villa rubein and other stories-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



flowers　the　sun　flicked　her　parted　lips　with　kisses；　and　spilled　the

withered　petals　on　her。　　In　a　denser　islet　of　shade；　Scruff　lay

snapping　at　a　fly。　　His　head　lolled　drowsily　in　the　middle　of　a　snap；

and　snapped　in　the　middle　of　a　loll。



At　three　o'clock　Miss　Naylor　too　came　out；　carrying　a　basket　and　pair

of　scissors。　　Lifting　her　skirts　to　avoid　the　lakes　of　water　left　by

the　garden　hose；　she　stopped　in　front　of　a　rose…bush；　and　began　to

snip　off　the　shrivelled　flowers。　　The　little　lady's　silvered　head　and

thin；　brown　face　sustained　the　shower　of　sunlight　unprotected；　and

had　a　gentle　dignity　in　their　freedom。



Presently；　as　the　scissors　flittered　in　and　out　of　the　leaves；　she；

began　talking　to　herself。



〃If　girls　were　more　like　what　they　used　to　be；　this　would　not　have

happened。　　Perhaps　we　don't　understand；　it's　very　easy　to　forget。〃

Burying　her　nose　and　lips　in　a　rose；　she　sniffed。　　〃Poor　dear　girl！

It's　such　a　pity　his　father　isa〃



〃A　farmer；〃　said　a　sleepy　voice　behind　the　rosebush。



Miss　Naylor　leaped。　　〃Greta！　How　you　startled　me！　　A　farmerthat　is…

…anan　agriculturalist！〃



〃A　farmer　with　vineyardshe　told　us；　and　he　is　not　ashamed。　　Why　is

it　a　pity；　Miss　Naylor？〃



Miss　Naylor's　lips　looked　very　thin。



〃For　many　reasons；　of　which　you　know　nothing。〃



〃That　is　what　you　always　say；〃　pursued　the　sleepy　voice；　〃and　that　is

why；　when　I　am　to　be　married；　there　shall　also　be　a　pity。〃



〃Greta！〃　Miss　Naylor　cried；　〃it　is　not　proper　for　a　girl　of　your　age

to　talk　like　that。〃



〃Why？〃　said　Greta。　　〃Because　it　is　the　truth？〃



Miss　Naylor　made　no　reply　to　this；　but　vexedly　cut　off　a　sound　rose；

which　she　hastily　picked　up　and　regarded　with　contrition。　　Greta

spoke　again：



〃Chris　said：　'I　have　got　the　pictures；　I　shall　tell　her'；　but　I　shall

tell　you　instead；　because　it　was　I　that　told　the　story。〃



Miss　Naylor　stared；　wrinkling　her　nose；　and　holding　the　scissors　wide

apart。。。。



〃Last　night；〃　said　Greta　slowly；　〃I　and　Chris　went　to　his　studio　and

took　his　pictures；　and　so；　because　the　gate　was　shut；　I　came　back　to

tell　it；　and　when　you　asked　me　where　Chris　was；　I　told　it；　because

she　was　in　the　studio　all　night；　and　I　and　Scruff　sat　up　all　night；

and　in　the　morning　we　brought　the　pictures；　and　hid　them　under　our

beds；　and　that　is　whywearesosleepy。〃



Over　the　rose…bush　Miss　Naylor　peered　down　at　her；　and　though　she　was

obliged　to　stand　on　tiptoe　this　did　not　altogether　destroy　her

dignity。



〃I　am　surprised　at　you；　Greta；　I　am　surprised　at　Christian；　more

surprised　at　Christian。　　The　world　seems　upside　down。〃



Greta；　a　sunbeam　entangled　in　her　hair；　regarded　her　with

inscrutable；　innocent　eyes。



〃When　you　were　a　girl；　I　think　you　would　be　sure　to　be　in　love；〃　she

murmured　drowsily。



Miss　Naylor；　flushing　deeply；　snipped　off　a　particularly　healthy　bud。



〃And　so；　because　you　are　not　married；　I　think〃



The　scissors　hissed。



Greta　nestled　down　again。　　〃I　think　it　is　wicked　to　cut　off　all　the

good　buds；〃　she　said；　and　shut　her　eyes。



Miss　Naylor　continued　to　peer　across　the　rosebush；　but　her　thin　face；

close　to　the　glistening　leaves；　had　become　oddly　soft；　pink；　and

girlish。　　At　a　deeper　breath　from　Greta；　the　little　lady　put　down　her

basket；　and　began　to　pace　the　lawn；　followed　dubiously　by　Scruff。　　It

was　thus　that　Christian　came　on　them。



Miss　Naylor　slipped　her　arm　into　the　girl's　and　though　she　made　no

sound；　her　lips　kept　opening　and　shutting；　like　the　beak　of　a　bird

contemplating　a　worm。



Christian　spoke　first：



〃Miss　Naylor；　I　want　to　tell　you　please〃



〃Oh；　my　dear！　　I　know；　Greta　has　been　in　the　confessional　before

you。〃　　She　gave　the　girl's　arm　a　squeeze。　　〃Isn't　it　a　lovely　day？

Did　you　ever　see　'Five　Fingers'　look　so　beautiful？〃　　And　she　pointed

to　the　great　peaks　of　the　Funffingerspitze　glittering　in　the　sun　like

giant　crystals。



