登陆注册
15454400000031

第31章 LOVE BEFORE BREAKFAST(7)

"Oh, yes," said she. "I don't know how long you had been coming when I first saw you, but when I found that fresh bed of pinks all transplanted from somewhere, and just as lovely as they could be, instead of the old ones, I spoke to the man; but he did not know anything about it, and said he had not had time to do anything to the flowers, whereas I had been giving him credit for ever so much weeding and cleaning up. Then I supposed that Mr. Barker, who is just as kind and attentive as he can be, had done it; but I could hardly believe he was the sort of man to come early in the morning and work out of doors,"--("Oh, how Iwish he had come!" I thought. "If I had caught him here working among the flowers!"),--"and when he came that afternoon to play tennis I found that he had been away for two days, and could not have planted the pinks. So I simply got up early one morning and looked out, and there I saw you, with your coat off, working just as hard as ever you could."I stepped back, my mind for a moment a perfect blank.

"What could you have thought of me?" I exclaimed presently.

"Really, at first I did not know what to think," said she. "Of course I did not know what had detained you in this country, but I remembered that I had heard that you were a very particular person about your flowers and shrubs and grounds, and that most likely you thought they would be better taken care of if you kept an eye on them, and that when you found there was so much to do you just went to work and did it. I did not speak of this to anybody, because if you did not wish it to be known that you were taking care of the grounds it was not my business to tell people about it. But yesterday, when I found this place where I had hung my hammock so beautifully cleared up and made so nice and clean and pleasant in every way, I thought I must come down to tell you how much obliged I am, and also that you ought not to take so much trouble for us. If you think the grounds need more attention, I will persuade my father to hire another man, now and then, to work about the place. Really, Mr. Ripley, you ought not to have to--"I was humbled, abashed. She had seen me at my morning devotions, and this was the way she interpreted them. She considered me an overnice fellow who was so desperately afraid his place would be injured that he came sneaking around every morning to see if any damage had been done and to put things to rights.

She stood for a moment as if expecting me to speak, brushed a buzzing fly from her sleeve, and then, looking at me with a gentle smile, she turned a little as if she were about to leave.

I could not let her go without telling her something. Her present opinion of me must not rest in her mind another minute.

And yet, what story could I devise? How, indeed, could I devise anything with which to deceive a girl who spoke and looked at me as this girl did? I could not do it. I must rush away speechless and never see her again, or I must tell her all. Icame a little nearer to her.

"Miss Vincent," said I, "you do not understand at all why Iam here--why I have been here so much--why I did not go to Europe. The truth is, I could not leave. I do not wish to be away; I want to come here and live here always--""Oh, dear! " she interrupted, "of course it is natural that you should not want to tear yourself away from your lovely home.

It would be very hard for us to go away now, especially for father and me, for we have grown to love this place so much. But if you want us to leave, I dare say--""I want you to leave!" I exclaimed. "Never! When I say that I want to live here myself, that my heart will not let me go anywhere else, I mean that I want you to live here too--you, your mother and father--that I want--""Oh, that would be perfectly splendid!" she said. "I have ever so often thought that it was a shame that you should be deprived of the pleasures you so much enjoy, which I see you can find here and nowhere else. Now, I have a plan which I think will work splendidly. We are a very small family. Why shouldn't you come here and live with us? There is plenty of room, and Iknow father and mother would be very glad, and you can pay your board, if that would please you better. You can have the room at the top of the tower for your study and your smoking den, and the room under it can be your bedroom, so you can be just as independent as you please of the rest of us, and you can be living on your own place without interfering with us in the least. In fact, it would be ever so nice, especially as I am in the habit of going away to the sea-shore with my aunt every summer for six weeks, and I was thinking how lonely it would be this year for father and mother to stay here all by themselves."The tower and the room under it! For me! What a contemptibly little-minded and insignificant person she must think me. The words with which I strove to tell her that I wished to live here as lord, with her as my queen, would not come. She looked at me for a moment as I stood on the brink of saying something but not saying it, and then she turned suddenly toward the hammock.

"Did you see anything of a fan I left here?" she said. "Iknow I left it here, but when I came yesterday it was gone.

Perhaps you may have noticed it somewhere--"

Now, the morning before, I had taken that fan home with me.

It was an awkward thing to carry, but I had concealed it under my coat. It was a contemptible trick, but the fan had her initials on it, and as it was the only thing belonging to her of which Icould possess myself, the temptation had been too great to resist. As she stood waiting for my answer there was a light in her eye which illuminated my perceptions.

