the dark flower-第36节

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process　hallowed　by　the　peculiar　sensation　felt　when　one　rubbed　the
palms　of　the　hands　together；　the　sensation　that　accompanied　all
creative　achievement。　　Once　only　Dromore　paused　to　turn　his　head
and　say：

〃Bally　hard；　gettin'　a　taproot　right！〃

Real　Art！　　How　well　an　artist　knew　that　desperate　search　after　the
point　of　balance；　the　central　rivet　that　must　be　found　before　a
form　would　come　to　life。　。　。　。　　And　he　noted　that　to…day　there　was
no　kitten；　no　flowers；　no　sense　at　all　of　an　extraneous　presence
even　the　picture　was　curtained。　　Had　the　girl　been　just　a　dreama
fancy　conjured　up　by　his　craving　after　youth？

Then　he　saw　that　Dromore　had　dropped　the　large　green　book；　and　was
standing　before　the　fire。

〃Nell　took　to　you　the　other　day。　　But　you　always　were　a　lady's　man。
Remember　the　girl　at　Coaster's？〃

Coaster's　tea…shop；　where　he　would　go　every　afternoon　that　he　had
money；　just　for　the　pleasure　of　looking　shyly　at　a　face。　　Something
beautiful　to　look　atnothing　more！　　Johnny　Dromore　would　no　better
understand　that　now　than　when　they　were　at　'Bambury's。'　　Not　the
smallest　good　even　trying　to　explain！　　He　looked　up　at　the　goggling
eyes；　he　heard　the　bantering　voice：

〃I　sayyou　ARE　goin'　grey。　　We're　bally　old；　Lenny！　　A　fellow　gets
old　when　he　marries。〃

And　he　answered：

〃By　the　way；　I　never　knew　that　YOU　had　been。〃

From　Dromore's　face　the　chaffing　look　went；　like　a　candle…flame
blown　out；　and　a　coppery　flush　spread　over　it。　　For　some　seconds　he
did　not　speak；　then；　jerking　his　head　towards　the　picture；　he
muttered　gruffly：

〃Never　had　the　chance　of　marrying；　there；　Nell's　'outside。'〃

A　sort　of　anger　leaped　in　Lennan；　why　should　Dromore　speak　that
word　as　if　he　were　ashamed　of　his　own　daughter？　　Just　like　his
sortnone　so　hidebound　as　men…about…town！　　Flotsam　on　the　tide　of
other　men's　opinions；　poor　devils　adrift；　without　the　one　true
anchorage　of　their　own　real　feelings！　　And　doubtful　whether　Dromore
would　be　pleased；　or　think　him　gushing；　or　even　distrustful　of　his
morality；　he　said：

〃As　for　that；　it　would　only　make　any　decent　man　or　woman　nicer　to
her。　　When　is　she　going　to　let　me　teach　her　drawing？〃

Dromore　crossed　the　room；　drew　back　the　curtain　of　the　picture；　and
in　a　muffled　voice；　said：

〃My　God；　Lenny！　　Life's　unfair。　　Nell's　coming　killed　her　mother。
I'd　rather　it　had　been　mebar　chaff！　　Women　have　no　luck。〃

Lennan　got　up　from　his　comfortable　chair。　　For；　startled　out　of　the
past；　the　memory　of　that　summer　night；　when　yet　another　woman　had
no　luck；　was　flooding　his　heart　with　its　black；　inextinguishable
grief。　　He　said　quietly：

〃The　past　IS　past；　old　man。〃

Dromore　drew　the　curtain　again　across　the　picture；　and　came　back　to
the　fire。　　And　for　a　full　minute　he　stared　into　it。

〃What　am　I　to　do　with　Nell？　　She's　growing　up。〃

〃What　have　you　done　with　her　so　far？〃

〃She's　been　at　school。　　In　the　summer　she　goes　to　IrelandI've　got
a　bit　of　an　old　place　there。　　She'll　be　eighteen　in　July。　　I　shall
have　to　introduce　her　to　women；　and　all　that。　　It's　the　devil！
How？　　Who？〃

