villa rubein and other stories-第58章

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to　the　glass；　scrutinised　himself　long　and　anxiously。　　After　this　he

fell　asleep；　but　had　frightful　dreams。　　His　first　thought　when　he

woke　was；　'My　liver's　out　of　order！'　and；　thrusting　his　head　into

cold　water；　he　dressed　hastily　and　went　out。　　He　soon　left　the　house

behind。　　Dew　covered　everything；　blackbirds　whistled　in　the　bushes；

the　air　was　fresh　and　sweet。　　He　had　not　been　up　so　early　since　he

was　a　boy。　　Why　was　he　walking　through　a　damp　wood　at　this　hour　of

the　morning？　　Something　intolerable　and　unfamiliar　must　have　sent　him

out。　　No　fellow　in　his　senses　would　do　such　a　thing！　　He　came　to　a

dead　stop；　and　began　unsteadily　to　walk　back。　　Regaining　the　hotel；

he　went　to　bed　again；　and　dreamed　that　in　some　wild　country　he　was

living　in　a　room　full　of　insects；　where　a　housemaidRozsiholding　a

broom；　looked　at　him　with　mournful　eyes。　　There　seemed　an　unexplained

need　for　immediate　departure；　he　begged　her　to　forward　his　things；

and　shake　them　out　carefully　before　she　put　them　into　the　trunk。　　He

understood　that　the　charge　for　sending　would　be　twenty…two　shillings；

thought　it　a　great　deal；　and　had　the　horrors　of　indecision。　　〃No；〃　he

muttered；　〃pack；　and　take　them　myself。〃　　The　housemaid　turned

suddenly　into　a　lean　creature；　and　he　awoke　with　a　sore　feeling　in

his　heart。



His　eye　fell　on　his　wet　boots。　　The　whole　thing　was　scaring；　and

jumping　up；　he　began　to　throw　his　clothes　into　his　trunks。　　It　was

twelve　o'clock　before　he　went　down；　and　found　his　brother　and

Traquair　still　at　the　table　arranging　an　itinerary；　he　surprised　them

by　saying　that　he　too　was　coming；　and　without　further　explanation　set

to　work　to　eat。　　James　had　heard　that　there　were　salt…mines　in　the

neighbourhoodhis　proposal　was　to　start；　and　halt　an　hour　or　so　on

the　road　for　their　inspection；　he　said：　〃Everybody'll　ask　you　if

you've　seen　the　salt…mines：　I　shouldn't　like　to　say　I　hadn't　seen　the

salt…mines。　　What's　the　good；　they'd　say；　of　your　going　there　if　you

haven't　seen　the　salt…mines？〃　　He　wondered；　too；　if　they　need　fee　the

second　waiteran　idle　chap！



A　discussion　followed；　but　Swithin　ate　on　glumly；　conscious　that　his

mind　was　set　on　larger　affairs。　　Suddenly　on　the　far　side　of　the

street　Rozsi　and　her　sister　passed；　with　little　baskets　on　their

arms。　　He　started　up；　and　at　that　moment　Rozsi　looked　roundher　face

was　the　incarnation　of　enticement；　the　chin　tilted；　the　lower　lip

thrust　a　little　forward；　her　round　neck　curving　back　over　her

shoulder。　　Swithin　muttered；　〃Make　your　own　arrangementsleave　me

out！〃　and　hurried　from　the　room；　leaving　James　beside　himself　with

interest　and　alarm。



When　he　reached　the　street；　however；　the　girls　had　disappeared。　　He

hailed　a　carriage。　　〃Drive！〃　he　called　to　the　man；　with　a　flourish　of

his　stick；　and　as　soon　as　the　wheels　had　begun　to　clatter　on　the

stones　he　leaned　back；　looking　sharply　to　right　and　left。　　He　soon

had　to　give　up　thought　of　finding　them；　but　made　the　coachman　turn

round　and　round　again。　　All　day　he　drove　about；　far　into　the　country；

and　kept　urging　the　driver　to　use　greater　speed。　　He　was　in　a　strange

state　of　hurry　and　elation。　　Finally；　he　dined　at　a　little　country

inn；　and　this　gave　the　measure　of　his　disturbancethe　dinner　was

atrocious。



Returning　late　in　the　evening　he　found　a　note　written　by　Traquair。

〃Are　you　in　your　senses；　man？〃　it　asked；　〃we　have　no　more　time　to

waste　idling　about　here。　　If　you　want　to　rejoin　us；　come　on　to

Danielli's　Hotel；　Venice。〃　　Swithin　chuckled　when　he　read　it；　and

feeling　frightfully　tired；　went　to　bed　and　slept　like　a　log。









VI



Three　weeks　later　he　was　still　in　Salzburg；　no　longer　at　the　Goldene

Alp；　but　in　rooms　over　a　shop　near　the　Boleskeys'。　　He　had　spent　a

small　fortune　in　the　purchase　of　flowers。　　Margit　would　croon　over

them；　but　Rozsi；　with　a　sober　〃Many　tanks！〃　as　if　they　were　her

right；　would　look　long　at　herself　in　the　glass；　and　pin　one　into　her

