the secret places of the heart-第34章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　of　V。V。's　character。　。　。　。　〃I　ought　to　see　more　of　her；〃　he　thought。　〃She　gets　away　from　me。　Just　as　her　mother　did。〃　A　man　need　not　suspect　his　womenkind　but　he　should　know　what　they　are　doing。　It　is　duty；　his　protective　duty　to　them。　These　companions；　these　Seyffert　women　and　so　forth；　were　all　very　well　in　their　way；　there　wasn't　much　they　kept　from　you　if　you　got　them　cornered　and　asked　them　intently。　But　a　father's　eye　is　better。　He　must　go　about　with　the　girl　for　a　time；　watch　her　with　other　men；　give　her　chances　to　talk　business　with　him　and　see　if　she　took　them。　〃V。V。；　I'm　going　to　make　a　man　of　you；〃　the　phrase　ran　through　his　brain。　The　deep　instinctive　jealousy　of　the　primordial　father　was　still　strong　in　old　Grammont's　blood。　It　would　be　pleasant　to　go　about　with　her　on　his　right　hand　in　Paris；　HIS　girl；　straight　and　lovely；　desirable　and　unapproachable；above　that　sort　of　nonsense；　above　all　other　masculine　subjugation。　〃V。V。；　I'm　going　to　make　a　man　of　you。　。　。　。〃　His　mind　grew　calmer。　Whatever　she　wanted　in　Paris　should　be　hers。　He'd　just　let　her　rip。　They'd　be　like　sweethearts　together；　he　and　his　girl。　Old　Grammont　dozed　off　into　dreamland。　Section　5　The　imaginations　of　Mr。　Gunter　Lake；　two　days　behind　Mr。　Grammont　upon　the　Atlantic；　were　of　a　gentler；　more　romantic　character。　In　them　V。V。　was　no　longer　a　daughter　in　the　fierce　focus　of　a　father's　jealousy；　but　the　goddess　enshrined　in　a　good　man's　heart。　Indeed　the　figure　that　the　limelight　of　the　reverie　fell　upon　was　not　V。V。　at　all　but　Mr。　Gunter　Lake　himself；　in　his　favourite　role　of　the　perfect　lover。　An　interminable　speech　unfolded　itself。　〃I　ask　for　nothing　in　return。　I've　never　worried　you　about　that　Caston　business　and　I　never　will。　Married　to　me　you　shall　be　as　free　as　if　you　were　unmarried。　Don't　I　know；　my　dear　girl；　that　you　don't　love　me　yet。　Let　that　be　as　you　wish。　I　want　nothing　you　are　not　willing　to　give　me；　nothing　at　all。　All　I　ask　is　the　privilege　of　making　life　happyand　it　shall　be　happyfor　you。　。　。　。　All　I　ask。　All　I　ask。　Protect；　guard；　cherish。　。　。　。〃　For　to　Mr。　Gunter　Lake　it　seemed　there　could　be　no　lovelier　thing　in　life　than　a　wife　〃in　name　only〃　slowly　warmed　into　a　glow　of　passion　by　the　steadfast　devotion　and　the　strength　and　wisdom　of　a　mate　at　first　despised。　Until　at　last　a　day　would　come。　。　。　。　〃My　darling！〃　Mr。　Gunter　Lake　whispered　to　the　darkness。　〃My　little　guurl。　IT　HAS　BEEN　WORTH　THE　WAITING。　。　。　。〃　Section　6　Miss　Grammont　met　Sir　Richmond　in　the　bureau　of　the　Old　George　with　a　telegram　in　her　hand。　〃My　father　reported　his　latitude　and　longitude　by　wireless　last　night。　The　London　people　think　he　will　be　off　Falmouth　in　four　days'　time。　He　wants　me　to　join　his　liner　there　and　go　on　to　Cherbourg　and　Paris。　He's　arranged　that。　He　is　the　sort　of　man　who　can　arrange　things　like　that。　There'll　be　someone　at　Falmouth　to　look　after　us　and　put　us　aboard　the　liner。　I　must　wire　them　where　I　can　pick　up　a　telegram　to…morrow。〃　〃Wells　in　Somerset；〃　said　Sir　：Richmond。　His　plans　were　already　quite　clear。　He　explained　that　he　wanted　her　first　to　see　Shaftesbury；　a　little　old　Wessex　town　that　was　three　or　four　hundred　years　older　than　Salisbury；　perched　on　a　hill；　a　Saxon　town；　where　Alfred　had　gathered　his　forces　against　the　Danes　and　where　Canute；　who　had　ruled　over　all　Scandinavia　and　Iceland　and　Greenland；　and　had　come　near　ruling　a　patch　of　America；　had　died。　It　was　a　little　sleepy　place　now；　looking　out　dreamily　over　beautiful　views。　They　would　lunch　in　Shaftesbury　and　walk　round　it。　