登陆注册
26100000000274

第274章

"How came you to remember me after only seeing me once?"His hand unconsciously closed on hers, and pressed it for the first time. He attempted to answer, and hesitated at the first word. "I have a good memory," he said at last; and suddenly looked away from her with a confusion so strangely unlike his customary self-possession of manner that the doctor and the nurse both noticed it.

Every nerve in her body felt that momentary pressure of his hand, with the exquisite susceptibility which accompanies the first faltering ad vance on the way to health. She looked at his changing color, she listened to his hesitating words, with every sensitive perception of her *** and age quickened to seize intuitively on the truth. In the moment when he looked away from her, she gently took her hand from him, and turned her head aside on the pillow. " Can it be?" she thought, with a flutter of delicious fear at her heart, with a glow of delicious confusion burning on her cheeks. " Can it be?"The doctor made another sign to Kirke. He understood it, and rose immediately. The momentary discomposure in his face and manner had both disappeared. He was satisfied in his own mind that he had successfully kept his secret, and in the relief of feeling that conviction he had become himself again.

"Good-by till to-morrow," he said, as he left the room.

"Good-by," she answered, softly, without looking at him.

Mr. Merrick took the chair which Kirke had resigned, and laid his hand on her pulse. "Just what I feared," remarked the doctor; "too quick by half."She petulantly snatched away her wrist. "Don't!" she said, shrinking from him. "Pray don't touch me!"Mr. Merrick good-humoredly gave up his place to the nurse. "I'll return in half an hour," he whispered, "and carry her back to bed. Don't let her talk. Show her the pictures in the newspaper, and keep her quiet in that way."When the doctor returned, the nurse reported that the newspaper had not been wanted. The patient's conduct had been exemplary. She had not been at all restless, and she had never spoken a word.

The days passed, and the time grew longer and longer which the doctor allowed her to spend in the front room. She was soon able to dispense with the bed on the sofa--she could be dressed, and could sit up, supported by pillows, in an arm-chair. Her hours of emancipation from the bedroom represented the great daily event of her life. They were the hours she passed in Kirke's society.

She had a double interest in him now--her interest in the man whose protecting care had saved her reason and her life; her interest in the man whose heart's deepest secret she had surprised. Little by little they grew as easy and familiar with each other as old friends; little by little she presumed on all her privileges, and wound her way unsuspected into the most intimate knowledge of his nature.

Her questions were endless. Everything that he could tell her of himself and his life she drew from him delicately and insensibly: he, the least self-conscious of mankind, became an egotist in her dexterous hands. She found out his pride in his ship, and practiced on it without remorse. She drew him into talking of the fine qualities of the vessel, of the great things the vessel had done in emergencies, as he had never in his life talked yet to any living creature on shore. She found him out in private seafaring anxieties and unutterable seafaring exultations which he had kept a secret from his own mate. She watched his kindling face with a delicious sense of triumph in adding fuel to the fire; she trapped him into forgetting all considerations of time and place, and striking as hearty a stroke on the rickety little lodging-house table, in the fervor of his talk, as if his hand had descended on the solid bulwark of his ship. His confusion at the discovery of his own forgetfulness secretly delighted her; she could have cried with pleasure when he penitently wondered what he could possibly have been thinking of.

同类推荐
  • 菩萨行方便境界神通变化经

    菩萨行方便境界神通变化经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 沧浪诗话

    沧浪诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 孔子弟子考

    孔子弟子考

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Jean of the Lazy A

    Jean of the Lazy A

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 静思集

    静思集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 我的独眼男友

    我的独眼男友

    全族被灭,面对着敌人的追杀,独眼人诺亚逃离星球,误入虫洞,迫降地球他该如何逃避敌人追杀,在地球上生存下去。
  • 首席军官:老婆,早

    首席军官:老婆,早

    她本冷心冷情,却只有他能让她摘下那冷酷的面具。他外表禁欲系,内心却闷骚不已。她的闯入让禁欲的墨少心花怒放。且看强强联手,风生水起,她因为突发的善心而救了一个帅哥。却发现原来帅哥不但是墨氏集团的总裁还是军区首长,她军区少医步步为棋,却没有发现自己早已经落入了一只大尾巴狼的圈套。她表示遇见墨少是她这辈子倒的最大的霉。而此时的墨少表示已经将女主拆入腹中。从此夫妻俩开始了花样的虐狗生活。[本文绝宠,欢迎入坑]
  • 穿越之傲娇萌妻

