in the cage-第13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！



only　been　for　any　young　woman　who　might　advance　to　the　tune　of　her

not　troubling　the　quiet　air；　and　in　fact　the　poetic　hour；　with

ugliness。　　Ah　but　then；　and　just　as　she　had　reached　the　door；　came

his　second　observation；　a　long　light　reach　with　which；　visibly　and

quite　amusedly；　he　recalled　and　placed　her。　　They　were　on　different

sides；　but　the　street；　narrow　and　still；　had　only　made　more　of　a

stage　for　the　small　momentary　drama。　　It　was　not　over；　besides；　it

was　far　from　over；　even　on　his　sending　across　the　way；　with　the

pleasantest　laugh　she　had　ever　heard；　a　little　lift　of　his　hat　and

an　〃Oh　good　evening！〃　　It　was　still　less　over　on　their　meeting；　the

next　minute；　though　rather　indirectly　and　awkwardly；　in　the　middle；

of　the　roada　situation　to　which　three　or　four　steps　of　her　own

had　unmistakeably　contributedand　then　passing　not　again　to　the

side　on　which　she　had　arrived；　but　back　toward　the　portal　of　Park

Chambers。



〃I　didn't　know　you　at　first。　　Are　you　taking　a　walk？〃



〃Ah　I　don't　take　walks　at　night！　　I'm　going　home　after　my　work。〃



〃Oh！〃



That　was　practically　what　they　had　meanwhile　smiled　out；　and　his

exclamation　to　which　for　a　minute　he　appeared　to　have　nothing　to

add；　left　them　face　to　face　and　in　just　such　an　attitude　as；　for

his　part；　he　might　have　worn　had　he　been　wondering　if　he　could

properly　ask　her　to　come　in。　　During　this　interval　in　fact　she

really　felt　his　question　to　be　just　〃HOW　properly？〃　　It　was

simply　a　question　of　the　degree　of　properness。







CHAPTER　XV







She　never　knew　afterwards　quite　what　she　had　done　to　settle　it；　and

at　the　time　she　only　knew　that　they　presently　moved；　with

vagueness；　yet　with　continuity；　away　from　the　picture　of　the

lighted　vestibule　and　the　quiet　stairs　and　well　up　the　street

together。　　This　also　must　have　been　in　the　absence　of　a　definite

permission；　of　anything　vulgarly　articulate；　for　that　matter；　on

the　part　of　either；　and　it　was　to　be；　later　on；　a　thing　of

remembrance　and　reflexion　for　her　that　the　limit　of　what　just　here

for　a　longish　minute　passed　between　them　was　his　taking　in　her

thoroughly　successful　deprecation；　though　conveyed　without　pride　or

sound　or　touch；　of　the　idea　that　she　might　be；　out　of　the　cage；　the

very　shop…girl　at　large　that　she　hugged　the　theory　she　wasn't。

Yes；　it　was　strange；　she　afterwards　thought；　that　so　much　could

have　come　and　gone　and　yet　not　disfigured　the　dear　little　intense

crisis　either　with　impertinence　or　with　resentment；　with　any　of　the

horrid　notes　of　that　kind　of　acquaintance。　　He　had　taken　no

liberty；　as　she　would　have　so　called　it；　and；　through　not　having　to

betray　the　sense　of　one；　she　herself　had；　still　more　charmingly；

taken　none。　　On　the　spot；　nevertheless；　she　could　speculate　as　to

what　it　meant　that；　if　his　relation　with　Lady　Bradeen　continued　to

be　what　her　mind　had　built　it　up　to；　he　should　feel　free　to　proceed

with　marked　independence。　　This　was　one　of　the　questions　he　was　to

leave　her　to　deal　withthe　question　whether　people　of　his　sort

still　asked　girls　up　to　their　rooms　when　they　were　so　awfully　in

love　with　other　women。　　Could　people　of　his　sort　do　that　without

what　people　of　her　sort　would　call　being　〃false　to　their　love〃？

She　had　already　a　vision　of　how　the　true　answer　was　that　people　of

her　sort　didn't；　in　such　cases；　matterdidn't　count　as　infidelity；

counted　only　as　something　else：　　she　might　have　been　curious；　since

it　came　to　that；　to　see　exactly　what。



Strolling　together　slowly　in　their　summer　twilight　and　their　empty

corner　of　Mayfair；　they　found　themselves　emerge　at　last　opposite　to

one　of　the　smaller　gates　of　the　Park；　upon　which；　without　any

particular　word　about　itthey　were　talking　so　of　other　things

they　crossed　the　street　and　went　in　and　sat　down　on　a　bench。　　She

had　gathered　by　this　time　one　magnificent　hope　about　himthe　hope

he　would　say　nothing　vulgar。　　She　knew　thoroughly　what　she　meant　by