Lennan　could　only　murmur：　〃My　wife；　for　one。〃

He　took　his　leave　soon　after。　　Johnny　Dromore！　　Bizarre　guardian
for　that　child！　　Queer　life　she　must　have　of　it；　in　that　bachelor's
den；　surrounded　by　Ruff's　Guides！　　What　would　become　of　her？
Caught　up　by　some　young　spark　about　town；　married　to　him；　no　doubt
her　father　would　see　to　the　thoroughness　of　that；　his　standard　of
respectability　was　evidently　high！　　And　aftergo　the　way；　maybe；
of　her　motherthat　poor　thing　in　the　picture　with　the　alluring；
desperate　face。　　Well！　　It　was　no　business　of　his！


IV


No　business　of　his！　　The　merest　sense　of　comradeship；　then；　took
him　once　more　to　Dromore's　after　that　disclosure；　to　prove　that　the
word　'outside'　had　no　significance　save　in　his　friend's　own　fancy；
to　assure　him　again　that　Sylvia　would　be　very　glad　to　welcome　the
child　at　any　time　she　liked　to　come。

When　he　had　told　her　of　that　little　matter　of　Nell's　birth；　she　had
been　silent　a　long　minute；　looking　in　his　face；　and　then　had　said：
〃Poor　child！　　I　wonder　if　SHE　knows！　　People　are　so　unkind；　even
nowadays！〃　　He　could　not　himself　think　of　anyone　who　would　pay
attention　to　such　a　thing；　except　to　be　kinder　to　the　girl；　but　in
such　matters　Sylvia　was　the　better　judge；　in　closer　touch　with
general　thought。　　She　met　people　that　he　did　notand　of　a　more
normal　species。

It　was　rather　late　when　he　got　to　Dromore's　diggings　on　that　third
visit。

〃Mr。　Dromore；　sir；〃　the　man　saidhe　had　one　of　those　strictly
confidential　faces　bestowed　by　an　all…wise　Providence　on　servants
in　the　neighbourhood　of　Piccadilly〃Mr。　Dromore；　sir；　is　not　in。
But　he　will　be　almost　sure　to　be　in　to　dress。　　Miss　Nell　is　in；
sir。〃

And　there　she　was；　sitting　at　the　table；　pasting　photographs　into
an　albumlonely　young　creature　in　that　abode　of　male　middle…age！
Lennan　stood；　unheard；　gazing　at　the　back　of　her　head；　with　its
thick　crinkly…brown　hair　tied　back　on　her　dark…red　frock。　　And；　to
the　confidential　man's　soft：

〃Mr。　Lennan；　miss；〃　he　added　a　softer：　〃May　I　come　in？〃

She　put　her　hand　into　his　with　intense　composure。

〃Oh；　yes；　do！　if　you　don't　mind　the　mess　I'm　making；〃　and；　with　a
little　squeeze　of　the　tips　of　his　fingers；　added：　〃Would　it　bore
you　to　see　my　photographs？〃

And　down　they　sat　together　before　the　photographssnapshots　of
people　with　guns　or　fishing…rods；　little　groups　of　schoolgirls；
kittens；　Dromore　and　herself　on　horseback；　and　several　of　a　young
man　with　a　broad；　daring；　rather　good…looking　face。　　〃That's
OliverOliver　DromoreDad's　first　cousin　once　removed。　　Rather
nice；　isn't　he？　　Do　you　like　his　expression？〃

Lennan　did　not　know。　　Not　her　second　cousin；　her　father's　first
cousin　once　removed！　　And　again　there　leaped　in　him　that
unreasoning　flame　of　indignant　pity。

〃And　how　about　drawing？　　You　haven't　come　to　be　taught　yet。〃

She　went　almost　as　red　as　her　frock。

〃I　thought　you　were　only　being　polite。　　I　oughtn't　to　have　asked。
Of　course；　I　want　to　awfullyonly　I　know　it'll　bore　you。〃

