children of the whirlwind-第31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！


g　supper　hereand　thus　adroitly　draw　some　person　into　the　trap　of　a　more　intimate　relationship。　It's　a　clever　and　classy　layout。　Maggie；　exactly　what's　your　game？〃

〃I'll　not　tell　you！〃

〃Who's　that　man　that's　coming　here？〃

〃I'll　not　tell　you！〃

〃Is　he　the　sucker　you're　out　to　trim？〃

〃I'll　not　tell　you！〃

〃You　will　tell　me！〃　he　cried　dominantly。　〃And　you're　going　to　get　out　of　all　this！　You　hear　me？　It　may　look　good　to　you　now。　But　I　tell　you　it　has　only　one　finish！　And　that's　a　rotten　finish！〃

She　tore　free　from　his　punishing　grip；　and　pantingly　glared　at　himher　former　defiance　now　an　egoistic　fury。

〃I　won't　have　you　interfering　with　my　life！you　fake　preacher！you　stool；　you　squealer！〃　she　flung　at　him　madly。　〃Stoolsquealer！〃　she　repeated。　〃I　tell　you　I'm　going　my　own　wayand　it's　a　big　wayand　I　tell　you　again　nothing　you　can　say　or　do　can　stop　me！　If　I　could　have　my　best　wish；　all　I'd　wish　for　would　be　something　to　keep　you　from　always　interferingsomething　to　get　you　out　of　my　way！〃

Panting；　she　paused。　Her　tense　figure；　with　hands　closing　and　unclosing；　expressed　the　very　acme　of　furious　defianceof　desire　to　annihilateof　ultimate　hatred。　Larry　was　astounded　by　the　very　extent；　the　profundity；　of　her　passion。　And　so　they　stood；　silent　except　for　their　quick　breathing；　eyes　fixed　upon　eyes；　for　several　moments。

And　then　a　key　sounded　in　the　outer　door　of　the　little　hallway。　Instantly　there　was　an　almost　unbelievable　transformation　in　Maggie。　From　an　imperious；　uncontrollable　fury；　she　changed　to　a　white；　quivering　thing。

〃Barney！〃　she　whispered；　and　sprang　to　the　inner　door　of　the　little　hallway；　closed　and　locked　it。

She　turned　on　Larry　a　face　that　was　ghastly　in　its　pallor。

〃Barney　always　carries　a　pistol；〃　she　whispered。

They　had　heard　the　outer　door　close　with　a　click　of　its　automatic　lock。　They　now　heard　the　knob　of　the　inner　door　turn　and　tugged　at；　and　then　heard　Barney　call：　〃What's　the　matter；　Maggie？　Let　us　in。〃

Maggie　made　a　supreme　effort　to　reply　in　a　controlled　voice：

〃Just　a　minute。　I'm　not　quite　ready。〃

Then　a　second　voice　sounded　from　the　other　side　of　the　door：

〃Don't　keep　us　too　long；　Maggie。　Please！〃

There　was　a　distantly　familiar　quality　to　Larry　in　that　second　voice。　But　he　did　not　try　to　place　it　then：　he　was　too　poignantly　concerned　in　his　own　situation；　and　in　the　bewildering　change　in　Maggie。

She　slipped　a　hand　through　his　arm。　〃Oh；　La…Larry；　why　did　you　ever　take　such　a　risk！〃　she　breathed。　Her　whisper　was　piteous；　aquiver　with　fright。　〃Come　this　way！〃　and　she　quickly　pulled　him　into　the　room　where　he　had　met　Miss　Grierson　and　to　the　door　by　which　he　had　entered。

Maggie　opened　this　door。　〃They're　all　in　the　little　hallwayI　don't　think　they'll　see　you；〃　her　rapid；　agitated　whisper　went　on。　〃Don't　take　the　elevators　in　this　corridor；　they're　in　plain　sight。　There　are　elevators　just　around　the　corner。　Take　them；　they're　safer。　Good…bye；　Larryand；　oh；　Larry；　don't　ever　take　such　a　risk　again！〃

With　that　she　pushed　him　out　and　closed　the　door。

Larry　followed　her　instructions　about　the　elevator；　he　used　the　same　precautions　in　leaving　that　he　had　used　in　coming；　and　twenty　minutes　later　he　was　back　in　his　room　in　the　Sherwood　apartment。　For　an　hour　or　more　he　sat　motionlessthinkingthinking：　asking　himself　questions；　but　in　his　tumultuous　state　of　mind　and　emotions　not　able　to　keep　to　a　question　long　enough　to　reason　out　its　possible　answer。

