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Chance
投诉 阅读记录

第4章

verysingularexpressionwhich,asitwere,detainedhimforamoment。Inordertocoverhisembarrassment,hemadesomeinaneremarkontheweather,uponwhich,insteadofreturninganotherinaneremarkaccordingtothetacitrulesofthegame,sheonlygavehimasmileofunfathomablemeaning。Nothingcouldhavebeenmoresingular。Thegood-lookingyounggentlemanofquestionableappearancetooknottheslightestnoticeofhiminthehall。Noservantwastobeseen。Helethimselfoutpullingthedoortobehindhimwithacrashas,inamanner,hewasforcedtodotogetitshutatall。

Whentheechoofithaddiedawaythewomanonthelandingleanedoverthebanisterandcalledoutbitterlytothemanbelow”Don’tyouwanttocomeupandsaygood-bye。”Hehadanimpatientmovementoftheshouldersandwentonpacingtoandfroasthoughhehadnotheard。Butsuddenlyhecheckedhimself,stoodstillforamoment,thenwithagloomyfaceandwithouttakinghishandsoutofhispocketsransmartlyupthestairs。Alreadyfacingthedoorsheturnedherheadforawhisperedtaunt:”Come!Confessyouweredyingtoseeherstupidlittlefaceoncemore,”——towhichhedisdainedtoanswer。

FloradeBarral,stillseatedbeforethetableatwhichshehadbeenwordingonhersketch,raisedherheadatthenoiseoftheopeningdoor。Theinvadingmanneroftheirentrancegaveherthesenseofsomethingshehadneverseenbefore。Sheknewthemwell。Sheknewthewomanbetterthansheknewherfather。Therehadbeenbetweenthemanintimacyofrelationasgreatasitcanpossiblybewithoutthefinalclosenessofaffection。ThedelightfulCharleywalkedin,withhiseyesfixedonthebackofhergovernesswhoseraisedveilhidherforeheadlikeabrownbandabovetheblacklineoftheeyebrows。Thegirlwasastoundedandalarmedbythealtogetherunknownexpressioninthewoman’sface。Thestressofpassionoftendisclosesanaspectofthepersonalitycompletelyignoredtillthenbyitsclosestintimates。Therewassomethinglikeanemanationofevilfromhereyesandfromthefaceoftheother,who,exactlybehindherandovertoppingherbyhalfahead,kepthiseyelidsloweredinasinisterfashion——whichinthepoorgirl,reached,stirred,setfreethatfacultyofunreasoningexplosiveterrorlyinglockedupatthebottomofallhumanheartsandoftheheartsofanimalsaswell。Withsuddenlyenlargedpupilsandamovementasinstinctivealmostastheboundingofastartledfawn,shejumpedupandfoundherselfinthemiddleofthebigroom,exclaimingatthoseamazingandfamiliarstrangers。”Whatdoyouwant?”

Youwillnotethatshecried:Whatdoyouwant?Not:Whathashappened?ShetoldMrs。Fynethatshehadreceivedsuddenlythefeelingofbeingpersonallyattacked。Andthatmusthavebeenveryterrifying。Thewomanbeforeherhadbeenthewisdom,theauthority,theprotectionoflife,securityembodiedandvisibleandundisputed。

Youmayimaginethentheforceoftheshockintheintuitiveperceptionnotmerelyofdanger,forshedidnotknowwhatwasalarmingher,butinthesenseofthesecuritybeinggone。Andnotonlysecurity。Idon’tknowhowtoexplainitclearly。Look!Evenasmallchildlives,playsandsuffersintermsofitsconceptionofitsownexistence。Imagine,ifyoucan,afactcominginsuddenlywithaforcecapableofshatteringthatveryconceptionitself。Itwasonlybecauseofthegirlbeingstillsomuchofachildthatsheescapedmentaldestruction;that,inotherwordsshegotoverit。

Couldoneconceiveofhermoremature,whilestillasignorantasshewas,onemustconcludethatshewouldhavebecomeanidiotonthespot——longbeforetheendofthatexperience。Luckily,people,whethermatureornotmature(andwhoreallyisevermature?)areforthemostpartquiteincapableofunderstandingwhatishappeningtothem:amercifulprovisionofnaturetopreserveanaverageamountofsanityforworkingpurposesinthisworld……””Butwe,mydearMarlow,havetheinestimableadvantageofunderstandingwhatishappeningtoothers,”Istruckin。”Oratleastsomeofusseemto。Isthattooaprovisionofnature?Andwhatisitfor?Isitthatwemayamuseourselvesgossipingabouteachother’saffairs?Youforinstanceseem——””Idon’tknowwhatIseem,”Marlowsilencedme,”andsurelylifemustbeamusedsomehow。Itwouldbestillaveryrespectableprovisionifitwereonlyforthatend。Butfromthatsameprovisionofunderstanding,therespringsinuscompassion,charity,indignation,thesenseofsolidarity;andinmindsofanylargenessaninclinationtothatindulgencewhichisnextdoortoaffection。

Idon’tmeantosaythatIaminclinedtoanindulgentviewofthepreciouscouplewhichbrokeinuponanunsuspectinggirl。Theycamemarchingin(it’stheveryexpressionsheusedlaterontoMrs。

Fyne)butathercrytheystopped。Itmusthavebeenstartlingenoughtothem。Itwaslikehavingthemasktornoffwhenyoudon’texpectit。Themanstoppedforgood;hedidn’toffertomoveastepfurther。But,thoughthegovernesshadcomeintherefortheverypurposeoftakingthemaskoffforthefirsttimeinherlife,sheseemedtolookuponthefrightenedcryasafreshprovocation。”Whatareyouscreamingfor,youlittlefool?”shesaidadvancingaloneclosetothegirlwhowasaffectedexactlyasifshehadseenMedusa’sheadwithserpentinelockssetmysteriouslyontheshouldersofthatfamiliarperson,inthatbrowndress,underthathatsheknewsowell。Itmadeherloseallherholdonreality。

ShetoldMrs。Fyne:”Ididn’tknowwhereIwas。Ididn’tevenknowthatIwasfrightened。IfshehadtoldmeitwasajokeIwouldhavelaughed。IfshehadtoldmetoputonmyhatandgooutwithherIwouldhavegonetoputonmyhatandgoneoutwithherandneversaidasingleword;IshouldhavebeenconvincedIhadbeenmadforaminuteorso,andIwouldhaveworriedmyselftodeathratherthanbreatheahintofittoheroranyone。ButthewretchputherfaceclosetomineandIcouldnotmove。DirectlyIhadlookedintohereyesIfeltgrownontothecarpet。”

ItwasyearsafterwardsthatsheusedtotalklikethistoMrs。

Fyne——andtoMrs。Fynealone。Nobodyelseeverheardthestoryfromherlips。Butitwasneverforgotten。Itwasalwaysfelt;itremainedlikeamarkonhersoul,asortofmysticwound,tobecontemplated,tobemeditatedover。AndshesaidfurthertoMrs。

Fyne,inthecourseofmanyconfidencesprovokedbythatcontemplation,that,aslongasthatwomancalledhernames,itwasalmostsoothing,itwasinamannerreassuring。Herimaginationhad,likeherbody,goneoffinawildboundtomeettheunknown;

andthentohearafterallsomethingwhichmoreinitstonethaninitssubstancewasmerevenomousabuse,hadsteadiedtheinwardflutterofallherbeing。”ShecalledmealittlefoolmoretimesthanIcanremember。I!A

fool!Why,Mrs。Fyne!IdoassureyouIhadneveryetthoughtatall;neverofanythingintheworld,tillthen。Ijustwentonliving。Andonecan’tbeafoolwithoutonehasatleasttriedtothink。ButwhathadIevertothinkabout?””Andnodoubt,”commentedMarlow,”herlifehadbeenamerelifeofsensations——theresponsetowhichcanneitherbefoolishnorwise。

Itcanonlybetemperamental;andIbelievethatshewasofagenerallyhappydisposition,achildoftheaveragekind。Evenwhenshewasaskedviolentlywhethersheimaginedthattherewasanythinginher,apartfromhermoney,toinduceanyintelligentpersontotakeanysortofinterestinherexistence,sheonlycaughtherbreathinonedrysobandsaidnothing,madenoothersound,madenomovement。Whenshewasviciouslyassuredthatshewasinheart,mind,mannerandappearance,anutterlycommonandinsipidcreature,sheremainedstill,withoutindignation,withoutanger。Shestood,afrailandpassivevesselintowhichtheotherwentonpouringalltheaccumulateddislikeforallherpupils,herscornofallheremployers(theducaloneincluded),theaccumulatedresentment,theinfinitehatredofalltheseunrelievedyearsof——Iwon’tsayhypocrisy。Thepracticeofperfecthypocrisyisareliefinitself,asecrettriumphofthevilestsort,nodoubt,butstillawayofgettingevenwiththecommonmoralityfromwhichsomeofusappeartosuffersomuch。No!Iwillsaytheyears,thepassionate,bitteryears,ofrestraint,theiron,admirablymanneredrestraintateverymoment,inanever-failingperfectcorrectnessofspeech,glances,movements,smiles,gestures,establishingforherahighreputation,animpressiverecordofsuccessinhersphere。Ithadbeenlikelivinghalfstrangledforyears。

