“Of course,” said Mrs. Dennant, “there are the Foliots; but nobody calls on them.”
“Ah!” said the Connoisseur, “the Foliots—the Foliots—the people—er—who—quite so!”
“It's really distressin'. she looks so sweet ridin' about. Many people with worse stories get called on,” continued Mrs. Dennant, with that large frankness of intrusion upon doubtful subjects which may be made by certain people in a certain way, “but, after all, one couldn't ask them to meet anybody.”
“No,” the Connoisseur assented5. “I used to know Foliot. Thousand pities. They say she was a very pretty woman.”
“Oh, not pretty!” said Mrs. Dennant! “more interestin than pretty, I should say.”
Shelton, who knew the lady slightly, noticed that they spoke6 of her as in the past. He did not look towards Antonia; for, though a little troubled at her presence while such a subject was discussed, he hated his conviction that her face, was as unruffled as though the Foliots had been a separate species. There was, in fact, a curiosity about her eyes, a faint impatience7 on her lips; she was rolling little crumbs8 of bread. Suddenly yawning, she muttered some remark, and rose. Shelton stopped her at the door.
“Where are you going?”
“For a walk.”
“May n't I come?”.
She shook her head.
Shelton held the door open, and went back to the table.
“Yes,” the Connoisseur said, sipping10 at his sherry, “I 'm afraid it's all over with young Foliot.”
“Such a pity!” murmured Mrs. Dennant, and her kindly11 face looked quite disturbed. “I've known him ever since he was a boy. Of course, I think he made a great mistake to bring her down here. Not even bein' able to get married makes it doubly awkward. Oh, I think he made a great mistake!”
“Ah!” said the Connoisseur, “but d' you suppose that makes much difference? Even if What 's—his-name gave her a divorce, I don't think, don't you know, that—”
“Oh, it does! So many people would be inclined to look over it in time. But as it is it's hopeless, quite. So very awkward for people, too, meetin' them about. The Telfords and the Butterwicks—by the way, they're comin' here to dine to-night—live near them, don't you know.”
“Did you ever meet her before-er-before the flood?” the Connoisseur inquired; and his lips parting and unexpectedly revealing teeth gave him a shadowy resemblance to a goat.
“Yes; I did meet her once at the Branksomes'. I thought her quite a charmin' person.”
“Poor fellow!” said the Connoisseur; “they tell me he was going to take the hounds.”
“And there are his delightful12 coverts13, too. Algie often used to shoot there, and now they say he just has his brother down to shoot with him. It's really quite too melancholy14! Did you know him, Dick?”
“Foliot?” replied Shelton absently. “No; I never met him: I've seen her once or twice at Ascot.”
Through the window he could see Antonia in her scarlet15 Tam-o'-shanter, swinging her stick, and he got up feigning16 unconcern. Just then Toddles came bounding up against his sister. They went off arm in arm. She had seen him at the window, yet she gave no friendly glance; Shelton felt more miserable than ever. He stepped out upon the drive. There was a lurid17, gloomy canopy18 above; the elm-trees drooped19 their heavy blackish green, the wonted rustle20 of the aspen-tree was gone, even the rooks were silent. A store of force lay heavy on the heart of nature. He started pacing slowly up and down, his pride forbidding him to follow her, and presently sat down on an old stone seat that faced the road. He stayed a long time staring at the elms, asking himself what he had done and what he ought to do. And somehow he was frightened. A sense of loneliness was on him, so real, so painful, that he shivered in the sweltering heat. He was there, perhaps, an hour, alone, and saw nobody pass along the road. Then came the sound of horse's hoofs21, and at the same time he heard a motor-car approaching from the opposite direction. The rider made appearance first, riding a grey horse with an Arab's high set head and tail. She was holding him with difficulty, for the whirr of the approaching car grew every moment louder. Shelton rose; the car flashed by. He saw the horse stagger in the gate-way, crushing its rider up against the gatepost.
He ran, but before he reached the gate the lady was on foot, holding the plunging22 horse's bridle23.
“Are you hurt?” cried Shelton breathlessly, and he, too, grabbed the bridle. “Those beastly cars!”
“I don't know,” she said. “Please don't; he won't let strangers touch him.”
Shelton let go, and watched her coax24 the horse. She was rather tall, dressed in a grey habit, with a grey Russian cap upon her head, and he suddenly recognised the Mrs. Foliot whom they had been talking of at lunch.
“He 'll be quiet now,” she said, “if you would n't mind holding him a minute.”
“I do hope he has n't hurt you,” Shelton said. He was quite close to her, well able to see her face—a curious face with high cheek-bones and a flatfish moulding, enigmatic, yet strangely passionate26 for all its listless pallor. Her smiling, tightened27 lips were pallid28; pallid, too, her grey and deep-set eyes with greenish tints29; above all, pale the ashy mass of hair coiled under her grey cap.