Just　what　was　that　game　in　which　Maggie　was　involved？a　game　which　required　that　Grantham　setting；　that　eminently　respectable　companion；　and　Maggie's　accouterment　as　a　young　lady　of　obvious　wealth。

Whose　was　that　vaguely　familiar　second　voice？that　voice　which　he　still　could　not　place。

But　what　he　thought　about　most　of　all　was　something　very　different。　What　had　caused　that　swift　change　in　Maggie？from　a　fury　that　was　both　fire　and　granite；　to　that　pallid；　quivering；　whispering　girl　who　had　so　rapidly　led　him　safely　out　of　his　danger。

To　and　fro；　back　and　forth；　shuttled　these　questions。　Toward　two　o'clock　he　stood　up；　mind　still　absorbed；　and　mechanically　started　to　undress。　He　then　observed　the　roll　of　paintings　Hunt　had　given　him。　Better　for　them　if　they　were　flattened　out。　Mechanically　he　removed　string　and　paper。　There　on　top　was　the　Italian　mother　he　had　asked　for。　A　great　paintinga　truly　great　painting。　Mechanically　he　lifted　this　aside　to　see　what　was　the　second　painting　Hunt　had　included。　Larry　gave　a　great　start　and　the　Italian　mother　went　flapping　to　the　floor。

The　second　painting　was　of　Maggie；　the　one　on　which　Hunt　had　been　working　the　day　Larry　had　come　back：　Maggie　in　her　plain　working　clothes；　looking　out　at　the　world　confidently；　conqueringly；　the　painting　in　which　Hunt；　his　brain　teeming　with　ideas；　had　tried　to　express　the　Maggie　that　was；　the　many　Maggies　that　were　in　her；　and　the　Maggie　that　was　yet　to　be。




CHAPTER　XVIII


The　next　morning　Larry　tried　to　force　his　mind　to　attend　strictly　to　Miss　Sherwood's　affairs。　But　in　this　effort　he　was　less　than　fifty　per　cent　effective。　His　experience　of　the　night　before　had　been　too　exciting；　too　provocative　of　speculation；　too　involved　with　what　he　frankly　recognized　to　be　the　major　interest　of　his　life；　to　allow　him　to　apply　himself　with　perfect　and　unperturbed　concentration　to　the　day's　routine。　Constantly　he　was　seeing　the　transformed　Maggie　in　the　cerise　evening　gown　with　the　fan　of　green　plumesseeing　her　elaborate　setting　in　her　suite　at　the　Granthamhearing　that　vaguely　familiar　but　unplaceable　voice　outside　her　doorrecalling　the　frenzied　effort　with　which　Maggie　had　so　swiftly　effected　his　escape。

This　last　matter　puzzled　him　greatly。　If　she　were　so　angered　at　him　as　she　had　declared；　if　she　so　distrusted　him；　why　had　she　not　given　him　up　when　she　had　had　him　at　her　mercy？　Could　it　be　that；　despite　her　words；　she　had　an　unacknowledged　liking　for　him？　He　did　not　dare　let　himself　believe　this。

Again　and　again　he　thought　of　this　adventure　in　whose　very　middle　Maggie　now　was；　and　of　whose　successful　issue　she　had　proudly　boasted　to　him。　It　was　indeed　something　big；　as　she　had　said；　that　establishment　at　the　Grantham　was　proof　of　this。　Larry　could　now　perceive　the　adventure's　general　outlines。　There　was　nothing　original　in　what　he　perceived；　and　the　plan；　so　far　as　he　could　see　it；　would　not　have　interested　him　in　the　least　as　a　novel　creation　of　the　brain　were　not　Maggie　its　central　figure；　and　were　not　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie　her　directing　agents。　A　pretty　woman　was　being　used　as　a　lure　to　some　rich　man；　and　his　infatuation　for　her　was　to　cause　him　to　part　with　a　great　deal　of　money：　some　variation　of　this　ancient　idea；　which　has　a　thousand　variationsthat　was　the　plan。

Obviously　the　enterprise　was　not　directed　at　some　gross　victim　whose　palate　might　permit　his　swallowing　anything。　If　any　one　item　essentially　proved　this；　it　was　the　item　of　the　overwhelmingly　respectable　chaperon。　Maggie　was　being　presented　as　an　innocent；　respectable；　young　girl；　and　the　victim；　whoever　he　was；　was　the　type　of　man　for　whom　only　such　a　type　of　girl　would　have　a　compelling　appeal。

And　this　manwho　was　he？　Ever　and　again　he　tried　to　pla