〃It　won't　at　all。〃

She　looked　up　at　that。　　What　peculiar　languorous　eyes　they　were！

〃Shall　I　come　to…morrow；　then？〃

〃Any　day　you　like；　between　half…past　twelve　and　one。〃

〃Where？〃

He　took　out　a　card。

〃Mark　LennanyesI　like　your　name。　　I　liked　it　the　other　day。
It's　awfully　nice！〃

What　was　in　a　name　that　she　should　like　him　because　of　it？　　His
fame　as　a　sculptorsuch　as　it　wascould　have　nothing　to　do　with
that；　for　she　would　certainly　not　know　of　it。　　Ah！　but　there　was　a
lot　in　a　namefor　children。　　In　his　childhood　what　fascination
there　had　been　in　the　words　macaroon；　and　Spaniard；　and　Carinola；
and　Aldebaran；　and　Mr。　McCrae。　　For　quite　a　week　the　whole　world
had　been　Mr。　McCraea　most　ordinary　friend　of　Gordy's。

By　whatever　fascination　moved；　she　talked　freely　enough　nowof　her
school；　of　riding　and　motoringshe　seemed　to　love　going　very　fast；
about　Newmarketwhich　was　'perfect'；　and　theatresplays　of　the
type　that　Johnny　Dromore　might　be　expected　to　approve；　these
together　with　'Hamlet'　and　'King　Lear'　were　all　she　had　seen。
Never　was　a　girl　so　untouched　by　thought；　or　Artyet　not　stupid；
having；　seemingly；　a　certain　natural　good　taste；　only；　nothing；
evidently；　had　come　her　way。　　How　could　it'Johnny　Dromore　duce；
et　auspice　Johnny　Dromore！'　　She　had　been　taken；　indeed；　to　the
National　Gallery　while　at　school。　　And　Lennan　had　a　vision　of　eight
or　ten　young　maidens　trailing　round　at　the　skirts　of　one　old
maiden；　admiring　Landseer's　dogs；　giggling　faintly　at　Botticelli's
angels；　gaping；　rustling；　chattering　like　young　birds　in　a
shrubbery。

But　with　all　her　surroundings；　this　child　of　Johnny　Dromoredom　was
as　yet　more　innocent　than　cultured　girls　of　the　same　age。　　If　those
grey；　mesmeric　eyes　of　hers　followed　him　about；　they　did　so
frankly；　unconsciously。　　There　was　no　minx　in　her；　so　far。

An　hour　went　by；　and　Dromore　did　not　come。　　And　the　loneliness　of
this　young　creature　in　her　incongruous　abode　began　telling　on
Lennan's　equanimity。

What　did　she　do　in　the　evenings？

〃Sometimes　I　go　to　the　theatre　with　Dad；　generally　I　stay　at　home。〃

〃And　then？〃

〃Oh！　　I　just　read；　or　talk　French。〃

〃What？　　To　yourself？〃

〃Yes；　or　to　Oliver　sometimes；　when　he　comes　in。〃

So　Oliver　came　in！

〃How　long　have　you　known　Oliver？〃

〃Oh！　ever　since　I　was　a　child。〃

He　wanted　to　say：　And　how　long　is　that？　　But　managed　to　refrain；
and　got　up　to　go　instead。　　She　caught　his　sleeve　and　said：

〃You're　not　to　go！〃　　Saying　that　she　looked　as　a　dog　will；　going　to
bite　in　fun；　her　upper　lip　shortened　above　her　small　white　teeth
set　fast　on　her　lower　lip；　and　her　chin　thrust　a　little　forward。　　A
glimpse　of　a　wilful　spirit！　　But　as　soon　as　he　had　smiled；　and
murmured：

〃Ah！　but　I　must；　you　see！〃　she　at　once　regained　her　manners；　only
saying　rather　mournfully：　〃You　don't　call　me　by　my　name。　　Don't　you
like　it？〃

〃Nell？〃

〃Yes。　　It's　really　Eleanor；　of　course。　　DON'T　you　like　it？〃

If　he　had　detested　the　name；　he　could　only　have　answered：　〃Very
much。〃

〃I'm　awfully　glad！　　Good…bye。〃

When　he　got　out　into　the　street；　he　felt　terribly　like　a　man