we two-第70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！


〃Only　for　you；〃　she　replied；　laughing。　　〃I　was　thinking　of　Mr。　Fane…Smith's　great　study；　it　seems　such　a　pity　that　five　foot　three；　with　few　books　and　nothing　to　do；　should　have　all　that　space；　and　six　foot　four；　with　much　work　and　many　books；　be　cramped　up　in　this　little　room。〃

〃What　would　you　say　to　a　move？〃

〃It　will　be　such　an　expensive　year；　and　there's　that　dreadful　Mr。　Pogson　always　in　the　background。〃

〃But　if　a　house　were　given　to　us？　　Where's　Tom？　　I've　a　letter　here　which　concerns　you　both。　　Do　either　of　you　remember　anything　about　an　old　Mr。　Woodward　who　lived　at　16　Guilford　Square？〃

〃Why；　yes！　　Don't　you　remember；　Tom？　　The　old　gentleman　whose　greenhouse　we　smashed。〃

〃Rather！〃　said　Tom。　　〃I've　the　marks　of　the　beastly　thing　now。〃

〃What　was　it？　　Let　me　hear　the　story；〃　said　Raeburn；　leaning　back　in　his　chair　with　a　look　of　amusement　flickering　about　his　rather　stern　face。

〃Why；　father；　it　was　years　ago；　you　were　on　your　first　tour　in　America；　I　must　have　been　about　twelve；　and　Tom　fourteen。　　We　had　only　just　settled　in　here；　you　know；　and　one　unlucky　Saturday　we　were　playing　in　the　garden　at　'King　of　the　Castle。'〃

〃What's　that？〃　asked　Raeburn。

〃Why；　Tom　was　king；　and　I　was　the　Republican　Army；　and　Tom　was　standing　on　the　top　of　the　wall　trying　to　push　me　down。　　He　had　to　sing：

〃'I'm　the　king　of　the　castle！　Get　down；　you　dirty　rascal！'

And　somehow　I　don't　know　how　it　was　instead　of　climbing　up；　I　pushed　him　backward　by　mistake；　and　he　went　down　with　an　awful　crash　into　the　next　garden。　　We　knew　it　was　the　garden　belonging　to　No。　16　quite　a　large　one　it　is　for　the　hospital　hasn't　any。　　And　when　at　last　I　managed　to　scramble　on　to　the　wall；　there　was　Tom；　head　downward；　with　his　feet　sticking　up　through　the　roof　of　a　greenhouse；　and　the　rest　of　him　all　among　the　flower　pots。〃

Raeburn　laughed　heartily。

〃There　was　a　brute　of　a　cactus　jammed　against　my　face；　too；〃　said　Tom。　　〃How　I　ever　got　out　alive　was　a　marvel！〃

〃Well；　what　happened？〃　asked　Raeburn。

〃Why；　we　went　round　to　tell　the　No。　16　people。　　Tom　waited　outside；　because　he　was　so　frightfully　cut　about；　and　I　went　int；　and　saw　an　old；　old　man　a　sort　of　Methusaleh　who　would　ask　my　name；　and　whether　I　had　anything　to　do　with　you。〃

〃What　did　you　say　to　him？〃

〃I　can't　remember　except　that　I　asked　him　to　let　us　pay　for　the　glass　by　installments；　and　tried　to　assure　him　that　secularists　were　not　in　the　habit　of　smashing　other　people's　property。　　He　was　a　very　jolly　old　man；　and　of　course　he　wouldn't　let　us　pay　for　the　glass　though　he　frightened　me　dreadfully　by　muttering　that　he　shouldn't　wonder　if　the　glass　and　the　honesty　combined　cost　him　a　pretty　penny。〃

〃Did　you　ever　see　him　again？〃

〃Not　to　speak　to；　but　we　always　nodded　to　each　other　when　we　passed　in　the　square。　　I've　not　seen　him　for　ages。　　I　thought　he　must　be　dead。〃

〃He　is　dead；〃　said　Raeburn；　〃and　he　has　left　you　three　hundred　pounds；　and　he　has　left　me　his　furnished　house；　with　the　sole　proviso　that　I　live　in　it。〃

