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第53节

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raising his hat; offered his arm to Margit。  She glanced back across

her shoulder to reassure Swithin。  〃It is a friend;〃 she said。



Swithin looked at Rozsiher eyes were bright; her lips tremulous。

He slipped his hand along the table and touched her fingers。  Then

she flashed a look at himappeal; reproach; tenderness; all were

expressed in it。  Was she expecting him to dance?  Did she want to

mix with the rift…raff there; wish him to make an exhibition of

himself in this hurly…burly?  A voice said; 〃Good…evening!〃  Before

them stood Kasteliz; in a dark coat tightly buttoned at the waist。



〃You are not dancing; Rozsi Kozsanony?〃 (Miss Rozsi)。  〃Let me; then;

have the pleasure。〃  He held out his arm。  Swithin stared in front of

him。  In the very act of going she gave him a look that said as plain

as words: 〃Will you not?〃  But for answer he turned his eyes away;

and when he looked again she was gone。  He paid the score and made

his way into the crowd。  But as he went she danced by close to him;

all flushed and panting。  She hung back as if to stop him; and he

caught the glistening of tears。  Then he lost sight of her again。  To

be deserted the first minute he was alone with her; and for that

jackanapes with the small head and the volcanic glances!  It was too

much!  And suddenly it occurred to him that she was alone with

Kastelizalone at night; and far from home。  ' Well;' he thought;

'what do I care?' and shouldered his way on through the crowd。  It

served him right for mixing with such people here。  He left the fair;

but the further he went; the more he nursed his rage; the more

heinous seemed her offence; the sharper grew his jealousy。  〃A

beggarly baron!〃 was his thought。



A figure came alongsideit was Boleskey。  One look showed Swithin

his condition。  Drunk again!  This was the last straw!



Unfortunately Boleskey had recognised him。  He seemed violently

excited。  〃Wherewhere are my daughters?〃 he began。



Swithin brushed past; but Boleskey caught his arm。  〃Listen

brother!〃 he said; 〃news of my country!  After to…morrow。。。。〃



〃Keep it to yourself!〃 growled Swithin; wrenching his arm free。  He

went straight to his lodgings; and; lying on the hard sofa of his

unlighted sitting…room; gave himself up to bitter thoughts。  But in

spite of all his anger; Rozsi's supply…moving figure; with its

pouting lips; and roguish appealing eyes; still haunted him。









VIII



Next morning there was not a carriage to be had; and Swithin was

compelled to put off his departure till the morrow。  The day was grey

and misty; he wandered about with the strained; inquiring look of a

lost dog in his eyes。



Late in the afternoon he went back to his lodgings。  In a corner of

the sitting…room stood Rozsi。  The thrill of triumph; the sense of

appeasement; the emotion; that seized on him; crept through to his

lips in a faint smile。  Rozsi made no sound; her face was hidden by

her hands。  And this silence of hers weighed on Swithin。  She was

forcing him to break it。  What was behind her hands?  His own face

was visible!  Why didn't she speak?  Why was she here?  Alone?  That

was not right surely。



Suddenly Rozsi dropped her hands; her flushed face was quiveringit

seemed as though a word; a sign; even; might bring a burst of tears。



He walked over to the window。  'I must give her time!' he thought;

then seized by unreasoning terror at this silence; spun round; and

caught her by the arms。  Rozsi held back from him; swayed forward and

buried her face on his breast。。。。



Half an hour later Swithin was pacing up and down his room。  The

scent of rose leaves had not yet died away。  A glove lay on the

floor; he picked it up; and for a long time stood weighing it in his

hand。  All sorts of confused thoughts and feelings haunted him。  It

was the purest and least selfish moment of his life; this moment

after she had yielded。  But that pure gratitude at her fiery; simple

abnegation did not last; it was followed by a petty sense of triumph;

and by uneasiness。  He was still weighing the little glove in his

hand; when he had another visitor。  It was Kasteliz。



〃What can I do for you?〃 Swithin asked ironically。



The Hungarian seemed suffering from excitement。  Why had Swithin left

his charges the night before?  What excuse had he to make?  What sort

of conduct did he call this?



Swithin; very like a bull…dog at that moment; answered: What business

was it of his?



The business of a gentleman!  What right had the Englishman to pursue

a young girl?



