an unsocial socialist-第37节

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Seriously；　of　course；　it　was　commonplace　enough。〃

Agatha　stopped　and　faced　him。　〃What　do　you　mean　by　what　you　said
just　now？　You　said　that　I　was　the　immediate　cause　of　the　tragedy；
and　you　say　that　you　were　talking　of　Henrietta'sof　Henrietta。　I
had　nothing　to　do　with　her　illness。〃

Trefusis　looked　at　her　as　if　considering　whether　he　would　go　any
further。　Then；　watching　her　with　the　curiosity　of　a　vivisector；
he　said：　〃Strange　to　say；　Agatha；〃　（she　shrank　proudly　at　the
word）；　〃Henrietta　might　have　been　alive　now　but　for　you。　I　am
very　glad　she　is　not；　so　you　need　not　reproach　yourself　on　my
account。　She　died　of　a　journey　she　made　to　Lyvern　in　great
excitement　and　distress；　and　in　intensely　cold　weather。　You
caused　her　to　make　that　journey　by　writing　her　a　letter　which
made　her　jealous。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　accuse　me〃

〃No；　stop！〃　he　said　hastily；　the　vivisecting　spirit　in　him
exorcised　by　her　shaking　voice；　〃I　accuse　you　of　nothing。　Why　do
you　not　speak　honestly　to　me　when　you　are　at　your　ease？　If　you
confess　your　real　thoughts　only　under　torture；　who　can　resist　the
temptation　to　torture　you？　One　must　charge　you　with　homicide　to
make　you　speak　of　anything　but　orchids。〃

But　Agatha　had　drawn　the　new　inference　from　the　old　facts；　and
would　not　be　talked　out　of　repudiating　it。　〃It　was　not　my　fault；〃
she　said。　〃It　was　yoursaltogether　yours。〃

〃Altogether；〃　he　assented；　relieved　to　find　her　indignant　instead
of　remorseful。

She　was　not　to　be　soothed　by　a　verbal　acquiescence。　〃Your
behavior　was　most　unmanly；　and　I　told　you　so；　and　you　could　not
deny　it。　You　pretended　that　youYou　pretended　to　have
feelingsYou　tried　to　make　me　believe　that　Oh；　I　am　a　fool　to
talk　to　you；　you　know　perfectly　well　what　I　mean。〃

〃Perfectly。　I　tried　to　make　you　believe　that　I　was　in　love　with
you。　How　do　you　know　I　was　not？〃

She　disdained　to　answer；　but　as　he　waited　calmly　she　said；　〃You
had　no　right　to　be。〃

〃That　does　not　prove　that　I　was　not。　Come；　Agatha；　you　pretended
to　like　me　when　you　did　not　care　two　straws　about　me。　You
confessed　as　much　in　that　fatal　letter；　which　I　have　somewhere　at
home。　It　has　a　great　rent　right　across　it；　and　the　mark　of　her
heel；　she　must　have　stamped　on　it　in　her　rage；　poor　girl！　So　that
I　can　show　your　own　hand　for　the　very　deception　you　accused
mewithout　proofof　having　practiced　on　you。〃

〃You　are　clever；　and　can　twist　things。　What　pleasure　does　it　give
you　to　make　me　miserable？〃

〃Ha！〃　he　exclaimed；　in　an　abrupt；　sardonic　laugh。　〃I　don't　know；
you　bewitch　me；　I　think。〃

Agatha　made　no　reply；　but　walked　on　quickly　to　the　end　of　the
conservatory；　where　the　others　were　waiting　for　them。

〃Where　have　you　been；　and　what　have　you　been　doing　all　this
time？〃　said　Jane；　as　Trefusis　came　up；　hurrying　after　Agatha。　〃I
don't　know　what　you　call　it；　but　I　call　it　perfectly
disgraceful！〃

Sir　Charles　reddened　at　his　wife's　bad　taste；　and　Trefusis
replied　gravely：　〃We　have　been　admiring　the　orchids；　and　talking
about　them。　Miss　Wylie　takes　an　interest　in　them。〃



