villa rubein and other stories-第17章

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Decie　at　random。　　Greta　kept　stealing　looks　at　her　from　under　her

lashes。



〃Decided　characters　are　charming；　don't　you　think　so；　Christian？〃

Mrs。　Decie　said；　thrusting　her　chin　a　little　forward；　and　modelling

the　words。　　〃That　is　why　I　like　Mr。　Harz　so　much；　such　an　immense

advantage　for　a　man　to　know　his　mind。　　You　have　only　to　look　at　that

young　man　to　see　that　he　knows　what　he　wants；　and　means　to　have　it。〃



Christian　pushed　her　plate　away。　　Greta；　flushing；　said　abruptly：

〃Doctor　Edmund　is　not　a　decided　character；　I　think。　　This　afternoon

he　said：　'Shall　I　have　some　beer…yes；　I　shallno；　I　shall　not'；　then

he　ordered　the　beer；　so；　when　it　came；　he　gave　it　to　the　soldiers。〃



Mrs。　Decie　turned　her　enigmatic　smile　from　one　girl　to　the　other。



When　dinner　was　over　they　went　into　her　room。　　Greta　stole　at　once　to

the　piano；　where　her　long　hair　fell　almost　to　the　keys；　silently　she

sat　there　fingering　the　notes；　smiling　to　herself；　and　looking　at　her

aunt；　who　was　reading　Pater's　essays。　　Christian　too　had　taken　up　a

book；　but　soon　put　it　downof　several　pages　she　had　not　understood　a

word。　　She　went　into　the　garden　and　wandered　about　the　lawn；　clasping

her　hands　behind　her　head。　　The　air　was　heavy；　very　distant　thunder

trembled　among　the　mountains；　flashes　of　summer　lightning　played　over

the　trees；　and　two　great　moths　were　hovering　about　a　rosebush。

Christian　watched　their　soft　uncertain　rushes。　　Going　to　the　little

summer…house　she　flung　herself　down　on　a　seat；　and　pressed　her　hands

to　her　heart。



There　was　a　strange　and　sudden　aching　there。　　Was　he　going　from　her？

If　so；　what　would　be　left？　　How　little　and　how　narrow　seemed　the

outlook　of　her　lifewith　the　world　waiting　for　her；　the　world　of

beauty；　effort；　self…sacrifice；　fidelity！　　It　was　as　though　a　flash

of　that　summer　lightning　had　fled　by；　singeing　her；　taking　from　her

all　powers　of　flight；　burning　off　her　wings；　as　off　one　of　those　pale

hovering　moths。　　Tears　started　up；　and　trickled　down　her　face。

'Blind！'　she　thought；　'how　could　I　have　been　so　blind？'