Andallthistorturefornothing,intheend!Whatlookedatlastlikeapossibleprize(oh,withoutillusions!butstillaprize)

brokeninherhands,falleninthedust,thebitterdust,ofdisappointment,sherevelledinthemiserablerevenge——prettysafetoo——onlyregrettingtheunworthinessofthegirlishfigurewhichstoodforsomuchshehadlongedtobeabletospitvenomat,ifonlyonce,inperfectliberty。Thepresenceoftheyoungmanatherbackincreasedbothhersatisfactionandherrage。Buttheveryviolenceoftheattackseemedtodefeatitsendbyrenderingtherepresentativevictimasitwereinsensible。Thecauseofthisoutragenaturallyescapingthegirl’simaginationherattitudewasineffectthatofdense,hopelessstupidity。Anditisafactthattheworstshocksoflifeareoftenreceivedwithoutoutcries,withoutgestures,withoutaflowoftearsandtheconvulsionsofsobbing。Theinsatiablegovernessmissedthesesignsexceedingly。

Thispitifulstoliditywasonlyafreshprovocation。Yetthepoorgirlwasdeadlypale。”Iwascold,”sheusedtoexplaintoMrs。Fyne。”Ihadhadtimetogetterrified。Shehadpushedherfacesonearmineandherteethlookedasthoughshewantedtobiteme。Hereyesseemedtohavebecomequitedry,hardandsmallinalotofhorriblewrinkles。I

wastooafraidofhertoshudder,tooafraidofhertoputmyfingerstomyears。Ididn’tknowwhatIexpectedhertocallmenext,butwhenshetoldmeIwasnobetterthanabeggar——thattherewouldbenomoremasters,nomoreservants,nomorehorsesforme——I

saidtomyself:Isthatall?IshouldhavelaughedifIhadn’tbeentooafraidofhertomaketheleastlittlesound。”

ItseemedthatpoorFlorahadtoknowallthepossiblephasesofthatsortofanguish,beginningwithinstinctivepanic,throughthebewilderedstage,thefrozenstageandthestageofblanchedapprehension,downtotheinstinctiveprudenceofextremeterror——

thestillnessofthemouse。Butwhensheheardherselfcalledthechildofacheatandaswindler,theverymonstrousunexpectednessofthiscausedinherarevulsiontowardslettingherselfgo。Shescreamedoutallatonce”Youmustn’tspeaklikethisofPapa!”

Theeffortofituprootedherfromthatspotwhereherlittlefeetseemeddugdeepintothethickluxuriouscarpet,andsheretreatedbackwardstoadistantpartoftheroom,hearingherselfrepeat”Youmustn’t,youmustn’t”asifitweresomebodyelsescreaming。Shecametoachairandflungherselfintoit。Thereuponthesomebodyelseceasedscreamingandshelolled,exhausted,sightless,inasilentroom,asifindifferenttoeverythingandwithoutasinglethoughtinherhead。

Thenextfewsecondsseemedtolastforeversolong;ablackabyssoftimeseparatingwhatwaspastandgonefromthereappearanceofthegovernessandthereawakeningoffear。Andthatwomanwasforcingthewordsthroughhersetteeth:”YousayImustn’t,I

mustn’t。Alltheworldwillbespeakingofhimlikethisto-morrow。

Theywillsayit,andthey’llprintit。Youshallhearitandyoushallreadit——andthenyoushallknowwhosedaughteryouare。”

Herfacelightedupwithanatrocioussatisfaction。”He’snothingbutathief,”shecried,”thisfatherofyours。AstoyouIhaveneverbeendeceivedinyouforamoment。Ihavebeengrowingmoreandmoresickofyouforyears。Youareavulgar,sillynonentity,andyoushallgobacktowhereyoubelong,whateverlowplaceyouhavesprungfrom,andbegyourbread——thatisifanybody’scharitywillhaveanythingtodowithyou,whichIdoubt——”

Shewouldhavegoneonregardlessoftheenormouseyes,oftheopenmouthofthegirlwhosatupsuddenlywiththewildstaringexpressionofbeingchokedbyinvisiblefingersonherthroat,andyethorriblypale。Theeffectonherconstitutionwassoprofound,Mrs。Fynetoldme,thatshewhoasachildhadaratherprettydelicatecolouring,showedawhitebloodlessfaceforacoupleofyearsafterwards,andremainedalwaysliableattheslightestemotiontoanextraordinaryghost-likewhiteness。Theendcameintheabominationofdesolationofthepoorchild’smiserablecryforhelp:”Charley!Charley!”comingfromherthroatinhiddengaspingefforts。Herenlargedeyeshaddiscoveredhimwherehestoodmotionlessanddumb。

Hestartedfromhisimmobility,ahandwithdrawnbrusquelyfromthepocketofhisovercoat,strodeuptothewoman,seizedherbythearmfrombehind,sayinginaroughcommandingtone:”Comeaway,Eliza。”Inaninstantthechildsawthemclosetogetherandremote,nearthedoor,gonethroughthedoor,whichsheneitherheardnorsawbeingopenedorshut。Butitwasshut。Ohyes,itwasshut。

Herslowunseeingglancewanderedallovertheroom。Forsometimelongersheremainedleaningforward,collectingherstrength,doubtingifshewouldbeabletostand。Shestoodupatlast。

Everythingaboutherspunroundinanoppressivesilence。Sherememberedperfectly——asshetoldMrs。Fyne——thatclingingtothearmofthechairshecalledouttwice”Papa!Papa!”AtthethoughtthathewasfarawayinLondoneverythingaboutherbecamequitestill。Then,frightenedsuddenlybythesolitudeofthatemptyroom,sherushedoutofitblindly。

Withthatfataldiffidenceinwelldoing,inherentinthepresentconditionofhumanity,theFynescontinuedtowatchattheirwindow。”It’salwayssodifficulttoknowwhattodoforthebest,”Fyneassuredme。Itis。Goodintentionsstandintheirownwaysomuch。

Whereasifyouwanttodoharmtoanyoneyouneedn’thesitate。Youhaveonlytogoon。Noonewillreproachyouwithyourmistakesorcallyouaconfounded,clumsymeddler。TheFyneswatchedthedoor,theclosedstreetdoorinimicalsomehowtotheirbenevolentthoughts,thefaceofthehousecruellyimpenetrable。Itwasjustasonanyotherday。TheunchangeddailyaspectofinanimatethingsissoimpressivethatFynewentbackintotheroomforamoment,pickedupthepaperagain,andranhiseyesovertheitemofnews。

Nodoubtofit。Itlookedverybad。HecamebacktothewindowandMrs。Fyne。Tiredoutasshewasshesatthereresoluteandreadyforresponsibility。Butshehadnosuggestiontooffer。Peopledofeararebuffwonderfully,andallheraudacitywasinherthoughts。

Sheshrankfromtheincomparablyinsolentmannerofthegoverness。

Fynestoodbyherside,asinthoseold-fashionedphotographsofmarriedcoupleswhereyouseeahusbandwithhishandonthebackofhiswife’schair。Andtheywereaboutasefficientasanoldphotograph,andasstill,tillMrs。Fynestartedslightly。Thestreetdoorhadswungopen,and,burstingout,appearedtheyoungman,hishat(Mrs。Fyneobserved)tiltedforwardoverhiseyes。

Afterhimthegovernessslippedthrough,turningroundatoncetoshutthedoorbehindherwithcare。Meantimethemanwentdownthewhitestepsandstrodealongthepavement,hishandsrammeddeepintothepocketsofhisfawnovercoat。Thewoman,thatwomanofcomposedmovements,ofdeliberatesuperiormanner,tookalittleruntocatchupwithhim,anddirectlyshehadcaughtupwithhimtriedtointroduceherhandunderhisarm。Mrs。Fynesawthebrusquehalfturnofthefellow’sbodyasoneavoidsanimportunatecontact,defeatingherattemptrudely。Shedidnottryagainbutkeptpacewithhisstride,andMrs。Fynewatchedthem,walkingindependently,turnthecornerofthestreetsidebyside,disappearforever。

TheFyneslookedateachothereloquently,doubtfully:Whatdoyouthinkofthis?Thenwithcommonaccordturnedtheireyesbacktothestreetdoor,closed,massive,dark;thegreat,clear-brassknockershininginaquietslantofsunshinecutbyadiagonallineofheavyshadefillingthefurtherendofthestreet。Couldthegirlbealreadygone?Sentawaytoherfather?Hadsheanyrelations?NobodybutdeBarralhimselfevercametoseeher,Mrs。

Fyneremembered;andshehadtheinstantaneous,profound,maternalperceptionofthechild’sloneliness——andagirltoo!Itwasirresistible。And,besides,thedepartureofthegovernesswasnotwithoutitsencouraginginfluence。”Iamgoingoveratoncetofindout,”shedeclaredresolutelybutstillstaringacrossthestreet。

Herintentionwasarrestedbythesightofthatawful,sombrelyglisteningdoor,swingingbacksuddenlyontheyawningdarknessofthehall,outofwhichliterallyflewout,rightoutonthepavement,almostwithouttouchingthewhitesteps,alittlefigureswathedinahollandpinaforeuptothechin,itshairstreamingbackfromitshead,dartingpastalamp-post,pasttheredpillar-

box……”Here,”criedMrs。Fyne;”she’scominghere!Run,John!

