the register-第7章

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hundred　and　twenty…five　dollars；　and　her　hand；　heart；　and　dearest
love　forever。'〃　　He　looks　up　at　her。　　〃Ethel！〃

SHE；　smiling：　　〃Sign　it；　sign　it！〃

HE；　catching　her　in　his　arms　and　kissing　her：　　〃Oh；　yesHERE！〃

SHE；　pulling　a　little　away　from　him；　and　laughing：　　〃Oh；　oh！　　I　only
wanted　ONE　signature！　　Twenty　autographs　are　too　many；　unless　you'll
let　me　trade　them　off；　as　the　collectors　do。〃

HE：　　〃No；　keep　them　all！　　I　couldn't　think　of　letting　any　one　else
have　them。　　One　more！〃

SHE：　　〃No；　it's　quite　enough！〃

SHE　frees　herself；　and　retires　beyond　the　table。　　〃This　unexpected
affection〃　…

HE：　　〃IS　it　unexpectedseriously？〃

SHE：　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃

HE：　　〃Oh；　nothing！〃

SHE：　　〃Yes；　tell　me！〃

HE：　　〃I　hopedI　thoughtperhapsthat　you　might　have　been　prepared
for　some　such　demonstration　on　my　part。〃

SHE：　　〃And　why　did　you　thinkhopeperhapsTHAT；　Mr。　Ransom；　may　I
ask？〃

HE：　　〃If　I　hadn't；　how　should　I　have　dared　to　speak？〃

SHE：　　〃Dared？　　You　were　obliged　to　speak！　　Well；　since　it's　all　over；
I　don't　mind　saying　that　I　DID　have　some　slight　apprehensions　that
something　in　the　way　of　a　declaration　might　be　extorted　from　you。〃

HE：　　〃Extorted？　　Oh！〃　　He　makes　an　impassioned　rush　toward　her。

SHE；　keeping　the　table　between　them：　　〃No；　no。〃

HE：　　〃Oh；　I　merely　wished　to　ask　why　you　chose　to　make　me　suffer　so；
after　I　had　come　to　the　point。〃

SHE：　　〃Ask　it　across　the　table；　then。〃　　After　a　moment's　reflection；
〃I　made　you　sufferI　made　you　sufferso　that　you　might　have　a
realizing　sense　of　what　you　had　made　ME　suffer。〃

HE；　enraptured　by　this　confession：　　〃Oh；　you　angel！〃

SHE；　with　tender　magnanimity：　　〃No；　only　a　womana　poor；　trusting；
foolish　woman！〃　　She　permits　him　to　surround　the　table；　with
imaginable　results。　　Then；　with　her　head　on　his　shoulder：　　〃You'll
NEVER　let　me　regret　it；　will　you；　darling？　　You'll　never　oblige　me　to
punish　you　again；　dearest；　will　you？　　Oh；　it　hurt　ME　far　worse　to　SEE
your　pain　than　it　did　you　totofeel　it！〃　　On　the　other　side　of　the
partition；　Mr。　Grinnidge's　pipe　falls　from　his　lips；　parted　in
slumber；　and　shivers　to　atoms　on　the　register。　　〃Oh！〃　　She　flies　at
the　register　with　a　shriek　of　dismay；　and　is　about　to　close　it。
〃That　wretch　has　been　listening；　and　has　heard　every　word！〃

HE；　preventing　her：　　〃What　wretch？　　Where？〃

SHE：　　〃Don't　you　hear　him；　mumbling　and　grumbling　there？〃

GRINNIDGE：　　〃Well；　I　swear！　　Cash　value　of　twenty…five　dollars；　and
untold　toil　in　coloring　it！〃

RANSOM；　listening　with　an　air　of　mystification：　　〃Who's　that？〃

SHE：　　〃Gummidge；　Grimmidgewhatever　you　called　him。　　Oh！〃　　She
arrests　herself　in　consternation。　　〃Now　I　HAVE　done　it！〃

HE：　　〃Done　what？〃

SHE：　　〃Ohnothing！〃

HE：　　〃I　don't　understand。　　Do　you　mean　to　say　that　my　friend
Grinnidge's　room　is　on　the　other　aide　of　the　wall；　and　that　you　can
hear　him　talk　through　the　register？〃

SHE　preserves　the　silence　of　abject　terror。　　He　stoops　over　the
register；　and　calls　down　it。　　〃Grinnidge！　　Hallo！〃

GRINNIDGE：　　〃Hallo；　yourself！〃

RANSOM；　to　Miss　Reed：　　〃Sounds　like　the　ghostly　squeak　of　the
phonograph。〃　　To　Grinnidge：　　〃What's　the　trouble？〃

GRINNIDGE：　　〃Smashed　my　pipe。　　Dozed　off　and　let　it　drop　on　this
infernal　register。〃

RANSOM；　turning　from　the　register　with　impressive　deliberation：
〃Miss　Reed；　may　I　ask　HOW　you　came　to　know　that　his　name　was
Gummidge；　or　Grimmidge；　or　whatever　I　called　him？〃

SHE：　　Oh；　dearest；　I　CAN'T　tell　you！　　Oryes；　I　had　better。〃
Impulsively：　　〃I　will　judge　you　by　myself。　　_I_　could　forgive　YOU
anything！〃

HE；　doubtfully：　　〃Oh；　could　you？〃

SHE：　　〃Everything！　　I　hadI　had　better　make　a　clean　breast　of　it。
Yes；　I　had。　　Though　I　don't　like　to。　　II　listened！〃

