the dark flower-第15章

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morrow！　　She　decided　on　black。　　In　black　she　knew　that　her　neck
looked　whiter；　and　the　colour　of　her　eyes　and　hair　stranger。　　She
put　on　no　jewellery；　did　not　even　pin　a　rose　at　her　breast；　took
white　gloves。　　Since　her　husband　did　not　come　to　her　room；　she　went
up　the　little　stairway　to　his。　　She　surprised　him　ready　dressed；
standing　by　the　fireplace；　smiling　faintly。　　What　was　he　thinking
of；　standing　there　with　that　smile？　　Was　there　blood　in　him　at　all？

He　inclined　his　head　slightly　and　said：

〃Good！　　Chaste　as　the　night！　　Black　suits　you。　　Shall　we　find　our
way　down　to　these　savage　halls？〃

And　they　went　down。

Everyone　was　already　there；　waiting。　　A　single　neighbouring　squire
and　magistrate；　by　name　Trusham；　had　been　bidden；　to　make　numbers
equal。

Dinner　was　announced；　they　went　in。　　At　the　round　table　in　a
dining…room；　all　black　oak；　with　many　candles；　and　terrible
portraits　of　departed　ancestors；　Anna　sat　between　the　magistrate
and　Gordy。　　Mark　was　opposite；　between　a　quaint…looking　old　lady
and　a　young　girl　who　had　not　been　introduced；　a　girl　in　white；　with
very　fair　hair　and　very　white　skin；　blue　eyes；　and　lips　a　little
parted；　a　daughter　evidently　of　the　faded　Mrs。　Doone。　　A　girl　like
a　silvery　moth；　like　a　forget…me…not！　　Anna　found　it　hard　to　take
her　eyes　away　from　this　girl's　face；　not　that　she　admired　her
exactly；　pretty　she　wasyes；　but　weak；　with　those　parted　lips　and
soft　chin；　and　almost　wistful　look；　as　if　her　deep…blue　half…eager
eyes　were　in　spite　of　her。　　But　she　was　youngso　young！　　That　was
why　not　to　watch　her　seemed　impossible。　　〃Sylvia　Doone？〃　　Indeed！
Yes。　　A　soft　name；　a　pretty　nameand　very　like　her！　　Every　time
her　eyes　could　travel　away　from　her　duty　to　Squire　Trusham；　and　to
Gordy　（on　both　of　whom　she　was　clearly　making　an　impression）；　she
gazed　at　this　girl；　sitting　there　by　the　boy；　and　whenever　those
two　young　things　smiled　and　spoke　together　she　felt　her　heart
contract　and　hurt　her。　　Was　THIS　why　that　something　had　gone　out　of
his　eyes？　　Ah；　she　was　foolish！　　If　every　girl　or　woman　the　boy
knew　was　to　cause　such　a　feeling　in　her；　what　would　life　be　like？
And　her　will　hardened　against　her　fears。　　She　was　looking　brilliant
herself；　and　she　saw　that　the　girl　in　her　turn　could　not　help
gazing　at　her　eagerly；　wistfully；　a　little　bewilderedhatefully
young。　　And　the　boy？　　Slowly；　surely；　as　a　magnet　draws；　Anna　could
feel　that　she　was　drawing　him；　could　see　him　stealing　chances　to
look　at　her。　　Once　she　surprised　him　full。　　What　troubled　eyes！　　It
was　not　the　old　adoring　face；　yet　she　knew　from　its　expression　that
she　could　make　him　want　hermake　him　jealouseasily　fire　him　with
her　kisses；　if　she　would。

And　the　dinner　wore　to　an　end。　　Then　came　the　moment　when　the　girl
and　she　must　meet　under　the　eyes　of　the　mother；　and　that　sharp；
quaint…looking　old　governess。　　It　would　be　a　hard　moment；　that！
And　it　camea　hard　moment　and　a　long　one；　for　Gordy　sat　full　span
over　his　wine。　　But　Anna　had　not　served　her　time　beneath　the　gaze
of　upper　Oxford　for　nothing；　she　managed　to　be　charming；　full　of
interest　and　questions　in　her　still　rather　foreign　accent。　　Miss
Doonesoon　she　became　Sylviamust　show　her　all　the　treasures　and
antiquities。　　Was　it　too　dark　to　go　out　just　to　look　at　the　old
house　by　night？　　Oh；　no。　　Not　a　bit。　　There　were　goloshes　in　the
hall。　　And　they　went；　the　girl　leading；　and　talking　of　Anna　knew
not　what；　so　absorbed　was　she　in　thinking　how　for　a　moment；　just　a
moment；　she　could　contrive　to　be　with　the　boy　alone。

It　was　not　remarkable；　this　old　house；　but　it　was　his　homemight
some　day　perhaps　be　his。　　And　houses　at　night　were　strangely　alive
with　their　window　eyes。

〃That　is　my　room；〃　the　girl　said；　〃where　the　jessamine　isyou　can
just　see　it。　　Mark's　is　abovelook；　under　where　the　eave　hangs
out；　away　to　the　left。　　The　other　night〃

〃Yes；　the　other　night？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't！　　Listen。　　That's　an　owl。　　We　have　heaps　of　owls。
Mark　likes　them。　　I　don't；　much。〃