Run!”

Fyneboundedoutoftheroom。Thisishisownword。Bounded!Heassuredmewithintensifiedsolemnitythathebounded;andthesightoftheshortandmuscularFyneboundinggravelyaboutthecircumscribedpassagesandstaircasesofasmall,veryhighclass,privatehotel,wouldhavebeenworthanyamountofmoneytoamangreedyofmemorableimpressions。ButasIlookedathim,thedesireoflaughteratmyverylips,Iaskedmyself:howmanymencouldbefoundreadytocompromisetheircherishedgravityforthesakeoftheunimportantchildofaruinedfinancierwithanugly,blackcloudalreadywreathinghishead。Ididn’tlaughatlittleFyne。I

encouragedhim:”Youdid!——verygood……Well?”

Hismainthoughtwastosavethechildfromsomeunpleasantinterference。Therewasaporterdownstairs,pageboys;somepeoplegoingawaywiththeirtrunksinthepassage;arailwayomnibusatthedoor,white-breastedwaitersdodgingabouttheentrance。

Hewasintime。Hewasatthedoorbeforeshereacheditinherblindcourse。Shedidnotrecognizehim;perhapsshedidnotseehim。Hecaughtherbythearmassheranpastand,verysensibly,withouttryingtocheckher,simplydartedinwithherandupthestairs,causingnoendofconsternationamongstthepeopleinhisway。Theyscattered。Whatmighthavebeentheirthoughtsatthespectacleofashamelessmiddle-agedmanabductingheadlongintotheupperregionsofarespectablehotelaterrifiedyounggirlobviouslyunderage,Idon’tknow。AndFyne(hetoldmeso)didnotcareforwhatpeoplemightthink。Allhewantedwastoreachhiswifebeforethegirlcollapsed。Foratimesheranwithhimbutatthelastflightofstairshehadtoseizeandhalfdrag,halfcarryhertohiswife。Mrs。Fynewaitedatthedoorwithherquiteunmovedphysiognomyandherreadinesstoconfrontanysortofresponsibility,whichalreadycharacterizedher,longbeforeshebecamearuthlesstheorist。Relieved,hismissionaccomplished,Fyneclosedhastilythedoorofthesitting-room。

ButbeforelongbothFynesbecamefrightened。AfteraperiodofimmobilityinthearmsofMrs。Fyne,thegirl,whohadnotsaidaword,toreherselfoutfromthatslightlyrigidembrace。Shestruggleddumblybetweenthem,theydidnotknowwhy,soundlessandghastly,tillshesankexhaustedonacouch。Luckilythechildrenwereoutwiththetwonurses。ThehotelhousemaidhelpedMrs。FynetoputFloradeBarraltobed。Shewasasifgonespeechlessandinsane。Shelayonherback,herfacewhitelikeapieceofpaper,herdarkeyesstaringattheceiling,herawfulimmobilitybrokenbysuddenshiveringfitswithaloudchatteringofteethintheshadowysilenceoftheroom,theblindspulleddown,Mrs。Fynesittingbypatiently,herarmsfolded,yetinwardlymovedbytheriddleofthatdistressofwhichshecouldnotguesstheword,andsayingtoherself:”Thatchildistooemotional——muchtooemotionaltobeeverreallysound!”Asifanyonenotmadeofstonecouldbeperfectlysoundinthisworld。Andthenhowsound?Inwhatsense——

toresistwhat?Forceorcorruption?Andeveninthebestarmourofsteeltherearejointsatreacherousstrokecanalwaysfindifchancegivestheopportunity。

GeneralconsiderationsneverhadthepowertotroubleMrs。Fynemuch。Thegirlnotbeinginastatetobequestionedshewaitedbythebedside。Fynehadcrossedovertothehouse,hisscruplesovercomebyhisanxietytodiscoverwhatreallyhadhappened。Hedidnothavetolifttheknocker;thedoorstoodopenontheinsidegloomofthehall;hewalkedintoitandsawnooneabout,theservantshavingassembledforafatuousconsultationinthebasement。Fyne’supliftedbassvoicestartledthemdownthere,thebutlercomingup,staringandinhisshirtsleeves,verysuspiciousatfirst,andthen,onFyne’sexplanationthathewasthehusbandofaladywhohadcalledseveraltimesatthehouse——MissdeBarral’smother’sfriend——becominghumanelyconcernedandcommunicative,inamantomantone,butpreservinghistrainedhigh-classservant’svoice:”Ohblessyou,sir,no!Shedoesnotmeantocomeback。

Shetoldmesoherself”——heassuredFynewithafaintshadeofcontemptcreepingintohistone。

Asregardstheiryoungladynobodydownstairshadanyideathatshehadrunoutofthehouse。Hedaredsaytheyallwouldhavebeenwillingtodotheirverybestforher,forthetimebeing;butsinceshewasnowwithhermother’sfriends……

Hefidgeted。Hemurmuredthatallthiswasveryunexpected。Hewantedtoknowwhathehadbetterdowithlettersortelegramswhichmightarriveinthecourseoftheday。”LettersaddressedtoMissdeBarral,youhadbetterbringovertomyhoteloverthere,”saidFynebeginningtofeelextremelyworriedaboutthefuture。Themansaid”Yes,sir,”adding,”andifalettercomesaddressedtoMrs……”

Fynestoppedhimbyagesture。”Idon’tknow……Anythingyoulike。””Verywell,sir。”

ThebutlerdidnotshutthestreetdoorafterFyne,butremainedonthedoorstepforawhile,lookingupanddownthestreetinthespiritofindependentexpectationlikeamanwhoisagainhisownmaster。Mrs。Fynehearingherhusbandreturncameoutoftheroomwherethegirlwaslyinginbed。”Nochange,”shewhispered;andFynecouldonlymakeahopelesssignofignoranceastowhatallthismeantandhowitwouldend。

Hefearedfuturecomplications——naturally;amanoflimitedmeans,inapublicposition,histimenothisown。Yes。Heownedtomeintheparlourofmyfarmhousethathehadbeenverymuchconcernedthenatthepossibleconsequences。ButashewasmakingthisartlessconfessionIsaidtomyselfthat,whateverconsequencesandcomplicationshemighthaveimagined,thecomplicationfromwhichhewassufferingnowcouldnever,neverhavepresenteditselftohismind。Slowbutsure(forIconceivethattheBookofDestinyhasbeenwrittenupfromthebeginningtothelastpage)ithadbeencomingforsomethinglikesixyears——andnowithadcome。Thecomplicationwasthere!Ilookedathisunshakensolemnitywiththeamusedpitywegivethevictimofafunnyifsomewhatill-naturedpracticaljoke。”Ohhangit,”heexclaimed——innologicalconnectionwithwhathehadbeenrelatingtome。Neverthelesstheexclamationwasintelligibleenough。

Howeveratfirsttherewere,headmitted,nountowardcomplications,noembarrassingconsequences。ToatelegraminguardedtermsdispatchedtodeBarralnoanswerwasreceivedformorethantwenty-

fourhours。ThiscertainlycausedtheFynessomeanxiety。Whentheanswerarrivedlateontheeveningofnextdayitwasintheshapeofanelderlyman。Anunexpectedsortofman。Fyneexplainedtomewithprecisionthatheevidentlybelongedtowhatismostrespectableinthelowermiddleclasses。Hewascalmandslowinhisspeech。Hewaswearingafrock-coat,hadgreywhiskersmeetingunderhischin,anddeclaredonenteringthatMr。deBarralwashiscousin。Hehastenedtoaddthathehadnotseenhiscousinformanyyears,whilehelookeduponFyne(whoreceivedhimalone)withsomuchdistrustthatFynefelthurt(thepersonactuallyrefusingatfirstthechairofferedtohim)andretortedtartlythathe,forhispart,hadNEVERseenMr。deBarral,inhislife,andthat,sincethevisitordidnotwanttositdown,he,Fyne,beggedhimtostatehisbusinessasshortlyaspossible。Themaninblacksatdownthenwithafaintsuperiorsmile。

Hehadcomeforthegirl。HiscousinhadaskedhiminanotedeliveredbyamessengertogotoBrightonatonceandtake”hisgirl”overfromagentlemannamedFyneandgiveherhouse-roomforatimeinhisfamily。Andtherehewas。Hisbusinesshadnotallowedhimtocomesooner。Hisbusinesswasthemanufactureonalargescaleofcardboardboxes。Hehadtwogrown-upgirlsofhisown。Hehadconsultedhiswifeandsothatwasallright。Thegirlwouldgetawelcomeinhishome。Hishomemostlikelywasnotwhatshehadbeenusedtobut,etc。etc。

AllthetimeFynefeltsubtlyinthatman’smanneraderisivedisapprovalofeverythingthatwasnotlowermiddleclass,aprofoundrespectformoney,ameansortofcontemptforspeculatorsthatfail,andaconceitedsatisfactionwithhisownrespectablevulgarity。

WithMrs。FynethemanneroftheobscurecousinofdeBarralwasbutlittlelessoffensive。Helookedatherratherslylybuthercold,decideddemeanourimpressedhim。Mrs。Fyneonhersidewassimplyappalledbythepersonage,butdidnotshowitoutwardly。NotevenwhenthemanremarkedwithfalsesimplicitythatFlorrie——hernamewasFlorriewasn’tit?wouldprobablymissatfirstallhergrandfriends。Andwhenhewasinformedthatthegirlwasinbed,notfeelingwellatallheshowedanunsympatheticalarm。Shewasn’taninvalidwasshe?No。Whatwasthematterwithherthen?