hair。　　Swithin　ceased　to　wonder；　he　ceased　to　wonder　at　anything　they

did。　　One　evening　he　found　Boleskey　deep　in　conversation　with　a　pale；

dishevelled…looking　person。



〃Our　friend　Mr。　ForsyteCount　D。。。。；〃　said　Boleskey。



Swithin　experienced　a　faint；　unavoidable　emotion；　but　looking　at　the

Count's　trousers；　he　thought：　'Doesn't　look　much　like　one！'　　And　with

an　ironic　bow　to　the　silent　girls；　he　turned；　and　took　his　hat。　　But

when　he　had　reached　the　bottom　of　the　dark　stairs　he　heard　footsteps。

Rozsi　came　running　down；　looked　out　at　the　door；　and　put　her　hands　up

to　her　breast　as　if　disappointed；　suddenly　with　a　quick　glance　round

she　saw　him。　　Swithin　caught　her　arm。　　She　slipped　away；　and　her　face

seemed　to　bubble　with　defiance　or　laughter；　she　ran　up　three　steps；

stopped；　looked　at　him　across　her　shoulder；　and　fled　on　up　the

stairs。　　Swithin　went　out　bewildered　and　annoyed。



'What　was　she　going　to　say　to　me？'　he　kept　thinking。　　During　these

three　weeks　he　had　asked　himself　all　sorts　of　questions：　whether　he

were　being　made　a　fool　of；　whether　she　were　in　love　with　him；　what　he

was　doing　there；　and　sometimes　at　night；　with　all　his　candles　burning

as　if　he　wanted　light；　the　breeze　blowing　on　him　through　the　window；

his　cigar；　half…smoked；　in　his　hand；　he　sat；　an　hour　or　more；　staring

at　the　wall。　　'Enough　of　this！'　he　thought　every　morning。　　Twice　he

packed　fullyonce　he　ordered　his　travelling　carriage；　but

countermanded　it　the　following　day。　　What　definitely　he　hoped；

intended；　resolved；　he　could　not　have　said。　　He　was　always　thinking

of　Rozsi；　he　could　not　read　the　riddle　in　her　faceshe　held　him　in　a

vice；　notwithstanding　that　everything　about　her　threatened　the　very

fetishes　of　his　existence。　　And　Boleskey！　　Whenever　he　looked　at　him

he　thought；　'If　he　were　only　clean？'　and　mechanically　fingered　his

own　well…tied　cravatte。　　To　talk　with　the　fellow；　too；　was　like　being

forced　to　look　at　things　which　had　no　place　in　the　light　of　day。

Freedom；　equality；　self…sacrifice！



'Why　can't　he　settle　down　at　some　business；'　he　thought；　'instead　of

all　this　talk？'　Boleskey's　sudden　diffidences；　self…depreciation；

fits　of　despair；　irritated　him。　　〃Morbid　beggar！〃　he　would　mutter；

〃thank　God　I　haven't　a　thin　skin。〃　　And　proud　too！　　Extraordinary！

An　impecunious　fellow　like　that！　　One　evening；　moreover；　Boleskey　had

returned　home　drunk。　　Swithin　had　hustled　him　away　into　his　bedroom；

helped　him　to　undress；　and　stayed　until　he　was　asleep。　　'Too　much　of

a　good　thing！'　he　thought；　'before　his　own　daughters；　too！'　　It　was

after　this　that　he　ordered　his　travelling　carriage。　　The　other

occasion　on　which　he　packed　was　one　evening；　when　not　only　Boleskey；

but　Rozsi　herself　had　picked　chicken　bones　with　her　fingers。



Often　in　the　mornings　he　would　go　to　the　Mirabell　Garden　to　smoke　his

cigar；　there；　in　stolid　contemplation　of　the　statuesrows　of　half…

heroic　men　carrying　off　half…distressful　femaleshe　would　spend　an

hour　pleasantly；　his　hat　tilted　to　keep　the　sun　off　his　nose。　　The

day　after　Rozsi　had　fled　from　him　on　the　stairs；　he　came　there　as

usual。　　It　was　a　morning　of　blue　sky　and　sunlight　glowing　on　the　old

prim　garden；　on　its　yew…trees；　and　serio…comic　statues；　and　walls

covered　with　apricots　and　plums。　　When　Swithin　approached　his　usual

seat；　who　should　be　sitting　there　but　Rozsi



〃Good…morning；〃　he　stammered；　〃you　knew　this　was　my　seat　then？〃



Rozsi　looked　at　the　ground。　　〃Yes；〃　she　answered。



Swithin　felt　bewildered。　　〃Do　you　know；〃　he　said；　〃you　treat　me　very

funnily？〃



To　his　surprise　Rozsi　put　her　little　soft　hand　down　and　touched　his；

then；　without　a　word；　sprang　up　and　rushed　away。　　It　took　him　a

minute　to　recover。　　There　were　people　present；　he　did　not　like　to

run；　but　overtook　her　on　the　bridge；　and　slipped　her　hand　beneath　his

arm。



〃You　shouldn't　have　done　that；〃　he　said；　〃you　shouldn't　have　run　away

from　me；　you　know。〃



Rozsi　laughed。　　Swithin　withdrew　his　arm；　a　desire　to　shake　her

se