登陆注册
26135100000018

第18章

And now, shall we drive out somewhere? Or would you rather take a boat to Bellevue? Have you ever dined there, on the terrace, by moonlight? It's not at all bad.And there's no earthly use in sitting here waiting."She stood before him in perplexity.

"But when I wrote yesterday I asked them to telegraph.Isuppose they're horribly hard up, the poor dears, and they thought a letter would do as well as a telegram." The colour had risen to her face."That's why I wrote instead of telegraphing; I haven't a penny to spare myself!"Nothing she could have said could have filled her listener with a deeper contrition.He felt the red in his own face as he recalled the motive with which he had credited her in his midnight musings.But that motive, after all, had simply been trumped up to justify his own disloyalty: he had never really believed in it.The reflection deepened his confusion, and he would have liked to take her hand in his and confess the injustice he had done her.

She may have interpreted his change of colour as an involuntary protest at being initiated into such shabby details, for she went on with a laugh: "I suppose you can hardly understand what it means to have to stop and think whether one can afford a telegram? But I've always had to consider such things.And I mustn't stay here any longer now--I must try to get a night train for Joigny.Even if the Farlows can't take me in, I can go to the hotel: it will cost less than staying here." She paused again and then exclaimed: "I ought to have thought of that sooner; I ought to have telegraphed yesterday! But I was sure I should hear from them today; and I wanted--oh, I DID so awfully want to stay!" She threw a troubled look at Darrow."Do you happen to remember," she asked, "what time it was when you posted my letter?"VII

Darrow was still standing on her threshold.As she put the question he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

His heart was beating a little faster than usual and he had no clear idea of what he was about to do or say, beyond the definite conviction that, whatever passing impulse of expiation moved him, he would not be fool enough to tell her that he had not sent her letter.He knew that most wrongdoing works, on the whole, less mischief than its useless confession; and this was clearly a case where a passing folly might be turned, by avowal, into a serious offense.

"I'm so sorry--so sorry; but you must let me help you...You will let me help you?" he said.

He took her hands and pressed them together between his, counting on a friendly touch to help out the insufficiency of words.He felt her yield slightly to his clasp, and hurried on without giving her time to answer.

"Isn't it a pity to spoil our good time together by regretting anything you might have done to prevent our having it?"She drew back, freeing her hands.Her face, losing its look of appealing confidence, was suddenly sharpened by distrust.

"You didn't forget to post my letter?"

Darrow stood before her, constrained and ashamed, and ever more keenly aware that the betrayal of his distress must be a greater offense than its concealment.

"What an insinuation!" he cried, throwing out his hands with a laugh.

Her face instantly melted to laughter."Well, then--IWON'T be sorry; I won't regret anything except that our good time is over!"The words were so unexpected that they routed all his resolves.If she had gone on doubting him he could probably have gone on deceiving her; but her unhesitating acceptance of his word made him hate the part he was playing.At the same moment a doubt shot up its serpenthead in his own bosom.Was it not he rather than she who was childishly trustful? Was she not almost too ready to take his word, and dismiss once for all the tiresome question of the letter?

Considering what her experiences must have been, such trustfulness seemed open to suspicion.But the moment his eyes fell on her he was ashamed of the thought, and knew it for what it really was: another pretext to lessen his own delinquency.

"Why should our good time be over?" he asked."Why shouldn't it last a little longer?"She looked up, her lips parted in surprise; but before she could speak he went on: "I want you to stay with me--I want you, just for a few days, to have all the things you've never had.It's not always May and Paris--why not make the most of them now? You know me--we're not strangers--why shouldn't you treat me like a friend?"While he spoke she had drawn away a little, but her hand still lay in his.She was pale, and her eyes were fixed on him in a gaze in which there was neither distrust or resentment, but only an ingenuous wonder.He was extraordinarily touched by her expression.

"Oh, do! You must.Listen: to prove that I'm sincere I'll tell you...I'll tell you I didn't post your letter...Ididn't post it because I wanted so much to give you a few good hours...and because I couldn't bear to have you go."He had the feeling that the words were being uttered in spite of him by some malicious witness of the scene, and yet that he was not sorry to have them spoken.

The girl had listened to him in silence.She remained motionless for a moment after he had ceased to speak; then she snatched away her hand.

