登陆注册
5242200000187

第187章 Chapter 1(3)

"He has never told her I know. Of that I'm at last satisfied." And then as Mrs. Assingham opened wide eyes: "I've been in the dark since we came down, not understanding what he has been doing or intending--not making out what can have passed between them. But within a day or two I've begun to suspect, and this evening, for reasons--oh too many to tell you!--I've been sure, since it explains. NOTHING has passed between them--that's what has happened. It explains," the Princess repeated with energy; "it explains, it explains!" She spoke in a manner that her auditor was afterwards to describe to the Colonel, oddly enough, as that of the quietest excitement; she had turned back to the chimney-place, where, in honour of a damp day and a chill night, the piled logs had turned to flame and sunk to embers; and the evident intensity of her vision for the fact she imparted made Fanny Assingham wait upon her words. It explained, this striking fact, more indeed than her companion, though conscious of fairly gaping with good will, could swallow at once. The Princess however, as for indulgence and confidence, quickly filled up the measure. "He has n't let her know that I know--and clearly does n't mean to. He has made up his mind; he'll say nothing about it. Therefore as she's quite unable to arrive at the knowledge by herself she has no idea how much I'm really in possession.

She believes," (214) said Maggie, "and, so far as her own conviction goes, she KNOWS, that I'm not in possession of anything. And that somehow for my own help seems to me immense."

"Immense, my dear!" Mrs. Assingham applausively murmured, though not quite even as yet seeing all the way. "He's keeping quiet then on purpose?"

"On purpose." Maggie's lighted eyes at least looked further than they had ever looked. "He'll NEVER tell her now."

Fanny wondered; she cast about her; most of all she admired her little friend, in whom this announcement was evidently animated by an heroic lucidity.

She stood there, in her full uniform, like some small erect commander of a siege, an anxious captain who has suddenly got news, replete with importance for him, of agitation, of division within the place. This importance breathed upon her comrade. "So you're all right?"

"Oh ALL right's a good deal to say. But I seem at least to see as I have n't before where I am with it."

Fanny bountifully brooded; there was a point left vague. "And you have it from HIM?--your husband himself has told you?"

"'Told' me--?"

"Why what you speak of. It is n't of an assurance received from him then that you do speak?"

At which Maggie had continued to stare. "Dear me, no. Do you suppose I've asked him for an assurance?"

"Ah you have n't?" Her companion smiled.

(215 "That's what I supposed you might mean. Then, darling, what HAVE you--?"

"Asked him for? I've asked him for nothing."

But this in turn made Fanny stare. "Then nothing, that evening of the Embassy dinner, passed between you?"

"On the contrary everything passed."

"Everything--?"

"Everything. I told him what I knew--and I told him how I knew it."

Mrs. Assingham waited. "And that was all?"

"Was n't it quite enough?"

"Oh love," she bridled, "that's for you to have judged!"

"Then I HAVE judged," said Maggie--"I did Judge. I made sure he understood--then I let him alone."

Mrs. Assingham wondered. "But he did n't explain--?"

"Explain? Thank God, no!" Maggie threw back her head as with horror at the thought, then the next moment added: "And I did n't either."

The decency of pride in it shed a cold little light--yet as from heights at the base of which her companion rather panted. "But if he neither denies nor confesses--?"

"He does what's a thousand times better--he lets it alone. He does,"

Maggie went on, "as he WOULD do; as I see now I was quite sure he would.

He lets ME alone."

Fanny Assingham turned it over. "Then how do you know so where, as you say, you 'are'?"

(216) "Why just BY that. I put him in possession of the difference; the difference made about me by the fact that I had n't been after all--though with a wonderful chance, I admitted, helping me--too stupid to have arrived at knowledge. He had to see that I'm changed for him--quite changed from the idea of me that he had so long been going on with. It became a question then of his really taking in the change--and what I now see is that he's doing so."

Fanny followed as she could. "Which he shows by letting you, as you say, alone?"

Maggie looked at her a minute. "And by letting HER."

Mrs. Assingham did what she might to embrace it--checked a little however by a thought that was the nearest approach she could have, in this almost too large air, to an inspiration. "Ah but does Charlotte let HIM?"

"Oh that's another affair--with which I've practically nothing to do.

I dare say however she does n't." And the Princess had a more distant gaze for the image evoked by the question. "I don't in fact well see how she CAN. But the point for me is that he understands."

"Yes," Fanny Assingham cooed, "understands--?"

"Well, what I want. I want a happiness without a hole in it big enough for you to poke in your finger."

"A brilliant perfect surface--to begin with at least. I see."

"The golden bowl--as it WAS to have been." And Maggie dwelt musingly on this obscured figure. (217) "The bowl with all our happiness in it.

The bowl without the crack."

For Mrs. Assingham too the image had its force, and the precious object shone before her again, reconstituted plausible presentable. But was n't there still a piece missing? "Yet if he lets you alone and you only let him--?"

"May n't our doing so, you mean, be noticed?--may n't it give us away?

Well, we hope not--we try not--we take such care. We alone know what's between us--we and you; and have n't you precisely been struck, since you've been here," Maggie asked, "with our making so good a show?"