that；　she　meant　something　quite　apart　from　any　matter　of　his　being

〃false。〃　　Their　bench　was　not　far　within；　it　was　near　the　Park　Lane

paling　and　the　patchy　lamplight　and　the　rumbling　cabs　and　'buses。

A　strange　emotion　had　come　to　her；　and　she　felt　indeed　excitement

within　excitement；　above　all　a　conscious　joy　in　testing　him　with

chances　he　didn't　take。　　She　had　an　intense　desire　he　should　know

the　type　she　really　conformed　to　without　her　doing　anything　so　low

as　tell　him；　and　he　had　surely　begun　to　know　it　from　the　moment　he

didn't　seize　the　opportunities　into　which　a　common　man　would

promptly　have　blundered。　　These　were　on　the　mere　awkward　surface；

and　THEIR　relation　was　beautiful　behind　and　below　them。　　She　had

questioned　so　little　on　the　way　what　they　might　be　doing　that　as

soon　as　they　were　seated　she　took　straight　hold　of　it。　　Her　hours；

her　confinement；　the　many　conditions　of　service　in　the　post…office；

hadwith　a　glance　at　his　own　postal　resources　and　alternatives

formed；　up　to　this　stage；　the　subject　of　their　talk。　　〃Well；　here

we　are；　and　it　may　be　right　enough；　but　this　isn't　the　least；　you

know；　where　I　was　going。〃



〃You　were　going　home？〃



〃Yes；　and　I　was　already　rather　late。　　I　was　going　to　my　supper。〃



〃You　haven't　had　it？〃



〃No　indeed！〃



〃Then　you　haven't　eaten？〃



He　looked　of　a　sudden　so　extravagantly　concerned　that　she　laughed

out。　　〃All　day？　　Yes；　we　do　feed　once。　　But　that　was　long　ago。　　So

I　must　presently　say　good…bye。〃



〃Oh　deary　ME！〃　he　exclaimed　with　an　intonation　so　droll　and　yet　a

touch　so　light　and　a　distress　so　markeda　confession　of

helplessness　for　such　a　case；　in　short；　so　unrelievedthat　she　at

once　felt　sure　she　had　made　the　great　difference　plain。　　He　looked

at　her　with　the　kindest　eyes　and　still　without　saying　what　she　had

known　he　wouldn't。　　She　had　known　he　wouldn't　say　〃Then　sup　with

ME！〃　but　the　proof　of　it　made　her　feel　as　if　she　had　feasted。



〃I'm　not　a　bit　hungry；〃　she　went　on。



〃Ah　you　MUST　be；　awfully！〃　he　made　answer；　but　settling　himself　on

the　bench　as　if；　after　all；　that　needn't　interfere　with　his

spending　his　evening。　　〃I've　always　quite　wanted　the　chance　to

thank　you　for　the　trouble　you　so　often　take　for　me。〃



〃Yes；　I　know；〃　she　replied；　uttering　the　words　with　a　sense　of　the

situation　far　deeper　than　any　pretence　of　not　fitting　his　allusion。

She　immediately　felt　him　surprised　and　even　a　little　puzzled　at　her

frank　assent；　but　for　herself　the　trouble　she　had　taken　could　only；

in　these　fleeting　minutesthey　would　probably　never　come　backbe

all　there　like　a　little　hoard　of　gold　in　her　lap。　　Certainly　he

might　look　at　it；　handle　it；　take　up　the　pieces。　　Yet　if　he

understood　anything　he　must　understand　all。　　〃I　consider　you've

already　immensely　thanked　me。〃　　The　horror　was　back　upon　her　of

having　seemed　to　hang　about　for　some　reward。　　〃It's　awfully　odd　you

should　have　been　there　just　the　one　time！〃



〃The　one　time　you've　passed　my　place？〃



〃Yes；　you　can　fancy　I　haven't　many　minutes　to　waste。　　There　was　a

place　to…night　I　had　to　stop　at。〃



〃I　see；　I　see〃　he　knew　already　so　much　about　her　work。　　〃It　must

be　an　awful　grindfor　a　lady。〃



〃It　is；　but　I　don't　think　I　groan　over　it　any　more　than　my

companionsand　you've　seen　THEY'RE　not　ladies！〃　　She　mildly

jested；　but　with　an　intention。　　〃One　gets　used　to　things；　and　there

are　employments　I　should　have　hated　much　more。〃　　She　had　the　finest

conception　of　the　beauty　of　not　at　least　boring　him。　　To　whine；　to

count　up　her　wrongs；　was　what　a　barmaid　or　a　shop…girl　would　do；

and　it　was　quite　enough　to　sit　there　like　one　of　these。



〃If　you　had　had　another　employment；〃　he　remarked　after　a　moment；

〃we　might　never　have　become　acquainted。〃



〃It's　highly　probableand　certainly　not　in　the　same　way。〃　　Then；

still　with　her　heap　of　gold　in　her　lap　and　something　of　the　pride

of　it　in　her　manner　of　holding　her　head；　she　continued　not　to　move…

…she　only　smiled　at　him。　　The　evening　had　thickened　now；　t