AnextremedistasteforthatrespectablememberofsocietywasdepictedinFyne’sfaceevenashewastellingmeofhimafteralltheseyears。HewasaspecimenofpreciselytheclassofwhichpeopleliketheFyneshavetheleastexperience;andIimaginehejarredonthempainfully。Hepossessedallthecivicvirtuesintheirverymeanestform,andthefinishingtouchwasgivenbyalowsortofconsciousnesshemanifestedofpossessingthem。Hisindustrywasexemplary。Hewishedtocatchtheearliestpossibletrainnextmorning。Itseemsthatforsevenandtwentyyearshehadnevermissedbeingseatedonhisoffice-stoolatthefactorypunctuallyatteno’clockeveryday。HelistenedtoMrs。Fyne’sobjectionswithundisguisedimpatience。Whycouldn’tFlorriegetupandhaveherbreakfastateightlikeotherpeople?Inhishousethebreakfastwasateightsharp。Mrs。Fyne’spolitestoicismovercamehimatlast。Hehadcomedownataverygreatpersonalinconvenience,heassuredherwithdispleasure,buthegaveuptheearlytrain。

ThegoodFynesdidn’tdaretolookateachotherbeforethisunforeseenbutperfectlyauthorizedguardian,thesamethoughtspringingupintheirminds:Poorgirl!Poorgirl!Ifthewomenofthefamilywerelikethistoo!……Andofcoursetheywouldbe。

Poorgirl!Butwhatcouldtheyhavedoneeveniftheyhadbeenpreparedtoraiseobjections。Thepersoninthefrock-coathadthefather’snote;hehadshownittoFyne。Justarequesttotakecareofthegirl——ashernearestrelative——withoutanyexplanationorasingleallusiontothefinancialcatastrophe,itstonestrangelydetachedandinitsverysilenceonthepointgivingoccasiontothinkthatthewriterwasnotuneasyastothechild’sfuture。

Probablyitwasthatveryideawhichhadsetthecousinsoreadilyinmotion。Menhadcomebeforeoutofcommercialcrasheswithestatesinthecountryandacomfortableincome,ifnotforthemselvesthenfortheirwives。Andifawifecouldbemadecomfortablebyalittledexterousmanagementthenwhynotadaughter?Yes。Thispossibilitymighthavebeendiscussedintheperson’shouseholdandjudgedworthactingupon。

ThemanactuallyhintedbroadlythatsuchwashisbeliefandinfaceofFyne’sguardedrepliesgavehimtounderstandthathewasnotthedupeofsuchreticences。ObviouslyhelookedupontheFynesasbeingdisappointedbecausethegirlwastakenawayfromthem。They,byadiplomaticsacrificeintheinterestsofpoorFlora,hadaskedthemantodinner。Heacceptedungraciously,remarkingthathewasnotusedtolatehours。Hehadgenerallyabitofsupperabouthalf-pasteightornine。However……

Hegazedcontemptuouslyroundtheprettilydecorateddining-room。

Hewrinkledhisnoseinapuzzledwayatthedishesofferedtohimbythewaiterbutrefusednone,devouringthefoodwithagreatappetiteanddrinking(”swilling”Fynecalledit)gallonsofgingerbeer,whichwasprocuredforhim(instonebottles)athisrequest。

ThedifficultyofkeepingupaconversationwiththatbeingexhaustedMrs。Fyneherself,whohadcometothetablearmedwithadamantineresolution。Theonlymemorablethinghesaidwaswhen,inapauseofgorginghimself”withtheseFrenchdishes”hedeliberatelylethiseyesroamoverthelittletablesoccupiedbypartiesofdiners,andremarkedthathiswifedidforamomentthinkofcomingdownwithhim,butthathewasgladshedidn’tdoso。”Shewouldn’thavebeenatallhappyseeingallthisalcoholabout。

Notatallhappy,”hedeclaredweightily。”Youmusthavehadacharmingevening,”IsaidtoFyne,”ifImayjudgefromthewayyouhavekeptthememorygreen。””Delightful,”hegrowledwith,positively,aflashofangerattherecollection,butlapsedbackintohissolemnityatonce。AfterwehadbeensilentforawhileIaskedwhetherthemantookawaythegirlnextday。

Fynesaidthathedid;intheafternoon,inafly,withafewclothesthemaidhadgottogetherandbroughtacrossfromthebighouse。HeonlysawFloraagaintenminutesbeforetheyleftfortherailwaystation,intheFynes’sitting-roomatthehotel。ItwasamostpainfultenminutesfortheFynes。TherespectablecitizenaddressedMissdeBarralas”Florrie”and”mydear,”remarkingtoherthatshewasnotverybig”there’snotmuchofyoumydear”inafamiliarlydisparagingtone。ThenturningtoMrs。Fyne,andquiteloud”She’sverywhiteintheface。Why’sthat?”TothisMrs。Fynemadenoreply。Shehadputthegirl’shairupthatmorningwithherownhands。Itchangedherverymuch,observedFyne。He,naturally,playedasubordinate,merelyapprovingpart。AllhecoulddoforMissdeBarralpersonallywastogodownstairsandputherintotheflyhimself,whileMissdeBarral’snearestrelation,havingbeenshoulderedoutoftheway,stoodby,withanumbrellaandalittleblackbag,watchingthisproceedingwithgrimamusement,asitseemed。Itwasdifficulttoguesswhatthegirlthoughtorwhatshefelt。Shenolongerlookedachild。ShewhisperedtoFyneafaint”Thankyou,”fromthefly,andhesaidtoherinverydistincttonesandwhilestillholdingherhand:”Praydon’tforgettowritefullytomywifeinadayortwo,MissdeBarral。”ThenFynesteppedbackandthecousinclimbedintotheflymutteringquiteaudibly:”I

don’tthinkyou’llbetroubledmuchwithherinthefuture;”withouthoweverlookingatFyneonwhomhedidnotevenbestowanod。Theflydroveaway。

CHAPTERFIVE——THETEA-PARTY”Amiablepersonality,”IobservedseeingFyneonthepointoffallingintoabrownstudy。ButIcouldnothelpaddingwithmeaning:”Hehadn’tthegiftofprophecythough。”

Fynegotupsuddenlywithamuttered”No,evidentlynot。”Hewasgloomy,hesitating。Isupposedthathewouldnotwishtoplaychessthatafternoon。Thiswoulddispensemefromleavingmyroomsonadaymuchtoofinetobewastedinwalkingexercise。AndIwasdisappointedwhenpickinguphiscapheintimatedtomehishopeofseeingmeatthecottageaboutfouro’clock——asusual。”Itwouldn’tbeasusual。”Iputaparticularstressonthatremark。Headmitted,afterashortreflection,thatitwouldnotbe。No。Notasusual。Infactitwashiswifewhohoped,rather,formypresence。Shehadformedaveryfavourableopinionofmypracticalsagacity。

ThiswasthefirstIeverheardofit。IhadneversuspectedthatMrs。Fynehadtakenthetroubletodistinguishinmethesignsofsagacityorfolly。Thefewwordswehadexchangedlastnightintheexcitement——orthebother——ofthegirl’sdisappearance,werethefirstmoderatelysignificantwordswhichhadeverpassedbetweenus。

IhadfeltmyselfalwaystobeinMrs。Fyne’sviewherhusband’schess-playerandnothingelse——aconvenience——almostanimplement。”Iamhighlyflattered,”Isaid。”Ihavealwaysheardthattherearenolimitstofeminineintuition;andnowIamhalfinclinedtobelieveitisso。ButstillIfailtoseeinwhatwaymysagacity,practicalorotherwise,canbeofanyservicetoMrs。Fyne。Oneman’ssagacityisverymuchlikeanyotherman’ssagacity。Andwithyouathand——”

Fyne,manifestlynotattendingtowhatIwassaying,directedstraightatmehisworriedsolemneyesandstruckin:”Yes,yes。Verylikely。Butyouwillcome——won’tyou?”