    穿越之傲娇萌妻

    资深宅女李芊芊在一次巧合下穿越,却碰到了富家公子风岚祁,为了回到现代,只好嫁给风岚祁,没想到最后李芊芊却爱上了他”我,,我怎么能爱上他,那我还怎么回现代啊“李芊芊和风岚祁又会遇到怎样的事呢
  • 太傅很忙

    太傅很忙

    公元前206年,从项羽四月分封天下,到刘邦八月打出汉中,四个月的时间里,刘项两家似乎都没有什么动作。然而历史却在酝酿着一场长达五年的楚汉战争。这时候的风暴中心彭城波澜不惊,却豪杰毕集,熊心、项羽、范增、吕臣、张良、陈平、叔孙通、项伯、龙且、钟离昧、季布、高陵君……暗流涌动,每个人的动作都牵扯着历史的走向。刘涌穿回此年五月的彭城,身份是义帝熊心的中涓。胸无大志的刘涌经过谨慎的分析研究,认为在这乱世之中,那位心地善良、一辈子不用打仗、坐吃等死却能当上皇帝的汉惠帝刘盈,是真正值得押宝的好老板,虽然刘盈这时候还只有六岁。
  • 不可不知的历史常识

    不可不知的历史常识

    在人生的道路上,不知要经历多少的坎坷。每一次的成功,也许都要经历唐僧取经般的九九八十一难。如果我们的生命真有无限长的话,即使把所有的路都走一遍都无所谓,但事实是生命有限,人生苦短,人生真正能够做事的时间不过是短短的几十年。鉴于此,我们编著了这套《不可不知丛书》,作为读者朋友面对现实生活的一面旗帜,来感召和激励人生,共同朝着美好的未来前进。
  • 羽落寒渊

    羽落寒渊

    想当年暗杀榜上韩渊可是排名第二的刺客,如今居然穿越到了一个莫名的未知大陆?问题是原主还是个不能修灵的废物?那这罕见的五属性术师是谁?血脉高贵的灵兽的不驯服于人的?那这凤凰是怎么回事?杀手刺客就一定要冷到没朋友?那她的那些生死之交又是如何来的?什么?你问男主?不好意思,碍于宝宝脖子上某金属物质,还是不说了......1V1,女主毒舌男主更毒(咱的小渊儿就是给他给带坏了啊!),男强女强,人物属性接近现实,也就是说,不会有无脑配角~
  • 回归复仇公主

    回归复仇公主

    十二年前,三个小女孩的母亲被杀,她们发誓,一定会为母亲报仇。十二年后,当她们强势归来,是谁噩梦的开始,是谁的心,为她们而跳动。(预知后事如何,请看偶的小说。妖妖第一次写小说,写的不好,亲大家原谅)
  • 光族神话

    光族神话

    曾经的她是温柔坚强的光明公主,她用灿烂的微笑带给大家快乐!当黑暗与绝望来临时她毅然决然舍弃自身唤醒了沉睡的神兽,使得光芒再次照亮大地!她的这个决定使她获得了强大的力量,但获得力量的代价是惨痛的!绝对的力量摧毁了她的一切神智、记忆、甚至是人格!她有了一个新的名字――光明神皇。危机解除,她,却陷入了沉睡。时光飞逝数以万年后当她再次睁开双眼时迎接她的又是怎样一个世界?曾经的光明公主,现在的冷艳神皇打开了一段神奇的历史篇章……
  • 佛说菩萨睒子经

    佛说菩萨睒子经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 重生之魔界妖女

    重生之魔界妖女

    她说“我喜欢没有尔虞我诈的辛苦生活”他说“我不曾为谁放弃过任何为了你一个帝位算什么说了这么多情话给一个心里从来没有我的你听我认了”他说“嫁给他你比任何人都幸福”她说“没有你的日子怎叫幸福”