登陆注册
5242200000205

第205章 Chapter 3(7)

With which, his glasses still fixed on her, his hands in his pockets, his hat pushed back, his legs a little (273) apart, he seemed to plant or to square himself for a kind of assurance it had occurred to him he might as well treat her to, in default of other things, before they changed their subject. It had the effect for her of a reminder--a reminder of all he was, of all he had done, of all, above and beyond his being her perfect little father, she might take him as representing, take him as having quite eminently, in the eyes of two hemispheres, been capable of, and as therefore wishing, not--was it?--illegitimately, to call her attention to. The "successful" beneficent person, the beautiful bountiful original dauntlessly wilful great citizen, the consummate collector and infallible high authority he had been and still was--these things struck her on the spot as making up for him in a wonderful way a character she must take into account in dealing with him either for pity or for envy. He positively, under the impression, seemed to loom larger than life for her, so that she saw him during these moments in a light of recognition which had had its brightness for her at many an hour of the past, but which had never been so intense and so almost admonitory. His very quietness was part of it now, as always part of everything, of his success, his originality, his modesty, his exquisite public perversity, his inscrutable incalculable energy; and this quality perhaps it might be--all the more too as the result, for the present occasion, of an admirable traceable effort--that placed him in her eyes as no precious work of art probably had ever been placed in his own. There was a long moment, absolutely, during which her impression rose and rose, even as that of (274) the typical charmed gazer, in the still museum, before the named and dated object, the pride of the catalogue, that time has polished and consecrated. Extraordinary in particular was the number of the different ways in which he thus affected her as showing. He was strong--that was the great thing. He was sure--sure for himself always, whatever his idea: the expression of that in him had somehow never appeared more identical with his proved taste for the rare and the true. But what stood out beyond everything was that he was always marvellously young--which could n't but crown at this juncture his whole appeal to her imagination. Before she knew it she was lifted aloft by the consciousness that he was simply a great and deep and high little man, and that to love him with tenderness was not to be distinguished a whit from loving him with pride. It came to her, all strangely, as a sudden, an immense relief. The sense that he was n't a failure, and could never be, purged their predicament of every meanness--made it as if they had really emerged, in their transmuted union, to smile almost without pain. It was like a new confidence, and after another instant she knew even still better why. Was n't it because now also, on his side, he was thinking of her as his daughter, was TRYING her, during these mute seconds, as the child of his blood? Oh then if she was n't with her little conscious passion the child of any weakness, what was she but strong enough too? It swelled in her fairly; it raised her higher, higher: she was n't in that case a failure either--had n't been, but the contrary; his strength was her strength, her pride was (275) his, and they were decent and competent together This was all in the answer she finally made him.

"I believe in you more than any one."

"Than any one at all?"

She hesitated for all it might mean; but there was--oh a thousand times!--no doubt of it. "Than any one at all." She kept nothing of it back now, met his eyes over it, let him have the whole of it; after which she went on:

"And that's the way, I think, you believe in me."

He looked at her a minute longer, but his tone at last was right. "About the way--yes."

"Well then--?" She spoke as for the end and for other matters--for anything, everything else there might be. They would never return to it.

"Well then--!" His hands came out, and while her own took them he drew her to his breast and held her. He held her hard and kept her long, and she let herself go; but it was an embrace that, august and almost stern, produced for all its intimacy no revulsion and broke into no inconsequence of tears.

]

同类推荐
  • 赋百舌鸟

    赋百舌鸟

    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。
  • 东林列传

    东林列传

    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。
  • 石洲诗话

    石洲诗话

    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。
  • King Henry VI Part 3

    King Henry VI Part 3

    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。
  • 在家律要广集

    在家律要广集

    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
  • 若以梦为缘

    若以梦为缘

    是一本比较平淡的书,但是却是个悲剧,女主因一系列原因,最终导致最好的朋友离开了自己,而男主也为了救女主……
  • 星界圣歌

    星界圣歌

    茫茫星河,众生万千,孰料一遇男主误终身……这是一部星河血族少年的步天之歌!
  • 僵尸崛起系统

    僵尸崛起系统

    【新书:从召唤开始无敌全球】作为一只带系统的牛逼僵尸,叶枫觉得自己应该要走向人生巅峰了吧?可怎么回事……左边邻居是驱魔世家马小玲。右边是道家抓鬼道长毛小方!又不是穿越电视剧,那些人物干啥要乱入?作为僵尸,真的很亚历山大啊!“法海你怀里的是什么?白蛇?你灵宠?还有名字叫白素贞?”“阿漆你弟弟叫龙龙九?陆小凤?”
  • 那一束阳光

    那一束阳光

    "书里说每个女孩都是公主,无论在破阁楼还是城堡里."
  • 宠婚撩人:BOSS的贴身小秘

    宠婚撩人:BOSS的贴身小秘

    第一天捡了帅哥,第二天就被骗财骗色,紧接着就是失业被辞退,她乔雪有没有这么倒霉?再次见他,那人竟摇身一变,成了盛远集团名声赫赫的总裁,而她则是刚刚应聘成功的小秘。替他端茶倒水,安排行程,还要兼职人肉抱枕!拜托,他们有没有这么熟?不是说好失忆的嘛!他挑眉,微微一笑:“睡过,自然熟。”
  • 杀手重生:娘子乖

    杀手重生:娘子乖

    夫妻篇:蓝伶:“滚远点”御怀修:“娘子,我滚了你怎么办?”……成神篇:天兵们:“神帝,帝后说要去地球带娃!”御怀修眉头一挑,一晃神已经不见踪影,原来是去帮妻子护法去了!现代篇:两个小萌宝抱着蓝伶的腿:“妈咪,粑粑欺负我,妈咪今晚不要粑粑上床睡觉!”御怀修咬牙,“两个小兔崽子!”
  • 田园谷香

    田园谷香

    重生农家小姑娘,家长里短是非多。家穷势薄遭人欺?不怕!有爹有娘有大哥哩!一家齐心好温暖,看咱带着家人奔小康。夫君?咳咳,伦家还木有想好挑哪个呢……**********************************感谢《锦医夜行》作者未眠君做的封面!
  • 橙色纪念

    橙色纪念

    渺小平凡本是一生,这是海谷子对自己的参悟,叫做繁子程的男生繁华了她的朦胧年纪,所以一直期盼着和他有交集,能与他擦出火花,然而一次事故,她再次遇见了顾宗程……
  • 闻香识美人

    闻香识美人

    董家鼎盛,历代皇商,她身为董家的嫡长女,自幼对调香有着超人的天赋。然而,在外人眼中的荣华富贵,随着董家的衰落仿佛昙花一现。兄长早丧,父亲无情,继母蛇心,父亲用她的婚姻作为筹码,强嫁她予武定侯,换取董家的一时残喘!本以为可以将心换心,没想到挚爱的夫婿与三房堂妹联手背叛,珠胎暗结。夫家为逼她让出正室之位,让堂妹登堂入室;堂妹为了逼她交出香谱,不惜谋夺她的性命;娘家为讨好夫君,不惜毁她清誉。
  • 美女杀手:待嫁新娘

    美女杀手:待嫁新娘

    美女杀手穿梭在死神边境,两位帅的惊天地泣鬼神的俊男因私人恩怨而‘争夺’沈凌。她凭借着努力,问鼎世界巅峰。但她终究能否得到那梦幻般美好的爱情?爱情,对她来说也许奢侈品……