the captives-第82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！



〃I'm　very　sorry；〃　she　said；　almost　whispering。　Why　did　fate　play　against　her？　Why；　when　she　might　have　fought　the　Uncle　Mathew　battle　victoriously；　had　Grace　suddenly　been　given　this　weapon　with　which　to　strike？

〃I'll　go　and　do　them　now；〃　she　said。　〃I　can　take　those　flowers　out　of　the　drawing…room。〃

〃It's　done；〃　Grace　slowly　savouring　her　triumph。　〃I　did　them　myself　this　afternoon。〃

〃Then　you　should　have　told　me　that！〃　Maggie　burst　out。　〃It's　not　fair　making　me　miserable　just　for　your　own　fun。　You　don't　know　how　you　hurt；　Grace。　You're　cruel；　you're　cruel！〃

She　had　a　horrible　fear　lest　she　should　burst　into　tears。　To　save　that　terrible　disaster　she　jumped　up　and　ran　out　of　the　room；　hearing　behind　her　Paul's　admonitory　〃Maggie；　Maggie！〃

It　is　to　be　expected　that　Mrs。　Maxse　and　Miss　Purves　made　the　most　of　their　story。　The　Rector's　wife　and　a　drunken　uncle！　No；　it　was　too　good　to　be　true　。　。　。　but　it　was　true；　nevertheless。　Christmas　passed　and　the　horrible　damp　January　days　arrived。　Skeaton　was　a　dripping　covering　of　emptinesshollow；　shallow；　deserted。　Every　tree；　Maggie　thought；　dripped　twice　as　much　as　any　other　tree　in　Europe。　It　remained　for　Caroline　Purdie　to　complete　the　situation。　One　morning　at　breakfast　the　story　burst　upon　Maggie's　ears。　Grace　was　too　deeply　moved　and　excited　to　remember　her　hostility。　She　poured　out　the　tale。

It　appeared　that　for　many　many　months　Caroline　had　not　been　the　wife　she　should　have　been。　No；　there　had　been　a　young　man；　a　Mr。　Bennett　from　London。　The　whole　town　had　had　its　suspicions；　had　raised　its　pointing　finger；　had　peeped　and　peered　and　whimpered。　The　only　person　who　had　noticed　nothing　was　Mr。　Purdie　himself。　He　must；　of　course；　have　seen　that　his　house　was　filled　with　noisy　young　men　and　noisier　young　women；　he　must　have　realised　that　his　bills　were　high；　that　champagne　was　drunk　and　cards　were　played；　and　that　his　wife's　attire　was　fantastically　gorgeous。　At　any　rate；　if　he　noticed　these　things　he　said　nothing。　He　was　a　dull；　silent；　slow…thinking　man；　people　said。　Then　one　day　he　went　up　to　London　or　rather；　in　the　manner　of　the　best　modern　problem　play；　he　pretended　to　go；　returned　abruptly；　and　discovered　Caroline　in　the　arms　of　Mr。　Bennett。

He　flung　Mr。　Bennett　out　of　the　bedroom　window；　breaking　his　leg　and　his　nose；　and　that　was　why　every　one　knew　the　story。　What　he　said　to　Caroline　was　uncertain。　He　did　not；　however；　pack　her　off；　as　Miss　Purves　said　he　should　have　done；　but　rather　kept　her　in　the　big　ugly　house；　just　as　he　had　done　before；　only　now　without　the　young　men；　the　young　women；　the　champagne　and　the　flowers。

〃I　must　go　and　see　her；〃　said　Maggie　when　she　heard　this　story。

Grace　turned　the　strange　pale　yellow　that　was　her　colour　when　she　was　disturbed。

〃Maggie；〃　she　said；　〃I　warn　you　that　if　you　go　to　see　this　abandoned　woman　you　will　be　insulting　Paul　and　myself　before　the　whole　town。〃

〃She　is　my　friend；〃　said　Maggie。

〃She　is　a　wicked　woman；〃　said　Grace；　breathing　very　heavily；　〃and　you're　a　wicked　woman　if　you　go　to　see　her。　You　have　already　made　Paul　miserable。〃

〃That　is　untrue；〃　Maggie　said　fiercely。　〃It　is　I　that　have　been　miserable。　Not　that　it　hasn't　been　my　own　fault。　I　should　never　have　married　Paul。〃

〃No；　you　should　not；〃　said　Grace；　breathing　as　though　she　had　been　running　very　hard。　〃And　for　that　I　was　partly　to　blame。　But　fancy　what　you've　done　since　you've　been　with　us！　Just　fancy！　It's　terrible　。　。　。　never　a　greater　mistake　。　。　。　never；　never。〃

