登陆注册
5245600000015

第15章 SANDBOURNE PIER - ROAD TO WYNDWAY - BALL-ROOM IN W

They were interrupted by another dance being called for, and then, his fingers tapping about upon the keys as mechanically as fowls pecking at barleycorns, Christopher gave himself up with a curious and far from unalloyed pleasure to the occupation of watching Ethelberta, now again crossing the field of his vision like a returned comet whose characteristics were becoming purely historical. She was a plump-armed creature, with a white round neck as firm as a fort--altogether a vigorous shape, as refreshing to the eye as the green leaves through which he beheld her. She danced freely, and with a zest that was apparently irrespective of partners. He had been waiting long to hear her speak, and when at length her voice did reach his ears, it was the revelation of a strange matter to find how great a thing that small event had become to him. He knew the old utterance--rapid but not frequent, an obstructive thought causing sometimes a sudden halt in the midst of a stream of words. But the features by which a cool observer would have singled her out from others in his memory when asking himself what she was like, was a peculiar gaze into imaginary far-away distance when making a quiet remark to a partner--not with contracted eyes like a seafaring man, but with an open full look--a remark in which little words in a low tone were made to express a great deal, as several single gentlemen afterwards found.

The production of dance-music when the criticizing stage among the dancers has passed, and they have grown full of excitement and animal spirits, does not require much concentration of thought in the producers thereof; and desultory conversation accordingly went on between Faith and her brother from time to time.

'Kit,' she said on one occasion, 'are you looking at the way in which the flowers are fastened to the leaves?--taking a mean advantage of being at the back of the tapestry? You cannot think how you stare at them.'

'I was looking through them--certainly not at them. I have a feeling of being moved about like a puppet in the hands of a person who legally can be nothing to me.'

'That charming woman with the shining bunch of hair and convolvuluses?'

'Yes: it is through her that we are brought here, and through her writing that poem, "Cancelled Words," that the book was sent me, and through the accidental renewal of acquaintance between us on Anglebury Heath, that she wrote the poem. I was, however, at the moment you spoke, thinking more particularly of the little teacher whom Ethelberta must have commissioned to send the book to me; and why that girl was chosen to do it.'

'There may be a hundred reasons. Kit, I have never yet seen her look once this way.'

Christopher had certainly not yet received look or gesture from her;but his time came. It was while he was for a moment outside the recess, and he caught her in the act. She became slightly confused, turned aside, and entered into conversation with a neighbour.

It was only a look, and yet what a look it was! One may say of a look that it is capable of division into as many species, genera, orders, and classes, as the animal world itself. Christopher saw Ethelberta Petherwin's performance in this kind--the well-known spark of light upon the well-known depths of mystery--and felt something going out of him which had gone out of him once before.

Thus continually beholding her and her companions in the giddy whirl, the night wore on with the musicians, last dances and more last dances being added, till the intentions of the old on the matter were thrice exceeded in the interests of the young. Watching the couples whirl and turn, advance and recede as gently as spirits, knot themselves like house-flies and part again, and lullabied by the faint regular beat of their footsteps to the tune, the players sank into the peculiar mesmeric quiet which comes over impressionable people who play for a great length of time in the midst of such scenes; and at last the only noises that Christopher took cognizance of were those of the exceptional kind, breaking above the general sea of sound--a casual smart rustle of silk, a laugh, a stumble, the monosyllabic talk of those who happened to linger for a moment close to the leafy screen--all coming to his ears like voices from those old times when he had mingled in similar scenes, not as servant but as guest.

同类推荐
  • 元婚礼贡举考

    元婚礼贡举考

    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。
  • 删定止观

    删定止观

    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。
  • 明伦汇编皇极典君德部

    明伦汇编皇极典君德部

    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。
  • 周易本义

    周易本义

    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。
  • 佛说大净法门品经

    佛说大净法门品经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 妖气冲天:毒蛇小王妃

    妖气冲天:毒蛇小王妃

    玺国皇都。今天城中的百姓到处都在谈论着一件怪事,大街小巷乃至酒楼茶馆,无人不对此事啧啧称奇的,甚至连宫里也被传得沸沸扬扬的了!“真是怪事呀,夜大小姐昨天晚上活过来了!”路人甲说道。“她不是已经死了六天了嘛,我还听说夜将军正赶着回来见她最后一面,然后明天就把她下葬的,怎么又活了?”路人乙回道,就和所有第一次听到这个消息的人一样满脸震惊。“真的起死回生了……
  • 苏青文集:散文卷(下)

    苏青文集:散文卷(下)

    “苏青文集”(6卷本)收录了现代知名中国女作家,小说家、散文家苏青具有代表性的作品。本卷收录了苏青的《发刊词》《读》《再版自序》《后记》等对自己各个文集的序与后记、对编辑杂志的体会与认识等,有助于读者深入了解苏青的为文之心。
  • 万界遨游记

