Forced to the wall, Julia’s mind always became cool and practical. Tay inspired her with a new fear. If he had come to Nevis to await her husband’s death, he intended to marry her and take her away with him. It was one more proof that he possessed1 that form of genius which makes certain men the quick partner of circumstance and insures their mastery of life. In his own phraseology, he never missed a trick. No doubt he would take out a special license2 to-morrow.
But she had no intention of being rushed into marriage. The most formidable barrier had been razed3; her desertion of the women might bring reprobation4 on herself, but not ridicule5 on the cause; nevertheless, confronted with the necessity of an immediate6 decision, she realized acutely that four years of devotion to a great impersonal7 ideal had inspired her with a love for it of which she had barely been conscious at the time. The idea of deserting this cause she had made her own, or, at the most, giving it a divided homage8 in a distant land, renewed that love with such a jealous intensity9 that for the moment she hated Tay as the chief exponent10 of that ruthless male force which had bred the revolt of Woman. His dash to Nevis was a declaration of war, but a war which should bring defeat to her not to him. She buckled11 on her own armor at the thought. It was possible that he would win, but not without her full connivance12. Nor should she see him again until she had made up her mind with no assistance of his.
She had instantly abandoned the intention to meet him at present, and sat down to compose a note to send him on the morrow. Many sheets went into the waste-paper basket before this note was written to her satisfaction. It was impossible to refer openly to her husband’s death, nor, for the matter of that, was it necessary. Angry as she was, she never for a moment forgot that his instant sympathy, his instinctive13 comprehension of her, was the deepest of their bonds. A word would be sufficient. He would understand, and wait.
“You must give me three or four days, possibly a week, to think it all out,” she wrote finally. “You think and strike like lightning, but my mind is made on another plan. For me, all great crises must be approached with deliberation, if only because nature made me the most impulsive14 of women. I have learned to weigh, having a profound distrust for those instincts upon which women pride themselves. But you always understand. I could not love you if you did not. When I write next, my mind will have been made up once for all.”
But unfortunately Tay was not in a position to understand. He had received no second cablegram from Dark, for Dark knew nothing of France’s death. The duke, by no means anxious to remind the world that another member of the house of France had gone insane, made no announcement in the London newspapers, and it was not until several days later that Ishbel heard the news from Bridgit.
“That’s over, thank heaven!” said Mrs. Maundrell. “And I’m going to take the bull by the horns and send Nigel to Nevis when he returns next week. Happily, Mr. Tay is safe in California. What is the matter?”
“I was thinking how wonderful it would be if Nigel and Julia really should marry, after all,” said Ishbel, without a blush. “But I must run, dear. I’ve a dinner to-night.” And she hastened to the cable office and sent a message to Tay; and another to Julia, warning her of the threatened invasion.
But this was not until three days later, and meanwhile Tay received Julia’s note. Nor was Denny the messenger.
The old servant had orders to take it to the hotel at seven o’clock in the morning, and, if Tay had gone out (and even visitors rise early in the tropics) to go to the jungle at nine. As Denny never hurried himself, it was after seven when he started on his errand. Fanny was mounting her horse for her daily ride over the estate when he passed her. She saw the note, held respectfully in his hand, swooped15 down upon it, and tucked it in her belt.
“You have too much to do to go on errands,” she said severely16. “I will give this note to Mr. Tay. Where shall I find him?”
Denny repeated his instructions, adding dubiously17, “But you never go off the estate alone, Missy.”
“I shall this morning, and see that you do not mention it. If you do, you shall have no tobacco for a week.”
Fanny attended to her duties mechanically until a few minutes before nine, then turned her horse in the direction of the jungle. She felt no curiosity in regard to the contents of the note, but knew that it must have been written to break an appointment. She hummed an old African tune18 and felt that she held the apple of life in her hand. No scruples19 disturbed her. Julia was thirty-four, quite old enough, as she had frankly20 observed, to be her mother, certainly old enough to have done with love, far too old to interfere21 with the preeminent22 rights of youth. Nor had she the faintest misgivings23 as to her power to take any man from any woman. Was she not eighteen? Was she not a beauty? Did not every man’s eye fight a torch as it met hers? The arrogance24 of girlhood was never more consummately25 realized than in Fanny Edis on that glorious tropic morning as she rode to appropriate her aunt’s lover; and although her intelligence was too undeveloped to reason, she subtly felt that nature was always the ally of such fresh healthy young vehicles for the race as she. Nor was she as innocent as Julia had been at her age. No governess had ever been able to keep at her heels, and she had seen much of life among the blacks.
