in the cage-第16章

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when　they　stared　like　dead　fish。　　〃And　you　have　no　clue？〃



〃Not　at　allI've　the　clue　I've　just　given　you。〃



〃Oh　the　last　of　August？〃　　If　she　kept　it　up　long　enough　she　would

make　him　really　angry。



〃Yes；　and　the　address；　as　I've　said。〃



〃Oh　the　same　as　last　night？〃



He　visibly　quivered；　as　with　a　gleam　of　hope；　but　it　only　poured

oil　on　her　quietude；　and　she　was　still　deliberate。　　She　ranged　some

papers。　　〃Won't　you　look？〃　he　went　on。



〃I　remember　your　coming；〃　she　replied。



He　blinked　with　a　new　uneasiness；　it　might　have　begun　to　come　to

him；　through　her　difference；　that　he　was　somehow　different　himself。

〃You　were　much　quicker　then；　you　know！〃



〃So　were　youyou　must　do　me　that　justice；〃　she　answered　with　a

smile。　　〃But　let　me　see。　　Wasn't　it　Dover？〃



〃Yes；　Miss　Dolman〃



〃Parade　Lodge；　Parade　Terrace？〃



〃Exactlythank　you　so　awfully　much！〃　　He　began　to　hope　again。

〃Then　you　HAVE　itthe　other　one？〃



She　hesitated　afresh；　she　quite　dangled　him。　　〃It　was　brought　by　a

lady？〃



〃Yes；　and　she　put　in　by　mistake　something　wrong。　　That's　what　we've

got　to　get　hold　of！〃　　Heavens；　what　was　he　going　to　say？flooding

poor　Paddington　with　wild　betrayals！　　She　couldn't　too　much；　for

her　joy；　dangle　him；　yet　she　couldn't　either；　for　his　dignity；　warn

or　control　or　check　him。　　What　she　found　herself　doing　was　just　to

treat　herself　to　the　middle　way。　　〃It　was　intercepted？〃



〃It　fell　into　the　wrong　hands。　　But　there's　something　in　it；〃　he

continued　to　blurt　out；　〃that　MAY　be　all　right。　　That　is；　if　it's

wrong；　don't　you　know？　　It's　all　right　if　it's　wrong；〃　he

remarkably　explained。



What　WAS　he；　on　earth；　going　to　say？　　Mr。　Buckton　and　the　counter…

clerk　were　already　interested；　no　one　would　have　the　decency　to

come　in；　and　she　was　divided　between　her　particular　terror　for　him

and　her　general　curiosity。　　Yet　she　already　saw　with　what

brilliancy　she　could　add；　to　carry　the　thing　off；　a　little　false

knowledge　to　all　her　real。　　〃I　quite　understand；〃　she　said　with

benevolent；　with　almost　patronising　quickness。　　〃The　lady　has

forgotten　what　she　did　put。〃



〃Forgotten　most　wretchedly；　and　it's　an　immense　inconvenience。　　It

has　only　just　been　found　that　it　didn't　get　there；　so　that　if　we

could　immediately　have　it〃



〃Immediately？〃



〃Every　minute　counts。　　You　have；〃　he　pleaded；　〃surely　got　them　on

file？〃



〃So　that　you　can　see　it　on　the　spot？〃



〃Yes；　pleasethis　very　minute。〃　　The　counter　rang　with　his

knuckles；　with　the　knob　of　his　stick；　with　his　panic　of　alarm。

〃Do；　DO　hunt　it　up！〃　he　repeated。



〃I　dare　say　we　could　get　it　for　you；〃　the　girl　weetly　returned。



〃Get　it？〃he　looked　aghast。　　〃When？〃



〃Probably　by　to…morrow。〃



〃Then　it　isn't　here？〃his　face　was　pitiful。



She　caught　only　the　uncovered　gleams　that　peeped　out　of　the

blackness；　and　she　wondered　what　complication；　even　among　the　most

supposable；　the　very　worst；　could　be　bad　enough　to　account　for　the

degree　of　his　terror。　　There　were　twists　and　turns；　there　were

places　where　the　screw　drew　blood；　that　she　couldn't　guess。　　She

was　more　and　more　glad　she　didn't　want　to。　　〃It　has　been　sent　on。〃



〃But　how　do　you　know　if　you　don't　look？〃



She　gave　him　a　smile　that　was　meant　to　be；　in　the　absolute　irony　of

its　propriety；　quite　divine。　　〃It　was　August　23rd；　and　we've

nothing　later　here　than　August　27th。〃



Something　leaped　into　his　face。　　〃27th23rd？　　Then　you're　sure？

You　know？〃



She　felt　she　scarce　knew　whatas　if　she　might　soon　be　pounced　upon

for　some　lurid　connexion　with　a　scandal。　　It　was　the　queerest　of

