He couldn't accustom4 his mind to the extraordinary neatness with which she kept the office. The clean floor, the careful arrangement of the chairs, the neat piles of exchanges laid on a table she had placed beside his desk, and the vase of fresh flowers he found each morning, were constant reminders5 of her personality which piqued6 his curiosity and disturbed his poise7.
He had told her to come at seven every morning. It was his habit to reach the office and begin reading the exchanges by eight-thirty and he had not expected to encounter her there. She had always managed, however, to linger over her morning tasks until his arrival, and never failed to greet him pleasantly and ask if there were anything else she could do. She also insisted on coming at noon to fill his pitcher8 and again just before supper to change the water in the vase of flowers.
At this last call she always tried to engage him in a few words of small talk. At first this program made no impression on his busy brain except that she was[Pg 40] trying to prove her value as a servant. Gradually, however, he began to notice that her dresses were cut with remarkable9 neatness for a girl of her position and that she showed a rare talent in selecting materials becoming to her creamy yellow skin and curling red hair.
He observed, too, that she had acquired the habit of hanging about his desk when finishing her tasks and had a queer way of looking at him and laughing.
She began to make him decidedly uncomfortable and he treated her with indifference10. No matter how sullen11 the scowl12 with which he greeted her, she was always smiling and humming snatches of strange songs. He sought for an excuse to discharge her and could find none. She had the instincts of a perfect servant—intelligent, careful and loyal. She never blundered over the papers on his desk. She seemed to know instinctively13 what was worthless and what was valuable, and never made a mistake in rearranging the chaotic14 piles of stuff he left in his wake.
He thought once for just a moment of the possibility of her loyalty15 to the negro race. She might in that case prove a valuable spy to the Governor and his allies. He dismissed the idea as preposterous16. She never associated with negroes if she could help it and apparently was as innocent as a babe of the nature of the terrific struggle in which he was engaged with the negroid government of the state.
And yet she disturbed him deeply and continuously, as deeply sometimes when absent as when present.
Why?
He asked himself the question again and again. Why should he dislike her? She did her work promptly17 and[Pg 41] efficiently18, and for the first time within his memory the building was really fit for human habitation.
At last he guessed the truth and it precipitated19 the first battle of his life with the beast that slumbered20 within. Feeling her physical nearness more acutely than usual at dusk and noting that she had paused in her task near his desk, he slowly lifted his eyes from the paper he was reading and, before she realized it, caught the look on her face when off guard. The girl was in love with him. It was as clear as day now that he had the key to her actions the past week. For this reason she had come and for this reason she was working with such patience and skill.
His first impulse was one of rage. He had little of the vanity of the male animal that struts21 before the female. His pet aversion was the man of his class who lowered himself to vulgar association with such girls. The fact that, at this time in the history of the South, such intrigues22 were common made his determination all the more bitter as a leader of his race to stand for its purity.
He suddenly swung in his chair, determined23 to dismiss her at once with as few words as possible.
She leaped gracefully24 back with a girlish laugh, so soft, low and full of innocent surprise, the harsh words died on his lips.
"Lordy, major," she cried, "how you scared me! I thought you had a fit. Did a pin stick you—or maybe a flea26 bit you?"
She leaned against the mantel laughing, her white teeth gleaming.
He hesitated a moment, his eyes lingered on the graceful25 pose of her young figure, his ear caught the soft[Pg 42] note of friendly tenderness in her voice and he was silent.
"What's the matter?" she asked, stepping closer.
"Nothing."
"Well, you made an awful fuss about it!"
"Just thought of something—suddenly——"
"I thought you were going to bite my head off and then that something bit you!"
Again she laughed and walked slowly to the door, her greenish eyes watching him with studied carelessness, as a cat a mouse. Every movement of her figure was music, her smile contagious27, and, by a subtle mental telepathy, she knew that the man before her felt it, and her heart was singing a savage28 song of triumph. She could wait. She had everything to gain and nothing to lose. She belonged to the pariah29 world of the Negro. Her love was patient, joyous30, insistent31, unconquerable.
It was unusually joyous to-night because she felt without words that the mad desires that burned a living fire in every nerve of her young body had scorched32 the man she had marked her own from the moment she had first laid eyes on his serious, aristocratic face—for back of every hysterical33 cry that came from her lips that night in the shadows beside old Peeler's house lay the sinister34 purpose of a mad love that had leaped full grown from the deeps of her powerful animal nature.
She paused in the doorway35 and softly said:
"Good night."
