　of　a　horsy　cut；　and　large；　red；　swollen　fingers。　He　took　now　possession　of　the　house　with　much　self…importance。　〃Well；　Miss　Maggie〃　（he　blew　his　words　at　her　as　a　child　blows　soap…　bubbles）。　〃Here　we　are；　then。　Very　sad　indeedvery。　I've　been　through　the　housegot　the　will　all　right。　Your　aunt；　you　say；　will　be　with　us？〃

〃My　aunt　from　London。　Miss　Anne　Cardinal。　I　expect　her　in　half　an　hour。　She　should　have　arrived　at　Clinton　by　the　half…past　nine　train。〃　〃Well；　well。　Yesyesindeed；　your　uncle　is　also　here？〃

〃Yes。　He　will　be　down　shortly。〃

〃Very　good；　Miss　Maggie。　Very　good。〃

She　hated　that　he　should　call　her　Miss　Maggie。　He　had　always　treated　her　with　considerable　respect；　but　to…day　she　fancied　that　he　patronised　her。　He　placed　his　hand　for　a　moment　on　her　shoulder　and　she　shrank　back。　He　felt　her　action　and；　abashed　a　little；　coughed　and　blew　his　nose。　He　strutted　about　the　room。　Then　the　door　opened　and　Ellen　the　cook　looked　in　upon　them。

〃I　only　wished　to　see；　Miss；　whether　I　could　do　anything　for　you？〃

〃Nothing；　thank　you；〃　said　Maggie。

〃Been　with　you　some　time　that　woman？〃　said　Mr。　Brassy。

〃Yes；〃　said　Maggie；　〃about　five　years；　I　think。〃

〃Hum！　Humname　of　Harmer。〃

〃Yes。　Harmer。〃

〃Not　married？〃

〃No；〃　answered　Maggie；　wondering　at　this　interest。

〃Not　so　far　as　you　know。〃

〃No。　She's　always　Miss　Harmer。〃

〃Quite　soquite　so。　Dear　me；　yes。〃

Other　people　appeared；　asked　questions　and　vanished。　It　seemed　to　have　been　all　taken　out　of　her　hands　and　it　was　strange　how　desolate　this　made　her。　For　so　many　years　she　had　had　the　management　of　that　house；　since　her　fourteenth　birthday；　indeed。　Ugly　and　dilapidated　though　the　place　had　been；　it　had　grown；　after　a　time；　to　belong　to　her；　and　she　had　felt　as　though　it　were　in　some　way　grateful　to　her　for　keeping　it；　poor　thing；　together。　Now　it　had　suddenly　withdrawn　itself　and　was　preparing　for　the　next　comer。　Maggie　felt　this　quite　definitely　and　thought　that　probably　it　was　glad　that　now　its　roof　would　be　mended　and　its　floors　made　whole。　It　had　thrown　her　off　。　。　。　Well；　she　would　not　burden　it　long。

There　were　sounds　then　of　wheels　on　the　gravel。　The　old　dilapidated　cab　from　Clinton　with　its　ricketty　windows　and　moth…eaten　seats　that　smelt　of　straw　and　beer　was　standing　at　the　door；　the　horse　puffing　great　breaths　of　steam　into　the　frozen　air。　Her　aunt　had　arrived。　Maggie；　standing　behind　the　window；　looked　out。　The　carriage　door　opened；　and　a　figure；　that　seemed　unusually　tall；　appeared　to　straighten　itself　out　and　rose　to　its　full　height　on　the　gravel　path　as　though　it　had　been　sitting　in　the　cab　pressed　together；　its　head　upon　its　knees。

Then　in　the　hall　that　was　dark　even　on　the　brightest　day；　Aunt　Anne　revealed　herself　as　a　lady；　tall　indeed；　but　not　too　tall；　of　a　fine　carriage；　in　a　black　rather　shabby　dress　and　a　black　bonnet。　Her　face　was　grave　and　sharply　pointed；　with　dark　eyessad　rather；　and　of　the　pale　remote　colour　that　the　Virgin　in　the　St。　Dreot's　east　end　window　wears。　Standing　there　in　the　dusky　hall；　quietly；　quite　apart　from　the　little　bustle　that　surrounded　her；　she　seemed　to　Maggie　even　in　that　first　moment　like　some　one　wrapt；　caught　away　into　her　own　visions。

〃I　paid　the　cabman　five　shillings；〃　she　said　very　softly。　〃I　hope　that　was　right。　And　you　are　Maggie；　are　you？〃

She　bent　down　and　kissed　her。　Her　lips　were　warm　and　comforting。　Maggie；　who　had；　when　she　was　shy；　something　of　the　off…hand　manner　of　a　boy；　said：

〃Yes。　That's　all　right。　We　generally　give　him　four　and　six。〃

They　went　into　the　dining…room　where　was　Mr。　Brassy。　He　came　forward　to　them；　blo