the glimpses of the moon-第19部分

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Altringham；　and　possessor　of　one　of　the　largest　private　fortunes

in　England。　　It　was　vertiginous　to　think　of　their　old

impecunious　Streff　as　the　hero　of　such　an　adventure。　　And　what

irony　in　that　double　turn　of　the　wheel　which；　in　one　day；　had

plunged　him；　Nick　Lansing；　into　nethermost　misery；　while　it

tossed　the　other　to　the　stars！



With　an　intenser　precision　he　saw　again　Susy's　descent　from　the

gondola　at　the　calle　steps；　the　sound　of　her　laughter　and　of

Strefford's　chaff；　the　way　she　had　caught　his　arm　and　clung　to

it；　sweeping　the　other　men　on　in　her　train。　　StreffordSusy　and

Strefford！　。。。　　More　than　once；　Nick　had　noticed　the　softer

inflections　of　his　friend's　voice　when　he　spoke　to　Susy；　the

brooding　look　in　his　lazy　eyes　when　they　rested　on　her。　　In　the

security　of　his　wedded　bliss　Nick　had　made　light　of　those　signs。

The　only　real　jealousy　he　had　felt　had　been　of　Fred　Gillow；

because　of　his　unlimited　power　to　satisfy　a　woman's　whims。　　Yet

Nick　knew　that　such　material　advantages　would　never　again

suffice　for　Susy。　　With　Strefford　it　was　different。　　She　had

delighted　in　his　society　while　he　was　notoriously　ineligible；

might　not　she　find　him　irresistible　now？



The　forgotten　terms　of　their　bridal　compact　came　back　to　Nick：

the　absurd　agreement　on　which　he　and　Susy　had　solemnly　pledged

their　faith。　　But　was　it　so　absurd；　after　all？　　It　had　been

Susy's　suggestion　（not　his；　thank　God！）；　and　perhaps　in　making

it　she　had　been　more　serious　than　he　imagined。　　Perhaps；　even　if

their　rupture　had　not　occurred；　Strefford's　sudden　honours　might

have　caused　her　to　ask　for　her　freedom　。。。。



Money；　luxury；　fashion；　pleasure：　　those　were　the　four

cornerstones　of　her　existence。　　He　had　always　known　itshe

herself　had　always　acknowledged　it；　even　in　their　last　dreadful

talk　together；　and　once　he　had　gloried　in　her　frankness。　　How

could　he　ever　have　imagined　that；　to　have　her　fill　of　these

things；　she　would　not　in　time　stoop　lower　than　she　had　yet

stooped？　　Perhaps　in　giving　her　up　to　Strefford　he　might　be

saving　her。　　At　any　rate；　the　taste　of　the　past　was　now　so

bitter　to　him　that　he　was　moved　to　thank　whatever　gods　there

were　for　pushing　that　mortuary　paragraph　under　his　eye　。。。。



〃Susy；　dear　＇he　wrote＇；　the　fates　seem　to　have　taken　our　future

in　hand；　and　spared　us　the　trouble　of　unravelling　it。　　If　I　have

sometimes　been　selfish　enough　to　forget　the　conditions　on　which

you　agreed　to　marry　me；　they　have　come　back　to　me　during　these

two　days　of　solitude。　　You've　given　me　the　best　a　man　can　have；

and　nothing　else　will　ever　be　worth　much　to　me。　　But　since　I

haven't　the　ability　to　provide　you　with　what　you　want；　I

recognize　that　I've　no　right　to　stand　in　your　way。　We　must　owe

no　more　Venetian　palaces　to　underhand　services。　　I　see　by　the

newspapers　that　Streff　can　now　give　you　as　many　palaces　as　you

want。　　Let　him　have　the　chanceI　fancy　he'll　jump　at　it；　and

he's　the　best　man　in　sight。　　I　wish　I　were　in　his　shoes。



〃I'll　write　again　in　a　day　or　two；　when　I've　collected　my　wits；

and　can　give　you　an　address。　　NICK。〃



He　added　a　line　on　the　subject　of　their　modest　funds；　put　the

letter　into　an　envelope；　and　addressed　it　to　Mrs。　Nicholas