“Th-thanks!” she said; “I shall be all right directly. I'm sorry to have made a fuss.”
She bit her lips and smiled.
She left the gate, and crossed the road to where he held the horse. Shelton, to conceal32 embarrassment33, looked at the horse's legs, and noticed that the grey was resting one of them. He ran his hand down.
She smiled again.
“Then we're both cripples.”
“He'll be lame35 when he gets cold. Would n't you like to put him in the stable here? I 'm sure you ought to drive home.”
“No, thanks; if I 'm able to ride him he can carry me. Give me a hand up.”
Her voice sounded as though something had offended her. Rising from inspection36 of the horse's leg, Shelton saw Antonia and Toddles standing37 by. They had come through a wicketgate leading from the fields.
The latter ran up to him at once.
“We saw it,” he whispered—“jolly smash-up. Can't I help?”
“Hold his bridle,” answered Shelton, and he looked from one lady to the other.
There are moments when the expression of a face fixes itself with painful clearness; to Shelton this was such a moment. Those two faces close together, under their coverings of scarlet and of grey, showed a contrast almost cruelly vivid. Antonia was flushed, her eyes had grown deep blue; her look of startled doubt had passed and left a question in her face.
“Would you like to come in and wait? We could send you home, in the brougham,” she said.
The lady called Mrs. Foliot stood, one arm across the crupper of her saddle, biting her lips and smiling still her enigmatic smile, and it was her face that stayed most vividly38 on Shelton's mind, its ashy hail, its pallor, and fixed39, scornful eyes.
“Oh, no, thanks! You're very kind.”
Out of Antonia's face the timid, doubting friendliness40 had fled, and was replaced by enmity. With a long, cold look at both of them she turned away. Mrs. Foliot gave a little laugh, and raised her foot for Shelton's help. He heard a hiss41 of pain as he swung her up, but when he looked at her she smiled.
“Anyway,” he said impatiently, “let me come and see you don't break down.”
She shook her head. “It 's only two miles. I'm not made of sugar.”
“Then I shall simply have to follow.”
“Would that boy like to come?” she asked.
Toddles left the horse's head.
“By Jove!” he cried. “Would n't I just!”
“Then,” she said, “I think that will be best. You 've been so kind.”
She bowed, smiled inscrutably once more, touched the Arab with her whip, and started, Toddles trotting44 at her side.
Shelton was left with Antonia underneath45 the elms. A sudden puff46 of tepid47 air blew in their faces, like a warning message from the heavy, purple heat clouds; low rumbling48 thunder travelled slowly from afar.
“We're going to have a storm,” he said.
Antonia nodded. She was pale now, and her face still wore its cold look of offence.
“I 've got a headache,” she said, “I shall go in and lie down.”
Shelton tried to speak, but something kept him silent—submission49 to what was coming, like the mute submission of the fields and birds to the menace of the storm.
He watched her go, and went back to his seat. And the silence seemed to grow; the flowers ceased to exude50 their fragrance51, numbed52 by the weighty air. All the long house behind him seemed asleep, deserted53. No noise came forth54, no laughter, the echo of no music, the ringing of no bell; the heat had wrapped it round with drowsiness55. And the silence added to the solitude56 within him. What an unlucky chance, that woman's accident! Designed by Providence57 to put Antonia further from him than before! Why was not the world composed of the immaculate alone? He started pacing up and down, tortured by a dreadful heartache.
“I must get rid of this,” he thought. “I 'll go for a good tramp, and chance the storm.”
Leaving the drive he ran on Toddles, returning in the highest spirits.
“I saw her home,” he crowed. “I say, what a ripper, isn't she? She 'll be as lame as a tree to-morrow; so will the gee58. Jolly hot!”
This meeting showed Shelton that he had been an hour on the stone seat; he had thought it some ten minutes, and the discovery alarmed him. It seemed to bring the import of his miserable fear right home to him. He started with a swinging stride, keeping his eyes fixed on the road, the perspiration59 streaming down his face.
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1
connoisseur
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| n.鉴赏家，行家，内行 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
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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7
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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toddles
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| v.（幼儿等）东倒西歪地走( toddle的第三人称单数 )；蹒跚行走；溜达；散步 | |
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10
sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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11
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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12
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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coverts
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| n.隐蔽的，不公开的，秘密的( covert的名词复数 )；复羽 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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15
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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16
feigning
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| 假装，伪装( feign的现在分词 )； 捏造（借口、理由等） | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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19
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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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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23
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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26
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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27
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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29
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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30
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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32
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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37
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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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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40
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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41
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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42
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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43
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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44
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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45
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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46
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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47
tepid
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| adj.微温的，温热的，不太热心的 | |
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48
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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49
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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50
exude
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| v.(使)流出，(使)渗出 | |
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51
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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52
numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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54
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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56
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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57
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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58
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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