Some　one　came　down　the　path。



〃Who's　there？〃　she　cried。



Harz　stood　in　the　doorway。



〃Why　did　you　come　out？〃　he　said。　　〃Ah！　why　did　you　come　out？〃　　He

caught　her　hand；　Christian　tried　to　draw　it　from　him；　and　to　turn　her

eyes　away；　but　she　could　not。　　He　flung　himself　down　on　his　knees；

and　cried：　〃I　love　you！〃



In　a　rapture　of　soft　terror　Christian　bent　her　forehead　down　to　his

hand。



〃What　are　you　doing？〃　she　heard　him　say。　　〃Is　it　possible　that　you

love　me？〃　and　she　felt　his　kisses　on　her　hair。



〃My　sweet！　it　will　be　so　hard　for　you；　you　are　so　little；　so　little；

and　so　weak。〃　　Clasping　his　hand　closer　to　her　face；　she　murmured：　〃I

don't　care。〃



There　was　a　long；　soft　silence；　that　seemed　to　last　for　ever。

Suddenly　she　threw　her　arms　round　his　neck　and　kissed　him。



〃Whatever　comes！〃　she　whispered；　and　gathering　her　dress；　escaped

from　him　into　the　darkness。









XII



Christian　woke　next　morning　with　a　smile。　　In　her　attitudes；　her

voice；　her　eyes；　there　was　a　happy　and　sweet　seriousness；　as　if　she

were　hugging　some　holy　thought。　　After　breakfast　she　took　a　book　and

sat　in　the　open　window；　whence　she　could　see　the　poplar…trees

guarding　the　entrance。　　There　was　a　breeze；　the　roses　close　by　kept

nodding　to　her；　the　cathedral　bells　were　in　full　chime；　bees　hummed

above　the　lavender；　and　in　the　sky　soft　clouds　were　floating　like

huge；　white　birds。



The　sounds　of　Miss　Naylor's　staccato　dictation　travelled　across　the

room；　and　Greta's　sighs　as　she　took　it　down；　one　eye　on　her　paper；

one　eye　on　Scruff；　who　lay　with　a　black　ear　flapped　across　his　paw；

and　his　tan　eyebrows　quivering。　　He　was　in　disgrace；　for　Dominique；

coming　on　him　unawares；　had　seen　him　〃say　his　prayers〃　before　a

pudding；　and　take　the　pudding　for　reward。



Christian　put　her　book　down　gently；　and　slipped　through　the　window。

Harz　was　coming　in　from　the　road。　　〃I　am　all　yours！〃　she　whispered。

His　fingers　closed　on　hers；　and　he　went　into　the　house。



She　slipped　back；　took　up　her　book；　and　waited。　　It　seemed　long

before　he　came　out；　but　when　he　did　he　waved　her　back；　and　hurried

on；　she　had　a　glimpse　of　his　face；　white　to　the　lips。　　Feeling　faint

and　sick；　she　flew　to　her　stepfather's　room。



Herr　Paul　was　standing　in　a　corner　with　the　utterly　disturbed

appearance　of　an　easy…going　man；　visited　by　the　unexpected。　　His　fine

shirt…front　was　crumpled　as　if　his　breast　had　heaved　too　suddenly

under　strong　emotion；　his　smoked　eyeglasses　dangled　down　his　back；

his　fingers　were　embedded　in　his　beard。　　He　was　fixing　his　eye　on　a

spot　in　the　floor　as　though　he　expected　it　to　explode　and　blow　them

to　fragments。　　In　another　corner　Mrs。　Decie；　with　half…closed　eyes；

was　running　her　finger…tips　across　her　brow。



〃What　have　you　said　to　him？〃　cried　Christian。



Herr　Paul　regarded　her　with　glassy　eyes。



〃Mein　Gott！〃　he　said。　　〃Your　aunt　and　I！〃



〃What　have　you　said　to　him？〃　repeated　Christian。



〃The　impudence！　　An　anarchist！。　　A　beggar！〃



〃Paul！〃　murmured　Mrs。　Decie。



〃The　outlaw！　　The　fellow！〃　　Herr　Paul　began　to　stride　about　the　room。



Quivering　from　head　to　foot；　Christian　cried：　〃How　dared　you？〃　and

ran　from　the　room；　pushing　aside　Miss　Naylor　and　Greta；　who　stood

blanched　and　frightened　in　the　doorway。



Herr　Paul　stopped　in　his　tramp；　and；　still　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　the

floor；　growled：



〃A　fine　thing…hein？　　What's　coming？　　Will　you　please　tell　me？　　An

anarchista　beggar！〃



〃Paul！〃　murmured　Mrs。　Decie。



〃Paul！　　Paul！　　And　you！〃　he　pointed　to　Miss　Naylor〃Two　women　with

eyes！hein！〃



〃There　is　nothing　to　be　gained　by　violence；〃　Mrs。　Decie　murmured；

passing　her　handkerchief　across　her　lips。　　Miss　Naylor；　whose　thin

brown　cheeks　had　flushed；　advanced　towards　him。



〃I　hope　you　do　not〃she　said；　〃I　am　sure　there　was　nothing　that　I

could　have　preventedI　should　be　glad　if　that　were　understood。〃

And；　turning　with　some　dignity；　the　little　lady　went　away；　closing

the　door　behind　her。



〃You　hear！〃　Herr　Paul　said；　violently　sarcastic：　〃nothing　she　could

have　prevented！　　Enfin；！　Will　you　please　tell　me　what　I　am　to　do？〃



〃Men　of　the　world〃whose　philosophy　is　a　creature　of　circumstance

and　accepted　thingsfind　any　deviation　from　the　path　of　their

convictions　dangerous；　shocking；　and　an　intolerable　bore。　　Herr　Paul

had　spent　his　life　laughing　at　convictions；　the　matter　had　but　to

touch　him　personally；　and　the　tap　of　laughter　was　turned　off。　　That

any　one　to　whom　he　was　the　lawful　guardian　should　marry　other　than　a

well…groomed　man；　properly　endowed　with　goods；　properly　selected；　was

beyond　expression　horrid。　　From　his　point　of　view　he　had　great　excuse

for　horror；　and　he　was　naturally　unable　to　judge　whether　he　had

excuse　for　horror　from　other　points　of　view。　　His　amazement　had　in　it

a　spice　of　the　pathetic；　he　was　like　a　child　in　the　presence　of　a

thing　that　he　absolutely　could　not　understand。　　The　interview　had

left　him　with　a　sense　of　insecurity　which　he　felt　to　be　particularly

unfair。



The　door　was　again　opened；　and　Greta　flew　in；　her　cheeks　flushed；　her

hair　floating　behind　her；　and　tears　streaming　down　her　cheeks。



〃Papa！〃　she　cried；　〃you　have　been　cruel　to　Chris。　　The　door　is

locked；　I　can　hear　her　cryingwhy　have　you　been　cruel？〃　　Without

waiting　to　be　answered；　she　flew　out　again。



Herr　Paul　seized　his　hair　with　both　his　hands：　〃Good！　　Very　good！　　My

own　child；　please！　　What　next　then？〃



Mrs。　Decie　rose　from　her　chair　languidly。　　〃My　head　is　very　bad；〃　she

said；　shading　her　eyes　and　speaking　in　low　tones：　〃It　is　no　use

making　a　fussnothing　can　come　of　thishe　has　not　a　penny。

Christian　will　have　nothing　till　you　die；　which　will　not　be　for　a

long　time　yet；　if　you　can　but　avoid　an　apoplectic　fit！〃



At　these　last　words　Herr　Paul　gave　a　start　of　real　disgust。　　〃Hum！〃

he　muttered；　it　w