第18章

类别:其他 作者:Gene Stratton-Porter字数:16282更新时间:18/12/13 16:09:15
Hadn\'tyoubetterletherdecidethis?\" \"Thefinaldecisionrestswithher,ofcourse,\"admittedMrs。Comstock。\"Butlookyouonething!She\'sallIhave。 AsSolomonsays,`sheistheonechild,theonlychildofhermother。\'I\'vesufferedenoughinthisworldthatIfightagainstanysufferingwhichthreatensher。 SofarasIknowyou\'vealwaysbeenaman,andyoumaystay。Butifyoubringtearsandheartachetoher,don\'thavetheassurancetothinkI\'llbearittamely。 I\'llgetrightupandfightlikeacatamount,ifthingsgowrongforElnora!\" \"Ihavenodoubtbutyouwill,\"repliedPhilip,\"andI don\'tblameyouintheleastifyoudo。IhavetheutmostdevotiontoofferElnora,agoodhome,fairsocialposition,andmyfamilywillloveherdearly。Thinkitover。Iknowitissudden,butmyfatheradvisedit。\" \"Yes,Ireckonhedid!\"saidMrs。Comstockdryly。\"Iguessinsteadofmebeingthecatamount,youhadthegenuinearticleupinChicago,masqueradinginpeacockfeathers,andposingasafinelady,untilhertimecametoscratch。 Humannatureseemstobethesametheworldover。ButI\'dgiveaprettytoknowthatsecretthingyousayyoudon\'t,thatsetherravingoveryourjustcatchingamothforElnora。 Youmightgetthatcrockofstrawberriesinthespringhouse。\" Theypreparedandatesupper。Afterwardtheysatinthearbourandtalked,orElnoraplayeduntiltimeforPhiliptogo。 \"Willyouwalktothegatewithme?\"heaskedElnoraashearose。 \"Notto-night,\"sheansweredlightly。\"Comeearlyinthemorningifyoulike,andwewillgoovertoSleepySnakeCreekandhuntmothsandgatherdandelionsfordinner。\" Philipleanedtowardher。\"MayItellyouto-morrowwhyIcame?\"heasked。 \"Ithinknot,\"repliedElnora。\"Thefactis,Idon\'tcarewhyyoucame。Itisenoughformethatweareyourverygoodfriends,andthatintrouble,youhavefoundusarefuge。Ifancywehadbetterliveaweekortwobeforeyousayanything。Thereisapossibilitythatwhatyouhavetosaymaychangeinthatlengthoftime。 \"Itwillnotchangeoneiota!\"criedPhilip。 \"Thenitwillhavethegraceofthatmuchagetogiveitsomesmalltouchofflavour,\"saidthegirl。\"Comeearlyinthemorning。\" Sheliftedtheviolinandbegantoplay。 \"Wellblessmysoul!\"ejaculatedtheastoundedMrs。Comstock。 \"TothinkIwasworryingforfearyoucouldn\'ttakecareofyourself!\" Elnoralaughedwhilesheplayed。 \"ShallItellyouwhathesaid?\" \"Nope!Idon\'twanttohearit!\"saidElnora。\"HeisonlysixhoursfromChicago。I\'llgiveheraweektofindhimandfixitup,ifhestaysthatlong。Ifshedoesn\'tputinanappearancethen,hecantellmewhathewantstosay,andI\'lltakemytimetothinkitover。Timeinplenty,too!Therearethreeofusinthis,andonemustbeleftwithasoreheartforlife。IfthedecisionrestswithmeIproposetobeverysurethatitistheonewhodeservessuchhardluck。\" ThenextmorningPhilipcameearly,dressedintheoutingclothinghehadworntheprevioussummer,andasidefromaslightpalenessseemedverymuchthesameaswhenheleft。Elnoramethimontheoldfooting,andforaweeklifewentonexactlyasithadtheprevioussummer。 Mrs。Comstockmadementalnotesandwatchedinsilence。 ShecouldseethatElnorawasonastrain,thoughshehopedPhilipwouldnot。Thegirlgrewrestlessastheweekdrewtoaclose。Oncewhenthegateclickedshesuddenlylostcolourandmovednervously。Billycamedownthewalk。 PhilipleanedtowardMrs。Comstockandsaid:\"IamexpresslyforbiddentospeaktoElnoraasIwouldlike。 