"Did you see me take that fan?" I asked.

"I did," said she.

同类推荐
  • 赵飞燕别传

    赵飞燕别传

    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。
  • 礼忏文

    礼忏文

    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。
  • 台湾诗钞

    台湾诗钞

    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。
  • 耒耜经

    耒耜经

    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。
  • 优婆夷志

    优婆夷志

    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
  • 明媚韶华卿如是

    明媚韶华卿如是

    大好的青春年华他就那么清新寡然地守着心里的一方净土。不要怀疑不要猜测他就是想要这么守着,等着她的出现。什么?他被当成了色狼?拜托,人家是纯情小白好不好。窥到她的沉静美好一眼定终生,护她一生给她无上的宠爱。在最好的时光里遇见那个对的人最终成为彼此曾经沧海难为水除却巫山不是云的唯一。先爱后宠,宠你无边,爱你无上限。宠宠宠,甜甜甜;这才是男神女神正确的恋爱甜腻腻相爱的正确打开方式。
  • 捣蛋的将军

    捣蛋的将军

    本书大部分是真实的历史,讲的是突厥族小屁孩儿,一步步成长为大唐帝国的将军,最后被皇帝封为东平郡王,成了汉人的王爷,问鼎皇权,最后一切化为烟尘。
  • 予你一日眠歌

    予你一日眠歌

    【完结】“林晓眠是个怪人。”自初中起的同学都是这么评价林晓眠的,其实林晓眠并不怪,只是还没有遇到和她一样的人,在那之前,她只会沉默着,将一切深埋于心,不会让任何人窥探到,就好像……沉默是歌的魔咒。//每个人的一生当中都会遇到这么一种人,她们沉默着,将心底的一切都小心翼翼藏起来。[-留不住的人别留,时光不会为你停留。]
  • 网游之神启九天

    网游之神启九天

    我是地球上最后进游戏的人,但我重不觉得自己比别人落后,因为我拥有最强的角色;最变态的功法;最吊的神装。
  • 魔王就要随心所欲

    魔王就要随心所欲

    身为魔王该干什么?毁灭世界还是把公主绑到自家塔里等勇者上门相爱相杀?空条承太郎:DIO,你的败因只有一个,那就是……噗噶!!(吐血)上条当麻:你那可笑的幻想就由我的右手……呜啊!不幸啊!!亚雷斯塔:所谓的超能力者不过是小白鼠罢了……艾华斯!艾华斯救我!!QAQ艾华斯:……(挺尸中)……主角:我就想机智地装个逼而已,你们一个两个要不要这么烦?
  • 晴日有情:王爷的天降仙妻

    晴日有情:王爷的天降仙妻

    她和小三的争吵弄得那人将她推下天桥,就这么一下她就穿越到了一个平行的世界里。见识不同的人,经历不同的事,感情也随着成长着。有朝一日真确定自己心意了……平常日子里淡淡的爱情故事。
  • 名门独宠:司少的专属宝贝娇妻

    名门独宠:司少的专属宝贝娇妻

    他,是ZH国至高无上的存在,掌握着两国商业经济运行命脉。她,是沐氏千金,是身为小提琴家母亲的得意门生。一次舞会她遭人陷害却与他云翻雨覆......从那之后她是他天价的独宠宝贝娇妻...“司御麒,你独裁上瘾啊,你信不信....”沐沛菡话还没说完就被他的嘴唇给严严实实的堵住。许久眼前的小女人憋得不行了,他才贪婪又不舍得放开她果冻般的粉唇“唇彩的味道很好,下次还用这个。不过原味的我更喜欢。”
  • 昔梦晨语

    昔梦晨语

    “如果我们能爱的早一点该有多好。”她说。“不,现在还不算晚。”他说。只愿回首,你能够还在那灯火阑珊处。那你站着别动,我马上过来牵你回家。虽然爱的晚,但却不迟。
  • 锦盗

    锦盗

    当时代处于剧烈的变动之中,一群沿着海盗之路让自己不断强大的少年们,如何让热血激荡起来,让海盗流行起来……
  • EXO之别说话咬我

    EXO之别说话咬我

    “你忘了吗,你是我的奴,身为一只奴你没有权利选择。”朴灿烈“我愿意随你走向你所要的高度,和你一起共仰这星河”边伯贤“原本陪你演戏的人是我,没想到陷得最深的也是我”鹿晗“初昔你是我见过最自私的女人,拿了我的心难道就不打算还回来了吗。”吴亦凡“或许我是喜欢你的,但你不知道,我也不知道。”吴世勋