an unsocial socialist-第53部分

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and　the　dear　children；　and　thanks　so　much　for　a　very　pleasant〃
Here　the　train　moved　off；　and　Sir　Charles；　melting；　smiled　and
waved　his　hat　until　he　caught　sight　of　Trefusis　looking　back　at
him　with　a　grin　which　seemed；　under　the　circumstances；　so
Satanic；　that　he　stopped　as　if　petrified　in　the　midst　of　his
gesticulations；　and　stood　with　his　arm　out　like　a　semaphore。

The　drive　home　restored　him　somewhat；　but　he　wee　still　full　of
his　surprise　when　he　rejoined　Agatha；　his　wife；　and　Erskine　in
the　drawing…room　at　the　Beeches。　The　moment　he　entered；　he　said
without　preface；　〃She　has　gone　off　with　Trefusis。〃

Erskine；　who　had　been　reading；　started　up；　clutching　his　book　as
if　about　to　hurl　it　at　someone；　and　cried；　〃Was　he　at　the　train？〃

〃Yes；　and　has　gone　to　town　by　it。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Erskine；　flinging　the　book　violently　on　the　floor；
〃he　is　a　scoundrel　and　a　liar。〃

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　said　Agatha　rising；　whilst　Jane　stared
open…mouthed　at　him。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Miss　Wylie；　I　forgot　you。　He　pledged　me　his
honor　that　he　would　not　go　by　that　train。　I　will。〃　He　hurried
from　the　room。　Sir　Charles　rushed　after　him；　and　overtook　him　at
the　foot　of　the　stairs。

〃Where　are　you　going？　What　do　you　want　to　do？〃

〃I　will　follow　the　train　and　catch　it　at　the　next　station。　I　can
do　it　on　my　bicycle。〃

〃Nonsense！　you're　mad。　They　have　thirty…five　minutes　start；　and
the　train　travels　forty…five　miles　an　hour。〃

Erskine　sat　down　on　the　stairs　and　gazed　blankly　at　the　opposite
wall。

〃You　must　have　mistaken　him；〃　said　Sir　Charles。　〃He　told　me　to
tell　you　that　he　had　not　forgotten　his　promise；　and　that　you　may
rely　on　him。〃

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　said　Agatha；　coming　down；　followed　by　Lady
Brandon。

〃Miss　Wylie；〃　said　Erskine；　springing　up；　〃he　gave　me　his　word
that　he　would　not　go　by　that　train　when　I　told　him　Miss　Lindsay
was　going　by　it。　He　has　broken　his　word　and　seized　the
opportunity　I　was　mad　and　credulous　enough　to　tell　him　of。　If　I
had　been　in　your　place；　Brandon；　I　would　have　strangled　him　or
thrown　him　under　the　wheels　sooner　than　let　him　go。　He　has　shown
himself　in　this　as　in　everything　else；　a　cheat；　a　conspirator；　a
man　of　crooked　ways；　shifts；　tricks；　lying　sophistries；　heartless
selfishness；　cruel　cynicism〃　He　stopped　to　catch　his　breath；
and　Sir　Charles　interposed　a　remonstrance。

〃You　are　exciting　yourself　about　nothing；　Chester。　They　are　in　a
Pullman；　with　her　maid　and　plenty　of　people；　and　she　expressly
gave　him　leave　to　go　with　her。　He　asked　her　the　question　flatly
before　my　face；　and　I　must　say　I　thought　it　a　strange　thing　for
her　to　consent　to。　However；　she　did　consent；　and　of　course　I　was
not　in　a　position　to　prevent　him　from　going　to　London　if　he
pleased。　Don't　let　us　have　a　scene；　old　man。　It　can't　be　helped。〃

〃I　am　very　sorry；〃　said　Erskine；　hanging　his　head。　〃I　did　not
mean　to　make　a　scene。　I　beg　your　pardon。〃

