登陆注册
5227100000089

第89章 CHAPTER XIV SOAMES SITS ON THE STAIRS(2)

Bosinney was in love with her! He hated the fellow, and would not spare him now. He could and would refuse to pay a penny piece over twelve thousand and fifty pounds--the extreme limit fixed in the correspondence; or rather he would pay, he would pay and sue him for damages. He would go to Jobling and Boulter and put the matter in their hands. He would ruin the impecunious beggar! And suddenly--though what connection between the thoughts?--he reflected that Irene had no money either. They were both beggars. This gave him a strange satisfaction.

The silence was broken by a faint creaking through the wall. She was going to bed at last. Ah! Joy and pleasant dreams! If she threw the door open wide he would not go in now!

But his lips, that were twisted in a bitter smile, twitched; he covered his eyes with his hands....

It was late the following afternoon when Soames stood in the dining-room window gazing gloomily into the Square.

The sunlight still showered on the plane-trees, and in the breeze their gay broad leaves shone and swung in rhyme to a barrel organ at the corner. It was playing a waltz, an old waltz that was out of fashion, with a fateful rhythm in the notes; and it went on and on, though nothing indeed but leaves danced to the tune.

The woman did not look too gay, for she was tired; and from the tall houses no one threw her down coppers. She moved the organ on, and three doors off began again.

It was the waltz they had played at Roger's when Irene had danced with Bosinney; and the perfume of the gardenias she had worn came back to Soames, drifted by the malicious music, as it had been drifted to him then, when she passed, her hair glistening, her eyes so soft, drawing Bosinney on and on down an endless ballroom.

The organ woman plied her handle slowly; she had been grinding her tune all day-grinding it in Sloane Street hard by, grinding it perhaps to Bosinney himself.

Soames turned, took a cigarette from the carven box, and walked back to the window. The tune had mesmerized him, and there came into his view Irene, her sunshade furled, hastening homewards down the Square, in a soft, rose-coloured blouse with drooping sleeves, that he did not know. She stopped before the organ, took out her purse, and gave the woman money.

Soames shrank back and stood where he could see into the hall.

She came in with her latch-key, put down her sunshade, and stood looking at herself in the glass. Her cheeks were flushed as if the sun had burned them; her lips were parted in a smile. She stretched her arms out as though to embrace herself, with a laugh that for all the world was like a sob.

Soames stepped forward.

"Very-pretty!" he said.

But as though shot she spun round, and would have passed him up the stairs. He barred the way.

"Why such a hurry?" he said, and his eyes fastened on a curl of hair fallen loose across her ear....

He hardly recognised her. She seemed on fire, so deep and rich the colour of her cheeks, her eyes, her lips, and of the unusual blouse she wore.

She put up her hand and smoothed back the curl. She was breathing fast and deep, as though she had been running, and with every breath perfume seemed to come from her hair, and from her body, like perfume from an opening flower.

"I don't like that blouse," he said slowly, "it's a soft, shapeless thing!"

He lifted his finger towards her breast, but she dashed his hand aside.

"Don't touch me!" she cried.

He caught her wrist; she wrenched it away.

"And where may you have been?" he asked.

"In heaven--out of this house!" With those words she fled upstairs.

Outside--in thanksgiving--at the very door, the organ-grinder was playing the waltz.

And Soames stood motionless. What prevented him from following her?

Was it that, with the eyes of faith, he saw Bosinney looking down from that high window in Sloane Street, straining his eyes for yet another glimpse of Irene's vanished figure, cooling his flushed face, dreaming of the moment when she flung herself on his breast--the scent of her still in the air around, and the sound of her laugh that was like a sob?

同类推荐
  • 宁远州志

    宁远州志

    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。
  • 洞真太上八素真经登坛符札妙诀

    洞真太上八素真经登坛符札妙诀

    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。
  • 文殊支利普超三昧经

    文殊支利普超三昧经

    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。
  • 近代词人逸事

    近代词人逸事

    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。
  • 施设论卷

    施设论卷

    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
  • 胭脂铺

    胭脂铺

    巫族天女左红昭为令高国二皇子高昱涧起死回生,险将巫族置于万劫不复之地。天命不可违,左红昭计划失败,容貌尽毁,背负“爱而不得”的诅咒,沉浮人间。兜转数百年,左红昭再次遇见由高昱涧转世而成的率真捕快孟泊川,尽管她有心逃脱,却还是在命运的嘲笑声里,选择与孟泊川并肩,携手破案。横亘于左红昭与孟泊川之间的,不止是不可逆转的命运,还有左红昭内心深处最深切的绝望。无奈缘分总是唏嘘,爱不能永存,只能缅怀。他们的愿望各不相同,失望却如出一辙。“我对你的爱,就像是埋在土里的早已煮熟的的花种。我悉心灌溉,日夜守护,从不期望它能回报我分毫。或许,只有当我明白了割舍与占有之间的关系,才能算是爱过你。”
  • 原来你也在回忆