Her friend hesitated. "To your father?"

But it made her hesitate too; she would n't speak of her father directly.

"To every one. To HER--now that you understand."

同类推荐
  • Mohammed Ali and His House

    Mohammed Ali and His House

    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。
  • 翻梵语

    翻梵语

    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。
  • 夢月軒詩鈔

    夢月軒詩鈔

    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。
  • 道德會元

    道德會元

    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。
  • 政理

    政理

    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
  • 漫威之超级卡牌系统

    漫威之超级卡牌系统

    赵武带着卡牌系统穿越到漫威,抽取卡牌推演武学,征服世界。“叮!抽中武学卡——金刚不坏神功!”“叮,抽中武学卡——风神腿!”“叮,抽中兵器卡——如意金箍棒!”
  • 蒋介石身边的日本间谍

    蒋介石身边的日本间谍

    1937年8月初,战争的恐怖气氛悄悄地笼罩了上海。每天,日本军人在大街上横冲直闯寻衅滋事。种种迹象表明:步步逼进的日寇将要在上海挑起战火了!国民革命军第九集团军负责上海防务。目睹日本人咄咄逼人的攻势,总司令张治中万分焦急。目前,中方尚没与日本人公开决裂,按照“一·二八”停战协定,中方不能进驻正规部队,因此在上海市只有一个保安总团。
  • 娱乐大顽家

    娱乐大顽家

    星探韩歌手机上多了一款软件,能看到别人的天赋,演员、歌手、主播、球星……世界上的每个人都是独一无二的,有人擅长唱歌,有人擅长演戏,有人擅长踢球,还有人擅长……韩歌不禁感慨一声:“国足终于有救了,LOL也有救了,哈韩的脑残粉也可以稍一稍了,这一世要让韩民来“哈华”了!”我不是巨星,但很多巨星都听我的。这是一个让别人成为明星,我做老板的故事。……本书风格偏日常向。已有作品《当系统遇上精神病》《神级情绪系统》
  • 童话之外

    童话之外

    她是命途多舛的善良女孩,尝尽人情冷暖,世态炎凉。他有着没落的童年,残酷的青春,辉煌的现在。她为他逃离婚场,原谅因他的过失所导致的父亲的死亡,母亲的身残,他却将她推入黑暗地狱!历经辛苦,以为可以相依相守,但为爱,她却只能逃离至天涯,他千里追寻,却一度错失。身家利益,权位,亲情,爱情,孰轻孰重?本书为你讲述一份生死不渝的爱情,一种情有独钟的执着,一场命中注定的劫数......
  • 神魂无敌我怕谁

    神魂无敌我怕谁

    一位青春期骚动的少年在不小心中重生于异界且看他是如何成为一代神魂传说!
  • 宋医生又招惹了桃花运

    宋医生又招惹了桃花运

    【甜宠+1V1】范桃花之所以叫范桃花,是因为算命先生说她命里终有一个桃花劫,躲也躲不过,唯有改名来挡煞。所以她硬生生的顶着这个名字被同学们嘲笑了二十多年。在她二十四岁那年,宋清风出现了。这个男人打乱了她所有的磁场,令本就不走运的她更是倒霉不已,第一次见面,居然是范桃花上厕所没带纸?!如果再给她一次选择的机会,她宁愿直接用手擦!
  • 洪荒之命运至高

    洪荒之命运至高

    梅青身返混沌成为命运神魔,伴生灵宝为三十六枚命运金钱,可以篡改命格、夺取气运、演算天机.....时间为尊,空间为王,力量至上,命运至高。
  • 耙耧系列Ⅰ

    耙耧系列Ⅰ

    作者通过描绘耙耧人的生存环境、生存状态和生命意识,揭示他们在现实生活中的诸多矛盾、苦闷、痛苦和挣扎,藉此寄寓自己的人生思考和忧患情绪。在这耙耧世界里,作者对于命运力量的阐释都具有双关性,它既是个人的,又是人类的;既是特殊的,又是普遍的。人物在毫无意义的挣扎、冲突后,最终仍陷入命运的网罗之中。
  • 傲妃倾城:妖孽魔王靠边站

    傲妃倾城:妖孽魔王靠边站

    【推荐新书:大神,我98k很6的】【本文已完结,新书追更群号(521945048)】诛神剑下,她化身为魔,只为将他一同带入地下。若有来生,我白芷月定不会相信任何一人!万年之后,天现异象,红魔伞出,红光漫天,大杀四方。一次意外,让二人从此纠缠不清。他说:歌儿,我都是你的人了,你可别想将我甩开啊。她只是淡笑,并未言语。他将她拥入怀中:歌儿,从今以后,我不会让你受到任何欺负!欺你者,杀无赦!
  • 清如半世风

    清如半世风

    6年前她爱他,他恋她;6年后她望着他,他念着她。6年流逝着时光,浓厚了情伤,而今你我是否还能回到最初的晨光。苏清如与秦世风这纠结半世的缘情终究蹉跎了岁月的流离哀伤。