登陆注册
15732900000029

第29章

And she pressed his hand against her waist. Jon almost reeled from happiness. A yellow-and-white dog coursing a hare startled them apart. They watched the two vanish down the slope, till Fleur said with a sigh: "He'll never catch it, thank goodness! What's the time?

Mine's stopped. I never wound it."

Jon looked at his watch. "By Jove!" he said, "mine's stopped; too."They walked on again, but only hand in hand.

"If the grass is dry," said Fleur, "let's sit down for half a minute."Jon took off his coat, and they shared it.

"Smell! Actually wild thyme!"

With his arm round her waist again, they sat some minutes in silence.

"We are goats!" cried Fleur, jumping up; "we shall be most fearfully late, and look so silly, and put them on their guard. Look here, Jon We only came out to get an appetite for breakfast, and lost our way.

See?"

"Yes," said Jon.

"It's serious; there'll be a stopper put on us. Are you a good liar?""I believe not very; but I can try."Fleur frowned.

"You know," she said, "I realize that they don't mean us to be friends.""Why not?""I told you why."

"But that's silly."

"Yes; but you don't know my father!"

"I suppose he's fearfully fond of you."

"You see, I'm an only child. And so are you--of your mother. Isn't it a bore? There's so much expected of one. By the time they've done expecting, one's as good as dead.""Yes," muttered Jon, "life's beastly short. One wants to live forever, and know everything.""And love everybody?""No," cried Jon; "I only want to love once--you.""Indeed! You're coming on! Oh! Look! There's the chalk-pit; we can't be very far now. Let's run."Jon followed, wondering fearfully if he had offended her.

The chalk-pit was full of sunshine and the murmuration of bees.

Fleur flung back her hair.

"Well," she said, "in case of accidents, you may give me one kiss, Jon," and she pushed her cheek forward. With ecstasy he kissed that hot soft cheek.

"Now, remember! We lost our way; and leave it to me as much as you can. I'm going to be rather beastly to you; it's safer; try and be beastly to me!"Jon shook his head. "That's impossible.""Just to please me; till five o'clock, at all events.""Anybody will be able to see through it," said Jon gloomily.

"Well, do your best. Look! There they are! Wave your hat! Oh! you haven't got one. Well, I'll cooee! Get a little away from me, and look sulky."Five minutes later, entering the house and doing his utmost to look sulky, Jon heard her clear voice in the dining-room:

"Oh! I'm simply ravenous! He's going to be a farmer--and he loses his way! The boy's an idiot!"IXGOYA

Lunch was over and Soames mounted to the picture-gallery in his house near Mapleduram. He had what Annette called "a grief." Fleur was not yet home. She had been expected on Wednesday; had wired that it would be Friday; and again on Friday that it would be Sunday afternoon; and here were her aunt, and her cousins the Cardigans, and this fellow Profond, and everything flat as a pancake for the want of her. He stood before his Gauguin--sorest point of his collection.

He had bought the ugly great thing with two early Matisses before the War, because there was such a fuss about those Post-Impressionist chaps. He was wondering whether Profond would take them off his hands--the fellow seemed not to know what to do with his money--when he heard his sister's voice say: "I think that's a horrid thing, Soames," and saw that Winifred had followed him up.

"Oh! you do?" he said dryly; "I gave five hundred for it.""Fancy! Women aren't made like that even if they are black."Soames uttered a glum laugh. "You didn't come up to tell me that.""No. Do you know that Jolyon's boy is staying with Val and his wife?"Soames spun round.

"What?"

"Yes," drawled Winifred; "he's gone to live with them there while he learns farming."Soames had turned away, but her voice pursued him as he walked up and down. "I warned Val that neither of them was to be spoken to about old matters.""Why didn't you tell me before?"Winifred shrugged her substantial shoulders.

"Fleur does what she likes. You've always spoiled her. Besides, my dear boy, what's the harm?""The harm!" muttered Soames. "Why, she--" he checked himself. The Juno, the handkerchief, Fleur's eyes, her questions, and now this delay in her return--the symptoms seemed to him so sinister that, faithful to his nature, he could not part with them.

"I think you take too much care," said Winifred. "If I were you, Ishould tell her of that old matter. It's no good thinking that girls in these days are as they used to be. Where they pick up their knowledge I can't tell, but they seem to know everything."Over Soames' face, closely composed, passed a sort of spasm, and Winifred added hastily:

"If you don't like to speak of it, I could for you."Soames shook his head. Unless there was absolute necessity the thought that his adored daughter should learn of that old scandal hurt his pride too much.

