the ivory child-第8节

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you　wish　to　take　you　in　to　dinner？　I　can'tyour　mother；　you　know；　and

as　there　are　no　titles　here　to…night；　you　may　make　your　choice。　Would

you　like　old　Dr。　Jeffreys；　the　clergyman？〃



〃No；〃　she　replied；　with　quiet　firmness；　〃I　know　him；　he　took　me　in

once　before。　I　wish　Mr。　Allan　Quatermain　to　take　me　in。　He　is

interesting；　and　I　want　to　hear　about　Africa。〃



〃Very　well；〃　he　answered；　〃and　he　/is/　more　interesting　than　all　the

rest　put　together。　But；　Luna；　why　are　you　always　thinking　and　talking

about　Africa？　One　might　imagine　that　you　were　going　to　live　there。〃



〃So　I　may　one　day；〃　she　answered　dreamily。　〃Who　knows　where　one　has

lived；　or　where　one　will　live！〃　And　again　I　saw　that　mystic　look　come

into　her　face。



I　heard　no　more　of　that　conversation；　which　it　is　improbable　that

anyone　whose　ears　had　not　been　sharpened　by　a　lifetime　of　listening　in

great　silences　would　have　caught　at　all。　To　tell　the　truth；　I　made

myself　scarce；　slipping　off　to　the　other　end　of　the　big　room　in　the

hope　of　evading　the　kind　intentions　of　Miss　Holmes。　I　have　a　great

dislike　of　being　put　out　of　my　place；　and　I　felt　that　among　all　these

local　celebrities　it　was　not　fitting　that　I　should　be　selected　to　take

in　the　future　bride　on　an　occasion　of　this　sort。　But　it　was　of　no　use；

for　presently　Lord　Ragnall　hunted　me　up；　bringing　the　young　lady　with

him。



〃Let　me　introduce　you　to　Miss　Holmes；　Quatermain；〃　he　said。　〃She　is

anxious　that　you　should　take　her　in　to　dinner；　if　you　will　be　so　kind。

She　is　very　interested　inin〃



〃Africa；〃　I　suggested。



〃In　Mr。　Quatermain；　who；　I　am　told；　is　one　of　the　greatest　hunters　in

Africa；〃　she　corrected　me；　with　a　dazzling　smile。



I　bowed；　not　knowing　what　to　say。　Lord　Ragnall　laughed　and　vanished；

leaving　us　together。　Dinner　was　announced。　Presently　we　were　wending

in　the　centre　of　a　long　and　glittering　procession　across　the　central

hall　to　the　banqueting　chamber；　a　splendid　room　with　a　roof　like　a

church　that　was　said　to　have　been　built　in　the　times　of　the

Plantagenets。　Here　Mr。　Savage；　who　evidently　had　been　looking　out　for

her　future　ladyship；　conducted　us　to　our　places；　which　were　upon　the

left　of　Lord　Ragnall；　who　sat　at　the　head　of　the　broad　table　with　Lady

Longden　on　his　right。　Then　the　old　clergyman；　Dr。　Jeffreys；　a　pompous

and　rather　frowsy　ecclesiastic；　said　grace；　for　grace　was　still　in

fashion　at　such　feasts　in　those　days；　asking　Heaven　to　make　us　truly

thankful　for　the　dinner　we　were　about　to　consume。



Certainly　there　was　a　great　deal　to　be　thankful　for　in　the　eating　and

drinking　line；　but　of　all　I　remember　little；　except　a　general　vision

of　silver　dishes；　champagne；　splendour；　and　things　I　did　not　want　to

eat　being　constantly　handed　to　me。　What　I　do　remember　is　Miss　Holmes；

and　nothing　but　Miss　Holmes；　the　charm　of　her　conversation；　the　light

of　her　beautiful　eyes；　the　fragrance　of　her　hair；　her　most　flattering

interest　in　my　unworthy　self。　To　tell　the　truth；　we　got　on　〃like　fire

in　the　winter　grass；〃　as　the　Zulus　say；　and　when　that　dinner　was　over

the　grass　was　still　burning。



I　don't　think　that　Lord　Ragnall　quite　liked　it；　but　fortunately　Lady

Longden　was　a　talkative　person。　First　she　conversed　about　her　cold　in

the　head；　sneezing　at　intervals；　poor　soul；　and　being　reduced　to　send

for　another　handkerchief　after　the　entrées。　Then　she　got　off　upon

business　matters；　to　judge　from　the　look　of　boredom　on　her　host's

face；　I　think　it　must　have　been　of　settlements。　Three　times　did　I　hear

him　refer　her　to　the　lawyerswithout　avail。　Lastly；　when　he　thought

he　had　escaped；　she　embarked　upon　a　quite　vigorous　argument　with　Dr。

Jeffreys　about　church　mattersI　gathered　that　she　was　〃low〃　and　he

was　〃high〃in　which　she　insisted　upon　his　lordship　acting　as　referee。



〃Do　try　and　keep　your　attention　fixed；　George；〃　I　heard　her　say

severely。　〃To　allow　it　to　wander　when　high　spiritual　affairs　are　under

discussion　（sneeze）　is　scarcely　reverent。　Could　you　tell　the　man　to

shut　that　door？　The　draught　is　dreadful。　It　is　quite　impossible　for

you　to　agree　with　both　of　us；　as　you　say　you　do；　seeing　that

metaphorically　Dr。　Jeffreys　is　at　one　pole　and　I　am　at　the　other。〃

（Sneeze。）



〃Then　I　wish　I　were　at　the　Tropic　of　Cancer；〃　I　heard　him　mutter　with

a　groan。



In　vain；　he　had　to　keep　his　〃attention　fixed〃　on　this　point　for　the

next　three…quarters　of　an　hour。　So　as　Miss　Manners　was　at　the　other