He　went　away　to　his　room　without　another　word。　Sir　Charles
followed　and　attempted　to　console　him；　but　Erskine　caught　his
hand；　and　asked　to　be　left　to　himself。　So　Sir　Charles　returned　to
the　drawing…room；　where　his　wife；　at　a　loss　for　once；　hardly
ventured　to　remark　that　she　had　never　heard　of　such　a　thing　in
her　life。

Agatha　kept　silence。　She　had　long　ago　come　unconsciously　to　the
conclusion　that　Trefusis　and　she　were　the　only　members　of　the
party　at　the　Beeches　who　had　much　common…sense；　and　this　made　her
slow　to　believe　that　he　could　be　in　the　wrong　and　Erskine　in　the
right　in　any　misunderstanding　between　them。　She　had　a　slovenly
way　of　summing　up　as　〃asses〃　people　whose　habits　of　thought
differed　from　hers。　Of　all　varieties　of　man；　the　minor　poet
realized　her　conception　of　the　human　ass　most　completely；　and
Erskine；　though　a　very　nice　fellow　indeed；　thoroughly　good　and
gentlemanly；　in　her　opinion；　was　yet　a　minor　poet；　and　therefore
a　pronounced　ass。　Trefusis；　on　the　contrary；　was　the　last　man　of
her　acquaintance　whom　she　would　have　thought　of　as　a　very　nice
fellow　or　a　virtuous　gentleman；　but　he　was　not　an　a~s；　although
he　was　obstinate　in　his　Socialistic　fads。　She　had　indeed
suspected　him　of　weakness　almost　asinine　with　respect　to
Gertrude；　but　then　all　men　were　asses　in　their　dealings　with
women；　and　since　he　had　transferred　his　weakness　to　her　own
account　it　no　longer　seemed　to　need　justification。　And　now；　as
her　concern　for　Erskine；　whom　she　pitied；　wore　off；　she　began　to
resent　Trefusis's　journey　with　Gertrude　as　an　attack　on　her
recently　acquired　monopoly　of　him。　There　was　an　air　of
aristocratic　pride　about　Gertrude　which　Agatha　had　formerly
envied；　and　which　she　still　feared　Trefusis　might　mistake　for　an
index　of　dignity　and　refinement。　Agatha　did　not　believe　that　her
resentment　was　the　common　feeling　called　jealousy；　for　she　still
deemed　herself　unique；　but　it　gave　her　a　sense　of　meanness　that
did　not　improve　her　spirits。

The　dinner　was　dull。　Lady　Brandon　spoke　in　an　undertone；　as　if
someone　lay　dead　in　the　next　room。　Erskine　was　depressed　by　the
consciousness　of　having　lost　his　head　and　acted　foolishly　in　the
afternoon。　Sir　Charles　did　not　pretend　to　ignore　the　suspense
they　were　all　in　pending　intelligence　of　the　journey　to　London；
he　ate　and　drank　and　said　nothing。　Agatha；　disgusted　with　herself
and　with　Gertrude；　and　undecided　whether　to　be　disgusted　with
Trefusis　or　to　trust　him　affectionately；　followed　the　example　of
her　host。　After　dinner　she　accompanied　him　in　a　series　of　songs
by　Schubert。　This　proved　an　aggravation　instead　of　a　relief。　Sir
Charles；　excelling　in　the　expression　of　melancholy；　preferred
songs　of　that　character；　and　as　his　musical　ideas；　like　those　of
most　Englishmen；　were　founded　on　what　he　had　heard　in　church　in
his　childhood；　his　style　was　oppressively　monotonous。　Agatha　took
the　first　excuse　that　presented　itself　to　leave　the　piano。　Sir
Charles　felt　that　his　performance　had　been　a　failure；　and
remarked；　after　a　cough　or　two；　that　he　had　caught　a　touch　of
cold　returning　from　the　station。　Erskine　sat　on　a　sofa　with　his
head　drooping；　and　his　palms　joined　and　hanging　downward　between
his　knees。　Agatha　stood　at　the　window；　looking　at　the　late　summer
afterglow。　Jane　yawned；　and　presently　broke　the　silence。

