in the cage-第22节

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cool　off。　　You　already　have！〃　　And　on　this；　the　next　instant；　her

tears　began　to　flow。　　She　succumbed　to　them　and　collapsed；　she　sank

down　again；　burying　her　face　and　trying　to　smother　her　sobs。



Her　young　friend　stood　there；　still　in　some　rigour；　but　taken　much

by　surprise　even　if　not　yet　fully　moved　to　pity。　　〃I　don't　put

anything　in　any　'way；'　and　I'm　very　glad　you're　suited。　　Only；　you

know；　you　did　put　to　me　so　splendidly　what；　even　for　me；　if　I　had

listened　to　you；　it　might　lead　to。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　kept　up　a　mild　thin　weak　wail；　then；　drying　her　eyes；

as　feebly　considered　this　reminder。　　〃It　has　led　to　my　not

starving！〃　she　faintly　gasped。



Our　young　lady；　at　this；　dropped　into　the　place　beside　her；　and

now；　in　a　rush；　the　small　silly　misery　was　clear。　　She　took　her

hand　as　a　sign　of　pitying　it；　then；　after　another　instant；

confirmed　this　expression　with　a　consoling　kiss。　　They　sat　there

together；　they　looked　out；　hand　in　hand；　into　the　damp　dusky　shabby

little　room　and　into　the　future；　of　no　such　very　different

suggestion；　at　last　accepted　by　each。　　There　was　no　definite

utterance；　on　either　side；　of　Mr。　Drake's　position　in　the　great

world；　but　the　temporary　collapse　of　his　prospective　bride　threw

all　further　necessary　light；　and　what　our　heroine　saw　and　felt　for

in　the　whole　business　was　the　vivid　reflexion　of　her　own　dreams　and

delusions　and　her　own　return　to　reality。　　Reality；　for　the　poor

things　they　both　were；　could　only　be　ugliness　and　obscurity；　could

never　be　the　escape；　the　rise。　　She　pressed　her　friendshe　had

tact　enough　for　thatwith　no　other　personal　question；　brought　on

no　need　of　further　revelations；　only　just　continued　to　hold　and

comfort　her　and　to　acknowledge　by　stiff　little　forbearances　the

common　element　in　their　fate。　　She　felt　indeed　magnanimous　in　such

matters；　since　if　it　was　very　well；　for　condolence　or　reassurance；

to　suppress　just　then　invidious　shrinkings；　she　yet　by　no　means　saw

herself　sitting　down；　as　she　might　say；　to　the　same　table　with　Mr。

Drake。　　There　would　luckily；　to　all　appearance；　be　little　question

of　tables；　and　the　circumstance　that；　on　their　peculiar　lines；　her

friend's　interests　would　still　attach　themselves　to　Mayfair　flung

over　Chalk　Farm　the　first　radiance　it　had　shown。　　Where　was　one's

pride　and　one's　passion　when　the　real　way　to　judge　of　one's　luck

was　by　making　not　the　wrong　but　the　right　comparison？　　Before　she

had　again　gathered　herself　to　go　she　felt　very　small　and　cautious

and　thankful。　　〃We　shall　have　our　own　house；〃　she　said；　〃and　you


must　come　very　soon　and　let　me　show　it　you。〃



〃WE　shall　have　our　own　too；〃　Mrs。　Jordan　replied；　〃for；　don't　you

know？　he　makes　it　a　condition　that　he　sleeps　out？〃



〃A　condition？〃the　girl　felt　out　of　it。



〃For　any　new　position。　　It　was　on　that　he　parted　with　Lord　Rye。

His　lordship　can't　meet　it。　　So　Mr。　Drake　has　given　him　up。〃



〃And　all　for　you？〃our　young　woman　put　it　as　cheerfully　as

possible。



〃For　me　and　Lady　Bradeen。　　Her　ladyship's　too　glad　to　get　him　at

any　price。　　Lord　Rye；　out　of　interest　in　us；　has　in　fact　quite　MADE

her　take　him。　　So；　as　I　tell　you；　he　will　have　his　own

establishment。〃



Mrs。　Jordan；　in　the　elation　of　it；　had　begun　to　revive；　but　there

was　nevertheless　between　them　rather　a　conscious　pausea　pause　in

which　neither　visitor　nor　hostess　brought　out　a　hope　or　an

invitation。　　It　expressed　in　the　last　resort　that；　in　spite　of

submission　and　sympathy；　they　could　now　after　all　only　look　at　each

other　across　the　social　gulf。　　They　remained　together　as　if　it

would　be　indeed　their　last　chance；　still　sitting；　though　awkwardly；

quite　close；　and　feeling　alsoand　this　most　unmistakeablythat

there　was　one　thing　more　to　go　into。　　By　the　time　it　came　to　the

surface；　moreover；　our　young　friend　had　recognised　the　whole　of　the

main　truth；　from　which　she　even　drew　again　a　slight　irritation。　　It

was　not　the　main　truth　perhaps　that　most　signified；　but　after　her

momentary　effort；　her　embarrassment　and　her　tears　Mrs。　Jordan　had

begun　to　sound　afreshand　even　without　speakingthe　note　of　a

social　connexion。　　She　hadn't　really　let　go　of　it　that　she　was

marrying　into　society。　　Well；　it　was　a　harmless　compensation；　and

it　was　all　the　prospective　bride　of　Mr。　Mudge　had　to　leave　with

her。







CHAPTER　XXVII







This　young　lady　at　last　rose　again；　but　she　lingered　before　going。

