the dark flower-第16章

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had　he　been　faithful　to　herin　very　hot　climatesall　these　years？
A　sense　of　waste；　and　of　injustice；　tried　to　rear　its　head　against
all　the　side　of　him　that　attached　certain　meanings　to　certain
words；　and　acted　up　to　them。　　And　this　revolt　gave　him　a　feeling；
strange　and　so　unpleasant。　　Love！　　It　was　not　a　word　to　use　thus
loosely！　　Love　led　to　marriage；　this　could　not　lead　to　marriage；
except　throughthe　Divorce　Court。　　And　suddenly　the　Colonel　had　a
vision　of　his　dead　brother　Lindsay；　Olive's　father；　standing　there
in　the　dark；　with　his　grave；　clear…cut；　ivory…pale　face；　under　the
black　hair　supposed　to　be　derived　from　a　French　ancestress　who　had
escaped　from　the　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew。　　Upright　fellow
always；　Lindsayeven　before　he　was　made　bishop！　　Queer　somehow
that　Olive　should　be　his　daughter。　　Not　that　she　was　not　upright；
not　at　all！　　But　she　was　soft！　　Lindsay　was　not！　　Imagine　him
seeing　that　young　fellow　putting　her　handkerchief　in　his　pocket。
But　had　young　Lennan　really　done　such　a　thing？　　Dolly　was
imaginative！　　He　had　mistaken　it　probably　for　his　own；　if　he　had
chanced　to　blow　his　nose；　he　would　have　realized。　　For；　coupled
with　the　almost　child…like　candour　of　his　mind；　the　Colonel　had
real　administrative　vigour；　a　true　sense　of　practical　values；　an
ounce　of　illustration　was　always　worth　to　him　a　pound　of　theory！
Dolly　was　given　to　riding　off　on　theories。　　Thank　God！　she　never
acted　on　'em！

He　said　gently：

〃My　dear！　　Young　Lennan　may　be　an　artist　and　all　that；　but　he's　a
gentleman！　　I　know　old　Heatherley；　his　guardian。　　Why　I　introduced
him　to　Olive　myself！〃

〃What　has　that　to　do　with　it？　　He's　in　love　with　her。〃

One　of　the　countless　legion　that　hold　a　creed　taken　at　face　value；
into　whose　roots　and　reasons　they　have　never　dreamed　of　going；　the
Colonel　was　staggered。　　Like　some　native　on　an　island　surrounded　by
troubled　seas；　which　he　has　stared　at　with　a　certain　contemptuous
awe　all　his　life；　but　never　entered；　he　was　disconcerted　by　thus
being　asked　to　leave　the　shore。　　And　by　his　own　wife！

Indeed；　Mrs。　Ercott　had　not　intended　to　go　so　far；　but　there　was　in
her；　as　in　all　women　whose　minds　are　more　active　than　their
husbands'；　a　something　worrying　her　always　to　go　a　little　farther
than　she　meant。　　With　real　compunction　she　heard　the　Colonel　say：

〃I　must　get　up　and　drink　some　water。〃

She　was　out　of　bed　in　a　moment。　　〃Not　without　boiling！〃

She　had　seriously　troubled　him；　then！　　Now　he　would　not　sleepthe
blood　went　to　his　head　so　quickly。　　He　would　just　lie　awake；　trying
not　to　disturb　her。　　She　could　not　bear　him　not　to　disturb　her。　　It
seemed　so　selfish　of　her！　　She　ought　to　have　known　that　the　whole
subject　was　too　dangerous　to　discuss　at　night。

She　became　conscious　that　he　was　standing　just　behind　her；　his
figure　in　its　thin　covering　looked　very　lean；　his　face　strangely
worn。

〃I'm　sorry　you　put　that　idea　into　my　head！〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　fond　of
Olive。〃

Again　Mrs。　Ercott　felt　that　jealous　twinge；　soon　lost　this　time　in
the　motherliness　of　a　childless　woman　for　her　husband。　　He　must　not
be　troubled！　　He　should　not　be　troubled。　　And　she　said：

〃The　water's　boiling！　　Now　sip　a　good　glass　slowly；　and　get　into
bed；　or　I'll　take　your　temperature！〃

Obediently　the　Colonel　took　from　her　the　glass；　and　as　he　sipped；
she　put　her　hand　up　and　stroked　his　head。


