登陆注册
5230500000037

第37章 VII(3)

He gave her a laughing, mischievous glance--"or rather--they don't."

"I can't see anything to make a mystery about," declared the girl. "Why, you act as if there were something to be ashamed of in coming to see me."

He was observing her sharply. How could a girl live in the New York atmosphere several years without getting a sensible point of view? Yet, so far as he could judge, this girl was perfectly honest in her ignorance. "Don't be foolish," said he. "Please accept the fact as I give it to you. You mustn't let people see everything."

She made no attempt to conceal her dislike for this.

"I won't be mixed up in anything like that," said she, quite gently and without a suggestion of pique or anger.

"It makes me feel low--and it's horribly common.

Either we are going to be friends or we aren't. And if we are, why, we're friends whenever we meet. I'm not ashamed of you. And if you are ashamed of me, you can cut me out altogether."

His color deepened until his face was crimson. His eyes avoided hers. "I was thinking chiefly of you," he said--and he honestly thought he was speaking the whole truth.

"Then please don't do so any more," said she, turning to go. "I understand about New York snobbishness.

I want nothing to do with it."

He disregarded the danger of the door being opened at any moment. He rushed to her and took her reluctant hand. "You mustn't blame me for the ways of the world. I can't change them. Do be sensible, dearest. You're only going to be here a few days longer.

I've got that plan for you and your father all thought out. I'll put it through at once. I don't want the office talking scandal about us--do you?"

She looked at him pityingly. His eyes fell before hers. "I know it's a weakness," he said, giving up trying to deceive her and himself. "But I can't help it. I was brought up that way."

"Well--I wasn't. I see we can never be friends."

What a mess he had made of this affair! This girl must be playing upon him. In his folly he had let her see how completely he was in her power, and she was using that power to establish relations between them that were the very opposite of what he desired--and must have. He must control himself. "As you please," he said coldly, dropping her hand. "I'm sorry, but unless you are reasonable I can do nothing for you."

And he went to his desk.

She hesitated a moment; as her back was toward him, he could not see her expression. Without looking round she went out of his office. It took all his strength to let her go. "She's bluffing," he muttered.

"And yet--perhaps she isn't. There may be people like that left in New York." Whatever the truth, he simply must make a stand. He knew women; no woman had the least respect for a man who let her rule--and this woman, relying upon his weakness for her, was bent upon ruling. If he did not make a stand, she was lost to him. If he did make a stand, he could no more than lose her. Lose her! That thought made him sick at heart. "What a fool I am about her!" he cried. "I must hurry things up. I must get enough of her--must get through it and back to my sober senses."

That was a time of heavy pressure of important affairs. He furiously attacked one task after another, only to abandon each in turn. His mind, which had always been his obedient, very humble servant, absolutely refused to obey. He turned everything over to his associates or to subordinates, fighting all morning against the longing to send for her. At half past twelve he strode out of the office, putting on the air of the big man absorbed in big affairs. He descended to the street. But instead of going up town to keep an appointment at a business lunch he hung round the entrance to the opposite building.

She did not appear until one o'clock. Then out she came--with the head office boy!--the good-looking, young head office boy.

Norman's contempt for himself there reached its lowest ebb. For his blood boiled with jealousy--jealousy of his head office boy!--and about an obscure little typewriter! He followed the two, keeping to the other side of the street. Doubtless those who saw and recognized him fancied him deep in thought about some mighty problem of corporate law or policy, as he moved from and to some meeting with the great men who dictated to a nation of ninety millions what they should buy and how much they should pay for it. He saw the two enter a quick-lunch restaurant--struggled with a crack-brained impulse to join them--dragged himself away to his appointment.

He was never too amiable in dealing with his clients, because he had found that, in self-protection, to avoid being misunderstood and largely increasing the difficulties of amicable intercourse, he must keep the feel of iron very near the surface. That day he was for the first time irascible. If the business his clients were engaged in had been less perilous and his acute intelligence not indispensable, he would have cost the firm dear. But in business circles, where every consideration yields to that of material gain, the man with the brain may conduct himself as he pleases--and usually does so, when he has strength of character.

All afternoon he wrestled with himself to keep away from the office. He won, but it was the sort of victory that gives the winner the chagrin and despondency of defeat. At home, late in the afternoon, he found Josephine in the doorway, just leaving. "You'll walk home with me--won't you?" she said. And, taken unawares and intimidated by guilt, he could think of no excuse.

同类推荐
  • 弘光实录钞

    弘光实录钞

    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。
  • 陈氏幼科秘诀

    陈氏幼科秘诀

    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。
  • 庚子国变记

    庚子国变记

    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。
  • 七俱胝独部法

    七俱胝独部法

    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。
  • 诗话总龟前集

    诗话总龟前集

    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。
热门推荐
  • 她来自九十年代

    她来自九十年代

    纯粹年代文: 田野说她是最悲惨的小孩儿,因为她只能看见云端,却摸不着云端。云端却说田野是最幸运的小孩儿,因为田野的那十八年光阴,别人永远无法复制。本书又名《在田野里望云端》
  • 浮生若白头

