a sappho of green springs-第25章

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〃You　are　spoiling　meyou　two。〃　　The　parenthesis　was　a　hesitating

addition；　but　she　continued；　with　fresh　sincerity；　〃I　shall　be

quite　helpless　when　I　leave　hereif　I　am　ever　able　to　go　by

myself。〃



〃Don't　ever　go；　then。〃



〃But　just　now　I　want　my　fan；　it　is　so　close　everywhere　to…day。〃



〃I　fly；　mademoiselle。〃



He　started　to　the　door。



She　called　after　him：



〃Let　me　help　your　instinct；　then；　I　had　it　last　in　the　major's

study。〃



〃That　was　where　I　was　going。〃



He　disappeared。　　Rose　got　up　and　moved　uneasily　towards　the　window。

〃How　queer　and　quiet　it　looks　outside。　　It's　really　too　bad　that　he

should　be　sent　after　that　fan　again。　　He'll　never　find　it。〃　　She

resumed　her　place　at　the　piano；　Adele　following　her　with　round；

expectant　eyes。　　After　a　pause　she　started　up　again。　　〃I'll　go　and

fetch　it　myself；〃　she　said；　with　a　half…embarrassed　laugh；　and　ran

to　the　door。



Scarcely　understanding　her　own　nervousness；　but　finding　relief　in

rapid　movement；　Rose　flew　lightly　up　the　staircase。　　The　major's

study；　where　she　had　been　writing　letters；　during　his　absence；　that

morning；　was　at　the　further　end　of　a　long　passage；　and　near　her　own

bedroom；　the　door　of　which；　as　she　passed；　she　noticed；　half…

abstractedly；　was　open；　but　she　continued　on　and　hurriedly　entered

the　study。　　At　the　same　moment　Emile；　with　a　smile　on　his　face；

turned　towards　her　with　the　fan　in　his　hand。



〃Oh；　you've　found　it；〃　she　said；　with　nervous　eagerness。　　〃I　was　so

afraid　you'd　have　all　your　trouble　for　nothing。〃



She　extended　her　hand；　with　a　half…breathless　smile；　for　the　fan；

but　he　caught　her　outstretched　little　palm　in　his　own；　and　held　it。



〃Ah！　but　you　are　not　going　to　leave　us；　are　you？〃



In　a　flash　of　consciousness　she　understood　him；　and；　as　it　seemed

to　her；　her　own　nervousness；　and　all；　and　everything。　　And　with　it

came　a　swift　appreciation　of　all　it　meant　to　her　and　her　future。

To　be　always　with　him　and　like　him；　a　part　of　this　refined　and

restful　seclusionakin　to　all　that　had　so　attracted　her　in　this

house；　not　to　be　obliged　to　educate　herself　up　to　it；　but　to　be　in

it　on　equal　terms　at　once；　to　know　that　it　was　no　wild；　foolish

youthful　fancy；　but　a　wise；　thoughtful；　and　prudent　resolve；　that

her　father　would　understand　and　her　friends　respect：　these　were　the

thoughts　that　crowded　quickly　upon　her；　more　like　an　explanation　of

her　feelings　than　a　revelation；　in　the　brief　second　that　he　held

her　hand。　　It　was　not；　perhaps；　love　as　she　had　dreamed　it；　and

even　BELIEVED　it；　before。　　She　was　not　ashamed　or　embarrassed；　she

even　felt；　with　a　slight　pride；　that　she　was　not　blushing。　　She

raised　her　eyes　frankly。　　What　she　WOULD　have　said　she　did　not

know；　for　the　door；　which　he　had　closed　behind　her；　began　to　shake

violently。



It　was　not　the　fear　of　some　angry　intrusion　or　interference　surely

that　made　him　drop　her　hand　instantly。　　It　was　nother　second

thoughtthe　idea　that　some　one　had　fallen　in　a　fit　against　it　that

blanched　his　face　with　abject　and　unreasoning　terror！　　It　must　have

been　something　else　that　caused　him　to　utter　an　inarticulate　cry

and　dash　out　of　the　room　and　down　the　stairs　like　a　madman！　　What

had　happened？



In　her　own　self…possession　she　knew　that　all　this　was　passing

rapidly；　that　it　was　not　the　door　now　that　was　still　shaking；　for

it　had　swung　almost　shut　againbut　it　was　the　windows；　the　book…

shelves；　the　floor　beneath　her　feet；　that　were　all　shaking。　　She

heard　a　hurried　scrambling；　the　trampling　of　feet　below；　and　the

quick　rustling　of　a　skirt　in　the　passage；　as　if　some　one　had

precipitately　fled　from　her　room。　　Yet　no　one　had　called　to　her

even　HE　had　said　nothing。　　Whatever　had　happened　they　clearly　had

not　cared　for　her　to　know。



The　jarring　and　rattling　ceased　as　suddenly；　but　the　house　seemed

silent　and　empty。　　She　moved　to　the　door；　which　had　now　swung　open

a　few　inches；　but　to　her　astonishment　it　was　fixed　in　that

