登陆注册
5150800000062

第62章

He marched up to Joan and held out his arm."We may as well get back," he said."The band's going to begin again."But Joan sat down, looking from one man to the other.All the woman in her revelled in this rivalry,--all that made her long-dead sisters crowd to the arenas, wave to armored knights in deadly combat, lean forward in grand stands to watch the Titanic struggles of Army and Navy, Yale and Harvard on the football field.Her eyes danced, her lips were parted a little, her young bosom rose and fell.

"And so you see," said Palgrave, putting his hand on the back of her chair, "I can stay as long as the Hosacks will have me, and one day I'll drive you over to my bachelor cottage on the dune.It will interest you.""The only thing that has any interest at the moment is dancing,"said Oldershaw loudly."By the way, you don't happen to be a member of the club, do you, Mr.Palgrave?"With consummate impudence Palgrave caught his eye and made a sort of policeman gesture."Run away, my lad," he said, "run away and amuse yourself." He almost asked for death.

With a thick mutter that sounded like "My God," Oldershaw balanced himself to hit, his face the color of a beet-root,--and instantly Joan was on her feet between them with a hand on the boy's chest.

"No murder here," she said, "please!"

"Murder!" echoed Palgrave, scoffing.

"Yes, murder.Can't you see that this boy could take you and break you like a dry twig? Let's go back, all three of us.We don't want to become the center of a sight-seeing crowd." And she took an arm of each shaking man and went across the drive to where the car was parked.

And so the danger moment was evaded,--young Oldershaw warm with pride, Palgrave sullen and angry.They made a trio which had its prototypes all the way back to the beginning of the world.

It did Palgrave no good to crouch ignominiously on the step of the car which Oldershaw drove back hell for leather.

The bridge tables were still occupied.The white lane was still across the sea.Frogs and crickets still continued their noisy rivalry, but it was a different climate out there on the dunes from that of the village with its cloying warmth.

Palgrave went into the house at once with a brief "Thank you." Joan waited while Harry put the car into a garage.Bed made no appeal.

Bridge bored,--it required concentration.She would play the game of sex with Gilbert if he were to be found.So the boy had to be disposed of.

"Harry," she said, when he joined her, chuckling at having come top dog out of the recent blaze, "you'd better go straight to bed now.

We're going to be up early in the morning, you know.""Just what I was thinking," he answered."By Jove, you've given me a corking good evening.The best of my young life.You...you certainly are,--well, I don't know how to do you justice.I'd have to be a poet." He fumbled for her hand and kissed it a little sheepishly.

They went in."You're a nice boy, Harry," she said.There was something in his charming simplicity and muscular strength that reminded her of,--but she refused to let the name enter her mind.

"I could have broken that chap like a dry twig, too, easy.Who does he think he is?" He would have pawned his life at that moment for the taste of her lips.

She stood at the bottom of the stairs and held out her hand."Good night, old boy," she said.

And he took it and hurt it."Good night, Joany," he answered.

That pet name hurt her more than his eager grasp.It was Marty's own word--Marty, who--who--She threw up her head and stamped her foot, and slammed the door of her thoughts."Who cares?" she said to herself, challenging life and fate."Come on.Make things move."She saw Palgrave standing alone in the library looking at the sea.

"You might be Canute," she said lightly.

His face was curiously white."I'm off in the morning," he said."We may as well say good-by now.""Good-by, then," she answered.

"I can't stay in this cursed place and let you play the fool with me.""Why should you?"

"There'll be Hosack and the others as well as your new pet.""That's true."

He caught her suddenly by the arms."Damn you," he said."I wish to God I'd never seen you."She laughed."Cave man stuff, eh?"

He let her go.She had the most perfect way of reducing him to ridicule.

"I love you," he said."I love you.Aren't you going to try, even to try, to love me back?""No."

"Not ever?"

"Never." She went up to him and stood straight and slim and bewitching, eye to eye."If you want me to love you, make me.Work for it, move Heaven and earth.You can't leave it to me.I don't want to love you.I'm perfectly happy as I am.If you want me, win me, carry me off my feet and then you shall see what it is to be loved.It's entirely up to you, understand that.I shall fight against it tooth and nail, but I give you leave to do your best.Do you accept the challenge?""Yes," he said, and his face cleared, and his eyes blazed.

