The girl looked quickly from one to the other, her breath coming in quick gasps1.
She turned to Tom:
"Why did you lock the door—what does it mean?"
Norton hastened to answer, his tones reassuringly2 simple:
"Why, only that we wished to be alone for a few moments——"
"Yes, we understand each other now," Tom added.
Helen's eyes flashed cautiously from one to the other:
"I heard a strange noise"—she turned to the boy—"and, oh, Tom, darling, I was so frightened! I thought I heard a struggle and then everything became so still. I was wild—I couldn't wait any longer!"
"Why, it was really nothing," Tom answered her bravely smiling. "We—we did have a little scene, and lost our temper for a moment, but you can see for yourself it's all right now. We've thrashed the whole thing out and have come to a perfect understanding!"
His words were convincing but not his manner. He hadn't dared to look her in the face. His eyes were on the rug and his foot moved nervously3.[Pg 450]
"You are not deceiving me?" she asked trembling.
The boy appealed to his father:
"Haven't we come to a perfect understanding, Dad?"
Norton rose:
"Perfect, my son. It's all right, now, Helen."
"Just wait for me five minutes, dear," Tom pleaded.
"Can't I hear what you have to say?"
"We prefer to be alone," the father said gravely.
Again her eyes flashed from one to the other and rested on Tom. She rushed to him and laid her hand appealingly on his arm:
"Oh, Tom, dear, am I not your wife?" the boy's head drooped—"must you have a secret from me now?"
"Just a few minutes," Norton pleaded, "that's a good girl!"
"Only a few minutes, Helen," Tom urged.
"Please let me stay. Why were you both so pale when I came in?"
Father and son glanced at each other over her head. Norton hesitated and said:
"You see we are perfectly4 calm now. All bitterness is gone from our hearts. We are father and son again."
"Why do you look so queerly at me? Why do you look so strangely at each other?"
"It's only your imagination, dear," Tom said.
"No, there's something wrong," Helen declared desperately5. "I feel it in the air of this room—in the strange silence between you. For God's sake tell me what it means! Surely, I have the right to know"—she turned suddenly to Norton—"You don't hate me now, do you, major?"[Pg 451]
The somber6 brown eyes rested on her in a moment of intense silence and he slowly said:
"I have never hated you, my child!"
"Then what is it?" she cried in anguish7, turning again to Tom. "Tell me what I can do to help you! I'll obey you, dearest, even if it's to lay my life down. Don't send me away. Don't keep this secret from me. I feel its chill in my heart. My place is by your side—tell me how I can help you!"
Tom looked at her intently:
"You say that you will obey me?"
"Yes—you are my lord and master!"
He seized her hand and led her to the door
"Then wait for me just five minutes."
She lifted her head pleadingly:
"You will let me come to you then?"
"Yes."
"You won't lock the door again?"
"Not now."
While Tom stood immovable, with a lingering look of tenderness she turned and passed quickly from the room.
He closed the door softly, steadied himself before loosing the knob and turned to his father in a burst of sudden rebellion:
"Oh, Dad! It can't be true! It can't be true! I can't believe it. Did you look at her closely again?"
Norton drew himself wearily to his feet and spoke8 with despairing certainty:
"Yes, yes, as I've looked at her a hundred times with growing wonder."
"She's not like you——"[Pg 452]
"No more than you, my boy, and yet you're bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh—it can't be helped——"
He paused and pointed9 to the revolver:
"Give it to me!"
The boy started to lift the cloth and the father caught his arm:
"But first—before you do," he faltered10. "I want you to tell me now with your own lips that you forgive me for what I must do—and then I think, perhaps, I can—say it!"
Their eyes met in a long, tender, searching gaze:
"I forgive you," he softly murmured.
"Now give it to me!" the father firmly said, stepping back and lifting his form erect11.
The boy felt for the table, fumbled12 at the cloth, caught the weapon and slowly lifted it toward his father's extended hand. He opened his eyes, caught the expression of agony in the drawn13 face, the fingers relaxed and the pistol fell to the floor. He threw himself blindly on his father, his arms about his neck:
"Oh, Dad, it's too hard! Wait—wait—just a moment!"
The father held him close for a long while. His voice was very low when he spoke at last:
"There's no appeal, my boy! The sin of your father is full grown and has brought forth14 death. Yet I was not all to blame. We are caught to-night in the grip of the sins of centuries. I tried to give my life to the people to save the children of the future. My shame showed me the way as few men could have seen it, and I have set in motion forces that can never be stopped. Others will complete the work that I have begun. But our time has come——"[Pg 453]
"Yes, yes, I understand!"
The father's arms pressed the son in a last long embrace:
"What an end to all my hopes! Oh, my boy, heart of my heart!"
Tom's hand slowly slipped down and caught his father's:
"Good-by, Dad!"
Norton held the clasp with lingering tenderness as the boy slowly drew away, measured four steps and calmly folded his arms, his head erect, his broad young shoulders squared and thrown far back.
Cleo, who had crept into the hall, stood behind the curtains of the inner door watching the scene with blanched15 face.
The father walked quickly to the revolver, picked it up, turned and lifted it above his head.
With a smothered16 cry Cleo sprang into the room—but she was too late. Norton had quickly dropped the pistol to the level of the eye and fired.
A tiny red spot flamed on the white skin of the boy's forehead, the straight figure swayed, and pitched forward face down on the rug.
The woman staggered back, cowering17 in the shadows.
The father knelt beside the quivering form, clasped his left hand in Tom's, placed the revolver to his temple and fired. The silver-gray head sank slowly against the breast of the boy as a piercing scream from Helen's lips rang through the silent hall.
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1
gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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2
reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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3
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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4
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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5
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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6
somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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7
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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8
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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9
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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10
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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11
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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12
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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13
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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14
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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15
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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16
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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17
cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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