登陆注册
5392600000070

第70章

"It is no use," I said, "I can't tell you what those reasons were."I turned as I said it.I did not care to see her expression change.I knew what she must be thinking and I had no desire to read the thought in her eyes.I stood there, waiting for her to leave in disgust.

"I can't tell you," I repeated, stubbornly.

"Very well." Her tone was as coldly indifferent as I had anticipated."Was that all you wished to say to me, Mr.Paine?""Miss Colton, I should like to explain if I could.But I cannot.""Pray don't trouble yourself.I assure you I had no intentions of asking for your--reasons.Good afternoon."I heard her skirts brush the leaves at the border of the path.She was going; and the contemptuous slur at my "reasons" proved that she did not believe them existent.She believed me to be a liar.

"Miss Colton," I said, sharply; "wait."

She kept on.

"Wait," I said again."Listen to me."

She seemed to hesitate and then turned her head.

"I am listening," she said."What is it?""You have no right to disbelieve me."

"I disbelieve you? Why should you think I disbelieve you? I am not sufficiently interested to believe or disbelieve, I assure you.""But you do.You judge me--"

"_I_ judge you! You flatter yourself, Mr.Paine.""But you do.You apologized just now for judging me without a hearing the other day.You acknowledged that you should not have done it.You are doing the same thing now.""I apologized for presuming to offer advice to a stranger.I did not apologize for the advice itself.I think it good.I do not care to argue the matter further.""You are not asked to argue.But your sneer at my reasons proves that you believe that I have none and am merely trying to justify myself with trumped up and lying excuses.You are wrong, and since you presumed to judge me then you must listen to me now.I have--or had--reasons for living as I have done, for being the idler and good-for-nothing you believe me to be.I can't tell you what they are; I can tell no one.But I do ask you to believe that I have them, that they are real, and that my being what you termed ambitionless and a country loafer is not my condition from choice.

It is my right to insist upon your believing that.Do you believe it?"At last I had made an impression.My earnestness seemed to have shaken her contemptuous indifference.She looked at me steadily, frowning a little, but regarding me less as if I were a clod and more and more as if I were the puzzle she had once declared me to be.I did not shun her look now, but met it eye to eye.

"Do you believe me?" I demanded.

Slowly her frown was disappearing.

"Do you believe me?" I said, again."You must.""Must?"

"Yes, you must.I shall make you.If not now, at some other time.

You must believe me, Miss Colton."

The frown disappeared altogether and she smiled.

"If you order me to I suppose I must," she said, with a shrug of mock resignation."I should have learned by this time that it is useless to say no when you say yes, Mr.Paine.""But do you?"

She turned altogether and faced me.

"I am very glad to believe you," she said, with simple directness.

I stammered a "Thank you" and was silent.I dared not trust myself to speak at the moment.Somehow the sincerity of her words moved me far more than their trifling import warranted.She had declared her belief that I was not a liar, that was all; and yet I stood there fighting down all sorts of ridiculous emotions.The situation was decidedly strained, but, as usual, she saved it.

"It seems to me," she said, with the twinkle which I had learned to recognize as a forerunner of mischief on her part, "that you are inclined to make mountains out of mole-hills, Mr.Paine.Was there any need to be quite so fiercely tragic? And, besides, I think that even now you have not told the whole truth.""The whole truth? Why, Miss Colton, I have just explained that--""Oh, not that truth! Your mysterious 'reasons' are not my affair.

And I have told you that I was willing to take those on trust.But you have not been quite truthful in another particular.You intimated that you were an idler.I have been given to understand that you are far from being an idler just now."I was relieved."Oh, I see!" I exclaimed."You mean--some one has told you of my employment at the bank.""A number of persons have told me.Surely you did not expect to keep THAT a secret--in Denboro?""Well, scarcely," I admitted, with a laugh."That was known almost before I was sure of it myself.You should have seen Eldredge's face when I announced my intention.And Lute--Mrs.Rogers'

husband--hasn't completely recovered yet.The sight of me, actually trying to earn a living, was too much for him.You see what a miracle worker you are, Miss Colton.""Did you really accept the position simply because of what I said to you?""Yes.The chance had been offered me before, but it was your frankness that shocked me into taking it.""Not really? You are joking."

"No, I'm not.You are responsible.Are you sorry?"Her answer was a question.

"Are you?" she asked.

"No.At first it seemed ridiculous and strange, even to myself;but now I like the work.It is like old times.""Old times?"

I was forgetting myself again; talking too much was a dangerous train--for me.I laughed, with pretended carelessness.

"Why, yes; I was employed in a bank at one time.I think I told you that.Have you been motoring much of late, Miss Colton?""Yes.Tell me, please: You really like your work?""Yes, I do."

"Then I will answer your question.I am not a bit sorry.I am glad I was impertinent and intrusive, especially now that I have apologized and you have accepted the apology.I am very glad Itold you you should do something worth while.""Even if it were nothing more than to follow Thoph Newcomb's example and sell fish.""Yes," laughingly, "even that.I WAS impertinent, wasn't I! Idon't wonder you were offended."

