Eight（2）

II
Leo Argyle signed the last of the letters which Gwenda Vaughan placed infront of him.
“Is that the last?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“We’ve not done too badly today.”
After a minute or two when Gwenda had stamped and stacked the let-ters, she asked:
“Isn’t it about time that you—took that trip abroad?”
“Trip abroad?”
Leo Argyle sounded very vague. Gwenda said:
“Yes. Don’t you remember you were going to Rome and to Siena.”
“Oh, yes, yes, so I was.”
“You were going to see those documents from the archives that CardinalMassilini wrote to you about.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Would you like me to make the reservations by air, or would yourather go by train?”
As though coming back from a long way away, Leo looked at her andsmiled faintly.
“You seem very anxious to get rid of me, Gwenda,” he said.
“Oh no, darling, no.”
She came quickly across and knelt down by his side.
“I never want you to leave me, never. But—but I think—oh, I think itwould be better if you went away from here after—after….”
“After last week?” said Leo. “After Dr. Calgary’s visit?”
“I wish he hadn’t come here,” said Gwenda. “I wish things could havebeen left as they were.”
“With Jacko unjustly condemned¹ for something he didn’t do?”
“He might have done it,” said Gwenda. “He might have done it any time,and it’s a pure accident, I think, that he didn’t do it.”
“It’s odd,” said Leo, thoughtfully. “I never really could believe he did doit. I mean, of course, I had to give in to the evidence—but it seemed to meso unlikely.”
“Why? He always had a terrible temper, didn’t he?”
“Yes. Oh, yes. He attacked other children. Usually children rather smal-ler than himself. I never really felt that he would have attacked Rachel.”
“Why not?”
“Because he was afraid of her,” said Leo. “She had great authority, youknow. Jacko felt it just like everybody else.”
“But don’t you think,” said Gwenda, “that that was just why—I mean—”
She paused.
Leo looked at her questioningly. Something in his glance made the col-our come up into her cheeks. She turned away, went over to the fire andknelt down in front of it with her hands to the blaze. “Yes,” she thought toherself, “Rachel had authority all right. So pleased with herself, so sure ofherself, so much the queen bee bossing us all. Isn’t that enough to makeone want to take a poker², to make one want to strike her down, to silenceher once and for all? Rachel was always right, Rachel always knew best,Rachel always got her own way.”
She got up abruptly³.
“Leo,” she said. “Couldn’t we—couldn’t we be married quite soon in-stead of waiting until March?”
Leo looked at her. He was silent for a moment, and then he said:
“No, Gwenda, no. I don’t think that would be a good plan.”
“Why not?”
“I think,” said Leo, “it would be a pity to rush into anything.”
“What do you mean?”
She came across to him. She knelt down again beside him.
“Leo, what do you mean? You must tell me.”
He said:
“My dear, I just think that we mustn’t, as I said, rush into anything.”
“But we will be married in March, as we planned?”
“I hope so … Yes, I hope so.”
“You don’t speak as though you were sure … Leo, don’t you care anymore?”
“Oh, my dear,” his hands rested on her shoulders, “of course I care. Youmean everything in the world to me.”
“Well, then,” said Gwenda impatiently.
“No.” He got up. “No. Not yet. We must wait. We must be sure.”
“Sure of what?”
He did not answer. She said:
“You don’t think—you can’t think—”
Leo said: “I—I don’t think anything.”
The door opened and Kirsten Lindstrom came in with a tray which sheput down on the desk.
“Here is your tea, Mr. Argyle. Shall I bring another cup for you, Gwenda,or will you join the others downstairs?”
Gwenda said:
“I will come down to the dining room. I’ll take these letters. They oughtto go off.”
With slightly unsteady hands she picked up the letters Leo had justsigned and went out of the room carrying them. Kirsten Lindstrom lookedafter her, then she looked back at Leo.
“What have you said to her?” she demanded. “What have you done toupset her?”
“Nothing,” said Leo. His voice was tired. “Nothing at all.”
Kirsten Lindstrom shrugged⁴ her shoulders. Then, without another word,she went out of the room. Her unseen, unspoken criticism, however, couldbe felt. Leo sighed, leaning back in his chair. He felt very tired. He pouredout his tea but he did not drink it. Instead, he sat there in his chair staringunseeingly across the room, his mind busy in the past.

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

3 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

4 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》