WouldyoumindtellingherformethatIhadaletterfrommyfatherthismorningsayingthatMissCarrisonherwaytoEuropeforthesummer?\" \"Elnora,\"saidMrs。Comstockpromptly,\"IhavejustheardthatCarrwomanisonherwaytoEurope,andI wishtomygraciousstarsshe\'dstaythere!\" PhilipAmmonshouted,butElnoraarosehastilyandwenttomeetBilly。TheycameintothearbourtogetherandafterspeakingtoMrs。ComstockandPhilip,Billysaid:\"UncleWesleyandIfoundsomethingfunny,andwethoughtyou\'dliketosee。\" \"Idon\'tknowwhatIshoulddowithoutyouandUncleWesleytohelpme,\"saidElnora。\"Whathaveyoufoundnow?\" \"SomethingIcouldn\'tbring。Youhavetocometoit。 ItriedtogetoneandIkilledit。Theyareakindofinsectythings,andtheygotalongtailthatisthreefinehairs。Theystickthosehairsrightintothehardbarkoftrees,andifyoupull,thehairsstayfastanditkillsthebug。\" \"Wewillcomeatonce,\"laughedElnora。\"Iknowwhattheyare,andIcanusesomeinmywork。\" \"Billy,haveyoubeencrying?\"inquiredMrs。Comstock。 Billyliftedachastenedface。\"Yes,ma\'am,\"hereplied。 \"Thishasbeentheworstday。\" \"What\'sthematterwiththeday?\" \"Thedayisallright,\"admittedBilly。\"Imeaneverysinglethinghasgonewrongwithme。\" \"Nowthatistoobad!\"sympathizedMrs。Comstock。 \"Beganearlythismorning,\"saidBilly。\"AllSnap\'sfault,too。\" \"WhathaspoorSnapbeendoing?\"demandedMrs。 Comstock,hereyesbeginningtotwinkle。 \"Diggingforwoodchucks,likehealwaysdoes。Hegetsupattwoo\'clocktodigforthem。Hewascominginfromthewoodsalltiredandcoveredthickwithdirt。 IwasgoingtothebarnwiththepailofwaterforUncleWesleytouseinmilking。Ihadtosetdownthepailtoshutthegatesothechickenswouldn\'tgetintotheflowerbeds,andoldSnapstuckhisdirtynoseintothewaterandbegantolapitdown。IknewUncleWesleywouldn\'tusethat,soIhadtogo\'waybacktothecisternformore,anditpumpsawfulhard。Madememad,soIthrewthewateronSnap。\" \"Well,whatofit?\" \"Nothing,ifhe\'dstoodstill。Butitscaredhimawful,andwhenhe\'safraidhegoesa-humpingforAuntMargaret。 Whenhegotrightupagainstherhestiffenedoutandgaveabigshake。YououghterseenthenicebluedressshehadputontogotoOnabasha!\" Mrs。ComstockandPhiliplaughed,butElnoraputherarmsaroundtheboy。\"OhBilly!\"shecried。 \"Thatwastoobad!\" \"Shegotupearlyandironedthatdresstowearbecauseitwascool。Then,whenitwasalldirty,shewouldn\'tgo,andshewantedtorealbad。\"Billywipedhiseyes。\"Thatain\'tall,either,\"headded。 \"We\'dliketoknowaboutit,Billy,\"suggestedMrs。 Comstock,strugglingwithherface。 \"Cosshecouldn\'tgotothecity,she\'smostworkedherselftodeath。She\'sdoneallthedirty,hardjobsshecouldfind。She\'sfixinghergrapejuicenow。\" \"Sure!\"criedMrs。Comstock。\"Whenawomanisdisappointedshealwaysworkslikeadogtogainsympathy!\" \"Well,UncleWesleyandIaresympathizingallweknowhow,withoutherworkingso。I\'vesqueezeduntilIalmostbustedtogetthejuiceoutfromtheseedsandskins。That\'sthehardpart。Now,shehastostrainitthroughwhiteflannelandsealitinbottles,andit\'sgoodforsickfolks。MostwishI\'dgetsickmyself,soIcouldhaveaglass。It\'ssogood!\" Elnoraglancedswiftlyathermother。 \"Iworkedsohard,\"continuedBilly,\"thatshesaidifIwouldthrowtheleavingsinthewoods,thenIcouldcomeafteryoutoseeaboutthebugs。Doyouwanttogo?\" \"Wewillallgo,\"saidMrs。Comstock。\"Iammightilyinterestedinthosebugsmyself。\" FromafarcommotioncouldbeseenattheSintonhome。 