Maggie　tossed　her　head。　〃Well；　if　it　was　a　mistake；〃　she　said；　〃the　end　of　pretending　has　come　at　last。　I've　been　trying　for　nearly　two　years　now　to　go　your　way　and　Paul's。　I　can't　do　it。　I　can't　alter　myself。　I've　tried；　and　I　can't。　It's　no　use。　Grace；　we'd　never　get　on。　I　see　it's　been　hopeless　from　the　first。　But　you　shan't　make　Paul　hate　me。　You've　been　trying　your　hardest；　but　you　shan't　succeed。　I　know　that　I'm　stupid　and　careless；　but　it's　no　use　my　pretending　to　be　good　and　quiet　and　obedient。　I'm　not　good。　I'm　not　quiet。　I'm　not　obedient。　I'm　going　to　be　myself　now。　I'm　going　to　have　the　friends　I　want　and　do　the　things　I　want。〃

Grace　moved　back　as　though　she　thought　that　Maggie　were　going　to　strike　her。

〃You're　wicked；〃　she　said。　〃What　about　those　letters　in　your　drawer？　You've　never　loved　Paul。〃

〃So　you've　been　opening　my　drawers？〃　said　Maggie。　〃You're　worse　than　I；　Grace。　I　never　opened　any　one's　drawers　nor　read　letters　I　shouldn't。　But　it　doesn't　matter。　There's　nothing　I　want　to　hide。　Paul　knows　all　about　it。　I'm　not　ashamed。〃

〃No；　you're　not；〃　Grace's　eyes　were　large　with　terror。　〃You're　ashamed　at　nothing。　You've　made　every　one　in　the　place　laugh　at　us。　You've　ruined　Paul's　life　hereyes；　you　have。　But　you　don't　care。　Do　you　think　I　mind　for　myself？　But　I　love　Paul；　and　I've　looked　after　him　all　his　life；　and　he　was　happy　until　you　cameyes；　he　was。　You've　made　us　all　laughed　at。　You're　bad　all　through；　Maggie；　and　the　laws　of　the　Church　aren't　anything　to　you　at　all。〃

There　was　a　pause。　Maggie；　a　little　calmer；　realised　Grace；　who　had　sunk　into　a　chair。　She　saw　that　stout　middle…aged　woman　with　the　flat　expressionless　face　and　the　dull　eyes。　She　saw　the　flabby　hands　nervously　trembling；　and　she　longed　suddenly　to　be　kind　and　affectionate。

〃Oh；　Grace；〃　she　cried。　〃I　know　I've　been　everything　I　shouldn't；　only　don't　you　see　I　can't　give　up　my　friends？　And　I　told　Paul　before　we　married　that　I'd　loved　some　one　else　and　wasn't　religious。　But　perhaps　it　isn't　too　late。　Let's　be　friends。　I'll　try　harder　than　ever　before〃

Then　she　saw；　in　the　way　that　Grace　shrank　back；　her　eyes　staring　with　the　glazed　fascination　that　a　bird　has　for　a　snake；　that　there　was　more　than　dislike　and　jealousy　here；　there　was　the　wild　unreasoning　fear　that　a　child　has　for　the　dark。

〃Am　I　like　that？〃　was　her　own　instinctive　shuddering　thought。　Then；　almost　running；　she　rushed　up　to　her　bedroom。




CHAPTER　VII

DEATH　OF　AUNT　ANNE


Maggie；　after　that　flight；　faced　her　empty　room　with　a　sense　of　horror。　Was　there；　truly；　then；　something　awful　about　her？　The　child　（for　she　was　indeed　nothing　more）　looked　into　her　glass；　standing　on　tip…toe　that　she　might　peer　sufficiently　and　saw　her　face；　pale；　with　its　large　dark　eyes　rimmed　by　the　close…clipped　hair。　Was　she　then　awful？　First　her　father；　then　her　aunts；　then　the　Warlocks；　now　Grace　and　Paulnot　only　dislike　but　fright；　terror；　alarm！

Her　loneliness　crushed　her　in　that　half…hour　as　it　had　never　crushed　her　since　that　day　at　Borhedden。　She　broke　down　altogether；　kneeling　by　the　bed　and　her　head　in　her　pillow　sobbing：　〃Oh；　Martin；　I　want　you！　Martin；　I　want　you　so！〃

