five tales-第5章

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cided。　　She　must　be　made　to　understand　that　he　knew　everything。　　She　must　not　be　told　more　than　that　he　was　a　friend　of　Larry's。　　She　must　not　be　frightened；　yet　must　be　forced　to　give　her　very　soul　away。　　A　hostile　witnessnot　to　be　treated　as　hostilea　matter　for　delicate　handling！　　But　his　knock　was　not　answered。

Should　he　give　up　this　nerve…racking；　bizarre　effort　to　come　at　a　basis　of　judgment；　go　away；　and　just　tell　Laurence　that　he　could　not　advise　him？　　And　thenwhat？　　Something　must　be　done。　　He　knocked　again。　　Still　no　answer。　　And　with　that　impatience　of　being　thwarted；　natural　to　him；　and　fostered　to　the　full　by　the　conditions　of　his　life；　he　tried　the　other　key。　　It　worked；　and　he　opened　the　door。　Inside　all　was　dark；　but　a　voice　from　some　way　off；　with　a　sort　of　breathless　relief　in　its　foreign　tones；　said：

〃Oh！　　then　it's　you；　Larry！　　Why　did　you　knock？　　I　was　so　frightened。　Turn　up　the　light；　dear。　　Come　in！〃

Feeling　by　the　door　for　a　switch　in　the　pitch　blackness　he　was　conscious　of　arms　round　his　neck；　a　warm　thinly　clad　body　pressed　to　his　own；　then　withdrawn　as　quickly；　with　a　gasp；　and　the　most　awful　terror…stricken　whisper：

〃Oh！　　Who　is　it？〃

With　a　glacial　shiver　down　his　own　spine；　Keith　answered

〃A　friend　of　Laurence。　　Don't　be　frightened！〃

There　was　such　silence　that　he　could　hear　a　clock　ticking；　and　the　sound　of　his　own　hand　passing　over　the　surface　of　the　wall；　trying　to　find　the　switch。　　He　found　it；　and　in　the　light　which　leaped　up　he　saw；　stiffened　against　a　dark　curtain　evidently　screening　off　a　bedroom；　a　girl　standing；　holding　a　long　black　coat　together　at　her　throat；　so　that　her　face　with　its　pale　brown　hair；　short　and　square…　cut　and　curling　up　underneath；　had　an　uncanny　look　of　being　detached　from　any　body。　　Her　face　was　so　alabaster　pale　that　the　staring；　startled　eyes；　dark　blue　or　brown；　and　the　faint　rose　of　the　parted　lips；　were　like　colour　stainings　on　a　white　mask；　and　it　had　a　strange　delicacy；　truth；　and　pathos；　such　as　only　suffering　brings。　Though　not　susceptible　to　aesthetic　emotion；　Keith　was　curiously　affected。　　He　said　gently：

〃You　needn't　be　afraid。　　I　haven't　come　to　do　you　harmquite　the　contrary。　　May　I　sit　down　and　talk？〃　　And；　holding　up　the　keys；　he　added：　〃Laurence　wouldn't　have　given　me　these；　would　he；　if　he　hadn't　trusted　me？〃

Still　she　did　not　move；　and　he　had　the　impression　that　he　was　looking　at　a　spirita　spirit　startled　out　of　its　flesh。　　Nor　at　the　moment　did　it　seem　in　the　least　strange　that　he　should　conceive　such　an　odd　thought。　　He　stared　round　the　roomclean　and　tawdry；　with　its　tarnished　gilt　mirror；　marble…topped　side…table；　and　plush…covered　sofa。　　Twenty　years　and　more　since　he　had　been　in　such　a　place。　　And　he　said：

〃Won't　you　sit　down？　　I'm　sorry　to　have　startled　you。〃

But　still　she　did　not　move；　whispering：

〃Who　are　you；　please？〃

And；　moved　suddenly　beyond　the　realm　of　caution　by　the　terror　in　that　whisper；　he　answered：

〃Larry's　brother。〃

She　uttered　a　little　sigh　of　relief　which　went　to　Keith's　heart；　and；　still　holding　the　dark　coat　together　at　her　throat；　came　forward　and　sat　down　on　the　sofa。　　He　could　see　that　her　feet；　thrust　into　slippers；　were　bare；　with　her　short　hair；　and　those　candid　startled　eyes；　she　looked　like　a　tall　child。　　He　drew　up　a　chair　and　said：

〃You　must　forgive　me　coming　at　such　an　hour；　he's　told　me；　you　see。〃　He　expected　her　to　flinch　and　gasp；　but　she　only　clasped　her　hands　together　on　her　knees；　and　said：

〃Yes？〃

Then　horror　and　discomfort　rose　up　in　him；　afresh。

〃An　awful　business！〃

Her　whisper　echoed　him：

〃Yes；　oh！　yes！　　Awfulit　is　awful！〃

And　suddenly　realising　that　the　man　must　have　fallen　dead　just　where　he　was　sitting；　Keith　became　stock　silent；　staring　at　the　floor。

〃Yes；〃　she　whispered；　〃Just　there。　　I　see　him　now　always　falling！〃

How　she　said　that！　　With　what　a　strange　gentle　despair！　　In　this　girl　of　evil　life；　who　had　brought　on　them　this　tragedy；　what　was　it　which　moved　him　to　a　sort　of　unwilling　compassion？

