frances waldeaux-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


our　own　way。〃　　He　put　his　hand　affectionately　on　her　shoulder。　　〃And　when　you　have　had　your　little　outing　and　go　home　to　Weir；　you　will　be　glad　to　have　us　come　to　you；　for　a　visitwon't　you；　mother？　　You　haven't　said　so。〃

〃Why　should　I　say　so？　　It　is　your　home；　George；　yours　and　your　wife's。〃　　She　caught　his　hand　and　held　it　to　her　lips。

But　Lisa　had　not　so　easily　conquered　her　disappointment。　　This　woman　was　coolly　robbing　George　of　his　rights　and　was　going　instead　to　kill　for　him　a　miserable　little　fatted　calf！　　Bah！　　This　woman；　who　had　maligned　her　dead　mother！

She　should　have　her　punishment　now。　　In　one　blow；　straight　from　the　shoulder。

〃But　you　should　know；　madam；〃　she　said　gently；　〃who　it　is　your　son　has　married　before　you　take　her　home。　　I　assure　you　that　you　can　present　me　to　the　society　in　Weir　with　pride。　　I　have　royal　blood〃　〃Lisa！〃　George　caught　her　arm。　　〃It　is　not　necessary。　　You　forget〃

〃Oh；　I　forget　nothing！　　I　said　royal　blood。　　My　father；　madam；　was　the　brother　of　the　Czar；　and　my　mother　was　Pauline　Felix。　　You　don't　seem　to　understand〃　after　a　moment's　pause。　　〃　It　was　my　mother　whose　name　you　said　should　not　cross　any　decent　woman's　lipsmy　mother〃　　She　broke　down　into　wild　sobs。

〃When　I　said　it　I　did　not　know　that　you　　I　am　sorry。〃　　Frances　suddenly　walked　away；　pulling　open　her　collar。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　there　was　no　breath　in　the　world。　　George　followed　her。　　〃Did　you　know　this？〃　she　said　at　last；　in　a　hoarse　whisper。　　〃And　you　aremarried　to　her？　　There　is　no　way　of　being　rid　of　her？〃

〃No；　there　is　no　way；〃　said　Waldeaux　stoutly。　　〃And　if　there　were；　I　should　not　look　for　it。　　I　am　sorry　that　there　is　any　smirch　on　Lisa's　birth。　　But　even　her　mother；　I　fancy；　was　not　altogether　a　bad　lot。　　Bygones　must　be　bygones。　　I　love　my　wife；　mother。　　She's　worth　loving；　as　you'd　find　if　you　would　take　the　trouble　to　know　her。　　Her　dead　mother　shall　not　come　between　her　and　me。〃

〃She's　like　her；　George！〃　said　Mrs。　Waldeaux；　with　white；　trembling　lips。　　〃I　ought　to　have　seen　it　at　first。　　Those　luring；　terrible　eyes。　　It　is　Pauline　Felix's　heart　that　is　in　her。　　Rotten　to　the　corerotten〃

〃I　don't　care。　　I'll　stand　by　her。〃　　But　George's　face；　too；　began　to　lose　its　color。　　He　shook　himself　uncomfortably。　　〃The　thing's　done　now；〃　he　muttered。

〃Certainly；　certainly；〃　Frances　repeated　mechanically。　　〃Tell　her　that　I　am　sorry　I　spoke　of　her　mother　before　her。　　It　was　rudebrutal。　　I　ask　her　pardon。〃

〃Oh；　she'll　soon　forget　that！　　Lisa　has　a　warm　heart；　if　you　take　her　right。　　There's　lots　of　hearty　fun　in　her　too。　　You'll　like　that。　　Are　you　going　now？　　Good…by；　dear。　　We　will　come　and　see　you　in　the　morning。　　The　thing　will　not　seem　half　so　bad　when　you　have　slept　on　it。〃

He　paused　uncertainly；　as　she　still　stood　motionless。　　She　was　facing　the　grim　walls　of　Stafford　House；　looming　dimly　through　the　mist；　her　eyes　fixed　as　if　she　were　studying　the　sky　line。

〃George；〃　she　said。　〃You　don't　understand。　　You　will　come　to　me　always。　　But　that　woman　never　shall　cross　my　threshold。〃　〃Mother！　　Do　you　mean　what　you　say？〃

It　was　a　man；　not　a　shuffling　boy　that　spoke　now。　　〃Do　you　mean　that　we　are　not　to　go　to　you　to…morrow？　　Not　to　go　home　in　October？　　Never〃

〃Your　home　is　open　to　you。　　But　Pauline　Felix's　child　is　no　more　to　me　than　a　wild　beastor　a　snake　in　the　grass；　and　never　can　be。〃　　She　faced　him　steadily　now。

