the captives-第87章

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〃I　can　understand　her；〃　thought　Maggie；　〃and　I　believe　she'll　understand　me。〃

Very　different　Miss　Purves。　If　Mrs。　Constantine　was　the　policeman　of　Skeaton；　Miss　Purves　was　the　town…crier。　She　rang　her　bell　and　announced　the　news；　and　also　insisted　that　you　should　tell　her　without　delay　any　item　of　news　that　you　had　collected。

In　appearance　she　was　like　any　old　maid　whose　love　of　gossip　has　led　her　to　abandon　her　appearance。　She　had　obviously　surrendered　the　idea　of　attracting　the　male；　and　flung　on　her　clothesan　old　black　hat；　a　grey　coat　and　skirtwith　a　negligence　that　showed　that　she　cared　for　worthier　things。　She　gave　the　impression　that　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost　were　one　to　gather　all　the　things　in　life　worth　hearing。

If　Mrs。　Constantine　stood　for　the　police　and　Miss　Purves　the　town…　crier；　Mrs。　Maxse　certainly　represented　Society。　She　was　dressed　beautifully；　and　she　must　have　been　very　pretty　once。　Her　hair　was　now　grey；　but　her　cheeks　had　still　a　charming　bloom。　She　was　delicate　and　fragile；　rustling　and　scented；　with　a　beautiful　string　of　pearls　round　her　neck　（this；　in　the　daytime；　Maggie　thought　very　odd）；　and　a　large　black　hat　with　a　sweeping　feather。　Her　voice　was　a　little　sad；　a　little　regretful；　as　though　she　knew　that　her　beautiful　youth　was　gone　and　was　making　the　best　of　what　she　had。

She　told　Maggie　that　〃she　couldn't　help〃　being　an　idealist。

〃I　know　it's　foolish　of　me；〃　she　said　in　her　gentle　voice；　smiling　her　charming　smile。　〃They　all　tell　me　so。　But　if　life　isn't　meant　to　be　beautiful；　where　are　we？　Everything　must　have　a　meaning；　mustn't　it；　Mrs。　Trenchard；　and　however　often　we　failand　after　all　we　are　only　humanwe　must　try；　try　again。　I　believe　in　seeing　the　best　in　people；　because　then　they　live　up　to　that。　People　are　what　we　make　them；　don't　you　think？〃

〃The　woman's　a　fool；〃　thought　Maggie。　Nevertheless；　she　liked　her　kindness。　She　was　so　strangely　driven。　She　wished　to　think　of　Martin　always；　never　to　forget　him；　but　at　the　same　time　not　to　think　of　the　life　that　was　connected　with　him。　She　must　never　think　of　him　as　some　one　who　might　return。　Did　that　once　begin　all　this　present　life　would　be　impossibleand　she　meant　to　make　this　new　existence　not　only　possible　but　successful。　Therefore　she　was　building；　so　hard　as　she　could；　this　new　house；　the　walls　were　rising；　the　rooms　were　prepared；　every　window　was　barred；　the　doors　were　locked；　no　one　from　outside　should　enter；　and　everything　that　belonged　to　itPaul；　Grace；　the　Church；　these　women；　Skeaton　itself；　her　household　duties；　the　servants；　everything　and　every　one　was　pressed　into　service。　She　must　have　so　much　to　do　that　she　could　not　think；　she　must　like　every　one　else　so　much　that　she　could　not　want　any　one　elsethat　other　world　must　be　kept　out；　no　sound　nor　sight　of　it　must　enter　。　。　。　If　even　she　could　forget　Martin。　What　had　he　said　to　her。　〃Promise　me　whatever　I　am；　whatever　I　do；　you　will　love　me　always〃and　she　had　promised。　Here　she　was　married　to　Paul　and　loving　Martin　more　than　ever！　As　she　looked　at　Mrs。　Constantine　she　wondered　what　she　would　say　did　she　know　that。　Nevertheless；　she　had　not　deceived　Paul　。　。　。　She　had　told　him。　She　would　make　this　right。　She　would　force　this　life　to　give　her　what　she　needed；　work　and　friends　and　a　place　in　the　world。　Her　face　a　little　white　with　her　struggle　to　keep　her　house　standing；　she　turned　to　her　guests。　She　was　afraid　that　she　did　not　play　the　hostess　very　well。　She　felt　as　though　she　were　play…acting。　She　repeated　phrases　that　she　had　heard　Katherine　Mark　use；　and　laughed　at　herself　for　doing　so。　She　suspected　that　they　thought　her　very　odd；　and　she　fancied　that　Mrs。　Constantine　looked　at　her　short　hair　with　grave　suspicion。

Afterwards；　when　she　told　Paul　this；　he　was　rather　uncomfortable。

〃It'll　soon　be　long　again；　dear；　won't　it？〃　he　said。

〃Don't　you　like　it　short　then？〃　she　asked。

〃Of　course　I　like　it；　but　there's　no　reason　to　be　unusual；　is　there？　We　don't　want　to　seem　different　from　other　people；　do　we；　darling？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Maggie。　〃We　want　to　be　ourselves。　I　don't　think　I　shall　ever　grow　my　hair　long　again。　It's　so　much　more　comfortable　like　this。〃

〃If　I　ask　you；　dear；〃　said　Paul。

〃No；　not　even　if　you　ask　me；〃　she　answered；　laughing。

She　noticed　then；　for　the　first　time；　that　he　could　look　sulky　like　a　small　school…boy。