    原来你也在回忆

    京城风云镖局押运赈灾银两前往济南府,岂料镖银竟变成了石头。镖师被无辜捕杀,镖局遭灭门惨祸。总镖头段天涯含冤忍愤,泣血仗剑,独闯京城,在京城名捕碧玉虹的帮助下,秘查祸首行踪。谁知此一路凶险环绕,阴霾笼罩。定海侯、六扇门、柳五伯,黑白两道设阱布局;未婚妻,碧玉虹,双面佳人,身份难料。惊天大盗究竟是谁?真相背后另有真相,幕后之人却别有用心……
  • 象崖珽禅师语录

    象崖珽禅师语录

    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。
  • 竹书纪年

    竹书纪年

    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。
  • 最后一个大魔头

    最后一个大魔头

    群号:欢迎加入:234909134希望大家能踊跃加入我若成魔天下无佛、我若成妖,妖中为尊!魔,不是冷酷无情,魔,不是恨天恨地!魔!是一种对世间一切不满的控诉!魔,当行天下不敢为之事!魔,当行天下不敢做之事!!魔,当行天下不敢当之事!!!请不要认为这是一本小说,因为它是文明和修炼的结合!
  • 中外名人传记大全集(优秀青少年最想知道)

    中外名人传记大全集(优秀青少年最想知道)

    在源远流长、辉煌灿烂的世界历史岁月中,涌现出成千上万富有创造性和进取精神的名人,留下了一串串不可磨灭的历史印迹。名人以深邃的思想,放射出绮丽的光芒,启迪着人们的心智,照耀着人类的内心世界;名人以卓越的军政才能,主宰着世界的风云,改变着历史的格局,影响着人类的进程;名人以精深的智慧,创造了难以计数的科学发明,推动着人类的文明之轮飞速前进;名人以敏捷的才思,将深沉的情感注入笔端,写下了打动人心的名篇佳作,传诵至今。
  • 执念成灰

    执念成灰

    乔苏曾天真的以为,有了肚子里的孩子,唐琛就一定会娶她。可后来她才知道,童话里都是骗人的。医院的流产室外,他搂着别的女人,冷笑的瞧着她:“呵,想替我生孩子的女人多了去了,你算哪一个?”那一刻,她心如死灰。五年后,他依旧是帝都最闪耀的男人,而她却不再沉迷他的光芒之下。“唐琛,你很好,我曾经深爱你,可现在,我不爱了。”但……“不爱了?乔苏,谁允乔你半途而废的?嗯?”
  • 一梦有情琅

    一梦有情琅

    江一梦的二次元男神是国民老公司马琅,三次元男神是神秘作家‘狼顾司马’,这一度让她很纠结,两个男神像清华北大一样让她无法抉择。她常常想:到底是上清华、还是上北大呢?她打死也不会想到,某一天,她会清华北大一起上!
  • 绝爱之殇

    绝爱之殇

    在爱的那一条路上,他总是比她慢一步——在她爱他的时候他正喜欢别人;当他开始对她感动的时候,她对他开始失望;当他已经深爱的时候,她已经因为时间的打磨要不爱他了。什么叫做爱情,就是一物降一物~这一次,她要反守为攻,让程昱知道知道什么叫做单恋的痛苦·。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 婚短情长

    婚短情长

    苏陌陌没想过有一天,自己会闪婚,结婚的原因,很简单,她需要钱,他需要妻子!她一直都知道这场婚姻,两人都只是‘各取所需’;夹缝中生存,她卑微得乞求着一份真心……可他却是个阴晴不定的男人,时而对她疼惜若宝,时而对她,又弃如敝履……她始终搞不懂,这场婚姻,他究竟抱着一种怎样的心态……她却不由自主的沦陷了,就在她隐隐期待美好明天的时候一个跟她有着九成相似的女人站到了她的面前:“你以为黎琛真的爱你吗?你的任务已经完成了,你可以滚了!”那一天,她才知道……那个冷血到可以看着她倒在血泊的男人……曾经为某个女人……