a laodicean-第61节

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Stancy　appeared　and　asked　if　her　brother　might　come　up。　　The
closest　observer　would　have　been　in　doubt　whether　Paula's
ready　reply　in　the　affirmative　was　prompted　by　personal
consideration　for　De　Stancy；　or　by　a　hope　to　hear　more　of　his
mission　to　Nice。　　As　soon　as　she　had　welcomed　him　she　reverted
at　once　to　the　subject。

'Yes；　as　I　told　you；　he　was　not　at　the　place　of　meeting；'　De
Stancy　replied。　　And　taking　from　his　pocket　the　bag　of　ready
money　he　placed　it　intact　upon　the　table。

De　Stancy　did　this　with　a　hand　that　shook　somewhat　more　than　a
long　railway　journey　was　adequate　to　account　for；　and　in　truth
it　was　the　vision　of　Dare's　position　which　agitated　the
unhappy　captain：　　for　had　that　young　man；　as　De　Stancy　feared；
been　tampering　with　Somerset's　name；　his　fate　now　trembled　in
the　balance；　Paula　would　unquestionably　and　naturally　invoke
the　aid　of　the　law　against　him　if　she　discovered　such　an
imposition。

'Were　you　punctual　to　the　time　mentioned？'　she　asked
curiously。

De　Stancy　replied　in　the　affirmative。

'Did　you　wait　long？'　she　continued。

'Not　very　long；'　he　answered；　his　instinct　to　screen　the
possibly　guilty　one　confining　him　to　guarded　statements；　while
still　adhering　to　the　literal　truth。

'Why　was　that？'

'Somebody　came　and　told　me　that　he　would　not　appear。'

'Who？'

'A　young　man　who　has　been　acting　as　his　clerk。　　His　name　is
Dare。　　He　informed　me　that　Mr。　Somerset　could　not　keep　the
appointment。'

'Why？'

'He　had　gone　on　to　San　Remo。'

'Has　he　been　travelling　with　Mr。　Somerset？'

'He　had　been　with　him。　　They　know　each　other　very　well。　　But
as　you　commissioned　me　to　deliver　the　money　into　no　hands　but
Mr。　Somerset's；　I　adhered　strictly　to　your　instructions。'

'But　perhaps　my　instructions　were　not　wise。　　Should　it　in　your
opinion　have　been　sent　by　this　young　man？　　Was　he　commissioned
to　ask　you　for　it？'

De　Stancy　murmured　that　Dare　was　not　commissioned　to　ask　for
it；　that　upon　the　whole　he　deemed　her　instructions　wise；　and
was　still　of　opinion　that　the　best　thing　had　been　done。

Although　De　Stancy　was　distracted　between　his　desire　to
preserve　Dare　from　the　consequences　of　folly；　and　a
gentlemanly　wish　to　keep　as　close　to　the　truth　as　was
compatible　with　that　condition；　his　answers　had　not　appeared
to　Paula　to　be　particularly　evasive；　the　conjuncture　being　one
in　which　a　handsome　heiress's　shrewdness　was　prone　to　overleap
itself　by　setting　down　embarrassment　on　the　part　of　the　man
she　questioned　to　a　mere　lover's　difficulty　in　steering
between　honour　and　rivalry。

She　put　but　one　other　question。　　'Did　it　appear　as　if　he；　Mr。
Somerset；　after　telegraphing；　hadhadregretted　doing　so；
and　evaded　the　result　by　not　keeping　the　appointment？'

'That's　just　how　it　appears。'　　The　words；　which　saved　Dare
from　ignominy；　cost　De　Stancy　a　good　deal。　　He　was　sorry　for
Somerset；　sorry　for　himself；　and　very　sorry　for　Paula。　　But
Dare　was　to　De　Stancy　what　Somerset　could　never　be：　　and　'for
his　kin　that　is　near　unto　him　shall　a　man　be　defiled。'

After　that　interview　Charlotte　saw　with　warring　impulses　that
Somerset　slowly　diminished　in　Paula's　estimate；　slowly　as　the
moon　wanes；　but　as　certainly。　　Charlotte's　own　love　was　of　a
clinging；　uncritical　sort；　and　though　the　shadowy　intelligence
of　Somerset's　doings　weighed　down　her　soul　with　regret；　it
seemed　to　make　not　the　least　difference　in　her　affection　for
him。

In　the　afternoon　the　whole　party；　including　De　Stancy；　drove
about　the　streets。　　Here　they　looked　at　the　house　in　which
Goethe　had　lived；　and　afterwards　entered　the　cathedral。
Observing　in　the　south　transept　a　crowd　of　people　waiting
patiently；　they　were　reminded　that　they　unwittingly　stood　in
the　presence　of　the　popular　clock…work　of　Schwilgue。

Mr。　Power　and　Mrs。　Goodman　decided　that　they　would　wait　with
the　rest　of　the　idlers　and　see　the　puppets　perform　at　the
striking。　　Charlotte　also　waited　with　them；　but　as　it　wanted
eight　minutes　to　the　hour；　and　as　Paula　had　seen　the　show
before；　she　moved　on　into　the　nave。

Presently　she　found　that　De　Stancy　had　followed。　　He　did　not
come　close　till　she；　seeing　him　stand　silent；　said；　'If　it
were　not　for　this　cathedral；　I　should　not　like　the　city　at
all；　and　I　have　even　seen　cathedrals　I　like　better。　　Luckily
we　are　going　on　to　Baden　to…morrow。'

'Your　uncle　has　just　told　me。　　He　has　asked　me　to　keep　you
company。'

'Are　you　intending　to？'　said　Paula；　probing　the　base…moulding
of　a　pier　with　her　parasol。

