She envied Melisande, so nimbly and cheerfully laborious10 till the day should come when her betrothed11 had saved enough to start a little cafe of his own and make her his bride and dame12 de comptoir. Oh, to have a purpose, a prospect13, a stake in the world, as this faithful soul had!
“Can I help you at all, Melisande?” she asked, picking her way across the strewn floor.
Melisande, patting down a pile of chiffon, seemed to be amused at such a notion. “Mademoiselle has her own art. Do I mix myself in that?” she cried, waving one hand towards the great malachite casket.
Zuleika looked at the casket, and then very gratefully at the maid. Her art—how had she forgotten that? Here was solace14, purpose. She would work as she had never worked yet. She KNEW that she had it in her to do better than she had ever done. She confessed to herself that she had too often been slack in the matter of practice and rehearsal15, trusting her personal magnetism16 to carry her through. Only last night she had badly fumbled17, more than once. Her bravura18 business with the Demon19 Egg-Cup had been simply vile20. The audience hadn’t noticed it, perhaps, but she had. Now she would perfect herself. Barely a fortnight now before her engagement at the Folies Bergeres! What if—no, she must not think of that! But the thought insisted. What if she essayed for Paris that which again and again she had meant to graft21 on to her repertory—the Provoking Thimble?
She flushed at the possibility. What if her whole present repertory were but a passing phase in her art—a mere22 beginning—an earlier manner? She remembered how marvellously last night she had manipulated the ear-rings and the studs. Then lo! the light died out of her eyes, and her face grew rigid23. That memory had brought other memories in its wake.
For her, when she fled the Broad, Noaks’ window had blotted24 out all else. Now she saw again that higher window, saw that girl flaunting25 her ear-rings, gibing26 down at her. “He put them in with his own hands!”—the words rang again in her ears, making her cheeks tingle27. Oh, he had thought it a very clever thing to do, no doubt—a splendid little revenge, something after his own heart! “And he kissed me in the open street”—excellent, excellent! She ground her teeth. And these doings must have been fresh in his mind when she overtook him and walked with him to the house-boat! Infamous28! And she had then been wearing his studs! She drew his attention to them when—
Her jewel-box stood open, to receive the jewels she wore to-night. She went very calmly to it. There, in a corner of the topmost tray, rested the two great white pearls—the pearls which, in one way and another, had meant so much to her.
“Melisande!”
“Mademoiselle?”
“When we go to Paris, would you like to make a little present to your fiance?”
“Je voudrais bien, mademoiselle.”
“Then you shall give him these,” said Zuleika, holding out the two studs.
“Mais jamais de la vie! Chez Tourtel tout29 le monde le dirait millionaire. Un garcon de cafe qui porte au plastron des perles pareilles—merci!”
“Tell him he may tell every one that they were given to me by the late Duke of Dorset, and given by me to you, and by you to him.”
“Mais—” The protest died on Melisande’s lips. Suddenly she had ceased to see the pearls as trinkets finite and inapposite—saw them as things presently transmutable30 into little marble tables, bocks, dominos, absinthes au sucre, shiny black portfolios31 with weekly journals in them, yellow staves with daily journals flapping from them, vermouths secs, vermouths cassis...
And certainly, just then, Zuleika was looking very amiable indeed. The look was transient. Nothing, she reflected, could undo33 what the Duke had done. That hateful, impudent34 girl would take good care that every one should know. “He put them in with his own hands.” HER ear-rings! “He kissed me in the public street. He loved me”... Well, he had called out “Zuleika!” and every one around had heard him. That was something. But how glad all the old women in the world would be to shake their heads and say “Oh, no, my dear, believe me! It wasn’t anything to do with HER. I’m told on the very best authority,” and so forth35, and so on. She knew he had told any number of undergraduates he was going to die for her. But they, poor fellows, could not bear witness. And good heavens! If there were a doubt as to the Duke’s motive36, why not doubts as to theirs?... But many of them had called out “Zuleika!” too. And of course any really impartial37 person who knew anything at all about the matter at first hand would be sure in his own mind that it was perfectly38 absurd to pretend that the whole thing wasn’t entirely39 and absolutely for her... And of course some of the men must have left written evidence of their intention. She remembered that at The MacQuern’s to-day was a Mr. Craddock, who had made a will in her favour and wanted to read it aloud to her in the middle of luncheon40. Oh, there would be proof positive as to many of the men. But of the others it would be said that they died in trying to rescue their comrades. There would be all sorts of silly far-fetched theories, and downright lies that couldn’t be disproved...
