友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

villa rubein and other stories-第54章

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!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!






〃At three o'clock they start in a carriage on the road to Linzthey

have bad horsesthe Herr also rides a white horse。〃



Swithin at once hailed a carriage and started at full gallop on the

road to Linz。  Outside the Mirabell Garden he caught sight of

Kasteliz and grinned at him。  'I've sold him anyway;' he thought;

'for all their talk; they're no good; these foreigners!'



His spirits rose; but soon fell again。  What chance had he of

catching them?  They had three hours' start!  Still; the roads were

heavy from the rain of the last two nightsthey had luggage and bad

horses; his own were good; his driver bribedhe might overtake them

by ten o'clock! But did he want to?  What a fool he had been not to

bring his luggage; he would then have had a respectable position。

What a brute he would look without a change of shirt; or anything to

shave with!  He saw himself with horror; all bristly; and in soiled

linen。  People would think him mad。  'I've given myself away;'

flashed across him; 'what the devil can I say to them?' and he stared

sullenly at the driver's back。  He read Rozsi's letter again; it had

a scent of her。  And in the growing darkness; jolted by the swinging

of the carriage; he suffered tortures from his prudence; tortures

from his passion。



It grew colder and dark。  He turned the collar of his coat up to his

ears。  He had visions of Piccadilly。  This wild…goose chase appeared

suddenly a dangerous; unfathomable business。  Lights; fellowship;

security!  'Never again!' he brooded; 'why won't they let me alone?'

But it was not clear whether by 'they' he meant the conventions; the

Boleskeys; his passions; or those haunting memories of Rozsi。  If he

had only had a bag with him!  What was he going to say?  What was he

going to get by this?  He received no answer to these questions。  The

darkness itself was less obscure than his sensations。  From time to

time he took out his watch。  At each village the driver made

inquiries。  It was past ten when he stopped the carriage with a jerk。

The stars were bright as steel; and by the side of the road a reedy

lake showed in the moonlight。  Swithin shivered。  A man on a horse

had halted in the centre of the road。  〃Drive on!〃 called Swithin;

with a stolid face。  It turned out to be Boleskey; who; on a gaunt

white horse; looked like some winged creature。  He stood where he

could bar the progress of the carriage; holding out a pistol。



'Theatrical beggar!' thought Swithin; with a nervous smile。  He made

no sign of recognition。  Slowly Boleskey brought his lean horse up to

the carriage。  When he saw who was within he showed astonishment and

joy。



〃You?〃 he cried; slapping his hand on his attenuated thigh; and

leaning over till his beard touched Swithin。  〃You have come?  You

followed us?〃



〃It seems so;〃 Swithin grunted out。



〃You throw in your lot with us。  Is it possible?  Youyou are a

knight…errant then!〃



〃Good God!〃 said Swithin。  Boleskey; flogging his dejected steed;

cantered forward in the moonlight。  He came back; bringing an old

cloak; which he insisted on wrapping round Swithin's shoulders。  He

handed him; too; a capacious flask。



〃How cold you look!〃 he said。  〃Wonderful! Wonderful! you English!〃

His grateful eyes never left Swithin for a moment。  They had come up

to the heels of the other carriage now; but Swithin; hunched in the

cloak; did not try to see what was in front of him。  To the bottom of

his soul he resented the Hungarian's gratitude。  He remarked at last;

with wasted irony:



〃You're in a hurry; it seems!〃



〃If we had wings;〃 Boleskey answered; 〃we would use them。〃



〃Wings!〃 muttered Swithin thickly; 〃legs are good enough for me。〃









X



Arrived at the inn where they were to pass the night; Swithin waited;

hoping to get into the house without a 〃scene;〃 but when at last he

alighted the girls were in the doorway; and Margit greeted him with

an admiring murmur; in which; however; he seemed to detect irony。

Rozsi; pale and tremulous; with a half…scared look; gave him her

hand; and; quickly withdrawing it; shrank behind her sister。  When

they had gone up to their room Swithin sought Boleskey。  His spirits

had risen remarkably。  〃Tell the landlord to get us supper;〃 he said;

