首页 >出版文学> Love Eternal>第20章

第20章

  Thenhetooburstforth。
  “Damnyou,whatdoyoumean,youlittleminx?“heasked。“WhydoyousayIkilledher,becauseIdidwhatIthoughtthebestforallofus?
  Nowomanhadabetterhusband,asIamsuresheacknowledgesinheavento-day。“
  “Idon’tknowwhatMotherthinksinheaven,ifthereisoneforher,asthereoughttobe。ButIdoknowwhatIthinkonearth,“remarkedtheburningIsobel。
  “AndIknowwhatIthinkalso,“shoutedherenragedparent,dashingthenew,crape-coveredhatontothetableinfrontofhim,“anditisthatthefurtheryouandIareapartfromeachother,thebetterwearelikelytogeton。“
  “Iagreewithyou,Father。“
  “Lookhere,Isobel,yousaidthatyouruncleEdgar,whohasbeenappointedMinistertoMexico,offeredtotakeyouwithhimtobeacompaniontohisdaughter,yourcousinEmily。Well,youcangoifyoulike。I’llpaytheshotandshutupthishouseforawhile。I’msickofthecursedplace,andcangettoHarwichjustaswellfromLondon。
  Writeandmakethearrangements,foroneyear,nomore。Bythattimeyourtempermayhaveimproved,“headdedwithanuglysneer。
  “Thankyou,Father,Iwill。“
  Hestaredatherforalittlewhile。Shemethisgazeunflinchingly,andintheenditwasnothereyesthatdropped。Thenwithasmotheredexclamationhestampedoutoftheroom,kickingIsobel’slittleterrieroutofthepathwithhiselephantinefoot。Thepoorbeast,ofwhichshewasveryfond,limpedtoherwhining,foritwasmuchhurt。
  Shetookitinherarmsandkissedit,weepingtearsofwrathandpity。
  “IwonderwhatGodfreywouldsayaboutthefifthCommandmentifhehadbeenherethisafternoon,youpoorthing,“shewhisperedtothewhimperingdog,whichwaslickingitshangingleg。“ThereisnoGod。
  IftherehadbeenHewouldnothavegivenmesuchafather,ormymothersuchahusband。“
  Thenstillcarryingtheinjuredterrier,shewentoutandglidedthroughthedarknesstohermother’sgraveintheneighbouringchurchyard。Thesextonshaddonetheirwork,andtheraw,brownearthofthegrave,mixedwithbitsofdecayedcoffinsandfragmentsofperishedhumanbones,wascoveredwithhot-houseflowers。Amongtheselayagorgeouswreathofwhiteandpurpleorchids,towhichwastiedacardwhereonwaswritten:“Tomydarlingwife,fromherbereavedhusband,JohnBlake。“
  Isobelliftedthewreathfromitsplaceofhonourandthrewitoverthethechurchyardwall。Thensheweptandweptasthoughherheartwouldbreak。
  InduecourseGodfreyreceivedanepistleoffrigidcongratulationfromhisfatheruponhisaccessiontowealthwhich,heremarked,wouldbeofassistancetohiminhisfutureclericalcareer。TherestoftheletterwasfullofcomplaintsagainsttheindignitiesthathadbeenheapeduponhimbyMissOgilvy’sexecutorsandtrustees,andalsoagainstGodfreyhimselffornothavingfurnishedhimwithmoreinformationconcerningthecircumstancessurroundinghisinheritance。
  Lastly,Mr。KnightenclosedapaperwhichherequestedGodfreytosignandreturn,authorizinghimtodealwiththeincomeofthelegacy。
  ThisGodfreydidobediently,onlyaweekortwolatertoreceiveaformalnotificationfromthelawyers,senttohimdirectthistimeashisaddresshadbeenfilledinontheAuthority,informinghimthathehadnopowertosignsuchdocuments,hebeinginfactunderage,andsuggestingthatheshouldrefrainfromdoingsointhefuture。
