the new machiavelli-第97章

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malice　showing　through　her　brightness；　〃now　we　know　who　helps　with　

the　writing！〃



She　revealed　astonishing　knowledge。



For　a　time　I　couldn't　for　the　life　of　me　discover　her　sources。　　I　

had；　indeed；　a　desperate　intention　of　challenging　her；　and　then　I　

bethought　me　of　a　youngster　named　Curmain；　who　had　been　my　

supplemental　typist　and　secretary　for　a　time；　and　whom　I　had　sent　on　

to　her　before　the　days　of　our　breach。　　〃Of　course！〃　said　I；　

〃Curmain！〃　　He　was　a　tall；　drooping；　sidelong　youth　with　sandy　hair；　

a　little　forward　head；　and　a　long　thin　neck。　　He　stole　stamps；　and；　

I　suspected；　rifled　my　private　letter　drawer；　and　I　found　him　one　

day　on　a　turn　of　the　stairs　looking　guilty　and　ruffled　with　a　pretty　

Irish　housemaid　of　Margaret's　manifestly　in　a　state　of　hot　

indignation。　　I　saw　nothing；　but　I　felt　everything　in　the　air　

between　them。　　I　hate　this　pestering　of　servants；　but　at　the　same　

time　I　didn't　want　Curmain　wiped　out　of　existence；　so　I　had　packed　

him　off　without　unnecessary　discussion　to　Altiora。　　He　was　quick　and　

cheap　anyhow；　and　I　thought　her　general　austerity　ought　to　redeem　

him　if　anything　could；　the　Chambers　Street　housemaid　wasn't　for　any　

man's　kissing　and　showed　it；　and　the　stamps　and　private　letters　were　

looked　after　with　an　efficiency　altogether　surpassing　mine。　　And　

Altiora；　I've　no　doubt　left　now　whatever；　pumped　this　young　

undesirable　about　me；　and　scenting　a　story；　had　him　to　dinner　alone　

one　evening　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　the　matter。　　She　got　quite　to　

