the secret places of the heart-第33章

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erday　selves；　of　the　stone　age　savages　as　a　phase；　in　their　late　childhood；　and　of　this　great　world　order　Sir　Richmond　foresaw　as　a　day　where　dawn　was　already　at　hand。　And　in　such　long　perspectives；　the　states；　governments　and　institutions　of　to…day　became　very　temporary…looking　and　replaceable　structures　indeed。　Both　these　two　people　found　themselves　thinking　in　this　fashion　with　an　unwonted　courage　and　freedom　because　the　other　one　had　been　disposed　to　think　in　this　fashion　before。　Sir　Richmond　was　still　turning　over　in　his　mind　the　happy　mutual　release　of　the　imagination　this　chance　companionship　had　brought　about　when　he　found　himself　back　again　at　the　threshold　of　the　Old　George。　Section　4　Sir　Richmond　Hardy　was　not　the　only　man　who　was　thinking　intently　about　Miss　Grammont　at　that　particular　moment。　Two　gentlemen　were　coming　towards　her　across　the　Atlantic　whose　minds；　it　chanced；　were　very　busily　occupied　by　her　affairs。　One　of　these　was　her　father；　who　was　lying　in　his　brass　bed　in　his　commodious　cabin　on　the　Hollandia；　regretting　his　diminishing　ability　to　sleep　in　the　early　morning　now；　even　when　he　was　in　the　strong　and　soothing　air　of　mid…Atlantic；　and　thinking　of　V。V。　because　she　had　a　way　of　coming　into　his　mind　when　it　was　undefended；　and　the　other　was　Mr。　Gunter　Lake　on　the　Megantic；　one　day　out　from　Sandy　Hook；　who　found　himself　equally　sleepless　and　preoccupied。　And　although　Mr。　Lake　was　a　man　of　vast　activities　and　complicated　engagements　he　was　coming　now　to　Europe　for　the　express　purpose　of　seeing　V。V。　and　having　things　out　with　her　fully　and　completely　because；　in　spite　of　all　that　had　happened；　she　made　such　an　endless　series　of　delays　in　coming　to　America。　Old　Grammont　as　he　appeared　upon　the　pillow　of　his　bed　by　the　light　of　a　rose…shaded　bedside　lamp；　was　a　small…headed；　grey…haired　gentleman　with　a　wrinkled　face　and　sunken　brown　eyes。　Years　of　business　experience；　mitigated　only　by　such　exercise　as　the　game　of　poker　affords；　had　intensified　an　instinctive　inexpressiveness。　Under　the　most　solitary　circumstances　old　Grammont　was　still　inexpressive；　and　the　face　that　stared　at　the；　ceiling　of　his　cabin　and　the　problem　of　his　daughter　might　have　been　the　face　of　a　pickled　head　in　a　museum；　for　any　indication　it　betrayed　of　the　flow　of　thought　within。　He　lay　on　his　back　and　his　bent　knees　lifted　the　bed…clothes　into　a　sharp　mountain。　He　was　not　even　trying　to　sleep。　Why；　he　meditated；　had　V。V。　stayed　on　in　Europe　so　much　longer　than　she　need　have　done？　And　why　had　Gunter　Lake　suddenly　got　into　a　state　of　mind　about　her？　Why　didn't　the　girl　confide　in　her　father　at　least　about　these　things？　What　was　afoot？　She　had　thrown　over　Lake　once　and　it　seemed　she　was　going　to　turn　him　down　again。　Well；　if　she　was　an　ordinary　female　person　that　was　a　silly　sort　of　thing　to　do。　With　her　fortune　and　hisyou　could　buy　the　world。　But　suppose　she　was　not　all　ordinary　female　person。　。　。　。　Her　mother　hadn't　been　ordinary　anyhow；　whatever　else　you　called　her；　and　no　one　could　call　Grammont　blood　all　ordinary　fluid。　。　。　。　Old　Grammont　had　never　had　any　delusions　about　Lake。　If　Lake's　father　hadn't　been　a　big　man　Lake　would　never　have　counted　for　anything　at　all。　Suppose　she　did　turn　him　down。　In　itself　that　wasn't　a　thing　to　break　her　father's　heart。　What　did　matter　was　not　whether　she　threw　Lake　over　but　what　she　threw　him　over　for。　If　it　was　because　he　wasn't　man　enough；　well　and　good。　But　if　it　was　for　some　other　lover；　some　good…looking；　worthless　impostor；　some　European　title　or　suchlike　folly！　At　the　thought　of　a　lover　for　V。