position；　and　she　could　not　pass。　　As　yet　she　had　been　free　from

any　personal　fear；　and　even　now　it　was　with　a　half　smile　at　her

imprisonment　in　the　major's　study；　that　she　rang　the　bell　and

turned　to　the　window。　　A　man；　whom　she　recognized　as　one　of　the

ranch　laborers；　was　standing　a　hundred　feet　away　in　the　garden；

looking　curiously　at　the　house。　　He　saw　her　face　as　she　tried　to

raise　the　sash；　uttered　an　exclamation；　and　ran　forward。　　But

before　she　could　understand　what　he　said；　the　sash　began　to　rattle

in　her　hand；　the　jarring　recommenced；　the　floor　shook　beneath　her

feet；　a　hideous　sound　of　grinding　seemed　to　come　from　the　walls；　a

thin　seam　of　dust…like　smoke　broke　from　the　ceiling；　and　with　the

noise　of　falling　plaster　a　dozen　books　followed　each　other　from　the

shelves；　in　what　in　the　frantic　hurry　of　that　moment　seemed　a

grimly　deliberate　succession；　a　picture　hanging　against　the　wall；

to　her　dazed　wonder；　swung　forward；　and　appeared　to　stand　at　right

angles　from　it；　she　felt　herself　reeling　against　the　furniture；　a

deadly　nausea　overtook　her；　as　she　glanced　despairingly　towards　the

window；　the　outlying　fields　beyond　the　garden　seemed　to　be

undulating　like　a　sea。　　For　the　first　time　she　raised　her　voice；

not　in　fear；　but　in　a　pathetic　little　cry　of　apology　for　her

awkwardness　in　tumbling　about　and　not　being　able　to　grapple　this

new　experience；　and　then　she　found　herself　near　the　door；　which　had

once　more　swung　free。　　She　grasped　it　eagerly；　and　darted　out　of

the　study　into　the　deserted　passage。　　Here　some　instinct　made　her

follow　the　line　of　the　wall；　rather　than　the　shaking　balusters　of

the　corridor　and　staircase；　but　before　she　reached　the　bottom　she

heard　a　shout；　and　the　farm　laborer　she　had　seen　coming　towards　her

seized　her　by　the　arm；　dragged　her　to　the　open　doorway　of　the

drawing…room；　and　halted　beneath　its　arch　in　the　wall。　　Another

thrill；　but　lighter　than　before；　passed　through　the　building；　then

all　was　still　again。



〃It's　over；　I　reckon　that's　all　just　now；〃　said　the　man；　coolly。

〃It's　quite　safe　to　cut　and　run　for　the　garden　now；　through　this

window。〃　　He　half　led；　half　lifted　her　through　the　French　window　to

the　veranda　and　the　ground；　and　locking　her　arm　in　his；　ran　quickly

forward　a　hundred　feet　from　the　house；　stopping　at　last　beneath　a

large　post　oak　where　there　was　a　rustic　seat　into　which　she　sank。

〃You're　safe　now；　I　reckon；〃　he　said　grimly。



She　looked　towards　the　house；　the　sun　was　shining　brightly；　a　cool

breeze　seemed　to　have　sprung　up　as　they　ran。　　She　could　see　a

quantity　of　rubbish　lying　on　the　roof　from　which　a　dozen　yards　of

zinc　gutter　were　perilously　hanging；　the　broken　shafts　of　the

further　cluster　of　chimneys；　a　pile　of　bricks　scattered　upon　the

ground　and　among　the　battered　down　beams　of　the　end　of　the　veranda

but　that　was　all。　　She　lifted　her　now　whitened　face　to　the　man；

and　with　the　apologetic　smile　still　lingering　on　her　lips；　asked：



〃What　does　it　all　mean？　　What　has　happened？〃



The　man　stared　at　her。　　〃D'ye　mean　to　say　ye　don't　know？〃



〃How　could　I？　　They　must　have　all　left　the　house　as　soon　as　it

began。　　I　was　talking　toto　M。　l'Hommadieu；　and　he　suddenly　left。〃



The　man　brought　his　face　angrily　down　within　an　inch　of　her　own。

〃D'ye　mean　to　say　that　them　dd　French　half…breeds　stampeded　and

left　yer　there　alone？〃



She　was　still　too　much　stupefied　by　the　reaction　to　fully

comprehend　his　meaning；　and　repeated　feebly　with　her　smile　still

faintly　lingering：　〃But　you　don't　tell　me　WHAT　it　was？〃



〃An　earthquake；〃　said　the　man；　roughly；　〃and　if　it　had　lasted　ten

seconds　longer　it　would　have　shook　the　whole　shanty　down　and　left

you　under　it。　　Yer　kin　tell　that　to　them；　if　they　don't　know　it；

but　from　the　way　they　made　tracks　to　the　fields；　I　reckon　they　did。

They're　coming　now。〃



Without　another　word　he　turned　away　half　surlily；　half　defiantly；

passing　scarce　fifty　yards　away　Mrs。　Randolph　and　her　daughter；　who

were　hast