all　sensations；　for　she　had　heard；　she　had　read；　of　these　things；

and　the　wealth　of　her　intimacy　with　them　at　Cocker's　might　be

supposed　to　have　schooled　and　seasoned　her。　　This　particular　one

that　she　had　really　quite　lived　with　was；　after　all；　an　old　story；

yet　what　it　had　been　before　was　dim　and　distant　beside　the　touch

under　which　she　now　winced。　　Scandal？it　had　never　been　but　a

silly　word。　　Now　it　was　a　great　tense　surface；　and　the　surface　was

somehow　Captain　Everard's　wonderful　face。　　Deep　down　in　his　eyes　a

picture；　a　scenea　great　place　like　a　chamber　of　justice；　where；

before　a　watching　crowd；　a　poor　girl；　exposed　but　heroic；　swore

with　a　quavering　voice　to　a　document；　proved　an　ALIBI；　supplied　a

link。　　In　this　picture　she　bravely　took　her　place。　　〃It　was　the

23rd。〃



〃Then　can't　you　get　it　this　morningor　some　time　to…day？〃



She　considered；　still　holding　him　with　her　look；　which　she　then

turned　on　her　two　companions；　who　were　by　this　time　unreservedly

enlisted。　　She　didn't　carenot　a　scrap；　and　she　glanced　about　for

a　piece　of　paper。　　With　this　she　had　to　recognise　the　rigour　of

official　thrifta　morsel　of　blackened　blotter　was　the　only　loose

paper　to　be　seen。　　〃Have　you　got　a　card？〃　she　said　to　her　visitor。

He　was　quite　away　from　Paddington　now；　and　the　next　instant；

pocket…book　in　hand；　he　had　whipped　a　card　out。　　She　gave　no　glance

at　the　name　on　itonly　turned　it　to　the　other　side。　　She　continued

to　hold　him；　she　felt　at　present；　as　she　had　never　held　him；　and

her　command　of　her　colleagues　was　for　the　moment　not　less　marked。

She　wrote　something　on　the　back　of　the　card　and　pushed　it　across　to

him。



He　fairly　glared　at　it。　　〃Seven；　nine；　four〃



〃Nine；　six；　one〃she　obligingly　completed　the　number。　　〃Is　it

right？〃　she　smiled。



He　took　the　whole　thing　in　with　a　flushed　intensity；　then　there

broke　out　in　him　a　visibility　of　relief　that　was　simply　a

tremendous　exposure。　　He　shone　at　them　all　like　a　tall　lighthouse；

embracing　even；　for　sympathy；　the　blinking　young　men。　　〃By　all　the

powersit's　WRONG！〃　　And　without　another　look；　without　a　word　of

thanks；　without　time　for　anything　or　anybody；　he　turned　on　them　the

broad　back　of　his　great　stature；　straightened　his　triumphant

shoulders；　and　strode　out　of　the　place。



She　was　left　confronted　with　her　habitual　critics。　　〃'If　it's　wrong

it's　all　right！'〃　she　extravagantly　quoted　to　them。



The　counter…clerk　was　really　awe…stricken。　　〃But　how　did　you　know；

dear？〃



〃I　remembered；　love！〃



Mr。　Buckton；　on　the　contrary；　was　rude。　　〃And　what　game　is　that；

miss？〃



No　happiness　she　had　ever　known　came　within　miles　of　it；　and　some

minutes　elapsed　before　she　could　recall　herself　sufficiently　to

reply　that　it　was　none　of　his　business。







CHAPTER　XXIV







If　life　at　Cocker's；　with　the　dreadful　drop　of　August；　had　lost

something　of　its　savour；　she　had　not　been　slow　to　infer　that　a

heavier　blight　had　fallen　on　the　graceful　industry　of　Mrs。　Jordan。



With　Lord　Rye　and　Lady　Ventnor　and　Mrs。　Bubb　all　out　of　town；　with

the　blinds　down　on　all　the　homes　of　luxury；　this　ingenious　woman

might　well　have　found　her　wonderful　taste　left　quite　on　her　hands。

She　bore　up；　however；　in　a　way　that　began　by　exciting　much　of　her

young　friend's　esteem；　they　perhaps　even　more　frequently　met　as　the

wine　of　life　flowed　less　free　from　other　sources；　and　each；　in　the

lack　of　better　diversion；　carried　on　with　more　mystification　for

the　other　an　intercourse　that　consisted　not　a　little　in　peeping　out

and　drawing　back。　　Each　waited　for　the　other　to　commit　herself；

each　profusely　curtained　for　the　other　the　limits　of　low　horizons。