〃You　look　very　young；〃　he　said。

〃I　am　twenty。〃

〃And　you　are　fond　ofmy　brother？〃

〃I　would　die　for　him。〃

Impossible　to　mistake　the　tone　of　her　voice；　or　the　look　in　her　eyes；　true　deep　Slav　eyes；　dark　brown；　not　blue　as　he　had　thought　at　first。　It　was　a　very　pretty　faceeither　her　life　had　not　eaten　into　it　yet；　or　the　suffering　of　these　last　hours　had　purged　away　those　marks；　or　perhaps　this　devotion　of　hers　to　Larry。　　He　felt　strangely　at　sea；　sitting　there　with　this　child　of　twenty；　he；　over　forty；　a　man　of　the　world；　professionally　used　to　every　side　of　human　nature。　　But　he　said；　stammering　a　little：

〃II　have　come　to　see　how　far　you　can　save　him。　　Listen；　and　just　answer　the　questions　I　put　to　you。〃

She　raised　her　hands；　squeezed　them　together；　and　murmured：

〃Oh！　　I　will　answer　anything。〃

〃This　man；　thenyouryour　husbandwas　he　a　bad　man？〃

〃A　dreadful　man。〃

〃Before　he　came　here　last　night；　how　long　since　you　saw　him？〃

〃Eighteen　months。〃

〃Where　did　you　live　when　you　saw　him　last？〃

〃In　Pimlico。〃

〃Does　anybody　about　here　know　you　as　Mrs。　Walenn？〃

〃No。　　When　I　came　here；　after　my　little　girl　died；　I　came　to　live　a　bad　life。　　Nobody　knows　me　at　all。　　I　am　quite　alone。〃

〃If　they　discover　who　he　was；　they　will　look　for　his　wife？〃

〃I　do　not　know。　　He　did　not　let　people　think　I　was　married　to　him。　　I　was　very　young；　he　treated　many；　I　think；　like　me。〃

〃Do　you　think　he　was　known　to　the　police？〃

She　shook　her　head。　　〃He　was　very　clever。〃

〃What　is　your　name　now？〃

〃Wanda　Livinska。〃

〃Were　you　known　by　that　name　before　you　were　married？〃

〃Wanda　is　my　Christian　name。　　LivinskaI　just　call　myself。〃

〃I　see；　since　you　came　here。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Did　my　brother　ever　see　this　man　before　last　night？〃

〃Never。〃

〃You　had　told　him　about　his　treatment　of　you？〃

〃Yes。　　And　that　man　first　went　for　him。〃

〃I　saw　the　mark。　　Do　you　think　anyone　saw　my　brother　come　to　you？〃

〃I　do　not　know。　　He　says　not。〃

〃Can　you　tell　if　anyone　saw　him　carrying　thethe　thing　away？〃

〃No　one　in　this　streetI　was　looking。〃

〃Nor　coming　back？〃

〃No　one。〃

〃Nor　going　out　in　the　morning？〃

〃I　do　not　think　it。〃


〃Have　you　a　servant？〃

〃Only　a　woman　who　comes　at　nine　in　the　morning　for　an　hour。〃

〃Does　she　know　Larry？〃

〃No。〃

〃Friends；　acquaintances？〃

〃No；　I　am　very　quiet。　　And　since　I　knew　your　brother；　I　see　no　one。　Nobody　comes　here　but　him　for　a　long　time　now。〃

〃How　long？〃

〃Five　months。〃

〃Have　you　been　out　to…day？〃

〃No。〃

〃What　have　you　been　doing？〃

〃Crying。〃

It　was　said　with　a　certain　dreadful　simplicity；　and　pressing　her　hands　together；　she　went　on：

〃He　is　in　danger；　because　of　me。　　I　am　so　afraid　for　him。〃　Holding　up　his　hand　to　check　that　emotion；　he　said：

〃Look　at　me！〃

She　fixed　those　dark　eyes　on　him；　and　in　her　bare　throat；　from　which　the　coat　had　fallen　back；　he　could　see　her　resolutely　swallowing　down　her　agitation。

〃If　the　worst　comes　to　the　worst；　and　this　man　is　traced　to　you；　can　you　trust　yourself　not　to　give　my　brother　away？〃

Her　eyes　shone。　　She　got　up　and　went　to　the　fireplace：

〃Look！　　I　have　burned　all　the　things　he　has　given　meeven　his　picture。　　Now　I　have　nothing　from　him。〃

Keith；　too；　got　up。

〃Good！　　One　more　question：　Do　the　police　know　you；　becausebecause　of　your　life？〃

She　shook　her　head；　looking　at　him　intently；　with　those　mournfully　true　eyes。　　And　he　felt　a　sort　of　shame。

〃I　was　obliged　to　ask。　　Do　you　know　where　he　lives？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃You　must　not　go　there。　　And　he　must　not　come　to　you；　here。〃

Her　lips　quivered；　but　she　bowed　her　head。　　Suddenly　he　found　her　quite　close　to　him；　speaking　almost　in　a　whisper：

〃Please　do　not　take　him　from　me　altogether。　　I　will　be　so　careful。　　I　will　not　do　anything　to　hurt　him；　but　if　I　cannot　see　him　sometimes；　I　shall　die。　　Please　do　not　take　him　from　me。〃　　And　catching　his　hand　between　her　own；　she　pressed　it　desperately。　　It　was　several　seconds　before　Keith　said：

〃Leave　that　to　me。　　I　will　see　him。　　I　shall　arrange。　　You　must　leave　that　to　me。〃

〃But　you　will　be　kind？〃

He　felt　her　lips　kissing　his　hand。　　And　the　soft　moist　touch　sent　a　queer　feeling　through　him；