〃You　look　exactly　as　you　used　at　school；　Agatha。　I　could　almost
fancy　us　back　again　in　Number　Six。〃

Agatha　shook　her　head。

〃Do　I　ever　look　like　thatlike　myself；　as　I　used　to　be？〃

〃Never；〃　said　Agatha　emphatically；　turning　and　surveying　the
figure　of　which　Miss　Carpenter　had　been　the　unripe　antecedent。

〃But　why？〃　said　Jane　querulously。　〃I　don't　see　why　I　shouldn't。　I
am　not　so　changed。〃

〃You　have　become　an　exceedingly　fine　woman；　Jane；〃　said　Agatha
gravely；　and　then；　without　knowing　why；　turned　her　attentive　gaze
upon　Sir　Charles；　who　bore　it　uneasily；　and　left　the　room。　A
minute　later　he　returned　with　two　buff　envelopes　in　his　hand。

〃A　telegram　for　you；　Miss　Wylie；　and　one　for　Chester。〃　Erskine
started　up；　white　with　vague　fears。　Agatha's　color　went；　and　came
again　with　increased　richness　as　she　read：

〃I　have　arrived　safe　and　ridiculously　happy。　Read　a　thousand
things　between　the　lines。　I　will　write　tomorrow。　Good　night。〃

〃You　may　read　it；〃　said　Agatha；　handing　it　to　Jane。

〃Very　pretty；〃　said　Jane。　〃A　shilling's　worth　of
attentionexactly　twenty　words！　He　may　well　call　himself　an
economist。〃

Suddenly　a　crowing　laugh　from　Erskine　caused　them　to　turn　and
stare　at　him。　〃What　nonsense！〃　he　said；　blushing。　〃What　a　fellow
he　is！　I　don't　attach　the　slightest　importance　to　this。〃

Agatha　took　a　corner　of　his　telegram　and　pulled　it　gently。

〃No；　no；〃　he　said；　holding　it　tightly。　〃It　is　too　absurd。　I　don't
think　I　ought〃

Agatha　gave　a　decisive　pull；　and　read　the　message　aloud。　It　was
from　Trefusis；　thus：

〃I　forgive　your　thoughts　since　Brandon's　return。　Write　her
to…night；　and　follow　your　letter　to　receive　an　affirmative　answer
in　person。　I　promised　that　you　might　rely　on　me。　She　loves　you。〃

〃I　never　heard　of　such　a　thing　in　my　life；〃　said　Jane。　〃Never！〃

〃He　is　certainly　a　most　unaccountable　man；〃　said　Sir　Charles。

〃I　am　glad；　for　my　own　sake；　that　he　is　not　so　black　as　he　is
painted；〃　said　Agatha。　〃You　may　believe　every　word　of　it；　Mr。
Erskine。　Be　sure　to　do　as　he　tells　you。　He　is　quite　certain　to　be
right。〃

〃Pooh！〃　said　Erskine；　crumpling　the　telegram　and　thrusting　it
into　his　pocket　as　if　it　were　not　worth　a　second　thought。
Presently　he　slipped　away；　and　did　not　reappear。　When　they　were
about　to　retire；　Sir　Charles　asked　a　servant　where　he　was。

〃In　the　library；　Sir　Charles；　writing。〃

They　looked　significantly　at　one　another　and　went　to　bed　without
disturbing　him。



CHAPTER　XVIII

When　Gertrude　found　herself　beside　Trefusis　in　the　Pullman；　she
wondered　how　she　came　to　be　travelling　with　him　against　her
resolution；　if　not　against　her　will。　In　the　presence　of　two　women
scrutinizing　her　as　if　they　suspected　her　of　being　there　with　no
good　purpose；　a　male　passenger　admiring　her　a　little　further　off；
her　maid　reading　Trefusis's　newspapers　just　out　of　earshot；　an
uninterested　country　gentleman　looking　glumly　out　of　window；　a
city　man　preoccupied　with　the　〃Economist；〃　and　a　polit