With this idea in view he had watched his subject with the keenness of the collector already some time before his departure, and had been interested in a little scene between host and guest. With a purposeful yet respectful stride, Bethune had approached the Governor and addressed him in an undertone. Sir Arthur had listened and responded with urbanity and condescension4. Whereupon the officer had bowed in what seemed grateful acknowledgment; and, as he had turned away, the astute5 Frenchman had thought to read upon his countenance6, saturnine7 as it was, a certain unmistakable satisfaction.
Therefore, when they started on their way down to the town, the traveller could think of no better topic for opening the conversation with his dissimilar companion than praise of the official who had evidently just granted him some important request.
"A charming personality, our host, is he not?"
"No doubt."
Bethune's tone was discouraging—but these diables d'Anglo-Saxons (as M. Chatelard knew) wanted drawing out. So, undauntedly genial8, he pursued:
"And one of your great politicians, hein? The square man in the square place, as you say."
This being a mere9 statement, Bethune did not feel called upon to reply; and M. Chatelard, amazed at a silence which he, with subtlety10, interpreted as hostile, was fain to exclaim:
"Is it possible you do not think so?"
"I do not feel myself competent to judge," said Raymond Bethune.
"My faith," thought the other, "we do not make great progress at this rate. Let us try something more intimate. At least, my young friend," he went on aloud, "you have, I trust, yourself no cause to be dissatisfied with his Excellency. Some little demand you made of him to-night, did you not? Some matter concerning career, advancement11?"
"My career, my advancement, are quite independent of Sir Arthur Gerardine's influence."
M. Chatelard pondered; was there not certainly something more than British reserve in the almost resentful tone—some deep-lying grudge12 that it would be piquant13 to find out?
"Why, then," he cried, with much artful artlessness of candour. "Why, see how one can deceive one's self! Just now I would have sworn, from your attitude, despite your national phlegm, that you had solicited14 and been granted some personal favour."
"A personal favour, yes. Nothing connected with my service."
"A personal favour, hein?"
"If indeed you would reckon it a favour—a mere act of justice I regard it."
"Indeed, my dear sir, an act of justice?"
"The whole affair is one that could not interest you, M. Chatelard."
"My dear young man, all interests me. It is my trade to be interested—always."
They had reached the end of the palace grounds; and, by the lights of the flaring15 booths that were plastered against the walls, Bethune halted a second to survey the shrewd, kindly16, expressive17 countenance, quivering with eager curiosity, at his shoulder.
His own features relaxed with that twinkle of the eyes which was his usual approach to a display of amusement. After all, why should he not gratify this note-taking traveller with his tale? There was no mystery about it; and a plain statement of the situation might serve to put in order his own ideas which had been troubled by Lady Gerardine's unreasonable18 and unexpected attitude.
"My business with Sir Arthur to-night is soon told——" He broke off abruptly19. "You are, I understand, a sedulous20 observer: did you happen to take any note of her Excellency the Governor's wife?"
"Did I take any note of——" the sentence escaped M. Chatelard in a breathless way—as if the words had been knocked out of him—and ended in a little squeak21. He drew back one step and contemplated22 the younger man in silence for a perceptible moment. "Did I notice her Excellency?" he repeated then, in elaborately natural tones. "Why, my dear fellow, it would mean having no eyes not to notice her—one of the most beautiful women it has ever been my good fortune to see! In fact, to-night, still under the influence of the look in her eyes, I should say, my friend, the most beautiful! Lucky dog (as you say) your Governor!"
Bethune threw away the match with which he had been lighting23 his cigar and blew a contemptuous puff24.
"Before she married Sir Arthur," said he, "she was the wife of a comrade of mine. It is my desire, it is my intention, to write the life of that comrade. I require the co-operation of Lady Gerardine. She refused it to me. I went to Sir Arthur."
"You went to Sir Arthur," repeated the Frenchman, in tones of one almost stunned25 with amazement26.
"Yes," answered the officer, gravely. "To make her accede27 to my request."
"And he——"
"Oh, he has promised to see that she does so at once."
For a while M. Chatelard was fain to proceed in silence, words failing him before so extraordinary a situation. As he went he regarded the Englishman with ever-increasing respect, admiration28, not to say enthusiasm.