〃we'll crack a bottle to our luck。〃  He hurried on the landlord's

preparations。  The window of the; room faced a wood; so near that he

could almost touch the trees。  The scent from the pines blew in on

him。  He turned away from that scented darkness; and began to draw

the corks of winebottles。  The sound seemed to conjure up Boleskey。

He came in; splashed all over; smelling slightly of stables; soon

after; Margit appeared; fresh and serene; but Rozsi did not come。



〃Where is your sister?〃 Swithin said。  Rozsi; it seemed; was tired。

〃It will do her good to eat;〃 said Swithin。  And Boleskey; murmuring;

〃She must drink to our country;〃 went out to summon her; Margit

followed him; while Swithin cut up a chicken。  They came back without

her。  She had 〃a megrim of the spirit。〃



Swithin's face fell。  〃Look here!〃 he said; 〃I'll go and try。  Don't

wait for me。〃



〃Yes;〃 answered Boleskey; sinking mournfully into a chair; 〃try;

brother; try…by all means; try。〃



Swithin walked down the corridor with an odd; sweet; sinking

sensation in his chest; and tapped on Rozsi's door。  In a minute; she

peeped forth; with her hair loose; and wondering eyes。



〃Rozsi;〃 he stammered; 〃what makes you afraid of me; now?〃



She stared at him; but did not answer。



〃Why won't you come?〃



Still she did not speak; but suddenly stretched out to him her bare

arm。  Swithin pressed his face to it。  With a shiver; she whispered

above him; 〃I will come;〃 and gently shut the door。



Swithin stealthily retraced his steps; and paused a minute outside

the sitting…room to regain his self…control。



The sight of Boleskey with a bottle in his hand steadied him。



〃She is coming;〃 he said。  And very soon she did come; her thick hair

roughly twisted in a plait。



Swithin sat between the girls; but did not talk; for he was really

hungry。  Boleskey too was silent; plunged in gloom; Rozsi was dumb;

Margit alone chattered。



〃You will come to our Father…town?  We shall have things to show you。

Rozsi; what things we will show him!〃  Rozsi; with a little appealing

movement of her hands; repeated; 〃What things we will show you!〃  She

seemed suddenly to find her voice; and with glowing cheeks; mouths

full; and eyes bright as squirrels'; they chattered reminiscences of

the 〃dear Father…town;〃 of 〃dear friends;〃 of the 〃dear home。〃



'A poor place!' Swithin could not help thinking。  This enthusiasm

seemed to him common; but he was careful to assume a look of

interest; feeding on the glances flashed at him from Rozsi's restless

eyes。



As the wine waned Boleskey grew more and more gloomy; but now and

then a sort of gleaming flicker passed over his face。  He rose to his

feet at last。



〃Let us not forget;〃 he said; 〃that we go perhaps to ruin; to death;

in the face of all this we go; because our country needsin this

there is no credit; neither to me nor to you; my daughters; but for

this noble Englishman; what shall we say?  Give thanks to God for a

great heart。  He comesnot for country; not for fame; not for money;

but to help the weak and the oppressed。  Let us drink; then; to him;

let us drink again and again to heroic Forsyte!〃  In the midst of the

dead silence; Swithin caught the look of suppliant mockery in Rozsi's

eyes。  He glanced at the Hungarian。  Was he laughing at him?  But

Boleskey; after drinking up his wine; had sunk again into his seat;

and there suddenly; to the surprise of all; he began to snore。

Margit rose and; bending over him like a mother; murmured: 〃He is

tiredit is the ride!〃  She raised him in her strong arms; and

leaning on her shoulder Boleskey staggered from the room。  Swithin

and Rozsi were left alone。  He slid his hand towards her hand that

lay so close; on the rough table…cloth。  It seemed to await his

touch。  Something gave way in him; and words came welling up; for the

moment he forgot himself; forgot everything but that he was near her。

Her head dropped on his shoulder; he breathed the perfume of her

hair。  〃Good…night!〃 she whispered; and the whisper was like a kiss;

yet before he could stop her she was gone。  Her footsteps died away

in the passage; but Swithin sat gazing intently at a single bright

drop of spilt wine quivering on the table's edge。  In that moment

she; in her helplessness and emotion; was all in all to himhis life

nothing; all the real thingshis conventions; convictions; training;

and himselfall seemed remote; behind a mist of passion and strange

chivalry。  Carefully with a bit of bread he soaked up the bright

drop; and suddenly he thought: 'This is tremendous!'  For a long time

he stood there in the window; cl
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!