Lansing。　　As　he　did　so；　he　reflected　that　it　was　the　first　time

he　had　ever　written　his　wife's　married　name。



〃Wellby　God；　no　other　woman　shall　have　it　after　her；〃　he

vowed；　as　he　groped　in　his　pocketbook　for　a　stamp。



He　stood　up　with　a　stretch　of　wearinessthe　heat　was　stifling！

and　put　the　letter　in　his　pocket。



〃I'll　post　it　myself；　it's　safer；〃　he　thought；　〃and　then　what　in

the　name　of　goodness　shall　I　do　next；　I　wonder？〃　　He　jammed　his

hat　down　on　his　head　and　walked　out　into　the　sun…blaze。



As　he　was　turning　away　from　the　square　by　the　general　Post

Office；　a　white　parasol　waved　from　a　passing　cab；　and　Coral

Hicks　leaned　forward　with　outstretched　hand。　〃I　knew　I'd　find

you；〃　she　triumphed。　　〃I've　been　driving　up　and　down　in　this

broiling　sun　for　hours；　shopping　and　watching　for　you　at　the

same　time。〃



He　stared　at　her　blankly；　too　bewildered　even　to　wonder　how　she

knew　he　was　in　Genoa；　and　she　continued；　with　the　kind　of　shy

imperiousness　that　always　made　him　feel；　in　her　presence；　like　a

member　of　an　orchestra　under　a　masterful　baton；　〃Now　please　get

right　into　this　carriage；　and　don't　keep　me　roasting　here

another　minute。〃　　To　the　cabdriver　she　called　out：　　Al　porto。〃



Nick　Lansing　sank　down　beside　her。　As　he　did　so　he　noticed　a

heap　of　bundles　at　her　feet；　and　felt　that　he　had　simply　added

one　more　to　the　number。　　He　supposed　that　she　was　taking　her

spoils　to　the　Ibis；　and　that　he　would　be　carried　up　to　the　deck…

house　to　be　displayed　with　the　others。　　Well；　it　would　all　help

to　pass　the　dayand　by　night　he　would　have　reached　some　kind　of

a　decision　about　his　future。



On　the　third　day　after　Nick's　departure　the　post　brought　to　the

Palazzo　Vanderlyn　three　letters　for　Mrs。　Lansing。



The　first　to　arrive　was　a　word　from　Strefford；　scribbled　in　the

train　and　posted　at　Turin。　　In　it　he　briefly　said　that　he　had

been　called　home　by　the　dreadful　accident　of　which　Susy　had

probably　read　in　the　daily　papers。　　He　added　that　he　would　write

again　from　England；　and　thenin　a　blotted　postscript：　　〃I

wanted　uncommonly　badly　to　see　you　for　good…bye；　but　the　hour

was　impossible。　　Regards　to　Nick。　　Do　write　me　just　a　word　to

Altringham。〃



The　other　two　letters；　which　came　together　in　the　afternoon；

were　both　from　Genoa。　　Susy　scanned　the　addresses　and　fell　upon

the　one　in　her　husband's　writing。　　Her　hand　trembled　so　much

that　for　a　moment　she　could　not　open　the　envelope。　　When　she　had

done　so；　she　devoured　the　letter　in　a　flash；　and　then　sat　and

brooded　over　the　outspread　page　as　it　lay　on　her　knee。　　It　might

mean　so　many　thingsshe　could　read　into　it　so　many　harrowing

alternatives　of　indifference　and　despair；　of　irony　and

tenderness！　　Was　he　suffering　tortures　when　he　wrote　it；　or

seeking　only　to　inflict　them　upon　her？　　Or　did　the　words

represent　his　actual　feelings；　no　more　and　no　less；　and　did　he

really　intend　her　to　understand　that　he　considered　it　his　duty

to　abide　by　the　letter　of　their　preposterous　compact？　　He　had

left　her　in　wrath　and　indignation；　yet；　as　a　closer　scrutiny

revealed；　there　was　not　a　word　of　reproach　in　his　brief　lines。

Perhaps　that　was　why；　in　the　last　issue；　they　seemed　so　cold　to

her　。。。。　　She　shivered　and　turned　to　the　other　envelope。



The　large　stilted　characters；　though　half…familiar；　called　up　no

definite　image。　　She　opened　the　envelope　and　discovered　a　post…

