children of the whirlwind-第38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！



At　length　she　spoke。　〃You　saw　Maggie　that　night　you　hurried　away　from　here？〃

〃Yes；　grandmother。　Have　you　heard　from　her　since　the？or　from　Barney　or　Old　Jimmie？〃

The　Duchess　shook　her　head。　〃Do　you　mind　telling　me　what　happened　that　nightand　what　Maggie's　doing？〃

Larry　told　her　of　the　scene　in　Maggie's　suite　at　the　Grantham；　told　of　the　plan　in　which　Maggie　was　involved　and　of　his　own　added　predicament。　This　last　the　Duchess　seemingly　ignored。

〃Just　about　what　I　supposed　she　was　doing；〃　she　said。　〃And　you　tried　again　to　get　her　to　give　it　up？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　she　refused？〃

〃Yes。〃　And　he　added：　〃Refused　more　emphatically　than　before。〃

The　Duchess　studied　him　a　long　moment。　Then：　〃You're　not　trying　to　make　her　give　that　up　just　because　you　think　she's　worth　saving。　You　like　her　a　lot；　Larry？〃

〃I　love　her；〃　Larry　admitted。

〃I'm　sorry　about　that；　Larry。〃　There　was　real　emotion　in　the　old　voice　now。　〃I've　told　you　that　you're　all　I've　got　left。　And　now　that　you've　at　last　started　right；　I　want　everything　to　go　right　with　you。　Everything！　And　Maggie　will　never　help　things　go　right　with　you。　Your　love　for　her　can　only　mean　misery　and　misfortune。　You　can't　change　her。〃

Larry　came　out　with　the　questions　he　had　asked　himself　so　frequently　these　last　days。　〃But　why　did　her　manner　change　so　when　she　heard　Barney　and　the　others？　Why　did　she　help　me　escape？〃

〃That　was　because；　deep　down；　she　really　loves　you。　That's　the　worst　part　of　it：　you　both　love　each　other。〃　The　Duchess　slowly　nodded　her　head。　〃You　both　love　each　other。　If　it　wasn't　for　that　I　wouldn't　care　what　you　tried　to　do。　But　I　tell　you　again　you　can't　change　her。　She's　too　sure　of　herself。　She'll　always　try　to　make　you　go　_her　way_and　if　you　don't；　you'll　never　get　a　smile　from　her。　And　because　you　love　each　other；　I'm　afraid　you'll　give　in　and　go　her　way。　That's　what　I'm　afraid　of。　Won't　you　just　cut　her　out　of　your　life；　Larry？〃

It　had　been　a　prodigiously　long　speech　for　the　Duchess。　And　Larry　realized　that　the　emotion　behind　it　was　a　thousand　times　what　showed　in　the　thin　voice　of　the　bent；　gestureless　figure。

〃For　your　sake　I'm　sorry；　grandmother。　But　I　can't。〃

〃Then　it's　only　fair　to　tell　you；　Larry；〃　she　said　in　a　more　composed　tone　which　expressed　a　finality　of　decision；　〃that　if　there's　ever　anything　I　can　do　to　stop　this；　I'll　do　it。　For　she's　bad　for　you　what　with　her　stiff　spiritand　the　ideas　Old　Jimmie　has　put　into　herand　the　way　Old　Jimmie　has　brought　her　up。　I'll　stop　things　if　I　can。〃

Larry　made　no　reply。　The　Duchess　continued　looking　at　him　steadily　for　a　long　space。　He　knew　she　was　thinking；　and　he　was　wondering　what　was　passing　through　that　shrewd　old　brain；　when　she　remarked：

〃By　the　way；　Larry；　I　just　remembered　what　you　told　me　of　that　old　Sing　Sing　friendJoe　Ellison。　Have　you　heard　from　him　recently？〃

〃He's　out；　and　he's　working　where　I　am。〃

〃Yes？　What's　he　doing？〃

〃He's　working　there　as　a　gardener。〃

Again　she　was　silent　a　space；　her　sunken　eyes　steady　With　thought。　Then　she　said：

〃From　the　time　he　was　twenty　till　he　was　thirty　I　knew　Joe　Ellison　wellbetter　than　I've　ever　told　you。　He　knew　your　mother　when　she　was　a　girl；　Larry。　I　wish　you'd　ask　him　to　come　in　to　see　me。　As　soon　as　he　can　manage　it。〃

