第 39 节
作者:月寒      更新:2024-04-14 09:15      字数:9321
  Maddox。〃
  Like a man awakening from a nightmare; Philip tried to separate the
  horror of   the situation   from the   cold   fact。 The cold   fact   was   sufficiently
  horrible。   It   was   that;   without   a   penny   to   pay   for   them;   he   had   bought
  shares in three steamship lines; which shares; added together; were worth
  two   hundred   and     twenty   five   thousand   dollars。   He   returned   down   the
  corridor   toward   the   lounge。  Trembling   at   his   own   audacity;   he   was   in   a
  state   of  almost    complete     panic;   when    that  happened     which    made    his
  outrageous speculation of little consequence。 It was drawing near to half…
  past one; and; in the persons of several smart men and beautiful ladies; the
  component parts of different luncheon parties were beginning to assemble。
  Of the luncheon to which Lady Woodcote had invited him; only one
  guest    had   arrived;   but;  so  far  as  Philip   was   concerned;     that  one   was
  sufficient。 It was Helen herself; seated alone; with her eyes fixed on the
  doors    opening     from   Piccadilly。   Philip;   his  heart   singing   with   appeals;
  blessings; and adoration; ran toward her。 Her profile was toward him; and
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  she could not see him; but he could see her。 And he noted that; as though
  seeking some one; her eyes were turned searchingly upon each young man
  as   he   entered   and   moved   from   one   to   another   of   those   already   in   the
  lounge。 Her expression was eager and anxious。
  〃If only;〃 Philip exclaimed; 〃she were looking for me! She certainly is
  looking for some man。 I wonder who it can be?〃
  As suddenly as if he had slapped his face into a wall; he halted in his
  steps。 Why should he wonder? Why did he not read her mind? Why did he
  not   KNOW? A  waiter   was   hastening   toward   him。   Philip   fixed   his   mind
  upon the waiter; and his eyes as well。 Mentally Philip demanded of him:
  〃Of what are you thinking?〃
  There   was   no   response。 And   then;   seeing   an   unlit   cigarette   hanging
  from   Philip's    lips;  the  waiter    hastily   struck  a  match    and   proffered    it。
  Obviously;      his   mind    had   worked;    first;  in  observing     the  half…burned
  cigarette; next; in furnishing the necessary match。 And of no step in that
  mental process had   Philip   been   conscious! The conclusion   was only  too
  apparent。 His power was gone。 No longer was he a mind reader!
  Hastily     Philip   reviewed     the   adventures      of  the   morning。     As    he
  considered   them;   the   moral   was   obvious。   The   moment   he   had   used   his
  power to his own advantage; he had lost it。 So long as he had exerted it for
  the happiness of the two lovers; to save the life of the King; to thwart the
  dishonesty      of   a  swindler;     he   had   been    all…powerful;     but   when     he
  endeavored to bend it to his own uses; it had fled from him。 As he stood
  abashed and repentant; Helen turned her eyes toward him; and; at the sight
  of him; there leaped to them happiness and welcome and complete content。
  It was 〃the look that never was on land or sea;〃 and it was not necessary to
  be a mind reader to understand it。 Philip sprang toward her as quickly as a
  man dodges a taxi…cab。
  〃I came early;〃 said Helen; 〃because I wanted to talk to you before the
  others arrived。〃 She seemed to be repeating words already rehearsed; to be
  following a course of conduct already predetermined。 〃I want to tell you;〃
  she said; 〃that I am sorry you are going away。 I want to tell you that I shall
  miss you very much。〃 She paused and drew a long breath。 And she looked
  at Philip as if she was begging him to make it easier for her to go on。
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  Philip proceeded to make it easier。
  〃Will   you   miss   me;〃   he   asked;   〃in   the   Row;   where   I   used   to   wait
  among the trees to see you ride past? Will you miss me at dances; where I
  used to hide behind the dowagers to watch you waltzing by? Will you miss
  me at night; when you come home by sunrise; and I am not hiding against