The tone of her voice was a caress36 and the bold eyes laughed a daring challenge straight into his.
He stared at her a moment, flushed, turned pale and answered in a strained voice:
"Good night, Cleo."[Pg 43]
But it was not a good night for him. It was a night never to be forgotten. Until after twelve he walked beneath the stars and fought the Beast—the Beast with a thousand heads and a thousand legs; the Beast that had been bred in the bone and sinew of generations of ancestors, wilful37, cruel, courageous38 conquerors39 of the world. Before its ravenous40 demands the words of mother, teacher, priest and lawgiver were as chaff41 before the whirlwind—the Beast demanded his own! Peace came at last with the vision of a baby's laughing face peeping at him from the arms of a frail42 little mother.
He made up his mind and hurried home. He would get rid of this girl to-morrow and never again permit her shadow to cross his pathway. With other men of more sluggish43 temperament44, position, dignity, the responsibility of leadership, the restraints of home and religion might be the guarantee of safety under such temptations. He didn't propose to risk it. He understood now why he was so nervous and distracted in her presence. The mere45 physical proximity46 to such a creature, vital, magnetic, unmoral, beautiful and daring, could only mean one thing to a man of his age and inheritance—a temptation so fierce that yielding could only be a question of time and opportunity.
And when he told her the next morning that she must not come again she was not surprised, but accepted his dismissal without a word of protest.
With a look of tenderness she merely said:
"I'm sorry."
"Yes," he went on curtly47, "you annoy me; I can't write while you are puttering around, and I'm always afraid you'll disturb some of my papers."
She laughed in his face, a joyous, impudent48, good-natured,[Pg 44] ridiculous laugh, that said more eloquently49 than words:
"I understand your silly excuse. You're afraid of me. You're a big coward. Don't worry, I can wait. You'll come to me. And if not, I'll find you—for I shall be near—and now that you know and fear, I shall be very near!"
She moved shyly to the door and stood framed in its white woodwork, an appealing picture of dumb regret.
She had anticipated this from the first. And from the moment she threw the challenge into his eyes the night before, saw him flush and pale beneath it, she knew it must come at once, and was prepared. There was no use to plead and beg or argue. It would be a waste of breath with him in this mood.
Besides, she had already found a better plan.
So when he began to try to soften50 his harsh decision with kindly51 words she only smiled in the friendliest possible way, stepped back to his desk, extended her hand, and said:
"Please let me know if you need me. I'll do anything on earth for you, major. Good-by."
It was impossible to refuse the gracefully outstretched hand. The Southern man had been bred from the cradle to the most intimate and friendly personal relations with the black folks who were servants in the house. Yet the moment he touched her hand, felt its soft warm pressure and looked into the depths of her shining eyes he wished that he had sent her away with downright rudeness.
But it was impossible to be rude with this beautiful young animal that purred at his side. He started to say something harsh, she laughed and he laughed.[Pg 45]
She held his hand clasped in hers for a moment and slowly said:
"I haven't done anything wrong, have I, major?"
"No."
"You are not mad at me for anything?"
"No, certainly not."
"I wonder why you won't let me work here?"
She looked about the room and back at him, speaking slowly, musingly52, with an impudence53 that left little doubt in his mind that she suspected the real reason and was deliberately54 trying to tease him.
He flushed, hurriedly withdrew his hand and replied carelessly:
"You bother me—can't work when you're fooling around."
"All right, good-bye."
He turned to his work and she was gone. He was glad she was out of his sight and out of his life forever. He had been a fool to allow her in the building at all.
He could concentrate his mind now on his fight with the Governor.
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1
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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accustom
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| vt.使适应，使习惯 | |
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reminders
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| n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信 | |
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piqued
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| v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心） | |
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7
poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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9
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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13
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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efficiently
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| adv.高效率地，有能力地 | |
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19
precipitated
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| v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀 | |
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20
slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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21
struts
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| （框架的）支杆( strut的名词复数 )； 支柱； 趾高气扬的步态； （尤指跳舞或表演时）卖弄 | |
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intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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23
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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24
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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26
flea
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| n.跳蚤 | |
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27
contagious
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| adj.传染性的，有感染力的 | |
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28
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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29
pariah
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| n.被社会抛弃者 | |
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30
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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31
insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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32
scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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33
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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35
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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36
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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38
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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39
conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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40
ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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41
chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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42
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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43
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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44
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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45
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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47
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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48
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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49
eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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50
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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51
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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52
musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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53
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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54
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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