〃What　a　brick！〃　cried　Tom　and　Erica；　in　a　breath。　　〃Now　fancy；　if　we　hadn't　played　at　'King　of　the　Castle'　that　day！〃

〃And　if　Erica　had　not　been　such　a　zealous　little　Republican？〃　said　Raeburn；　smiling。

〃Why；　father；　the　very　greenhouse　will　belong　to　you；　and　such　a　nice　piece　of　garden！　　Oh；　when　can　we　go　and　see　it；　and　choose　a　nice　room　for　your　study？〃

〃I　will　see　Mr。　Woodward's　executor　tomorrow　morning；〃　said　Raeburn。　　〃The　sooner　we　move　in　the　better　for　there　are　rocks　ahead。〃

〃The　'we'　refers　only　to　you　and　Erica；〃　said　Aunt　Jean；　who　had　joined　them。　　〃Tom　and　I　shall　of　course　stay　on　here。〃

〃Oh；　no；　auntie！〃　cried　Erica　in　such　genuine　dismay　that　Aunt　Jean　was　touched。

〃I　don't　want　you　to　feel　at　all　bound　to　have　us；〃　she　said。　　〃Now　that　the　worst　of　the　poverty　is　over；　there　is　no　necessity　for　clubbing　together。〃

〃And　after　you　have　shared　all　the　discomforts　with　us；　you　think　we　should　go　off　in　such　a　dog…in…the…mangerish　way　as　that！〃　cried　Erica。　　〃Besides；　it　really　was　chiefly　owing　to　Tom；　who　was　the　one　to　get　hurt　into　the　bargain。　　〃If　you　won't　come；　I　shall〃　she　paused　to　think　of　a　threat　terrible　enough　〃I　shall　think　again　about　living　with　the　Fane…Smiths。〃

This　led　the　conversation　back　to　Greyshot；　and　they　lingered　so　long　round　the　fire　talking　that　Raeburn　was　for　once　unpunctual；　and　kept　an　audience　at　least　ten　minutes　waiting　for　him。

No。　16　Guilford　Square　proved　to　be　much　better　inside　than　a　casual　passer　in　the　street　would　have　imagined。　　Outside；　it　was　certainly　a　grim…looking　house；　but　within　it　was　roomy　and　comfortable。　　The　lower　rooms　were　wainscoted　in　a　sort　of　yellowish…brown　color；　the　upper　wainscoted　in　olive…green。　　There　was　no　such　thing　as　a　wall　paper　in　the　whole　house；　and　indeed　it　was　hard　to　imagine；　when　once　inside　it；　that　you　were　in　nineteenth…century　London　at　all。

Raeburn；　going　over　it　with　Erica　the　following　evening；　was　a　little　amused　to　think　of　himself　domiciled　in　such　an　old…world　house。　　Mr。　Woodward's　housekeeper；　who　was　still　taking　care　of　the　place；　assured　them　that　one　of　the　leaden　pipes　outside　bore　the　date　of　the　seventeenth　century；　though　the　two　last　figures　were　so　illegible　that　they　might　very　possibly　have　stood　for　1699。

Erica　was　delighted　with　it　all；　and　went　on　private　voyages　of　discovery；　while　her　father　talked　to　the　housekeeper；　taking　stock　of　the　furniture；　imagining　how　she　would　rearrange　the　rooms；　and　planning　many　purchases　to　be　made　with　her　three　hundred　pounds。　　She　was　singing　to　herself　for　very　lightness　of　heart　when　her　father　called　her　from　below。　　She　rand　down　again；　checking　her　inclination　to　sing　as　she　remembered　the　old　housekeeper；　who　had　but　recently　lost　her　master。

〃I've　rather　set　my　affections　on　this　room；〃　said　Raeburn；　leading　her　into　what　had　formerly　been　the　dining　room。

〃The　very　place　where　I　came　in　fear　and　trembling　to　make　my　confession；〃　said　Erica；　laughing。　　〃This　would　make　a　capital　study。〃

〃Yes；　the　good　woman　has　gone　to　fetch　an　inch　tape；　I　want　to　measure　for　the　book　shelves。　　How　many　of　my　books　could　I　comfortably　house　in　here；　do　you　think？〃