IhadmadeupmymindthatnoFyneofeithersexwouldmakemewalkthreemiles(thereandbacktotheircottage)onthisfineday。IftheFyneshadbeenanaveragesociablecoupleoneknowsonlybecauseleisuremustbegotthroughsomehow,Iwouldhavemadeshortworkofthatspecialinvitation。Buttheywerenotthat。Theirundeniablehumanityhadtobeacknowledged。AtthesametimeIwantedtohavemyownway。SoIproposedthatIshouldbeallowedthepleasureofofferingthemacupofteaatmyrooms。

Ashortreflectivepause——andFyneacceptedeagerlyinhisownandhiswife’sname。AmomentafterIheardtheclickofthegate-latchandtheninanecstasyofbarkingfromhisdemonstrativedoghisseriousheadwentpastmywindowontheothersideofthehedge,itstroubledgazefixedforward,andthemindinsideobviouslyemployedinearnestspeculationofanintricatenature。Oneatleastofhiswife’sgirl-friendshadbecomemorethanamereshadowforhim。I

surmisedhoweverthatitwasnotofthegirl-friendbutofhiswifethatFynewasthinking。Hewasanexcellenthusband。

Ipreparedmyselffortheafternoon’shospitalities,callinginthefarmer’swifeandreviewingwithhertheresourcesofthehouseandthevillage。Shewasahelpfulwoman。ButtheresourcesofmysagacityIdidnotreview。ExceptinthegrossmaterialsenseoftheafternoonteaImadenopreparationsforMrs。Fyne。

Itwasimpossibleformetomakeanysuchpreparations。Icouldnottellwhatsortofsustenanceshewouldlookforfrommysagacity。

AndastotakingstockofthewaresofmymindnooneIimagineisanxioustodothatsortofthingifitcanbeavoided。Avaguelygrandiosestateofmentalself-confidenceismuchtooagreeabletobedisturbedrecklesslybysuchadelicateinvestigation。PerhapsifIhadhadahelpfulwomanatmyelbow,adear,flatteringacute,devotedwoman……Thereareinlifemomentswhenonepositivelyregretsnotbeingmarried。No!Idon’texaggerate。Ihavesaid——

moments,notyearsorevendays。Moments。Thefarmer’swifeobviouslycouldnotbeaskedtoassist。ShecouldnothavebeenexpectedtopossessthenecessaryinsightandIdoubtwhethershewouldhaveknownhowtobeflatteringenough。Shewasbeinghelpfulinherownway,withanextraordinaryblackbonnetonherhead,agoodmileoffbythattime,tryingtodiscoverinthevillageshopsapieceofeatablecake。Thepluckofwomen!Theoptimismofthedearcreatures!

Andshemanagedtofindsomethingwhichlookedeatable。That’sallIknowasIhadnoopportunitytoobservethemoreintimateeffectsofthatcomestible。Imyselfnevereatcake,andMrs。Fyne,whenshearrivedpunctually,broughtwithhernoappetiteforcake。Shehadnoappetiteforanything。Butshehadathirst——thesignofdeep,oftormentingemotion。Yesitwasemotion,notthebrilliantsunshine——morebrilliantthanwarmasisthewayofourdiscreetself-repressed,distinguished,insularsun,whichwouldnotturnarealladyscarlet——notonanyaccount。Mrs。Fynelookedevencool。

Sheworeawhiteskirtandcoat;awhitehatwithalargebrimreposedonhersmoothlyarrangedhair。Thecoatwascutsomethinglikeanarmymess-jacketandthestylesuitedher。Idaresaytherearemanyyouthfulsubalterns,andnottheworst-lookingtoo,whoresembleMrs。Fyneinthetypeofface,inthesunburntcomplexion,downtothatsomethingalertinbearing。ButnotmanywouldhavehadthataspectbreathingareadinesstoassumeanyresponsibilityunderHeaven。ThisisthesortofcouragewhichripenslateinlifeandofcourseMrs。Fynewasofmatureyearsforallherunwrinkledface。

Shelookedroundtheroom,toldmepositivelythatIwasverycomfortablethere;towhichIassented,humbly,acknowledgingmyundeservedgoodfortune。”Whyundeserved?”shewantedtoknow。”Iengagedtheseroomsbyletterwithoutaskinganyquestions。Itmighthavebeenanabominablehole,”Iexplainedtoher。”Ialwaysdothingslikethat。Idon’tliketobebothered。Thisisnogreatproofofsagacity——isit?SagaciouspeopleIbelieveliketoexercisethatfaculty。Ihaveheardthattheycan’tevenhelpshowingitintheveriesttrifles。Itmustbeverydelightful。ButIknownothingofit。IthinkthatIhavenosagacity——nopracticalsagacity。”

Fynemadeaninarticulatebassmurmurofprotest。IaskedafterthechildrenwhomIhadnotseenyetsincemyreturnfromtown。Theyhadbeenverywell。Theywerealwayswell。BothFyneandMrs。Fynespokeoftherudehealthoftheirchildrenasifitwerearesultofmoralexcellence;inapeculiartonewhichseemedtoimplysomecontemptforpeoplewhosechildrenwereliabletobeunwellattimes。Onealmostfeltinclinedtoapologizefortheinquiry。Andthisannoyedme;unreasonably,Iadmit,becausetheassumptionofsuperiormeritisnotaveryexceptionalweakness。AnxioustomakemyselfdisagreeablebywayofretaliationIobservedinaccentsofinterestedcivilitythatthedeargirlsmusthavebeenwonderingatthesuddendisappearanceoftheirmother’syoungfriend。HadtheybeenputtinganyawkwardquestionsaboutMissSmith。Wasn’titasMissSmiththatMissdeBarralhadbeenintroducedtome?

Mrs。Fyne,staringfixedlybutalsocolouringdeeperunderhertan,toldmethatthechildrenhadneverlikedFloraverymuch。Shehadn’tthehighspiritswhichendeargrown-upstohealthychildren,Mrs。Fyneexplainedunflinchingly。Florahadbeenstayingatthecottageseveraltimesbefore。Mrs。Fyneassuredmethatsheoftenfounditverydifficulttohaveherinthehouse。”Butwhatelsecouldwedo?”sheexclaimed。

Thatlittlecryofdistressquitegenuineinitsinexpressiveness,alteredmyfeelingtowardsMrs。Fyne。Itwouldhavebeensoeasytohavedonenothingandtohavethoughtnomoreaboutit。Mylikingforherbeganwhileshewastryingtotellmeofthenightshespentbythegirl’sbedside,thenightbeforeherdeparturewithherunprepossessingrelative。ThatMrs。FynefoundmeanstocomfortthechildIdoubtverymuch。Shehadnotthegeniusforthetaskofundoingthatwhichthehateofaninfuriatedwomanhadplannedsowell。

Youwilltellmeperhapsthatchildren’simpressionsarenotdurable。That’strueenough。Buthere,childisonlyamannerofspeaking。Thegirlwaswithinafewdaysofhersixteenthbirthday;

shewasoldenoughtobematuredbytheshock。TheveryeffortshehadtomakeinconveyingtheimpressiontoMrs。Fyne,inrememberingthedetails,infindingadequatewords——oranywordsatall——wasinitselfaterriblyenlightening,anageingprocess。Shehadtalkedalongtime,uninterruptedbyMrs。Fyne,childlikeenoughinherwonderandpain,pausingnowandthentointerjectthepitifulquery:”Itwascruelofher。Wasn’titcruel,Mrs。Fyne?”

ForCharleyshefoundexcuses。Heatanyratehadnotsaidanything,whilehehadlookedverygloomyandmiserable。Hecouldn’thavetakenpartagainsthisaunt——couldhe?Butafterallhedid,whenshecalleduponhim,take”thatcruelwomanaway。”Hehaddraggedheroutbythearm。Shehadseenthatplainly。Sherememberedit。Thatwasit!Thewomanwasmad。”Oh!Mrs。Fyne,don’ttellmeshewasn’tmad。Ifyouhadonlyseenherface……”

ButMrs。Fynewasunflinchinginherideathatasmuchtruthascouldbetoldwasdueinthewayofkindnesstothegirl,whosefateshefearedwouldbetoliveexposedtothehardestrealitiesofunprivilegedexistences。Sheexplainedtoherthattherewereintheworldevil-minded,selfishpeople。Unscrupulouspeople……

Thesetwopersonshadbeenafterherfather’smoney。Thebestthingshecoulddowastoforgetallaboutthem。”Afterpapa’smoney?Idon’tunderstand,”poorFloradeBarralhadmurmured,andlaystillasiftryingtothinkitoutinthesilenceandshadowsoftheroomwhereonlyanight-lightwasburning。ThenshehadalongshiveringfitwhileholdingtightthehandofMrs。

Fynewhosepatientimmobilitybythebedsideofthatbrutallymurderedchildhooddidinfinitehonourtoherhumanity。ThatvigilmusthavebeenthemoretryingbecauseIcouldseeverywellthatatnotimedidshethinkthevictimparticularlycharmingorsympathetic。Itwasamanifestationofpurecompassion,ofcompassioninitself,sotospeak,notmanywomenwouldhavebeencapableofdisplayingwiththatunflinchingsteadiness。Theshiveringfitover,thegirl’snextwordsinanoutburstofsobswere,”Oh!Mrs。Fyne,amIreallysuchahorridthingasshehasmademeouttobe?””No,no!”protestedMrs。Fyne。”Itisyourformergovernesswhoishorridandodious。Sheisavilewoman。IcannottellyouthatshewasmadbutIthinkshemusthavebeenbesideherselfwithrageandfullofevilthoughts。Youmusttrynottothinkoftheseabominations,mydearchild。”

Theywerenotfitforanyonetothinkofmuch,Mrs。Fynecommentedtomeinacurtpositivetone。Allthathadbeenverytrying。Thegirlwaslikeacreaturestrugglingunderanet。”ButhowcanIforget?shecalledmyfatheracheatandaswindler!