    浮生若白头

    天不老,情难绝,心似双丝网,中有千千结。他对她,开始于愧疚,却以爱结尾。她,为了他,去做了这一辈子都不敢想象的事。在一切的背后,还有慢慢浮出水面的真相面前,他们该何去何从……几段唏嘘几世悲欢,可笑我命由我不由天!
  • 愿不负韶华不负君

    愿不负韶华不负君

    【1v1绝世古风宠文】只愿得一人心,白首不相离。浮世三千,吾爱有三,日月与卿。日为朝,月为暮,卿为朝朝暮暮。
  • 佛说贤者五福德经

    佛说贤者五福德经

    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。
  • 王的女人之霸爱妖妃

    王的女人之霸爱妖妃

    你穿越来我穿越,律师穿越,警察穿越,原来劫匪也穿越……她,怜衣,不美丽,不温柔,甚至不善良,但是她聪明得令人恐惧!他,宣亦晋,魅惑众生的美男,权倾一时的王爷,他对她说,你可以做我的女人!他对她说,你值得本王等……不只是今夜!他,亦陌,如沐清风的二皇子,坐看云卷云舒,看似世外高人,与世无争,却心机深沉,欲夺天下!他对她说,我们是同样的人,表面华丽,内心空乏!他对她说,我希望你是值得的,我希望你是幸福的……他,亦寒,人如其名,冷漠深沉的四皇子,沉默烁金,独爱花草和美酒,只是在这平淡的背后隐藏着什么,谁又能窥视一二?他对她说,你可以操控别人,可以颠覆乾坤,却唯独救不了自己!还有他,亦殊,是她前世的搭档聂小冬,今世贵为五皇子的他,在他的嬉皮笑脸下是否也隐藏着某种不为人知的野心呢?他对她说,只有你愿意,后位也是你的!他对她说,我比你想象中聪明!这天下,将由谁主沉浮?而她,怜衣,一个聪慧、独特,举世无双的女子——又将何去何从?888888888888888888888888888888推荐好友文文:《双凤》,<花花妻子>作者:疑云《皇宫之恋》作者:错过曾经请多多支持!*收藏投票方法:是会员的,请点击以上“放入书架”"投票推荐"的按键。一天可三票。不是会员的请到会员中心注册免费会员,三十秒钟即可注册好然后再回到这个页面,点击放入书架~`感谢ING`喜欢的话也可以送上票票大家喜欢的话可以先收藏!希望大家多多投票票支持珠珠!珠珠争取每天更新一到两次!如果觉得好看,可以推荐给朋友哦!*成为VIP会员的支付方式:1.网银在线支付2.神州行充值卡支付3.前往银行柜台汇款或在柜员机上直接转帐4.固定电话、小灵通开通5.手机短信开通6.国外的朋友可以采取‘西联国际汇款支付’以上方式有兴趣者,可以加网站管理员的进行咨询。QQ:271246778注册成普通会员:http/m.wkkk.net/m.wkkk.net然后付款方式:?userpay/paybank.a*
  • 神遗之战

    神遗之战

    你也许不知道在许多年前地球上存在一种类似于人的生物那种生物有着不同的种族。每个种族都有它独特的力量。每一种力量都非常之强大。但有一天一个巨大的灾难降临了,那种生物全都灭绝了。生物灭绝了,但他们的力量没有。随后出现了人类,在人类当中一些人继承了这种力量。继承的那种力量的人叫做……遗力者
  • 驭兽修仙:天才炼丹师

    驭兽修仙:天才炼丹师

    你有灵兽在手,我有神兽为宠!你有秘技为辅,我有绝世神通!你有修仙灵根,我有龙之血脉!且看情殇女如何纵横异界,登临绝巅!
  • 村里缺个庙

    村里缺个庙

    华村被四周的丘陵围着,靠东面的丘陵长了许多树,但没有形成森林,华村的人还是叫这个丘陵为山。是山就应该有山名儿,这个山的山名儿很古怪,现在也没人能破译得了,叫汪汪山。这汪汪山的深处,还有一个泉子,长年溢着水,无论是冬天还是夏天,泉子永远都不会干涸。泉子也有名儿,叫沃特泉。华村年成总是不旺,土地不瘦,每年也算是风调雨顺,但秋天长出的庄稼却不太饱满。这里曾经多次来过工作队,每个工作队都有来头,有的工作队叫扶贫工作队,领着村民搞养殖,却养啥都养不活,最后劳民伤财走掉了。
  • 苏酒娘

    苏酒娘

    新书已发(我怎么会穿成了白莲花)欢迎支持!穿成弃妇,苏静表示,淡定被赶出娘家——继续淡定有人来抢桃花酒秘方——还是淡定。直到有一天,苏静看着亲手养大的人,穿着大红喜服,骑着高头大马,身后的人吹吹打打,苏静再也不能淡定了。
  • 新妖奇谭

    新妖奇谭

    她只是一个普通人类,误入妖界便因半妖侵城滞留其中,稀里糊涂带着一只小白半妖混迹四方,然而,巨大的阴谋逐渐显露,小白半妖突然变成罗刹魔鬼,她在这场风波中身不由己,为求自保回到人界,宁愿斩断情丝。她如愿以偿离开了妖界,但是,她失去的却比想象中的多,原来,世界最难断的,除了水流,还有情丝。幸好,命运给了她转身的机会,她知道,她该怎么做了……