the little white bird-第8节

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friend。　　〃His　latest；〃　said　he　now；　〃is　to　send　David　a　rocking…

horse！〃



I　must　say　I　could　see　no　reason　for　his　mirth。　　〃Picture　it；〃

said　he；　〃a　rocking…horse　for　a　child　not　three　months　old！〃



I　was　about　to　say　fiercely：　〃The　stirrups　are　adjustable；〃　but

thought　it　best　to　laugh　with　him。　　But　I　was　pained　to　hear　that

Mary　had　laughed；　though　heaven　knows　I　have　often　laughed　at

her。



〃But　women　are　odd；〃　he　said　unexpectedly；　and　explained。　　It

appears　that　in　the　middle　of　her　merriment　Mary　had　become　grave

and　said　to　him　quite　haughtily；　〃I　see　nothing　to　laugh　at。〃

Then　she　had　kissed　the　horse　solemnly　on　the　nose　and　said；　〃I

wish　he　was　here　to　see　me　do　it。〃　　There　are　moments　when　one

cannot　help　feeling　a　drawing　to　Mary。



But　moments　only；　for　the　next　thing　he　said　put　her　in　a

particularly　odious　light。　　He　informed　me　that　she　had　sworn　to

hunt　Mr。　Anon　down。



〃She　won't　succeed；〃　I　said；　sneering　but　nervous。



〃Then　it　will　be　her　first　failure；〃　said　he。



〃But　she　knows　nothing　about　the　man。〃



〃You　would　not　say　that　if　you　heard　her　talking　of　him。　　She

says　he　is　a　gentle；　whimsical；　lonely　old　bachelor。〃



〃Old？〃　I　cried。



〃Well；　what　she　says　is　that　he　will　soon　be　old　if　he　doesn't

take　care。　　He　is　a　bachelor　at　all　events；　and　is　very　fond　of

children；　but　has　never　had　one　to　play　with。〃



〃Could　not　play　with　a　child　though　there　was　one；〃　I　said

brusquely；　〃has　forgotten　the　way；　could　stand　and　stare　only。〃



〃Yes；　if　the　parents　were　present。　　But　he　thinks　that　if　he　were

alone　with　the　child　he　could　come　out　strong。〃



〃How　the　deuce〃　I　began



〃That　is　what　she　says；〃　he　explained；　apologetically。　　〃I　think

she　will　prove　to　be　too　clever　for　him。〃



〃Pooh；〃　I　said；　but　undoubtedly　I　felt　a　dizziness；　and　the　next

time　I　met　him　he　quite　frightened　me。　　〃Do　you　happen　to　know

any　one；〃　he　said；　〃who　has　a　St。　Bernard　dog？〃



〃No；〃　said　I；　picking　up　my　stick。



〃He　has　a　St。　Bernard　dog。〃



〃How　have　you　found　that　out？〃



〃She　has　found　it　out。〃



〃But　how？〃



〃I　don't　know。〃



I　left　him　at　once；　for　Porthos　was　but　a　little　way　behind　me。

The　mystery　of　it　scared　me；　but　I　armed　promptly　for　battle。　　I

engaged　a　boy　to　walk　Porthos　in　Kensington　Gardens；　and　gave　him

these　instructions：　〃Should　you　find　yourself　followed　by　a　young

woman　wheeling　a　second…hand　perambulator；　instantly　hand　her

over　to　the　police　on　the　charge　of　attempting　to　steal　the　dog。〃



Now　then；　Mary。



〃By　the　way；〃　her　husband　said　at　our　next　meeting；　〃that

rocking…　horse　I　told　you　of　cost　three　guineas。〃



〃She　has　gone　to　the　shop　to　ask？〃



〃No；　not　to　ask　that；　but　for　a　description　of　the　purchaser's

appearance。〃



Oh；　Mary；　Mary。



Here　is　the　appearance　of　purchaser　as　supplied　at　the　Arcade：

looked　like　a　military　gentleman；　tall；　dark；　and　rather　dressy；

