小说园

第12部分（第4页）

must　not　violate　her　with　his　fort。　For　what　she　wanted　she

would　e　to　him。　He　stood　aloof　with　turgid　heart。

He　had　to　see　her　tears　e；　fall　over　her　scarcely　moving

face；　that　only　puckered　sometimes；　down　on　to　her　breast；　that

was　so　still；　scarcely　moving。　And　there　was　no　noise；　save　now

and　again；　when；　with　a　strange；　somnambulant　movement；　she　took

her　handkerchief　and　wiped　her　face　and　blew　her　nose；　and　went

on　with　the　noiseless　weeping。　He　knew　that　any　offer　of　fort

from　himself　would　be　worse　than　useless；　hateful　to　her；

jangling　her。　She　must　cry。　But　it　drove　him　insane。　His　heart

was　scalded；　his　brain　hurt　in　his　head；　he　went　away；　out　of

the　house。

His　great　and　chiefest　source　of　solace　was　the　child。　She

had　been　at　first　aloof　from　him；　reserved。　However　friendly　she

might　seem　one　day；　the　next　she　would　have　lapsed　to　her

original　disregard　of　him；　cold；　detached；　at　her　distance。

The　first　morning　after　his　marriage　he　had　discovered　it

would　not　be　so　easy　with　the　child。　At　the　break　of　dawn　he　had

started　awake　hearing　a　small　voice　outside　the　door　saying

plaintively：

〃Mother！〃

He　rose　and　opened　the　door。　She　stood　on　the　threshold　in

her　night…dress；　as　she　had　climbed　out　of　bed；　black　eyes

staring　round　and　hostile；　her　fair　hair　sticking　out　in　a　wild

fleece。　The　man　and　child　confronted　each　other。

〃I　want　my　mother；〃　she　said；　jealously　accenting　the

〃my〃。

〃e　on　then；〃　he　said　gently。

〃Wheres　my　mother？〃

〃Shes　here……e　on。〃

The　childs　eyes；　staring　at　the　man　with　ruffled　hair　and

beard；　did　not　change。　The　mothers　voice　called　softly。　The

little　bare　feet　entered　the　room　with　trepidation。

〃Mother！〃

〃e；　my　dear。〃

The　small　bare　feet　approached　swiftly。