the sphinx without a secret-第1章

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THE　SPHINX　WITHOUT　A　SECRET









ONE　afternoon　I　was　sitting　outside　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix；　watching

the　splendour　and　shabbiness　of　Parisian　life；　and　wondering　over

my　vermouth　at　the　strange　panorama　of　pride　and　poverty　that　was

passing　before　me；　when　I　heard　some　one　call　my　name。　　I　turned

round；　and　saw　Lord　Murchison。　　We　had　not　met　since　we　had　been　at

college　together；　nearly　ten　years　before；　so　I　was　delighted　to

come　across　him　again；　and　we　shook　hands　warmly。　　At　Oxford　we　had

been　great　friends。　　I　had　liked　him　immensely；　he　was　so　handsome；

so　high…spirited；　and　so　honourable。　　We　used　to　say　of　him　that　he

would　be　the　best　of　fellows；　if　he　did　not　always　speak　the　truth；

but　I　think　we　really　admired　him　all　the　more　for　his　frankness。

I　found　him　a　good　deal　changed。　　He　looked　anxious　and　puzzled；

and　seemed　to　be　in　doubt　about　something。　　I　felt　it　could　not　be

modern　scepticism；　for　Murchison　was　the　stoutest　of　Tories；　and

believed　in　the　Pentateuch　as　firmly　as　he　believed　in　the　House　of

Peers；　so　I　concluded　that　it　was　a　woman；　and　asked　him　if　he　was

married　yet。



'I　don't　understand　women　well　enough；'　he　answered。



'My　dear　Gerald；'　I　said；　'women　are　meant　to　be　loved；　not　to　be

understood。'



'I　cannot　love　where　I　cannot　trust；'　he　replied。



'I　believe　you　have　a　mystery　in　your　life；　Gerald；'　I　exclaimed；

'tell　me　about　it。'



'Let　us　go　for　a　drive；'　he　answered；　'it　is　too　crowded　here。　　No；

not　a　yellow　carriage；　any　other　colour　…　there；　that　dark　green

one　will　do'；　and　in　a　few　moments　we　were　trotting　down　the

boulevard　in　the　direction　of　the　Madeleine。



'Where　shall　we　go　to？'　I　said。



'Oh；　anywhere　you　like！'　he　answered　…　'to　the　restaurant　in　the

Bois；　we　will　dine　there；　and　you　shall　tell　me　all　about

yourself。'



'I　want　to　hear　about　you　first；'　I　said。　　'Tell　me　your　mystery。'



He　took　from　his　pocket　a　little　silver…clasped　morocco　case；　and

handed　it　to　me。　　I　opened　it。　　Inside　there　was　the　photograph　of

a　woman。　　She　was　tall　and　slight；　and　strangely　picturesque　with

her　large　vague　eyes　and　loosened　hair。　　She　looked　like　a

CLAIRVOYANTE；　and　was　wrapped　in　rich　furs。



'What　do　you　think　of　that　face？'　he　said；　'is　it　truthful？'



I　examined　it　carefully。　　It　seemed　to　me　the　face　of　some　one　who

had　a　secret；　but　whether　that　secret　was　good　or　evil　I　could　not

say。　　Its　beauty　was　a　beauty　moulded　out　of　many　mysteries　…　the

beauty；　in　fact；　which　is　psychological；　not　plastic　…　and　the

faint　smile　that　just　played　across　the　lips　was　far　too　subtle　to

be　really　sweet。



'Well；'　he　cried　impatiently；　'what　do　you　say？'



'She　is　the　Gioconda　in　sables；'　I　answered。　　'Let　me　know　all

about　her。'



