villa rubein and other stories-第33章

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Scruff　in　her　arms；　rocking　slightly　to　and　fro。　　When　Christian

passed；　she　caught　her　skirt；　and　whispered：　〃It　is　your　birthday；

Chris！〃



Mr。　Treffry　stirred。



〃What's　that？　　Thunder？it's　cooler。　　Where　am　I？　　Chris！〃



Dawney　signed　for　her　to　take　his　place。



〃Chris！〃　Mr。　Treffry　said。　　〃It's　near　now。〃　　She　bent　across　him；

and　her　tears　fell　on　his　forehead。



〃Forgive！〃　she　whispered；　〃love　me！〃



He　raised　his　finger；　and　touched　her　cheek。



For　an　hour　or　more　he　did　not　speak；　though　once　or　twice　he　moaned；

and　faintly　tightened　his　pressure　on　her　fingers。　　The　storm　had

died　away；　but　very　far　off　the　thunder　was　still　muttering。



His　eyes　opened　once　more；　rested　on　her；　and　passed　beyond；　into

that　abyss　dividing　youth　from　age；　conviction　from　conviction；　life

from　death。



At　the　foot　of　the　bed　Dawney　stood　covering　his　face；　behind　him

Dominique　knelt　with　hands　held　upwards；　the　sound　of　Greta's

breathing；　soft　in　sleep；　rose　and　fell　in　the　stillness。









XXIX



One　afternoon　in　March；　more　than　three　years　after　Mr。　Treffry's

death；　Christian　was　sitting　at　the　window　of　a　studio　in　St。　John's

Wood。　　The　sky　was　covered　with　soft；　high　clouds；　through　which

shone　little　gleams　of　blue。　　Now　and　then　a　bright　shower　fell；

sprinkling　the　trees；　where　every　twig　was　curling　upwards　as　if

waiting　for　the　gift　of　its　new　leaves。　　And　it　seemed　to　her　that

the　boughs　thickened　and　budded　under　her　very　eyes；　a　great

concourse　of　sparrows　had　gathered　on　those　boughs；　and　kept　raising

a　shrill　chatter。　　Over　at　the　far　side　of　the　room　Harz　was　working

at　a　picture。



On　Christian's　face　was　the　quiet　smile　of　one　who　knows　that　she　has

only　to　turn　her　eyes　to　see　what　she　wishes　to　see；　of　one　whose

possessions　are　safe　under　her　hand。　　She　looked　at　Harz　with　that

possessive　smile。　　But　as　into　the　brain　of　one　turning　in　his　bed

grim　fancies　will　suddenly　leap　up　out　of　warm　nothingness；　so　there

leaped　into　her　mind　the　memory　of　that　long　ago　dawn；　when　he　had

found　her　kneeling　by　Mr。　Treffry's　body。　　She　seemed　to　see　again

the　dead　face；　so　gravely　quiet；　and　furrowless。　　She　seemed　to　see

her　lover　and　herself　setting　forth　silently　along　the　river　wall

where　they　had　first　met；　sitting　down；　still　silent；　beneath　the

poplar…tree　where　the　little　bodies　of　the　chafers　had　lain　strewn　in

the　Spring。　　To　see　the　trees　changing　from　black　to　grey；　from　grey

to　green；　and　in　the　dark　sky　long　white　lines　of　cloud；　lighting　to

the　south　like　birds；　and；　very　far　away；　rosy　peaks　watching　the

awakening　of　the　earth。　　And　now　once　again；　after　all　that　time；

she　felt　her　spirit　shrink　away　from　his；　as　it　had　shrunk　in　that

hour；　when　she　had　seemed　hateful　to　herself。　　She　remembered　the

words　she　had　spoken：　〃I　have　no　heart　left。　　You've　torn　it　in　two

between　you。　　Love　is　all　selfI　wanted　him　to　die。〃　　She　remembered

too　the　raindrops　on　the　vines　like　a　million　tiny　lamps；　and　the

throstle　that　began　singing。　　Then；　as　dreams　die　out　into　warm

nothingness；　recollection　vanished；　and　the　smile　came　back　to　her

lips。



She　took　out　a　letter。



〃。。。。O　Chris！　　We　are　really　coming；　I　seem　to　be　always　telling　it

to　myself；　and　I　have　told　Scruff　many　times；　but　he　does　not　care；

because　he　is　getting　old。　　Miss　Naylor　says　we　shall　arrive　for

breakfast；　and　that　we　shall　be　hungry；　but　perhaps　she　will　not　be

very　hungry；　if　it　is　rough。　　Papa　said　to　me：　'Je　serai

inconsolable；　mais　inconsolable！'　　But　I　think　he　will　not　be；

because　he　is　going　to　Vienna。　　When　we　are　come；　there　will　be

nobody　at　Villa　Rubein；　Aunt　Constance　has　gone　a　fortnight　ago　to

Florence。　　There　is　a　young　man　at　her　hotel；　she　says　he　will　be　one

of　the　greatest　playwriters　in　England；　and　she　sent　me　a　play　of　his

to　read；　it　was　only　a　little　about　love；　I　did　not　like　it　very

