登陆注册
15453300000088

第88章 XXXVI.(2)

"Well, then, I guess I should do it."

The time did not come for her confession till they had nearly reached the end of their voyage. It followed upon something like a confession from the minister himself, which he made the day he struggled on deck with her help, after spending a week in his berth.

"Here is something," he said, "which appears to be for you, Miss Claxon.

I found it among some letters for Mrs. Lander which Mr. Bennam gave me after my arrival, and I only observed the address in looking over the papers in my valise this morning." He handed her a telegram. "I trust that it is nothing requiring immediate attention."

Clementina read it at a glance. "No," she answered, and for a while she could not say anything more; it was a cable message which Hinkle's sister must have sent her after writing. No evil had come of its failure to reach her, and she recalled without bitterness the suffering which would have been spared her if she had got it before. It was when she thought of the suffering of her lover from the silence which must have made him doubt her, that she could not speak. As soon as she governed herself against her first resentment she said, with a little sigh, "It is all right, now, Mr. Osson," and her stress upon the word seemed to trouble him with no misgiving. "Besides, if you're to blame for not noticing, so is Mr. Bennam, and I don't want to blame any one." She hesitated a moment before she added: "I have got to tell you something, now, because I think you ought to know it. I am going home to be married, Mr. Osson, and this message is from the gentleman I am going to be married to.

He has been very sick, and I don't know yet as he'll be able to meet me in New Yo'k; but his fatha will."

Mr. Orson showed no interest in these facts beyond a silent attention to her words, which might have passed for an open indifference. At his time of life all such questions, which are of permanent importance to women, affect men hardly more than the angels who neither marry nor are given in marriage. Besides, as a minister he must have had a surfeit of all possible qualities in the love affairs of people intending matrimony.

As a casuist he was more reasonably concerned in the next fact which Clementina laid before him.

"And the otha day, there in Venice when you we'e sick, and you seemed to think that I might put off stahting home till the next steamer, I don't know but I let you believe I would."

"I supposed that the delay of a week or two could make no material difference to you."

"But now you see that it would. And I feel as if I ought to tell you--I spoke to Mr. Bennam about it, and he didn't tell me not to--that I shouldn't have staid, no not for anything in the wo'ld. I had to do what I did at the time, but eva since it has seemed as if I had deceived you, and I don't want to have it seem so any longer. It isn't because I don't hate to tell you; I do; but I guess if it was to happen over again I couldn't feel any different. Do you want I should tell the deck-stewahd to bring you some beef-tea?"

"I think I could relish a small portion," said Mr. Orson, cautiously, and he said nothing more.

Clementina left him with her nerves in a flutter, and she did not come back to him until she decided that it was time to help him down to his cabin. He suffered her to do this in silence, but at the door he cleared his throat and began:

"I have reflected upon what you told me, and I have tried to regard the case from all points. I believe that I have done so, without personal feeling, and I think it my duty to say, fully and freely, that I believe you would have done perfectly right not to remain."

"Yes," said Clementina, "I thought you would think so."

They parted emotionlessly to all outward effect, and when they met again it was without a sign of having passed through a crisis of sentiment.

Neither referred to the matter again, but from that time the minister treated Clementina with a deference not without some shadows of tenderness such as her helplessness in Venice had apparently never inspired. She had cast out of her mind all lingering hardness toward him in telling him the hard truth, and she met his faint relentings with a grateful gladness which showed itself in her constant care of him.

This helped her a little to forget the strain of the anxiety that increased upon her as the time shortened between the last news of her lover and the next; and there was perhaps no more exaggeration in the import than in the terms of the formal acknowledgment which Mr. Orson made her as their steamer sighted Fire Island Light, and they both knew that their voyage had ended: "I may not be able to say to you in the hurry of our arrival in New York that I am obliged to you for a good many little attentions, which I should be pleased to reciprocate if opportunity offered. I do not think I am going too far in saying that they are such as a daughter might offer a parent."

"Oh, don't speak of it, Mr. Osson!" she protested. "I haven't done anything that any one wouldn't have done."

"I presume," said the minister, thoughtfully, as if retiring from an extreme position, "that they are such as others similarly circumstanced, might have done, but it will always be a source of satisfaction for you to reflect that you have not neglected them."

