in the cage-第11节

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！



traveller　in　the　desert。　　She　had　not　been　out　of　London　for　a

dozen　years；　and　the　only　thing　to　give　a　taste　to　the　present　dead

weeks　was　the　spice　of　a　chronic　resentment。　　The　sparse　customers；

the　people　she　did　see；　were　the　people　who　were　〃just　off〃off　on

the　decks　of　fluttered　yachts；　off　to　the　uttermost　point　of　rocky

headlands　where　the　very　breeze　was　then　playing　for　the　want　of

which　she　said　to　herself　that　she　sickened。



There　was　accordingly　a　sense　in　which；　at　such　a　period；　the　great

differences　of　the　human　condition　could　press　upon　her　more　than

ever；　a　circumstance　drawing　fresh　force　in　truth　from　the　very

fact　of　the　chance　that　at　last；　for　a　change；　did　squarely　meet

herthe　chance　to　be　〃off；〃　for　a　bit；　almost　as　far　as　anybody。

They　took　their　turns　in　the　cage　as　they　took　them　both　in　the

shop　and　at　Chalk　Farm；　she　had　known　these　two　months　that　time

was　to　be　allowed　in　Septemberno　less　than　eleven　daysfor　her

personal　private　holiday。　　Much　of　her　recent　intercourse　with　Mr。

Mudge　had　consisted　of　the　hopes　and　fears；　expressed　mainly　by

himself；　involved　in　the　question　of　their　getting　the　same　dates

a　question　that；　in　proportion　as　the　delight　seemed　assured；

spread　into　a　sea　of　speculation　over　the　choice　of　where　and　how。

All　through　July；　on　the　Sunday　evenings　and　at　such　other　odd

times　as　he　could　seize；　he　had　flooded　their　talk　with　wild　waves

of　calculation。　　It　was　practically　settled　that；　with　her　mother；

somewhere　〃on　the　south　coast〃　（a　phrase　of　which　she　liked　the

sound）　they　should　put　in　their　allowance　together；　but　she　already

felt　the　prospect　quite　weary　and　worn　with　the　way　he　went　round

and　round　on　it。　　It　had　become　his　sole　topic；　the　theme　alike　of

his　most　solemn　prudences　and　most　placid　jests；　to　which　every

opening　led　for　return　and　revision　and　in　which　every　little

flower　of　a　foretaste　was　pulled　up　as　soon　as　planted。　　He　had

announced　at　the　earliest　daycharacterising　the　whole　business；

from　that　moment；　as　their　〃plans；〃　under　which　name　he　handled　it

as　a　Syndicate　handles　a　Chinese　or　other　Loanhe　had　promptly

declared　that　the　question　must　be　thoroughly　studied；　and　he

produced；　on　the　whole　subject；　from　day　to　day；　an　amount　of

information　that　excited　her　wonder　and　even；　not　a　little；　as　she

frankly　let　him　know；　her　disdain。　　When　she　thought　of　the　danger

in　which　another　pair　of　lovers　rapturously　lived　she　enquired　of

him　anew　why　he　could　leave　nothing　to　chance。　　Then　she　got　for

answer　that　this　profundity　was　just　his　pride；　and　he　pitted

Ramsgate　against　Bournemouth　and　even　Boulogne　against　Jerseyfor

he　had　great　ideaswith　all　the　mastery　of　detail　that　was　some

day；　professionally；　to　carry　him　afar。



The　longer　the　time　since　she　had　seen　Captain　Everard　the　more　she

was　booked；　as　she　called　it；　to　pass　Park　Chambers；　and　this　was

the　sole　amusement　that　in　the　lingering　August　days　and　the

twilights　sadly　drawn　out　it　was　left　her　to　cultivate。　　She　had

long　since　learned　to　know　it　for　a　feeble　one；　though　its

feebleness　was　perhaps　scarce　the　reason　for　her　saying　to　herself

each　evening　as　her　time　for　departure　approached：　　〃No；　nonot

to…night。〃　　She　never　failed　of　that　silent　remark；　any　more　than

she　failed　of　feeling；　in　some　deeper　place　than　she　had　even　yet

fully　sounded；　that　one's　remarks　were　as　weak　as　straws　and　that；

however　one　might　indulge　in　them　at　eight　o'clock；　one's　fate

infallibly　declared　itself　in　absolute　indifference　to　them　at

about　eight…fifteen。　　Remarks　were　remarks；　and　very　well　for　that；

but　fate　was　fate；　and　this　young　lady's　was　to　pass　Park　Chambers

every　night　in　the　working　week。　　Out　of　the　immensity　of　her

knowledge　of　the　life　of　the　world　there　bloomed　on　these　occasions

as　specific　remembrance　that　it　was　regarded　in　that　region；　in

August　and　September；　as　rather　pleasant　just　to　be　caught　for

something　or　other　in　passing　through　town。　　Somebody　was　always

passing　and　somebody　might　catch　somebody　else。　　It　was　in　full

cognisance　of　this　subtle　law　that　she　adhered　to　the　most

ridiculous　circuit　she　could　have　made　to　get　home。　　One　warm　dull

featureless　Friday；　when　an　accident　had　made　her　start　from

Cocker's　a　little　later　than　usual；　she　became　aware　that　something

of　which　the　infinite　possibilities　had　for　so　long　peopled　her

