the captives-第73部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


she　had　been　doing　them　for　years　and　years　and　years。　It　was　too　bad　that　Maggie　should　suffer　her　to　take　them　on　her　shoulders。　What　did　Maggie　think　she　was　a　clergyman's　wife　for？　Did　Maggie　imagine　that　there　were　no　responsibilities　attached　to　her　position？

Grace　did　not　say　these　things；　but　she　thought　them。　She　did　not　of　course　admit　to　herself　that　she　wanted　Maggie　both　to　go　and　not　to　go。　She　simply　knew　that　there　was　a　〃grievance〃　and　Maggie　was　responsible　for　it。　But　at　present　she　was　silent　。　。　。

The　next　factor　in　the　rapidly　developing　situation　was　Mr。　Toms。　One　day　early　in　April　Maggie　went　for　a　little　walk　by　herself　along　the　lane　that　led　to　Marsden　Wood。　Marsden　Wood　was　the　most　sinister　of　all　the　woods；　there　had　once　been　a　murder　there；　but　even　had　there　not；　the　grim　bleakness　of　the　trees　and　bushes；　the　absence　of　all　clear　paths　through　its　tangles　and　thickets　made　it　a　sinister　place。　She　turned　at　the　very　edge　of　the　wood　and　set　her　face　back　towards　Skeaton。

The　day　had　been　wild　and　windy　with　recurrent　showers　of　rain；　but　now　there　was　a　break；　the　chilly　April　sun　broke　through　the　clouds　and　scattered　the　hedges　and　fields　with　primrose　light。

Faintly　and　with　a　gentle　rhythm　the　murmur　of　the　sea　came　across　the　land　and　the　air　was　sweet　with　the　sea…salt　and　the　fresh　scent　of　the　grass　after　rain。　Maggie　stood　for　a　moment；　breathing　in　the　spring　air　and　watching　the　watery　blue　thread　its　timid　way　through　banks　of　grey　cloud。　A　rich　gleam　of　sunlight　struck　the　path　at　her　feet。

She　saw　then；　coming　towards　her；　a　man　and　a　woman。　The　woman　was　ordinary　enough；　a　middle…aged；　prim；　stiffly　dressed　person　with　a　pale　shy　face；　timid　in　her　walk　and　depressed　in　mouth　and　eyes。　The　man　was　a　stout；　short；　thick…set　fellow　with　a　rosy　smiling　face。　At　once　Maggie　noticed　his　smile。　He　was　dressed　very　smartly　in　a　black　coat　and　waist…coat　and　pepper…and…salt　trousers。　His　bowler　was　cocked　a　little　to　one　side。　She　passed　them　and　the　little　round　man；　looking　her　full　in　the　face；　smiled　so　happily　and　with　so　radiant　an　amiability　that　she　was　compelled　to　respond。　The　woman　did　not　look　at　her。

Long　after　she　had　left　them　she　thought　of　the　little　man's　smile。　There　was　something　that；　in　spite　of　herself；　reminded　her　both　of　Uncle　Mathew　and　Martin。　She　felt　a　sudden　and　warm　kinship；　something　that　she　had　not　known　since　her　arrival　in　Skeaton。　Had　she　not　struggled　with　herself　every　kind　of　reminiscence　of　her　London　life　would　have　come　crowding　about　her。　This　meeting　was　like　the　first　little　warning　tap　upon　the　wall　。　。　。

On　her　return　she　spoke　of　it。

〃Oh；〃　said　Paul；　〃that　must　have　been　poor　little　Mr。　Toms　with　his　sister。〃

〃Poor？〃　asked　Maggie。

〃Yes。　He's　queer　in　his　head；　you　know；〃　said　Paul。　〃Quite　harmless；　but　he　has　the　strangest　ideas。〃

Maggie　noticed　then　that　Grace　shivered　and　the　whole　of　her　face　worked　with　an　odd　emotion　of　horror　and　disgust。

〃He　should　have　been　shut　up　somewhere；〃　she　said。　〃It's　disgraceful　letting　him　walk　about　everywhere　just　like　any　one　else。〃

〃Shut　up！〃　cried　Maggie。　〃Oh；　no！　I　don't　think　any　one　ought　to　be　shut　up　for　anything。〃

〃My　dear　Maggie！〃　said　Paul　in　his　fatherly　protecting　voice。　〃No　prisons？　Think　what　would　become　of　us　all。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Maggie　impatiently；　〃I'm　not　practical　of　course；　I　don't　know　what　one　should　do；　but　I　do　know　that　no　one　should　be　shut　up。〃