同类推荐
  • 佛说圣庄严陀罗尼经

    佛说圣庄严陀罗尼经

    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。
  • 佛说六门陀罗尼经

    佛说六门陀罗尼经

    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。
  • 隆兴编年通论

    隆兴编年通论

    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。
  • 太清中黄真经

    太清中黄真经

    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。
  • 佛说阿难七梦经

    佛说阿难七梦经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 主角武道馆

    主角武道馆

    未婚妻即将被抢走,怎么办?别急,来主角武道馆被堂弟逆袭,怎么办?别急,来主角武道馆大哥太耀眼,成了路人甲,怎么办?别急,来主角武道馆……“系统,我们培养的怎么全是配角和反派?”刘枫吐槽道。系统:“因为主角没钱。”
  • 都市飞蛾炼爱季

    都市飞蛾炼爱季

    本书通过描写几个都市青年的恋爱、工作和生活,呈现了青年乐观向上的人生,具有强烈的时代气息感,能够赢得青年读者的喜爱。小说讲述贝安宁、周静雅一对结婚七年的夫妇,火红的小日子越过越顺当,并喜得一对双胞胎男孩。贝安宁却因为昔日情敌,周静雅的顶头上司廖英杰迟迟未婚而忧心忡忡。贝安宁的宝贝妹妹贝安妮一心一意地暗恋着廖英杰,并在周静雅的搓和下和廖英杰终成眷属。作品情节浪漫、人物个性鲜明,语言幽默。本书为第一届海峡两岸网络原创文学大赛入围作品。
  • 媒介批评学

    媒介批评学

    本书为媒介批评学专著。媒介批评是指根据一定的立场和标准对媒介及其活动进行理论鉴别与价值判断的活动,媒介批评在本质意义上是一种精神和观念生产,属于社会舆论的范畴。媒介批评要成为一种有效的活动,就必须遵循一定的理论和科学的方法。本书重点探讨“媒介批评理论与方法”。全书共21章,包括媒介批评的主体、客体、载体、文体,媒介批评的历史与发展,意识形态批评,流行文化批评,媒介的美学批评等内容。
  • 礼记注释

    礼记注释

    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。
  • 生死博弈(连载六)

    生死博弈(连载六)

    刘秀英听了如同晴天一声霹雳,顿时吓蒙了,她咆哮道:“不可能,这决不可能,刘跃进浑是浑,说他赌博嫖娼我都相信,爆炸杀人这也太离谱了!我自己的兄弟我还不知道吗?他怎么会干这样的事情呢?一定是公安局搞错了!”陈建波道:“他自己都承认了,你还说什么不可能呀?苏俊华讲得很清楚,他卷入爆炸杀人案件也有受别人蒙骗利用的因素。”刘秀英道:“既然苏俊华知道刘跃进是受别人蒙骗被别人利用的,那她为什么不放过他还要抓他呀?”
  • 总裁的溺爱专宠

    总裁的溺爱专宠

    阳光明媚,一年四季的春季来临了,春季适合谈恋爱更适合结婚。韩樱萌?她梦到了:那个宠爱自己的男人,在看到自己第N+1次的犯花痴之后,终于忍不住了,他们开始了冷战。刘御杰?怎么也没有想到,这次的犯花痴竟让他开始了人生的转折……
  • 公主很祸害

    公主很祸害

    和亲公主最苦逼!不拿出男子汉气概真刀实枪干一场,把女人当做筹码什么的,最无耻了。事关终生幸福,尔雅公主挥挥衣袖,痛快地踏上了逃婚的康庄大道。魔宫宫主真苦逼!一听魔宫就人人喊打自诩正义以为宫主邪神附体坏事做绝享尽富贵什么的,最无知了!被扔出魔宫的苦命孩纸独孤越,含着一把辛酸泪踏上了成为宫主的修行之路。两个祸害一相逢,完胜天灾人祸。从此江湖遭了秧,朝堂乱了套。宫主遇到公主,是他们的命中注定,是其他人的大难临头。但是管他的,但求我意逍遥,自由自在!
  • 首席的神秘妻

    首席的神秘妻

    再过两天,裴心悦就要去洛城最好的洛城大学报道了。她今天约好了莫云航见面,小时候他们就是邻居,在她十二岁时他们便搬家到了这里,但是一直都保持着联系,起初是写信,后来是通电话。在莫云航考上了洛城大学后她也暗暗发誓自己也要考进去。开学后莫云航就是大四的学生了。听说他在学校里是学生会主席,成绩好,爱打篮球,只要有他的比赛,学校里九成的女孩都要去给他加油助威。这了这一天她努力的学习,……
  • The Wisdom of Father Brown

    The Wisdom of Father Brown

    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。
  • 重生之闲妻不闲

    重生之闲妻不闲

    前世,一心扑在工作上的程诺,忽略了除工作以外的所有一切。然而,工作遭遇不顺,婚姻走到尽头,家庭发生巨变。重生后,程诺痛下决心:家庭为主,工作为辅,做一枚闲情逸致的闲妻吧。却不料,闲妻不闲,生活中的突发事件陆续登场——阴险伪闺蜜,傲娇小三,极品亲戚,纷纷来袭。离婚墙头草丈夫变成了忠犬,重遇万人迷妇产科教授陆哲彦。总之,逗比来袭,女主冷静!真爱是后盾!