She saw Tay walking restlessly up and down before a grove26 of banana trees, and waved to him gayly, taking no notice of his apprehensive27 frown.
“Here is a letter from Julia,” she said as she rode up. “I suspect she can’t come. Granny told her last night that she wanted the whole history of that Suffrage28 movement this morning.”
Tay barely heard her. He read with a sensation of amazement29 the brief too carefully written message, which informed him that he was to waste a week more of his precious time on this island. He had no key to the riddle30, and was astonished at this manifestation31 of caprice in a woman who had always seemed to him to possess just enough of that charming feminine quality; none of the stupid excess which made so many women unreasonable32. Moreover, she had deliberately33 broken her word. Anger succeeded amazement, and if there had been a steamer leaving Nevis, he would have taken it and flung the consequences in her face. But here he was a captive for quite another week. He had no intention of betraying his chagrin34 to this sharp-eyed girl, however, and he merely put the note in his pocket and thanked her for bringing it.
But the eyes he met were not sharp. They were fixed35 on him in a large appeal.
“Mr. Tay,” Fanny said, with charming hesitation36, “I know that Julia wouldn’t meet you this morning, and from something she said last night I know that she does not intend to leave the estate for several days. She made Aunt Maria promise to take me to the party at Bath House on Thursday. She said she was too tired, but I am sure she is avoiding you. It is too horrid37 of her, when you have come all this distance. But I don’t fancy any one can unmake Aunt Julia’s mind. So—so—I have a plan to propose.”
She blushed and looked handsomer than ever, and as she was a born horsewoman, this was very handsome indeed. Her lids drooped38, and she drew a long breath, almost of ecstasy39. “Oh, Mr. Tay!” she whispered imploringly40. “Make believe that I am Aunt Julia—young again—while you are here! Then I should have an imitation love affair, at least, and it would be something always to remember. Will you?”
Tay stared at her; but balked41, angry, helpless, his temper lashed42 with the memory of cablegrams he had received that morning both from his irate43 father and the Lincoln-Roosevelt League, he felt more than inclined to accept this young coquette’s proposal, not only to punish Julia, but to pass the time. Moreover, Julia had thrown her at his head. He never doubted that she had given Fanny the note; and he wondered at the fatuity44 of woman. Still, he hesitated.
Fanny pouted45.
“You are afraid I will fall in love with you,” she said audaciously.
“More likely it would be the other way,” he replied with automatic gallantry.
“Well—why not?”
“My dear Miss Edis, there is no more harrowing experience than being in love with two women at once.”
“As if such a thing could be!”
“Common enough outside of books.”
“Well— You might love me on Nevis and keep Julia for London. That is where she belongs.”
Again Tay stared at her. She had the heady magnetism46 of youth. She was a part of the gorgeous tropic scene. He reflected that if he had met Fanny first, and on Nevis, he certainly should have flirted47 with her. He did not take girls very seriously, having been trained by the cool flirtatious48 young heads of his own race. That Fanny was in love with him never entered his mind. Little did he guess the pickle49 he was mixing for himself when he finally raised that brown little hand to his lips.
“By all means let us have our comedy,” he said. “I am game if you are.”
Fanny gave a nervous laugh that might have warned him if anger and disappointment had not made him reckless. She slid from her horse and tied it to a tree.
“Now take me out in your motor-boat,” she said with a charming air of authority. “That will be a real adventure.”
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1
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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razed
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| v.彻底摧毁，将…夷为平地( raze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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reprobation
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| n.斥责 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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6
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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impersonal
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| adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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exponent
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| n.倡导者，拥护者；代表人物；指数，幂 | |
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buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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connivance
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| n.纵容；默许 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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preeminent
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的 | |
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misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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consummately
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| adv.完成地，至上地 | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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suffrage
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| n.投票，选举权，参政权 | |
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29
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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imploringly
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| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
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41
balked
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| v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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42
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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43
irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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fatuity
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| n.愚蠢，愚昧 | |
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45
pouted
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
magnetism
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| n.磁性，吸引力，磁学 | |
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47
flirted
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
flirtatious
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| adj.爱调情的，调情的，卖俏的 | |
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49
pickle
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| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
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