〃Chut…chut〃　said　Grace。

Now　this　〃Chut；　chut；〃　may　seem　a　very　little　thing；　but　very　little　things　are　sometimes　of　great　importance。　Marriages　have　been　wrecked　on　an　irritating　cough　and　happy　homes　ruined　by　a　shuffle。　Grace　had　said　〃Chut；　chut；〃　for　a　great　many　years　and　to　many　people。　It　expressed　scorn　and　contempt　and　implied　a　vast　store　of　superior　knowledge。　Grace　herself　had　no　idea　of　the　irritating　nature　of　this　exclamation；　she　would　have　been　entirely　amazed　did　you　explain　to　her　that　it　had　more　to　do　with　her　unpopularity　in　Skeaton　than　any　other　thing。　She　had　even　said　〃Chut；　chut；〃　to　Mrs。　Constantine。

But　she　said　it　to　Maggie　more　than　to　any　other　person。　When　she　had　been　in　the　house　a　few　days　she　said　to　her　brother：

〃Paul；　Maggie's　much　younger　than　I　had　supposed。〃

〃Oh；　do　you　think　so？〃　said　Paul。

〃Yes；　I　do。　She　knows　nothing　about　anything。　She's　been　nowhere。　She's　seen　nobody　。　。　。　Poor　child。〃

It　was　the　〃poor　child〃　position　that　she　now；　during　these　first　weeks；　adopted。　She　was　very；　very　kind　to　Maggie。　As　she　explained　to　Mrs。　Maxse；　she　really　was　very　fond　of　hershe　was　a　GOOD　girl。　At　the　same　time　。　。　。　Well！　。　。　。　Mrs。　Maxse　would　understand　that　Paul　can　hardly　have　known　what　he　was　marrying。　Ignorance！　Carelessness！　Strange　ideas！　Some　one　from　the　centre　of　Africa　would　have　known　more　。　。　。　and　so　on。　Nevertheless；　she　was　a　GOOD　girl　。　。　。　Only　she　needed　guidance。　Fancy；　she　had　taken　quite　a　fancy　to　poor　Mr。　Toms！　Proposed　to　call　on　his　sister。　Well；　one　couldn't　help　that。　Miss　Toms　was　a　regular　communicant　。　。　。　Nevertheless　。　。　。　she　didn't　realise；　that　was　it。　Of　course；　she　had　known　all　kinds　of　queer　people　in　London。　Paul　and　Grace　had　rescued　her。　The　strangest　people。　No；　Maggie　was　an　orphan。　She　had　an　uncle；　Grace　believed；　and　two　aunts　who　belonged　to　a　strange　sect。　Sex？　No；　sect。　Very　queer　altogether。

Mrs。　Maxse　went　home　greatly　impressed。

〃The　girl's　undoubtedly　queer；〃　she　told　her　husband。

〃The　parson's　got　a　queer　sort　of　wife；〃　Colonel　Maxse　told　his　friends　in　the　Skeaton　Conservative　Club。　〃He　rescued　her　from　some　odd　sort　of　life　in　London。　No。　Don't　know　what　it　was　exactly。　Always　was　a　bit　soft；　Trenchard。〃

Maggie　had　no　idea　that　Skeaton　was　discussing　her。　She　judged　other　people　by　herself。　Meanwhile　something　occurred　that　gave　her　quite　enough　to　think　about。

She　had　understood　from　Grace　that　it　was　expected　of　her　that　she　should　be　at　home　on　one　afternoon　in　the　week　to　receive　callers。　She　thought　it　a　silly　thing　that　she　should　sit　in　the　ugly　drawing…room　waiting　for　people　whom　she　did　not　wish　to　see　and　who　did　not　wish　to　see　her；　but　she　was　told　that　it　was　one　of　her　duties；　and　so　she　would　do　it。　No　one；　however；　had　any　idea　of　the　terror　with　which　she　anticipated　these　Friday　afternoons。　She　had　never　been　a　very　great　talker；　she　had　nothing　much　to　say　unless　to　some　one　in　whom　she　was　interested。　She　was　frightened　lest　something　should　happen　to　the　tea；　and　she　felt　that　they　were　all　staring　at　her　and　asking　themselves　why　her　hair　was　cut　short　and　why　her　clothes　didn't　fit　better。　However；　there　it　was。　It　was　her　duty。