fine　Roman　nose　（quite　so）；　carefully　trimmed　moustache　going

grey　（not　at　all）；　hair　thin　and　thoughtfully　distributed　over

the　head　like　fiddlestrings；　as　if　to　make　the　most　of　it　（pah！）；

dusted　chair　with　handkerchief　before　sitting　down　on　it；　and　had

other　oldmaidish　ways　（I　should　like　to　know　what　they　are）；

tediously　polite；　but　no　talker；　bored　face；　age　forty…five　if　a

day　（a　lie）；　was　accompanied　by　an　enormous　yellow　dog　with　sore

eyes。　　（They　always　think　the　haws　are　sore　eyes。）



〃Do　you　know　anyone　who　is　like　that？〃　Mary's　husband　asked　me

innocently。



〃My　dear　man；〃　I　said；　〃I　know　almost　no　one　who　is　not　like

that；〃　and　it　was　true；　so　like　each　other　do　we　grow　at　the

club。　I　was　pleased；　on　the　whole；　with　this　talk；　for　it　at

least　showed　me　how　she　had　come　to　know　of　the　St。　Bernard；　but

anxiety　returned　when　one　day　from　behind　my　curtains　I　saw　Mary

in　my　street　with　an　inquiring　eye　on　the　windows。　　She　stopped　a

nurse　who　was　carrying　a　baby　and　went　into　pretended　ecstasies

over　it。　I　was　sure　she　also　asked　whether　by　any　chance　it　was

called　Timothy。　　And　if　not；　whether　that　nurse　knew　any　other

nurse　who　had　charge　of　a　Timothy。



Obviously　Mary　suspicioned　me；　but　nevertheless；　I　clung　to

Timothy；　though　I　wished　fervently　that　I　knew　more　about　him；

for　I　still　met　that　other　father　occasionally；　and　he　always

stopped　to　compare　notes　about　the　boys。　　And　the　questions　he

asked　were　so　intimate；　how　Timothy　slept；　how　he　woke　up；　how　he

fell　off　again；　what　we　put　in　his　bath。　　It　is　well　that　dogs

and　little　boys　have　so　much　in　common；　for　it　was　really　of

Porthos　I　told　him；　how　he　slept　（peacefully）；　how　he　woke　up

（supposed　to　be　subject　to　dreams）；　how　he　fell　off　again　（with

one　little　hand　on　his　nose）；　but　I　glided　past　what　we　put　in

his　bath　（carbolic　and　a　mop）。



The　man　had　not　the　least　suspicion　of　me；　and　I　thought　it

reasonable　to　hope　that　Mary　would　prove　as　generous。　　Yet　was　I

straitened　in　my　mind。　　For　it　might　be　that　she　was　only　biding

her　time　to　strike　suddenly；　and　this　attached　me　the　more　to

Timothy；　as　if　I　feared　she　might　soon　snatch　him　from　me。　　As

was　indeed　to　be　the　case。





VI



A　Shock



It　was　on　a　May　day；　and　I　saw　Mary　accompany　her　husband　as　far

as　the　first　crossing；　whence　she　waved　him　out　of　sight　as　if　he

had　boarded　an　Atlantic…liner。　　All　this　time　she　wore　the　face

of　a　woman　happily　married　who　meant　to　go　straight　home；　there

to　await　her　lord's　glorious　return；　and　the　military…looking

gentleman　watching　her　with　a　bored　smile　saw　nothing　better

before　him　than　a　chapter　on　the　Domestic　Felicities。　　Oh；　Mary；

can　you　not　provide　me　with　the　tiniest　little　plot？



Hallo！



No　sooner　was　she　hid　from　him　than　she　changed　into　another

woman；　she　was　now　become　a　calculating　purposeful　madam；　who

looked　around　her　covertly　and；　having　shrunk　in　size　in　order　to

appear　less　noticeable；　set　off　nervously　on　some　mysterious

