登陆注册
15422900000023

第23章

She was too startled to say anything; he was contemplating with a penetrating and motionless stare the cracked marble urn as though he had resolved to fix its shape for ever in his memory. It was only when, turning suddenly to her, he blurted out twice, `I've come to you -- I've come straight to you --,' without being able to finish his phrase, that the great pitifulness of that lonely and tormented death in Costaguana came to her with the full force of its misery. He caught hold of her hand, raised it to his lips, and at that she dropped her parasol to pat him on the cheek, murmured `Poor boy', and began to dry her eyes under the downward curve of her hat-brim, very small in her simple, white frock, almost like a lost child crying in the degraded grandeur of the noble hall, while he stood by her, again perfectly motionless in the contemplation of the marble urn.

Afterwards they went out for a long walk, which was silent till he exclaimed suddenly:

`Yes. But if he had only grappled with it in a proper way!'

And then they stopped. Everywhere there were long shadows lying on the hills, on the roads, on the enclosed fields of olive trees; the shadows of poplars, of wide chestnuts, of farm buildings, of stone walls; and in mid-air the sound of a bell, thin and alert, was like the throbbing pulse of the sunset glow. Her lips were slightly parted as though in surprise that he should not be looking at her with his usual expression. His usual expression was unconditionally approving and attentive. He was in his talks with her the most anxious and deferential of dictators, an attitude that pleased her immensely. It affirmed her power without detracting from his dignity. That slight girl, with her little feet, little hands, little face attractively over-weighted by great coils of hair; with a rather large mouth, whose mere parting seemed to breathe upon you the fragrance of frankness and generosity, had the fastidious soul of an experienced woman. She was, before all things and all flatteries, careful of her pride in the object of her choice. But now he was actually not looking at her at all; and his expression was tense and irrational, as is natural in a man who elects to stare at nothing past a young girl's head.

`Well, yes. It was iniquitous. They corrupted him thoroughly, the poor old boy. Oh! why wouldn't he let me go back to him? But now I shall know how to grapple with this.'

After pronouncing these words with immense assurance, he glanced down at her, and at once fell a prey to distress, incertitude, and fear.

The only thing he wanted to know now, he said, was whether she did love him enough -- whether she would have the courage to go with him so far away? He put these questions to her in a voice that trembled with anxiety -- for he was a determined man.

She did. She would. And immediately the future hostess of all the Europeans in Sulaco had the physical experience of the earth falling away from under her. It vanished completely, even to the very sound of the bell. When her feet touched the ground again, the bell was still ringing in the valley;she put her hands up to her hair, breathing quickly, and glanced up and down the stony lane. It was reassuringly empty. Meantime, Charles, stepping with one foot into a dry and dusty ditch, picked up the open parasol, which had bounded away from them with a martial sound of drum taps. He handed it to her soberly, a little crestfallen.

They turned back, and after she had slipped her hand on his arm, the first words he pronounced were:

`It's lucky that we shall be able to settle in a coast town. You've heard its name. It is Sulaco. I am so glad poor Father did get that house.

He bought a big house there years ago, in order that there should always be a Casa Gould in the principal town of what used to be called the Occidental Province. I lived there once, as a small boy, with my dear mother, for a whole year, while poor Father was away in the United States on business.

You shall be the new mistress of the Casa Gould.'

And later, in the inhabited corner of the Palazzo above the vineyards, the marble hills, the pines and olives of Lucca, he also said:

`The name of Gould has been always highly respected in Sulaco. My uncle Harry was chief of the State for some time, and has left a great name amongst the first families. By this I mean the pure Creole families, who take no part in the miserable farce of governments. Uncle Harry was no adventurer.

In Costaguana we Goulds are no adventurers. He was of the country, and he loved it, but he remained essentially an Englishman in his ideas. He made use of the political cry of his time. It was Federation. But he was no politician. He simply stood up for social order out of pure love for rational liberty and from his hate of oppression. There was no nonsense about him. He went to work in his own way because it seemed right, just as I feel I must lay hold of that mine.'

