小说园

第12部分（第1页）

last　anguish　of　delight。

What　did　it　matter　who　they　were；　whether　they　knew　each

other　or　not？

The　hour　passed　away　again；　there　was　severance　between　them；

and　rage　and　misery　and　bereavement　for　her；　and　deposition　and

toiling　at　the　mill　with　slaves　for　him。　But　no　matter。　They　had

had　their　hour；　and　should　it　chime　again；　they　were　ready　for

it；　ready　to　renew　the　game　at　the　point　where　it　was　left　off；

on　the　edge　of　the　outer　darkness；　when　the　secrets　within　the

woman　are　game　for　the　man；　hunted　doggedly；　when　the　secrets　of

the　woman　are　the　mans　adventure；　and　they　both　give　themselves

to　the　adventure。

She　was　with　child；　and　there　was　again　the　silence　and

distance　between　them。　She　did　not　want　him　nor　his　secrets　nor

his　game；　he　was　deposed；　he　was　cast　out。　He　seethed　with　fury

at　the　small；　ugly…mouthed　woman　who　had　nothing　to　do　with　him。

Sometimes　his　anger　broke　on　her；　but　she　did　not　cry。　She

turned　on　him　like　a　tiger；　and　there　was　battle。

He　had　to　learn　to　contain　himself　again；　and　he　hated　it。　He

hated　her　that　she　was　not　there　for　him。　And　he　took　himself

off；　anywhere。

But　an　instinct　of　gratitude　and　a　knowledge　that　she　would

receive　him　back　again；　that　later　on　she　would　be　there　for　him

again；　prevented　his　straying　very　far。　He　cautiously　did　not　go

too　far。　He　knew　she　might　lapse　into　ignorance　of　him；　lapse

away　from　him；　farther；　farther；　farther；　till　she　was　lost　to

him。　He　had　sense　enough；　premonition　enough　in　himself；　to　be

aware　of　this　and　to　measure　himself　accordingly。　For　he　did　not

want　to　lose　her：　he　did　not　want　her　to　lapse　away。

Cold；　he　called　her；　selfish；　only　caring　about　herself；　a

foreigner　with　a　bad　nature；　caring　really　about　nothing；　having

no　proper　feelings　at　the　bottom　of　her；　and　no　proper　niceness。

He　raged；　and　piled　up　accusations　that　had　some　measure　of

truth　in　them　all。　But　a　certain　grace　in　him　forbade　him　from

going　too　far。　He　knew；　and　he　quivered　with　rage　and　hatred；

that　she　was　all　these　vile　things；　that　she　was　everything　vile