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第44节

five tales-第44节

小说: five tales 字数: 每页4000字

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The car; returning faster than it had come down that morning; had already passed the outskirt villas; and was breasting the hill to where; among fields and the old trees; Charm3eigh lay apart from commoner life。  Turning into his drive; Mr。 Bosengate thought with a certain surprise: 'I wonder what she does think of!  I wonder!'  He put his gloves and hat down in the outer hall and went into the lavatory; to dip his face in cool water and wash it with sweet… smelling soapdelicious revenge on the unclean atmosphere in which he had been stewing so many hours。  He came out again into the hall dazed by soap and the mellowed light; and a voice from half…way up the stairs said: 〃Daddy!  Look!〃  His little daughter was standing up there with one hand on the banisters。  She scrambled on to them and came sliding down; her frock up to her eyes; and her holland knickers to her middle。  Mr。 Bosengate said mildly:

〃Well; that's elegant!〃

〃Tea's in the summer…house。  Mummy's waiting。  Come on!〃

With her hand in his; Mr。 Bosengate went on; through the drawing… room; long and cool; with sun…blinds down; through the billiard…room; high and cool; through the conservatory; green and sweet…smelling; out on to the terrace and the upper lawn。  He had never felt such sheer exhilarated joy in his home surroundings; so cool; glistening and green under the July sun; and he said:

〃Well; Kit; what have you all been doing?〃

〃I've fed my rabbits and Harry's; and we've been in the attic; Harry got his leg through the skylight。〃

Mr。 Bosengate drew in his breath with a hiss。

〃It's all right; Daddy; we got it out again; it's only grazed the skin。  And we've been making swabsI made seventeen; Mummy made thirty…three; and then she went to the hospital。  Did you put many men in prison?〃

Mr。 Bosengate cleared his throat。  The question seemed to him untimely。

〃Only two。〃

〃What's it like in prison; Daddy?〃

Mr。 Bosengate; who had no more knowledge than his little daughter; replied in an absent voice:

〃Not very nice。〃

They were passing under a young oak tree; where the path wound round to the rosery and summer…house。  Something shot down and clawed Mr。 Bosengate's neck。  His little daughter began to hop and suffocate with laughter。

〃Oh; Daddy!  Aren't you caught!  I led you on purpose!〃

Looking up; Mr。 Bosengate saw his small son lying along a low branch above himlike the leopard he was declaring himself to be (for fear of error); and thought blithely: 'What an active little chap it is!' 〃Let me drop on your shoulders; Daddylike they do on the deer。〃

〃Oh; yes!  Do be a deer; Daddy!〃

Mr。 Bosengate did not see being a deer; his hair had just been brushed。  But he entered the rosery buoyantly between his offspring。 His wife was standing precisely as he had imagined her; in a pale blue frock open at the neck; with a narrow black band round the waist; and little accordion pleats below。  She looked her coolest。 Her smile; when she turned her head; hardly seemed to take Mr。 Bosengate seriously enough。  He placed his lips below one of her half…drooped eyelids。  She even smelled of roses。  His children began to dance round their mother; and Mr。 Bosengate;firmly held between them; was also compelled to do this; until she said:

〃When you've quite done; let's have tea!〃

It was not the greeting he had imagined coming along in the car。 Earwigs were plentiful in the summer…houseused perhaps twice a year; but indispensable to every country residenceand Mr。 Bosengate was not sorry for the excuse to get out again。  Though all was so pleasant; he felt oddly restless; rather suffocated; and lighting his pipe; began to move about among the roses; blowing tobacco at the greenfly; in war…time one was never quite idle!  And suddenly he said:

〃We're trying a wretched Tommy at the assizes。〃

His wife looked up from a rose。

〃What for?〃

〃Attempted suicide。〃

〃Why did he?〃

〃Can't stand the separation from his wife。〃

She looked at him; gave a low laugh; and said:

〃Oh dear!〃

Mr。 Bosengate was puzzled。  Why did she laugh?  He looked round; saw that the children were gone; took his pipe from his mouth; and approached her。

〃You look very pretty;〃 he said。  〃Give me a kiss!〃

His wife bent her body forward from the waist; and pushed her lips out till they touched his moustache。  Mr。 Bosengate felt a sensation as if he had arisen from breakfast; without having eaten marmalade。 He mastered it; and said:

