the glimpses of the moon-第49部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



letters　I　got　this　morning。〃



Susy　took　the　announcement　serenely。　　〃Well；　you　would；　you

know；〃　she　commented；　as　if　the　day　had　been　too　obviously

designed　for　bliss　to　escape　the　notice　of　its　dispensers。



〃Yes；〃　he　continued　with　a　thrill　of　pardonable　pride。　　〃During

the　cruise　I　did　a　couple　of　articles　on　Creteoh；　just　travel…

impressions；　of　course；　they　couldn't　be　more。　　But　the　editor

of　the　New　Review　has　accepted　them；　and　asks　for　others。　　And

here's　his　cheque；　if　you　please！　　So　you　see　you　might　have　let

me　take　the　jolly　room　downstairs　with　the　pink　curtains。　　And

it　makes　me　awfully　hopeful　about　my　book。〃



He　had　expected　a　rapturous　outburst；　and　perhaps　some

reassertion　of　wifely　faith　in　the　glorious　future　that　awaited

The　Pageant　of　Alexander；　and　deep　down　under　the　lover's　well…

being　the　author　felt　a　faint　twinge　of　mortified　vanity　when

Susy；　leaping　to　her　feet；　cried　out；　ravenously　and　without

preamble：　　〃Oh；　Nick；　Nicklet　me　see　how　much　they've　given

you！〃



He　flourished　the　cheque　before　her　in　the　firelight。　　〃A　couple

of　hundred；　you　mercenary　wretch！〃



〃Oh；　oh〃　she　gasped；　as　if　the　good　news　had　been　almost　too

much　for　her　tense　nerves；　and　then　surprised　him　by　dropping　to

the　ground；　and　burying　her　face　against　his　knees。



〃Susy；　my　Susy；〃　he　whispered；　his　hand　on　her　shaking　shoulder。

〃Why；　dear；　what　is　it？　　You're　not　crying？〃



〃Oh；　Nick；　Nicktwo　hundred？　　Two　hundred　dollars？　　Then　I've

got　to　tell　youoh　now；　at　once！〃



A　faint　chill　ran　over　him；　and　involuntarily　his　hand　drew　back

from　her　bowed　figure。



〃Now？　　Oh；　why　now？〃　he　protested。　　〃What　on　earth　does　it

matter　nowwhatever　it　is？〃



〃But　it　does　matterit　matters　more　than　you　can　think！〃



She　straightened　herself；　still　kneeling　before　him；　and　lifted

her　head　so　that　the　firelight　behind　her　turned　her　hair　into　a

ruddy　halo。　　〃Oh；　Nick；　the　braceletEllie's　bracelet　。。。。

I've　never　returned　it　to　her；〃　she　faltered　out。



He　felt　himself　recoiling　under　the　hands　with　which　she

clutched　his　knees。　　For　an　instant　he　did　not　remember　what　she

alluded　to；　it　was　the　mere　mention　of　Ellie　Vanderlyn's　name

that　had　fallen　between　them　like　an　icy　shadow。　　What　an

incorrigible　fool　he　had　been　to　think　they　could　ever　shake　off

such　memories；　or　cease　to　be　the　slaves　of　such　a　past！



〃The　bracelet？Oh；　yes；〃　he　said；　suddenly　understanding；　and

feeling　the　chill　mount　slowly　to　his　lips。



〃Yes；　the　bracelet　。。。　Oh；　Nick；　I　meant　to　give　it　back　at

once；　I　didI　did；　but　the　day　you　went　away　I　forgot

everything　else。　　And　when　I　found　the　thing；　in　the　bottom　of

my　bag；　weeks　afterward；　I　thought　everything　was　over　between

you　and　me；　and　I　had　begun　to　see　Ellie　again；　and　she　was　kind

to　me　and　how　could　I？〃　　To　save　his　life　he　could　have　found　no

answer；　and　she　pressed　on：　　〃And　so　this　morning；　when　I　saw

you　were　frightened　by　the　expense　of　bringing　all　the　children

with　us；　and　when　I　felt　I　couldn't　leave　them；　and　couldn't

leave　you　either；　I　remembered　the　bracelet；　and　I　sent　you　off

to　telephone　while　I　rushed　round　the　corner　to　a　little

jeweller's　where　I'd　been　before；　and　pawned　it　so　that　you

shouldn't　have　to　pay　for　the　children　。。。。　　But　now；　darling；

you　see；　if　you've　got　all　that　money；　I　can　get　it　out　of　pawn

at　once；　can't　I；　and　send　it　back　to　her？〃



She　flung　her　arms　about　him；　and　he　held　her　fast；　wondering　if

the　tears　he　felt　were　hers　or　his。　　Still　he　did　not　speak；　but

as　he　clasped　her　close　she　added；　with　an　irrepressible　flash

of　her　old　irony：　　〃Not　that　Ellie　will　understand　why　I've　done

it。　　She's　never　yet　been　able　to　make　out　why　you　returned　her

scarf…pin。〃



For　a　long　time　she　continued　to　lean　against　him；　her　head　on

his　knees；　as　she　had　done　on　the　terrace　of　Como　on　the　last

night　of　their　honeymoon。　　She　had　ceased　to　talk；　and　he　sat

silent　also；　passing　his　hand　quietly　to　and　fro　over　her　hair。

The　first　rapture　had　been　succeeded　by　soberer　feelings。　　Her

confession　had　broken　up　the　frozen　pride　about　his　heart；　and

humbled　him　to　the　earth；　but　it　had　also　roused　forgotten

things；　memories　and　scruples　swept　aside　in　the　first　rush　of

their　reunion。　　He　and　she　belonged　to　each　other　for　always：

he　understood　that　now。　　The　impulse　which　had　first　drawn　them

together　again；　in　spite　of　reason；　in　spite　of　themselves

almost；　that　deep…seated　instinctive　need　that　each　had　of　the

other；　would　never　again　wholly　let　them　go。　　Yet　as　he　sat

there　he　thought　of　Strefford；　he　thought　of　Coral　Hicks。　　He

had　been　a　coward　in　regard　to　Coral；　and　Susy　had　been　sincere

and　courageous　in　regard　to　Strefford。　　Yet　his　mind　dwelt　on

Coral　with　tenderness；　with　compunction；　with　remorse；　and　he

was　almost　sure　that　Susy　had　already　put　Strefford　utterly　out

of　her　mind。



It　was　the　old　contrast　between　the　two　ways　of　loving；　the

man's　way　and　the　woman's；　and　after　a　moment　it　seemed　to　Nick

natural　enough　that　Susy；　from　the　very　moment　of　finding　him

again；　should　feel　neither　pity　nor　regret；　and　that　Strefford

should　already　be　to　her　as　if　he　had　never　been。　　After　all；

there　was　something　Providential　in　such　arrangements。



He　stooped　closer；　pressed　her　dreaming　head　between　his　hands；

and　whispered：　　〃Wake　up；　it's　bedtime。〃



She　rose；　but　as　she　moved　away　to　turn　on　the　light　he　caught

her　hand　and　drew　her　to　the　window。　　They　leaned　on　the　sill　in

the　darkness；　and　through　the　clouds；　from　which　a　few　drops

were　already　falling；　the　moon；　labouring　upward；　swam　into　a

space　of　sky；　cast　her　troubled　glory　on　them；　and　was　again

hidden。











End