  Enclosedwerecopiesoftheirfirstlettertohim,andoftheotherdocumentswhichMr。Knighthadnotthoughtitworthwhiletoforwardbecause,ashesaid,theywereheavyandforeignpostagewassoexpensive。
  Furtherthetrusteesannouncedthattheyproposedtoallowhim£50ayearoutoftheincomeforhispersonalneeds,whichwouldbepaidhalf-yearly,andenclosedadraftfor£25,whichwasmoremoneythaneverGodfreyhadpossessedbefore。Thisdrafthewasdesiredtoacknowledge,andgenerallytokeephimselfintouchwiththetrustees,andtoconsultthembeforetakinganystepofimportance,alsoastohisfuturecareer。
  Allthis,withthesenseofindependencewhichitgavehim,wasagreeableenoughtoGodfrey,asitwouldhavebeentoanyyouth。HeacknowledgedthedraftundertheguidanceofthePasteur,sayingthathewouldwriteagainwhenhehadanythingtocommunicate,butthatasyethehadnotmadeuphismindastohisfuture,andproposedtostaywherehewas,continuinghisstudies,ifhisfatherwouldallowhimtodoso。NexthetookanopportunitytogotoLucernewiththePasteur,whowishedtoinspecttheVillaOgilvyandconsultthenotaryastoaninventoryofitscontentsandarrangementsforitsupkeep。
  Godfrey,whowasreceivedbytheservantswithmanybows,andrequeststhattheymightbeallowedtocontinueintheiremployment,wanderedthroughthebigroomswhichlookedsodesolatenow,andstareduntilhewastiredatexamplesofbeautifulFrenchfurniture,ofwhichheunderstoodnothing。Then,oppressedbymemoriesofhiskindfriendintowhosedeathchamberhehadblundered,and,asitseemedtohim,byasenseofherpresencewhichheimaginedwaswarninghimofsomething,heleftthehouse,tellingthePasteur,whowaspeeringabouthimthroughhisbluespectaclesinaninnocentandinterestedway,thathewouldmeethimatthefiveo’clockdiligence。Indeed,hehadbusinessofhisowntodo,whichseemedtohimmoreimportantthanallthisstock-takingandlegaldiscussion。HavingplentyofmoneyinhispocketGodfreywishedtospendsomeofitinpresents。
  First,heboughtalargemeerschaumpipewithaflexiblestemasagifttothePasteur,whomhehadheardadmirethisverypipeintheshopwindowandexpressregretsthatitwastooexpensiveforhismeans。Havingpaiddownthirtyfrancslikeamanforthistreasure,heproceededtoajeweller’snearby。Thereheacquiredanecklaceofamethystssetwithgreattasteinlocalsilverwork,forMadametowear,andacharmingsilverwatchofthebestSwissmakeforJuliette。
  Whenhefoundthattheseobjectsinvolvedanexpenditureoffourteensovereigns,hewasalittlestaggered,butagainsmiledandpaidup。
  Therewasalsoalovelylittleringofgoldwithtwoturquoiseheartsthatheboughtfor£2tosendtoIsobel/when/shewrotetohim。But,asIsobelhadpostedherletterinMr。Knight’sdrawer,thatringneverreachedherfingerformanyaday。
  Thesegiftssafelyinhispocket,hebegantostrolltowardstherailwaystation,whencethediligencestarted,slowly,ashehadplentyoftime。Ashewenthesaw,inashopwindow,abeautifulstickofolivewood,withanebonycrook。Itwasmarkedtenfrancs,andhecoveteditgreatly,butreflectedwithasighthathavingspentsomuchonothershecouldaffordnothingforhimself,forGodfreywasanunselfishsoul。InsteadheboughtacollarofSwisslaceforMrs。