〃Pursue?〃 said Swithin; 〃you've been spying; then?〃



〃SpyingIKastelizMaurus Johannan insult!〃



〃Insult!〃 sneered Swithin; d'you mean to tell me you weren't in the

street just now?〃



Kasteliz answered with a hiss; 〃If you do not leave the city I will

make you; with my sworddo you understand?〃



〃And if you do not leave my room I will throw you out of the window!〃



For some minutes Kasteliz spoke in pure Hungarian while Swithin

waited; with a forced smile and a fixed look in his eye。  He did not

understand Hungarian。



〃If you are still in the city to…morrow evening;〃 said Kasteliz at

last in English; 〃 I will spit you in the street。〃



Swithin turned to the window and watched his visitor's retiring back

with a queer mixture of amusement; stubbornness; and anxiety。

'Well;' he thought; 'I suppose he'll run me through!'  The thought

was unpleasant; and it kept recurring; but it only served to harden

his determination。  His head was busy with plans for seeing Rozsi;

his blood on fire with the kisses she had given him。









IX



Swithin was long in deciding to go forth next day。  He had made up

his mind not to go to Rozsi till five o'clock。  'Mustn't make myself

too cheap;' he thought。  It was a little past that hour when he at

last sallied out; and with a beating heart walked towards Boleskey's。

He looked up at the window; more than half expecting to see Rozsi

there; but she was not; and he noticed with faint surprise that the

window was not open; the plants; too; outside; looked singularly

arid。  He knocked。  No one came。  He beat a fierce tatto。  At last

the door was opened by a man with a reddish beard; and one of those

sardonic faces only to be seen on shoemakers of Teutonic origin。



〃What do you want; making all this noise?〃 he asked in German。



Swithin pointed up the stairs。  The man grinned; and shook his head。



〃I want to go up;〃 said Swithin。



The cobbler shrugged his shoulders; and Swithin rushed upstairs。  The

rooms were empty。  The furniture remained; but all signs of life were

gone。  One of his own bouquets; faded; stood in a glass; the ashes of

a fire were barely cold; little scraps of paper strewed the hearth;

already the room smelt musty。  He went into the bedrooms; and with a

feeling of stupefaction stood staring at the girls' beds; side by

side against the wall。  A bit of ribbon caught his eye; he picked it

up and put it in his pocketit was a piece of evidence that she had

once existed。  By the mirror some pins were dropped about; a little

powder had been spilled。  He looked at his own disquiet face and

thought; 'I've been cheated!'



The shoemaker's voice aroused him。  〃Tausend Teufel!  Eilen Sie; nur!

Zeit is Geld!  Kann nich' Langer warten!〃  Slowly he descended。



〃Where have they gone?〃 asked Swithin painfully。  〃A pound for every

English word you speak。  A pound!〃 and he made an O with his fingers。



The corners of the shoemaker's lips curled。  〃Geld! Mf!  Eilen Sie;

nur!〃



But in Swithin a sullen anger had begun to burn。  〃If you don't tell

me;〃 he said; 〃it'll be the worse for you。〃



〃Sind ein komischer Kerl!〃 remarked the shoemaker。  〃Hier ist meine

Frau!〃



A battered…looking woman came hurrying down the passage; calling out

in German; 〃Don't let him go!〃



With a snarling sound the shoemaker turned his back; and shambled

off。



The woman furtively thrust a letter into Swithin's hand; and

furtively waited。



The letter was from Rozsi。



〃Forgive me〃it ran〃that I leave you and do not say goodbye。  To…

day our father had the call from our dear Father…town so long

awaited。  In two hours we are ready。  I pray to the Virgin to keep

you ever safe; and that you do not quite forget me。Your

unforgetting good friend;  ROZSI



When Swithin read it his first sensation was that of a man sinking in

a bog; then his obstinacy stiffened。  'I won't be done;' he thought。

Taking out a sovereign he tried to make the woman comprehend that she

could earn it; by telling him where they had gone。  He got her

finally to write the words out in his pocket…book; gave her the

sovereign; and hurried to the Goldene Alp; where there was a waiter

who spoke English。  The translation given him was this:



〃At three o'clock they start in a carriage on the road to Linzthey

have bad horsesthe Herr also ri

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