CHAPTER　XIII

One　morning　Gertrude　got　a　letter　from　her　father：

〃My　Dear　Gerty：　I　have　just　received　a　bill　for　L110　from　Madame
Smith　for　your　dresses。　May　I　ask　you　how　long　this　sort　of　thing
is　to　go　on？　I　need　not　tell　you　that　I　have　not　the　means　to
support　you　in　such　extravagance。　I　am；　as　you　know；　always
anxious　that　you　should　go　about　in　a　style　worthy　of　your
position；　but　unless　you　can　manage　without　calling　on　me　to　pay
away　hundreds　of　pounds　every　season　to　Madame　Smith；　you　had
better　give　up　society　and　stay　at　home。　I　positively　cannot
afford　it。　As　far　as　I　can　see；　going　into　society　has　not　done
you　much　good。　I　had　to　raise　L500　last　month　on　Franklands；　and
it　is　too　bad　if　I　must　raise　more　to　pay　your　dressmaker。　You
might　at　least　employ　some　civil　person；　or　one　whose　charges　are
moderate。　Madame　Smith　tells　me　that　she　will　not　wait　any
longer；　and　charges　L50　for　a　single　dress。　I　hope　you　fully
understand　that　there　must　be　an　end　to　this。

〃I　hear　from　your　mother　that　young　Erskine　is　with　you　at
Brandon's。　I　do　not　think　much　of　him。　He　is　not　well　off；　nor
likely　to　get　on；　as　he　has　taken　to　poetry　and　so　forth。　I　am
told　also　that　a　man　named　Trefusis　visits　at　the　Beeches　a　good
deal　now。　He　must　be　a　fool；　for　he　contested　the　last　Birmingham
election；　and　came　out　at　the　foot　of　the　poll　with　thirty…two
votes　through　calling　himself　a　Social　Democrat　or　some　such
foreign　rubbish；　instead　of　saying　out　like　a　man　that　he　was　a
Radical。　I　suppose　the　name　stuck　in　his　throat；　for　his　mother
was　one　of　the　Howards　of　Breconcastle；　so　he　has　good　blood　in
him；　though　his　father　was　nobody。　I　wish　he　had　your　bills　to
pay；　he　could　buy　and　sell　me　ten　times　over；　after　all　my
twenty…five　years'　service。

〃As　I　am　thinking　of　getting　something　done　to　the　house；　I　had
rather　you　did　not　come　back　this　month；　if　you　can　possibly　hold
on　at　Brandon's。　Remember　me　to　him；　and　give　our　kind　regards　to
his　wife。　I　should　be　obliged　if　you　would　gather　some　hemlock
leaves　and　send　them　to　me。　I　want　them　for　my　ointment；　the
stuff　the　chemists　sell　is　no　good。　Your　mother's　eyes　are　bad
again；　and　your　brother　Berkeley　has　been　gambling；　and　seems　to
think　I　ought　to　pay　his　debts　for　him。　I　am　greatly　worried　over
it　all；　and　I　hope　that；　until　you　have　settled　yourself；　you
will　be　more　reasonable；　and　not　run　these　everlasting　bills　upon
me。　You　are　enjoying　yourself　out　of　reach　of　all　the
unpleasantness；　but　it　bears　hardly　upon

〃Your　affectionate　father；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃C。B。　LINDSAY。〃

A　faint　sketch　of　the　lines　Time　intended　to　engrave　on
Gertrude's　brow　appeared　there　as　she　read　the　letter；　but　she
hastened　to　give　the　admiral's　kind　regards　to　her　host　and
hostess；　and　discussed　her　mother's　health　feelingly　with　them。
After　breakfast　she　went　to　the　library；　and　wrote　her　reply：