  Parsons。Immediatelyafterheleftthelaceshophebecameawarethathewasbeingshadowed。Heheardnofootfall,andhesawnoone,buthe/knew/thatthiswasso;hecouldfeelitdownhisback,andinacoldwindwhichblewacrosshishands,asithaddonealwaysattheVillaOgilvyséances。
  Theroadthathewasfollowingledacrosssomepublicgardensbeneathanavenueoftrees,which,ofcourse,atthistimeoftheyear,wereleafless。Thisavenuewaslightedhereandthere,andbeneathoneofthegaslampsGodfreywheeledroundtoseeMadameRiennesadvancingonhimoutofthegloom。Herstoutformpaddedforwardnoiselessly,exceptfortheoccasionalcrackleofadeadandfrostedleafbeneathherfoot。Sheworeathickcloakofsomesortwithablackhoodthatframedherlarge,whiteface,makingherlooklikeamonkoftheInquisitionasdepictedinvariousoldprints。Beneaththeblacknessofthishoodandabovetherigidlineofthesetmouth,staredtwoprominentandglowingeyes,inwhichthegaslightwasreflected。TheyremindedGodfreyofthoseofastalkingcatinadarkroom。Indeed,fromthemomentthathecaughtsightofthemhefeltlikethemousecoweringinacorner,orlikeabirdinatreefascinatedbythesnakethatwrithestowardsitalongthebough。
  “Ah,/monpetit/,“saidMadame,inherthick,creamyvoice,thatseemedtoemergefromherlowerregions,“soIhavefoundyou。Iwaswalkingthroughthetownandanotioncametomethatyouwerehere,a——whatyoucallit?——instinctlikethatwhichmakethedogfinditsmaster。OnlyImasterandyoudog,eh?“
  Godfreytriedtopullhimselftogether,feelingthatitwouldnotbewisetoshowfearofthiswoman,andgreetedheraspolitelyashecould,takingoffhishatwithaflourishintheforeignfashion。
  “Putthathatbackonyourhead,/monpetit/,oryouwillcatchcoldandbeill,youwhoaremuchtooprecioustobeill。Listen,now:I
  havesomethingtosaytoyou。Youhavegreatluck,haveyounot?Ah!
  sweetSisterHelen,shegotojointhespirits,quitequick,asItellheralittlewhileagoshewilldo,andsheleavesyoumuchmoney,thoughtome,heroldfriend,hersisterinthespeerit,shegivenotonesou,althoughsheknowIwantit。Well,Ithinktheresomemistake,andIwishtotalktoSisterHelenaboutthismoneybusiness。
  Ithinksheleavemesomething,somehow,ifIcanfindoutwhere。Andyou,dear/petit/,canhelpme。NextSundayyouwillcometomyroomsofwhichIgiveyouaddress,“andshethrustacardintohishand,“andwewilltalkwithSisterHelen,oratleastwithEleanor,yourlittlefriend。“
  Godfreyshookhisheadvigorously,butshetooknonotice。
  “Whathaveyoubeenbuying,“shewenton,“withSisterHelen’smoney?
  Presents,Ithink。Yes,yes,Iseetheminyourpocket,“andshefixedhereyesupontheunhappyGodfrey’spocket,atleastthatiswherehefeltthem。
  “Oh!veryprettypresents。NecklaceforthefineMadame,ofwhomIcantellyousomestories。WatchforprettyMees,withthered,poutinglips,sonicetokiss。PipeforgoodoldPasteur,tosmokewhilehethinkofheaven,whereonetimehesitalldayanddonothingforever;laceforsomeoneelse,Iknownotwho,andIthinkacharmingringforonewhowillnotwearitjustyet;abiggirlwithapalefaceandeyesthatflash,butcangrowsoft。Onewhowouldknowhowtolove,eh!Yes,notadoll,butonewhowouldknowhowtolovelikeawomanshould。AmIright?“
  TheconfusedGodfreybabbledsomethingaboutashop,andwassilent。