villa rubein and other stories-第61章

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knight…errant　then！〃



〃Good　God！〃　said　Swithin。　　Boleskey；　flogging　his　dejected　steed；

cantered　forward　in　the　moonlight。　　He　came　back；　bringing　an　old

cloak；　which　he　insisted　on　wrapping　round　Swithin's　shoulders。　　He

handed　him；　too；　a　capacious　flask。



〃How　cold　you　look！〃　he　said。　　〃Wonderful！　Wonderful！　you　English！〃

His　grateful　eyes　never　left　Swithin　for　a　moment。　　They　had　come　up

to　the　heels　of　the　other　carriage　now；　but　Swithin；　hunched　in　the

cloak；　did　not　try　to　see　what　was　in　front　of　him。　　To　the　bottom　of

his　soul　he　resented　the　Hungarian's　gratitude。　　He　remarked　at　last；

with　wasted　irony：



〃You're　in　a　hurry；　it　seems！〃



〃If　we　had　wings；〃　Boleskey　answered；　〃we　would　use　them。〃



〃Wings！〃　muttered　Swithin　thickly；　〃legs　are　good　enough　for　me。〃









X



Arrived　at　the　inn　where　they　were　to　pass　the　night；　Swithin　waited；

hoping　to　get　into　the　house　without　a　〃scene；〃　but　when　at　last　he

alighted　the　girls　were　in　the　doorway；　and　Margit　greeted　him　with

an　admiring　murmur；　in　which；　however；　he　seemed　to　detect　irony。

Rozsi；　pale　and　tremulous；　with　a　half…scared　look；　gave　him　her

hand；　and；　quickly　withdrawing　it；　shrank　behind　her　sister。　　When

they　had　gone　up　to　their　room　Swithin　sought　Boleskey。　　His　spirits

had　risen　remarkably。　　〃Tell　the　landlord　to　get　us　supper；〃　he　said；

〃we'll　crack　a　bottle　to　our　luck。〃　　He　hurried　on　the　landlord's

preparations。　　The　window　of　the；　room　faced　a　wood；　so　near　that　he

could　almost　touch　the　trees。　　The　scent　from　the　pines　blew　in　on

him。　　He　turned　away　from　that　scented　darkness；　and　began　to　draw

the　corks　of　winebottles。　　The　sound　seemed　to　conjure　up　Boleskey。

He　came　in；　splashed　all　over；　smelling　slightly　of　stables；　soon

after；　Margit　appeared；　fresh　and　serene；　but　Rozsi　did　not　come。



〃Where　is　your　sister？〃　Swithin　said。　　Rozsi；　it　seemed；　was　tired。

〃It　will　do　her　good　to　eat；〃　said　Swithin。　　And　Boleskey；　murmuring；

〃She　must　drink　to　our　country；〃　went　out　to　summon　her；　Margit

followed　him；　while　Swithin　cut　up　a　chicken。　　They　came　back　without

her。　　She　had　〃a　megrim　of　the　spirit。〃



Swithin's　face　fell。　　〃Look　here！〃　he　said；　〃I'll　go　and　try。　　Don't

wait　for　me。〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　Boleskey；　sinking　mournfully　into　a　chair；　〃try；

