登陆注册
4613600000057

第57章 FLORA(5)

Good luck to you--and I hope I'll never see your face again."With that he ran out in lover-like haste leaving the hall-door wide open. Mrs. Fyne had not found a word to say. She had been too much taken aback even to gasp freely. But she had the presence of mind to grab the girl's arm just as she, too, was running out into the street--with the haste, I suppose, of despair and to keep I don't know what tragic tryst.

"You stopped her with your own hand, Mrs. Fyne," I said. "I presume she meant to get away. That girl is no comedian--if I am any judge.""Yes! I had to use some force to drag her in."Mrs. Fyne had no difficulty in stating the truth. "You see I was in the very act of letting myself out when these two appeared. So that, when that unpleasant young man ran off, I found myself alone with Flora. It was all I could do to hold her in the hall while Icalled to the servants to come and shut the door."As is my habit, or my weakness, or my gift, I don't know which, Ivisualized the story for myself. I really can't help it. And the vision of Mrs. Fyne dressed for a rather special afternoon function, engaged in wrestling with a wild-eyed, white-faced girl had a certain dramatic fascination.

"Really!" I murmured.

"Oh! There's no doubt that she struggled," said Mrs. Fyne. She compressed her lips for a moment and then added: "As to her being a comedian that's another question."Mrs. Fyne had returned to her attitude of folded arms. I saw before me the daughter of the refined poet accepting life whole with its unavoidable conditions of which one of the first is the instinct of self-preservation and the egoism of every living creature. "The fact remains nevertheless that you--yourself--have, in your own words, pulled her in," I insisted in a jocular tone, with a serious intention.

"What was one to do," exclaimed Mrs. Fyne with almost comic exasperation. "Are you reproaching me with being too impulsive?"And she went on telling me that she was not that in the least. One of the recommendations she always insisted on (to the girl-friends, I imagine) was to be on guard against impulse. Always! But I had not been there to see the face of Flora at the time. If I had it would be haunting me to this day. Nobody unless made of iron would have allowed a human being with a face like that to rush out alone into the streets.

"And doesn't it haunt you, Mrs. Fyne?" I asked.

"No, not now," she said implacably. "Perhaps if I had let her go it might have done . . . Don't conclude, though, that I think she was playing a comedy then, because after struggling at first she ended by remaining. She gave up very suddenly. She collapsed in our arms, mine and the maid's who came running up in response to my calls, and . . . ""And the door was then shut," I completed the phrase in my own way.

"Yes, the door was shut," Mrs. Fyne lowered and raised her head slowly.

I did not ask her for details. Of one thing I am certain, and that is that Mrs. Fyne did not go out to the musical function that afternoon. She was no doubt considerably annoyed at missing the privilege of hearing privately an interesting young pianist (a girl)who, since, had become one of the recognized performers. Mrs. Fyne did not dare leave her house. As to the feelings of little Fyne when he came home from the office, via his club, just half an hour before dinner, I have no information. But I venture to affirm that in the main they were kindly, though it is quite possible that in the first moment of surprise he had to keep down a swear-word or two.

The long and the short of it all is that next day the Fynes made up their minds to take into their confidence a certain wealthy old lady. With certain old ladies the passing years bring back a sort of mellowed youthfulness of feeling, an optimistic outlook, liking for novelty, readiness for experiment. The old lady was very much interested: "Do let me see the poor thing!" She was accordingly allowed to see Flora de Barral in Mrs. Fyne's drawing-room on a day when there was no one else there, and she preached to her with charming, sympathetic authority: "The only way to deal with our troubles, my dear child, is to forget them. You must forget yours.

It's very simple. Look at me. I always forget mine. At your age one ought to be cheerful."Later on when left alone with Mrs. Fyne she said to that lady: "Ido hope the child will manage to be cheerful. I can't have sad faces near me. At my age one needs cheerful companions."And in this hope she carried off Flora de Barral to Bournemouth for the winter months in the quality of reader and companion. She had said to her with kindly jocularity: "We shall have a good time together. I am not a grumpy old woman." But on their return to London she sought Mrs. Fyne at once. She had discovered that Flora was not naturally cheerful. When she made efforts to be it was still worse. The old lady couldn't stand the strain of that. And then, to have the whole thing out, she could not bear to have for a companion anyone who did not love her. She was certain that Flora did not love her. Why? She couldn't say. Moreover, she had caught the girl looking at her in a peculiar way at times. Oh no!--it was not an evil look--it was an unusual expression which one could not understand. And when one remembered that her father was in prison shut up together with a lot of criminals and so on--it made one uncomfortable. If the child had only tried to forget her troubles!

But she obviously was incapable or unwilling to do so. And that was somewhat perverse--wasn't it? Upon the whole, she thought it would be better perhaps -Mrs. Fyne assented hurriedly to the unspoken conclusion: "Oh certainly! Certainly," wondering to herself what was to be done with Flora next; but she was not very much surprised at the change in the old lady's view of Flora de Barral. She almost understood it.