One　Friday　afternoon　she　was　sitting　alone；　waiting。　The　door　opened　and　the　maid　announced　Mrs。　Purdie。　Maggie　remembered　that　she　had　been　told　that　Mr。　Alfred　Purdie　was　the　richest　man　in　Skeaton；　that　he　had　recently　married；　and　was　but　now　returned　from　his　honeymoon。

Mrs。　Purdie　entered　and　revealed　herself　as　Caroline　Smith。　For　a　moment；　as　Maggie　looked　upon　that　magnificent　figure；　the　room　turned　about　her　and　her　eyes　were　dim。　She　remembered；　as　though　some　one　were　reminding　her　from　a　long　way　off；　that　Caroline　had　once　told　her　that　she　was　considering　the　acceptance　of　a　rich　young　man　in　Skeaton。

She　remembered　that　at　the　time　she　had　thought　the　coincidence　of　Caroline　and　Paul　Trenchard　strange。　But　far　stronger　than　any　such　memory　was　the　renewed　conviction　that　she　had　that　fate　did　not　intend　to　leave　her　alone。　She　was　not　to　keep　the　two　worlds　apart；　she　was　not　to　be　allowed　to　forget。

The　sight　of　Caroline　brought　Martin　before　her　so　vividly　that　she　could　have　cried　out。　Instead　she　stood　there；　quietly　waiting；　and　showed　no　sign　of　any　embarrassment。

Caroline　was　dressed　in　peach…coloured　silk　and　a　little　black　hat。　She　was　not　confused　in　the　least。　She　seized　Maggie's　hand　and　shook　it；　talking　all　the　time。

〃Well　now；　I'm　sure　you're　surprised　to　see　me；〃　she　said；　〃and　perhaps　you're　not　too　glad　either。　Alfred　wanted　to　come　too；　but　I　said　to　him；　'No；　Alfred；　this　will　be　just　a　little　awkward　at　first；　for　Maggie　Trenchard's　got　a　grievance；　and　with　some　reason；　too；　so　you'd　better　let　me　manage　it　alone　the　first　meeting。'　Wasn't　I　right？　Of　course　I　was。　And　you　can　just　say　right　out　now；　Maggie；　exactly　what's　in　your　mind。　It's　not　my　fault　that　we're　both　in　the　same　town。　I'm　sure　you'd　much　rather　never　set　eyes　on　me　again；　and　I'm　sure　I　can　quite　understand　if　you　feel　like　that。　But　there　it　is。　I　told　you　long　ago　in　London　that　Alfred　was　after　me；　and　I　was　in　two　minds　about　it…but　of　course　I　didn't　dream　you　were　going　to　marry　a　parson。　You　could　have　knocked　me　down　with　less　than　a　feather　when　I　saw　it　in　the　Skeaton　News；　'That　can't　be　my　Margaret　Cardinal；'　I　said；　and　yet　it　seemed　so　strange　the　two　names　and　all。　Well；　and　then　I　found　it　really　WAS　the　same。　I　WAS　astonished。　You　of　all　people　the　wife　of　a　parson！　However；　you　know　your　own　mind　best；　and　I'm　sure　Mr。　Trenchard's　a　very　lucky　man。　So　you　can　just　start　off　and　curse　me；　Maggie；　as　much　as　you　like。〃

The　strange　thing　was　that　as　Maggie　listened　to　this　she　felt　a　desire　to　embrace　rather　than　curse。　Of　course　Caroline　had　done　her　harm；　she　had；　perhaps　ruined　Martin's　life　as　well　as　her　own；　but　the　mistake　had　been　originally　Maggie's　in　trusting　Caroline　with　more　confidence　than　her　volatile　nature　would　allow　her　to　hold。　And　now；　as　she　looked　at　Caroline　and　saw　that　pretty　pink　and　white　face；　the　slim　beautiful　body；　the　grace　and　gaiety；　and　childish　amiability；　her　whole　soul　responded。　Here　was　a　friend；　even　though　an　indiscreet　one；　here　was　some　one　from　home；　the　one　human　being　in　the　whole　of　Skeaton　who　knew　the　old　places　and　the　old　people；　the　Chapel；　and　the　auntsand　Martin。　She　knew　at　once　that　it　would　have　been　far　safer　had　Caroline　not　been　there；　that　the　temptation　to　discuss　Martin　would　be　irresistible；　that　she　would　yield　to　it；　and　that　Caroline　was　in　no　way　whatever　to　be　trusted…she　realised　all　these　things；　and　yet　she　was　glad。

〃I　don't　want　to　curse　you；　Caroline；〃　said　Maggie。　〃Sit　down。　Tea　will　be　here　in　a　minute