in the cage-第14部分

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lower　pleasures。　　There　were　even　no　materials　for　it。　　The　odd

thing　was　how　she　never　doubted　that；　properly　handled；　his　passion

was　poisonable；　what　had　happened　was　that　he　had　cannily　selected

a　partner　with　no　poison　to　distil。　　She　read　then　and　there　that

she　should　never　interest　herself　in　anybody　as　to　whom　some　other

sentiment；　some　superior　view；　wouldn't　be　sure　to　interfere　for

him　with　jealousy。　　〃And　what　did　you　get　out　of　that？〃　he　asked

with　a　concern　that　was　not　in　the　least　for　his　honour。



〃Nothing　but　a　good　chance　to　promise　him　I　wouldn't　forsake　him。

He's　one　of　my　customers。〃



〃Then　it's　for　him　not　to　forsake　YOU。〃



〃Well；　he　won't。　　It's　all　right。　　But　I　must　just　keep　on　as　long

as　he　may　want　me。〃



〃Want　you　to　sit　with　him　in　the　Park？〃



〃He　may　want　me　for　thatbut　I　shan't。　　I　rather　liked　it；　but

once；　under　the　circumstances；　is　enough。　　I　can　do　better　for　him

in　another　manner。〃



〃And　what　manner；　pray？〃



〃Well；　elsewhere。〃



〃Elsewhere？I　SAY！〃



This　was　an　ejaculation　used　also　by　Captain　Everard；　but　oh　with

what　a　different　sound！　　〃You　needn't　'say'there's　nothing　to　be

said。　　And　yet　you　ought　perhaps　to　know。〃



〃Certainly　I　ought。　　But　WHATup　to　now？〃



〃Why　exactly　what　I　told　him。　　That　I'd　do　anything　for　him。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　'anything'？〃



