The lights were still burning in his wife's room. She was waiting with Cleo for his return. He had sent her the bulletins as they had come and she knew the result of the election almost as soon as he. It was something very unusual that she should remain up so late. The doctor had positively4 forbidden it since her last attack.
"Cleo and I were watching the procession," she exclaimed. "I never saw so many crazy people since I was born."
"They've had enough to drive them mad the past two years, God knows," he answered, as his eye rested on Cleo, who was dressed in an old silk kimono belonging[Pg 94] to his wife, which a friend of her grandfather had sent her from Japan.
She saw his look of surprise and said casually5:
"I gave it to Cleo. I never liked the color. Cleo's to stay in the house hereafter. I've moved her things from the servants' quarters to the little room in the hall. I want her near me at night. You stay so late sometimes."
He made no answer, but the keen eyes of the girl saw the silent rage flashing from his eyes and caught the look of fierce determination as he squared his shoulders and gazed at her for a moment. She knew that he would put her out unless she could win his consent. She had made up her mind to fight and never for a moment did she accept the possibility of defeat.
He muttered an incoherent answer to his wife, kissed her good night, and went to his room. He sat down in the moonlight beside the open window, lighted a cigar and gazed out on the beautiful lawn.
His soul raged in fury over the blind folly6 of his wife. If the devil himself had ruled the world he could not have contrived7 more skillfully to throw this dangerous, sensuous8 young animal in his way. It was horrible! He felt himself suffocating9 with the thought of its possibilities! He rose and paced the floor and sat down again in helpless rage.
The door softly opened and closed and the girl stood before him in the white moonlight, her rounded figure plainly showing against the shimmering10 kimono as the breeze through the window pressed the delicate silk against her flesh.
He turned on her angrily:
"How dare you?"
"'How dare you?'" "'How dare you?'"
[Pg 95]
"Why, I haven't done anything, major!" she answered softly. "I just came in to pick up that basket of trash I forgot this morning"—she spoke11 in low, lingering tones.
He rose, walked in front of her, looked her in the eye and quietly said:
"You're lying."
"Why, major——"
"You know that you are lying. Now get out of this room—and stay out of it, do you hear?"
"Yes, I hear," came the answer that was half a sob1.
"And make up your mind to leave this place to-morrow, or I'll put you out, if I have to throw you head foremost into the street."
She took a step backward, shook her head and the mass of tangled12 red hair fell from its coil and dropped on her shoulders. Her eyes were watching him now with dumb passionate13 yearning14.
"Get out!" he ordered brutally15.
A moment's silence and a low laugh was her answer.
"Why do you hate me?" she asked the question with a note of triumph.
"I don't," he replied with a sneer16.
"Then you're afraid of me!"
"Afraid of you?"
"Yes."
He took another step and towered above her, his fists clenched17 and his whole being trembled with anger:
"I'd like to strangle you!"
She flung back her rounded throat, shook the long waves of hair down her back and lifted her eyes to his:[Pg 96]
"Do it! There's my throat! I want you to. I wouldn't mind dying that way!"
He drew a deep breath and turned away.
With a sob the straight figure suddenly crumpled18 on the floor, a scarlet19 heap in the moonlight. She buried her face in her hands, choked back the cries, fought for self-control, and then looked up at him through her eyes half blinded by tears:
"Oh, what's the use! I won't lie any more. I didn't come in here for the basket. I came to see you. I came to beg you to let me stay. I watched you to-night when she told you that I was to sleep in that room there, and I knew you were going to send me away. Please don't! Please let me stay! I can do you no harm, major! I'll be wise, humble20, obedient. I'll live only to please you. I haven't a single friend in the world. I hate negroes. I loathe21 poor white trash. This is my place, here in your home, among the birds and flowers, with your baby in my arms. You know that I love him and that he loves me. I'll work for you as no one else on earth would. My hands will be quick and my feet swift. I'll be your slave, your dog—you can kick me, beat me, strangle me, kill me if you like, but don't send me away—I—I can't help loving you! Please—please don't drive me away."
The passionate, throbbing22 voice broke into a sob and she touched his foot with her hand. He could feel the warmth of the soft, young flesh. He stooped and drew her to her feet.
"Come, child," he said with a queer hitch23 in his voice, "you—you—mustn't stay here another moment. I'm sorry——"[Pg 97]
She clung to his hand with desperate pleading and pressed close to him:
"But you won't send me away?"
She could feel him trembling.
He hesitated, and then against the warning of conscience, reason, judgment24 and every instinct of law and self-preservation, he spoke the words that cost so much:
"No—I—I—won't send you away!"
With a sob of gratitude25 her head sank, the hot lips touched his hand, a rustle26 of silk and she was gone.
And through every hour of the long night, maddened by the consciousness of her physical nearness—he imagined at times he could hear her breathing in the next room—he lay awake and fought the Beast for the mastery of life.
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1
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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2
phoenix
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| n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生 | |
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3
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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4
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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5
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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6
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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7
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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8
sensuous
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| adj.激发美感的；感官的，感觉上的 | |
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9
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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10
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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11
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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12
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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13
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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14
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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15
brutally
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| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
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16
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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17
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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19
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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20
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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21
loathe
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| v.厌恶，嫌恶 | |
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22
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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23
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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24
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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25
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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26
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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