adventure。



〃The　deuce！〃　thought　I；　and　followed　her。



Like　one　anxious　to　keep　an　appointment；　she　frequently　consulted

her　watch；　looking　long　at　it；　as　if　it　were　one　of　those　watches

that　do　not　give　up　their　secret　until　you　have　made　a　mental

calculation。　　Once　she　kissed　it。　　I　had　always　known　that　she

was　fond　of　her　cheap　little　watch；　which　he　gave　her；　I　think；

on　the　day　I　dropped　the　letter；　but　why　kiss　it　in　the　street？　

Ah；　and　why　then　replace　it　so　hurriedly　in　your　leather…belt；

Mary；　as　if　it　were　guilt　to　you　to　kiss　to…day；　or　any　day；　the

watch　your　husband　gave　you？



It　will　be　seen　that　I　had　made　a　very　rapid　journey　from　light

thoughts　to　uneasiness。　　I　wanted　no　plot　by　the　time　she　reached

her　destination；　a　street　of　tawdry　shops。　　She　entered　none　of

them；　but　paced　slowly　and　shrinking　from　observation　up　and　down

the　street；　a　very　figure　of　shame；　and　never　had　I　thought　to

read　shame　in　the　sweet　face　of　Mary　A。　　Had　I　crossed　to　her

and　pronounced　her　name　I　think　it　would　have　felled　her；　and　yet

she　remained　there；　waiting。　　I；　too；　was　waiting　for　him；

wondering　if　this　was　the　man；　or　this；　or　this；　and　I　believe　I

clutched　my　stick。



Did　I　suspect　Mary？　　Oh；　surely　not　for　a　moment　of　time。　　But

there　was　some　foolishness　here；　she　was　come　without　the

knowledge　of　her　husband；　as　her　furtive　manner　indicated；　to　a

meeting　she　dreaded　and　was　ashamed　to　tell　him　of；　she　was　come

into　danger；　then　it　must　be　to　save；　not　herself　but　him；　the

folly　to　be　concealed　could　never　have　been　Mary's。　　Yet　what

could　have　happened　in　the　past　of　that　honest　boy　from　the

consequences　of　which　she　might　shield　him　by　skulking　here？

Could　that　laugh　of　his　have　survived　a　dishonour？　　The　open

forehead；　the　curly　locks；　the　pleasant　smile；　the　hundred

ingratiating　ways　which　we　carry　with　us　out　of　childhood；　they

may　all　remain　when　the　innocence　has　fled；　but　surely　the　laugh

of　the　morning　of　life　must　go。　　I　have　never　known　the　devil

retain　his　grip　on　that。



But　Mary　was　still　waiting。　　She　was　no　longer　beautiful；　shame

had　possession　of　her　face；　she　was　an　ugly　woman。　　Then　the

entanglement　was　her　husband's；　and　I　cursed　him　for　it。　　But

without　conviction；　for；　after　all；　what　did　I　know　of　women？　　I

have　some　distant　memories　of　them；　some　vain　inventions。　　But　of

menI　have　known　one　man　indifferent　well　for　over　forty　years；

have　exulted　in　him　（odd　to　think　of　it）；　shuddered　at　him；

wearied　of　him；　been　willing　（God　forgive　me）　to　jog　along　with

him　tolerantly　long　after　I　have　found　him　out；　I　know　something

of　men；　and；　on　my　soul；　boy；　I　believe　I　am　wronging　you。



Then　Mary　is　here　for　some　innocent　purpose；　to　do　a　good　deed

that　were　better　undone；　as　it　so　scares　her。　　Turn　back；　you

foolish；　soft　heart；　and　I　shall　say　no　more　about　it。　　Obstinate

one；　you　saw　the　look　on　your　husband's　face　as　he　left　you。　　It

is　the　studio　ligh