〃Why；　Paul；〃　she　said。　〃If　you　wanted　to　grow　a　beard　I　shouldn't　like　it；　but　I　shouldn't　dream　of　stopping　you。〃

〃That's　quite　different；〃　he　answered。　〃I　should　never　dream　of　growing　a　beard。　Grace　won't　like　it　if　you　look　odd。〃

〃Grace　isn't　my　teacher；〃　said　Maggie　with　a　sudden　hot　hostility　that　surprised　herself。

She　discovered；　by　the　way；　very　quickly　that　the　three　ladies　had　no　very　warm　feelings　for　Grace。　They　showed　undisguised　pleasure　at　the　thought　that　Maggie　would　now　be　on　various　Committees　instead　of　her　sister…in…law。

〃It　will　be　your　place；　of　course；　as　wife　of　the　vicar；〃　said　Mrs。　Constantine。　〃Hitherto　Miss　Trenchard〃

〃Oh；　but　I　couldn't　be　on　a　Committee；〃　cried　Maggie。　〃I've　never　been　on　one　in　my　life。　I　should　never　know　what　to　do。〃

〃Never　been　on　a　Committee！〃　cried　Miss　Purves；　quivering　with　interest。　〃Why；　Mrs。　Trenchard；　where　have　you　been　all　this　time？〃

〃I'm　only　twenty；〃　said　Maggie。　They　certainly　thought　it　strange　of　her　to　confess　to　her　age　like　that。　〃At　home　father　never　had　any　Committees；　he　did　it　all　himself；　or　rather　didn't　do　it。〃

Mrs。　Constantine　shook　her　head。　〃We　must　all　help　you；〃　she　said。　〃You're　very　young；　my　dear；　for　the　responsibilities　of　this　parish。〃

〃Yes；　I　am；〃　said　Maggie　frankly。　〃And　I'll　be　very　glad　of　anything　you　can　tell　me。　But　you　mustn't　let　me　be　Treasurer　or　Secretary　of　anything。　I　should　never　answer　any　of　the　letters；　and　I　should　probably　spend　all　the　money　myself。〃

〃My　dear；　you　shouldn't　say　such　things　even　as　a　joke；〃　said　Mrs。　Constantine。

〃But　it　isn't　a　joke；〃　said　Maggie。　〃I'm　terribly　muddleheaded；　and　I've　no　idea　of　money　at　all。　Paul's　going　to　teach　me。〃

Paul　smiled　nervously。

〃Maggie　will　soon　fit　into　our　ways；〃　he　said。

〃I'm　sure　she　will。〃　said　Mrs。　Constantine　very　kindly；　but　as　though　she　were　speaking　to　a　child　of　ten。

The　bell　rang　and　Mr。　Flaunders　the　curate　came　in。　He　was　very　young；　very　earnest；　and　very　enthusiastic。　He　adored　Paul。　He　told　Maggie　that　he　thought　that　he　was　the　very　luckiest　man。　in　the　world　for　having；　so　early　in　his　career；　so　wonderful　a　man　as　Paul　to　work　under。　He　had　also　adored　Grace；　but　very　quickly　showed　signs　of　transferring　that　adoration　to　Maggie。

〃Miss　Trenchard's　splendid；〃　he　said。　〃I　do　admire　her　so；　but　you'll　be　a　great　help　to　us　all。　I'm　so　glad　you've　come。〃

〃Why；　how　do　you　know？〃　asked　Maggie。　〃You've　only　seen　me　for　about　two　minutes。〃

〃Ah；　one　can　tell；〃　said　Mr。　Flaunders；　sighing。

Maggie　liked　his　enthusiasm；　but　she　couldn't　help　wishing　that　his　knees　wouldn't　crack　at　unexpected　moments；　that　he　wasn't　quite　so　long　and　thin；　and　that　he　wouldn't　leave　dried　shaving…soap　under　his　ears　and　in　his　nostrils。　She　was　puzzled；　too；　that　Paul　should　be　so　obviously　pleased　with　the　rather　naif　adoration。　〃Paul　likes　you　to　praise　him；〃　she　thought　a　little　regretfully。

So；　for　the　moment；　these　people；　the　house　and　the　Church；　fitted　in　her　World。　For　the　rest　of　the　fortnight　she　was　so　busy　that　she　never　went　on　to　the　beach　nor　into　the　woods。　She　shopped　every　morning；　feeling　very　old　and　grown…up；　she　went　to　tea　with　Mrs。　Constantine　and　Mrs。　Maxse；　and　she　sat　on　Paul's　knee　whenever　she　thought　that　he　would　like　her　to。　She　sat　on　Paul's　knee；　but　that　did　not　mean　that；　in　real　intimacy；　they　approached　any　nearer　to　one　another。　During　those　days　they　stared　at　one　another　like　children　on　different　sides　of　a　fence。　They　were　definitely　postponing　settlement；　and　with　every　day　Maggie　grew　more　restless　and　uneasy。　She　wanted　back　that　old　friendly　comradeship　that　there　had　been　before　their　marriage。　He　seemed　now　to　have　lost　altogether　that　attitude　to　her。　Then　on　the　very　day　of　Grace's　return　the　storm　broke。　It　was　tea…time　and　they　were　having　it；　as　usual；　in　his　d