WesleyandMargaretwererunningaroundwildlyandpeculiarsoundsfilledtheair。 \"What\'sthetrouble?\"askedPhilip,hurryingtoWesley。 \"Cholera!\"groanedSinton。\"Myhogsaredyinglikeflies。\" Margaretwassoftlycrying。\"Wesley,can\'tIfixsomethinghot?Can\'twedoanything?Itmeansseveralhundreddollarsandourwintermeat。\" \"Ineversawstocktakensosuddenlyandsohard,\" saidWesley。\"Ihave\'phonedfortheveterinarytocomeassoonashecangethere。\" Allofthemhurriedtothefeedingpenintowhichthepigsseemedtobegatheringfromthewoods。AmongthecommonstockwerebigwhitebeastsofpedigreewhichwereWesley\'sprideatcountyfairs。Severaloftheserolledontheirbacks,pawingtheairfeeblyandemittinglittlesqueaks。AhugeBerkshiresatonhishaunches,slowlyshakinghishead,thewaterdroppingfromhiseyes,untilhe,too,rolledoverwithfaintgrunts。Apaircrossingtheyardonwaveringlegscollided,andattackedeachotherinanger,onlytofall,soweaktheyscarcelycouldsqueal。AfinesnowyPlymouthRockrooster,afterseveralattempts,flewtothefence,balancedwithgreateffort,wildlyflappedhiswingsandstartedagutturalcrow,butfellsprawlingamongthepigs,toohelplesstostand。 \"Didyoueverseesuchadreadfulsight?\"sobbedMargaret。 Billyclimbedonthefence,tookonelonglookandturnedanastoundedfacetoWesley。 \"Whythempigsisdrunk!\"hecried。\"Theyactjustlikemypa!\" WesleyturnedtoMargaret。 \"Wheredidyouputtheleavingsfromthatgrapejuice?\" hedemanded。 \"IsentBillytothrowitinthewoods。\" \"Billy——\"beganWesley。 \"Threwitjustwhereshetoldmeto,\"criedBilly。 Butsomeofthepigscamebytherecomingintothepen,andsomewerecloseinthefencecorners。\" \"Didtheyeatit?\"demandedWesley。 \"Theyjustchankedintoit,\"repliedBillygraphically。 \"Theypushed,andsquealed,andfoughtoverit。 Youcouldn\'tblame\'em!ItwasthebeststuffIevertasted!\" \"Margaret,\"saidWesley,\"run\'phonethatdoctorhewon\'tbeneeded。Billy,takeElnoraandMr。Ammontoseethebugs。Katharine,supposeyouhelpmeaminute。\" Wesleytooktheclothesbasketfromthebackporchandstartedinthedirectionofthecellar。Margaretreturnedfromthetelephone。 \"Ijustcaughthim,\"shesaid。\"There\'sthatmuchsaved。 WhyWesley,whatareyougoingtodo?\" \"Yougositonthefrontporchalittlewhile,\"saidWesley。 \"Youwillfeelbetterifyoudon\'tseethis。\" \"Wesley,\"criedMargaretaghast。\"Someofthatwineistenyearsold。Therearedaysanddaysofhardworkinit,andIcouldn\'tsayhowmuchsugar。Dr。Ammonkeepspeoplealivewithitwhennothingelsewillstayontheirstomachs。\" \"Let\'emdie,then!\"saidWesley。\"Youheardtheboy,didn\'tyou?\" \"It\'sacoldprocess。There\'snotaparticleoffermentationaboutit。\" \"Notaparticleoffermentation!Greatday,Margaret!Lookatthosepigs!\" Margarettookalonglook。\"Leavemeafewbottlesformince-meat,\"shewavered。 \"Notasmellforanyuseonthisearth!Youheardtheboy!Heshan\'tsay,whenhegrowstomanhood,thathelearnedtolikeithere!\" Wesleythrewawaythewine,Mrs。Comstockcheerfullyassisting。 Thentheywalkedtothewoodstoseeandlearnaboutthewonderfulinsects。ThedayendedwithabigsupperatSintons\',andthentheywenttotheComstockcabinforaconcert。Elnoraplayedbeautifullythatnight。WhentheSintonsleftshekissedBillywithparticulartenderness。 ShewassomovedthatshewaskindertoPhilipthanshehadintendedtobe,andElnoraasanantidotetoadisappointedloverwasadecidedsuccessinanymood。 