〃There　she　is；〃　said　Frances；　looking　at　the　little　black　figure　under　the　trees；　〃and　here　am　I。　　You　can　choose　between　us。〃

〃Those　whom　God　hath　joined　together；〃　muttered　George。　　〃You　know　that。〃

〃You　have　known　her　for　three　weeks；〃　cried　Frances　vehemently。　　〃I　gave　you　life。　　I　have　been　your　slave　every　hour　since　you　were　born。　　I　have　lived　but　for　you。　　Which　of　us　has　God　joined　together？〃

〃Mother；　you're　damnably　unreasonable！　　It　is　the　course　of　nature　for　a　man　to　leave　his　parents　and　cleave　to　his　wife。〃

〃Yes　；　I　know；〃　she　said　slowly。　　〃You　can　keep　that　foul　thing　in　your　life；　but　it　never　shall　come　into　mine。〃

〃Then　neither　will　I。　　I　will　stand　by　my　wife。〃

〃That　is　the　end；　then？〃

She　waited；　her　eyes　on　his。

He　did　not　speak。

She　turned　and　left　him；　disappearing　slowly　in　the　rain　and　mist。



CHAPTER　IV

Two　days　later　Mr。　Perry　met　Miss　Vance　in　Canterbury　and　told　her　of　the　marriage。　　She　hurried　back　to　London。　　She　could　not　hide　her　distress　and　dismay　from　the　two　girls。

〃How　did　she　force　him　into　it？　　One　is　almost　driven　to　believe　in　hypnotism；〃　she　cried。

Lucy　Dunbar　had　no　joke　to　make　about　it　to…day。　　The　merry　little　girl　was　silent；　having；　she　said；　a　headache。

〃You've　had　too　much　cathedral！〃　said　Miss　Hassard。　　〃And　the　whole　church　is　wretchedly　out　of　drawing！〃

Jean　Hassard　had　studied　art　at　Pond　City　in　Dakota；　and　her　soul's　hope　had　been　to　follow　Marie　Bashkirtseff's　career　in　Paris。　　But　her　father　had　morally　handcuffed

her　and　put　her　into　Clara's　custody　for　a　year。　　It　was　hard！　　To　be　led　about　to　old　churches；　respectable　as　her　grandmother；　when　she　might　have　been　studying　the　nude　in　a　mixed　class！　　She　rattled　her　chains　disagreeably　at　every　step。

〃The　mesalliance　is　on　the　other　side；〃　she　told　Lucy　privately。　　〃A　woman　of　the　world　who　knew　life；　to　marry　that　bloodless；　finical　priest！〃

〃He　was　not　bloodless。　　He　loved　her。〃

Mr。　Perry　came　up　with　them　from　Canterbury；　being　secretly　alarmed　about　Miss　Dunbar's　headache。　　Nobody　took　proper　care　of　that　lovely　child！　　He　had　attached　himself　to　Miss　Vance's　party　in　England；　he　dropped　in　every　evening　to　tell　of　his　interviews　with　Gladstone　or　Mrs。　Oliphant　or　an　artist　or　a　duke。　　It　was　delightful　to　the　girls　to　come　so　close　to　these　unknown　great　folks。　　They　felt　quite　like　peris；　just　outside　the　court　of　heaven；　with　the　gate　a　little　bit　ajar。　　This　evening　Mr。　Perry　promised　it　should　open　for　them。　　He　was　going　to　bring　a　real　prince；　whom　he　familiarly　dubbed　〃a　jolly　fellow；〃　to　call　upon　Miss　Vance。

〃Who　is　the　man？〃　said　Clara　irritably。　　〃Be　careful；　Mr。　Perry。　　I　have　had　enough　of　foreign　adventurers。〃

〃Oh；　the　Hof　Kalender　will　post　you　as　to　Prince　Wolfburgh。　　I　looked　him　up　in　it。　　He　is　head　of　one　of　the　great　mediatized　families。　　Would　have　been　reigning　now　if　old　Kaiser　Wilhelm　had　not　played　Aaron's　serpent　and　gobbled　up　all　the　little　kings。　　Wolfburgh　has　kept　all　his　land　and　castles；　however。〃

〃Very　well。　　Let　us　see　what　the　man　is　like；〃　Miss　Vance　said　loftily。


Mrs。　Waldeaux　was　not　in　the　house　when　they　arrived。　　Every　day　she　went　early　in　the　morning　to　the　Green　Park；　where　she　had　seen　George　last；　and　wandered　about　until　night　fell。　　She　thought　that　he　had　gone　to　Paris；　and　that　she　was　alone　in　London。　　But　somehow　she　came　nearer　to　him　there。

