Anticipating a large order from the wealthy young Englishman, whom he recognised immediately, the shopkeeper was a little disappointed. But he tried not to show it. With his precious purchase in his pocket, the happy young man returned to his hotel to dress for the evening’s entertainment. Needless to say, he was the first to arrive at the rendezvous8, but it was not very long before Madame Bernstein and Katherine put in an appearance. Browne met them at the door and conducted them upstairs to the room he had reserved. If the dinner he had given them in London had proved a success, this one was destined9 to prove much more so. Madame and Browne were in the highest spirits, while Katharine, though a little shy and reserved, had improved considerably10 since the afternoon. Before they separated, arrangements were completed for the morning’s excursion. Browne, it was settled, was to call for Katherine in time to catch the early train, and, in return for the trust reposed11 in him, he pledged himself to return her safely to her guardian12 before nine in the evening. Before he retired13 to rest that night he opened the window of his bedroom and studied the heavens with an anxious face. A few clouds were to be seen away to the north-west, but elsewhere the stars were shining brightly. Taken altogether, there seemed to be every reasonable chance of their having a fine day for the excursion.
But, alas14! how futile15 are human hopes, for when he woke next morning a grievous disappointment was in store for him. Clouds covered the sky, and a thick drizzle16 was falling. A more miserable17 and dispiriting prelude18 to the day could scarcely be imagined. His disappointment was intense; and yet, in a life that seemed as dead to him now as the Neolithic19 Period, he remembered that he had gone cub-hunting in England, had fished in Norway, and shot over his deer-forest in the Highlands in equally bad weather, and without a grumble20 or a protest. On the present occasion, however, everything was different; it seemed to him as if he had a personal grievance21 to settle with Dame4 Nature; and in this spirit he dressed, ate his breakfast, and finally set off in a cab for the Rue22 Jacquarie. Whether Katherine would go out or not he could not say, but he half-expected she would decline. Having passed the concierge23, he made his way upstairs to Madame Bernstein’s sitting-room24. Neither of the ladies was there, but, after he had waited for a few minutes, Katherine put in an appearance, dressed in a tight-fitting costume of some dark material which displayed her slender figure to perfection.
“What a terrible day!” she said, as she glanced out of the window. “Do you think we can go?”
“I will leave it for you to decide,” he answered. “If you consider it too wet we can easily put it off for another day.”
Something in his face must have told her how disappointed he would be if she refused. She accordingly took pity on him.
“Let us go,” she said. “I have no doubt it will clear up later on. Must we start at once?”
“If we wish to catch the train we should leave here in about ten minutes at latest,” he answered.
She thereupon left the room, to return presently with a cup of steaming chocolate.
“I made this for you myself,” she said. “It will keep you warm. While you are drinking it, if you will excuse me, I will go and get ready.”
When she returned they made their way to the cab, and in it set off for the railway station. Rain was still falling as the train made its way along the beautiful valley of the Yerès, and it had not ceased when they had reached Melun. After that Dame Nature changed her mind, and, before they reached their destination, the clouds were drawing off, and long streaks25 of blue sky were to be plainly observed all round the horizon. They left the station in a flood of sunshine; and by the time they had crossed the gravelled courtyard and approached the main entrance to the palace, the sun was as warm and pleasant as on a spring day.
It would be difficult to over-estimate the pleasure Browne derived26 from that simple excursion. He had visited Fontainebleau many times before, but never had he thought it so beautiful or half so interesting as he did on the present occasion. When she had overcome the first novelty of her position, Katherine adapted herself to it with marvellous celerity. Side by side they wandered through those rooms of many memories, in the wake of the custodian27, whom they could not persuade to allow them to pass through alone, even under the stimulus28 of a large gratuity29. Passing through the apartments of Napoleon, of Marie Antoinette, of Francis the First, they speculated and mused30 over the cradle of the infant king of Rome, and the equally historic table upon which Napoleon signed his abdication31.
The wonders of the palace exhausted32, they proceeded into the gardens, visited and fed the famous carp, tested the merits of the labyrinth33, and marvelled34 at the vineries. Finally they returned to the village in search of luncheon35. The afternoon was devoted to exploring the forest, and when dusk had descended36 they dined at the H?tel de France et d’Angleterre, and afterwards returned to Paris. It was during the homeward journey, that Browne found occasion to carry out a little scheme, of which he had been thinking all day. Taking from his pocket the ring he had purchased on the previous evening, he secured Katherine’s hand and slipped it on her slender finger.
“The symbol of my love, darling,” he said softly. “As this little circlet of gold surrounds your finger, so my love will encompass37 you on every side throughout your life. Wear it in remembrance of my words.”
Her heart being too full to answer him, she could only press his hand, and leave it to him to understand.
Faithful to his promise, he delivered Katherine into the keeping of her guardian before nine o’clock. Both declared that they had had a delightful38 day, and Madame Bernstein expressed her joy at hearing it. It seemed to Browne, however, that there was an air of suppressed excitement about her on this particular evening which he could not understand. When he bade them good-bye he returned to his hotel, feeling that he had come to the end of the happiest day of all his life.
Next morning he was standing39 in the hall preparatory to going out, when his servant approached him and handed him a note. One glance at the address was sufficient to tell him from whom it came. He had only seen the handwriting once before, but every letter had been engraved40 upon his heart. He tore it open, delighted at receiving it, yet wondering at her reason for communicating with him.
“Dear love,” it began, “when you asked me the other day to be your wife, I tried so hard to make you see that what you wished was quite impossible. Yesterday we were so happy together; and now I have had some news which makes me see, even more clearly than I did then, that I have no right to let you link your life with mine. Hard as it is for me to have to say it, I have no choice left but to do so. You must forget me; and, if you can, forgive me. But remember always this promise that I give you: if I cannot marry you, no other man shall ever call me wife. — KATHERINE PETROVITCH.”
Browne stood for some moments, like a man dazed, in the hall among the crowd of happy tourists, holding the letter in his hand, and staring straight before him. His whole being seemed numbed41 and dead. He could not understand it; he could not even realise that she was attempting to put herself out of his life for ever.
“There must be some mistake,” he whispered to himself; and then added: “She admits that she loves me, and yet she wants to give me up. I will not allow myself to think that it can be true. I must go to her at once, and see her, and hear it from her own lips before I will believe.”
He thereupon went out into the street, called a cab, and set off for the Rue Jacquarie.
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1
vend
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| v.公开表明观点，出售，贩卖 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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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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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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parvenu
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| n.暴发户，新贵 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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bracelet
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| n.手镯，臂镯 | |
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rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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drizzle
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| v.下毛毛雨；n.毛毛雨，蒙蒙细雨 | |
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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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prelude
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| n.序言，前兆，序曲 | |
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neolithic
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| adj.新石器时代的 | |
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grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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concierge
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| n.管理员；门房 | |
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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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custodian
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| n.保管人，监护人；公共建筑看守 | |
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stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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gratuity
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| n.赏钱，小费 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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abdication
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| n.辞职；退位 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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encompass
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| vt.围绕，包围；包含，包括；完成 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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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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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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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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