IV


In　the　room　below　them　the　subject　of　their　discussion　was　lying
very　wide　awake。　　She　knew　that　she　had　betrayed　herself；　made
plain　to　Mark　Lennan　what　she　had　never　until　now　admitted　to
herself。　　But　the　love…look；　which　for　the　life　of　her　she　could
not　keep　back；　had　been　followed　by　a　feeling　of　having　'lost
caste。'　　For；　hitherto；　the　world　of　women　had　been　strictly
divided　by　her　into　those　who　did　and　those　who　did　not　do　such
things；　and　to　be　no　longer　quite　sure　to　which　half　she　belonged
was　frightening。　　But　what　was　the　good　of　thinking；　of　being
frightened？it　could　not　lead　to　anything。　　Yesterday　she　had　not
known　this　would　come；　and　now　she　could　not　guess　at　to…morrow！
To…night　was　enough！　　To…night　with　its　swimming　loveliness！　　Just
to　feel！　　To　love；　and　to　be　loved！

A　new　sensation　for　heras　different　from　those　excited　by　the
courtships　of　her　girlhood；　or　by　her　marriage；　as　light　from
darkness。　　For　she　had　never　been　in　love；　not　even　with　her
husband。　　She　knew　it　now。　　The　sun　was　shining　in　a　world　where
she　had　thought　there　was　none。　　Nothing　could　come　of　it。　　But　the
sun　was　shining；　and　in　that　sunshine　she　must　warm　herself　a
little。

Quite　simply　she　began　to　plan　what　he　and　she　would　do。　　There
were　six　days　left。　　They　had　not　yet　been　to　Gorbio；　nor　to
Castellarnone　of　those　long　walks　or　rides　they　had　designed　to
do　for　the　beauty　of　them。　　Would　he　come　early　to…morrow？　　What
could　they　do　together？　　No　one　should　know　what　these　six　days
would　be　to　hernot　even　he。　　To　be　with　him；　watch　his　face；　hear
his　voice；　and　now　and　then　just　touch　him！　　She　could　trust
herself　to　show　no　one。　　And　then；　it　would　beover！　　Though；　of
course；　she　would　see　him　again　in　London。

And；　lying　there　in　the　dark；　she　thought　of　their　first　meeting；
one　Sunday　morning；　in　Hyde　Park。　　The　Colonel　religiously　observed
Church　Parade；　and　would　even　come　all　the　way　down　to　Westminster；
from　his　flat　near　Knightsbridge；　in　order　to　fetch　his　niece　up　to
it。　　She　remembered　how；　during　their　stroll；　he　had　stopped
suddenly　in　front　of　an　old　gentleman　with　a　puffy　yellow　face　and
eyes　half　open。

〃Ah！　　Mr。　Heatherleyyou　up　from　Devonshire？　　How's　your　nephew
theersculptor？〃

And　the　old　gentleman；　glaring　a　little；　as　it　seemed　to　her；　from
under　his　eyelids　and　his　grey　top　hat；　had　answered：　〃Colonel
Ercott；　I　think？　　Here's　the　fellow　himselfMark！〃　　And　a　young
man　had　taken　off　his　hat。　　She　had　only　noticed　at　first　that　his
dark　hair　grewnot　longbut　very　thick；　and　that　his　eyes　were
very　deep…set。　　Then　she　saw　him　smile；　it　made　his　face　all　eager；
yet　left　it　shy；　and　she　decided　that　he　was　nice。　　Soon　after；　she
had　gone　with　the　Ercotts　to　see　his　'things'；　for　it　was；　of
course；　and　especially　in　those　days；　quite　an　event　to　know　a
sculptorrather　like　having　a　zebra　in　your　park。　　The　Colonel　had
been　delighted　and　a　little　relieved　to　find　that　the　'things'　were
nearly　all　of　beasts　and　birds。　　〃Very　interestin'〃　to　one　full　of
curious　lore　about　such；　having　in　his　time　killed　many　of　them；
and　finding　himself　at　the　end　of　it　with　a　curious　aversion　to
killing　any　morewhich　he　never　put　into　words。

Acquaintanceship　had　ripened　fast　after　that　first　visit　to　his
studio；　and　now　it　was　her　turn　to　be　relieved　that　Mark　Lennan
devoted　himself　almost　entirely　to　beasts　and　birds　instead　of　to
the　human　form；　so…called　divine。　　Ah！　yesshe　would　have
suffered；　now　that　she　loved　him；　she　saw　that。　　At　all　events　she
could　watch　his　work　and　help　it　with　sympathy。　　That　could　not　be
wrong。　。　。　。

She　fell　asleep　at　last；　and　dreamed　that　she　was　in　a　boat　alone
on　the　river　near　her　country　cottage；　drifting　along　among　spiky
flowers　like　asphodels；　with　birds　singing　and　flying　round　her。
She　could　move　neither　face　nor　limbs；　but　that　helpless　feeling
was　not　unpleasant；　till　she　became　conscious　that　she　was　drawing
nearer　and　nearer　to　what　was　neither　water　nor　land；　light　nor
darkness；　but　simply　some　unutterable　feeling。　　And　then　she　saw；
gazing　at　her　out　of　the　rushes　on　the　banks；　a　great　bull　head。
It　moved　as　she　movedit　was　on　both　sides　of　her；　yet　all　the
time　only　one　head。　　She　tried　to　raise　her　hands　and　cover　her
eyes；　but　could　notand　woke　with　a　sob。　。　。　。　　It　was　light。