V。　a　sudden　flood　of　anger　poured　across　the　old　man's　mind；　behind　the　still　mask　of　his　face。　It　infuriated　him　even　to　think　of　V。V。；　his　little　V。V。；　his　own　girl；　entertaining　a　lover；　being　possibly　most　shameful　thoughtIN　LOVE！　Like　some　ordinary　silly　female；　sinking　to　kisses；　to　the　deeds　one　could　buy　and　pay　for。　His　V。V。！　The　idea　infuriated　and　disgusted　him。　He　fought　against　it　as　a　possibility。　Once　some　woman　in　New　York　had　ventured　to　hint　something　to　him　of　some　fellow；　some　affair　with　an　artist；　Caston；　she　had　linked　this　Caston　with　V。V。's　red　cross　nursing　in　Europe。　。　。　。　Old　Grammont　had　made　that　woman　sorry　she　spoke。　Afterwards　he　had　caused　enquiries　to　be　made　about　this　Caston；　careful　enquiries。　It　seems　that　he　and　V。V。　had　known　each　other；　there　had　been　something。　But　nothing　that　V。V。　need　be　ashamed　of。　When　old　Grammont's　enquiry　man　had　come　back　with　his　report；　old　Grammont　had　been　very　particular　about　that。　At　first　the　fellow　had　not　been　very　clear；　rather　muddled　indeed　as　to　how　things　wereno　doubt　he　had　wanted　to　make　out　there　was　something　just　to　seem　to　earn　his　money。　Old　Grammont　had　struck　the　table　sharply　and　the　eyes　that　looked　out　of　his　mask　had　blazed。　〃What　have　you　found　out　against　her？〃　he　had　asked　in　a　low　even　voice。　〃Absolutely　nothing；　Sir；〃　said　the　agent；　suddenly　white　to　the　lips。　。　。　。　Old　Grammont　stared　at　his　memory　of　that　moment　for　a　while。　That　affair　was　all　right；　quite　all　right。　Of　course　it　was　all　right。　And　also；　happily；　Caston　was　among　the　dead。　But　it　was　well　her　broken　engagement　with　Lake　had　been　resumed　as　though　it　had　never　been　broken　off。　If　there　had　been　any　talk　that　fact　answered　it。　And　now　that　Lake　had　served　his　purpose　old　Grammont　did　not　care　in　the　least　if　he　was　shelved。　V。V。　could　stand　alone。　Old　Grammont　had　got　a　phrase　in　his　mind　that　looked　like　dominating　the　situation。　He　dreamt　of　saying　to　V。V。：　〃V。V。；　I'm　going　to　make　a　man　of　youif　you're　man　enough。〃　That　was　a　large　proposition；　it　impliedoh！　it　implied　all　sorts　of　things。　It　meant　that　she　would　care　as　little　for　philandering　as　an　able　young　business　man。　Perhaps　some　day；　a　long　time　ahead；　she　might　marry。　There　wasn't　much　reason　for　it；　but　it　might　be　she　would　not　wish　to　be　called　a　spinster。　〃Take　a　husband；〃　thought　old　Grammont；　〃when　I　am　gone；　as　one　takes　a　butler；　to　make　the　household　complete。〃　In　previous　meditations　on　his　daughter's　outlook　old　Grammont　had　found　much　that　was　very　suggestive　in　the　precedent　of　Queen　Victoria。　She　had　had　no　husband　of　the　lord　and　master　type；　so　to　speak；　but　only　a　Prince　Consort；　well　in　hand。　Why　shouldn't　the　Grammont　heiress　dominate　her　male　belonging；　if　it　came　to　that；　in　the　same　fashion？　Why　shouldn't　one　tie　her　up　and　tie　the　whole　thing　up；　so　far　as　any　male　belonging　was　concerned；　leaving　V。V。　in　all　other　respects　free？　How　could　one　do　it？　The　speculative　calm　of　the　sunken　brown　eyes　deepened。　His　thoughts　went　back　to　the　white　face　of　the　private　enquiry　agent。　〃Absolutely　nothing；　Sir。〃　What　had　the　fellow　thought　of　hinting？　Nothing　of　that　kind　in　V。V。's　composition；　never　fear。　Yet　it　was　a　curious　anomaly　that　while　one　had　a　thousand　ways　of　defending　one's　daughter　and　one's　property　against　that　daughter's　husband；　there　was　no　power　on　earth　by　which　a　father　could　stretch　his　dead　hand　between　that　daughter　and　the　undue　influence　of　a　lover。　Unless　you　tied　her　up　for　good　and　all；　lover　or　none。　。　。　。　One　was　left　at　the　mercy　of　V。V。's　character。　。　。　。　〃I　ought　to　see　more　of　her；〃　he　thought。　〃She　gets　away　from　me。　Just　a