HoweverstrongtheattractionsofEdithCarrhadbeen,oncethebondwasfinallybroken,PhilipAmmoncouldnothelprealizingthatElnorawasthesuperiorwoman,andthathewasfortunatetohaveescaped,whenheregardedhistiesstrongest。Everyday,whileworkingwithElnora,hesawmoretoadmire。Hegrewverythankfulthathewasfreetotrytowinher,andimpatienttojustifyhimselftoher。 Elnoradidnotevincetheslightesthastetohearwhathehadtosay,butwaitedtheweekshehadset,inspiteofPhilip\'shourlymanifestimpatience。Whenshedidconsenttolisten,Philipfeltbeforehehadtalkedfiveminutes,thatshewasputtingherselfinEdithCarr\'splace,andjudginghimfromwhattheothergirl\'sstandpointwouldbe。Thatwassodisconcerting,hedidnotpleadhiscausenearlysowellashehadhoped,forwhenheceasedElnorasatinsilence。 \"Youaremyjudge,\"hesaidatlast。\"Whatisyourverdict?\" \"IfIcouldhearherspeakfromherheartasIjusthaveheardyou,thenIcoulddecide,\"answeredElnora。 \"Sheisontheocean,\"saidPhilip。\"Shewentbecausesheknewshewaswhollyinthewrong。Shehadnothingtosay,orshewouldhaveremained。\" \"Thatsoundsplausible,\"reasonedElnora,\"butitisprettydifficulttofindawomaninanaffairthatinvolvesherheartwithnothingatalltosay。IfancyifIcouldmeether,shewouldsayseveralthings。Ishouldlovetohearthem。IfIcouldtalkwithherthreeminutes,I couldtellwhatanswertomakeyou。\" \"Don\'tyoubelieveme,Elnora?\" \"Unquestioningly,\"answeredElnora。\"ButIwouldbelieveheralso。IfonlyIcouldmeetherIsoonwouldknow。\" \"Idon\'tseehowthatistobeaccomplished,\"saidPhilip,\"butIamperfectlywilling。Thereisnoreasonwhyyoushouldnotmeether,exceptthatsheprobablywouldlosehertemperandinsultyou。\" \"Nottoanyextent,\"saidElnoracalmly。\"Ihaveatongueofmyown,whileIamnotwithoutsomesmallsenseofpersonalvalues。\" Philipglancedatherandbegantolaugh。Verydifferentoffacialformationandcolouring,Elnoraattimescloselyresembledhermother。Shejoinedinhislaughruefully。 \"Thepointisthis,\"shesaid。\"Someoneisgoingtobehurt,mostdreadfully。Ifthedecisionastowhomitshallberestswithme,Imustknowitistherightone。 Ofcourse,nooneeverhintedittoyou,butyouareaveryattractiveman,Philip。Youaremightygoodtolookat,andyouhaveatrained,refinedmind,thatmakesyoumostinteresting。ForyearsEdithCarrhasfeltthatyouwerehers。Now,howisshegoingtochange?Ihavebeenthinking——thinkingdeepandlong,Phil。IfIwereinherplace,Isimplycouldnotgiveyouup,unlessyouhadmadeyourselfunworthyoflove。Undoubtedly,youneverseemedsodesirabletoherasjustnow,whensheistoldshecan\'thaveyou。WhatIthinkisthatshewillcometoclaimyouyet。\" \"Youoverlookthefactthatitisnotinawoman\'spowertothrowawayamanandpickhimupatpleasure,\"saidPhilipwithsomewarmth。\"Shepubliclyandrepeatedlycastmeoff。Iacceptedherdecisionaspubliclyasitwasmade。Youhavedoneallyourthinkingfromawrongviewpoint。YouseemtohaveanideathatitlieswithyoutodecidewhatIshalldo,thatifyousaytheword,IshallreturntoEdith。Putthatthoughtoutofyourhead!Now,andforalltimetocome,sheisamatterofindifferencetome。ShekilledallfeelinginmyheartforhersocompletelythatIdonotevendreadmeetingher。 \"IfIhatedher,orwasangrywithher,Icouldnotbesurethefeelingwouldnotdie。Asitis,shehasdeadenedmeintoacreatureofindifference。Soyoujustreviseyourviewpointalittle,Elnora。CeasethinkingitisforyoutodecidewhatIshalldo,andthatIwillobeyyou。 