贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > villa rubein and other stories >

第62章

villa rubein and other stories-第62章

小说: villa rubein and other stories 字数: 每页4000字

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!




nothing of。  He sprang up and paced the room; and for a moment

thought he would go mad。



They meant him to marry her!  Even sheshe meant him to marry her!

Her tantalising inscrutability; her sudden little tendernesses; her

quick laughter; her swift; burning kisses; even the movements of her

hands; her tearsall were evidence against her。  Not one of these

things that Nature made her do counted on her side; but how they

fanned his longing; his desire; and distress!  He went to the glass

and tried to part his hair with his fingers; but being rather fine;

it fell into lank streaks。  There was no comfort to be got from it。

He drew his muddy boots on。  Suddenly he thought: 'If I could see her

alone; I could arrive at some arrangement!'  Then; with a sense of

stupefaction; he made the discovery that no arrangement could

possibly be made that would not be dangerous; even desperate。  He

seized his hat; and; like a rabbit that has been fired at; bolted

from the room。  He plodded along amongst the damp woods with his head

down; and resentment and dismay in his heart。  But; as the sun rose;

and the air grew sweet with pine scent; he slowly regained a sort of

equability。  After all; she had already yielded; it was not as if。。。!

And the tramp of his own footsteps lulled him into feeling that it

would all come right。



'Look at the thing practically;' he thought。  The faster he walked

the firmer became his conviction that he could still see it through。

He took out his watchit was past sevenhe began to hasten back。

In the yard of the inn his driver was harnessing the horses; Swithin

went up to him。



〃Who told you to put them in?〃 he asked。



The driver answered; 〃Der Herr。〃



Swithin turned away。  'In ten minutes;' he thought; 'I shall be in

that carriage again; with this going on in my head!  Driving away

from England; from all I'm used to…driving to…what?'  Could he face

it?  Could he face all that he had been through that morning; face it

day after day; night after night?  Looking up; he saw Rozsi at her

open window gazing down at him; never had she looked sweeter; more

roguish。  An inexplicable terror seized on him; he ran across the

yard and jumped into his carriage。  〃To Salzburg!〃 he cried; 〃drive

on!〃  And rattling out of the yard without a look behind; he flung a

sovereign at the hostler。  Flying back along the road faster even

than he had come; with pale face; and eyes blank and staring like a

pug…dog's; Swithin spoke no single word; nor; till he had reached the

door of his lodgings; did he suffer the driver to draw rein。









XII



Towards evening; five days later; Swithin; yellow and travel…worn;

was ferried in a gondola to Danielli's Hotel。  His brother; who was

on the steps; looked at him with an apprehensive curiosity。



〃Why; it's you!〃 he mumbled。  〃So you've got here safe?〃



〃Safe?〃 growled Swithin。



James replied; 〃I thought you wouldn't leave your friends!〃  Then;

with a jerk of suspicion; 〃You haven't brought your friends?〃



〃What friends?〃 growled Swithin。



James changed the subject。  〃You don't look the thing;〃 he said。



〃Really!〃 muttered Swithin; 〃what's that to you?〃



He appeared at dinner that night; but fell asleep over his coffee。

Neither Traquair nor James asked him any further question; nor did

they allude to Salzburg; and during the four days which concluded the

stay in Venice Swithin went about with his head up; but his eyes

half…closed like a dazed man。  Only after they had taken ship at

Genoa did he show signs of any healthy interest in life; when;

finding that a man on board was perpetually strumming; he locked the

piano up and pitched the key into the sea。



That winter in London he behaved much as usual; but fits of

moroseness would seize on him; during which he was not pleasant to

approach。



One evening when he was walking with a friend in Piccadilly; a girl

coming from a side…street accosted him in German。  Swithin; after

staring at her in silence for some seconds; handed her a five…pound

note; to the great amazement of his friend; nor could he himself have

explained the meaning of this freak of generosity。



Of Rozsi he never heard again。。。。



This; then; was the substance of what he remembered as he lay ill in

bed。  Stretching out his hand he pressed the bell。  His valet

appeared; crossing the room like a cat; a Swede; who had been with

Swithin many years; a little man with a dried face and fierce

moustache; morbidly sharp nerves; and a queer devotion to his master。



Swithin made a feeble gesture。  〃Adolf;〃 he said; 〃I'm very bad。〃



〃Yes; sir!〃



〃Why do you stand there like a cow?〃 asked Swithin; 〃can't you see

I'm very bad?〃



〃Yes; sir!〃  The valet's face twitched as though it masked the dance

of obscure emotions。



〃I shall feel better after dinner。  What time is it?〃



〃Five o'clock。〃



〃I thought it was more。  The afternoons are very long。〃



〃Yes; sir!〃Swithin sighed; as though he had expected the consolation

of denial。



〃Very likely I shall have a nap。  Bring up hot water at half…past six

and shave me before dinner。〃



The valet moved towards the door。  Swithin raised himself。



〃What did Mr。 James say to you?〃



〃He said you ought to have another doctor; two doctors; he said;

better than one。  He said; also; he would look in again on his way

'home。'〃



Swithin grunted; 〃Umph! What else did he say?〃



〃He said you didn't take care of yourself。〃



Swithin glared。



〃Has anybody else been to see me?〃



The valet turned away his eyes。  〃Mrs。 Thomas Forsyte came last

Monday fortnight。〃



〃How long have I been ill?〃



〃Five weeks on Saturday。〃



〃Do you think I'm very bad?〃



Adolf's face was covered suddenly with crow's…feet。  〃You have no

business to ask me question like that!  I am not paid; sir; to answer

question like that。〃



Swithin said faintly: 〃You're a peppery fool!  Open a bottle of

champagne!〃



Adolf took a bottle of champagnefrom a cupboard and held nippers to

it。  He fixed his eyes on Swithin。  〃The doctor said〃



〃Open the bottle!〃



〃It is not〃



〃Open the bottleor I give you warning。〃



Adolf removed the cork。  He wiped a glass elaborately; filled it; and

bore it scrupulously to the bedside。  Suddenly twirling his

moustaches; he wrung his hands; and burst out: 〃It is poison。〃



Swithin grinned faintly。  〃You foreign fool!〃 he said。  〃Get out!〃



The valet vanished。



'He forgot himself!' thought Swithin。  Slowly he raised the glass;

slowly put it back; and sank gasping on his pillows。  Almost at once

he fell asleep。



He dreamed that he was at his club; sitting after dinner in the

crowded smoking…room; with its bright walls and trefoils of light。

It was there that he sat every evening; patient; solemn; lonely; and

sometimes fell asleep; his square; pale old face nodding to one side。

He dreamed that he was gazing at the picture over the fireplace; of

an old statesman with a high collar; supremely finished face; and

sceptical eyebrowsthe picture; smooth; and reticent as sealing…wax;

of one who seemed for ever exhaling the narrow wisdom of final

judgments。  All round him; his fellow members were chattering。  Only

he himself; the old sick member; was silent。  If fellows only knew

what it was like to sit by yourself and feel ill all the time!  What

they were saying he had heard a hundred times。  They were talking of

investments; of cigars; horses; actresses; machinery。  What was that?

A foreign patent for cleaning boilers?  There was no such thing;

boilers couldn't be cleaned; any fool knew that!  If an Englishman

couldn't clean a boiler; no foreigner could clean one。  He appealed

to the old statesman's eyes。  But for once those eyes seemed

hesitating; blurred; wanting in finality。  They vanished。  In their

place were Rozsi's little deep…set eyes; with their wide and far

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的