novel notes-第41章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃They　were　living　at　Cairo　at　the　period；　her　husband　held　an　important　official　position　there；　and　by　virtue　of　this；　and　of　her　own　beauty　and　tact；　her　house　soon　became　the　centre　of　the　Anglo…　Saxon　society　ever　drifting　in　and　out　of　the　city。　　The　women　disliked　her；　and　copied　her。　　The　men　spoke　slightingly　of　her　to　their　wives；　lightly　of　her　to　each　other；　and　made　idiots　of　themselves　when　they　were　alone　with　her。　　She　laughed　at　them　to　their　faces；　and　mimicked　them　behind　their　backs。　　Their　friends　said　it　was　clever。

〃One　year　there　arrived　a　young　English　engineer；　who　had　come　out　to　superintend　some　canal　works。　　He　brought　with　him　satisfactory　letters　of　recommendation；　and　was　at　once　received　by　the　European　residents　as　a　welcome　addition　to　their　social　circle。　　He　was　not　particularly　good…looking；　he　was　not　remarkably　charming；　but　he　possessed　the　one　thing　that　few　women　can　resist　in　a　man；　and　that　is　strength。　　The　woman　looked　at　the　man；　and　the　man　looked　back　at　the　woman；　and　the　drama　began。

〃Scandal　flies　swiftly　through　small　communities。　　Before　a　month；　their　relationship　was　the　chief　topic　of　conversation　throughout　the　quarter。　　In　less　than　two；　it　reached　the　ears　of　the　woman's　husband。

〃He　was　either　an　exceptionally　mean　or　an　exceptionally　noble　character；　according　to　how　one　views　the　matter。　　He　worshipped　his　wifeas　men　with　big　hearts　and　weak　brains　often　do　worship　such　womenwith　dog…like　devotion。　　His　only　dread　was　lest　the　scandal　should　reach　proportions　that　would　compel　him　to　take　notice　of　it；　and　thus　bring　shame　and　suffering　upon　the　woman　to　whom　he　would　have　given　his　life。　　That　a　man　who　saw　her　should　love　her　seemed　natural　to　him；　that　she　should　have　grown　tired　of　himself；　a　thing　not　to　be　wondered　at。　　He　was　grateful　to　her　for　having　once　loved　him；　for　a　little　while。

〃As　for　'the　other　man；'　he　proved　somewhat　of　an　enigma　to　the　gossips。　　He　attempted　no　secrecy；　if　anything；　he　rather　paraded　his　subjugationor　his　conquest；　it　was　difficult　to　decide　which　term　to　apply。　　He　rode　and　drove　with　her；　visited　her　in　public　and　in　private　（in　such　privacy　as　can　be　hoped　for　in　a　house　filled　with　chattering　servants；　and　watched　by　spying　eyes）；　loaded　her　with　expensive　presents；　which　she　wore　openly；　and　papered　his　smoking…den　with　her　photographs。　　Yet　he　never　allowed　himself　to　appear　in　the　least　degree　ridiculous；　never　allowed　her　to　come　between　him　and　his　work。　　A　letter　from　her；　he　would　lay　aside　unopened　until　he　had　finished　what　he　evidently　regarded　as　more　important　business。　　When　boudoir　and　engine…shed　became　rivals；　it　was　the　boudoir　that　had　to　wait。

〃The　woman　chafed　under　his　self…control；　which　stung　her　like　a　lash；　but　clung　to　him　the　more　abjectly。

〃'Tell　me　you　love　me！'　she　would　cry　fiercely；　stretching　her　white　arms　towards　him。

〃'I　have　told　you　so；'　he　would　reply　calmly；　without　moving。

〃'I　want　to　hear　you　tell　it　me　again；'　she　would　plead　with　a　voice　that　trembled　on　a　sob。　　'Come　close　to　me　and　tell　it　me　again；　again；　again！'

〃Then；　as　she　lay　with　half…closed　eyes；　he　would　pour　forth　a　flood　of　passionate　words　sufficient　to　satisfy　even　her　thirsty　ears；　and　afterwards；　as　the　gates　clanged　behind　him；　would　take　up　an　engineering　problem　at　the　exact　point　at　which　half　an　hour　before；　on　her　entrance　into　the　room；　he　had　temporarily　dismissed　it。

〃One　day；　a　privileged　friend　put　bluntly　to　him　this　question：　'Are　you　playing　for　love　or　vanity？'

〃To　which　the　man；　after　long　pondering；　gave　this　reply：　　''Pon　my　soul；　Jack；　I　couldn't　tell　you。'

〃Now；　when　a　man　is　in　love　with　a　woman　who　cannot　make　up　her　mind　whether　she　loves　him　or　not；　we　call　the　complication　comedy；　where　it　is　the　woman　who　is　in　earnest　the　result　is　generally　tragedy。

〃They　continued　to　meet　and　to　make　love。　　They　talkedas　people　in　their　position　are　prone　to　talkof　the　beautiful　life　they　would　lead　if　it　only　were　not　for　the　thing　that　was；　of　the　earthly　paradiseor；　maybe；　'earthy'　would　be　the　more　suitable　adjective　they　would　each　create　for　the　other；　if　only　they　had　the　right　which　they　hadn't。