〃A　good　many。　　The　room　is　high；　you　see；　and　those　two　long；　unbroken　walls　would　take　several　hundred。　　Ah！　　Here　is　the　measuring　tape。　　Now　we　can　calculate。〃

They　were　hard　at　work　measuring　when　the　door　bell　rang；　and　Tom's　voice　was　heard　in　the　passage；　asking　for　Raeburn。

〃This　way；　Tom！〃　called　Erica。　　〃Come　and　help　us！〃

But　a　laughing　reference　to　the　day　of　their　childish　disaster　died　on　her　lips　when　she　caught　sight　of　him　for　she　knew　that　something　was　wrong。　　Accustomed　all　her　life　to　live　in　the　region　of　storms；　she　had　learned　to　a　nicety　the　tokens　of　rough　weather。

〃Hazeldine　wishes　to　speak　to　you；〃　said　Tom；　turning　to　Raeburn。　　〃I　brought　him　round　here　to　save　time。〃

〃Oh！　　All　right；〃　said　Raeburn；　too　much　absorbed　in　planning　the　arrangement　of　his　treasures　to　notice　the　unusual　graveness　of　Tom's　face。　　〃Ask　him　in　here。　　Good　evening；　Hazeldine。　　You　are　the　first　to　see　us　in　our　new　quarters。〃

Hazeldine　bore　traces　of　having　lived　from　his　childhood　a　hard　but　sedentary　life。　　He　was　under…sized　and　narrow　chested。　　But　the　face　was　a　very　striking　one；　the　forehead　finely　developed；　the　features　clearly　cut；　and　the　bright；　dark　eyes　looking　out　on　the　world　with　an　almost　defiant　honesty；　a　clearness　bordering　on　hardness。

Raeburn；　entirely　putting　aside　for　the　time　his　own　affairs；　and　giving　to　his　visitor　his　whole　and　undivided　attention；　saw　in　an　instant　that　the　man　was　in　trouble。

〃Out　of　work　again？〃　he　asked。　　〃Anything　gone　wrong？〃

〃No　sir；〃　replied　Hazeldine；　〃but　I　came　round　to　ask　if　you'd　seen　that　circular　letter。　　'Twas　sent　me　this　morning　by　a　mate　of　mine　who's　lately　gone　to　Longstaff；　and　he　says　that　this　Pogson　is　sowing　them　broadcast　among　the　hands　right　through　all　the　workshops　in　the　place；　and　in　all　England；　too；　for　aught　he　knows。　　I　wouldn't　so　much　as　touch　the　dirty　thing；　only　I　thought　maybe　you　hadn't　heard　of　it。〃

Without　a　word；　Raeburn　held　out　his　hand　for　the　printed　letter。　　Erica；　standing　at　a　little　distance；　watched　the　faces　of　the　three　men　Tom；　grave；　yet　somewhat　flushed；　Hazeldine；　with　a　scornful　glitter　in　his　dark　eyes；　her　father？　　Last　of　all　she　looked　at　him　and　looking；　learned　the　full　gravity　of　this　new　trouble。　　For；　as　he　read；　Raeburn　grew　white；　with　the　marble　whiteness　which　means　that　intense　anger　has　interfered　with　the　action　of　the　heart。　　As　he　hastily　perused　the　lines；　his　eyes　seemed　to　flash　fire；　the　hand　which　still　held　the　measuring　tape　was　clinched　so　tightly　that　the　knuckle　looked　like　polished　ivory。

Erica　could　not　ask　what　was　the　matter；　but　she　came　close　to　him。　　When　he　had　finished　reading；　the　first　thing　his　eye　fell　upon　was　her　face　turned　up　to　his　with　a　mute　appeal　which；　in　spite　of　the　anxiety　in　it；　made　her　look　almost　like　a　child。　　He　shrank　back　as　she　held　out　her　hand　for　the　letter；　it　was　so　foul　a　libel　that　it　seemed　intolerable　to　him　that　his　own　child　should　so　much　as　read　a　line　of　it。

〃W