brother；　try…by　all　means；　try。〃



Swithin　walked　down　the　corridor　with　an　odd；　sweet；　sinking

sensation　in　his　chest；　and　tapped　on　Rozsi's　door。　　In　a　minute；　she

peeped　forth；　with　her　hair　loose；　and　wondering　eyes。



〃Rozsi；〃　he　stammered；　〃what　makes　you　afraid　of　me；　now？〃



She　stared　at　him；　but　did　not　answer。



〃Why　won't　you　come？〃



Still　she　did　not　speak；　but　suddenly　stretched　out　to　him　her　bare

arm。　　Swithin　pressed　his　face　to　it。　　With　a　shiver；　she　whispered

above　him；　〃I　will　come；〃　and　gently　shut　the　door。



Swithin　stealthily　retraced　his　steps；　and　paused　a　minute　outside

the　sitting…room　to　regain　his　self…control。



The　sight　of　Boleskey　with　a　bottle　in　his　hand　steadied　him。



〃She　is　coming；〃　he　said。　　And　very　soon　she　did　come；　her　thick　hair

roughly　twisted　in　a　plait。



Swithin　sat　between　the　girls；　but　did　not　talk；　for　he　was　really

hungry。　　Boleskey　too　was　silent；　plunged　in　gloom；　Rozsi　was　dumb；

Margit　alone　chattered。



〃You　will　come　to　our　Father…town？　　We　shall　have　things　to　show　you。

Rozsi；　what　things　we　will　show　him！〃　　Rozsi；　with　a　little　appealing

movement　of　her　hands；　repeated；　〃What　things　we　will　show　you！〃　　She

seemed　suddenly　to　find　her　voice；　and　with　glowing　cheeks；　mouths

full；　and　eyes　bright　as　squirrels'；　they　chattered　reminiscences　of

the　〃dear　Father…town；〃　of　〃dear　friends；〃　of　the　〃dear　home。〃



'A　poor　place！'　Swithin　could　not　help　thinking。　　This　enthusiasm

seemed　to　him　common；　but　he　was　careful　to　assume　a　look　of

interest；　feeding　on　the　glances　flashed　at　him　from　Rozsi's　restless

eyes。



As　the　wine　waned　Boleskey　grew　more　and　more　gloomy；　but　now　and

then　a　sort　of　gleaming　flicker　passed　over　his　face。　　He　rose　to　his

feet　at　last。



〃Let　us　not　forget；〃　he　said；　〃that　we　go　perhaps　to　ruin；　to　death；

in　the　face　of　all　this　we　go；　because　our　country　needsin　this

there　is　no　credit；　neither　to　me　nor　to　you；　my　daughters；　but　for

this　noble　Englishman；　what　shall　we　say？　　Give　thanks　to　God　for　a

great　heart。　　He　comesnot　for　country；　not　for　fame；　not　for　money；

but　to　help　the　weak　and　the　oppressed。　　Let　us　drink；　then；　to　him；

let　us　drink　again　and　again　to　heroic　Forsyte！〃　　In　the　midst　of　the

dead　silence；　Swithin　caught　the　look　of　suppliant　mockery　in　Rozsi's

eyes。　　He　glanced　at　the　Hungarian。　　Was　he　laughing　at　him？　　But

Boleskey；　after　drinking　up　his　wine；　had　sunk　again　into　his　seat；

and　there　suddenly；　to　the　surprise　of　all；　he　began　to　snore。

Margit　rose　and；　bending　over　him　like　a　mother；　murmured：　〃He　is

tiredit　is　the　ride！〃　　She　raised　him　in　her　strong　arms；　and

leaning　on　her　shoulder　Boleskey　staggered　from　the　room。　　Swithin

and　Rozsi　were　left　alone。　　He　slid　his　hand　towards　her　hand　that

lay　so　close；　on　the　rough　table…cloth。　　It　seemed　to　await　his

touch。　　Something　gave　way　in　him；　and　words　came　welling　up；　for　the

moment　he　forgot　himself；　forgot　everything　but　that　he　was　near　her。

Her　head　dropped　on　his　shoulder；　he　breathed　the　perfume　of　her

hair。　　〃Good…night！〃　she　whispered；　and　the　whisper　was　like　a　kiss；

yet　before　he　could　stop　her　she　was　gone。　　Her　footsteps　died　away

in　the　passage；　but　Swithin　sat　gazing　intently　at　a　single　bright

drop　of　spilt　wine　quivering　on　the　table's　edge。　　In　that　moment

she；　in　her　helplessness　and　emotion；　was　all　in　all　to　himhis　life

nothing；　all　the　real　thingshis　conventions；　convictions；　training；

and　himselfall　seemed　remote；　behind　a　mist　of　passion　and　strange

chivalry。　　Carefully　with　a　bit　of　bread　he　soaked　up　the　bright

drop；　and　suddenly　he　thought：　'This　is　tremendous！'　　For　a　long　time

he　stood　there　in　the　window；　close　to　the　dark　pine…trees。











XI



In　the　early　morning　he　awoke；　full　of　the　discomfort　of　this　strange

place　and　the　medley　of　his　dreams。　　Lying；　with　his　nose　peeping

over　the　quilt；　he　was　visited　by　a　horrible　suspicion。　　When　he

could　bear　it　no　longer；　he　started　up　in　bed。　　What　if　it　were　all　a

plot　to　get　him　to　marry　her？　　The　thought　was　treacherous；　and

inspired　in　him　a　faint　disgust。　　Still；　she　might　be　ignorant　of　it！

But　was　she　so　innocent？　　What　innocent　girl　would　have　come　to　his

room　like　that？　　What　innocent　girl？　　Her　father；　who　pretended　to　be

caring　only　for　his　country？　　It　was　not　probable　that　any　man　was

such　a　fool；　it　was　all　part　of　the　game…a　scheming　rascal！

Kasteliz；　toohis　threats！　　They　intended　him　to　marry　her！　　And　the

horrid　idea　was　strengthened　by　his　reverence　for　marriage。　　It　was

the　proper；　the　respectable　condition；　he　was　genuinely　afraid　of

this　other　sort　of　liaisonit　was　somehow　too　primitive！　　And　yet

the　thought　of　that　marriage　made　his　blood　run　cold。　　Considering

that　she　had　already　yielded；　it　would　be　all　the　more　monstrous！

With　the　cold；　fatal　clearness　of　the　morning　light　he　now　for　the

first　time　saw　his　position　in　its　full　bearings。　　And；　like　a　fish

pulled　out　of　water；　he　gasped　at　what　was　disclosed。　　Sullen

resentment　against　this　attempt　to　force　him　settled　deep　into　his

soul。



He　seated　himself　on　the　bed；　holding　his　head　in　his　hands；　solemnly

thinking　out　what　such　marriage　meant。　　In　the　first　place　it　meant

ridicule；　in　the　next　place　ridicule；　in　the　last　place　ridicule。

She　would　eat　chicken　bones　with　her　fingersthose　fingers　his　lips

still　burned　to　kiss。　　She　would　dance　wildly　with　other　men。　　She

would　talk　of　her　〃dear　Father…town；〃　and　all　the　time　her　eyes　would

look　beyond　him；　some　where　or　other　into　some　dd　place　he　knew

nothing　of。　　He　sprang　up　and　paced　the　room；　and