the three partners-第40章
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offices to see if she could save anything from the wreck before she
saw me。 It was like her; poor girl! And youyou;〃 he went on
eagerly; his whole face beaming with gratitude;〃you; out of your
goodness; came here to tell me。〃 He held out both hands and took
hers in his。
For a moment Mrs。 Horncastle was speechless and vacillating。 She
had often noticed before that it was part of the irony of the
creation of such a simple nature as Barker's that he was not only
open to deceit; but absolutely seemed to invite it。 Instead of
making others franker; people were inclined to rebuke his credulity
by restraint and equivocation on their own part。 But the evasion
thus offered to her; although only temporary; was a temptation she
could not resist。 And it prolonged an interview that a ruthless
revelation of the truth might have shortened。
〃She did not tell me she was going there;〃 she replied still
evasively; 〃and; indeed;〃 she added; with a burst of candor still
more dangerous; 〃I only learned it from the hotel clerk after she
was gone。 But I want to talk to you about her relations to Van
Loo;〃 she said; with a return of her former intensity of gaze; 〃and
I thought we would be less subject to interruption here than at the
hotel。 Only I suppose everybody knows this place; and any of those
flirting couples are likely to come here。 Besides;〃 she added;
with a little half…hysterical laugh and a slight shiver; as she
looked up at the high interlacing boughs above her head; 〃it's as
public as the aisles of a church; and really one feels as if one
were 'speaking out' in meeting。 Isn't there some other spot a
little more secluded; where we could sit down;〃 she went on; as she
poked her parasol into the usual black gunpowdery deposit of earth
which mingled with the carpet of pine…needles beneath her feet;
〃and not get all sticky and dirty?〃
Barker's eyes sparkled。 〃I know every foot of this hill; Mrs。
Horncastle;〃 he said; 〃and if you will follow me I'll take you to
one of the loveliest nooks you ever dreamed of。 It's an old Indian
spring now forgotten; and I think known only to me and the birds。
It's not more than ten minutes from here; only〃he hesitated as he
caught sight of the smart French bronze buckled shoe and silken
ankle which Mrs。 Horncastle's gathering up of her dainty skirts
around her had disclosed〃it may be a little rough and dusty going
to your feet。〃
But Mrs。 Horncastle pointed out that she had already irretrievably
ruined her shoes and stockings in climbing up to him;although
Barker could really distinguish no diminution of their freshness;
and that she might as well go on。 Whereat they both passed down
the long aisle of slope to a little hollow of manzanita; which
again opened to a view of Black Spur; but left the hotel hidden。
〃What time did Kitty go?〃 began Barker eagerly; when they were half
down the slope。
But here Mrs。 Horncastle's foot slipped upon the glassy pine…
needles; and not only stopped an answer; but obliged Barker to give
all his attention to keep his companion from falling again until
they reached the open。 Then came the plunge through the manzanita
thicket; then a cool wade through waist…deep ferns; and then they
emerged; holding each other's hand; breathless and panting before
the spring。
It did not belie his enthusiastic description。 A triangular
hollow; niched in a shelf of the mountain…side; narrowed to a point
from which the overflow of the spring percolated through a fringe
of alder; to fall in what seemed from the valley to be a green
furrow down the whole length of the mountain…side。 Overhung by
pines above; which met and mingled with the willows that everywhere
fringed it; it made the one cooling shade in the whole basking
expanse of the mountain; and yet was penetrated throughout by the
intoxicating spice of the heated pines。 Flowering reeds and long
lush grasses drew a magic circle round an open bowl…like pool in
the centre; that was always replenished to the slow murmur of an
unseen rivulet that trickled from a white…quartz cavern in the
mountain…side like a vein opened in its flank。 Shadows of timid
wings crossed it; quick rustlings disturbed the reeds; but nothing
more。 It was silent; but breathing; it was hidden to everything
but the sky and the illimitable distance。
They threaded their way around it on the spongy carpet; covered by
delicate lace…like vines that seemed to caress rather than trammel
their moving feet; until they reached an open space before the
pool。 It was cushioned and matted with disintegrated pine bark;
and here they sat down。 Mrs。 Horncastle furled her parasol and
laid it aside; raised both hands to the back of her head and took
two hat…pins out; which she placed in her smiling mouth; removed
her hat; stuck the hat…pins in it; and handed it to Barker; who
gently placed it on the top of a tall reed; where during the rest
of that momentous meeting it swung and drooped like a flower;
removed her gloves slowly; drank still smilingly and gratefully
nearly a wineglassful of the water which Barker brought her in the
green twisted chalice of a lily leaf; looked the picture of
happiness; and then burst into tears。
Barker was astounded; dismayed; even terror…stricken。 Mrs。
Horncastle crying! Mrs。 Horncastle; the imperious; the collected;
the coldly critical; the cynical; smiling woman of the world;
actually crying! Other women might cryKitty had cried oftenbut
Mrs。 Horncastle! Yet; there she was; sobbing; actually sobbing
like a schoolgirl; her beautiful shoulders rising and falling with
her grief; crying unmistakably through her long white fingers;
through a lace pocket…handkerchief which she had hurriedly produced
and shaken from behind her like a conjurer's trick; her beautiful
eyes a thousand times more lustrous for the sparkling beads that
brimmed her lashes and welled over like the pool before her。
〃Don't mind me;〃 she murmured behind her handkerchief。 〃It's very
foolish; I know。 I was nervousworried; I suppose; I'll be better
in a moment。 Don't notice me; please。〃
But Barker had drawn beside her and was trying; after the fashion
of his sex; to take her handkerchief away in apparently the firm
belief that this action would stop her tears。 〃But tell me what it
is。 Do Mrs。 Horncastle; please;〃 he pleaded in his boyish fashion。
〃Is it anything I can do? Only say the word; only tell me
SOMETHING!〃
But he had succeeded in partially removing the handkerchief; and so
caught a glimpse of her wet eyes; in which a faint smile struggled
out like sunshine through rain。 But they clouded again; although
she didn't cry; and her breath came and went with the action of a
sob; and her hands still remained against her flushed face。
〃I was only going to talk to you of Kitty〃 (sob)〃but I suppose
I'm weak〃 (sob)〃and such a fool〃 (sob) 〃and I got to thinking of
myself and my own sorrows when I ought to be thinking only of you
and Kitty。〃
〃Never mind Kitty;〃 said Barker impulsively。 〃Tell me about
yourselfyour own sorrows。 I am a brute to have bothered you
about her at such a moment; and now until you have told me what is
paining you so I shall not let you speak of her。〃 He was perfectly
sincere。 What were Kitty's possible and easy tears over the loss
of her money to the unknown agony that could wrench a sob from a
woman like this? 〃Dear Mrs。 Horncastle;〃 he went on as
breathlessly; 〃think of me now not as Kitty's husband; but as your
true friend。 Yes; as your BEST and TRUEST friend; and speak to me
as you would speak to him。〃
〃You will be my friend?〃 she said suddenly and passionately;
grasping his hand; 〃my best and truest friend? and if I tell you
all;everything; you will not cast me from you and hate me?〃
Barker felt the same thrill from her warm hand slowly possess his
whole being as it had the evening before; but this time he was