When　she　was　calmer　she　thought　of　going　down　to　Paul　and　making　another　appeal　to　him；　but　she　knew　that　such　an　appeal　could　only　end　in　his　asking　her　to　change　herself；　begging　her　to　be　more　polite　to　Grace；　more　careful　and　less　forgetful；　and　of　course　to　give　up　such　people　as　the　Toms　and　Caroline；　and　then　there　would　come；　after　it　all；　the　question　as　to　whether　she　intended　to　behave　better　to　himself；　whether　she　would　be　more　loving；　more　。　。　。　Oh　no！　she　could　not；　she　could　not；　she　could　not！

She　saw　the　impossibility　of　it　so　plainly　that　it　was　a　relief　to　her　and　she　washed　her　face　and　brushed　her　hair　and　plucked　up　courage　to　regard　herself　normally　once　more。　〃I'm　not　different；〃　she　said　to　the　looking…glass。　〃There's　no　reason　for　Grace　to　make　faces。〃　She　saw　that　the　breach　between　herself　and　Grace　had　become　irreparable；　and　that　whatever　else　happened　in　the　future　at　least　it　was　certain　that　they　would　never　be　friends　again。

She　went　downstairs　prepared　to　do　battle　。　。　。

Next　morning　she　paid　her　visit　to　Caroline。　It　was　a　strange　affair。　The　girl　was　sitting　alone　in　her　over…gorgeous　house；　her　hands　on　her　lap；　looking　out　of　the　window；　an　unusual　position　for　her　to　be　in。

Caroline　was　at　first　very　stiff　and　haughty；　expecting　that　Maggie　had　come　to　scold　her。　〃I　just　looked　in　to　sec　how　you　were；〃　said　Maggie。

〃You　might　have　come　before；〃　answered　Caroline。　〃It's　years　since　you've　been　near　me。〃

〃I　didn't　like　all　those　people　you　had　in　your　house；〃　said　Maggie。　〃I　like　it　better　now　there's　no　one　in　it。〃

That　was　not；　perhaps；　very　tactful　of　her。　Caroline　flushed。

〃I　could　have　them　all　here　now　if　I　wanted　to　ask　them；〃　she　answered　angrily。

〃Well；　I'm　very　glad　you'd　rather　be　without　them；〃　said　Maggie。　〃They　weren't　worthy　of　you；　Caroline。〃

〃Oh！　What's　the　use　going　on　talking　like　this！〃　Caroline　broke　out。　〃Of　course　you've　heard　all　about　everything。　Every　one　has。　I　can't　put　my　nose　outside　the　door　without　them　all　peering　at　me。　I　hate　them　allall　of　themand　the　place　too；　and　every　one　in　it。〃

〃I　expect　you　do〃　said　Maggie　sympathetically。

〃Nasty　cats！　As　though　they'd　never　done　anything　wrong　all　their　days。　It　was　mostly　Alfred's　fault　too。　What　does　he　expect　when　he　leaves　me　all　alone　here　week　after　week　eating　one's　heart　out。　One　must　do　something　with　one's　time。　Just　like　all　men！　At　first　there's　nothing　too　good　for　you；　then　when　they　get　used　to　it　they　can't　be　bothered　about　anything。　I　wonder　what　a　man　thinks　married　life　is？　Then　to　listen　to　Alfred；　you'd　think　we　were　still　living　in　the　days　of　the　Good　Queen　Victoriayou　would　indeed。　Wouldn't　let　me　go　up　to　London　alone！　There's　a　nice　thing　for　you。　And　all　because　he　did　let　me　go　once　and　I　meant　to　stay　with　mother　and　mother　was　away。　So　I　had　to　sleep　at　a　hotel。　Why　shouldn't　I　sleep　at　a　hotel！　I'm　not　a　baby。　And　now　he　keeps　me　here　like　a　prisoner。　Just　as　though　I　were　in　jail。〃

〃Is　he　unkind　to　you？〃　asked　Maggie。

〃No；　he　isn't。　It's　his　horrible　kindness　I　can't　stand。　He　won't　divorce　me；　he　won't　let　me　go　away；　he　just　keeps　me　here　and　is　so　kind　and　patient　that　I　could　kill　him。　I　shall　one　day。　I　know　I　shall。〃　She　stood　for　a　moment；　pouting　and　looking　out　of　the　window。　Then　suddenly　she　turned　and；　flinging　her　arms　around　Maggie；　burst　into　tears。

〃Oh；　Maggie！　I'm　so　miserable　。　。　。　I'm　so　miserable；　Maggie！　Why　did　I　ever　come　here？　Why　did　I　ever　marry？　I　was　so　happy　at　home　with　mother。〃

Maggie　comforted　her；　persuading　her　that　all