the dark flower-第11章

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wonderful；　this　yearand　there　was　she；　standing　alone　on　the
platform。　　No；　it　was　not　Cicely！　　He　got　out　with　a　blank
sensation；　as　if　those　memories　had　played　him　false。　　It　was　a
girl；　indeed；　but　she　only　looked　about　sixteen；　and　wore　a
sunbonnet　that　hid　her　hair　and　half　her　face。　　She　had　on　a　blue
frock；　and　some　honeysuckle　in　her　waist…belt。　　She　seemed　to　be
smiling　at　him；　and　expecting　him　to　smile　at　her；　and　so　he　did
smile。　　She　came　up　to　him　then；　and　said：

〃I'm　Sylvia。〃

He　answered：　〃Oh！　thanks　awfullyit　was　awfully　good　of　you　to
come　and　meet　me。〃

〃Cicely's　so　busy。　　It's　only　the　T…cart。　　Have　you　got　much
luggage？〃

She　took　up　his　hold…all；　and　he　took　it　from　her；　she　took　his
bag；　and　he　took　it　from　her；　then　they　went　out　to　the　T…cart。　　A
small　groom　stood　there；　holding　a　silver…roan　cob　with　a　black
mane　and　black　swish　tail。

She　said：　〃D'you　mind　if　I　drive；　because　I'm　learning。〃

And　he　answered：　〃Oh；　no！　rather　not。〃

She　got　up；　he　noticed　that　her　eyes　looked　quite　excited。　　Then
his　portmanteau　came　out　and　was　deposited　with　the　other　things
behind；　and　he　got　up　beside　her。

She　said：　〃Let　go；　Billy。〃

The　roan　rushed　past　the　little　groom；　whose　top　boots　seemed　to
twinkle　as　he　jumped　up　behind。　　They　whizzed　round　the　corner　from
the　station　yard；　and　observing　that　her　mouth　was　just　a　little
open　as　though　this　had　disconcerted　her；　he　said：

〃He　pulls　a　bit。〃

〃Yesbut　isn't　he　perfectly　sweet？〃

〃He　IS　rather　decent。〃

Ah！　when　SHE　came；　he　would　drive　her；　they　would　go　off　alone　in
the　T…cart；　and　he　would　show　her　all　the　country　round。

He　was　re…awakened　by　the　words：

〃Oh！　I　know　he's　going　to　shy！〃　　At　once　there　was　a　swerve。　　The
roan　was　cantering。

They　had　passed　a　pig。

〃Doesn't　he　look　lovely　now？　　Ought　I　to　have　whipped　him　when　he
shied？〃

〃Rather　not。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　horses　are　horses；　and　pigs　are　pigs；　it's　natural　for
horses　to　shy　at　them。〃

〃Oh！〃

He　looked　up　at　her　then；　sidelong。　　The　curve　of　her　cheek　and
chin　looked　very　soft；　and　rather　jolly。

〃I　didn't　know　you；　you　know！〃　he　said。　　〃You've　grown　up　so
awfully。〃

〃I　knew　you　at　once。　　Your　voice　is　still　furry。〃

There　was　another　silence；　till　she　said：

〃He　does　pull；　ratherdoesn't　he；　going　home？〃

〃Shall　I　drive？〃

〃Yes；　please。〃

He　stood　up　and　took　the　reins；　and　she　slipped　past　under　them　in
front　of　him；　her　hair　smelt　exactly　like　hay；　as　she　was　softly
bumped　against　him。

She　kept　regarding　him　steadily　with　very　blue　eyes；　now　that　she
was　relieved　of　driving。

〃Cicely　was　afraid　you　weren't　coming；〃　she　said　suddenly。　　〃What
sort　of　people　are　those　old　Stormers？〃

He　felt　himself　grow　very　red；　choked　something　down；　and　answered：

〃It's　only　he　that's　old。　　She's　not　more　than　about　thirty…five。〃

〃That　IS　old。〃

He　restrained　the　words：　〃Of　course　it's　old　to　a　kid　like　you！〃
And；　instead；　he　looked　at　her。　　Was　she　exactly　a　kid？　　She　seemed
quite　tall　（for　a　girl）　and　not　very　thin；　and　there　was　something
frank　and　soft　about　her　face；　and　as　if　she　wanted　you　to　be　nice
to　her。

〃Is　she　very　pretty？〃

This　time　he　did　not　go　red；　such　was　the　disturbance　that　question
made　in　him。　　If　he　said：　〃Yes；〃　it　was　like　letting　the　world　know
his　adoration；　but　to　say　anything　less　would　be　horrible；
disloyal。　　So　he　did　say：　〃Yes；〃　listening　hard　to　the　tone　of　his
own　voice。

〃I　thought　she　was。　　Do　you　like　her　very　much？〃　　Again　he
struggled　with　that　thing　in　his　throat；　and　again　said：　〃Yes。〃

He　wanted　to　hate　this　girl；　yet　somehow　could　notshe　looked　so
soft　and　confiding。　　She　was　staring　before　her　now；　her　lips　still
just　parted；　so　evidently　THAT　had　not　been　because　of　Bolero's
pulling；　they　were　pretty　all　the　same；　and　so　was　her　short；
straight　little　nose；　and　her　chin；　and　she　was　awfully　fair。　　His
thoughts　flew　back　to　that　other　faceso　splendid；　so　full　of
life。　　Suddenly　he　found　himself　unable　to　picture　itfor　the
first　time　since　he　had　started　on　his　journey　it　would　not　come
before　him。

