villa rubein and other stories-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