〃That jury are a rum lot。〃

His wife's eyelids flickered。  〃I wish women sat on juries。〃

〃Why?〃

〃It would be an experience。〃

Not the first time she had used that curious expression!  Yet her life was far from dull; so far as he could see; with the new interests created by the war; and the constant calls on her time made by the perfection of their home life; she had a useful and busy existence。  Again the random thought passed through him: 'But she never tells me anything!'  And suddenly that lugubrious khaki…clad figure started up among the rose bushes。  〃We've got a lot to be thankful for!〃 he said abruptly。  〃I must go to work!〃  His wife; raising one eyebrow; smiled。  〃And I to weep!〃  Mr。 Bosengate laughedshe had a pretty wit!  And stroking his comely moustache where it had been kissed; he moved out into the sunshine。  All the evening; throughout his labours; not inconsiderable; for this jury business had put him behind time; he was afflicted by that restless pleasure in his surroundings; would break off in mowing the lower lawn to look at the house through the trees; would leave his study and committee papers; to cross into the drawing…room and sniff its dainty fragrance; paid a special good…night visit to the children having supper in the schoolroom; pottered in and out from his dressing room to admire his wife while she was changing for dinner; dined with his mind perpetually on the next course; talked volubly of the war; and in the billiard room afterwards; smoking the pipe which had taken the place of his cigar; could not keep still; but roamed about; now in conservatory; now in the drawing…room; where his wife and the governess were still making swabs。  It seemed to him that he could not have enough of anything。  About eleven o'clock he strolled out beautiful night; only just dark enoughunder the new arrangement with Timeand went down to the little round fountain below the terrace。  His wife was playing the piano。  Mr。 Bosengate looked at the water and the flat dark water lily leaves which floated there; looked up at the house; where only narrow chinks of light showed; because of the Lighting Order。  The dreamy music  drifted out; there was a scent of heliotrope。  He moved a few steps back; and sat in the children's swing under an old lime tree。  Jollyblissfulin the warm; bloomy dark!  Of all hours of the day; this before going to bed was perhaps the pleasantest。  He saw the light go up in his wife's bed room; unscreened for a full minute; and thought: 'Aha!  If I did my duty as a special; I should 〃strafe〃 her for that。'  She came to the window; her figure lighted; hands up to the back of her head; so that her bare arms gleamed。  Mr。 Bosengate wafted her a kiss; knowing he could not be seen。  'Lucky chap!' he mused; 'she's a great joy!' Up went her arm; down came the blind the house was dark again。  He drew a long breath。  'Another ten minutes;' he thought; 'then I'll go in and shut up。  By Jove!  The limes are beginning to smell already!' And; the better to take in that acme of his well…being; he tilted the swing; lifted his feet from the ground; and swung himself toward the scented blossoms。  He wanted to whelm his senses in their perfume; and closed his eyes。  But instead of the domestic vision he expected; the face of the little Welsh soldier; hare…eyed; shadowy; pinched and dark and pitiful; started up with such disturbing vividness that he opened his eyes again at once。  Curse!  The fellow almost haunted one!  Where would he be now poor little devil!lying in his cell; thinkingthinking of his wife!  Feeling suddenly morbid; Mr。 Bosengate arrested the swing and stood up。 Absurd!all his well… being and mood of warm anticipation had deserted him!  'A d…d world!' he thought。  'Such a lot of misery!  Why should I have to sit in judgment on that poor beggar; and condemn him?'  He moved up on to the terrace and walked briskly; to rid himself of this disturbance before going in。  'That commercial traveller chap;' he thought; 'the rest of those fellowsthey see nothing!'  And; abruptly turning up the three stone steps; he entered the conservatory; locked it; passed into the billiard room; and drank his barley water。  One of the pictures was hanging crooked; he went up to put it straight。  Still life。  Grapes and apples; andlobsters!  They struck him as odd for the first time。  Why lobsters?  The whole picture seemed dead and oily。  He turned off the light; and went upstairs; passed his wife's door; into his own room; and undressed。  Clothed in his pyjamas he opened the door between the rooms。  By the light coming from his own he could see her dark head on the pillow。  Was she asleep?  Nonot asleep; certainly。  The moment of fruition had come; the crowning of his pride and pleasure in his home。  But he continued

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