登陆注册
5227100000075

第75章 CHAPTER IX EVENING AT RICHMOND(4)

They strolled along toward the cabs awaiting them at the farther end. His plan had the merit of all great plans, an almost brutal simplicity he would merely keep at her elbow till she got in, and get in quickly after her.

But when Irene reached the cab she did not get in; she slipped, instead, to the horse's head. Dartie was not at the moment sufficiently master of his legs to follow. She stood stroking the horse's nose, and, to his annoyance, Bosinney was at her side first. She turned and spoke to him rapidly, in a low voice; the words 'That man' reached Dartie. He stood stubbornly by the cab step, waiting for her to come back. He knew a trick worth two of that!

Here, in the lamp-light, his figure (no more than medium height), well squared in its white evening waistcoat, his light overcoat flung over his arm, a pink flower in his button-hole, and on his dark face that look of confident, good-humoured insolence, he was at his best--a thorough man of the world.

Winifred was already in her cab. Dartie reflected that Bosinney would have a poorish time in that cab if he didn't look sharp!

Suddenly he received a push which nearly overturned him in the road. Bosinney's voice hissed in his ear: "I am taking Irene back; do you understand?" He saw a face white with passion, and eyes that glared at him like a wild cat's.

"Eh?" he stammered. "What? Not a bit. You take my wife!"

"Get away!" hissed Bosinney--"or I'll throw you into the road!"

Dartie recoiled; he saw as plainly as possible that the fellow meant it. In the space he made Irene had slipped by, her dress brushed his legs. Bosinney stepped in after her.

"Go on!" he heard the Buccaneer cry. The cabman flicked his horse. It sprang forward.

Dartie stood for a moment dumbfounded; then, dashing at the cab where his wife sat, he scrambled in.

"Drive on!" he shouted to the driver, "and don't you lose sight of that fellow in front!"

Seated by his wife's side, he burst into imprecations. Calming himself at last with a supreme effort, he added: "A pretty mess you've made of it, to let the Buccaneer drive home with her; why on earth couldn't you keep hold of him? He's mad with love; any fool can see that!"

He drowned Winifred's rejoinder with fresh calls to the Almighty; nor was it until they reached Barnes that he ceased a Jeremiad, in the course of which he had abused her, her father, her brother, Irene, Bosinney, the name of Forsyte, his own children, and cursed the day when he had ever married.

Winifred, a woman of strong character, let him have his say, at the end of which he lapsed into sulky silence. His angry eyes never deserted the back of that cab, which, like a lost chance, haunted the darkness in front of him.

Fortunately he could not hear Bosinney's passionate pleading-- that pleading which the man of the world's conduct had let loose like a flood; he could not see Irene shivering, as though some garment had been torn from her, nor her eyes, black and mournful, like the eyes of a beaten child. He could not hear Bosinney entreating, entreating, always entreating; could not hear her sudden, soft weeping, nor see that poor, hungry-looking devil, awed and trembling, humbly touching her hand.

In Montpellier Square their cabman, following his instructions to the letter, faithfully drew up behind the cab in front. The Darties saw Bosinney spring out, and Irene follow, and hasten up the steps with bent head. She evidently had her key in her hand, for she disappeared at once. It was impossible to tell whether she had turned to speak to Bosinney.

The latter came walking past their cab; both husband and wife had an admirable view of his face in the light of a street lamp. It was working with violent emotion.

"Good-night, Mr. Bosinney!" called Winifred.

Bosinney started, clawed off his hat, and hurried on. He had obviously forgotten their existence.

"There!" said Dartie, "did you see the beast's face? What did I say? Fine games!" He improved the occasion.

There had so clearly been a crisis in the cab that Winifred was unable to defend her theory.

She said: "I shall say nothing about it. I don't see any use in making a fuss!"

With that view Dartie at once concurred; looking upon James as a private preserve, he disapproved of his being disturbed by the troubles of others.

"Quite right," he said; "let Soames look after himself. He's jolly well able to!"

Thus speaking, the Darties entered their habitat in Green Street, the rent of which was paid by James, and sought a well-earned rest. The hour was midnight, and no Forsytes remained abroad in the streets to spy out Bosinney's wanderings; to see him return and stand against the rails of the Square garden, back from the glow of the street lamp; to see him stand there in the shadow of trees, watching the house where in the dark was hidden she whom he would have given the world to see for a single minute--she who was now to him the breath of the lime-trees, the meaning of the light and the darkness, the very beating of his own heart.