〃In　this　work　of　imagination　the　man　trusted　chiefly　to　his　literary　faculties；　which　were　considerable；　the　woman　to　her　desires。　　Thus；　his　scenes　possessed　a　grace　and　finish　which　hers　lacked；　but　her　pictures　were　the　more　vivid。　　Indeed；　so　realistic　did　she　paint　them；　that　to　herself　they　seemed　realities；　waiting　for　her。　　Then　she　would　rise　to　go　towards　them　only　to　strike　herself　against　the　thought　of　the　thing　that　stood　between　her　and　them。　　At　first　she　only　hated　the　thing；　but　after　a　while　there　came　an　ugly　look　of　hope　into　her　eyes。

〃The　time　drew　near　for　the　man　to　return　to　England。　　The　canal　was　completed；　and　a　day　appointed　for　the　letting　in　of　the　water。　　The　man　determined　to　make　the　event　the　occasion　of　a　social　gathering。　He　invited　a　large　number　of　guests；　among　whom　were　the　woman　and　her　husband；　to　assist　at　the　function。　　Afterwards　the　party　were　to　picnic　at　a　pleasant　wooded　spot　some　three…quarters　of　a　mile　from　the　first　lock。

〃The　ceremony　of　flooding　was　to　be　performed　by　the　woman；　her　husband's　position　entitling　her　to　this　distinction。　　Between　the　river　and　the　head　of　the　cutting　had　been　left　a　strong　bank　of　earth；　pierced　some　distance　down　by　a　hole；　which　hole　was　kept　closed　by　means　of　a　closely…fitting　steel　plate。　　The　woman　drew　the　lever　releasing　this　plate；　and　the　water　rushed　through　and　began　to　press　against　the　lock　gates。　　When　it　had　attained　a　certain　depth；　the　sluices　were　raised；　and　the　water　poured　down　into　the　deep　basin　of　the　lock。

〃It　was　an　exceptionally　deep　lock。　　The　party　gathered　round　and　watched　the　water　slowly　rising。　　The　woman　looked　down；　and　shuddered；　the　man　was　standing　by　her　side。

〃'How　deep　it　is；'　she　said。

〃'Yes；'　he　replied；　'it　holds　thirty　feet　of　water；　when　full。'

〃The　water　crept　up　inch　by　inch。

〃'Why　don't　you　open　the　gates；　and　let　it　in　quickly？'　she　asked。

〃'It　would　not　do　for　it　to　come　in　too　quickly；'　he　explained；　'we　shall　half　fill　this　lock；　and　then　open　the　sluices　at　the　other　end；　and　so　let　the　water　pass　through。'

〃The　woman　looked　at　the　smooth　stone　walls　and　at　the　iron…plated　gates。

〃'I　wonder　what　a　man　would　do；'　she　said；　'if　he　fell　in；　and　there　was　no　one　near　to　help　him？'

〃The　man　laughed。　　'I　think　he　would　stop　there；'　he　answered。　'Come；　the　others　are　waiting　for　us。'

〃He　lingered　a　moment　to　give　some　final　instructions　to　the　workmen。　　'You　can　follow　on　when　you've　made　all　right；'　he　said；　'and　get　something　to　eat。　　There's　no　need　for　more　than　one　to　stop。'　　Then　they　joined　the　rest　of　the　party；　and　sauntered　on；　laughing　and　talking；　to　the　picnic　ground。

After　lunch　the　party　broke　up；　as　is　the　custom　of　picnic　parties；　and　wandered　away　in　groups　and　pairs。　　The　man；　whose　duty　as　host　had　hitherto　occupied　all　his　attention；　looked　for　the　woman；　but　she　was　gone。

〃A　friend　strolled　by；　the　same　that　had　put　the　question　to　him　about　love　and　vanity。

〃'Have　you　quarrelled？'　asked　the　friend。

〃'No；'　replied　the　man。

〃'I　fancied　you　had；'　said　the　other。　　'I　met　her　just　now　walking　with　her　husband；　of　all　men　in　the　world；　and　making　herself　quite　agreeable　to　him。'

〃The　friend　strolled　on；　and　the　man　sat　down　on　a　fallen　tree；　and　lighted　a　cigar。　　He　smoked　and　thought；　and　the　cigar　burnt　out；　but　he　still　sat　thinking。

〃After　a　while　he　heard　a　faint　rustling　of　the　branches　behind　him；　and　peering　between　the　interlacing　leaves　that　hid　him；　saw　the　crouching　figure　of　the　woman　creeping　through　the　wood。

〃His　lips　were　parted　to　call　her　name；　when　she　turned　her　listening　head　in　his　direction；　and　his　eyes　fell　full　upon　her　face。　　Something　about　it；　he　could　not　have　told　what；　struck　him　dumb；　and　the　woman　crept　on。

〃Gradually　the　nebulous　thoughts　floating　through　his　brain　began　to　solidify　into　a　tangible　idea；　and　the　man　unconsciously　started　forward。　　After　walking　a　few　steps　he　broke　into　a　run；　for　the　idea　had　grown　c