〃BRANDON　BEECHES；　　　〃Tuesday。

〃Dear　Papa：　Considering　that　it　is　more　than　three　years　since
you　paid　Madame　Smith　last；　and　that　then　her　bill；　which
included　my　court　dress；　was　only　L150；　I　cannot　see　how　I　could
possibly　have　been　more　economical；　unless　you　expect　me　to　go　in
rags。　I　am　sorry　that　Madame　Smith　has　asked　for　the　money　at
such　an　inconvenient　time；　but　when　I　begged　you　to　pay　her
something　in　March　last　year　you　told　me　to　keep　her　quiet　by
giving　her　a　good　order。　I　am　not　surprised　at　her　not　being　very
civil；　as　she　has　plenty　of　tradesmen's　daughters　among　her
customers　who　pay　her　more　than　L300　a　year　for　their　dresses。　I
am　wearing　a　skirt　at　present　which　I　got　two　years　ago。

〃Sir　Charles　is　going　to　town　on　Thursday；　he　will　bring　you　the
hemlock。　Tell　mamma　that　there　is　an　old　woman　here　who　knows
some　wonderful　cure　for　sore　eyes。　She　will　not　tell　what　the
ingredients　are；　but　it　cures　everyone；　and　there　is　no　use　in
giving　an　oculist　two　guineas　for　telling　us　that　reading　in　bed
is　bad　for　the　eyes；　when　we　know　perfectly　well　that　mamma　will
not　give　up　doing　it。　If　you　pay　Berkeley's　debts；　do　not　forget
that　he　owes　me　L3。

〃Another　schoolfellow　of　mine　is　staying　here　now；　and　I　think
that　Mr。　Trefusis　will　have　the　pleasure　of　paying　her　bills　some
day。　He　is　a　great　pet　of　Lady　Brandon's。　Sir　Charles　was　angry
at　first　because　she　invited　him　here；　and　we　were　al1　surprised
at　it。　The　man　has　a　bad　reputation；　and　headed　a　mob　that　threw
down　the　walls　of　the　park；　and　we　hardly　thought　he　would　be
cool　enough　to　come　after　that。　But　he　does　not　seem　to　care
whether　we　want　him　or　not；　and　he　comes　when　he　likes。　As　he
talks　cleverly；　we　find　him　a　godsend　in　this　dull　place。　It　is
really　not　such　a　paradise　as　you　seem　to　think；　but　you　need　not
be　afraid　of　my　returning　any　sooner　than　I　can　help。

〃Your　affectionate　daughter；　　　　　〃Gertrude　Lindsay。

When　Gertrude　had　closed　this　letter；　and　torn　up　her　father's；
she　thought　little　more　about　either。　They　might　have　made　her
unhappy　had　they　found　her　happy；　but　as　hopeless　discontent　was
her　normal　state；　and　enjoyment　but　a　rare　accident；
recriminatory　passages　with　her　father　only　put　her　into　a　bad
humor；　and　did　not　in　the　least　disappoint　or　humiliate　her。

For　the　sake　of　exercise；　she　resolved　to　carry　her　letter　to　the
village　post　office　and　return　along　the　Riverside　Road；　whereby
she　had　seen　hemlock　growing。　She　took　care　to　go　out　unobserved；
lest　Agatha　should　volunteer　to　walk　with　her；　or　Jane　declare
her　intention　of　driving　to　the　post　office　in　the　afternoon；　and
sulk　for　the　rest　of　the　day　unless　the　trip　to　the　village　were
postponed　until　then。　She　took　with　her；　as　a　protection　against
tramps；　a　big　St。　Bernard　dog　named　Max。　This　animal；　which　was
young　and　enthusiastic；　had　taken　a　strong　fancy　to　her；　and　had
expressed　it　frankly　and　boisterously；　and　she；　whose　affections
had　been　starved　in　her　home　and　in　society；　had　encouraged　him
with　more　kindness　than　she　had　ever　shown　to　any　human　being。

In　the　village；　having　posted　her　letter；　she　turned　towards　a
lane　that　led　to　the　Riverside　Road。　Max；　unaware　of　her　reason
for　choosing　the　longest　way　home；