card　of　the　Ibis；　canvas　spread；　bounding　over　a　rippled　sea。

On　the　back　was　written：



〃So　awfully　dear　of　you　to　lend　us　Mr。　Lansing　for　a　little

cruise。　　You　may　count　on　our　taking　the　best　of　care　of　him。

CORAL〃







PART　II



XIII



WHEN　Violet　Melrose　had　said　to　Susy　Branch；　the　winter　before

in　New　York：　　〃But　why　on　earth　don't　you　and　Nick　go　to　my

little　place　at　Versailles　for　the　honeymoon？　　I'm　off　to　China；

and　you　could　have　it　to　yourselves　all　summer；〃　the　offer　had

been　tempting　enough　to　make　the　lovers　waver。



It　was　such　an　artless　ingenuous　little　house；　so　full　of　the

demoralizing　simplicity　of　great　wealth；　that　it　seemed　to　Susy

just　the　kind　of　place　in　which　to　take　the　first　steps　in

renunciation。　　But　Nick　had　objected　that　Paris；　at　that　time　of

year；　would　be　swarming　with　acquaintances　who　would　hunt　them

down　at　all　hours；　and　Susy's　own　experience　had　led　her　to

remark　that　there　was　nothing　the　very　rich　enjoyed　more　than

taking　pot…luck　with　the　very　poor。　　They　therefore　gave

Strefford's　villa　the　preference；　with　an　inward　proviso　（on

Susy's　part）　that　Violet's　house　might　very　conveniently　serve

their　purpose　at　another　season。



These　thoughts　were　in　her　mind　as　she　drove　up　to　Mrs。

Melrose's　door　on　a　rainy　afternoon　late　in　August；　her　boxes

piled　high　on　the　roof　of　the　cab　she　had　taken　at　the　station。

She　had　travelled　straight　through　from　Venice；　stopping　in

Milan　just　long　enough　to　pick　up　a　reply　to　the　telegram　she

had　despatched　to　the　perfect　housekeeper　whose　permanent

presence　enabled　Mrs。　Melrose　to　say：　　〃Oh；　when　I'm　sick　of

everything　I　just　rush　off　without　warning　to　my　little　shanty

at　Versailles；　and　live　there　all　alone　on　scrambled　eggs。〃



The　perfect　house…keeper　had　replied　to　Susy's　enquiry：　　〃Am

sure　Mrs。　Melrose　most　happy〃；　and　Susy；　without　further

thought；　had　jumped　into　a　Versailles　train；　and　now　stood　in

the　thin　rain　before　the　sphinx…guarded　threshold　of　the

pavilion。



The　revolving　year　had　brought　around　the　season　at　which　Mrs。

Melrose's　house　might　be　convenient：　　no　visitors　were　to　be

feared　at　Versailles　at　the　end　of　August；　and　though　Susy's

reasons　for　seeking　solitude　were　so　remote　from　those　she　had

once　prefigured；　they　were　none　the　less　cogent。　　To　be　alone

alone！　　After　those　first　exposed　days　when；　in　the　persistent

presence　of　Fred　Gillow　and　his　satellites；　and　in　the　mocking

radiance　of　late　summer　on　the　lagoons；　she　had　fumed　and　turned

about　in　her　agony　like　a　trapped　animal　in　a　cramping　cage；　to

be　alone　had　seemed　the　only　respite；　the　one　craving：　　to　be

alone　somewhere　in　a　setting　as　unlike　as　possible　to　the

sensual　splendours　of　Venice；　under　skies　as　unlike　its　azure

roof。　　If　she　could　have　chosen　she　would　have　crawled　away　into

a　dingy　inn　in　a　rainy　northern　town；　where　she　had　never　been

and　no　one　knew　her。　　Failing　that　unobtainable　luxury；　here　she

was　on　the　threshold　of　an　empty　house；　in　a　deserted　place；

under　lowering　skies。　　She　had　shaken　off　Fred　Gillow；　sulkily

departing　for　his　moor　（where　she　had　half…promised　to　join　him

in　September）；　the　Prince；　young　Breckenridge；　and　the　few

remaining　survivors　of　the　Venetian　group；　had　dispersed　in　the

direction　of　the　En