同类推荐
  • 老残游记续集

    老残游记续集

    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。
  • 小琉球漫志

    小琉球漫志

    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。
  • The Coming Race

    The Coming Race

    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。
  • 两汉刊误补遗

    两汉刊误补遗

    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。
  • 伤寒指掌

    伤寒指掌

    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
  • 重生之妖女诱僧

    重生之妖女诱僧

    【绝色宠文】叔叔,你为何终日再此?我呀!我在等等一个人,哪怕等得流年三四轮。那你要等的人等到了吗?等到了,错过了,现在她不记得我了。那你就去追啊,追上了,不记得又如何?不负此生,不榆此人。余生“如果分离是上天的捉弄,那我就用一生来陪你等,等缘分认真。”“在绝望中等待爱情,虽败犹荣。”1V1身心干净。
  • 争夺魔鬼岛的神秘约定

    争夺魔鬼岛的神秘约定

    丁丁龙是五年级二班的学生。暑假来临,丁妈妈为了让儿子戒掉网络游戏,给丁丁龙买了个滑板。丁丁龙在玩滑板时结识了外国男孩汉姆斯。即使汉姆斯滑板技艺高超,但只因为他是外国人,在态度上有一种既轻视又感,既冷漠又漠不关心;而正是这种逆反心里使那个超级滑板发挥了神奇的魔力,把他们绑架到一个完全陌生的地方。他们在惊恐、绝望之时,意外的听见黑暗中传来一阵女孩撕心裂肺的哭声,那女孩是谁?为什么女孩和他们遭到相同的命运?他们在揭开秘密军火库的同时,神奇的滑板又给他们带进了求助信号的陷阱……幕后的黑手是谁?神秘的怪老头又是谁?他要干什么?为解开谜团,小鬼精明们不顾安危再次深入虎穴……险象环生路上,他们能凯旋吗?
  • 颜总她总想搞事情

    颜总她总想搞事情

    萧少:“听说,萧煜显此人,阴险狡诈,诡谲多变,笑里藏刀。听说,这是颜家主的评价。”“咳!”颜董:“听说,颜琬珺此人,善变多疑,诡计多端,心狠手辣。”萧少心虚:“你听谁说的?说这话的人,绝对是嫉妒你的才华和美貌,故意抹黑你的!”颜董微笑:“成小姐说,这是萧家太子的看法。”“……”萧少:“胡说!我说的明明是,颜家琬珺,温良贤淑,善解人意,沉鱼落雁,闭月羞花!”众人:“呸!你刚刚还和别人说她阴险恶毒,喜欢算计人呢!”颜董挑眉,“哦?是吗?”“别听他们胡说,我明明是在问一个问题。”“什么问题?”“山有木兮木有枝,”“心悦君兮君不知。”“我知。我知你心悦我,我也心悦琬珺。”众人,“口区!有被冒犯到!”
  • 燃犀传:香如故

    燃犀传:香如故

    《绯幻形》:香川古城的人偶世家“盘铃”,一对美丽的双胞姐妹小萱与小椿,究竟被杀死的是谁?火翼、冰鳍姐弟在盛夏的密阳中,揭开古老家族的秘密。《西洲曲》:一个找“阿薰”的神秘电话引发了火翼母亲的身世,当年在母亲故乡“雁渡洲”,被决定去献祭的“莲花娘子”是如何逃出南家祠堂的?《埋香幻》:花园上隐约长出了如同人头般的恐怖花朵,在守园人的一杯薄酒中,淡淡道出了“洪德少主”和“褒姒”惊心动魄的奇情往事……
  • 大跳槽

    大跳槽

    毕业生初入职场,经验不足,可能会有多次跳槽的经历,但每次都能跳对吗?本书以多位职场新鲜人的跳槽经验为例,告诉你如何才能跳出个好未来;或者当有选择机会时,告诉你如何选择跳出去还是继续等待。本书事例丰富,基本涵盖职场的各种跳槽经验。最适合初入职场的大学毕业生们。
  • 农家食香

    农家食香

    一朝穿成农家傻女,父亲早逝,母亲寡弱,弟弟年幼,还有一个身份成迷的家伙一起混饭吃,这日子实在太难过!傻?那是以前。神马?你是落难世子!好吧,美食凭借力,送君上青云。多年后……喂,前头的帅哥,你还记得云家村畔的云小溪么!书友交流群:368295994,敲门砖为任一角色名~欢迎大家前来勾搭~(*^__^*)
  • 我的美女上司姐姐

    我的美女上司姐姐

    出身贫寒的小员工顾乐在公司里被女上司狠虐,正打算辞职,结果公司组织去巴厘岛旅游,美女上司酒后误入顾乐的房间……
  • 30岁,你要么出众,要么出局

    30岁,你要么出众,要么出局

    《千古食趣》是一本全面介绍中国饮食文化的通俗读物,以饮食为写作的缘起,进而用文化俘获读者的心,在杯盘碗盏、觥筹交错之中,历史、人物、情感、地域无所不包,使读者在阅读饮食文字的同时领略广博的文化,获得独特的心理体验。
  • 大自然的奥秘

    大自然的奥秘

    本书符合广大青少年朋友的求知欲望及猎奇心理的特点,非常适合青少年朋友阅读。向青少年朋友普及环境科学知识,鼓励他们开展各种丰富多彩的环保活动,才有利于帮助他们建立环保意识,让他们将环保意识转化为日常生活中的行动指南。只有提高青少年的环保意识,才能为实现能源的可持续发展战略提供坚强有力的人才保障;也只有通过他们的行动,人类赖以生存的环境才有希望得到改善!
  • 劫情总裁,请息怒

    劫情总裁,请息怒

    一场祸端,许家家破人亡;许麦蓝吃尽苦头,重获自由之后却不幸掉入神秘男人布好的陷阱;无法逃离,只得被迫承受。谢云恺自从遇见许麦蓝,最大的乐趣便是折磨她,逼她服软;他常说,许家姐弟欠他的,一辈子也还不清;既然她愿作胞弟的替罪羊,他当然乐得成全她。从相看两厌,到情愫暗生,当年一桩悬案真相,也在两颗真心的较量中浮出水面;旧欢如梦,是去是留?情债已销,是选择逃避,还是直面真心?如果相遇是劫数,我想我已万劫不复。