  the railings of the Carlton Club; just to see you run across the pavement
  from your carriage; just to see the light on your window blind; just to see
  the light go out; and to know that you are sleeping?〃
  Helen's eyes were smiling happily。 She looked away from him。
  〃Did you use to do that?〃 she asked。
  〃Every night I do that;〃 said Philip。 〃Ask the policemen! They arrested
  me three times。〃
  〃Why?〃 said Helen gently。
  But Philip was not yet free to speak; so he said:
  〃They thought I was a burglar。〃
  Helen frowned。 He was making it very hard for her。
  〃You know what I mean;〃 she said。 〃Why did you keep guard outside
  my window?〃
  〃It was the policeman kept guard;〃 said Philip。 〃I was there only as a
  burglar。 I came to rob。 But I was a coward; or else I had a conscience; or
  else I knew my own unworthiness。〃 There was a long pause。 As both of
  them;   whenever   they   heard   the   tune   afterward;   always   remembered;   the
  Hungarian band; with rare inconsequence; was playing the 〃Grizzly Bear;〃
  and people were trying to speak to Helen。 By her they were received with
  a look of so complete a lack of recognition; and by Philip with a glare of
  such savage hate; that they retreated in dismay。 The pause seemed to last
  for many years。
  At   last   Helen   said:   〃Do   you   know   the   story   of   the   two   roses?   They
  grew in a garden under a lady's window。 They both loved her。 One looked
  up at her from the ground and sighed for her; but the other climbed to the
  lady's window; and she lifted him in and kissed himbecause he had dared
  to climb。〃
  Philip took out his watch and looked at it。 But Helen did not mind his
  doing that; because she saw that his eyes were filled with tears。 She was
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  delighted to find that she was making it very hard for him; too。
  〃At    any   moment;〃      Philip   said;  〃I  may    know    whether     I  owe   two
  hundred      and   twenty…five     thousand    dollars   which     I  can  never    pay;  or
  whether      I  am   worth    about    that  sum。    I  should   like   to  continue    this
  conversation   at   the   exact   place   where   you   last   spokeAFTER   I   know
  whether I am going to jail; or whether I am worth a quarter of a million
  dollars。〃
  Helen laughed aloud with happiness。
  〃I knew that was it!〃 she cried。 〃You don't like my money。 I was afraid
  you did not like ME。 If you dislike my money; I will give it away; or I will
  give it to you to keep for me。 The money does not matter; so long as you
  don't dislike me。〃
  What Philip would have said to that; Helen could not know; for a page
  in   many   buttons   rushed   at   him   with   a   message   from   the   telephone;   and
  with    a   hand   that   trembled     Philip   snatched    it。  It  read:  〃Combine       is
  announced; shares have gone to thirty…one; shall I hold or sell?〃
  That at such a crisis he should permit of any interruption hurt Helen
  deeply。   She   regarded   him   with   unhappy   eyes。   Philip   read   the   message
  three times。 At last; and not without uneasy doubts as to his own sanity; he
  grasped the preposterous truth。 He was worth almost a quarter of a million
  dollars!   At   the   page   he   shoved   his   last   and   only   five…pound   note。   He
  pushed the boy from him。
  〃Run!〃 he commanded。 〃Get out of here; Tell him he is to SELL!〃
  He turned to Helen with a look in his eyes that could not be questioned
  or denied。 He seemed incapable of speech; and; to break the silence; Helen
  said: 〃Is it good news?〃
  〃That depends entirely upon you;〃 replied Philip soberly。 〃Indeed; all
  my future life depends upon what you are going to say next。〃
  Helen breathed deeply and happily。
  〃Andwhat am I going to say?〃
  〃How can I know that?〃 demanded Philip。 〃Am I a mind reader?〃
  But what she said may be safely guessed from the fact that they both
  chucked   Lady   Woodcotes   luncheon;   and   ate   one   of   penny   buns;   which
  they shared with the bears in Regents Park。
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  Philip was just able to pay for the penny buns。 Helen paid for the taxi…
  cab。
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