太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the price she paid >

第13节

the price she paid-第13节

小说: the price she paid 字数: 每页4000字

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!



bling her。  She said not a word from sitting down at table until they rose to go into the library for coffee。

‘‘Do tell me about your early life; General;'' Mrs。 Presbury said。  ‘‘Only the other day Millie was saying she wished she could read a biography of your romantic career。''

‘‘Yes; it has been ratherunusual;'' conceded the general with swelling chest and gently waving dollar… and…a…half…apiece cigar。

‘‘I do so ADMIRE a man who carves out his own fortune;'' Mrs。 Presbury went onshe had not obeyed her husband's injunction as to the champagne。  ‘‘It seems so wonderful to me that a man could with his own hands just dig a fortune out of the ground。''

‘‘He couldn't; ma'am;'' said the general; with gracious tolerance。  ‘‘It wasn't till I stopped the fool digging and hunting around for gold that I began to get ahead。  I threw away the pick and shovel and opened a hotel。''  (There were two or three sleeping…rooms of a kind in that ‘‘hotel;'' but it was rather a saloon of the species known as ‘‘doggery。'')  ‘‘Yes; it was in the hotel that I got my start。  The fellows that make the money in mining countries ain't the prospectors and diggers; ma'am。''

‘‘Really!'' cried Mrs。 Presbury breathlessly。  ‘‘How interesting!''

‘‘They're fools; they are;'' proceeded the general。 ‘‘No; the money's made by the fellows that grub…stake the foolsgive 'em supplies and send 'em out to nose around in the mountains。  Then them that find any… thing have to give half to the fellow that did the grub… staking。  And he looks into the claim; and if there's anything in it; why; he buys the fool out。  In mines; like everywhere else; ma'am; it ain't work; it's brains that makes the money。  No miner ever made a mining fortunenot one。  It's the brainy; foxy fellows that stay back in the camps。  I used to send out fifty and a hundred men a year。  Maybe only two or three'd turn up anything worth while。  No; ma'am; I never got a dollar ahead on my digging。  All the gold I ever dug went right off for grubor a good time。''

‘‘Wonderful!'' exclaimed Mrs。 Presbury。  ‘‘I never heard of such a thing。''

‘‘But we're not here to talk about mines;'' said the general; his eyes upon Mildred。  ‘‘I've been looking into mattersto get down to businessand I've asked you here to let you know that I'm willing to go ahead。''

Profound silence。  Mildred suddenly drew in her breath with a sound so sharp that the three others started and glanced hastily at her。  But she made no further sign。  She sat still and cold and pale。

The general; perfectly at ease; broke the silence。 ‘‘I think Miss Gower and I would get on faster alone。''

Presbury at once stood up; his wife hesitated; her eyes uneasily upon her daughter。  Presbury said: ‘‘Come on; Alice。''  She rose and preceded him into the adjoining conservatory。  The little general posed himself before the huge open fire; one hand behind him; the other at the level of his waistcoat; the big cigar be… tween his first and second fingers。  ‘‘Well; my dear?'' said he。

Mildred somewhat hesitatingly lifted her eyes; but; once she had them up; their gaze held steadily enough upon histoo steadily for his comfort。  He addressed himself to his cigar:

‘‘I'm not quite ready to say I'm willing to go the limit;'' said he。  ‘‘We don't exactly know each other sufficiently well as yet; do we?''

‘‘No;'' said Mildred。

‘‘I've been making inquiries;'' he went on; ‘‘that is; I had my chief secretary make themand he's a very thorough man; thanks to my training。  He reports everything entirely all right。  I admire dignity and reserve in a woman; and you have been very particular。 Were you engaged to Stanley Baird?''

Mildred flushed; veiled her eyes to hide their resentful flash at this impertinence。  She debated with herself; decided that any rebuke short of one that would anger him would be wasted upon him。  ‘‘No;'' said she。

‘‘That agrees with Harding's report;'' said the general。  ‘‘It was a mere girlish flirtationvery dignified and proper;'' he hastened to add。  ‘‘I don't mean to suggest that you were at all flighty。''

‘‘Thank you;'' said Mildred sweetly。

‘‘Are there any questions you would like to ask about me?'' inquired he。

‘‘No;'' said Mildred。

‘‘As I understand itfrom my talk with Presbury you are willing to go on?''