DotellmeMrs。Fynethatitisn’ttrue。Itcan’tbetrue。Howcanitbetrue?”

Shesatupinbedwithasuddenwildmotionasiftojumpoutandfleeawayfromthesoundofthewordswhichhadjustpassedherownlips。Mrs。Fynerestrainedher,soothedher,inducedheratlasttolayherheadonherpillowagain,assuringherallthetimethatnothingthiswomanhadhadthecrueltytosaydeservedtobetakentoheart。Thegirl,exhausted,criedquietlyforatime。ItmaybeshehadnoticedsomethingevasiveinMrs。Fyne’sassurances。Afterawhile,withoutstirring,shewhisperedbrokenly:”Thatawfulwomantoldmethatalltheworldwouldcallpapatheseawfulnames。Isitpossible?Isitpossible?”

Mrs。Fynekeptsilent。”Dosaysomethingtome,Mrs。Fyne,”thedaughterofdeBarralinsistedinthesamefeeblewhisper。

AgainMrs。Fyneassuredmethatithadbeenverytrying。Terriblytrying。”Yes,thanks,Iwill。”SheleanedbackinthechairwithfoldedarmswhileIpouredanothercupofteaforher,andFynewentouttopacifythedogwhich,tiedupundertheporch,hadbecomesuddenlyveryindignantatsomebodyhavingtheaudacitytowalkalongthelane。Mrs。Fynestirredherteaforalongtime,drankalittle,putthecupdownandsaidwiththatairofacceptingalltheconsequences:”Silencewouldhavebeenunfair。Idon’tthinkitwouldhavebeenkindeither。Itoldherthatshemustbepreparedfortheworldpassingaveryseverejudgmentonherfather……””Wasn’titadmirable,”criedMarlowinterruptinghisnarrative。”Admirable!”AndasIlookeddubiouslyatthisunexpectedenthusiasmhestartedjustifyingitafterhisownmanner。”Isayadmirablebecauseitwassocharacteristic。Itwasperfect。

Nothingshortofgeniuscouldhavefoundbetter。Andthiswasnature!Astheysayofanartist’swork:thiswasaperfectFyne。

Compassion——judiciousness——somethingcorrectlymeasured。Noneofyourdishevelledsentiment。Andright!Youmustconfessthatnothingcouldhavebeenmoreright。Ihadamindtoshout”Brava!

Brava!”butIdidnotdothat。ItookapieceofcakeandwentouttobribetheFynedogintosomesortofself-control。Hissharpcomicalyappingwasunbearable,likestabsthroughone’sbrain,andFyne’sdeeplymodulatedremonstrancesabashedthevivaciousanimalnomorethanthedeep,patientmurmuroftheseaabashesaniggerminstrelonapopularbeach。Fynewasbeginningtoswearathiminlow,sepulchraltoneswhenIappeared。Thedogbecameatoncewildlydemonstrative,halfstranglinghimselfinhiscollar,hiseyesandtonguehangingoutintheexcessofhisincomprehensibleaffectionforme。Thiswasbeforehecaughtsightofthecakeinmyhand。Aseriesofverticalspringshighupintheairfollowed,andthen,whenhegotthecake,heinstantlylosthisinterestineverythingelse。

Fynewasslightlyvexedwithme。Askindamasterasanydogcouldwishtohave,heyetdidnotapproveofcakebeinggiventodogs。

TheFynedogwassupposedtoleadaSpartanexistenceonadietofrepulsivebiscuitswithanoccasionaldry,hygienic,bonethrownin。

Fynelookeddowngloomilyattheappeasedanimal,Itoolookedatthatfool-dog;and(youknowhowone’smemorygetssuddenlystimulated)Iwasremindedvisually,withanalmostpainfuldistinctness,oftheghostlywhitefaceofthegirlIsawlastaccompaniedbythatdog——desertedbythatdog。Ialmostheardherdistressedvoiceasifonthevergeofresentfultearscallingtothedog,theunsympatheticdog。Perhapsshehadnotthepowerofevokingsympathy,thatpersonalgiftofdirectappealtothefeelings。IsaidtoFyne,mistrustingthesupineattitudeofthedog:”Whydon’tyoulethimcomeinside?”

Ohdearno!Hecouldn’tthinkofit!Imightindeedhavesavedmybreath,IknewitwasoneoftheFynes’rulesoflife,partoftheirsolemnityandresponsibility,oneofthosethingsthatwerepartoftheirunassertivebuteverpresentsuperiority,thattheirdogmustnotbeallowedin。Itwasmostimpropertointrudethedogintothehousesofthepeopletheywerecallingon——ifitwereonlyacarelessbachelorinfarmhouselodgingsandapersonalfriendofthedog。Itwasoutofthequestion。Buttheywouldlethimbarkone’ssanityawayoutsideone’swindow。Theywerestrangelyconsistentintheirlackofimaginativesympathy。Ididn’tinsistbutsimplyledthewaybacktotheparlour,hopingthatnowayfarerwouldhappenalongthelaneforthenexthourorsotodisturbthedog’scomposure。

Mrs。Fyneseatedimmovablebeforethetablechargedwithplates,cups,jugs,acoldteapot,crumbs,andthegenerallitteroftheentertainmentturnedherheadtowardsus。”Yousee,Mr。Marlow,”shesaidinanunexpectedlyconfidentialtone:”theyaresoutterlyunsuitedforeachother。”

AtthemomentIdidnotknowhowtoapplythisremark。IthoughtatfirstofFyneandthedog。ThenIadjustedittothematterinhandwhichwasneithermorenorlessthananelopement。Yes,byJove!

Itwassomethingverymuchlikeanelopement——withcertainunusualcharacteristicsofitsownwhichmadeitinasenseequivocal。WithamusedwonderIrememberedthatmysagacitywasrequisitionedinsuchaconnection。Howunexpected!Butweneverknowwhattestsourgiftsmaybeputto。Sagacitydictatedcautionfirstofall。I

believecautiontobethefirstdutyofsagacity。Fynesatdownasifpreparinghimselftowitnessajoust,Ithought。”Doyouthinkso,Mrs。Fyne?”Isaidsagaciously。”Ofcourseyouareinaposition……”Iwascontinuingwithcautionwhenshestruckoutvivaciouslyforimmediateassent。”Obviously!Clearly!Youyourselfmustadmit……””But,Mrs。Fyne,”Iremonstrated,”youforgetthatIdon’tknowyourbrother。”

Thisargumentwhichwasnotonlysagaciousbuttrue,overwhelminglytrue,unanswerablytrue,seemedtosurpriseher。

Iwonderedwhy。Ididnotknowenoughofherbrotherfortheremotestguessatwhathemightbelike。Ihadneverseteyesontheman。Ididn’tknowhimsocompletelythatbycontrastIseemedtohaveknownMissdeBarral——whomIhadseentwice(altogetheraboutsixtyminutes)andwithwhomIhadexchangedaboutsixtywords——fromthecradlesotospeak。Andperhaps,Ithought,lookingdownatMrs。Fyne(Ihadremainedstanding)perhapsshethinksthatthisoughttobeenoughforasagaciousassent。

Shekeptsilent;andIlookingatherwithpoliteexpectation,wentonaddressinghermentallyinamoodoffamiliarapprovalwhichwouldhaveastonishedherhaditbeenaudible:Youmydearatanyrateareasincerewoman……””Icallawomansincere,”Marlowbeganagainaftergivingmeacigarandlightingonehimself,”Icallawomansincerewhenshevolunteersastatementresemblingremotelyinformwhatshereallywouldliketosay,whatshereallythinksoughttobesaidifitwerenotforthenecessitytosparethestupidsensitivenessofmen。

