The King behind his shoulder spake: “Dead man, thou dost not well.”
— RUDYARD KIPLING.
HUGH had gone through the first room, and, after a quarter of an hour, found himself in the doorway1 of the second. He had arrived late, and the rooms were already thinning.
A woman in a pale green gown was standing2 near the open window, her white profile outlined against the framed darkness, as she listened with evident amusement to the tall, ill-dressed man beside her.
Hugh’s eyes lost the veiled scorn with which it was their wont3 to look at society and the indulgent patronage4 which lurked5 in them for pretty women.
Rachel West slowly turned her face towards him without seeing him, and his heart leaped. She was not beautiful except with the beauty of health, and a certain dignity of carriage which is the outcome of a head and hands and body that are at unity6 with each other, and with a mind absolutely unconscious of self. She had not the long nose which so frequently usurps7 more than its share of the faces of the well bred, nor had she, alas8! the short upper lip which redeems9 everything. Her features were as insignificant10 as her colouring. People rarely noticed that Rachel’s hair was brown, and that her deep-set eyes were grey. But upon her grave face the word “Helper” was plainly written: and something else. What was it?
Just as in the faces of seamen11 we trace the onslaught of storm and sun and brine, and the puckering12 of the skin round the eyes that comes of long watching in half lights, so in some faces, calm and pure as Rachel’s, on which the sun and rain have never beaten, there is an expression betokening13 strong resistance from within of the brunt of a whirlwind from without. The marks of conflict and endurance on a young face — who shall see them unmoved! The Mother of Jesus must have noticed a great difference in her Son when she first saw Him again after the temptation in the wilderness14.
Rachel’s grave amused glance fell upon Hugh. Their eyes met, and he instantly perceived to his astonishment15 that she recognised him. But she did not bow, and a moment later left the nearly empty rooms with the man who was talking to her.
Hugh was excited out of recognition of his former half-scornful, half-blasé self. That woman must be his wife. She would save him from himself, this cynical16 restless self which never remained in one stay. The half acknowledged weakness in his nature unconsciously flung itself upon her strength, a strength which had been tried. She would love him, and uphold him. There would be no more yielding to circumstances if that pure strong soul were close beside him. He would lean upon her, and the ugly bypaths of these last years would know him no more. Her presence would leaven17 his whole life. In the momentary18 insanity19, which was perhaps after all only a prophetic intuition, he had no fears, no misgivings20. He thought that with that face it was not possible that she could be so wicked as to refuse him.
“She will marry me,” he said to himself. “She must.”
Lady Newhaven touched him gently on the arm.
“I dared not speak to you before,” she said. “Nearly every one has gone. Will you take me down to supper? I am tired out.”
He stared at her, not recognising her.
“Have I vexed21 you?” she faltered22.
And with a sudden horrible revulsion of feeling he remembered. The poor chromo had fallen violently from its nail. But the nail remained — ready. He took her into the supper room and got her a glass of champagne23. She subsided24 on to a sofa beside another woman, vaguely25 suspecting trouble in the air. He felt thankful that Rachel had already gone. Dick, nearly the last, was putting on his coat, arranging to meet Lord Newhaven the following morning at his club. They had been in Australia together, and were evidently old friends.
Lord Newhaven’s listless manner returned as Dick marched out. Hugh had got one arm in his coat. An instinct of flight possessed26 him, a vague horror of the woman in diamonds furtively27 watching him under her lowered eyelids28 through the open door.
“Oh, Scarlett!” said Lord Newhaven, detaining him languidly, “I want three minutes of your valuable time. Come into my study.”
“Another crossbow for Westhope Abbey?” said Hugh, trying to speak unconcernedly, as he followed his host to a back room on the ground floor. Lord Newhaven was collecting arms for the hall of his country house.
“No! much simpler than those elaborate machines,” said the older man, turning on the electric light. Hugh went in, and Lord Newhaven closed the door.
Over the mantel-shelf were hung a few old Japanese inlaid carbines, and beneath them an array of pistols.
“Useless now,” said Lord Newhaven, touching29 them affectionately. “But,” he added, with a shade more listlessness than before, “Society has become accustomed to do without them, and does ill without them, but we must conform to her.” Hugh started slightly, and then remained motionless. “You observe these two paper lighters30, Scarlett? One is an inch shorter than the other. They have been waiting on the mantel-shelf for the last month, till I had an opportunity of drawing your attention to them. I am sure we perfectly31 understand each other. No name need be mentioned. All scandal is avoided. I feel confident you will not hesitate to make me the only reparation one man can make another in the somewhat hackneyed circumstances in which we find ourselves.”
Lord Newhaven took the lighters out of the glass. He glanced suddenly at Hugh’s stunned32 face, and went on:
“I am sorry the idea is not my own. I read it in a magazine. Though comparatively modern it promises soon to become as customary as the much to be regretted pistols for two and coffee for four. I hold the lighters thus, and you draw. Whoever draws or keeps the short one is pledged to leave this world within four months, or shall we say five, on account of the pheasant shooting? Five be it. Is it agreed? Just so! Will you draw?”
A swift spasm33 passed over Hugh’s face, and a tiger glint leapt into Lord Newhaven’s eyes, fixed34 intently upon him.
There was a brief second in which Hugh’s mind wavered, as the flame of a candle wavers in a sudden draught35. Lord Newhaven’s eyes glittered. He advanced the lighters an inch nearer.
If he had not advanced them that inch Hugh thought afterwards that he would have refused to draw.
He backed against the mantel-piece, and then put out his hand suddenly and drew. It seemed the only way of escape.
The two men measured the lighters on the table under the electric light.
Lord Newhaven laughed.
Hugh stood a moment, and then went out.
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1
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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2
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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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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5
lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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6
unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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7
usurps
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| 篡夺，霸占( usurp的第三人称单数 )； 盗用； 篡夺，篡权 | |
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8
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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9
redeems
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| 补偿( redeem的第三人称单数 )； 实践； 解救； 使…免受责难 | |
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10
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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11
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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12
puckering
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| v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的现在分词 )；小褶纹；小褶皱 | |
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13
betokening
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的现在分词 ) | |
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14
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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16
cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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17
leaven
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| v.使发酵；n.酵母；影响 | |
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18
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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19
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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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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21
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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22
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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23
champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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24
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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25
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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26
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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27
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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28
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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29
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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30
lighters
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| n.打火机，点火器( lighter的名词复数 ) | |
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31
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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32
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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33
spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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34
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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35
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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