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 火澜

    火澜

    当一个现代杀手之王穿越到这个世界。是隐匿,还是崛起。一场血雨腥风的传奇被她改写。一条无上的强者之路被她踏破。修斗气,炼元丹,收兽宠,化神器,大闹皇宫,炸毁学院,打死院长,秒杀狗男女,震惊大陆。无止尽的契约能力,上古神兽,千年魔兽,纷纷前来抱大腿,惊傻世人。她说:在我眼里没有好坏之分,只有强弱之分,只要你能打败我,这世间所有都是你的,打不败我,就从这世间永远消失。她狂,她傲,她的目标只有一个,就是凌驾这世间一切之上。三国皇帝,魔界妖王,冥界之主,仙界至尊。到底谁才是陪着她走到最后的那个?他说:上天入地,我会陪着你,你活着,有我,你死,也一定有我。本文一对一,男强女强,强强联手,不喜勿入。
  • 凤逆苍穹:邪尊,怕不怕

    凤逆苍穹:邪尊,怕不怕

    魂穿异世,天才觉醒!唯强独尊的亚洲组织领导人,魂穿成了举国上下为耻痴傻的废材郡主!无权无势?活该受欺负?尔等真是瞎了狗眼!岂知狠与毒才是她的代名词!绝世宝器力压全场!灵兽强悍炸裂三观!她步步为营,腹黑无耻,天下灵药重宝尽收囊中,偏偏还顶着一副纯善无辜的模样,红唇一勾:“不服?来战!”他,是被封青铜棺中的妖孽邪尊,无意间被她捡到,从此强者与强者汇上交集!腹黑杠上邪肆,这场情感间的争斗,究竟谁先俘获谁的芳心?世人:“腹黑如此多娇,竟引邪尊来折腰!”
  • 超甜蜜,魔女追追爱

    超甜蜜,魔女追追爱

    魔王的小公主爱上了人类,八年的等待后两人再次相遇,他却似乎已经不记得她了。要怎样虏获王子心?于是她——变身泳装美女,烹调出大餐,美女计与美食计双管齐下;变身可爱小猫,贴身紧跟顺带揩油,监视与控制一举两得;变身许愿精灵,在夜空下带他邀游天际,创造不可复制的美好……可是,魔王的要挟,魔族勇士的阻挠,还有人类美女的第三者阻挠,他们之间似乎看不到未来……
  • 神兽家族

    神兽家族

    在这世上有许许多多奇妙的事,而我就是经历了这绝大多数事的人,我就是我,我乃‘黑魔刹’
  • 安歌

    安歌

    快乐并智慧地活着。1她,一个女孩。已经很晚了。很晚了。她,无家可归。我们把无家可归的狗叫做流浪狗,那人呢?她怎么叫?无家可归的她。2低着头,灰溜溜地走。直走到最后,天冷了。她卷缩着。世上冷飕飕的,冷飕飕的更显得出她的失落。你怎么如此落魄!
  • 深衣考误

    深衣考误

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 倾城妖娆:腹黑公子好难缠

    倾城妖娆:腹黑公子好难缠

    “北方有佳人,绝世而独立”,我就知道我是为了与你相遇而生,落尘国太子落尘澈在身处危难之时与她偶然相遇,“只要你以身相许,我就救你。”该是怎样的女子才会如此张狂说出这等言语;初见的那一刻,我就知道“众里寻她千百度,蓦然回首,那人只在灯火阑珊处”,从我看见你的第一眼我的心就已经彻底被你所俘虏,被尊为星辰大陆第一美男的顾少卿竟然从小倾心于她;当你回头的一刹那“回眸一笑百媚生”,你的身影印在了我的心中,我就知道你会是我一生的挚爱,只为能看到心爱之人幸福宁可把一切隐藏在心底,该是怎样的女子能使得夏殇国太子夏殇宇如此牺牲;睿儿!传说中倾国倾城的女子,到底哪个才是她的真命天子,谁才是那命定的真爱!
  • 妖帝纵横

    妖帝纵横

    一个朴实的少年,为报家仇步入修真。遭暗算葬身妖兽之腹,却因此因祸得福,得无名功法,修无上神通。待大仇得报,却又为自己的身世所困惑。历尽艰辛,当一切谜团都烟消云散之时,面对的,却是……
  • 重生之放弃执念

    重生之放弃执念

    爱恨本位一体,如果当初我不曾遇见你,是不是现在就不会落得众叛亲离的下场了
  • 武道龙纹

    武道龙纹

    引言:十方世界,十大主宰,我龙傲天就是要傲立十重天!!!本书境界:白纹段,青纹段,紫纹段,红纹段,金纹段,地纹段,天纹段。法器:普通凡器,灵纹器,圣纹器,神纹器,领主宝器,君王器。