'I　have　nothing　better　to　do；　nor　indeed　half　so　good；'　said
De　Stancy。　　'I　am　abroad　for　my　health；　you　know；　and　what's
like　the　Rhine　and　its　neighbourhood　in　early　summer；　before
the　crowd　comes？　　It　is　delightful　to　wander　about　there；　or
anywhere；　like　a　child；　influenced　by　no　fixed　motive　more
than　that　of　keeping　near　some　friend；　or　friends；　including
the　one　we　most　admire　in　the　world。'

'That　sounds　perilously　like　love…making。'

''Tis　love　indeed。'

'Well；　love　is　natural　to　men；　I　suppose；'　rejoined　the　young
lady。　　'But　you　must　love　within　bounds；　or　you　will　be
enervated；　and　cease　to　be　useful　as　a　heavy　arm　of　the
service。'

'My　dear　Miss　Power；　your　didactic　and　respectable　rules　won't
do　for　me。　　If　you　expect　straws　to　stop　currents；　you　are
sadly　mistaken！　　But　nolet　matters　be：　　I　am　a　happy
contented　mortal　at　present；　say　what　you　will。　。　。　。　　You
don't　ask　why？　　Perhaps　you　know。　　It　is　because　all　I　care
for　in　the　world　is　near　me；　and　that　I　shall　never　be　more
than　a　hundred　yards　from　her　as　long　as　the　present
arrangement　continues。'

'We　are　in　a　cathedral；　remember；　Captain　De　Stancy；　and
should　not　keep　up　a　secular　conversation。'

'If　I　had　never　said　worse　in　a　cathedral　than　what　I　have
said　here；　I　should　be　content　to　meet　my　eternal　judge
without　absolution。　　Your　uncle　asked　me　this　morning　how　I
liked　you。'

'Well；　there　was　no　harm　in　that。'

'How　I　like　you！　　Harm；　no；　but　you　should　have　seen　how　silly
I　looked。　　Fancy　the　inadequacy　of　the　expression　when　my
whole　sense　is　absorbed　by　you。'

'Men　allow　themselves　to　be　made　ridiculous　by　their　own
feelings　in　an　inconceivable　way。'

'True；　I　am　a　fool；　but　forgive　me；'　he　rejoined；　observing
her　gaze；　which　wandered　critically　from　roof　to　clerestory；
and　then　to　the　pillars；　without　once　lighting　on　him。　　'Don't
mind　saying　Yes。You　look　at　this　thing　and　that　thing；　but
you　never　look　at　me；　though　I　stand　here　and　see　nothing　but
you。'

'There；　the　clock　is　strikingand　the　cock　crows。　　Please　go
across　to　the　transept　and　tell　them　to　come　out　this　way。'

De　Stancy　went。　　When　he　had　gone　a　few　steps　he　turned　his
head。　　She　had　at　last　ceased　to　study　the　architecture；　and
was　looking　at　him。　　Perhaps　his　words　had　struck　her；　for　it
seemed　at　that　moment　as　if　he　read　in　her　bright　eyes　a
genuine　interest　in　him　and　his　fortunes。



II。

Next　day　they　went　on　to　Baden。　　De　Stancy　was　beginning　to
cultivate　the　passion　of　love　even　more　as　an　escape　from　the
gloomy　relations　of　his　life　than　as　matrimonial　strategy。
Paula's　juxtaposition　had　the　attribute　of　making　him　forget
everything　in　his　own　history。　　She　was　a　magic　alterative；
and　the　most　foolish　boyish　shape　into　which　he　could　throw
his　feelings　for　her　was　in　this　respect　to　be　aimed　at　as　the
act　of　highest　wisdom。

He　supplemented　the　natural　warmth　of　feeling　that　she　had
wrought　in　him　by　every　artificial　means　in　his　power；　to　make
the　distraction　the　more　complete。　　He　had　not　known　anything
like　this　self…obscuration　for　a　dozen　years；　and　when　he
conjectured　that　she　might　really　learn　to　love　him　he　felt
exalted　in　his　own　eyes　and　purified　from　the　dross　of　his
former　life。　　Such　uneasiness　of　conscience　as　arose　when　he
suddenly　remembered　Dare；　and　the　possibility　that　Somerset
was　getting　ousted　unfairly；　had　its　weight　in　depressing　him；
but　he　was　inclined　to　accept　his　fortune　without　much
question。

The　journey　to　Baden；　though　short；　was　not　without　incidents
on　which　he　could　work　out　this　curious　hobby　of　cultivating
to　superlative　power　an　already　positive　passion。　　Handing　her
in　and　out　of　the　carriage；　accidentally　getting　brushed　by
her　clothes；　of　all　such　as　this　he　made　available　fuel。
Paula；　though　she　might　have　guessed　the　general　nature　of
what　was　going　on；　seemed　unconscious　of　the　refinements　he
was　trying　to　throw　into　it；　and　sometimes；　when　in　stepping
into　or　from　a　railway　carriage　she　unavoidably　put　her　hand
upon　his　arm；　the　obvious　insignificance　she　attached　to　the
action　struck　him　with　misgiving。

One　of　the　first　things　they　did　at　Baden　was　to　stroll　into
the　Trink…halle；　where　Paula　sipped　the　water。　　She　was　about
to　put　down　the　glass；　when　De　Stancy　quickly　took　it　from　her
hands　as　though　to　make　use　of　it　himself。

'O；　if　that　is　what　you　mean；'　she　said　mischievously；　'you
should　have　noticed　the　exact　spot。　　It　was　there。'　　She　put
her　finger　on　a　particular　portion　of　its　edge。

'You　ought　not　to　act　like　that；　unless　you　mean　something；
Miss　Power；'　he　replied　gravely。

'Tell　me　more　plainly。'

'I　mean；　you　should　not　do　things　which　excite　in　me　the