登陆注册
15462100000031

第31章 II(2)

She proposed to tell me all, secure a divorce from me, and go with Edward and settle in California. . . . I do not suppose that she was really serious in this. It would have meant the extinction of all hopes of Branshaw Manor for her. Besides she had got it into her head that Leonora, who was as sound as a roach, was consumptive. She was always begging Leonora, before me, to go and see a doctor. But, none the less, poor Edward seems to have believed in her determination to carry him off. He would not have gone; he cared for his wife too much. But, if Florence had put him at it, that would have meant my getting to know of it, and his incurring Leonora's vengeance. And she could have made it pretty hot for him in ten or a dozen different ways. And she assured me that she would have used every one of them. She was determined to spare my feelings. And she was quite aware that, at that date, the hottest she could have made it for him would have been to refuse, herself, ever to see him again. . . .

Well, I think I have made it pretty clear. Let me come to the 4th of August, 1913, the last day of my absolute ignorance--and, I assure you, of my perfect happiness. For the coming of that dear girl only added to it all.

On that 4th of August I was sitting in the lounge with a rather odious Englishman called Bagshawe, who had arrived that night, too late for dinner. Leonora had just gone to bed and I was waiting for Florence and Edward and the girl to come back from a concert at the Casino. They had not gone there all together. Florence, Iremember, had said at first that she would remain with Leonora, and me, and Edward and the girl had gone off alone. And then Leonora had said to Florence with perfect calmness:

"I wish you would go with those two. I think the girl ought to have the appearance of being chaperoned with Edward in these places.

I think the time has come." So Florence, with her light step, had slipped out after them. She was all in black for some cousin or other. Americans are particular in those matters.

We had gone on sitting in the lounge till towards ten, when Leonora had gone up to bed. It had been a very hot day, but there it was cool. The man called Bagshawe had been reading The Times on the other side of the room, but then he moved over to me with some trifling question as a prelude to suggesting an acquaintance. I fancy he asked me something About the poll-tax on Kur-guests, and whether it could not be sneaked out of. He was that sort of person.

Well, he was an unmistakable man, with a military figure, rather exaggerated, with bulbous eyes that avoided your own, and a pallid complexion that suggested vices practised in secret along with an uneasy desire for making acquaintance at whatever cost. . . . The filthy toad. . . .

He began by telling me that he came from Ludlow Manor, near Ledbury. The name had a slightly familiar sound, though I could not fix it in my mind. Then he began to talk about a duty on hops, about Californian hops, about Los Angeles, where he had been.

He fencing for a topic with which he might gain my affection.

And then, quite suddenly, in the bright light of the street, I saw Florence running. It was like that--I saw Florence running with a face whiter than paper and her hand on the black stuff over her heart. I tell you, my own heart stood still; I tell you I could not move. She rushed in at the swing doors. She looked round that place of rush chairs, cane tables and newspapers. She saw me and opened her lips. She saw the man who was talking to me. She stuck her hands over her face as if she wished to push her eyes out. And she was not there any more.

I could not move; I could not stir a finger. And then that man said:

"By Jove: Florry Hurlbird." He turned upon me with an oily and uneasy sound meant for a laugh. He was really going to ingratiate himself with me. "Do you know who that is?" he asked. "The last time I saw that girl she was coming out of the bedroom of a young man called Jimmy at five o'clock in the morning. In my house at Ledbury. You saw her recognize me." He was standing on his feet, looking down at me. I don't know what I looked like. At any rate, he gave a sort of gurgle and then stuttered:

"Oh, I say. . . ." Those were the last words I ever heard of Mr Bagshawe's. A long time afterwards I pulled myself out of the lounge and went up to Florence's room. She had not locked the door--for the first time of our married life. She was lying, quite respectably arranged, unlike Mrs Maidan, on her bed. She had a little phial that rightly should have contained nitrate of amyl, in her right hand. That was on the 4th of August, 1913.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 一不小心爱上你!

    一不小心爱上你!