much。。。。　　O　Chris！　I　think　I　shall　cry　when　I　see　you。　　As　I　am　quite

grown　up；　Miss　Naylor　is　not　to　come　back　with　me；　sometimes　she　is

sad；　but　she　will　be　glad　to　see　you；　Chris。　　She　seems　always　sadder

when　it　is　Spring。　　Today　I　walked　along　the　wall；　the　little　green

balls　of　wool　are　growing　on　the　poplars　already；　and　I　saw　one

chafer；　it　will　not　be　long　before　the　cherry　blossom　comes；　and　I

felt　so　funny；　sad　and　happy　together；　and　once　I　thought　that　I　had

wings　and　could　fly　away　up　the　valley　to　Meranbut　I　had　none；　so　I

sat　on　the　bench　where　we　sat　the　day　we　took　the　pictures；　and　I

thought　and　thought；　there　was　nothing　came　to　me　in　my　thoughts；　but

all　was　sweet　and　a　little　noisy；　and　rather　sad；　it　was　like　the

buzzing　of　the　chafer；　in　my　head；　and　now　I　feel　so　tired　and　all　my

blood　is　running　up　and　down　me。　　I　do　not　mind；　because　I　know　it　is

the　Spring。



〃Dominique　came　to　see　us　the　other　day；　he　is　very　well；　and　is　half

the　proprietor　of　the　Adler　Hotel；　at　Meran；　he　is　not　at　all

different；　and　he　asked　about　you　and　about　Aloisdo　you　know；

Chris；　to　myself　I　call　him　Herr　Harz；　but　when　I　have　seen　him　this

time　I　shall　call　him　Alois　in　my　heart　also。



〃I　have　a　letter　from　Dr。　Edmund；　he　is　in　London；　so　perhaps　you

have　seen　him；　only　he　has　a　great　many　patients　and　some　that　he　has

'hopes　of　killing　soon'！　especially　one　old　lady；　because　she　is

always　wanting　him　to　do　things　for　her；　and　he　is　never　saying　'No；'

so　he　does　not　like　her。　　He　says　that　he　is　getting　old。　　When　I

have　finished　this　letter　I　am　going　to　write　and　tell　him　that

perhaps　he　shall　see　me　soon；　and　then　I　think　he　will　be　very　sad。

Now　that　the　Spring　is　come　there　are　more　flowers　to　take　to　Uncle

Nic's　grave；　and　every　day；　when　I　am　gone；　Barbi　is　to　take　them　so

that　he　shall　not　miss　you；　Chris；　because　all　the　flowers　I　put

there　are　for　you。



〃I　am　buying　some　toys　without　paint　on　for　my　niece。〃



〃O　Chris！　this　will　be　the　first　baby　that　I　have　known。〃



〃I　am　only　to　stay　three　weeks　with　you；　but　I　think　when　I　am　once

there　I　shall　be　staying　longer。　　I　send　a　kiss　for　my　niece；　and　to

Herr　Harz；　my　lovethat　is　the　last　time　I　shall　call　him　Herr　Harz；

and　to　you；　Chris；　all　the　joy　that　is　in　my　heart。Your　loving



〃GRETA。〃





Christian　rose；　and；　turning　very　softly；　stood；　leaning　her　elbows

on　the　back　of　a　high　seat；　looking　at　her　husband。



In　her　eyes　there　was　a　slow；　clear；　faintly　smiling；　yet　yearning

look；　as　though　this　strenuous　figure　bent　on　its　task　were　seen　for

a　moment　as　something　apart；　and　not　all　the　world　to　her。



〃Tired？〃　asked　Harz；　putting　his　lips　to　her　hand。



〃No；　it's　onlywhat　Greta　says　about　the　Spring；　it　makes　one　want

more　than　one　has　got。



Slipping　her　hand　away；　she　went　back　to　the　window。　　Harz　stood；

looking　after　her；　then；　taking　up　his　palette；　again　began　painting。



In　the　world；　outside；　the　high　soft　clouds　flew　by；　the　trees　seemed

thickening　and　budding。



And　Christian　thought：



'Can　we　never　have　quite　enough？'





December　l890。















TO



MY　FATHER









A　MAN　OF　DEVON





I



〃MOOR；　20th　July　。



。。。。。。。It　is　quiet　here；　sleepy；　rathera　farm　is　never　quiet；　the

sea；　too；　is　only　a　quarter　of　a　mile　away；　and　when　it's　windy；　the

sound　of　it　travels　up　the　combe；　for　distraction；　you　must　go　four

miles　to　Brixham　or　five　to　Kingswear；　and　you　won't　find　much　then。

The　farm　lies　in　a　sheltered　spot；　scooped；　so　to　speak；　high　up　the

combe　sidebehind　is　a　rise　of　fields；　and　beyond；　a　sweep　of　down。

You　have　the　feeling　of　being　able　to　see　quite　far；　which　is

misleading；　as　you　soon　find　out　if　you　walk。　　It　is　true　Devon

country…hills；　hollows；　hedge…banks；　lanes　dipping　down　into　the

earth　or　going　up　like　the　sides　of　houses；　coppices；　cornfields；　and

little　streams　wherever　there's　a　place　for　one；　but　the　downs　along

the　cliff；　all　gorse　and　ferns；　are　w