Nearly　six　o'clock　already！　　Her　dream　made　her　disinclined　to
trust　again　to　sleep。　　Sleep　was　a　robber　nowof　each　minute　of
these　few　days！　　She　got　up；　and　looked　out。　　The　morning　was　fine；
the　air　warm　already；　sweet　with　dew；　and　heliotrope　nailed　to　the
wall　outside　her　window。　　She　had　but　to　open　her　shutters　and　walk
into　the　sun。　　She　dressed；　took　her　sunshade；　stealthily　slipped
the　shutters　back；　and　stole　forth。　　Shunning　the　hotel　garden；
where　the　eccentricity　of　her　early　wandering　might　betray　the
condition　of　her　spirit；　she　passed　through　into　the　road　toward
the　Casino。　　Without　perhaps　knowing　it；　she　was　making　for　where
she　had　sat　with　him　yesterday　afternoon；　listening　to　the　band。
Hatless；　but　defended　by　her　sunshade；　she　excited　the　admiration
of　the　few　connoisseurs　as　yet　abroad；　strolling　in　blue　blouses　to
their　labours；　and　this　simple　admiration　gave　her　pleasure。　　For
once　she　was　really　conscious　of　the　grace　in　her　own　limbs；
actually　felt　the　gentle　vividness　of　her　own　face；　with　its　nearly
black　hair　and　eyes；　and　creamy　skinstrange　sensation；　and　very
comforting！

In　the　Casino　gardens　she　walked　more　slowly；　savouring　the
aromatic　trees；　and　stopping　to　bend　and　look　at　almost　every
flower；　then；　on　the　seat；　where　she　had　sat　with　him　yesterday；
she　rested。　　A　few　paces　away　were　the　steps　that　led　to　the
railway…station；　trodden　upwards　eagerly　by　so　many；　day　after　day；
night　after　night；　and　lightly　or　sorrowfully　descended。　　Above
her；　two　pines；　a　pepper…tree；　and　a　palm　mingled　their　shadeso
fantastic　the　jumbling　of　trees　and　souls　in　this　strange　place！
She　furled　her　sunshade　and　leaned　back。　　Her　gaze；　free　and
friendly；　passed　from　bough　to　bough。　　Against　the　bright　sky；
unbesieged　as　yet　by　heat　or　dust；　they　had　a　spiritual　look；　lying
sharp　and　flat　along　the　air。　　She　plucked　a　cluster　of　pinkish
berries　from　the　pepper…tree；　crushing　and　rubbing　them　between　her
hands　to　get　their　fragrance。　　All　these　beautiful　and　sweet　things
seemed　to　be　a　part　of　her　joy　at　being　loved；　part　of　this　sudden
summer　in　her　heart。　　The　sky；　the　flowers；　that　jewel　of　green…
blue　sea；　the　bright　acacias；　were　nothing　in　the　world　but　love。

And　those　few　who　passed；　and　saw　her　sitting　there　under　the
pepper…tree；　wondered　no　doubt　at　the　stillness　of　this　dame　bien
mise；　who　had　risen　so　early。


V


In　the　small　hours；　which　so　many　wish　were　smaller；　the　Colonel
had　awakened；　with　the　affair　of　the　handkerchief　swelling　visibly。
His　niece's　husband　was　not　a　man　that　he　had　much　liking　fora
taciturn　fellow；　with　possibly　a　bit　of　the　brute　in　him；　a　man　who
rather　rode　people　down；　but；　since　Dolly　and　he　were　in　charge　of
Olive；　the　notion　that　young　Lennan　was　falling　in　love　with　her
under　their　very　noses　was　alarming　to　one　naturally　punctilious。
It　was　not　until　he　fell　asleep　again；　and　woke　in　full　morning
light；　that　the　remedy　occurred　to　him。　　She　must　be　taken　out　of
herself！　　Dolly　and　he　had　been　slack；　too　interested　in　this　queer
place；　this　queer　lot　of　people！　　They　had　neglected　her；　left　her
to。　。　。　　Boys　and　girls！One　ought　always　to　remember。　　But　it　was
not　too　late。　　She　was　old　Lindsay's　daughter；　would　not　forget
herself。　　Poor　old　Lindsayfine　fellow；　bit　too　much；　perhaps；　of
theHuguenot　in　him！　　Queer；　those　throw…backs！　　Had　noticed　in
horses；　time　and　againwhite　hairs　about　the　tail；　carriage　of　the
headskip　generations　and　then　pop　out。　　And　Olive　had　s