同类推荐
  • 六十种曲运甓记

    六十种曲运甓记

    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。
  • Persuasion

    Persuasion

    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。
  • 大乘起信论义记别记

    大乘起信论义记别记

    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。
  • 闽中纪略

    闽中纪略

    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。
  • 天圣广灯录

    天圣广灯录

    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。
热门推荐
  • 倾华月域

    倾华月域

    月域曾有预言异世穿越凤凰展翅睥睨天下龙腾凤舞万年盛世现代雇佣兵团一遭背叛六人穿越异世各展风华创立一代奇迹什么?我堂堂21世纪千机门第一天才成了异世一个废物?无法凝气?开什么玩笑?好不容易遇见一家子好人竟被全数杀戮?那就得付出代价吧改命?负担身上的罪孽?不需要即使有罪也得要先逆了这天我若是最强大的人何谈罪孽凤凰于飞涅槃重生粉身碎骨蚀骨之痛不惜一切成为强者站立世界巅峰
  • 餐馆赢在决策

    餐馆赢在决策

    本书分为理念篇、实务篇、误区篇。采用了先讲案例,再做画龙点睛似的精辟短评,然后配以漫画加深读者印象的表达形式,力求生动形象地、深入浅出地把决定成败的道理娓娓道来。
  • 洪荒见证者

    洪荒见证者

    姜仁看看脚下卑躬屈膝的罗睺,再看看被我一不小心丢到天上的乌鸦。默默问自己:“是我见证了洪荒的历史,还是我缔造了洪荒的历史?”
  • 豪门秘恋:大亨不离婚

    豪门秘恋:大亨不离婚

    一场金融海啸,衡量家族利弊,她高调地在六星饭店举办选夫宴会。结果却无人问津,丢尽颜面,贻笑大方。蔚海蓝——这三个字成为一时笑柄,人尽皆知。殊不知她已经嫁为人妻,成了他见不得光的妻子!十年之前,他寄人篱下,她是高高在上的富家千金。十年之后,她落魄潦倒,他却是富甲一方的政界大亨!雷绍衡,在这座城市要风得风要雨得雨。拥有一张天妒俊颜的他,身边从来不缺女人。他喜欢掌控每件事情,事业、金钱、权利……包括她!她的车坏了,会送她回家──他的司机,她生病了,会送她看病──他的秘书,她饿了,会带她吃饭──只是顺便。结婚四年,他与她见面不超过十次,说话不超过十句,形同陌路。娶她,不过是为了羞辱她!
  • 科技傲世呵呵哒

    科技傲世呵呵哒

    一位科技宅男,拥有着世界上最先进的科技。而当他穿越到奇妙的修真大陆,科技修真,孰强孰弱?(第一次写网络小说,如有不足之处还望指出。白天要上课,只能晚上更,暑假每天一章,还请见谅。}
  • 邪帝狂宠:废材逆天三小姐

    邪帝狂宠:废材逆天三小姐

    二十一世纪杀手女王南宫月,一场预谋好的夺物杀人,使她坠落。再次睁开眼,已经变成了青歌国将军府的废材三小姐。炼出一颗丹药很了不起?姐我炼丹一抓一大把。有灵兽很了不起?上古神兽是我宠物!这一世,她必定要走上世界的巅峰!小剧场:某妖孽笑的一脸邪魅:“娘子你真腹黑!”某女苦着一张脸说道:“不,你才是一个真正的大腹黑!”“那当然了,要不怎么能把娘子追到手?”某妖孽笑道。然后抱起某女就往床榻上走。腹黑配腹黑,绝配!【我是学生党,有的时候可能更新不及时,各位千万别弃文哦!】
  • 忆离颜

    忆离颜

    夏离析,人冷若冰。一个她视若生命的朋友慕萱却想要了她的命……“这里是哪里?”再度醒来却看见漫天黄沙的战场,她变成男的了?!上一次她因信任的人而死,这一次,她一定要让伤害她的人付出代价!再一次复活,不知路要如何走?……她的聪明才智抵得住一切诡计,她的武功高强挡得住所有招式,可她始终会为了他溃不成军……
  • TFBOYS之琉璃沁雪

    TFBOYS之琉璃沁雪

    或许离开是最好的选择,原谅我沁雪。或许再见会不认识,沁雪再见。——by王俊凯凯哥哥你为什么要离开我,是我哪里做的不够好吗。——by沁雪沁雪原来你早就喜欢王俊凯,是我自做多情。——by王源我腹黑只是为了你,沁雪。——by易烊千玺
  • TFBOYS之清新的柠檬香

    TFBOYS之清新的柠檬香

    “傻瓜,当然行!”王源笑笑。在那个寂静的夜晚,依涵和王源对立站在摩天轮上,后来什么话也没说;王源突然用双手抓住依涵的双肩,依涵想挣脱,但未能得愿;涵:“别,我才16岁!”就在此时王源已经吻在了依涵的嘴上,依涵虽然愿意,但用双手敲击二源的胸膛,她不想这么快就没初吻,可是力量却微不足道,慢慢的依涵停止了敲打!两个人在默默感受着对方,时间仿佛凝固了,世上的一切也仿佛停滞了!默默的,静静地感受着这一切……
  • 海贼王之皇者天下

    海贼王之皇者天下

    这是一个现代人来到海贼世界的故事,有热血,有激情还有爱情。主角以奇特的身份在海贼世界游荡,当过海军,当过四皇,睡榻握权,膝枕与爱,海贼世界因他而改变,他也因海贼世界而改变。。。。