    万界遨游记

    在混沌中,他创造了三千魔神;在洪荒世界中,他创造了天道管理世界;在多次元大世界中,他创造了神秘四奥……行走在诸天万界之中,他做过商人,做过教师,做过一世帝王……走过万千世界,经历过无数的人生,他能否达成那唯一的目标呢?
  • 人际交往的艺术(畅销珍藏版)

    人际交往的艺术(畅销珍藏版)

    卡耐基说过:“人的成功15%取决于专业知识,而85%取决于人际关系。”可见,人际关系是一个人通往成功之路的门票。只有经营并维护好自己的人际关系资源,才能左右逢源,平步青云。《人际交往的艺术》集合了全球成功人士都在运用的人际交往法则,告诉你与人交往的秘诀,让你拥有良好的交往心态,逐步打通人际交往的穴道,快速拓展你的人际交往圈。这样,你在不知不觉中就会赢得交际的主动权,进而坐拥成功与幸福的人生。否则,你将永远只是孤军奋战,身陷“孤掌难鸣”的尴尬境地。
  • 情吻:血族殿下独宠妻

    情吻:血族殿下独宠妻

    她,从小便被家族遗弃,就是因为她是百年一遇的召唤师,脖子上的印记,证明了一切,超凡的记忆能力与推理能力,和一只超凡的猫咪,带领她走上了不平凡的道路;他,因为与人恩怨沉睡百年,偶然间被她所召唤,他是王子,是血族下一任国王,是英国伯爵,而她区区平民,他十分憋屈的接受了一切,而他没想的是,她是千年一遇的自我召唤术奇才,更没想到,被人尊称为禁欲血王子的他,竟然会对一个不起眼的女子动了凡心……
  • 如渊漂流记

    如渊漂流记

    王歆可头一次因为一件不小不大的事情失态,就被魔头(假)如渊真君中意,试图带她走向一统诸天万界的伟大征程。王歆可证道之时,对诸天万界说:“吾道是为打破虚伪,探求真理。”白如渊补充道:“还要把你们都缝起来。”
  • 都市最强皇帝系统

    都市最强皇帝系统

    得“最强皇帝系统”,走到哪里都享受皇帝待遇!亿万富豪在我面前炫富?叮~激活无限金钱模式,立刻到账一百亿!钱对我来说都是纸!武道之神在我面前嚣张?叮~激活无敌战神模式,立刻拥有万年神功!谈笑间镇压一切!更能穿梭无数界面历练!见到嫦娥、西施、苏妲己……
  • 修罗小姐养成记:绝杀媚世

    修罗小姐养成记:绝杀媚世

    她,身为神兽大陆四大家族之一北野家的大小姐,却在幼时亲眼目睹父亲为了家主之位将母亲交予他人凌辱,事后竟残忍地杀害了母亲。从此,她成为了傻子,任人欺负。她,响彻黑道的杀手女王,却在一次猎杀时遭人设计被俘。逃生之时,她化为修罗,却是力竭而死。不料,天不亡她,竟是借了她的身重生。身经幽紫凰火的炼体,那绝世的天赋让人惊叹。很好,从今以后我便是你,杀母之仇我替你报。那些欺负过你的人,我一个都不会放过!你不是渴望权力吗?那么我给你。当你拥有至高权力的时候,我就会将你狠狠地推下,看着你一无所有的苟延残喘。还有你们,站在世界的顶端又如何?我若是要你的命,谁都阻挡不了。这神兽大陆的天,是时候要换一换!且看她,一个异世的灵魂,如何携手美男,改写这神兽大陆的历史!==========================================领养开始揽月由亲yxcjlcyx领养溟河由亲幸福爱随缘领养梦回由亲寒诺夕领养访风由亲季末忧殇领养傲之由亲羽洛溪领养古痕由亲夜紫雅领养莫由亲妮儿领养黛靥由亲雪静领养萌萌由亲回忆领养修在移动手机阅读平台上使用的名称为《修罗小姐养成记:绝杀媚世》
  • 城市精细化管理:新时期社区工作与管理

    城市精细化管理:新时期社区工作与管理

    随着改革的推进,社会流动性加速,越来越多的社会群体集聚到了社区。社区已成为政府做好社会管理和公共服务工作须臾不可少的好帮手。当前社区建设出现了许多新情况、新问题。如果处理不好,解决不当,势必增加社会的不稳定因素。这些都向当下的社区工作者提出了更高的理论水平和专业技能的要求。党的十八大报告把城乡社区服务纳入“加强和创新社会管理”体系,党的十八届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定》首次将“创新社会治理体制”写入党的纲领性文件。在新时期新形势下,社区如何做好协调社会关系、规范社会行为、化解社会矛盾、解决社会问题等诸方面的工作。
  • 为君剑歌

    为君剑歌

    剑侠平生愿隐情山水莲波艳无量锋血染犹见东河望烽烟隔世不相见万里龙腾竞苍天舞长剑情绛红尘安铸君三尺剑烽火江山沥肝胆还君三十年安邦乱世好江山阅千册万卷世隐功名心甘不齿愿青史宽怀欠一纸情缘时间不换此生何道声声怨言不尽经年看江湖变换回望佛门苦短