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第40章

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

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