HE：　　〃Listened？〃

SHE：　　〃Through　the　register　totowhatyouwere　saying　before
youcame　in　here。〃　　Her　head　droops。

HE：　　〃Then　you　heard　everything？〃

SHE：　　〃Kill　me；　but　don't　look　SO　at　me！　　It　was　accidental　at　first…
…indeed　it　was；　and　then　I　recognized　your　voice；　and　then　I　knew　you
were　talking　about　me；　and　I　had　so　much　at　stake；　and　I　did　love　you
so　dearly！　　You　WILL　forgive　me；　darling？　　It　wasn't　as　if　I　were
listening　with　any　bad　motive。〃

HE；　taking　her　in　his　arms：　　〃Forgive　you？　　Of　course　I　do。　　But　you
must　change　this　room　at　once；　Ethel；　you　see　you　hear　everything　on
the　other　side；　too。〃

SHE：　　〃Oh；　not　if　you　whisper　on　this。　　You　couldn't　hear　US？〃　　At　a
dubious　expression　of　his：　　〃You　DIDN'T　hear　us？　　If　you　did；　I　can
never　forgive　you！〃

HE：　　〃It　was　accidental　at　firstindeed　it　was；　and　then　I
recognized　your　voice；　and　then　I　knew　you　were　talking　about　me；　and
I　had　so　much　at　stake；　and　I　did　love　you　so　dearly！〃

SHE：　　〃All　that　has　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　it。　　How　much　did　you
hear？〃

HE；　with　exemplary　meekness：　　〃Only　what　you　were　saying　before
Grinnidge　came　in。　　You　didn't　whisper　then。　　I　had　to　wait　there　for
him　while〃　…

SHE：　　〃While　you　were　giving　your　good　resolutions　a　rest？〃

HE：　　〃While　I　was　giving　my　good　resolutions　a　rest。〃

SHE：　　〃And　that　accounts　for　your　determination　to　humble　yourself
so？〃

HE：　　〃It　seemed　perfectly　providential　that　I　should　have　known　just
what　conditions　you　were　going　to　exact　of　me。〃

SHE：　　〃Oh；　don't　make　light　of　it！　　I　can　tell　you　it's　a　very
serious　matter。〃

HE：　　〃It　was　very　serious　for　me　when　you　didn't　meet　my　self…
abasement　as　you　had　led　me　to　expect　you　would。〃

SHE：　　〃Don't　make　fun！　　I'm　trying　to　think　whether　I　can　forgive
you。〃

HE；　with　insinuation：　　〃Don't　you　believe　you　could　think　better　if
you　put　your　head　on　my　shoulder？〃

SHE：　　〃Nonsense！　　Then　I　should　forgive　you　without　thinking。〃　　After
a　season　of　reflection：　　〃No；　I　CAN'T　forgive　you。　　I　never　could
forgive　eavesdropping。　　It's　TOO　low。〃

HE；　in　astonishment：　　〃Why；　you　did　it　yourself！〃

SHE：　　〃But　you　began　it。　　Besides；　it's　very　different　for　a　man。
Women　are　weak；　poor；　helpless　creatures。　　They　have　to　use　finesse。
But　a　man　should　be　above　it。〃

HE：　　〃You　said　you　could　forgive　me　anything。〃

SHE：　　〃Ah；　but　I　didn't　know　what　you'd　been　doing！〃

HE；　with　pensive　resignation；　and　a　feint　of　going：　　〃Then　I　suppose
it's　all　over　between　us。〃

SHE；　relenting：　　〃If　you　could　think　of　any　reason　WHY　I　should
forgive　you〃　…

HE：　　〃I　can't。〃

SHE；　after　consideration：　　〃Do　you　suppose　Mr。　Grumage；　or　Grimidge；
heard　too？〃

HE：　　〃No；　Grinnidge　is　a　very　high…principled　fellow；　and　wouldn't
listen；　besides；　he　wasn't　there；　you　know。〃

SHE：　　〃Well；　then；　I　will　forgive　you　on　these　grounds。〃　　He
instantly　catches　her　to　his　heart。　　〃But　these　alone；　remember。〃

HE；　rapturously：　　〃Oh；　on　any！〃

SHE；　tenderly：　　〃And　you'll　always　be　devoted？　　And　nice？　　And　not
try　to　provoke　me？　　Or　neglect　me？　　Or　anything？〃

HE：　　〃Always！　　Never！〃

SHE：　　〃Oh；　you　dear；　sweet；　simple　old　thinghow　I　DO　love　you！〃

GRINNIDGE；　who　has　been　listening　attentively　to　every　word　at　the
register　at　his　side：　　〃Ransom；　if　you　don't　want　me　to　go　stark　mad；
SHUT　THE　REGISTER！〃

RANSOM；　about　to　comply：　　〃Oh；　poor　old　man！　　I　forgot　it　was　open！〃

MISS　REED；　preventing　him：　　〃No！　　If　he　has　been　vile　enough　to
listen　at　a　register；　let　him　suffer。　　Come；　sit　down　here；　and　I'll
tell　you　just　when　I　began　to　care　for　you。　　It　was　long　before　the
cow。　　Do　you　remember　that　first　morning　after　you　arrived〃She
drags　him　close　to　the　register；　so　that　every　word　may　tell　upon　the
envious　Grinnidge；　on　whose　manifestations　of　acute　despair；　a　rapid
curtain　descends。







End