side　of　me；　and　Scroope；　unhampered　by　the　presence　of　any　prospective

mother…in…law；　was　at　the　other　side　of　her；　for　all　practical

purposes　Miss　Holmes　and　I　were　left　alone。



She　began　by　saying：



〃I　hear　you　beat　Sir　Junius　Fortescue　out　shooting　to…day；　and　won　a

lot　of　money　from　him　which　you　gave　to　the　Cottage　Hospital。　I　don't

like　shooting；　and　I　don't　like　betting；　and　it's　strange；　because　you

don't　look　like　a　man　who　bets。　But　I　detest　Sir　Junius　Fortescue；　and

that　is　a　bond　of　union　between　us。〃



〃I　never　said　I　detested　him。〃



〃No；　but　I　am　sure　you　do。　Your　face　changed　when　I　mentioned　his

name。〃



〃As　it　happens；　you　are　right。　But；　Miss　Holmes；　I　should　like　you　to

understand　that　you　were　also　right　when　you　said　I　did　not　look　like

a　betting　man。〃　And　I　told　her　some　of　the　story　of　Van　Koop　and　the

￡250。



〃Ah！〃　she　said；　when　I　had　finished；　〃I　always　felt　sure　he　was　a

horror。　And　my　mother　wanted　me；　just　because　he　pretended　to　be　low

churchbut　that's　a　secret。〃



Then　I　congratulated　her　upon　her　approaching　marriage；　saying　what　a

joyful　thing　it　was　now　and　again　to　see　everything　going　in　real；

happy；　storybook　fashion：　beauty；　male　and　female；　united　by　love；

high　rank；　wealth；　troops　of　friends；　health　of　body；　a　lovely　and　an

ancient　home　in　a　settled　land　where　dangers　do　not　comeat　present

respect　and　affection　of　crowds　of　dependants；　the　prospect　of　a　high

and　useful　career　of　a　sort　whereof　the　door　is　shut　to　most　people；

everything　in　short　that　human　beings　who　are　not　actually　royalty

could　desire　or　deserve。　Indeed　after　my　second　glass　of　champagne　I

grew　quite　eloquent　on　these　and　kindred　points；　being　moved　thereto

by　memories　of　the　misery　that　is　in　the　world　which　formed　so　great　a

contrast　to　the　lot　of　this　striking　and　brilliant　pair。



She　listened　to　me　attentively　and　answered：



〃Thank　you　for　your　kind　thoughts　and　wishes。　But　does　it　not　strike

you；　Mr。　Quatermain；　that　there　is　something　ill…omened　in　such　talk？

I　believe　that　it　does；　that　as　you　finished　speaking　it　occurred　to

you　that　after　all　the　future　is　as　much　veiled　from　all　of　us　asas

the　picture　which　hangs　behind　its　curtain　of　rose…coloured　silk　in

Lord　Ragnall's　study　is　from　you。〃



〃How　did　you　know　that？〃　I　asked　sharply　in　a　low　voice。　For　by　the

strangest　of　coincidences；　as　I　concluded　my　somewhat　old…fashioned

little　speech　of　compliments；　this　very　reflection　had　entered　my

mind；　and　with　it　the　memory　of　the　veiled　picture　which　Mr。　Savage

had　pointed　out　to　me　on　the　previous　morning。



〃I　can't　say；　Mr。　Quatermain；　but　I　did　know　it。　You　were　thinking　of

the　picture；　were　you　not？〃



〃And　if　I　was；〃　I　said；　avoiding　a　direct　reply；　〃what　of　it？　Though

it　is　hidden　from　everybody　else；　he　has　only　to　draw　the　curtain　and

seeyou。〃



〃Supposing　he　should　draw　the　curtain　one　day　and　see　nothing；　Mr。

Quatermain？〃



〃Then　the　picture　would　have　been　stolen；　that　is　all；　and　he　would

have　to　search　for　it　till　he　found　it　again；　which　doubtless　sooner

or　later　he　would　do。〃



〃Yes；　sooner　or　later。　But　where？　Perhaps　you　have　lost　a　picture　or

two　in　your　time；　Mr。　Quatermain；　and　are　better　able　to　answer　the

question　than　I　am。〃



There　was　silence　for　a　few　moments；　for　this　talk　of　lost　pictures

brought　back　memories　which　choked　me。



Then　she　began　to　speak　again；　low；　quickly；　and　with　suppressed

passion；　but　acting　wonderfully　all　the　while。　Knowing　that　eyes　were

on　her；　her　gestures　and　the　expression　of　her　face　were　such　as　might

have　been　those　of　any　young　lady　of　fashion　who　was　talking　of

everyday　affairs；　such　as　dancing；　or　flowers；　or　jewels。　She　smiled

and　even　laughed　occasionally。　She　played　with　the　golden　salt…cellar

in　front　of　her　and；　upsetting　a　little　of　the　salt；　threw　it　over　her

left　shoulder；　appearing　to　ask　me　if　I　were　a　victim　of　that　ancient

habit；　and　so　on。



But　all　the　while　she　was　talking　deeply　of　deep　things；　such　as　I

should　never　have　thought　would　pass　her　mind。　This　was　the　substance

of　what　she　said；　for　I　cannot　set　it　all　down　verbatim；　after　so　many

years　my　memory　fails　me。



〃I　am　not　like　other　women。　Something　moves　me　to　tell　you　so；

something　very　real　and　powerful　which　pushes　me　as　a　strong　man

might。　It　is　odd；　because　I　have　never　spoken　to　anyone　else　like

that；　not　to　my　mother　for　instance；　or　even　to　Lord　Ragnall。　They

would　neither　of　them　understand；