‘‘Yes;'' said Mildred。

The general smiled genially。  ‘‘I think I may say without conceit that you will like me as you know me better。  I have no bad habitsI've too much regard for my health to over…indulge or run loose。  In my boyhood days I may have put in rather a heavy sowing of wild oats''the general laughed; Mildred conjured up the wintriest and faintest of echoing smiles‘‘but that's all past;'' he went on; ‘‘and there's nothing that could rise up to interfere with our happiness。  You are fond of children?''

A pause; then Mildred said quite evenly; ‘‘Yes。''

‘‘Excellent;'' said the general。  ‘‘I'll expect you and your mother and father to dinner Sunday night。  Is that satisfactory?''

‘‘Yes;'' said Mildred。

A longish pause。  Then the general:  ‘‘You seem to be a littleafraid of me。  I don't know why it is that people are always that way with me。''  A halt; to give her the opportunity to say the obvious flattering thing。 Mildred said nothing; gave no sign。  He went on:  ‘‘It will wear away as we know each other better。  I am a simple; plain mankind and generous in my instincts。 Of course I am dignified; and I do not like familiarity。 But I do not mean to inspire fear and awe。''

A still longer pause。  ‘‘Well; everything is settled;'' said the general。  ‘‘We understand each other clearly? not an engagement; nothing binding on either side simply aaan option without forfeit。''  And he laughedhis laugh was a ghoulish sound; not loud but explosive and an instant check upon demonstration of mirth from anyone else。

‘‘I understand;'' said Mildred with a glance toward the door through which Presbury and his wife had disappeared。

‘‘Now; we'll join the others; and I'll show you the house''again the laugh‘‘what may be your future homeone of them。''

The four were soon started upon what was for three of them a weariful journey despite the elevator that spared them the ascents of the stairways。  The house was an exaggerated reproduction of all the establishments of the rich who confuse expenditure with luxury and comfort。  Bill Siddall had bought ‘‘the best of everything''; that is; the things into which the purveyors of costly furnishings have put the most excuses for charging。  Of taste; of comfort; of discrimination; there were few traces and these obviously accidental。 ‘‘I picked out the men acknowledged to be the best in their different lines;'' said the general; ‘‘and I gave them carte blanche。''

‘‘I see that at a glance;'' said Presbury。  ‘‘You've done the grand thing on the grandest possible scale。''

‘‘I've looked into the finest of the famous places on the other side;'' said the general。  ‘‘All I can say is; I've had no regrets。''

‘‘I should say not;'' cried Mrs。 Presbury。

With an affectation of modest hesitationto show that he was a gentleman with a gentleman's fine appreciation of the due of maiden modestySiddall paused at the outer door of his own apartments。  But at one sentence of urging from Mrs。 Presbury he opened the door and ushered them in。  And soon he was showing them everythinghis Carrara marble bathroom and bathing…pool; his bed that had been used by several French kings; his dressing…room with its appliances of gold and platinum and precious stones; his clothing。 They had to inspect a room full of suits; huge chiffoniers crowded with shirts and ties and underclothes。 He exhibited silk dressing…robes and pajamas; pointed out the marks of the fashionable London and Paris makers; the monograms; the linings of ermine and sable。 ‘‘I'm very particular about everything that touches me;'' explained he。  ‘‘It seems to me a gentleman can't be too particular。''  With a meaning glance at Mildred; ‘‘And I'd feel the same way about my wife。''

‘‘You hear that; Mildred?'' said Presbury; with a nasty little laugh。  He had been relieving the tedium of this sight…seeing tour by observingand from time to time aggravatingMildred's sufferings。

The general released his mirth…strangling goat laugh; Mrs。 Presbury echoed it with a gale of rather wild hysterics。  So well pleased was the general with the excursion and so far did he feel advanced toward intimacy that on the way down the majestic marble stairway he ventured to give Mildred's arm a gentle; playful squeeze。  And at the parting he kissed her hand。  Presbury had changed his mind about returning to the country。  On the way to the hotel he girded at Mildred; reviewing all that the little general had said and done; and sneering; jeering at it。  Mildred made not a single retort until they were upstairs in the hotel。  At the door to her room she said to Presburysaid it in a quiet; cold; terrible way:

‘‘If you really want me to go through with this thing; you will stop insulting him and me。  If you do it again; I'll give upand go on the streets before I'll marry him。''

Presbury shrugged his shoulders and went on to the other room。  But he did not begin again the next day; and from that time forth avoided re

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的