Thewomen’srougher,simpler,moreuprightjudgment,embracesthewholetruth,whichtheirtact,theirmistrustofmasculineidealism,everpreventsthemfromspeakinginitsentirety。Andtheirtactisunerring。Wecouldnotstandwomenspeakingthetruth。Wecouldnotbearit。Itwouldcauseinfinitemiseryandbringaboutmostawfuldisturbancesinthisrathermediocre,butstillidealisticfool’sparadiseinwhicheachofusliveshisownlittlelife——theunitinthegreatsumofexistence。Andtheyknowit。Theyaremerciful。ThisgeneralizationdoesnotapplyexactlytoMrs。Fyne’soutburstofsincerityinamatterinwhichneithermyaffectionsnormyvanitywereengaged。That’swhy,maybe,sheventuredsofar。

Forawomanshechosetobeasopenasthedaywithme。Therewasnotonlytheformbutalmostthewholesubstanceofherthoughtinwhatshesaid。Shebelievedshecouldriskit。Shehadreasonedsomewhatinthisway;there’saman,possessingacertainamountofsagacity……”

Marlowpausedwithawhimsicallookatme。Thelastfewwordshehadspokenwiththecigarinhisteeth。Hetookitoutnowbyanamplemovementofhisarmandblewathincloud。”Yousmile?Itwouldhavebeenmorekindtosparemyblushes。ButasamatteroffactIneednotblush。Thisisnotvanity;itisanalysis。We’llletsagacitystand。Butwemustalsonotewhatsagacityinthisconnectionstandsfor。Whenyouseethisyoushallseealsothattherewasnothinginittoalarmmymodesty。Idon’tthinkMrs。Fynecreditedmewiththepossessionofwisdomtemperedbycommonsense。AndhadIhadthewisdomoftheSevenSagesofAntiquity,shewouldnothavebeenmovedtoconfidenceoradmiration。Thesecretscornofwomenforthecapacitytoconsiderjudiciouslyandtoexpressprofoundlyameditatedconclusionisunbounded。Theyhavenousefortheseloftyexerciseswhichtheylookuponasasortofpurelymasculinegame——gamemeaningarespectableoccupationdevisedtokilltimeinthisman-arrangedlifewhichmustbegotthroughsomehow。Whatwomen’sacutenessreallyrespectsaretheinept”ideas”andthesheeplikeimpulsesbywhichouractionsandopinionsaredeterminedinmattersofrealimportance。Forifwomenarenotrationaltheyareindeedacute。

EvenMrs。Fynewasacute。Thegoodwomanwasmakinguptoherhusband’schess-playersimplybecauseshehadscentedinhimthatsmallportionof’femininity,’thatdropofsuperioressenceofwhichIammyselfaware;which,Igratefullyacknowledge,hassavedmefromoneortwomisadventuresinmylifeeitherridiculousorlamentable,Iamnotverycertainwhich。Itmattersverylittle。

Anyhowmisadventures。ObservethatIsay’femininity,’aprivilege——

not’feminism,’anattitude。Iamnotafeminist。ItwasFynewhooncertainsolemngroundshadadoptedthatmentalattitude;butitwasenoughtoglanceathimsittingononeside,toseethathewaspurelymasculinetohisfinger-tips,masculinesolidly,densely,amusingly,——hopelessly。

Ididglanceathim。Youdon’tgetyoursagacityrecognizedbyaman’swifewithoutfeelingtheproprietyandeventheneedtoglanceatthemannowandagain。SoIglancedathim。Verymasculine。Somuchsothat”hopelessly”wasnotthelastwordofit。Hewashelpless。Hewasboundanddeliveredbyit。AndifbytheobscurepromptingsofmycompositetemperamentIbeheldhimwithmaliciousamusement,yetbeinginfact,bydefinitionandespeciallyfromprofoundconviction,aman,Icouldnothelpsympathizingwithhimlargely。Seeinghimthusdisarmed,socompletelycaptivebytheverynatureofthingsIwasmovedtospeaktohimkindly。”Well。Andwhatdoyouthinkofit?””Idon’tknow。How’sonetotell?ButIsaythatthethingisdonenowandthere’sanendofit,”saidthemasculinecreatureasbluntlyashisinnatesolemnitypermitted。

Mrs。Fynemovedalittleinherchair。Iturnedtoherandremarkedgentlythatthiswasacharge,acriticism,whichwasoftenmade。

Somepeoplealwaysask:Whatcouldheseeinher?Otherswonderwhatshecouldhaveseeninhim?Expressionsofunsuitability。

Shesaidwithalltheemphasisofherquietlyfoldedarms:”IknowperfectlywellwhatFlorahasseeninmybrother。”

Ibowedmyheadtothegustbutpursuedmypoint。”Andthenthemarriageinmostcasesturnsoutnoworsethantheaverage,tosaytheleastofit。”

Mrs。Fynewasdisappointedbytheoptimisticturnofmysagacity。

SherestedhereyesonmyfaceasthoughindoubtwhetherIhadenoughfemininityinmycompositiontounderstandthecase。

Iwaitedforhertospeak。Sheseemedtobeaskingherself;Isitafterall,worthwhiletotalktothatman?Youunderstandhowprovokingthiswas。Ilookedinmymindforsomethingappallinglystupidtosay,withtheobjectofdistressingandteasingMrs。Fyne。

Itishumiliatingtoconfessafailure。Onewouldthinkthatamanofaverageintelligencecouldcommandstupidityatwill。Butitisn’tso。Isupposeit’saspecialgiftorelsethedifficultyconsistsinbeingrelevant。DiscoveringthatIcouldfindnoreallytellingstupidity,Iturnedtothenextbestthing;aplatitude。I

advanced,inacommon-sensetone,that,surely,inthematterofmarriageamanhadonlyhimselftoplease。

Mrs。Fynereceivedthiswithouttheflutterofaneyelid。Fyne’smasculinebreast,asmighthavebeenexpected,waspiercedbythatold,regulationshaft。Hegruntedmostfeelingly。Iturnedtohimwithfalsesimplicity。”Don’tyouagreewithme?””TheverythingI’vebeentellingmywife,”heexclaimedinhisextra-manlybass。”Wehavebeendiscussing——”

AdiscussionintheFynemenage!Howportentous!Perhapstheveryfirstdifferencetheyhadeverhad:Mrs。Fyneunflinchingandreadyforanyresponsibility,Fynesolemnandshrinking——thechildreninbedupstairs;andoutsidethedarkfields,theshadowycontoursofthelandonthestarrybackgroundoftheuniverse,withthecrudelightoftheopenwindowlikeabeaconforthetruantwhowouldnevercomebacknow;atruantnolongerbutadownrightfugitive。

Yetafugitivecarryingoffspoils。Itwastheflightofaraider——

oratraitor?Thisaffairofthepurloinedbrother,asIhadnamedittomyself,hadaverypuzzlingphysiognomy。Thegirlmusthavebeendesperate,Ithought,hearingthegravevoiceofFynewellenoughbutcatchingthesenseofhiswordsnotatall,excepttheverylastwordswhichwere:”Ofcourse,it’sextremelydistressing。”

Ilookedathiminquisitively。Whatwasdistressinghim?Thepurloiningofthesonofthepoet-tyrantbythedaughterofthefinancier-convict。Oronly,ifImaysayso,thewindoftheirflightdisturbingthesolemnplacidityoftheFynes’domesticatmosphere。Myincertitudedidnotlastlong,forheadded:”Mrs。FyneurgesmetogotoLondonatonce。”

Onecouldguessat,almostsee,hisprofounddistasteforthejourney,hisdistressatadifferenceoffeelingwithhiswife。

WithhisseriousviewofthesublunarycomedyFynesufferedfromnotbeingabletoagreesolemnlywithhersentimentashewasaccustomedtodo,inrecognitionofhavinghadhiswayinonesupremeinstance;

whenhemadeherelopewithhim——themostmomentousstepimaginableinayounglady’slife。Hehadbeenreallytryingtoacknowledgeitbytakingtherightnessofherfeelingforgrantedoneveryotheroccasion。Ithadbecomeasortofhabitatlast。Anditisneverpleasanttobreakahabit。Themanwasdeeplytroubled。Isaid:”Really!TogotoLondon!”

Helookeddumblyintomyeyes。Itwaspatheticandfunny。”Andyouofcoursefeelitwouldbeuseless,”Ipursued。

Heevidentlyfeltthat,thoughhesaidnothing。Heonlywentonblinkingatmewithasolemnandcomicalslowness。”Unlessitbetocarrytherethefamily’sblessing,”Iwenton,indulgingmychaffinghumoursteadily,inarathersneakingfashion,forIdarednotlookatMrs。Fyne,tomyright。Nosoundormovementcamefromthatdirection。”Youthinkverynaturallythattomatchmeregood,soundreasons,againstthepassionateconclusionsofloveisawasteofintellectborderingontheabsurd。”

HelookedsurprisedasifIhaddiscoveredsomethingveryclever。

He,dearman,hadthoughtofnothingatall。

HesimplyknewthathedidnotwanttogotoLondononthatmission。

Meremasculinedelicacy。Inamomenthebecameenthusiastic。”Yes!Yes!Exactly。Amaninlove……Youhear,mydear?Hereyouhaveanindependentopinion——””Cananythingbemorehopeless,”IinsistedtothefascinatedlittleFyne,”thantopitreasonagainstlove。ImustconfesshoweverthatinthiscasewhenIthinkofthatpoorgirl’ssharpchinIwonderif……”

MylevitywastoomuchforMrs。Fyne。Stillleaningbackinherchairsheexclaimed:”Mr。Marlow!”