Mrs。　Jordan　was　indeed　probably　the　more　reckless　skirmisher；

nothing　could　exceed　her　frequent　incoherence　unless　it　was　indeed

her　occasional　bursts　of　confidence。　　Her　account　of　her　private

affairs　rose　and　fell　like　a　flame　in　the　windsometimes　the

bravest　bonfire　and　sometimes　a　handful　of　ashes。　　This　our　young

woman　took　to　be　an　effect　of　the　position；　at　one　moment　and

another；　of　the　famous　door　of　the　great　world。　　She　had　been

struck　in　one　of　her　ha'penny　volumes　with　the　translation　of　a

French　proverb　according　to　which　such　a　door；　any　door；　had　to　be

either　open　or　shut；　and　it　seemed　part　of　the　precariousness　of

Mrs。　Jordan's　life　that　hers　mostly　managed　to　be　neither。　　There

had　been　occasions　when　it　appeared　to　gape　widefairly　to　woo　her

across　its　threshold；　there　had　been　others；　of　an　order　distinctly

disconcerting；　when　it　was　all　but　banged　in　her　face。　　On　the

whole；　however；　she　had　evidently　not　lost　heart；　these　still

belonged　to　the　class　of　things　in　spite　of　which　she　looked　well。

She　intimated　that　the　profits　of　her　trade　had　swollen　so　as　to

float　her　through　any　state　of　the　tide；　and　she　had；　besides　this；

a　hundred　profundities　and　explanations。



She　rose　superior；　above　all；　on　the　happy　fact　that　there　were

always　gentlemen　in　town　and　that　gentlemen　were　her　greatest

admirers；　gentlemen　from　the　City　in　especialas　to　whom　she　was

full　of　information　about　the　passion　and　pride　excited　in　such

breasts　by　the　elements　of　her　charming　commerce。　　The　City　men　did

in　short　go　in　for　flowers。　　There　was　a　certain　type　of　awfully

smart　stockbrokerLord　Rye　called　them　Jews　and　bounders；　but　she

didn't　carewhose　extravagance；　she　more　than　once　threw　out；　had

really；　if　one　had　any　conscience；　to　be　forcibly　restrained。　　It

was　not　perhaps　a　pure　love　of　beauty：　　it　was　a　matter　of　vanity

and　a　sign　of　business；　they　wished　to　crush　their　rivals；　and　that

was　one　of　their　weapons。　　Mrs。　Jordan's　shrewdness　was　extreme；

she　knew　in　any　case　her　customershe　dealt；　as　she　said；　with　all

sorts；　and　it　was　at　the　worst　a　race　for　hera　race　even　in　the

dull　monthsfrom　one　set　of　chambers　to　another。　　And　then；　after

all；　there　were　also　still　the　ladies；　the　ladies　of　stockbroking

circles　were　perpetually　up　and　down。　　They　were　not　quite　perhaps

Mrs。　Bubb　or　Lady　Ventnor；　but　you　couldn't　tell　the　difference

unless　you　quarrelled　with　them；　and　then　you　knew　it　only　by　their

making…up　sooner。　　These　ladies　formed　the　branch　of　her　subject　on

which　she　most　swayed　in　the　breeze；　to　that　degree　that　her

confidant　had　ended　with　an　inference　or　two　tending　to　banish

regret　for　opportunities　not　embraced。　　There　were　indeed　tea…gowns

that　Mrs。　Jordan　describedbut　tea…gowns　were　not　the　whole　of

respectability；　and　it　was　odd　that　a　clergyman's　widow　should

sometimes　speak　as　if　she　almost　thought　so。　　She　came　back；　it　was

true；　unfailingly　to　Lord　Rye；　never；　evidently；　quite　losing　sight

of　him　even　on　the　longest　excursions。　　That　he　was　kindness　itself

had　become　in　fact　the　very　moral　it　all　pointedpointed　in

strange　flashes　of　the　poor　woman's　nearsighted　eyes。　　She　launched

at　her　young　friend　portentous　looks；　solemn　heralds　of　some

extraordinary　communication。　　The　communication　itself；　from　week

to　week；　hung　fire；　but　it　was　to　the　facts　over　which　it　hovered

that　she　owed　her　power　of　going　on。　　〃They　are；　in　one　way　and

another；〃　she　often　emphasised；　〃a　tower　of　strength〃；　and　as　the

allusion　was　to　the　aristocracy　the　girl　could　quite　wonder　why；　if

they　were　so　in　〃one　way；〃　they　shoul