'Not　now；'　he　said；　'after　dinner；'　and　began　to　talk　of　other

things。



When　the　waiter　brought　us　our　coffee　and　cigarettes　I　reminded

Gerald　of　his　promise。　　He　rose　from　his　seat；　walked　two　or　three

times　up　and　down　the　room；　and；　sinking　into　an　armchair；　told　me

the　following　story：…



'One　evening；'　he　said；　'I　was　walking　down　Bond　Street　about　five

o'clock。　　There　was　a　terrific　crush　of　carriages；　and　the　traffic

was　almost　stopped。　　Close　to　the　pavement　was　standing　a　little

yellow　brougham；　which；　for　some　reason　or　other；　attracted　my

attention。　　As　I　passed　by　there　looked　out　from　it　the　face　I

showed　you　this　afternoon。　　It　fascinated　me　immediately。　　All　that

night　I　kept　thinking　of　it；　and　all　the　next　day。　　I　wandered　up

and　down　that　wretched　Row；　peering　into　every　carriage；　and

waiting　for　the　yellow　brougham；　but　I　could　not　find　MA　BELLE

INCONNUE；　and　at　last　I　began　to　think　she　was　merely　a　dream。

About　a　week　afterwards　I　was　dining　with　Madame　de　Rastail。

Dinner　was　for　eight　o'clock；　but　at　half…past　eight　we　were　still

waiting　in　the　drawing…room。　　Finally　the　servant　threw　open　the

door；　and　announced　Lady　Alroy。　　It　was　the　woman　I　had　been

looking　for。　　She　came　in　very　slowly；　looking　like　a　moonbeam　in

grey　lace；　and；　to　my　intense　delight；　I　was　asked　to　take　her　in

to　dinner。　　After　we　had　sat　down；　I　remarked　quite　innocently；　〃I

think　I　caught　sight　of　you　in　Bond　Street　some　time　ago；　Lady

Alroy。〃　　She　grew　very　pale；　and　said　to　me　in　a　low　voice；　〃Pray

do　not　talk　so　loud；　you　may　be　overheard。〃　　I　felt　miserable　at

having　made　such　a　bad　beginning；　and　plunged　recklessly　into　the

subject　of　the　French　plays。　　She　spoke　very　little；　always　in　the

same　low　musical　voice；　and　seemed　as　if　she　was　afraid　of　some　one

listening。　　I　fell　passionately；　stupidly　in　love；　and　the

indefinable　atmosphere　of　mystery　that　surrounded　her　excited　my

most　ardent　curiosity。　　When　she　was　going　away；　which　she　did　very

soon　after　dinner；　I　asked　her　if　I　might　call　and　see　her。　　She

hesitated　for　a　moment；　glanced　round　to　see　if　any　one　was　near

us；　and　then　said；　〃Yes；　to…morrow　at　a　quarter　to　five。〃　　I　begged

Madame　de　Rastail　to　tell　me　about　her；　but　all　that　I　could　learn

was　that　she　was　a　widow　with　a　beautiful　house　in　Park　Lane；　and

as　some　scientific　bore　began　a　dissertation　on　widows；　as

exemplifying　the　survival　of　the　matrimonially　fittest；　I　left　and

went　home。



'The　next　day　I　arrived　at　Park　Lane　punctual　to　the　moment；　but

was　told　by　the　butler　that　Lady　Alroy　had　just　gone　out。　　I　went

down　to　the　club　quite　unhappy　and　very　much　puzzled；　and　after

long　consideration　wrote　her　a　letter；　asking　if　I　might　be　allowed

to　try　my　chance　some　other　afternoon。　　I　had　no　answer　for　several

days；　but　at　last　I　got　a　little　note　saying　she　would　be　at　home

on　Sunday　at　four　and　with　this　extraordinary　postscript：　　〃Please

do　not　write　to　me　here　again；　I　will　explain　when　I　see　you。〃　　On

Sunday　she　received　me；　and　was　perfectly　charming；　but　when　I　was

going　away　she　begged　of　me；　if　I　ever　had　occasion　to　write　to　her

again；　to　address　my　letter　to　〃Mrs。　Knox；　care　of　Whittaker's

Library；　Green　Street。〃　　〃There　are　reasons；〃　she　said；　〃why　I

cannot　receive　letters　in　my　own　house。〃



'All　through　the　season　I　saw　a　great　deal　of　her；　and　the

atmosphere　of　mystery　never　left　her。　　Sometimes　I　thought　that　she

was　in　the　power　of　some　man；　but　she　looked　so　unapproachable；

that　I　could　not　believe　it。　　It　was　really　very　difficult　for　me

to　come　to　any　conclusion；　for　she　was　like　one　of　those　strange

crystals　that　one　sees　in　museums；　which　are　at　one　moment　clear；

and　at　another　clouded。　　At　last　I　determined　to　ask　her　to　be　my

wife：　　I　was　sick　and　tired　of　the　incessant　secrecy　that　she

imposed　on　all　my　visits；　and　on　the　few　letters　I　sent　her。　　I

wrote　to　her　at　the　library　to　ask　her　if　she　could　see　me　the

following　Monday　at　six。　　She　answered　yes；　and　I　was　in　the

seventh　heaven　of　delight。　　I　was　infatuated　with　her：　　in　spite　of

the　mystery；　I　thought　then　…　in　consequence　of　it；　I　see　now。　　No；

it　was　the　woman　herself　I　loved。　　The　mystery　troubled　me；

maddened　me。　　Why　did　chance　put　me　in　its　track？'



'You　discovered　it；　then？'　I　cried。



'I　fear　so；'　he　answered。　　'You　can　judge　for　yourself。'



'When　Monday　came　round　I　went　to　lunch　with　my　uncle；　and　about

four　o'clock　found　myself　in　the　Marylebone　Road。　　My　uncle；　you

know；　lives　in　Regent's　Park。　　I　wanted　to　get　to　Piccadilly；　and

took　a　short　cut　through　a　lot　of　shabby　little　streets。　　Suddenly

I　saw　in　front　of　me　Lady　Alroy；　deeply　veiled　and　walking　very

fast。　　On　coming　to　the　last　house　in　the　street；　she　went　up　the

steps；　took　out　a　latch…key；　and　let　herself　in。　　〃Here　is　the

mystery；〃　I　said　to　myself；　and　I　hurried　on　and　examined　the

house。　　It　seemed　a　sort　of　place　for　letting　lodgings。　　On　the

doorstep　lay　her　handkerchief；　which　she　had　dropped。　　I　picked　it

up　and　put　it　in　my　pocket。　　Then　I　began　to　consider　what　I　should

do。　　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　I　had　no　right　to　spy　on　her；

and　I　d