"No," he said, "not yet. Never if I can help it.

"Nonsense, my dear. Think what people are!""Twenty years is a long time," muttered Soames. "Outside our family, who's likely to remember?"Winifred was silenced. She inclined more and more to that peace and quietness of which Montague Dartie had deprived her in her youth.

And, since pictures always depressed her, she soon went down again.

同类推荐
  • 新知录摘抄

    新知录摘抄

    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。
  • 蓱沙王五愿经

    蓱沙王五愿经

    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。
  • 游雁宕山日记

    游雁宕山日记

    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。
  • 拳学要义

    拳学要义

    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。
  • 卷施阁甲集

    卷施阁甲集

    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
  • 欧星史诗无主之城

    欧星史诗无主之城

    上帝不止掷骰子,他是个赌棍,开着布加迪在人间奔驰。
  • 渺小的创世者

    渺小的创世者

    无聊的中学生发恼骚写写小说,不需要支持--
  • 乱世:魔尊夫君不要跑!

    乱世:魔尊夫君不要跑!

    主角宅美男箫连心因一场车祸,莫名其妙就接收了灵魂互换这种狗血设定。这不换不要紧,一换竟处处被战斗力NO.1的主子各种欺压(调戏)!刚开始:死丫头!又给本王惹是生非!后来:宝贝~本王想亲耳听你叫一声夫君。且看一个无脸无皮,身世奇葩的逗比女汉子把江湖闯得鸡飞狗跳,让人啼笑皆非。
  • 荒草漫地

    荒草漫地

    九州万里人烟淼道德文章讲多少死一万天赋异禀活下来半个人妖荒,不是故事。历史是前因后果。荒,不是修饰。世界是衬裤棉袄。等着瞧吧,荒草漫地的世界里,放下你的矜持和骄傲。
  • 无上的神国

    无上的神国

    混沌初开,神降临在世间。他们,带来了烽火,他们,带来了硝烟。生灵涂炭,当万物在逃难途中向自己的信仰虔诚祷告时,何曾想到那些自己心中的救世主正忙着互相抢夺?在那后来,至高的时空之神终于统一了神国。纷争总会平息,灾难也总会过去,这片神国的土地终将迎来和平与宁静。……但不会现在。愿神的光芒始终照耀宇内。——时空之神
  • 帝少狠温柔:别装了我要吐

    帝少狠温柔:别装了我要吐

    温柔多金?那总是黑着一张脸让她还钱的小气鬼是谁?绅士有礼?那总是抓她玩儿cosplay的大变态又是谁?猎人要吃掉小红帽,小狐狸不喜欢酸葡萄,究竟谁是谁砧板上的肉,谁又是谁的盘中之餐?女人,你成天玩躲猫猫却总藏在我能找到的地方,你是欲擒故纵呢,还是欲擒故纵?男人勾唇一笑,桃花眸中满是戏谑:我很讲道理给你两个选择,一乖乖跟我回去,二不情不愿的跟我回去!女人双手护在胸前:你赶紧滚出去!男人摇头:你应该保持沉默,因为你所说的每一句话,都将成为床上证供!大手一捞,男人轻松的将浴缸中的女人扛上肩头。
  • 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、、、、、、、
  • 史书凉薄

    史书凉薄

    卿本佳人兮,奈何史书凉薄;似真似假兮,功过谁人评说;非传非史兮,笑叹观者痴狂;笔落纸间兮,惊艳旧时韶华。以我之笔诉万千时光......
  • 我不要做恶魔女

    我不要做恶魔女

    平平,秦风,鸢从小一起长大,他们之间很清澈很纯粹,是所有人都经历过的,最平凡、最不起眼,在日后往往被自己添油加醋用吹牛皮来掩盖的成长的时光。他们要的很简单,也许是因为满足、也许是因为没有更多好奢求的,所以他们愿意平凡。但是生活从来不会按照计划的轨道前行,他们热烈地活着,生活却向着重心的反方向加速度前进。他们错了吗?没有谁对,谁错,谁好,谁坏,却总是在一起互相伤害.是我们做错了什么,还是,在我们相遇时就选错了方向?
  • 迷失之界

    迷失之界

    彼世是什么样的世界?迷失之后的那个男人,还是我吗.....这里就是彼世吧...努力找回迷失的一切。