in the cage-第14节

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crimes；〃　she　pursued；　without　heeding　his　expression。



〃I　SAY！〃her　companion　showed　the　queerest　stare。



〃I　like　them；　as　I　tell　youI　revel　in　them。　　But　we　needn't　go

into　that；〃　she　quietly　went　on；　〃for　all　I　get　out　of　it　is　the

harmless　pleasure　of　knowing。　　I　know；　I　know；　I　know！〃she

breathed　it　ever　so　gently。



〃Yes；　that's　what　has　been　between　us；〃　he　answered　much　more

simply。



She　could　enjoy　his　simplicity　in　silence；　and　for　a　moment　she　did

so。　　〃If　I　do　stay　because　you　want　itand　I'm　rather　capable　of

thatthere　are　two　or　three　things　I　think　you　ought　to　remember。

One　is；　you　know；　that　I'm　there　sometimes　for　days　and　weeks

together　without　your　ever　coming。〃



〃Oh　I'll　come　every　day！〃　he　honestly　cried。



She　was　on　the　point；　at　this；　of　imitating　with　her　hand　his

movement　of　shortly　before；　but　she　checked　herself；　and　there　was

no　want　of　effect　in　her　soothing　substitute。　　〃How　can　you？　　How

can　you？〃　　He　had；　too　manifestly；　only　to　look　at　it　there；　in　the

vulgarly　animated　gloom；　to　see　that　he　couldn't；　and　at　this

point；　by　the　mere　action　of　his　silence；　everything　they　had　so

definitely　not　named；　the　whole　presence　round　which　they　had　been

circling；　became　part　of　their　reference；　settled　in　solidly

between　them。　　It　was　as　if　then　for　a　minute　they　sat　and　saw　it

all　in　each　other's　eyes；　saw　so　much　that　there　was　no　need　of　a

pretext　for　sounding　it　at　last。　　〃Your　danger；　your　danger！〃

Her　voice　indeed　trembled　with　it；　and　she　could　only　for　the

moment　again　leave　it　so。



During　this　moment　he　leaned　back　on　the　bench；　meeting　her　in

silence　and　with　a　face　that　grew　more　strange。　　It　grew　so　strange

that　after　a　further　instant　she　got　straight　up。　　She　stood　there

as　if　their　talk　were　now　over；　and　he　just　sat　and　watched　her。

It　was　as　if　nowowing　to　the　third　person　they　had　brought　in

they　must　be　more　careful；　so　that　the　most　he　could　finally　say

was：　　〃That's　where　it　is！〃



〃That's　where　it　is！〃　the　girl　as　guardedly　replied。　　He　sat　still；

and　she　added：　　〃I　won't　give　you　up。　　Good…bye。〃



〃Good…bye？〃he　appealed；　but　without　moving。



〃I　don't　quite　see　my　way；　but　I　won't　give　you　up；〃　she　repeated。

〃There。　　Good…bye。〃



It　brought　him　with　a　jerk　to　his　feet；　tossing　away　his　cigarette。

His　poor　face　was　flushed。　　〃See　heresee　here！〃



〃No；　I　won't；　but　I　must　leave　you　now；〃　she　went　on　as　if　not

hearing　him。



〃See　heresee　here！〃　　He　tried；　from　the　bench；　to　take　her　hand

again。



But　that　definitely　settled　it　for　her：　　this　would；　after　all；　be

as　bad　as　his　asking　her　to　supper。　　〃You　mustn't　come　with　meno；

no！〃



He　sank　back；　quite　blank；　as　if　she　had　pushed　him。　　〃I　mayn't　see

you　home？〃



〃No；　no；　let　me　go。〃　　He　looked　almost　as　if　she　had　struck　him；

but　she　didn't　care；　and　the　manner　in　which　she　spokeit　was

literally　as　if　she　were　angryhad　the　force　of　a　command。　　〃Stay

where　you　are！〃



〃See　heresee　here！〃　he　nevertheless　pleaded。



〃I　won't　give　you　up！〃　she　cried　once　morethis　time　quite　with

passion；　on　which　she　got　away　from　him　as　fast　as　she　could　and

left　him　staring　after　her。







CHAPTER　XVIII







Mr。　Mudge　had　lately　been　so　occupied　with　their　famous　〃plans〃

that　he　had　neglected　for　a　while　the　question　of　her　transfer；　but

down　at　Bournemouth；　which　had　found　itself　selected　as　the　field

of　their　recreation　by　a　process　consisting；　it　seemed；　exclusively

of　innumerable　pages　of　the　neatest　arithmetic　in　a　very　greasy　but

most　orderly　little　pocket…book；　the　distracting　possible　melted

awaythe　fleeting　absolute　ruled　the　scene。　　The　plans；　hour　by

hour；　were　simply　superseded；　and　it　was　much　of　a　rest　to　the

girl；　as　she　sat　on　the　pier　and　overlooked　the　sea　and　the

company；　to　see　them　evaporate　in　rosy　fumes　and　to　feel　that　from

moment　to　moment　there　was　less　left　to　cipher　about。　　The　week

proves　blissfully　fine；　and　her　mother；　at　their　lodgingspartly

to　her　embarrassment　and　partly　to　her　reliefstruck　up　with　the

landlady　an　alliance　that　left　the　younger　couple　a　great　deal　of

freedom。　　This　relative　took　her　pleasure　of　a　week　at　Bournemouth

in　a　stuffy　back…kitchen　and　endless　talks；　to　that　degree　even

that　Mr。　Mudge　himselfhabitually　inclined　indeed　to　a　scrutiny　of

all　mysteries　and　to　seeing；　as　he　sometimes　admitted；　too　much　in

thingsmade　remarks　on　it　as　he　sat　on　the　cliff　with　his