〃Everything。〃



Mr。　Mudge's　immediate　comment　on　this　statement　was　to　draw　from

his　pocket　a　crumpled　paper　containing　the　remains　of　half　a　pound

of　〃sundries。〃　　These　sundries　had　figured　conspicuously　in　his

prospective　sketch　of　their　tour；　but　it　was　only　at　the　end　of

three　days　that　they　had　defined　themselves　unmistakeably　as

chocolate…creams。　　〃Have　another？THAT　one；〃　he　said。　　She　had

another；　but　not　the　one　he　indicated；　and　then　he　continued：

〃What　took　place　afterwards？〃



〃Afterwards？〃



〃What　did　you　do　when　you　had　told　him　you'd　do　everything？〃



〃I　simply　came　away。〃



〃Out　of　the　Park？〃



〃Yes；　leaving　him　there。　　I　didn't　let　him　follow　me。〃



〃Then　what　did　you　let　him　do？〃



〃I　didn't　let　him　do　anything。〃



Mr。　Mudge　considered　an　instant。　　〃Then　what　did　you　go　there　for？〃

His　tone　was　even　slightly　critical。



〃I　didn't　quite　know　at　the　time。　　It　was　simply　to　be　with　him；　I

supposejust　once。　　He's　in　danger；　and　I　wanted　him　to　know　I

know　it。　　It　makes　meeting　himat　Cocker's；　since　it's　that　I　want

to　stay　on　formore　interesting。〃



〃It　makes　it　mighty　interesting　for　ME！〃　Mr。　Mudge　freely　declared。

〃Yet　he　didn't　follow　you？〃　he　asked。　　〃I　would！〃



〃Yes；　of　course。　　That　was　the　way　you　began；　you　know。　　You're

awfully　inferior　to　him。〃



〃Well；　my　dear；　you're　not　inferior　to　anybody。　　You've　got　a

cheek！　　What's　he　in　danger　of？〃



〃Of　being　found　out。　　He's　in　love　with　a　ladyand　it　isn't　right…

…and　I've　found　him　out。〃



〃That'll　be　a　look…out　for　ME！〃　Mr。　Mudge　joked。　　〃You　mean　she　has

a　husband？〃



〃Never　mind　what　she　has！　　They're　in　awful　danger；　but　his　is　the

worst；　because　he's　in　danger　from　her　too。〃



〃Like　me　from　youthe　woman　I　love？　　If　he's　in　the　same　funk　as

me〃



〃He's　in　a　worse　one。　　He's　not　only　afraid　of　the　ladyhe's

afraid　of　other　things。〃



Mr。　Mudge　selected　another　chocolate…cream。　　〃Well；　I'm　only　afraid

of　one！　　But　how　in　the　world　can　you　help　this　party？〃



〃I　don't　knowperhaps　not　at　all。　　But　so　long　as　there's　a

chance〃



〃You　won't　come　away？〃



〃No；　you've　got　to　wait　for　me。〃



Mr。　Mudge　enjoyed　what　was　in　his　mouth。　　〃And　what　will　he　give

you？〃



〃Give　me？〃



〃If　you　do　help　him。〃



〃Nothing。　　Nothing　in　all　the　wide　world。〃



〃Then　what　will　he　give　ME？〃　Mr。　Mudge　enquired。　　〃I　mean　for

waiting。〃



The　girl　thought　a　moment；　then　she　got　up　to　walk。　　〃He　never

heard　of　you；〃　she　replied。



〃You　haven't　mentioned　me？〃



〃We　never　mention　anything。　　What　I've　told　you　is　just　what　I've

found　out。〃



Mr。　Mudge；　who　had　remained　on　the　bench；　looked　up　at　her；　she

often　preferred　to　be　quiet　when　he　proposed　to　walk；　but　now　that

he　seemed　to　wish　to　sit　she　had　a　desire　to　move。　　〃But　you

haven't　told　me　what　HE　has　found　out。〃



She　considered　her　lover。　　〃He'd　never　find　YOU；　my　dear！〃



Her　lover；　still　on　his　seat；　appealed　to　her　in　something　of　the

attitude　in　which　she　had　last　left　Captain　Everard；　but　the

impression　was　not　the　same。　　〃Then　where　do　I　come　in？〃



〃You　don't　come　in　at　all。　　That's　just　the　beauty　of　it！〃and

with　this　she　turned　to　mingle　with　the　multitude　collected　round

the　band。　　Mr。　Mudge　presently　overtook　her　and　drew　her　arm　into

his　own　with　a　quiet　force　that　expressed　the　serenity　of

possession；　in　consonance　with　which　it　was　only　when　they　parted

for　the　night　at　her　door　that　he　referred　again　to　what　she　had

told　him。



〃Have　you　seen　him　since？〃



〃Since　the　night　in　the　Park？　　No；　not　once。〃



〃Oh；　what　a　cad！〃　said　Mr。　Mudge。







CHAPTER　XX







It　was　not　till　the　end　of　October　that　she　saw　Captain　Everard

again；　and　on　that　occasionthe　only　one　of　all　the　series　on

which　hindrance　had　been　so　utterno　communication　with　him　proved

possible。　　She　had　made　out　even　from　the　cage　that　it　was　a

charming　golden　day：　　a　patch　of　hazy　autumn　sunlight　lay　across

the　sanded　floor　and　also；　higher　up；　quickened　into　brightness　a

row　of　ruddy　bottled　syrups。　　Work　was　slack　and　the　place　in

general　empty；　the　town；　as　they　said　in　the　cage；　had　not　waked

up；　and　the　feeling　of　the　day　likened　itself　to　something　than　in

happier　conditions　she　would　have　thought　of　romantically　as　Saint