〃I　like　them　better　with　clouds　about　them。〃



〃Well；〃　agreed　Miss　Naylor　nervously；　〃they　certainly　are　nicer　with

clouds　about　them。　　They　look　almost　hot　and　greasy；　don't　they。。。。

My　dear！〃　she　went　on；　giving　Christian's　arm　a　dozen　little

squeezes；　〃we　all　of　usthat　is；　we　all　of　us〃



Christian　turned　her　eyes　away。



〃My　dear；〃　Miss　Naylor　tried　again；　〃I　am　farthat　is；　I　mean；　to

all　of　us　at　some　time　or　anotherand　then　you　seewellit　is

hard！〃



Christian　kissed　the　gloved　hand　resting　on　her　arm。　　Miss　Naylor

bobbed　her　head；　a　tear　trickled　off　her　nose。



〃Do　let　us　wind　your　skein　of　woof！〃　she　said　with　resounding　gaiety。



Some　half…hour　later　Mrs。　Decie　called　Christian　to　her　room。



〃My　dear！〃　she　said；　〃come　here　a　minute；　I　have　a　message　for　you。〃



Christian　went　with　an　odd；　set　look　about　her　mouth。



Her　aunt　was　sitting；　back　to　the　light；　tapping　a　bowl　of　goldfish

with　the　tip　of　a　polished　finger…nail；　the　room　was　very　cool。　　She

held　a　letter　out。　　〃Your　uncle　is　not　coming　back　tonight。〃



Christian　took　the　letter。　　It　was　curtly　worded；　in　a　thin；　toppling

hand：



〃DEAR　CONCan't　get　back　to…night。　　Sending　Dominique　for　things。

Tell　Christian　to　come　over　with　him　for　night　if　possible。Yr。

aff。　brother；　　　　　　　NICLS。　TREFFRY。〃



〃Dominique　has　a　carriage　here；〃　said　Mrs。　Decie。　　〃You　will　have

nice　time　to　catch　the　train。　　Give　my　love　to　your　uncle。　　You　must

take　Barbi　with　you；　I　insist　on　that。〃　　She　rose　from　her　chair　and

held　Christian's　hand：　〃My　dear！　　You　look　very　tiredvery！　　Almost

ill。　　I　don't　like　to　see　you　look　like　that。　　Come！〃　　She　thrust　her

pale　lips　forward；　and　kissed　the　girl's　paler　cheek。



Then　as　Christian　left　the　room　she　sank　back　in　her　chair；　with

creases　in　her　forehead；　and　began　languidly　to　cut　a　magazine。

'Poor　Christian！'　she　thought；　'how　hardly　she　does　take　it！　I　am

sorry　for　her；　but　perhaps　it's　just　as　well；　as　things　are　turning

out。　　Psychologically　it　is　interesting！'



Christian　found　her　things　packed；　and　the　two　servants　waiting。　　In

a　few　minutes　they　were　driving　to　the　station。　　She　made　Dominique

take　the　seat　opposite。



〃Well？〃　she　asked　him。



Dominique's　eyebrows　twitched；　he　smiled　deprecatingly。



〃M'mselle；　Mr。　Treffry　told　me　to　hold　my　tongue。〃



〃But　you　can　tell　me；　Dominique；　Barbi　can't　understand。〃



〃To　you；　then；　M'mselle；〃　said　Dominique；　as　one　who　accepts　his

fate；　〃to　you；　then；　who　will　doubtless　forget　all　that　I　shall　tell

youmy　master　is　not　well；　he　has　terrible　pain　here；　he　has　a

cough；　he　is　not　well　at　all；　not　well　at　all。〃



A　feeling　of　dismay　seized　on　the　girl。



〃We　were　a　caravan　for　all　that　night；〃　Dominique　resumed。　　〃In　the

morning　by　noon　we　ceased　to　be　a　caravan；　Signor　Harz　took　a　mule

path；　he　will　be　in　Italycertainly　in　Italy。　　As　for　us；　we　stayed

at　San　Martino；　and　my　master　went　to　bed。　　It　was　time；　I　had　much

trouble　with　his　clothes；　his　legs　were　swollen。　　In　the　afternoon

came　a　signor　of　police；　on　horseback；　red　and　hot；　I　persuaded　him

that　we　were　at　Paneveggio；　but　as　we　were　not；　he　came　back　angry

Mon　Die！　as　angry　as　a　cat。　　It　was　not　good　to　meet　himwhen　he　was

with　my　master　I　was　outside。　　There　was　much　noise。　　I　do　not　know

what　passed；　but　at　last　the　signor　came　out　through　the　door；　and

went　away　in　a　hurry。〃　　Dominique's　features　were　fixed　in　a　sardonic

grin；　he　rubbed　the　palm　of　one　hand　with　the　finger　of　the　other。

〃Mr。　Treffry　made　me　give　him　whisky　afterwards；　and　he　had　no　money

to　pay　the　billthat　I　know　because　I　paid　it。　　Well；　M'mselle；　to…

day　he　would　be　dressed　and　very　slowly　we　came　as　far　as　Auer；　there

he　could　do　no　more；　so　went　to　bed。　　He　is　not　well　at　all。〃



Christian　was　overwhelmed　by　forebodings；　the　rest　of　the　journey　was

made　in　silence；　except　when　Barbi；　a　country　girl；　filled　with　the

delirium　of　railway　travel；　sighed：　〃Ach！　gnadige　Friiulein！〃　looking

at　Christian　with　pleasant　eye