同类推荐
  • 德经

    德经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Her Father's Daughter

    Her Father's Daughter

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 野处集

    野处集

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 孙明复小集

    孙明复小集

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 脉法

    脉法

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 宠妻上天:妖王的懒懒小萌妃

    宠妻上天:妖王的懒懒小萌妃

    要说宠老婆这件事,狐王南宫问天敢居第二,就没有人敢当第一了!天上地下唯吾独尊的狐王,竟然为了一个小小的人类女人苏浅浅,变成了言听计从的“妻管严”!并且扬言说:“老婆说一,本王绝不说二;老婆说往东,本王绝对不往西!”
  • 水浒传

    水浒传

    《水浒传》,是我国第一部以农民起义为题材的长篇章回小说,是古代英雄传奇小说的典范作品。数百年来,它一直深受我国人民、乃至世界人民的喜爱。
  • 不灭龙剑

    不灭龙剑

    从死人堆里爬出来的奈萨托尼,一出生就被万千宠爱于一身的公主爱丽丝,毫无焦点的平行线。却在世界与命运的玩弄下,走在了一起。冷酷的世界和温暖的世界,丑恶和纯真,谎言与真诚碰撞在了一起。
  • 腹黑总裁V587

    腹黑总裁V587

    妹妹上了她男朋友,还拍了视频发给她炫耀,妹妹的生日会上,当着宾客的面把视频播了。说她性冷淡是吧,她转身就把宴会上一观众给泡了。妹妹的婚礼黄了,家里公司股票大跌,她被逼嫁给那个原本是她妹夫的人。于是她找人闪婚了。“你干什么,我们是假结婚!喂,停下,我要告你QJ!”“我只是行使我的合法权利。还有,你确定看清楚结婚证上的名字了吗?”“你设计我!”最先设计的人不是你吗?”终于想起第一次见面,故意追尾还大言不惭说:“我的车头亲了你的车尾,看不明白?我想泡你啊!”他霸道宣布:“什么时候开始你定,结束我来定!”后来的后来,她终于相信,有些缘分一定会来,有些人怎么也躲不过。
  • 异世界的植物英雄

    异世界的植物英雄

    一个长着小丑脑袋的抽奖机,一个摆摊买水果的小商贩。“wtf”,向日葵怎么成精了,变成一个可爱萝莉;“纳尼?”豌豆射手也成精了,变成一个头戴钢盔的士兵。更多精彩内容,尽在《异世界植物英雄》,等你来看。
  • 邪龙都市

    邪龙都市

    他是一代邪帝,但却做了杀手,因为一场意外而重回都市,为了复活自己心底的女人,同时又为了解开心中的诸多疑惑,他最终选择走上了逆天修魔之路,医道圣手、铁血柔情、身伴黑龙、脚踏苍穹。传承……武学……医术……阵法……无所不精、无所不通!用着他自己的独特方式守护着心中的净土,华夏!
  • 督军正妻

    督军正妻

    她是备受爱戴的冯家大小姐,配给了全晋城最有女人缘的男人,只有她自己明白她只不过是被父亲扫地出门的弃女。一次国外的救助让他深深地记住了她,几年来一直苦苦找寻的人儿终有一天成了他的女人,只是欣喜之余却发现,那个女人根本不记得他。淡漠如冰的两年婚姻生活,她独居大院,享受清苦,他风流如昔,女人多如衣服,他知道他依然走不进她的心里,而他却无法将她从心里抹去。一朝事发,曾发誓不再管父亲之事的她还是心软了,她求他,但终究没有求得父亲的平安,娘家人被冠上通敌的罪名,她不甘心里更加恨他,只是那时她才发现她已怀了他的孩子。她挺着肚子带着幼小的弟弟出现在“他”的面前时,“他”以为她终于回到“他”的身边了,他们曾经有婚约,只是不得不取消,是“他”将她推向了他,让她成了为他的妻子。她终于明白了真相,只是此时她才发现原来一直被她冷漠的人不知何时走进了她的心里。他恨她的出走,但却不知她在敌营为他生子,“他”陪在她的身边,亲眼看着他们的孩子出生,终于“他”明白,他亲手割断的不是一纸婚约,而是他们的一辈子……
  • 禅林宝训合注

    禅林宝训合注

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 清明上坟图

    清明上坟图

    拦道的民工人群里,果然有那天他去碎石厂时见到的老民工和那位放炮的黑脸汉子,文三耕就与几位领头的民工蹲在一块儿,如此这般商量起来。无论怎样地动之以情晓之以理,无论怎样地磨薄了嘴皮,这群外地民工们还是坚持要在今明两天拿上工资的,要让道可以,不过要把文三耕作为人质先带回到厂子里,等到明天拿到了工资款,再放他这个临时人质。当文天聪、苗如林为这个人质条件迟疑犹豫的时候,文三耕果决地答应了。
  • 武林大爆炸

    武林大爆炸

    真功夫从来不怕传,拳术本身不存在高低,差的是人。崔山鹰年少习武,一生无败绩!斗天下,战擂台,见生死,北名南扬,血雨腥风铸造一代形意宗师之路!