Martin's　summer。　　The　counter…clerk　had　gone　to　his　dinner；　she

herself　was　busy　with　arrears　of　postal　jobs；　in　the　midst　of　which

she　became　aware　that　Captain　Everard　had　apparently　been　in　the

shop　a　minute　and　that　Mr。　Buckton　had　already　seized　him。



He　had　as　usual　half　a　dozen　telegrams；　and　when　he　saw　that　she

saw　him　and　their　eyes　met　he　gave；　on　bowing　to　her；　an

exaggerated　laugh　in　which　she　read　a　new　consciousness。　　It　was　a

confession　of　awkwardness；　it　seemed　to　tell　her　that　of　course　he

knew　he　ought　better　to　have　kept　his　head；　ought　to　have　been

clever　enough　to　wait；　on　some　pretext；　till　he　should　have　found

her　free。　　Mr。　Buckton　was　a　long　time　with　him；　and　her　attention

was　soon　demanded　by　other　visitors；　so　that　nothing　passed　between

them　but　the　fulness　of　their　silence。　　The　look　she　took　from　him

was　his　greeting；　and　the　other　one　a　simple　sign　of　the　eyes　sent

her　before　going　out。　　The　only　token　they　exchanged　therefore　was

his　tacit　assent　to　her　wish　that　since　they　couldn't　attempt　a

certain　frankness　they　should　attempt　nothing　at　all。　　This　was　her

intense　preference；　she　could　be　as　still　and　cold　as　any　one　when

that　was　the　sole　solution。



Yet　more　than　any　contact　hitherto　achieved　these　counted　instants

struck　her　as　marking　a　step：　　they　were　built　sojust　in　the　mere

flashon　the　recognition　of　his　now　definitely　knowing　what　it　was

she　would　do　for　him。　　The　〃anything；　anything〃　she　had　uttered　in

the　Park　went　to　and　fro　between　them　and　under　the　poked…out　china

that　interposed。　　It　had　all　at　last　even　put　on　the　air　of　their

not　needing　now　clumsily　to　manoeuvre　to　converse：　　their　former

little　postal　make…believes；　the　intense　implications　of　questions

and　answers　and　change；　had　become　in　the　light　of　the　personal

fact；　of　their　having　had　their　moment；　a　possibility　comparatively

poor。　　It　was　as　if　they　had　met　for　all　timeit　exerted　on　their

being　in　presence　again　an　influence　so　prodigious。　　When　she

watched　herself；　in　the　memory　of　that　night；　walk　away　from　him　as

if　she　were　making　an　end；　she　found　something　too　pitiful　in　the

primness　of　such　a　gait。　　Hadn't　she　precisely　established　on　the

part　of　each　a　consciousness　that　could　end　only　with　death？



It　must　be　admitted　that　in　spite　of　this　brave　margin　an

irritation；　after　he　had　gone；　remained　with　her；　a　sense　that

presently　became　one　with　a　still　sharper　hatred　of　Mr。　Buckton；


who；　on　her　friend's　withdrawal；　had　retired　with　the　telegrams　to

the　sounder　and　left　her　the　other　work。　　She　knew　indeed　she

should　have　a　chance　to　see　them；　when　she　would；　on　file；　and　she

was　divided；　as　the　day　went　on；　between　the　two　impressions　of　all

that　was　lost　and　all　that　was　re…asserted。　　What　beset　her　above

all；　and　as　she　had　almost　never　known　it　before；　was　the　desire　to

bound　straight　out；　to　overtake　the　autumn　afternoon　before　it

passed　away　for　ever　and　hurry　off　to　the　Park　and　perhaps　be　with

him　there　again　on　a　bench。　　It　became　for　an　hour　a　fantastic

vision　with　her　that　he　might　just　have　gone　to　sit　and　wait　for

her。　　She　could　almost　hear　him；　through　the　tick　of　the　sounder；

scatter　with　his　stick；　in　his　impatience；　the　fallen　leaves　of

October。　　Why　should　such　a　vision　seize　her　at　this　particular

moment　with　such　a　shake？　　There　was　a　timefrom　four　to　five

when　she　could　have　cried　with　happiness　and　rage。



Business　quickened；　it　seemed；　toward　five；　as　if　the　town　did　wake

up；　she　had　therefore　more　to　do；　and　she　went　through　it　with

little　sharp　stampings　and　jerkings：　　she　made　the　crisp　postal…

orders　fairly　snap　while　she　breathed　to　herself　〃It's　the　last

daythe　last　day！〃　　The　last　day　of　what？　　She　couldn't　have　told。

All　she　knew　now　was　that　if　she　WERE　out　of　the　cage　she　wouldn't

in　the　least　have　minded；　this　time；　its　not　yet　being　dark。　　She

would　have　gone　straight　toward　Park　Chambers　and　have　hung　about

there　till　no　matter　when。　　She　would　have　waited；　stayed；　rung；

asked；　have　gone　in；　sat　on　the　stairs。　　What　the　day　was　the　last

of　was　probably；　to　her　strained　inner　sense；　the　group　of　golden

ones；　of　any　occasion　for　seeing　the　hazy　sunshine　s