When　she　found　that　Clara　had　arrived；　she　knew　that　she　would　be　full　of　pity　for　her。　　She　came　down　to　dinner　in　full　dress；　told　some　funny　stories；　and　laughed　incessantly。

No。　　She　had　not　missed　them。　　The　days　had　gone　merry　as　a　marriage　bell　with　her　even　after　her　son　and　his　wife　had　run　away　to　Paris。

Mr。　Perry　congratulated　her　warmly　on　the　match。　　〃The　lady　is　very　fetching；　indeed；〃　he　said。　　〃I　remarked　that　the　first　day　on　ship…board。　　Oh；　yes；　I　know　a　diamond　when　I　see　it。　　But　your　son　picks　it　up。　　Lucky　fellow！　　He　picks　it　up！〃　　He　told　Miss　Vance　that　there　was　a　curious　attraction　about　her　friend；　〃who；　by　the　way；　should　always　wear　brown　velvet　and　lace。〃

Miss　Vance　drew　little　Lucy　aside　after　dinner。　　〃Do　you　see；〃　she　said；　〃the　tears　in　her　eyes？　　It　wrenches　my　heart。　　She　has　become　an　old　woman　in　a　day。　　I　feel　as　if　Frances　were　dead；　and　that　was　her　ghost　joking　and　laughing。〃

Lucy　said　nothing；　but　she　went　to　Frances　and　sat　beside　her　all　evening。　　When　the　prince　arrived　and　was　presented；　going　on　his　triumphant　way　through　the　room；　she　nestled　closer；　whispering；　〃What　do　you　think　of　him？〃

〃He　looks　very　like　our　little　fat　Dutch　baker　in　Weirhe　has　the　same　air　of　patronage；〃　said　Frances　coldly。　　She　was　offended　that　Lucy　should　notice　the　man　at　all。　　Was　it　not　she　whom　George　should　have　married？　　How　happy　they　would　have　beenher　boy　and　this　sweet；　neat　little　girl！　　And　already　Lucy　was　curious　about　so…called　princes！

When　his　Highness　came　back　to　them　she　rose　hastily　and　went　to　her　own　room。

Late　that　night　Miss　Vance　found　her　there　in　the　dark；　sitting　bolt　upright　in　her　chair；　still　robed　in　velvet　and　lace。　　Clara　regarded　her　sternly；　feeling　that　it　was　time　to　take　her　in　hand。

〃You　have　not　forgiven　George？〃　she　said　abruptly。

Mrs。　Waldeaux　looked　up；　but　said　nothing。

〃Is　he　coming　back　soon？〃

〃He　never　shall　come　back　while　that　woman　is　with　him。〃

Miss　Vance　put　her　lamp　on　the　table　and　sat　down。　　〃Frances；〃　she　said　deliberately；　〃I　know　what　this　is　to　you。　　It　would　have　been　better　for　you　that　George　had　died。〃

〃Much　better。〃

〃But　he　didn't　die。　　He　married　Lisa　Arpent。　　Now　it　is　your　duty　to　accept　it。　　Make　the　best　of　it。〃

〃If　a　lizard　crawls　into　my　house　will　you　tell　me　to　accept　it？　　Make　the　best　of　it？　　Oh；　my　God！　　The　slimy　vile　creature！〃

〃She　is　not　vile！　　I　tell　you　there　are　lovable　qualities　in　Lisa。　　And　even　if　she　were　as　wicked　as　her　mother；　what　right　have　you　　You；　too；　are　a　sinner　before　God。〃

〃No；〃　said　Mrs。　Waldeaux　gravely；　〃I　am　not。　　I　have　lived　a　good　Christian　life。　　I　may　have　been　tempted　to　commit　sin；　but　I　cannot　remember　that　I　ever　did　it。〃

Miss　Vance　looked　at　her　aghast。　　〃But　surely　your　religion　teaches　you　　Why；　you　are　sinning　now；　when　you　hate　this　girl！〃

〃I　do　not　hate　her。　　God　made　her　as　he　made　the　lizard。　　I　simply　will　not　allow　her　to　cross　my　path。　　What　has　religion　to　do　with　it？　　I　am　clean　and　she　is　vile。　　That　is　all　there　is　to　say。〃

Both　women　were　silent。　　Mrs。　Waldeaux　got　up　at　last　and　caught　Clara　by　the　arm。　　She　was　trembling　violently。　　〃No；　I'm　not　ill。　　I'm　well　enough。　　But　you　don't　under…　stand！　　That　woman　has　killed　George。　　I　spent　twenty　years　in　making　him　what　he　is。　　I　workedthere　was　nothing　but　him　for　me　in　the　world。　　I　didn't　spare　myself。　　To　make　him　a　gentlemana　Chris