fennel and rue-第20部分

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〃Yes；　Yes！〃　she　owned；　releasing　him　and　withdrawing　to　the　other　end　of
the　seat。

〃But　it　almost　drives　me　wild。　　What　shall　I　do？　　You　ought　to　know。　　It
is　your　fault。　　You　have　frightened　me　out　of　daring　to　tell　the　truth。〃

Had　he；　indeed；　done　that？　　Verrian　asked　himself；　and　it　seemed　to　him
that　he　had　done　something　like　it。　　If　it　was　so；　he　must　help　her　over
her　fear　now。　　He　answered；　bluntly；　harshly：　〃You　must　tell　him　all
about　it〃

〃But　if　he　won't　believe　me？　　Do　you　think　he　will　believe　me？　　Would　you
believe　me？〃

〃You　have　nothing　to　do　with　that。　　There　is　nothing　for　you　but　to　tell
him　the　whole　story。　　You　mustn't　share　such　a　secret　with　any　one　but
your　husband。　　When　you　tell　him　it　will　cease　to　be　my　secret。〃

〃Yes；　yes。〃

〃Well；　then；　you　must　tell　him；　unless〃

〃Yes；〃　she　prompted。

Then　they　were　both　silent；　looking　intensely　into　each　other's　eyes。　　In
that　moment　all　else　of　life　seemed　to　melt　and　swim　away　from　Verrian
and　leave　him　stranded　upon　an　awful　eminence　confronting　her。

〃Hello；　hello！〃　a　gay　voice　called；　as　if　calling　to　them　both。　　〃What
are　you　two　conspiring？〃　Bushwick；　as　suddenly　as　if　he　had　fallen　from
the　sky　or　started　up　from　the　earth；　stood　before　them；　and　gave　a　hand
to　eachhis　right　to　Verrian；　his　left　to　Miss　Shirley。　　〃How　are　you；
Verrian　？　　How　are　you；　Miss　Shirley？〃　　He　mocked　her　in　the　formality　of
his　address。　　〃I've　been　shadowing　you　ever　since　you　came　into　the　park；
but　I　thought　I　wouldn't　interrupt　till　you　seemed　to　have　got　through
your　conversation。　　May　I　ask　what　it　was　all　about？　　It　seemed　very
absorbing；　from　a　respectful　distance。〃

〃Very　absorbing；　indeed；〃　Miss　Shirley　said；　making　room　for　him　between
them。　　〃Sit　down　and　let　me　tell　you。　　You're　to　be　a　partner　in　the
secret。〃

〃Silent　partner；〃　Bushwick　suggested。

〃I　hope　you'll　always　be　silent；〃　the　girl　shared　in　his　drolling。
She　began　and　told　the　whole　story　to　the　last　detail；　sparing　neither
herself　nor　Verrian；　who　listened　as　if　he　were　some　one　else　not
concerned；　and　kept　saying　to　himself；　〃what　courage！〃　　Bushwick　listened
as　mutely；　with　a　face　that；　to　Verrian's　eye；　seemed　to　harden　from　its
light　jocosity　into　a　severity　he　had　not　seen　in　it　before。　　〃It　was
something；〃　she　ended　towards　Bushwick；　with　a　catch　in　her　breath；
〃that　you　had　to　know。〃

〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　tonelessly。

〃And　nowshe　attempted　a　little　forlorn　playfulness〃don't　you　think　he
gave　me　what　I　deserved？〃

Bushwick　rose　up　and　took　her　hand　under　his　arm；　keeping　his　left　hand
upon　hers。

〃He！　　Who？〃

〃Mr。　Verrian。〃

〃I　don't　know　any　Mr。　Verrian。　　Come；　you'll　take　cold　here。〃

He　turned　his　back　on　Verrian；　who　fancied　a　tremor　in　her　hat；　as　if　she
would　look　round　at　him；　but　then；　as　if　she　divined　Bushwick's
intention；　she　did　not　look　round；　and　together　they　left　him。

It　was　days　before　Verrian　could　confess　himself　of　the　fact　to　his
mother；　who　listened　with　the　justice　instinctive　in　her。　　She　still　had
not　spoken　when　he　ended；　and　he　said；　〃I　have　thought　it　all　over；　and　I
feel　that　he　did　right。　　He　did　the　only　thing　that　a　man　in　love　with
her　could　do。　　And　I　don't　wonder　he's　in　love　with　her。　　Yes〃he　stayed
his　mother；　imperatively〃and　such　a　man　as　he；　though　he　ground　me　in
the　dirt　and　stamped　on　me；　I　will　say；　it；　is　worthy　of　any　woman。　　He
can　believe　in　a　woman；　and　that's　the　first　thing　that's　needed　to　make
a　woman　like　her；　true。　　I　don't　envy　his　job。〃　　He　was　speaking　self…
contradictorily；　irrelevantly；　illogically；　as　a　man　thinks。　　He　went　on
in　that　way；　getting　himself　all　out。　　〃She　isn't　single…hearted；　but
she's　faithful。　　She'll　never　betray　him　now。　　She's　never　given　him　any
reason　to　distrust　her。　　She's　the　kind　that　can　keep　on　straight　with
any　one　she's　begun。　straight　with。　　She　told　him　all　that　before　me　be
cause　she　wanted　me　to　knowto　realizethat　she　had　told　him。　　It　took
courage。〃　

Mrs。　Verrian　had　thought　of　generalizing；　but　she　seized　a　single　point。　
〃Perhaps　not　so　much　courage　as　you　think。　　You　mustn't　let　such　bravado
impose　upon　you；　Philip。　　I've　no　doubt　she　knew　her　ground。〃

〃She　took　the　chance　of　his　casting　her　off。〃

〃She　knew　he　wouldn't。　　She　knew　him；　and　she　knew　you。　　She　knew　that　if
he　cast　her　off〃

〃Mother！　　Don't　say　it！　　I　can't　bear　it！〃

His　mother　did　not　say　it；　or　anything　more；　then。　　Late　at　night　she
came　to　him。　　〃Are　you　asleep；　Philip？〃

〃Asleep？　　I！〃

〃I　didn't　suppose　you　were。　　But　I　have　had　a　note　to…day　which　I　must
answer。　　Mrs。　Andrews　has　asked　us　to　dinner　on　Saturday。　　Philip；　if　you
could　see　that　sweet　girl　as　I　do；　in　all　her　goodness　and　sincerity〃

〃I　think　I　do；　mother。　　And　I　wouldn't　be　guilty　of　her　unhappiness　for
the　world。　　You　must　decline。〃

Well；　perhaps　you　are　right。〃　　Mrs。　Verrian　went　away；　softly；　sighing。　
As　she　sealed　her　reply　to　Mrs。　Andrews；　she　sighed　again；　and　made　the
reflection　which　a　mother　seldom　makes　with　regard　to　her　son；　before　his
marriage；　that　men　do　not　love　women　for　their　goodness。









End