The death of Li Hung Chang was heavy on her soul. Occultism was justified4 of itself. The affair lay beyond coincidence. She had always KNOWN that there was something in occultism, supernaturalism, so-called superstitions5, what not. But she had never expected to prove the faith that was in her by such a homicidal act on her own part. It was detestable of Charlie to have mentioned the thing at all. He had no right to play with fire. And as for her husband, words could give but the merest rough outline of her resentment6 against Stephen. A pretty state of things that a woman with a position such as she had to keep up should be reduced to six and sevenpence! Stephen, no doubt, expected her to visit the pawnshop. It would serve him right if she did so—and he met her coming out under the three brass7 balls! Did she not dress solely8 and wholly to please him? Not in the least to please herself! Personally she had a mind set on higher things, impossible aspirations9. But he liked fine clothes. And it was her duty to satisfy him. She strove to satisfy him in all matters. She lived for him. She sacrificed herself to him completely. And what did she get in return? Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! All men were selfish. And women were their victims.... Stephen, with his silly bullying10 rules against credit and so forth11.... The worst of men was that they had no sense.
She put a new dose of eau de Cologne on her forehead, and leaned on one elbow. On the mantelpiece lay the tissue parcel containing the slim silver belt, the price of Li's death. She wanted to stick it in the fire. And only the fact that it would not burn prevented her savagely12 doing so. There was something wrong, too, with the occultism. To receive a paltry13 sovereign for murdering the greatest statesman of the Eastern hemisphere was simply grotesque14. Moreover, she had most distinctly not wanted to deprive China of a distinguished15 man. She had expressly stipulated16 for an inferior and insignificant17 mandarin18, one that could be spared and that was unknown to Reuter. She supposed she ought to have looked up China at the Wedgwood Institution and selected a definite mandarin with a definite place of residence. But could she be expected to go about a murder deliberately19 like that?
With regard to the gross inadequacy20 of the fiscal21 return for her deed, perhaps that was her own fault. She had not wished for more. Her brain had been so occupied by the belt that she had wished only for the belt. But, perhaps, on the other hand, vast wealth was to come. Perhaps something might occur that very night. That would be better. Yet would it be better? However rich she might become, Stephen would coolly take charge of her riches, and dole22 them out to her, and make rules for her concerning them. And besides, Charlie would suspect her guilt23. Charlie understood her, and perused24 her thoughts far better than Stephen did. She would never be able to conceal25 the truth from Charlie. The conversation, the death of Li within two hours, and then a sudden fortune accruing26 to her—Charlie would inevitably27 put two and two together and divine her shameful28 secret.
The outlook was thoroughly29 black anyway.
She then fell asleep.
When she awoke, some considerable time afterwards, Stephen was calling to her. It was his voice, indeed, that had aroused her. The room was dark.
'I say, Vera,' he demanded, in a low, slightly inimical tone, 'have you taken a sovereign out of the empty drawer in your toilet-table?'
'No,' she said quickly, without thinking.
'Ah!' he observed reflectively, 'I knew I was right.' He paused, and added, coldly, 'If you aren't better you ought to go to bed.'
Then he left her, shutting the door with a noise that showed a certain lack of sympathy with her headache.
She sprang up. Her first feeling was one of thankfulness that that brief interview had occurred in darkness. So Stephen was aware of the existence of the sovereign! The sovereign was not occult. Possibly he had put it there. And what did he know he was 'right' about?
She lighted the gas, and gazed at herself in the glass, realizing that she no longer had a headache, and endeavouring to arrange her ideas.
'What's this?' said another voice at the door. She glanced round hastily, guiltily. It was Charlie.
'Steve telephoned me you were too ill to go to the dance,' explained Charlie, 'so I thought I'd come and make inquiries30. I quite expected to find you in bed with a nurse and a doctor or two at least. What is it?' He smiled.
'Nothing,' she replied. 'Only a headache. It's gone now.'
She stood against the mantelpiece, so that he should not see the white parcel.
'That's good,' said Charlie.
There was a pause.
'Strange, Li Hung Chang dying last night, just after we had been talking about killing31 mandarins,' she said. She could not keep off the subject. It attracted her like a snake, and she approached it in spite of the fact that she fervently32 wished not to approach it.
'Yes,' said Charlie. 'But Li wasn't a mandarin, you know. And he didn't die after we had been talking about mandarins. He died before.'
'Oh! I thought it said in the paper he died at two o'clock this morning.'
'Two a.m. in Pekin,' Charlie answered. 'You must remember that Pekin time is many hours earlier than our time. It lies so far eastward33.'
'Oh!' she said again.
Stephen hurried in, with a worried air.
'Ah! It's you, Charlie!'
'She isn't absolutely dying, I find,' said Charlie, turning to Vera: 'You are going to the dance after all—aren't you?'
'I say, Vera,' Stephen interrupted, 'either you or I must have a scene with Martha. I've always suspected that confounded housemaid. So I put a marked sovereign in a drawer this morning, and it was gone at lunch-time. She'd better hook it instantly. Of course I shan't prosecute34.'
'Martha!' cried Vera. 'Stephen, what on earth are you thinking of? I wish you would leave the servants to me. If you think you can manage this house in your spare time from the works, you are welcome to try. But don't blame me for the consequences.' Glances of triumph flashed in her eyes.
'But I tell you—'
'Nonsense,' said Vera. 'I took the sovereign. I saw it there and I took it, and just to punish you, I've spent it. It's not at all nice to lay traps for servants like that.'
'Then why did you tell me just now you hadn't taken it?' Stephen demanded crossly.
'I didn't feel well enough to argue with you then,' Vera replied.
'You've recovered precious quick,' retorted Stephen with grimness.
'Of course, if you want to make a scene before strangers,' Vera whimpered (poor Charlie a stranger!), 'I'll go to bed.'
Stephen knew when he was beaten.
She went to the Hockey dance, though. She and Stephen and Charlie and his young sister, aged35 seventeen, all descended36 together to the Town Hall in a brougham. The young girl admired Vera's belt excessively, and looked forward to the moment when she too should be a bewitching and captivating wife like Vera, in short, a woman of the world, worshipped by grave, bearded men. And both the men were under the spell of Vera's incurable37 charm, capricious, surprising, exasperating38, indefinable, indispensable to their lives.
'Stupid superstitions!' reflected Vera. 'But of course I never believed it really.'
And she cast down her eyes to gloat over the belt.
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1
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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2
fluffiest
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| adj.似绒毛的( fluffy的最高级 )；有绒毛的；蓬松的；轻软状的 | |
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3
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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4
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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5
superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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6
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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7
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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10
bullying
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| v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈 | |
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11
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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12
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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13
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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14
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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15
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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16
stipulated
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| vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的 | |
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17
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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18
Mandarin
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| n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的 | |
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19
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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inadequacy
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| n.无法胜任，信心不足 | |
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fiscal
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| adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的 | |
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dole
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| n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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24
perused
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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accruing
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| v.增加( accrue的现在分词 )；（通过自然增长）产生；获得；（使钱款、债务）积累 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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28
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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29
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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30
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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31
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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32
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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33
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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34
prosecute
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| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
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35
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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36
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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37
incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 | |
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38
exasperating
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| adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式 | |
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