the　bottom　of　it；it　must　have　been　a　queer　duologue。　　She　read　

Isabel's　careless；　intimate　letters　to　me；　so　to　speak；　by　this　

proxy；　and　she　wasn't　ashamed　to　use　this　information　in　the　service　

of　the　bitterness　that　had　sprung　up　in　her　since　our　political　

breach。　　It　was　essentially　a　personal　bitterness；　it　helped　no　

public　purpose　of　theirs　to　get　rid　of　me。　　My　downfall　in　any　

public　sense　was　sheer　waste；the　loss　of　a　man。　　She　knew　she　was　

behaving　badly；　and　so；　when　it　came　to　remonstrance；　she　behaved　

worse。　　She'd　got　names　and　dates　and　places；　the　efficiency　of　her　

information　was　irresistible。　　And　she　set　to　work　at　it　

marvellously。　　Never　before；　in　all　her　pursuit　of　efficient　ideals；　

had　Altiora　achieved　such　levels　of　efficiency。　　I　wrote　a　protest　

that　was　perhaps　ill…advised　and　angry；　I　went　to　her　and　tried　to　

stop　her。　　She　wouldn't　listen；　she　wouldn't　think；　she　denied　and　

lied；　she　behaved　like　a　naughty　child　of　six　years　old　which　has　

made　up　its　mind　to　be　hurtful。　　It　wasn't　only；　I　think；　that　she　

couldn't　bear　our　political　and　social　influence；　she　alsoI　

realised　at　that　interview　couldn't　bear　our　loving。　　It　seemed　to　

her　the　sickliest　thing；a　thing　quite　unendurable。　　While　such　

things　were；　the　virtue　had　gone　out　of　her　world。



I've　the　vividest　memory　of　that　call　of　mine。　　She'd　just　come　in　

and　taken　off　her　hat；　and　she　was　grey　and　dishevelled　and　tired；　

and　in　a　business…like　dress　of　black　and　crimson　that　didn't　suit　

her　and　was　muddy　about　the　skirts；　she'd　a　cold　in　her　head　and　

sniffed　penetratingly；　she　avoided　my　eye　as　she　talked　and　

interrupted　everything　I　had　to　say；　she　kept　stabbing　fiercely　at　

the　cushions　of　her　sofa　with　a　long　hat…pin　and　pretending　she　was　

overwhelmed　with　grief　at　the　DEBACLE　she　was　deliberately　

organising。



〃Then　part；〃　she　cried；　〃part。　　If　you　don't　want　a　smashing　up；

part！　　You　two　have　got　to　be　parted。　　You've　got　never　to　see　each　

other　ever；　never　to　speak。〃　　There　was　a　zest　in　her　voice。　　〃We're　

not　circulating　stories；〃　she　denied。　　〃No！　　And　Curmain　never　told　

us　anythingCurmain　is　an　EXCELLENT　young　man；　oh！　a　quite　

excellent　young　man。　　You　misjudged　him　altogether。〃　。　。　。



I　was　equally　unsuccessful　with　Bailey。　　I　caught　the　little　wretch　

in　the　League　Club；　and　he　wriggled　and　lied。　　He　wouldn't　say　where　

he　had　got　his　facts；　he　wouldn't　admit　he　had　told　any　one。　　When　I　

gave　him　the　names　of　two　men　who　had　come　to　me　astonished　and　

incredulous；　he　attempted　absurdly　to　make　me　think　they　had　told　

HIM。　　He　did　his　horrible　little　best　to　suggest　that　honest　old　

Quackett；　who　had　just　left　England　for　the　Cape；　was　the　real　

scandalmonger。　　That　struck　me　as　mean；　even　for　Bailey。　　I've　still　

the　odd　vivid　impression　of　his　fluting　voice；　excusing　the　

inexcusable；　his　big；　shifty　face　evading　me；　his　perspiration…

beaded　forehead；　the　shrugging　shoulders；　and　the　would…be　

exculpatory　gesturesHoundsditch　gesturesof　his　enormous　ugly　

hands。



〃I　can　assure　you；　my　dear　fellow；〃　he　said；　〃I　can　assure　you　we've　

done　everything　to　shield　youeverything。〃　。　。　。







3





Isabel　came　after　dinner　one　evening　and　talked　in　the　office。　　She　

made　a　white…robed；　dusky　figure　against　the　deep　blues　of　my　big　

window。　　I　sat　at　my　desk　and　tore　a　quill　pen　to　pieces　as　I　

talked。



〃The　Baileys　don't　intend　to　let　this　drop；〃　I　said。　　〃They　mean　

that　every　one　in　London　is　to　know　about　it。〃



〃I　know。〃



〃Well！〃　I　said。



〃Dear　heart；〃　said　Isabel；　facing　it；　〃it's　no　good　waiting　for　

things　to　overtake　us；　we're　at　the　parting　of　the　ways。〃



〃What　are　we　to　do？〃



〃They　won't　let　us　go　on。〃



〃Damn　them！〃



〃They　are　ORGANISING　scandal。〃



〃It's　no　good　waiting　for　things　to　overtake　us；〃　I　echoed；　〃they　

have　overtaken　us。〃　　I　turned　on　her。　　〃What　do　you　want　to　do？〃



〃Everything；〃　she　said。　　〃Keep　you　and　have　our　work。　　Aren't　we　

Mates？〃



〃We　can't。〃



〃And　we　can't！〃



〃I've　got　to　tell　Margaret；〃　I　said。



〃Margaret！〃



〃I　can't　bear　the　idea　of　any　one　else　getting　in　front　with　it。　　

I've　been　wincing　about　Margaret　secretly〃



〃I　know。　　You'll　have　to　tell　herand　make　your　peace　with　her。〃



She　leant　back　against　the　bookcases　under　the　window。



〃We've　had　some　good　times；　Master；〃　she　said；　with　a　sigh　in　her　

voice。



And　then　for　a　long　time　we　stared　at　one　another　in　silence。



〃We　haven't　much　time　left；〃　she　said。



〃Shall　we　bolt？〃　I　said。



〃And　leave　all　this？〃　she　asked；　with　her　eyes　going　round　the　room。　　

〃And　that？〃　　And　her　head　indicated　Westminster。　　〃No！〃



I　said　no　more　of　bolting。



〃We've　got　to　screw　ourselves　up　to　surrender；〃　she　said。



〃Something。〃



〃A　lot。〃



〃Master；〃　she　said；　〃it　isn't　all　sex　and　stuff　between　us？〃



〃No！〃



〃I　can't　give　up　the　work。　　Our　work's　my　life。〃



We　came　upon　another　long　pause。



〃No　one　will　believe　we've　ceased　to　be　loversif　we　simply　do；〃　

she　said。



〃We　shouldn't。〃



〃We've　got　to　do　something　more　parting　than　that。〃



I　nodded；　and　again　we　paused。　　She　was　coming　to　something。



〃I　could　marry　Shoesmith；〃　she　said　abruptly。



〃But〃　I　objected。



〃He　knows。　　It　wasn't　fair。　　I　told　him。〃



〃Oh；　that　explains；〃　I　said。　　〃There's　been　a　kind　of　sulkiness

Butyou　told　him？〃



She　nodded。　　〃He's　rather　badly　hurt；〃　she　said。　　〃He's　been　a　good　

friend　to　me。　　He's　curiously　loyal。　　But　something；　something　he　

said　one　dayforced　me　to　let　him　know。　。　。　。　　That's　been　the　

beastliness　of　all　this　secrecy。　　That's　the　beastliness　of　all　

secrecy。　　You　have　to　spring　surprises　on　people。　　But　he　keeps　on。　　

He's　steadfast。　　He'd　already　suspected。　　He　wants　me　very　badly　to　

marry　him。　。　。　。〃



〃But　you　don't　want　to　marry　him？〃



〃I'm　forced　to　think　of　it。〃



〃But　does　he　want　to　marry　you　at　that？　　Take　you　as　a　present　from　

the　world　at　large？against　your　will　and　desire？　。　。　。　　I　don't　

understand　him。〃



〃He　cares　for　me。〃



〃How？〃



〃He　thinks　this　is　a　fearful　mess　for　me。　　He　wants　to　pull　it　

straight。〃



We　sat　for　a　time　in　silence；　with　imaginations　that　obstinately　

refused　to　take　up　the　realities　of　this　proposition。



〃I　don't　want　you　to　marry　Shoesmith；〃　I　said　at　las