    在你身边总会有这么一个人,带给你欢笑,带给你眼泪。在你哭的时候,他会逗你笑,在你笑的时候,他却又会把你弄哭,你就是这样一直带着微笑和眼泪,狠狠的爱着他。
  • 完美修炼

    完美修炼

    一个从小被鉴资珠鉴定与仙途无缘的异界少年,在一个夜晚的奇遇将走上强者之路。法宝?灵丹?神器?极品宠物?富有多彩现实的情节?这里通通都有!本书主角将带领大家走进一个异界少年的内心世界,或许现实并非犹如外表那样,未发现价值的金子总会如同垃圾一样的埋没,等发现了其中的价值,往往已经不复存在了。让我们走进书中,一起来探索这个未知的异界,让我们一起感受到现实中不曾有过的元素。
  • 废土列传片轮之龙

    废土列传片轮之龙

    那个以龙作为半身的少女,在这片土地上那第一次的末日降临前的小小故事。
  • 月之皎皎兮

    月之皎皎兮

    皇宫,这个笼罩在阴霾中的地方,充满冷酷血腥,她不知道母亲是怎样挨过在这里每一天。她本以为自己找到了亲人,后来才发现和师父师兄一起隐居山林的日子才是最幸福的,可是那段岁月终究是回不去了,物是人非,曾经的世外桃源早已成了伤心之地了。
  • 大荒战魂神

    大荒战魂神

    战魂大陆,一个以战魂气为主的世界。战魂圣可以寿元千年,永生不死。战魂帝可以飞天遁地,踏海长歌。战魂神可以一剑削平山峰,一拳破碎无极。这,是一个拳头比语言更有力量的世界。十二大先天之火,一百零八颗战魂星石,先天武兽技,战魂大武斗,天下第一毒药师,无数的奇妙尽在本书之中……
  • 悲宋

    悲宋

    叶梓意外死亡醒来竟成为绑匪手中的肉票,面对谋夺家产的叔父,该如何虎口逃生?靖康风云际会,金兵铁骑之下,叶梓该何去何从?北宋灭南宋偏安,靖康耻何时灭?
  • tfboys之我们的恋爱之旅

    tfboys之我们的恋爱之旅

    你说过,你喜欢樱花,喜欢它的灿烂,可你却没有发现它曾经的孤单;你说过,你喜欢薰衣草,喜欢它的浪漫,却淡忘了它蕴藏的悲凉;你说过,你喜欢郁金香,喜欢它的绚烂;但你却忽视了,它背后淡淡的忧伤。
  • 横空述异传

    横空述异传

    从天下最荒凉的大山走出来的赤子究竟怎样挣脱束缚?剪不断理还乱的恩怨情仇究竟怎样磨练他的内心?末法时代的秘密到底是什么?这个天地的存在到底是牢笼还是火种?请君拭目以待!
  • 修罗驾到:神秘狂妻

    修罗驾到:神秘狂妻

    时间的错误,历史的过客。逆着尘世繁华,行走在碧落黄泉,这就是她孤独的人生。她,是华夏大陆络星学府名副其实的第一,其貌不扬却是身负诡异,奇特的眼眸倒映不出任何事物,一片虚无。他,是第一上界的第一存在,却因为被奸人所迫,强行破开空间来到东方宇宙至偏处,从此,一切纠缠,再不能避免。“你跟着我做什么?”她怒,这男的到底是想怎么样!他邪魅一笑,将爱人搂入怀中,“娘子,吃干抹净之后就不认人了?”
  • 暗柔的她遇上腹黑霸道的他

    暗柔的她遇上腹黑霸道的他

    圣英贵族学院他们是学校闻名的三大王子,她们是全国闻名的三大千金。玉颖:“南—玄—辰”“老婆大人,怎么了?不知您有什么吩咐?”“我要去韩国”“我也去”“凭什么?我是去见朋友,你去了,我怎么见!”校草大大表示对媳妇不能不从,不然又给你一个分别十年,等再归来时又是小三小四面前带……