dreams　was　at　last　prodigiously　upon　her；　though　the　perfection　in

which　the　conditions　happened　to　present　it　was　almost　rich　enough

to　be　but　the　positive　creation　of　a　dream。　　She　saw；　straight

before　her；　like　a　vista　painted　in　a　picture；　the　empty　street　and

the　lamps　that　burned　pale　in　the　dusk　not　yet　established。　　It　was

into　the　convenience　of　this　quiet　twilight　that　a　gentleman　on　the

doorstep　of　the　Chambers　gazed　with　a　vagueness　that　our　young

lady's　little　figure　violently　trembled；　in　the　approach；　with　the

measure　of　its　power　to　dissipate。　　Everything　indeed　grew　in　a

flash　terrific　and　distinct；　her　old　uncertainties　fell　away　from

her；　and；　since　she　was　so　familiar　with　fate；　she　felt　as　if　the

very　nail　that　fixed　it　were　driven　in　by　the　hard　look　with　which；

for　a　moment；　Captain　Everard　awaited　her。



The　vestibule　was　open　behind　him　and　the　porter　as　absent　as　on

the　day　she　had　peeped　in；　he　had　just　come　outwas　in　town；　in　a

tweed　suit　and　a　pot　hat；　but　between　two　journeysduly　bored　over

his　evening　and　at　a　loss　what　to　do　with　it。　　Then　it　was　that　she

was　glad　she　had　never　met　him　in　that　way　before：　　she　reaped　with

such　ecstasy　the　benefit　of　his　not　being　able　to　think　she　passed

often。　　She　jumped　in　two　seconds　to　the　determination　that　he

should　even　suppose　it　to　be　the　very　first　time　and　the　very

oddest　chance：　　this　was　while　she　still　wondered　if　he　would

identify　or　notice　her。　　His　original　attention　had　not；　she

instinctively　knew；　been　for　the　young　woman　at　Cocker's；　it　had

only　been　for　any　young　woman　who　might　advance　to　the　tune　of　her

not　troubling　the　quiet　air；　and　in　fact　the　poetic　hour；　with

ugliness。　　Ah　but　then；　and　just　as　she　had　reached　the　door；　came

his　second　observation；　a　long　light　reach　with　which；　visibly　and

quite　amusedly；　he　recalled　and　placed　her。　　They　were　on　different

sides；　but　the　street；　narrow　and　still；　had　only　made　more　of　a

stage　for　the　small　momentary　drama。　　It　was　not　over；　besides；　it

was　far　from　over；　even　on　his　sending　across　the　way；　with　the

pleasantest　laugh　she　had　ever　heard；　a　little　lift　of　his　hat　and

an　〃Oh　good　evening！〃　　It　was　still　less　over　on　their　meeting；　the

next　minute；　though　rather　indirectly　and　awkwardly；　in　the　middle；

of　the　roada　situation　to　which　three　or　four　steps　of　her　own

had　unmistakeably　contributedand　then　passing　not　again　to　the

side　on　which　she　had　arrived；　but　back　toward　the　portal　of　Park

Chambers。



〃I　didn't　know　you　at　first。　　Are　you　taking　a　walk？〃



〃Ah　I　don't　take　walks　at　night！　　I'm　going　home　after　my　work。〃



〃Oh！〃



That　was　practically　what　they　had　meanwhile　smiled　out；　and　his

exclamation　to　which　for　a　minute　he　appeared　to　have　nothing　to

add；　left　them　face　to　face　and　in　just　such　an　attitude　as；　for

his　part；　he　might　have　worn　had　he　been　wondering　if　he　could

properly　ask　her　to　come　in。　　During　this　interval　in　fact　she

really　felt　his　question　to　be　just　〃HOW　properly？〃　　It　was

simply　a　question　of　the　degree　of　properness。







CHAPTER　XV







She　never　knew　afterwards　quite　what　she　had　done　to　settle　it；　and

at　the　time　she　only　knew　that　they　presently　moved；　with

vagueness；　yet　with　continuity；　away　from　the　picture　of　the

lighted　vestibule　and　the　quiet　stairs　and　well　up　the　street

together。　　This　also　must　have　been　in　the　absence　of　a　definite

permission；　of　anything　vulgarly　articulate；　for　that　matter；　on

the　part　of　either；　and　it　was　to　be；　later　on；　a　thing　of

remembrance　and　reflexion　for　her　that　the　limit　of　what　just　here

for　a　longish　minute　passed　between　them　was　his　taking　in　her

thoroughly　successful　deprecation；　though　conveyed　without　pride　or

sound　or　touch；　of　the　idea　that　she　might　be；　out　of　the　cage；　the

very　shop…girl　at　large　that　she　hugged　the　theory　she　wasn't。

Yes；　it　was　strange；　she　afterwards　thought；　that　so　much　could

have　come　and　gone　and　yet　not　disfigured　the　dear　little　intense

crisis　either　with　impertinence　or　with　resentment；　with　any　of　the

horrid　notes　of　that　kind　of　acquaintance。　　He　had　taken　no

liberty；　as　she　would　have　so　called　it；　and；　through　not　having　to

betray　the　sense　of　one；　she　herself　had；　still　more　charmingly；

taken　none。　　On　the　spot；　nevertheless；　she　could　speculate　as　to

what　it　meant　that；　if　his　relation　with　Lady　Bradeen　continued　to

be　what　her　mind　had　built　it　up　to；　he　should　feel　free　to　proceed

with　marked　independence。　　This　was　one　of　the　questions　he　was　to

leave