同类推荐
  • 华严原人论发微录

    华严原人论发微录

    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。
  • 杨忠愍集

    杨忠愍集

    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。
  • 象山语要

    象山语要

    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。
  • 秀野林禅师语录

    秀野林禅师语录

    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。
  • 摩醯首罗天法要

    摩醯首罗天法要

    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
  • 不消失的恋人

    不消失的恋人

    饶雪漫的金牌编辑方悄悄转型啦!一直扮演着“失恋专家”的她,写的却是一部百分之百的恋爱小说。一段异国恋情,一个转身的恋人……像《八月照相馆》般清新浪漫,2009不可多得的疗伤小说。本书讲的其实是个简单的故事,表达的也是一种简单的信念:不能让失去的东西禁锢我们的人生,无论受到多重的伤害,都要尽力完整、诚恳地活下去。教授留学生中文的研究生陈晓镜与自己的学生青田开始了一段恋爱,一切看上去美好得不像话。但是青田在一次短暂的回国之后,便向晓镜提出了分手。尚未走出分手困局的晓镜,却猝不及防地接到青田因车祸去世的消息。在这之后,许多和青田有关的人以不同的姿态介入了她的生活……
  • 安徒生童话(语文新课标课外读物)

    安徒生童话(语文新课标课外读物)

    《安徒生童话》的作者是丹麦作家安徒生。1805年,他生于一个贫苦的鞋匠家庭,早年在慈善学校读过书,当过学徒工。在父母宽松的教育环境下,安徒生很早就展现了其非凡的想象力。他在家中搭起了玩具剧场,并且给他的木偶做衣服,同时他还阅读所有能借到的戏剧剧本。他的父亲去世较早,全家靠母亲给人洗衣服的那一点微薄收入维持生活。尽管安徒生过着十分贫穷的生活,但他却有着远大的理想。经过十几年的奋斗,他终于踏进了文坛“为了争取未来的一代”,安徒生决定给孩子写童话,出版了《讲给孩子们听的故事》。
  • 大乘法苑义林章补阙

    大乘法苑义林章补阙

    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。
  • 你问我爱你有多深

    你问我爱你有多深

    算起来已经有三年了,作为网上通缉的逃犯,一直没有张英俊的消息。就在前一段时间,刑警队得到可靠消息,有人在新疆的石河子见到了一对男女,很像张英俊和田一梅。于是,纪大成就奉命去执行这一项秘密任务。他们来到预先了解到的那家东北菜馆,果然,见有俩东北人在经营,男的做菜,女的招待,看上去很默契、和睦的样子。有一个小男孩总是坐在门前玩,他大概两岁的样子,孩子大眼睛,高鼻梁,特别漂亮,长得非常像他的爸爸。
  • 梅花依旧爱飘落

    梅花依旧爱飘落

    花容:她曾经如此的深爱着他,但被他的无情所磨灭,后来被另一个他所救,从此那颗死去的心便慢慢地恢复。龙狄:一朝王爷,一直忘不了小时候救过他的她,可被可笑的谎言所蒙蔽一直摧残着心爱的人,真相大白后才发现她已经不再属于他。南宫秋月:他看到她总是忍不住想要关心,慢慢地发现原来自己已经爱上她。为了结束此争斗她献出了生命,千年的寂寞后等待她的是如何的命运,一段新的故事开始了…--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 生死博弈(连载一)

    生死博弈(连载一)

    刑警女星临危受命一辆桑塔纳3000型警车在省会至南江市的高速公路上风驰电掣地疾驶。车内副驾驶座上坐着一位年轻俊丽的女警官,她就是省公安厅新任命的南江市公安局长苏俊华。之前,省委常委、省政法委书记兼公安厅长、厅党委书记梁国文与厅党委委员、厅政治部主任赵新亭和苏俊华进行了谈话。梁国文语重心长地对她道:“小苏,你这两年在北京进修,对南江市的治安情况可能不是很了解。南江市这两年来治安形势十分严峻,黑恶势力与党政机关内的腐败分子相互勾结,肆无忌惮地进行犯罪活动,把南江市搅得乌烟瘴气。
  • 试爱成婚,总裁大叔棒棒哒

    试爱成婚,总裁大叔棒棒哒

    林小月在婚前被男友劈腿。酒吧买醉,破坏了神秘男人的好事。她醉意朦胧指着对方:“就你了,试婚吧。”一觉醒来竟莫名签下试婚合同。从此,与人共居的生活一团乱麻。某个月黑风高夜,他钻进她房间。她猛然惊醒唬道:“你干嘛?”“试爱。”她一直觉得,这个手不能提肩不能抗的老爷型男人小时候一定得过病,死不要脸症晚期。使唤她使唤的那叫一个得心应手。不过,他也不是没有优点。比如说,他总会在她落魄至极,需要人安慰的时候出现帮她。她以为,这是爱。直到电视上播放邵氏集团总裁与云氏千金云子安订婚的消息,她彻底傻了眼。她家这个娇弱症上身的男人居然跟电视上邵氏集团总裁邵昀霆有张一模一样的脸。
  • 绝品妖孽的清纯小萌妃

    绝品妖孽的清纯小萌妃

    醒来就感觉自己的手不是自己的,自己哪有这般娇小,这么倾国倾城?被帅哥哥送往仙山学艺,师傅看她的眼神一直不对,直到她发现一个惊天秘密,原来自己并不属于这个世界,乃异世的一缕亡魂!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • Loved (Book #2 in the Vampire Journals)

    Loved (Book #2 in the Vampire Journals)

    TURNED is a book to rival TWILIGHT and VAMPIRE DIARIES, and one that will have you wanting to keep reading until the very last page! If you are into adventure, love and vampires this book is the one for you!
  • 御天神皇

    御天神皇

    一念星辰变色,一怒万界臣服。高中学生穿越异世,开绝代逆天神体,得万古强者传承,妖孽之路就此展开。美人怀中抱,敌人剑下死。我的名字叫苏夜,小名御天,外号万古第一人。