登陆注册
15453300000086

第86章 XXXV.(3)

They counted up Clementina's debts and assets, and they found that if she took the next steamer from Genoa, which was to sail in four days, she would have enough to pay her own way and Mr. Orson's to New York, and still have some thirty dollars over, for her expenses home to Middlemount. They allowed for a second cabin-passage, which the vice-consul said was perfectly good on the Genoa steamers. He rather urged the gentility and comfort of the second cabin-passage, but his reasons in favor of it were wasted upon Clementina's indifference; she wished to get home, now, and she did not care how. She asked the vice-consul to see the minister for her, and if he were ready and willing, to telegraph for their tickets. He transacted the business so promptly that he was able to tell her when he came in the evening that everything was in train.

He excused his coming; he said that now she was going so soon, he wanted to see all he could of her. He offered no excuse when he came the next morning; but he said he had got a letter for her and thought she might want to have it at once.

He took it out of his hat and gave it to her. It was addressed in Hinkle's writing; her answer had come at last; she stood trembling with it in her hand.

The vice-consul smiled. "Is that the one?"

"Yes," she whispered back.

"All right." He took his hat, and set it on the back of his head before he left her without other salutation.

Then Clementina opened her letter. It was in a woman's hand, and the writer made haste to explain at the beginning that she was George W.

Hinkle's sister, and that she was writing for him; for though he was now out of danger, he was still very weak, and they had all been anxious about him. A month before, he had been hurt in a railroad collision, and had come home from the West, where the accident happened, suffering mainly from shock, as his doctor thought; he had taken to his bed at once, and had not risen from it since. He had been out of his head a great part of the time, and had been forbidden everything that could distress or excite him. His sister said that she was writing for him now as soon as he had seen Clementina's letter; it had been forwarded from one address to another, and had at last found him there at his home in Ohio. He wished to say that he would come out for Clementina as soon as he was allowed to undertake the journey, and in the meantime she must let him know constantly where she was. The letter closed with a few words of love in his own handwriting.

Clementina rose from reading it, and put on her hat in a bewildered impulse to go to him at once; she knew, in spite of all the cautions and reserves of the letter that he must still be very sick. When she came out of her daze she found that she could only go to the vice-consul. She put the letter in his hands to let it explain itself. "You'll undastand, now," she said. "What shall I do?"

When he had read it, he smiled and answered, "I guess I understood pretty well before, though I wasn't posted on names. Well, I suppose you'll want to layout most of your capital on cables, now?"

"Yes," she laughed, and then she suddenly lamented, " Why didn't they telegraph?"

"Well, I guess he hadn't the head for it," said the vice-consul, "and the rest wouldn't think of it. They wouldn't, in the country."

Clementina laughed again; in joyous recognition of the fact, "No, my fatha wouldn't, eitha!"

The vice-consul reached for his hat, and he led the way to Clementina's gondola at his garden gate, in greater haste than she. At the telegraph office he framed a dispatch which for expansive fullness and precision was apparently unexampled in the experience of the clerk who took it and spelt over its English with them. It asked an answer in the vice-consul's care, and, "I'll tell you what, Miss Claxon," he said with a husky weakness in his voice, "I wish you'd let this be my treat."

She understood. "Do you really, Mr. Bennam?"

"I do indeed."

"Well, then, I will," she said, but when he wished to include in his treat the dispatch she sent home to her father announcing her coming, she would not let him.

He looked at his watch, as they rowed away. "It's eight o'clock here, now, and it will reach Ohio about six hours earlier; but you can't expect an answer tonight, you know."

"No"-- She had expected it though, he could see that.

"But whenever it comes, I'll bring it right round to you. Now it's all going to be straight, don't you be afraid, and you're going home the quickest way you can get there. I've been looking up the sailings, and this Genoa boat will get you to New York about as soon as any could from Liverpool. Besides there's always a chance of missing connections and losing time between here and England. I should stick to the Genoa boat."