“Melisande, that crackling of tissue paper is driving me mad! Do leave off! Can’t you see that I am waiting to be undressed?”
The maid hastened to her side, and with quick light fingers began to undress her. “Mademoiselle va bien dormir—ca se voit,” she purred.
“I shan’t,” said Zuleika.
Nevertheless, it was soothing41 to be undressed, and yet more soothing anon to sit merely night-gowned before the mirror, while, slowly and gently, strongly and strand42 by strand, Melisande brushed her hair.
After all, it didn’t so much matter what the world thought. Let the world whisper and insinuate43 what it would. To slur44 and sully, to belittle45 and drag down—that was what the world always tried to do. But great things were still great, and fair things still fair. With no thought for the world’s opinion had these men gone down to the water to-day. Their deed was for her and themselves alone. It had sufficed them. Should it not suffice her? It did, oh it did. She was a wretch46 to have repined.
At a gesture from her, Melisande brought to a close the rhythmical47 ministrations, and—using no tissue paper this time—did what was yet to be done among the trunks.
“WE know, you and I,” Zuleika whispered to the adorable creature in the mirror; and the adorable creature gave back her nod and smile.
THEY knew, these two.
Yet, in their happiness, rose and floated a shadow between them. It was the ghost of that one man who—THEY knew—had died irrelevantly48, with a cold heart.
And now, thick and fast, swept a whole multitude of other ghosts, the ghosts of all them who, being dead, could not die again; the poor ghosts of them who had done what they could, and could do no more.
No more? Was it not enough? The lady in the mirror gazed at the lady in the room, reproachfully at first, then—for were they not sisters?—relentingly, then pityingly. Each of the two covered her face with her hands.
And there recurred50, as by stealth, to the lady in the room a thought that had assailed51 her not long ago in Judas Street... a thought about the power of example...
And now, with pent breath and fast-beating heart, she stood staring at the lady of the mirror, without seeing her; and now she wheeled round and swiftly glided52 to that little table on which stood her two books. She snatched Bradshaw.
We always intervene between Bradshaw and any one whom we see consulting him. “Mademoiselle will permit me to find that which she seeks?” asked Melisande.
“Be quiet,” said Zuleika. We always repulse53, at first, any one who intervenes between us and Bradshaw.
We always end by accepting the intervention54. “See if it is possible to go direct from here to Cambridge,” said Zuleika, handing the book on. “If it isn’t, then—well, see how to get there.”
We never have any confidence in the intervener. Nor is the intervener, when it comes to the point, sanguine55. With mistrust mounting to exasperation56 Zuleika sat watching the faint and frantic57 researches of her maid.
“Stop!” she said suddenly. “I have a much better idea. Go down very early to the station. See the station-master. Order me a special train. For ten o’clock, say.”
Rising, she stretched her arms above her head. Her lips parted in a yawn, met in a smile. With both hands she pushed back her hair from her shoulders, and twisted it into a loose knot. Very lightly she slipped up into bed, and very soon she was asleep.
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1
loom
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| n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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5
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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trumpeting
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| 大声说出或宣告（trumpet的现在分词形式） | |
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7
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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8
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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14
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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rehearsal
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| n.排练，排演；练习 | |
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16
magnetism
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| n.磁性，吸引力，磁学 | |
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17
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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18
bravura
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| n.华美的乐曲；勇敢大胆的表现；adj.壮勇华丽的 | |
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19
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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20
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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21
graft
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| n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接 | |
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22
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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23
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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24
blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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25
flaunting
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| adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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26
gibing
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| adj.讥刺的，嘲弄的v.嘲笑，嘲弄( gibe的现在分词 ) | |
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27
tingle
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| vi.感到刺痛，感到激动；n.刺痛，激动 | |
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28
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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29
tout
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| v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱 | |
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30
transmutable
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| adj.可变形的 | |
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31
portfolios
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| n.投资组合( portfolio的名词复数 )；（保险）业务量；（公司或机构提供的）系列产品；纸夹 | |
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32
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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33
undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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34
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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35
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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36
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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37
impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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38
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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39
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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40
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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41
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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42
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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43
insinuate
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| vt.含沙射影地说，暗示 | |
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44
slur
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| v.含糊地说；诋毁；连唱；n.诋毁；含糊的发音 | |
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45
belittle
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| v.轻视，小看，贬低 | |
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46
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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47
rhythmical
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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48
irrelevantly
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| adv.不恰当地，不合适地；不相关地 | |
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49
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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50
recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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51
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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52
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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53
repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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54
intervention
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| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
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55
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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56
exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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57
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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