〃Oh！　　Look！〃

Her　hand　was　pulling　at　his　arm。　　There　in　the　field　over　the　hedge
a　buzzard　hawk　was　dropping　like　a　stone。

〃Oh；　Mark！　　Oh！　　Oh！　　It's　got　it！〃

She　was　covering　her　face　with　both　her　hands；　and　the　hawk；　with　a
young　rabbit　in　its　claws；　was　sailing　up　again。　　It　looked　so
beautiful　that　he　did　not　somehow　feel　sorry　for　the　rabbit；　but　he
wanted　to　stroke　and　comfort　her；　and　said：

〃It's　all　right；　Sylvia；　it　really　is。　　The　rabbit's　dead　already；
you　know。　　And　it's　quite　natural。〃

She　took　her　hands　away　from　a　face　that　looked　just　as　if　she　were
going　to　cry。

〃Poor　little　rabbit！　　It　was　such　a　little　one！〃


XII


On　the　afternoon　of　the　day　following　he　sat　in　the　smoking…room
with　a　prayer　book　in　his　hand；　and　a　frown　on　his　forehead；
reading　the　Marriage　Service。　　The　book　had　been　effectively
designed　for　not　spoiling　the　figure　when　carried　in　a　pocket。　　But
this　did　not　matter；　for　even　if　he　could　have　read　the　words；　he
would　not　have　known　what　they　meant；　seeing　that　he　was　thinking
how　he　could　make　a　certain　petition　to　a　certain　person　sitting
just　behind　at　a　large　bureau　with　a　sliding　top；　examining
artificial　flies。

He　fixed　at　last　upon　this　form：

〃Gordy！〃　　（Why　Gordy　no　one　quite　knew　nowwhether　because　his
name　was　George；　or　by　way　of　corruption　from　Guardian。）　　〃When　Cis
is　gone　it'll　be　rather　awful；　won't　it？〃

〃Not　a　bit。〃

Mr。　Heatherley　was　a　man　of　perhaps　sixty…four；　if　indeed　guardians
have　ages；　and　like　a　doctor　rather　than　a　squire；　his　face　square
and　puffy；　his　eyes　always　half…closed；　and　his　curly　mouth　using
bluntly　a　voice　of　that　refined　coarseness　peculiar　to　people　of
old　family。

〃But　it　will；　you　know！〃

〃Well；　supposin'　it　is？〃

〃I　only　wondered　if　you'd　mind　asking　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Stormer　to　come
here　for　a　littlethey　were　awfully　kind　to　me　out　there。〃

〃Strange　man　and　woman！　　My　dear　fellow！〃

〃Mr。　Stormer　likes　fishing。〃

〃Does　he？　　And　what　does　she　like？〃

Very　grateful　that　his　back　was　turned；　the　boy　said：

〃I　don't　knowanythingshe's　awfully　nice。〃

〃Ah！　　Pretty？〃

He　answered　faintly：

〃I　don't　know　what　YOU　call　pretty；　Gordy。〃

He　felt；　rather　than　saw；　his　guardian　scrutinizing　him　with　those
half…closed　eyes　under　their　gouty　lids。

〃All　right；　do　as　you　like。　　Have　'em　here　and　have　done　with　it；
by　all　means。〃

Did　his　heart　jump？　　Not　quite；　but　it　felt　warm　and　happy；　and　he
said：

〃Thanks　awfully；　Gordy。　　It's　most　frightfully　decent　of　you；〃　and
turned　again　to　the　Marriage　Service。　　He　could　make　out　some　of
it。　　In　places　it　seemed　to　him　fine；　and　in　other　places　queer。
About　obeying；　for　instance。　　If　you　loved　anybody；　it　seemed
rotten　to　expect　them　to　obey　you。　　If　you　loved　them　and　they
loved　you；　there　couldn't　ever　be　any　question　of　obeying；　because
you　would　both　do　the　things　always　of　your　own　accord。　　And　if
they　didn't　love　you；　or　you　them；　thenoh！　then　it　would　be
simply　too　disgusting　for　anything；　to　go　on　living　with　a　person
you　didn't　love　or　who　didn't　love　you。　　But　of　course　SHE　didn't
love　his　tutor。　　Had　she　once？　　Those　bright　doubting　eyes；　that
studiously　satiric　mouth　came　very　clearly　up　before　him。　　You
could　not　love　them；　and　yethe　was　really　very　decent。　　A　feeling
as　of　pity；　almost　of　affection；　rose　in　him　for　his　remote　tutor。
It　was　queer　to　feel　so；　since　the　last　time　they　had　talked
together　out　there；　on　the　terrace；　he　had　not　felt　at　all　like
that。

The　noise　of　the　bureau　top　sliding　down　aroused　him；　Mr。
Heatherley　was　closing　in　the　remains　of　the　artificial　flies。
That　meant　he　would　be　going　out　to　fish。　　And　the　moment　he　heard
the　door　shut；　Mark　sprang　up；　slid　back　the　bureau　top；　and　began
to　write　his　letter。　　It　was　hard　work。


〃DEAR　MRS。　STORMER；

〃My　guardian　wishes　me　to　beg　you　and　Mr。　Stormer　to　pay　us　a　visit
as　soon　as　you　come　back　from　the　Tyrol。　　Please　tell　Mr。　Stormer
that　only　the　very　best　fishermenlike　himcan　catch　our　trout；
the　rest　catch　our　trees。　　This　is　me　catching　our　t