"Oh I shall," said Clementina, far less fidgetted than he. She was, in fact, resting securely again in the faith which had never really deserted her, and had only seemed for a little time to waver from her when her hope went. Now that she had telegraphed, her heart was at peace, and she even laughed as she answered the anxious vice-consul.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 魔法使之夜:橙色之夜

    魔法使之夜:橙色之夜

    TM世界的短篇小说,应该说是很多年前笔者刚开始同人写作时就有的构思,可惜半途而废了,所以大家看看就好
  • 网游世界之成神之路

    网游世界之成神之路

    这是一个打怪刷级掉宝物的游戏世界只有一步步刷级才会成为真正的神曾经火神的儿子萧琦将怎样走上成神之路?这里有暗杀组织,蜀山,峨眉等宗派全部汇聚在此主角萧琦将怎样在众多天之骄子中脱颖而出?一切的一切都将在书中一一揭晓。任务设定分三种初级职业:战士,魔法师,弓箭手。五十级以后开启3个隐藏角色:圣枪斗士,光坡法师,黑暗法师,更多隐藏角色尽在书中寻找答案。
  • 戾心

    戾心

    在城中,拥有鸿天国际的崔家和属于言氏集团的言家相安无事的良性竞争,突然有一天韩家带领着翰森地产插足城中,形成三国鼎立的状态一场意外,让崔芷心陷入困境,崔父的死,让崔芷心选择继续寻找谜团,身边有关联的人一个又一个的死亡,事情越来越复杂,崔芷心迫不得已离开城中,寻找那个唯一能够帮助自己复仇的人三年后,崔芷心终于回归,携手其他自己人,正式向他们那些人开战
  • 少年盛世

    少年盛世

    他是丞相府独生公子,每天都在胡闹,每天都无所事事,对于美食有着非一般的执着,却有着天人之姿,擢耀光秀的能力,是个逍遥快乐的散漫少爷;他是皇帝独子国之储君,地位尊贵,嚣张狂放,透出一股天下之大谁我也不服的气势,内心却是深深的寂寞;他是忠良之后,将军府引以为傲的少主,一身武艺震慑江湖,行事冷酷,却是谨慎细致寡言少语,以保卫国家安宁为己任。三小只机缘巧合自小一同入宫学习,三人联手更是闹的宫廷鸡犬不宁。然而盛世之下必有奸臣霍乱朝纲,看三位翩翩少年携手肆意江湖,纵横朝堂,收拾奸臣,抵御外族,期间撩妹无数,不知最终可否寻觅终身知己?
  • 末世之尸口逃生

    末世之尸口逃生

    世界末日来临的时候。不管你是谁,高官,平民,男人,女人,富翁,乞丐想要活下去,只能拿起手中武器。这个世界开始变得荒谬,人倒下去了,又会站起来,变成吃人的行尸我的要求也不高,活下去就好欢迎加入求生队伍,和我们一起尸口逃生。
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 夜枯刀慌

    夜枯刀慌

    武极而生道,道的路途有多远?道一声珍重,可能是生离,可能是死别。思念到不了故乡,在轻风中摇曳,落在了归途里,粉身碎骨……
  • 蒹葭苍苍:再爱一次不嫌多

    蒹葭苍苍:再爱一次不嫌多

    他把她紧紧的按在墙上:“在那深宫大院里等着我去接你!”她推开他上了那辆富丽堂皇的马车:“忘记我,开始你的幸福生活!”看着车轮渐渐远去,他手握的很紧:“没有你我怎能幸福?”他低头看着手中的长剑:“为了你,弑君又算得了什么?”
  • 扶灵王

    扶灵王

    他是一位继承家族异能的扶灵师,是一位传说当中的高人。他行走在生死之间,度化着不愿离世的怨灵,拯救着受到欺凌的善良之人。他每一次出手,都可以换来钱财无数。可是他的身上,却随时连一根冰棍的钱都拿不出来。他身边跟着美艳动人,并且拥有多种技能的美女跟班,但是却只能看不能动,甚至有其他女子主动和自己搭讪,都会受到惊吓,再也不敢与自己靠近,谁叫这小跟班只是一个没有实体的灵魂?带着混日子的心态苟活在这世间,可是上天却偏偏选中他来拯救这个世界。一个小小的扶灵师,如何去面对一个个阴谋的旋涡,成为扶灵王的男人!
  • 我在茅山当道士

    我在茅山当道士

    我在茅山当道士,新书发布,不一样的茅山道士,不一样的捉鬼奇闻,你们期待吗