〃And　has　Captain　Everard　nothing　to　say　to　it？〃



〃To　what；　dear？〃



〃Why；　to　such　questionsthe　domestic　arrangements；　things　in　the

house。〃



〃How　can　he；　with　any　authority；　when　nothing　in　the　house　is　his？〃



〃Not　his？〃　　The　girl　wondered；　perfectly　conscious　of　the

appearance　she　thus　conferred　on　Mrs。　Jordan　of　knowing；　in

comparison　with　herself；　so　tremendously　much　about　it。　　Well；

there　were　things　she　wanted　so　to　get　at　that　she　was　willing　at

last；　though　it　hurt　her；　to　pay　for　them　with　humiliation。　　〃Why

are　they　not　his？〃



〃Don't　you　know；　dear；　that　he　has　nothing？〃



〃Nothing？〃　　It　was　hard　to　see　him　in　such　a　light；　but　Mrs。

Jordan's　power　to　answer　for　it　had　a　superiority　that　began；　on

the　spot；　to　grow。　　〃Isn't　he　rich？〃



Mrs。　Jordan　looked　immensely；　looked　both　generally　and

particularly；　informed。　　〃It　depends　upon　what　you　call！　　Not　at

any　rate　in　the　least　as　she　is。　　What　does　he　bring？　　Think　what

she　has。　　And　then；　love；　his　debts。〃



〃His　debts？〃　　His　young　friend　was　fairly　betrayed　into　helpless

innocence。　　She　could　struggle　a　little；　but　she　had　to　let　herself

go；　and　if　she　had　spoken　frankly　she　would　have　said：　　〃Do　tell

me；　for　I　don't　know　so　much　about　him　as　THAT！〃　　As　she　didn't

speak　frankly　she　only　said：　　〃His　debts　are　nothingwhen　she　so

adores　him。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　began　to　fix　her　again；　and　now　she　saw　that　she　must

only　take　it　all。　　That　was　what　it　had　come　to：　　his　having　sat

with　her　there　on　the　bench　and　under　the　trees　in　the　summer

darkness　and　put　his　hand　on　her；　making　her　know　what　he　would

have　said　if　permitted；　his　having　returned　to　her　afterwards；

repeatedly；　with　supplicating　eyes　and　a　fever　in　his　blood；　and

her　having；　on　her　side；　hard　and　pedantic；　helped　by　some　miracle

and　with　her　impossible　condition；　only　answered　him；　yet

supplicating　back；　through　the　bars　of　the　cage；all　simply　that

she　might　hear　of　him；　now　for　ever　lost；　only　through　Mrs。　Jordan；

who　touched　him　through　Mr。　Drake；　who　reached　him　through　Lady

Bradeen。　　〃She　adores　himbut　of　course　that　wasn't　all　there　was

about　it。〃



The　girl　met　her　eyes　a　minute；　then　quite　surrendered。　　〃What　was

there　else　about　it？〃



〃Why；　don't　you　know？〃Mrs。　Jordan　was　almost　compassionate。



Her　interlocutress　had；　in　the　cage；　sounded　depths；　but　there　was

a　suggestion　here　somehow　of　an　abyss　quite　measureless。　　〃Of

course　I　know　she　would　never　let　him　alone。〃



〃How　COULD　shefancy！when　he　had　so　compromised　her？〃



The　most　artless　cry　they　had　ever　uttered　broke；　at　this；　from　the

younger　pair　of　lips。　　〃HAD　he　so？〃



〃Why；　don't　you　know　the　scandal？〃



Our　heroine　thought；　recollected　there　was　something；　whatever　it

was；　that　she　knew　after　all　much　more　of　than　Mrs。　Jordan。　　She

saw　him　again　as　she　had　seen　him　come　that　morning　to　recover　the

telegramshe　saw　him　as　she　had　seen　him　leave　the　shop。　　She

perched　herself　a　moment　on　this。　　〃Oh　there　was　nothing　public。〃



〃Not　exactly　publicno。　　But　there　was　an　awful　scare　and　an　awful

row。　　It　was　all　on　the　very　point　of　coming　out。　　Something　was

lostsomething　was　found。〃



〃Ah　yes；〃　the　girl　replied；　smiling　as　if　with　the　revival　of　a

blurred　memory；　〃something　was　found。〃



〃It　all　got　aboutand　there　was　a　point　at　which　Lord　Bradeen　had

to　act。〃



〃Had　toyes。　　But　he　didn't。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　was　obliged　to　admit　it。　　〃No；　he　didn't。　　And　then；

luckily　for　them；　he　died。〃



〃I　didn't　know　about　his　death；〃　her　companion　said。



〃It　was　nine　weeks　ago；　and　most　sudden。　　It　has　given　them　a

prompt　chance。〃



〃To　get　married？〃this　was　a　wonder〃within　nine　weeks？〃



〃Oh　not　immediately；　butin　all　the　circumstancesvery　quietly

and；　I　assure　you；　very　soon。　　Every　preparation's　made。　　Above　all

she　holds　him。〃



〃Oh　yes；　she　holds　him！〃　our　young　friend　threw　off。　　She　had　this

before　her　again　a　minute；　then　she　continued：　　〃You　mean　through

his　having　made　her　talked　about？〃



〃Yes；　but　not　only　that。　　She　has　still　another　pull。〃



〃Another？〃



Mrs。　Jordan　hesitated。　　〃Why；　he　was　IN　something。〃



Her　comrade　wondered。　　〃In　what？〃



〃I　don't　know。　　Something　bad。　　As　I　tell　you；　something　was

found。〃



The　girl　stared。　　〃Well？〃



〃It　would　have　been　very　bad　for　him。　　But；　she　helped　him　some

wayshe　recovered　it；　got　hold　of　it。　　It's　even　said　she　stole

it！〃



Our　young　woman　considered　afresh。　　〃Why　it　was　what　was　found　tha