Then　they　would　go　in　the　afternoon　through　the　pleasant　west　country　where　the　Celts　had　prevailed　against　the　old　folk　of　the　Stonehenge　temple　and　the　Romans　against　the　Celts　and　the　Saxons　against　the　Romanized　Britons　and　the　Danes　against　the　Saxons；　a　war…scarred　landscape；　abounding　in　dykes　and　entrenchments　and　castles；　sunken　now　into　the　deepest　peace；　to　Glastonbury　to　see　what　there　was　to　see　of　a　marsh　village　the　Celts　had　made　for　themselves　three　or　four　hundred　years　before　the　Romans　came。　And　at　Glastonbury　also　there　were　the　ruins　of　a　great　Benedictine　church　and　abbey　that　had　once　rivalled　Salisbury。　Thence　they　would　go　on　to　Wells　to　see　yet　another　great　cathedral　and　to　dine　and　sleep。　Glastonbury　Abbey　and　Wells　Cathedral　brought　the　story　of　Europe　right　up　to　Reformation　times。　〃That　will　be　a　good　day　for　us；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃It　will　be　like　turning　over　the　pages　of　the　history　of　our　family；　to　and　fro。　There　will　be　nothing　nearly　so　old　as　Avebury　in　it；　but　there　will　be　something　from　almost　every　chapter　that　comes　after　Stonehenge。　Rome　will　be　poorly　represented；　but　that　may　come　the　day　after　at　Bath。　And　the　next　day　too　I　want　to　show　you　something　of　our　old　River　Severn。　We　will　come　right　up　to　the　present　if　we　go　through　Bristol。　There　we　shall　have　a　whiff　of　America；　our　new　find；　from　which　the　tobacco　comes；　and　we　shall　be　reminded　of　how　we　set　sail　thitherwas　it　yesterday　or　the　day　before？　You　will　understand　at　Bristol　how　it　is　that　the　energy　has　gone　out　of　this　dreaming　landto　Africa　and　America　and　the　whole　wide　world。　It　was　the　good　men　of　Bristol；　by　the　bye；　with　their　trade　from　Africa　to　America；　who　gave　you　your　colour　problem。　Bristol　we　may　go　through　to…morrow　and　Gloucester；　mother　of　I　don't　know　how　many　American　Gloucesters。　Bath　we'll　get　in　somehow。　And　then　as　an　Anglo…American　showman　I　shall　be　tempted　to　run　you　northward　a　little　way　past　Tewkesbury；　just　to　go　into　a　church　here　and　there　and　show　you　monuments　bearing　little　shields　with　the　stars　and　stripes　upon　them；　a　few　stars　and　a　few　stripes；　the　Washington　family　monuments。〃　〃It　was　not　only　from　England　that　America　came；〃　said　Miss　Grammont。　〃But　England　takes　an　American　memory　back　most　easily　and　most　fullyto　Avebury　and　the　Baltic　Northmen；　past　the　emperors　and　the　Corinthian　columns　that　smothered　Latin　Europe。　。　。　。　For　you　and　me　anyhow　this　is　our　past；　this　was　our　childhood；　and　this　is　our　land。〃　He　interrupted　laughing　as　she　was　about　to　reply。　〃Well；　anyhow；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　a　beautiful　day　and　a　pretty　country　before　us　with　the　ripest　history　in　every　grain　of　its　soil。　So　we'll　send　a　wire　to　your　London　people　and　tell　them　to　send　their　instructions　to　Wells。〃　〃I'll　tell　Belinda；〃　she　said；　〃to　be　quick　with　her　packing。〃　Section　7　As　Miss　Grammont　and　Sir　Richmond　Hardy　fulfilled　the　details　of　his　excellent　programme　and　revised　their　impressions　of　the　past　and　their　ideas　about　the　future　in　the　springtime　sunlight　of　Wiltshire　and　Somerset；　with　Miss　Seyffert　acting　the　part　of　an　almost　ostentatiously　discreet　chorus；　it　was　inevitable　that　their　conversation　should　become；　by　imperceptible　gradations；　more　personal　and　intimate。　They　kept　up　the　pose；　which　was　supposed　to　represent　Dr。　Martineau's　philosophy；　of　being　Man　and　Woman　on　their　Planet　considering　its　Future；　but　insensibly　they　developed　the　idiosyncrasies　of　their　position。　They　might　profess　to　be　Man　and　Woman　in　the　most　general　terms；　but　the　facts　that　she　was　the　daughter　not　of　Everyman　but　old　Grammont　and　that　Sir　Richmond　was　the　angry　leader　of　a　minority　upon　the　Fuel　Commission　became　more　an