Larry　promised。　His　grandmother　said　no　more　about　Maggie；　and　presently　Larry　bade　her　good…night　and　made　his　cautious　way；　ever　on　the　lookout　for　danger；　to　where　he　had　left　his　roadster；　and　thence　safely　out　to　Cedar　Crest。　But　the　Duchess　sat　for　hours　exactly　as　he　had　left　her；　her　accounts　unheeded；　thinking；　thinking；　thinking　over　an　utterly　impossible　possibility　that　had　first　presented　itself　faintly　to　her　several　days　before。　She　did　not　see　how　the　thing　could　be；　and　yet　somehow　it　might　be；　for　many　a　strange　thing　did　happen　in　this　border　world　where　for　so　long　she　had　lived。　When　finally　she　went　to　bed　she　slept　little；　her　busy　conjectures　would　not　permit　sleep。　And　though　the　next　day　she　went　about　her　shop　seemingly　as　usual；　she　was　still　thinking。

That　night　Joe　Ellison　came。　They　met　as　though　they　had　last　seen　each　other　but　yesterday。

〃Good…evening；　Joe。〃

〃Glad　to　see　you；　Duchess。〃

She　held　out　to　him　a　box　of　the　best　cigars；　which　she　had　bought　against　his　coming；　for　she　had　remembered　Joe　Ellison's　once　fastidious　taste　regarding　tobacco。　He　lit　one；　and　they　fell　into　the　easy　silence　of　old　friends；　taking　up　their　friendship　exactly　where　it　had　been　broken　off。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Joe　Ellison　might　have　been　her　son…in…law　but　for　her　own　firm　attitude。　He　had　known　her　daughter　very　much　better　than　her　words　to　Larry　the　previous　evening　had　indicated。　Not　only　had　Joe　known　her　while　a　girl　down　here；　but　much　later　he　had　learned　in　what　convent　she　was　going　to　school　and　there　had　been　surreptitious　love…making　despite　convent　rules　and　boundariestill　the　Duchess　had　learned　what　was　going　on。　She　had　had　a　square　out…and…out　talk　with　Joe；　the　romance　had　suddenly　ended；　and　later　Larry's　mother　had　married　elsewhere。　But　the　snuffed…out　romance　had　made　no　difference　in　the　friendship　between　the　Duchess　and　Joe；　each　had　recognized　the　other　as　square；　as　that　word　was　understood　in　their　border　world。

To　Joe　Ellison　the　Duchess　was　changed　but　little　since　twenty…odd　years　ago。　She　had　seemed　old　even　then；　though　as　a　youth　he　had　known　old　men　who　had　talked　of　her　beauty　when　a　young　woman　and　of　how　she　had　queened　it　among　the　reckless　spirits　of　that　far　time。　But　to　the　Duchess　the　change　in　Joe　Ellison　was　astounding。　She　had　last　seen　him　in　his　middle　thirties：　black…haired；　handsome；　careful　of　dress；　powerful　of　physique；　dominant；　fiery…tempered；　fearless　of　any　living　thing；　but　with　these　hot　qualities　checked　into　a　surface　appearance　of　unruffled　equanimity　by　his　self…control　and　his　habitual　reticence。　And　now　to　see　him　thin；　white…haired；　bent；　his　old　fire　seemingly　burned　to　gray　ashesthe　Duchess；　who　had　seen　much　in　her　generations；　was　almost　appalled　at　the　transformation。

At　first　the　Duchess　skillfully　guided　the　talk　among　commonplaces。

〃Larry　tells　me　you're　out　with　him。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Joe。　〃Larry's　been　a　mighty　good　pal。〃

〃What're　you　going　to　do　when　you　get　back　your　strength？〃

〃The　same　as　I'm　doing　nowif　they'll　let　me。〃

And　after　a　pause：　〃Perhaps　later；　if　I　had　the　necessary　capital；　I'd　like　to　start　a　little　nursery。　Or　else　grow　flowers　for　the　market。〃

〃Not　going　back　to　the　old　thing；　then？〃

Joe　shook　his　white　head。　〃I'm　all　through　there。　Flowers　are　a　more　interesting　proposition。〃

〃Whenever　you　get　ready　to　start；　Joe；　you　can　have　all　the　capital　you　want　from　me。　And　it　will　cost　you　nothing。　Or　if　you'd　rather　pay；　it'll　cost　you　the　same　as　at　a　banksix　per　cent。〃

〃Thanks。　I'll　remember。〃　Joe　Ellison　could　not　have　spoken　his　gratitude　more　strongly。

The　Duchess　now　carefully　guided　the　talk　in　the　direction　of　the　thing　of　which　she　had　thought　so　constantly。

〃By　the　way；　Joe；　Larry　told　me　something　about　you　I'd　never　heard　beforethat　you　had　been　married；　and　had　a　child。〃

〃Yes。　You　didn't　hear　because　I　wasn't　telling　anybody　about