betrothed；　or　on　the　decks　of　steamers　that　conveyed　them；　close…

packed　items　in　terrific　totals　of　enjoyment；　to　the　Isle　of　Wight

and　the　Dorset　coast。



He　had　a　lodging　in　another　house；　where　he　had　speedily　learned

the　importance　of　keeping　his　eyes　open；　and　he　made　no　secret　of

his　suspecting　that　sinister　mutual　connivances　might　spring；　under

the　roof　of　his　companions；　from　unnatural　sociabilities。　　At　the

same　time　he　fully　recognised　that　as　a　source　of　anxiety；　not　to

say　of　expense；　his　future　mother…in　law　would　have　weighted　them

more　by　accompanying　their　steps　than　by　giving　her　hostess；　in　the

interest　of　the　tendency　they　considered　that　they　never　mentioned；

equivalent　pledges　as　to　the　tea…caddy　and　the　jam…pot。　　These　were

the　questionsthese　indeed　the　familiar　commoditiesthat　he　had

now　to　put　into　the　scales；　and　his　betrothed　had　in　consequence；

during　her　holiday；　the　odd　and　yet　pleasant　and　almost　languid

sense　of　an　anticlimax。　　She　had　become　conscious　of　an

extraordinary　collapse；　a　surrender　to　stillness　and　to　retrospect。

She　cared　neither　to　walk　nor　to　sail；　it　was　enough　for　her　to　sit

on　benches　and　wonder　at　the　sea　and　taste　the　air　and　not　be　at

Cocker's　and　not　see　the　counter…clerk。　　She　still　seemed　to　wait

for　somethingsomething　in　the　key　of　the　immense　discussions　that

had　mapped　out　their　little　week　of　idleness　on　the　scale　of　a

world…atlas。　　Something　came　at　last；　but　without　perhaps　appearing

quite　adequately　to　crown　the　monument。



Preparation　and　precaution　were；　however；　the　natural　flowers　of

Mr。　Mudge's　mind；　and　in　proportion　as　these　things　declined　in　one

quarter　they　inevitably　bloomed　elsewhere。　　He　could　always；　at　the

worst；　have　on　Tuesday　the　project　of　their　taking　the　Swanage　boat

on　Thursday；　and　on　Thursday　that　of　their　ordering　minced　kidneys

on　Saturday。　　He　had　moreover　a　constant　gift　of　inexorable　enquiry

as　to　where　and　what　they　should　have　gone　and　have　done　if　they

hadn't　been　exactly　as　they　were。　　He　had　in　short　his　resources；

and　his　mistress　had　never　been　so　conscious　of　them；　on　the　other

hand　they　never　interfered　so　little　with　her　own。　　She　liked　to　be

as　she　wasif　it　could　only　have　lasted。　　She　could　accept　even

without　bitterness　a　rigour　of　economy　so　great　that　the　little　fee

they　paid　for　admission　to　the　pier　had　to　be　balanced　against

other　delights。　　The　people　at　Ladle's　and　at　Thrupp's　had　THEIR

ways　of　amusing　themselves；　whereas　she　had　to　sit　and　hear　Mr。

Mudge　talk　of　what　he　might　do　if　he　didn't　take　a　bath；　or　of　the

bath　he　might　take　if　he　only　hadn't　taken　something　else。　　He　was

always　with　her　now；　of　course；　always　beside　her；　she　saw　him　more

than　〃hourly；〃　more　than　ever　yet；　more　even　than　he　had　planned

she　should　do　at　Chalk　Farm。　　She　preferred　to　sit　at　the　far　end；

away　from　the　band　and　the　crowd；　as　to　which　she　had　frequent

differences　with　her　friend；　who　reminded　her　often　that　they　could

have　only　in　the　thick　of　it　the　sense　of　the　money　they　were

getting　back。　　That　had　little　effect　on　her；　for　she　got　back　her

money　by　seeing　many　things；　the　things　of　the　past　year；　fall

together　and　connect　themselves；　undergo　the　happy　relegation　that

transforms　melancholy　and　misery；　passion　and　effort；　into

experience　and　knowledge。



She　liked　having　done　with　them；　as　she　assured　herself　she　had

practically　done；　and　the　strange　thing　was　that　she　neither　missed

the　procession　now　nor　wished　to　keep　her　place　for　it。　　It　had

become　there；　in　the　sun　and　the　breeze　and　the　sea…smell；　a　far…

away　story；　a　picture　of　another　life。　　If　Mr。　Mudge　himself　liked

processions；　liked　them　at　Bournemouth　and　on　the　pier　quite　as

much　as　at　Chalk　Farm　or　anywhere；　she　learned　after　a　little　not

to　be　worried　by　his　perpetual　counting　of　the　figures　that　made

them　up。　　There　were　dreadful　women　in　particular；　usually　fat　and

in　men's　caps　and　write　shoes；　whom　he　could　never　let　alonenot

that　she　cared；　it　was　not　the　great　world；　the　world　of　Cocker's

and　Ladle's　and　Thrupp's；　but　it　offered　an　endless　field　to　his

faculties　of　memory；　philosophy；　and　frolic。　　She　had　never

accepted　him　so　much；　never　arranged　so　successfully　for　making　him

chatter　while　she　carried　on　secret　conversations。　　This　separate

commerce　was　with　herself；　and　if　they　both　practised　a　great

thrift　she　had　quite　mastered　that　of　merely　spending　words　enough

to　keep　him　impert