"You didn't post my letter? You kept it back on purpose? And you tell me so NOW, to prove to me that I'd better put myself under your protection?" She burst into a laugh that had in it all the piercing echoes of her Murrett past, and her face, at the same moment, underwent the same change, shrinking into a small malevolent white mask in which the eyes burned black."Thank you--thank you most awfully for telling me! And for all your other kind intentions! The plan's delightful--really quite delightful, and I'm extremely flattered and obliged."She dropped into a seat beside her dressing-table, resting her chin on her lifted hands, and laughing out at him under the elf-lock which had shaken itself down over her eyes.

同类推荐
  • CRATYLUS

    CRATYLUS

    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。
  • 瞑庵二识

    瞑庵二识

    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。
  • 彭祖摄生养性论

    彭祖摄生养性论

    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。
  • 刑统

    刑统

    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。
  • 题陈正字林亭

    题陈正字林亭

    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
  • 德川家光第一部:守正出奇

    德川家光第一部:守正出奇

    他是精明的政治家,奠定了日本百年兴盛之根基;他是冷静的军事家,幕府最激烈的农民暴乱由他一手平定;他是无敌的海上霸主,即便是雄霸一时的葡军海舰也闻风丧胆;他的功业震撼了日本百年,是一代代精英竞相效仿的王者典范。
  • 尊皇本纪

    尊皇本纪

    谁言天命不可违,我自一剑斩之。何论人欺少年穷,我自一式破之。天地不容,轮回不纳,我自逍遥九霄。绝世血脉,惊天隐秘,抽丝剥茧,纵横四海,成就一代尊皇!一切尽在《尊皇本纪》
  • 神级高手在花都

    神级高手在花都

    【2016最热血,最爽爆的都市巨作】神界巨擘逍遥神遭天帝设计陷害被夺神格,但不想他道消魂未灭,灵魂重生于地球。只要拥有神力,那瞬移,隐身,透视这些都不是问题,且看一代神界巨擘如何玩转都市,赚钱,渡神、打造神级军团,最后再重返神界!书友交流群347344899,欢迎大家来玩啊!!!!
  • 校花老婆太可爱

    校花老婆太可爱

    我叫李晨,对萌系娇小萝莉型的女生完全没有抵抗力。可是……你那么可爱,怎么能杀人,妈的,彻底毁三观了。不过,我还是决定追她,谁让我就是一个肤浅的人,因为她实在是太卡哇伊了……
  • 绝色锋芒之僵尸雪颜

    绝色锋芒之僵尸雪颜

    商雪颜,穿越到一个奇特的种族,本来只想做一个米虫的她,却不料,即将要面对更加严酷的角逐……
  • 万道修途

    万道修途

    从家族中走出……在无尽境域之中崛起……入圣贤……超脱凡人的桎梏,顿悟天地的奥秘,追求成神的道路。一切都是无悔。只为了让她复活!
  • 说服力扭转影响力:有效说服他人的超强心理学

    说服力扭转影响力:有效说服他人的超强心理学

    《说服力扭转影响力:有效说服他人的超强心理学》从心理学角度出发,以心理学理论为基础,结合经典案例的分析、具体运作方法的展示,教你如何从细微处说服他人,帮助你用恰当的语言实现完美沟通。此外,《说服力扭转影响力:有效说服他人的超强心理学》还配以一些“超常规”的说服技巧,通过展示与众不同的说服智慧,让你体会到说服艺术的魅力。
  • 负正得正

    负正得正

    “负负得正,正负得负”季学霸“错了啊!是正负得正!”蔺渣渣“你走了?好吧”伤心季“我........我很快回来...”蔺负心汉回来后,“合作愉快哈!”季开心“哦.....嗯合作愉快哈...”作者很懒,文笔自我感觉良好,写的不好不要在意那些细节哦⊙?⊙!
  • 北京碎片

    北京碎片

    “你还记得你最初想做的事情吗?”“最初的梦想?”“是啊,第一个真正确定想要干的事情!”“额,我想想啊,好像是开拖拉机.....”“额.....,后来你实现了吗?”“额,还没有,我买了奔驰!”“额,你要坚持你最初的梦想啊,怎么可以谁便放弃!!!”“恩,是呀,我一定努力买一辆,上下班用,一定很霸气!”
  • 马云教典:成就阿里巴巴帝国的36个法则

    马云教典:成就阿里巴巴帝国的36个法则

    本书共分八章,从36个方面归纳总结了马云成功的方法,全面解读了马云的务实、创新精神。如果本书对您做事或者创业有所启发,将是对作者莫大的奖赏。