"Voilà qui est raide ... voilà qui est fort!" he was saying to himself. "Was I not right to tell myself that there was something truly remarkable29 about this young man? What a drama! What could not our Balzac have made of it! The well-conserved—but elderly, yes, elderly husband; the young, lovely, bored wife—ah, but she bores herself, the young wife! And then this young, handsome, sinister30 officer who has known her before, loved her it is clear from the first—the wife of his comrade! He comes to her with a plan ... a plan of an astuteness31 to deceive an angel. But the woman who loves is never deceived. Because she loves him, she reads his heart. Virtuous32, she refuses.... They are both young, she knows her weakness. She bores herself, yes, she bores herself, but she refuses. And he, what does he do, the young, silent, determined33 adorer? My faith, it is the simplicity34 of genius: he goes to the old husband, that the old husband may order her to yield to his scheme. And the husband—and this is the strangest part of it all—what does he say? Oh, it is simple, simple in the extreme. He promises to do so at once. What a story! And my friend here, under the starlight, qualifies it in three words: 'No favour—justice.' It is of a cynicism! Yet yonder he stands, as grave and cold as a judge. Poor Sir Gerardine. But here is a young man who will make his way—and, for the psychologist, what a study!"
"My faith," said he aloud, "but you have courage, sir."
"Courage?"
"Ah, you thought I did not notice Lady Gerardine! I will tell you something—as one man to another—she is one who will not make her lover's task easy to him, nor amusing, hey! With her it will be all or nothing: the grand passion. Ah, my gallant35 friend, believe the word of one who has had experience in these matters! Avoid the grand passion, for it's what makes cinders36 of our manhood."
It was Bethune's turn to halt amazed.
"I beg your pardon," he exclaimed. "But are you warning me against falling in love with Lady Gerardine?" Then, overcome with the humour of the idea, he threw back his head and gave vent37 to his short laugh.
In this laugh, however, M. Chatelard's acumen38 was pleased to discover a concentrated bitterness; in the touch upon his arm, a menace to the interferer39.
"Nay40, heaven forfend!" he cried, dropping the personal tone with a hasty return to natural good-breeding. "It only struck me, sir, that your programme was a little dangerous. And for one like myself, who has made a study of women, Lady Gerardine is a type—a type rare, fortunately, perhaps, for the peace of the world, but, heavens, of what palpitating allurement41 when one does come across it!"
"A type of a very selfish woman," said Bethune, shortly. And this time the physician was not far wrong in noting bitterness in his tone. "As cold as a stone, I should say, and as self-centred as a cat."
"Self-centred, I grant you. But cold?" screamed the Frenchman.
"As cold at heart as she is white in face," said Harry42 English's comrade.
"White? so is the flame at its intensest! Cold? With that glow in her hair? With that look in the eyes—those lips? Touch that coldness and you will burn to the bone. Ah, it is not the old husband that will feel that fire! But the fire is there, all the fiercer for being concentrated. Ah, when she lets herself go, her Excellency, it will be terrible—it will be grand! There are conflagrations43 which make the very skies grow red."
"My way branches off here," interrupted Bethune, drily, "and yonder are the lights of your hotel. Good night."
He shook hands loosely, and was gone before the globe-trotter, interrupted in full eloquence44, had had time to lay hold of his formal French manner for the farewell ceremony.
"I have pressed him a little too closely," he thought, as he stood watching the soldierly figure swing away from light to darkness, down the narrow street dotted with gaudy45 booths. "He is already on the fatal slope.... I must not let the end of this drama escape me."
Raymond Bethune, as he strode along, laughed to himself at "the French Johnny's" nonsense. Nevertheless a phrase or two seemed to circle in his mind round the baffling image of his friend's widow like a flight of birds round the head of a sphinx: "White? so is the flame at its intensest. Cold? Touch that coldness and be burned to the bone...."
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1
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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3
pawns
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| n.（国际象棋中的）兵( pawn的名词复数 )；卒；被人利用的人；小卒v.典当，抵押( pawn的第三人称单数 )；以（某事物）担保 | |
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4
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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6
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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7
saturnine
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| adj.忧郁的，沉默寡言的，阴沉的，感染铅毒的 | |
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8
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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subtlety
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| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
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11
advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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12
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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13
piquant
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| adj.辛辣的，开胃的，令人兴奋的 | |
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14
solicited
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| v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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15
flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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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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17
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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sedulous
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| adj.勤勉的，努力的 | |
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squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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22
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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25
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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26
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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accede
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| v.应允，同意 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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31
astuteness
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| n.敏锐；精明；机敏 | |
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32
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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34
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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36
cinders
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| n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 )；炭渣；煤渣路；煤渣跑道 | |
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37
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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38
acumen
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| n.敏锐，聪明 | |
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39
interferer
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| vi.干预，干涉；调停，排解；妨碍，打扰 | |
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40
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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41
allurement
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| n.诱惑物 | |
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42
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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43
conflagrations
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| n.大火（灾）( conflagration的名词复数 ) | |
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44
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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45
gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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