Always　Mark！

〃He's　awfully　keen；　you　see；　about　all　beasts　and　birdshe　models
them。　　Shall　I　show　you　his　workshop？it's　an　old　greenhouse。
Here；　you　can　see　in。〃

There　through　the　glass　Anna　indeed　could　just　see　the　boy's　quaint
creations　huddling　in　the　dark　on　a　bare　floor；　a　grotesque　company
of　small　monsters。　　She　murmured：

〃Yes；　I　see　them；　but　I　won't　really　look　unless　he　brings　me
himself。〃

〃Oh；　he's　sure　to。　　They　interest　him　more　than　anything　in　the
world。〃

For　all　her　cautious　resolutions　Anna　could　not　for　the　life　of　her
help　saying：

〃What；　more　than　you？〃

The　girl　gave　her　a　wistful　stare　before　she　answered：

〃Oh！　I　don't　count　much。〃

Anna　laughed；　and　took　her　arm。　　How　soft　and　young　it　felt！　　A
pang　went　through　her　heart；　half　jealous；　half　remorseful。

〃Do　you　know；〃　she　said；　〃that　you　are　very　sweet？〃

The　girl　did　not　answer。

〃Are　you　his　cousin？〃

〃No。　　Gordy　is　only　Mark's　uncle　by　marriage；　my　mother　is　Gordy's
sisterso　I'm　nothing。〃

Nothing！

〃I　seejust　what　you　English　call　'a　connection。'〃

They　were　silent；　seeming　to　examine　the　night；　then　the　girl　said：

〃I　wanted　to　see　you　awfully。　　You're　not　like　what　I　thought。〃

〃Oh！　　And　what　DID　you　think？〃

〃I　thought　you　would　have　dark　eyes；　and　Venetian　red　hair；　and　not
be　quite　so　tall。　　Of　course；　I　haven't　any　imagination。〃

They　were　at　the　door　again　when　the　girl　said　that；　and　the　hall
light　was　falling　on　her；　her　slip　of　a　white　figure　showed　clear。
Younghow　young　she　looked！　　Everything　she　saidso　young！

And　Anna　murmured：　〃And　you　aremore　than　I　thought；　too。〃

Just　then　the　men　came　out　from　the　dining…room；　her　husband　with
the　look　on　his　face　that　denoted　he　had　been　well　listened　to；
Squire　Trusham　laughing　as　a　man　does　who　has　no　sense　of　humour；
Gordy　having　a　curly；　slightly　asphyxiated　air；　and　the　boy　his
pale；　brooding　look；　as　though　he　had　lost　touch　with　his
surroundings。　　He　wavered　towards　her；　seemed　to　lose　himself；　went
and　sat　down　by　the　old　governess。　　Was　it　because　he　did　not　dare
to　come　up　to　her；　or　only　because　he　saw　the　old　lady　sitting
alone？　　It　might　well　be　that。

And　the　evening；　so　different　from　what　she　had　dreamed　of；　closed
in。　　Squire　Trusham　was　gone　in　his　high　dog…cart；　with　his　famous
mare　whose　exploits　had　entertained　her　all　through　dinner。　　Her
candle　had　been　given　her；　she　had　said　good…night　to　all　but　Mark。
What　should　she　do　when　she　had　his　hand　in　hers？　　She　would　be
alone　with　him　in　that　grasp；　whose　strength　no　one　could　see。　　And
she　did　not　know　whether　to　clasp　it　passionately；　or　to　let　it　go
coolly　back　to　its　owner；　whether　to　claim　him　or　to　wait。　　But　she
was　unable　to　help　pressing　it　feverishly。　　At　once　in　his　face　she
saw　again　that　troubled　look；　and　her　heart　smote　her。　　She　let　it
go；　and　that　she　might　not　see　him　say　good…night　to　the　girl；
turned　and　mounted　to　her　room。

Fully　dressed；　she　flung　herself　on　the　bed；　and　there　lay；　her
handkerchief　across　her　mouth；　gnawing　at　its　edges。


XV


Mark's　nineteenth　birthday　rose　in　grey　mist；　slowly　dropped　its
veil　to　the　grass；　and　shone　clear　and　glistening。　　He　woke　early。
From　his　window　he　could　see　nothing　in　the　steep　park　but　the　soft
blue…grey；　balloon…shaped　oaks　suspended　one　above　the　other　among
the　round…topped　boulders。　　It　was　in　early　morning　that　he　always
got　his　strongest　feeling　of　wanting　to　model　things；　then　and
after　dark；　when；　for　want　of　light；　it　was　no　use。　　This　morning
he　had　the　craving　badly；　and　the　sense　of　not　knowing　how　weighed
down　his　spirit。　　His　drawings；　his　modelsthey　were　all　so　bad；
so　fumbly。　　If　only　this　had　been　his　twenty…first　birthday；　and　he
had　his　money；　and　could　do　what　he　liked。　　He　would　not　stay　in
England。　　He　would　be　off　to　Athens；　or　Rome；　or　even　to　Paris；　and
work　till　he　COULD　do　something。　　And　in　his　holidays　he　would
study　animals　and　birds　in　wild　countries　where　there　were　plenty
of　them；　and　you　could　watch　them　in　their　haunts。　　It　was　stupid
having　to　stay　in　a　place　like　Oxford；　but　at　the　thought　of　what
Oxford　meant；　his　roaming　fancy；　like　a　bird　hypnotized　by　a　haw