the argonauts of north liberty-第6章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
not be such a cursed hypocrite and bigot as this。〃
〃Hush； I tell you！ WILL you hush；〃 she said； in a frantic whisper；
springing to her feet and grasping him convulsively by the lapels
of his overcoat。 〃Not a word more； or I'll kill myself。 Listen！
Do you know what I brought you here for？ why I left mythis house
and dragged you out of your hotel？ Well； it was to tell you that
you must leave me； leave HEREgo out of this house and out of this
town at once； to…night！ And never look on it or me again！ There！
you have said we must end this now。 It is ended； as only it could
and ever would end。 And if you open that door except to go； or if
you attempt toto touch me again； I'll do something desperate。
There！〃
She threw him off again and stepped back； strangely beautiful in
the loosened shackles of her long repressed human emotion。 It was
as if the passion…rent robes of the priestess had laid bare the
flesh of the woman dazzling and victorious。 Demorest was
fascinated and frightened。
〃Then you do not love me？〃 he said with a constrained smile； 〃and I
am a fool？〃
〃Love you！〃 she repeated。 〃Love you；〃 she continued； bowing her
brown head over her hanging arms and clasped hands。 〃What then has
brought me to this？ Oh；〃 she said suddenly； again seizing him by
his two arms； and holding him from her with a half…prudish； half…
passionate gesture； 〃why could you not have left things as they
were； why could we not have met in the same old way we used to
meet； when I was so foolish and so happy？ Why could you spoil that
one dream I have clung to？ Why didn't you leave me those few days
of my wretched life when I was weak； silly； vain； but not the
unhappy woman I am now。 You were satisfied to sit beside me and
talk to me then。 You respected my secret； my reserve。 My God！ I
used to think you loved me as I loved youfor THAT！ Why did you
break your promise and follow me here？ I believed you the first
day we met； when you said there was no wrong in my listening to
you； that it should go no further； that you would never seek to
renew it without my consent。 You tell me I don't love you； and I
tell you now that we must part； that frightened as I was； foolish
as I was； that day was the first day I had ever lived and felt as
other women live and feel。 If I ran away from you then it was
because I was running away from my old self too。 Don't you
understand me？ Could you not have trusted me as I trusted you？〃
〃I broke my promise only when you broke yours。 When you would not
meet me I followed you here； because I loved you。〃
〃And that is why you must leave me now；〃 she said； starting from
his outstretched arms again。 〃Do not ask me why； but go； I implore
you。 You must leave this town to…night； to…morrow will be too
late。〃
He cast a hurried glance around him； as if seeking to gather
some reason for this mysterious haste； or a clue for future
identification。 He saw only the Sabbath…sealed cupboards； the cold
white china on the dresser； and the flicker of the candle on the
partly…opened glass transom above the door。 〃As you wish；〃 he
said； with quiet sadness。 〃I will go now； and leave the town to…
night； but〃his voice struck its old imperative note〃this shall
not end here； Lulu。 There will be a next time； and I am bound to
win you yet； in spite of all and everything。〃
She looked at him with a half…frightened； half…hysterical light in
her eyes。 〃God knows！〃
〃And you will be frank with me then； and tell me all？〃
〃Yes； yes； another time； but go now。〃 She had extinguished the
candle； turned the handle of the door noiselessly； and was holding
it open。 A faint light stole through the dark passage。 She drew
back hastily。 〃You have left the front door open；〃 she said in a
frightened voice。 〃I thought you had shut it behind me；〃 he
returned quickly。 〃Good night。〃 He drew her towards him。 She
resisted slightly。 They were for an instant clasped in a
passionate embrace； then there was a sudden collapse of the light
and a dull jar。 The front door had swung to。
With a desperate bound she darted into the passage and through the
hall； dragging him by the hand； and threw the front door open。
Without； the street was silent and empty。
〃Go；〃 she whispered frantically。
Demorest passed quickly down the steps and disappeared。 At the
same moment a voice came from the banisters of the landing above。
〃Who's there？〃
〃It's I； mother。〃
〃I thought so。 And it's like Edward to bring you and sneak off in
that fashion。〃
Mrs。 Blandford gave a quick sigh of relief。 Demorest's flight had
been mistaken for her husband's habitual evasion。 Knowing that her
mother would not refer to the subject again； she did not reply； but
slowly mounted the dark staircase with an assumption of more than
usual hesitating precaution； in order to recover her equanimity。
The clocks were striking eleven when she left her mother's house
and re…entered her own。 She was surprised to find a light burning
in the kitchen； and Ezekiel； their hired man； awaiting her in a
dominant and nasal key of religious and practical disapprobation。
〃Pity you wern't tu hum afore； ma'am； considerin' the doins that's
goin' on in perfessed Christians' houses arter meetin' on the
Sabbath Day。〃
〃What's the difficulty now； Ezekiel？〃 said Mrs。 Blandford； who had
regained her rigorous precision once more under the decorous
security of her own roof。
〃Wa'al； here comes an entire stranger axin for Squire Blandford。
And when I tells he warn't tu hum〃
〃Not at home？〃 interrupted Mrs。 Blandford； with a slight start。 〃I
left him here。〃
〃Mebbee so； but folks nowadays don't 'pear to keer much whether
they break the Sabbath or not； trapsen' raound town in and arter
meetin' hours； ez if 'twor gin'ral tranin' dayand hez gone out
agin。〃
〃Go on；〃 said Mrs。 Blandford； curtly。
〃Wa'al； the stranger sez； sez he； 'Show me the way to the stables；'
sez he； and without taken' no for an answer； ups and meanders
through the hall； outer the kitchen inter the yard； ez if he was
justice of the peace； and when he gets there he sez； 'Fetch out his
hoss and harness up； and be blamed quick about it； and tell Ned
Blandford that Dick Demorest hez got to leave town to…night； and ez
ther ain't a blamed puritanical shadbelly in this hull town ez
would let a hoss go on hire Sunday night； he guesses he'll hev to
borry his。' And afore I could say Jack Robinson； he tackles the
hoss up and drives outer the yard； flinging this two…dollar…and…a…
half…piece behind him ez if I wur a Virginia slave and he was John
C。 Calhoun hisself。 I'd a chucked it after him if it hadn't been
the Lord's Day； and it mout hev provoked disturbance。〃
〃Mr。 Demorest is worldly； but one of Edward's old friends；〃 said
Mrs。 Blandford； with a slight kindling of her eyes； 〃and he would
not have refused to aid him in what might be an errand of grace or
necessity。 You can keep the money； Ezekiel； as a gift； not as a
wage。 And go to bed。 I will sit up for Mr。 Blandford。〃
She passed out and up the staircase into her bedroom； pausing on
her way to glance into the empty back parlor and take the lamp from
the table。 Here she noticed that her husband had evidently changed
his clothes again and taken a heavier overcoat from the closet。
Removing her own wraps she again descended to the lower apartment；
brought out the volume of sermons； placed it and the lamp in the
old position； and with her abstracted eyes on the page fell into
her former attitude。 Every suggestion of the passionate； half…
frenzied woman in the kitchen of the house only four doors away；
had vanished； one would scarcely believe she had ever stirred from
the chair in which she had formally received her husband two hours
before。 And yet she was thinking of herself and Demorest in that
kitchen。
His prompt and decisive response to her appeal； as shown in this
last bold and characteristic action； relieved； while it half piqued
her。 But the overruling destiny which had enabled her to bring him
from his hotel to her mother's house unnoticed； had protected them
while there； had arrested a dangerous meeting between him and
herself and her h