AsifmysteriouslyaffectedbyherindignationtheabsurdFynedogbegantobarkintheporch。Itmighthavebeenatatrespassingbumble-beehowever。Thatanimalwascapableofanyeccentricity。

Fynegotupquicklyandwentouttohim。IthinkhewasgladtoleaveusalonetodiscussthatmatterofhisjourneytoLondon。A

sortofanti-sentimentaljourney。He,too,apparently,hadconfidenceinmysagacity。Itwastouching,thisconfidence。Itwasatanyratemoregenuinethantheconfidencehiswifepretendedtohaveinherhusband’schess-player,ofthreesuccessiveholidays。

Confidencebehanged!Sagacity——indeed!Shehadsimplymarchedinwithoutashadowofmisgivingtomakemebackherup。Butshehaddeliveredherselfintomyhands……”

InterruptinghisnarrativeMarlowaddressedmeinhistonebetweengrimjestandgrimearnest:”Perhapsyoudidn’tknowthatmycharacterisuponthewholerathervindictive。””No,Ididn’tknow,”Isaidwithagrin。”That’sratherunusualforasailor。Theyalwaysseemedtometheleastvindictivebodyofmenintheworld。””H’m!Simplesouls,”Marlowmutteredmoodily。”Wantofopportunity。Theworldleavesthemaloneforthemostpart。Formyselfit’stowardswomenthatIfeelvindictivemostly,inmysmallway。Iadmitthatitissmall。Butthentheoccasionsinthemselvesarenotgreat。MainlyIresentthatpretenceofwindingusroundtheirdearlittlefingers,asofright。Notthattheresulteveramountstomuchgenerally。Therearesoveryfewmomentousopportunities。ItistheassumptionthateachofusisacombinationofakidandanimbecilewhichIfindprovoking——inasmallway;inaverysmallway。Youneedn’tstareasthoughIwerebreathingfireandsmokeoutofmynostrils。Iamnotawomen-

devouringmonster。Iamnotevenwhatistechnicallycalled”abrute。”Ihopethere’senoughofakidandanimbecileinmetoanswertherequirementsofsomereallygoodwomaneventually——someday……Someday。Whydoyougasp?Youdon’tsupposeIshouldbeafraidofgettingmarried?Thatsuppositionwouldbeoffensive……””Iwouldn’tdreamofoffendingyou,”Isaid。”Verywell。ButmeantimepleaserememberthatIwasnotmarriedtoMrs。Fyne。Thatlady’slittlefingerwasnoneofmylegalproperty。

Ihadnotrunoffwithit。ItwasFynewhohaddonethatthing。

Lethimbewoundroundasmuchashisbackbonecouldstand——orevenmore,forallIcared。Hisrushingawayfromthediscussiononthetransparentpretenceofquietingthedogconfirmedmynotionoftherebeingaconsiderablestrainonhiselasticity。IconfrontedMrs。Fyneresolvednottoassistherinhereminentlyfeminineoccupationofthrustingastickinthespokesofanotherwoman’swheel。

Shetriedtopreservehercalm-eyedsuperiority。Shewasfamiliarandolympian,fencedinbythetea-table,thatexcellentsymbolofdomesticlifeinitslighterhouranditsperfectsecurity。Inafewseverelyunadornedwordsshegavemetounderstandthatshehadventuredtohopeforsomereallyhelpfulsuggestionfromme。Tothisalmostchidingdeclaration——becausemyvindictivenessseldomgoesfurtherthanabitofteasing——IsaidthatIwasreallydoingmybest。Andbeingaphysiognomist……””Beingwhat?”sheinterruptedme。”Aphysiognomist,”Irepeatedraisingmyvoicealittle。”A

physiognomist,Mrs。Fyne。Andontheprinciplesofthatscienceapointedlittlechinisasufficientgroundforinterference。Youwanttointerfere——doyounot?”

Hereyesgrewdistinctlybigger。Shehadneverbeenbanteredbeforeinherlife。Thelatesubtlepoet’smethodofmakinghimselfunpleasantwasmerelysavageandabusive。Fynehadbeenalwayssolemnlysubservient。WhatothermensheknewIcannottellbutI

assumetheymusthavebeengentlemanlycreatures。Thegirl-friendssatatherfeet。Howcouldsherecognizemyintention。Shedidn’tknowwhattomakeofmytone。”Areyouseriousinwhatyousay?”sheaskedslowly。Anditwastouching。Itwasasifaveryyoung,confidinggirlhadspoken。I

feltmyselfrelenting。”No。Iamnot,Mrs。Fyne,”Isaid。”Ididn’tknowIwasexpectedtobeseriousaswellassagacious。No。ThatscienceisfarcicalandthereforeIamnotserious。It’struethatmostsciencesarefarcicalexceptthosewhichteachushowtoputthingstogether。””Thequestionishowtokeepthesetwopeopleapart,”shestruckin。

Shehadrecovered。Iadmiredthequicknessofwomen’swit。Mentalagilityisarareperfection。Andaren’ttheyagile!Aren’tthey——

just!Andtenacious!Whentheyoncegetholdyoumayuprootthetreebutyouwon’tshakethemoffthebranch。Infactthemoreyoushake……Butonlylookatthecharmofcontradictoryperfections!

Nowondermengivein——generally。Iwon’tsayIwasactuallycharmedbyMrs。Fyne。Iwasnotdelightedwithher。Whataffectedmewasnotwhatshedisplayedbutsomethingwhichshecouldnotconceal。Andthatwasemotion——nothingless。Theformofherdeclarationwasdry,almostperemptory——butnotitstone。Hervoicefalteredjusttheleastbit,shesmiledfaintly;andaswewerelookingstraightateachotherIobservedthathereyeswereglisteninginapeculiarmanner。Shewasdistressed。AndindeedthatMrs。Fyneshouldhaveappealedtomeatallwasinitselftheevidenceofherprofounddistress。”ByJoveshe’sdesperatetoo,”I

thought。Thisdiscoverywasfollowedbyamovementofinstinctiveshrinkingfromthisunreasonableandunmasculineaffair。Theywereallalike,withtheirsupremeinterestarousedonlybyfightingwitheachotheraboutsomeman:alover,ason,abrother。”Butdoyouthinkthere’stimeyettodoanything?”Iasked。

Shehadanimpatientmovementofhershoulderswithoutdetachingherselffromthebackofthechair。Time!Ofcourse?Itwaslessthanforty-eighthourssinceshehadfollowedhimtoLondon……I

amnogreatclerkatthosemattersbutImurmuredvaguelyanallusiontospeciallicences。Wecouldn’ttellwhatmighthavehappenedto-dayalready。Butsheknewbetter,scornfully。Nothinghadhappened。”Nothing’slikelytohappenbeforenextFridayweek,——ifthen。”

Thiswaswonderfullyprecise。Thenafterapausesheaddedthatsheshouldneverforgiveherselfifsomeeffortwerenotmade,anappeal。”Toyourbrother?”Iasked。”Yes。Johnoughttogoto-morrow。Nineo’clocktrain。””Soearlyasthat!”Isaid。ButIcouldnotfinditinmyhearttopursuethisdiscussioninajoculartone。Isubmittedtoherseveralobviousarguments,dictatedapparentlybycommonsensebutinrealitybymysecretcompassion。Mrs。Fynebrushedthemaside,withthesemi-consciousegoismofallsafe,established,existences。

Theyhadknowneachothersolittle。Justthreeweeks。Andofthattime,tooshortforthebirthofanyserioussentiment,thefirstweekhadtobededucted。Theywouldhardlylookateachothertobeginwith。FlorabarelyconsentedtoacknowledgeCaptainAnthony’spresence。Goodmorning——goodnight——thatwasall——absolutelythewholeextentoftheirintercourse。CaptainAnthonywasasilentman,completelyunusedtothesocietyofgirlsofanysortandsoshyinfactthatheavoidedraisinghiseyestoherfaceatthetable。Itwasperfectlyabsurd。Itwaseveninconvenient,embarrassingtoher——Mrs。Fyne。AfterbreakfastFlorawouldgooffbyherselfforalongwalkandCaptainAnthony(Mrs。FynereferredtohimattimesalsoasRoderick)joinedthechildren。Buthewasactuallytooshytogetontermswithhisownnieces。

ThiswouldhavesoundedpatheticifIhadn’tknowntheFynechildrenwhowereatthesametimesolemnandmalicious,andnursedasecretcontemptforalltheworld。Noonecouldgetontermswiththosefreshandcomelyyoungmonsters!Theyjusttoleratedtheirparentsandseemedtohaveasortofmockingunderstandingamongthemselvesagainstalloutsiders,yetwithnovisibleaffectionforeachother。

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