Imakemyowndecisionsinreferencetoanywoman,saveyou。 ThequestionyouaretodecideiswhetherImayremainhere,associatingwithyouasIdidlastsummer;butwiththedifferencethatitisunderstoodthatIamfree;thatitismyintentiontocareforyouallIplease,tomakeyoureturnmyfeelingforyouifIcan。Thereisjustonequestionforyoutodecide,anditisnottriangular。 Itisbetweenus。MayIremain?MayIloveyou? WillyougivemethechancetoprovewhatIthinkofyou?\" \"Youspeakveryplainly,\"saidElnora。 \"Thisisthetimetospeakplainly,\"saidPhilipAmmon。 \"Thereisnouseinallowingyoutogoonthreshingoutaproblemwhichdoesnotexist。Ifyoudonotwantmehere,saysoandIwillgo。Ofcourse,IwarnyoubeforeIstart,thatIwillcomeback。Iwon\'tyieldwithoutthestiffestfightitisinmetomake。ButdropthinkingitliesinyourpowertosendmebacktoEdithCarr。 Ifshewerethelastwomanintheworld,andIthelastman,I\'djumpofftheplanetbeforeIwouldgiveherfurtheropportunitytoexercisehertemperonme。Narrowthistous,Elnora。Willyoutaketheplaceshevacated? Willyoutaketheheartshethrewaway?I\'dgivemyrighthandandnotflinch,ifIcouldofferyoumylife,freefromanycontactwithhers,butthatisnotpossible。Ican\'tundothingswhicharedone。 Icanonlyprofitbyexperienceandbuildbetterinthefuture。\" \"Idon\'tseehowyoucanbesureofyourself,\"saidElnora。 \"Idon\'tseehowIcouldbesureofyou。Youlovedherfirst,younevercancareformeanythinglikethat。AlwaysI\'dhavetobeafraidyouwerethinkingofherandregretting。\" \"Folly!\"criedPhilip。\"Regrettingwhat?ThatI wasnotmarriedtoawomanwhowasliabletoraveatmeanytimeorplace,withoutmybeingconsciousofhavinggivenoffence?Amandoesrelishthat!Iamlikelytopineformore!\" \"You\'dbethinkingshe\'dlearnedalesson。Youwouldthinkitwouldn\'thappenagain。\" \"No,Iwouldn\'tbe`thinking,\'\"said,Philip。\"I\'dbeeverlastinglysure!Iwouldn\'triskwhatIwentthroughthatnightagain,nottosavemylife!Justyouandme,Elnora。Decideforus。\" \"Ican\'t!\"criedElnora。\"Iamafraid!\" \"Verywell,\"saidPhilip。\"Wewillwaituntilyoufeelthatyoucan。Waituntilfearvanishes。Justdecidenowwhetheryouwouldratherhavemegoforafewmonths,orremainwithyou。Whichshallitbe,Elnora?\" \"Youcanneverlovemeasyoudidher,\"wailedElnora。 \"IamhappytosayIcannot,\"repliedhe。\"I\'vecutmymatrimonialteeth。I\'mcuredofwantingtoswellinsociety。I\'moverbeingproudofawomanforherlooksalone。Ihavenofurtheruseforlavishingmyselfonabeautiful,elegantlydressedcreature,whothinksonlyofself。IhavelearnedthatIamacommonman。IadmirebeautyandbeautifulclothingquiteasmuchasIeverdid;but,first,Iwantanunderstanding,deepasthelowestrecessofmysoul,withthewomanImarry。Iwanttoworkforyou,toplanforyou,tobuildyouahomewitheverycomfort,togiveyouallgoodthingsIcan,toshieldyoufromeveryevil。Iwanttointerposemybodybetweenyoursandfire,flood,orfamine。Iwanttogiveyoueverything;butIhatetheideaofgettingnothingatallonwhichIcandependinreturn。EdithCarrhadonlygoodlookstooffer,andwhenangerovertookher,beautywentoutlikeasnuffedcandle。 \"Iwantyoutoloveme。Iwantsomeconsideration。 Ievencraverespect。I\'vekeptmyselfclean。SofarasIknowhowtobe,Iamhonestandscrupulous。 Itwouldn\'thurtmetofeelthatyoutooksomeinterestinthesethings。Ratherfiercetemptationsstrikeaman,everyfewdays,inthisworld。Icankeepdecent,forawomanwhocaresfordecency,butwhenIdo,I\'dliketohavethefactrecognized,byjustenoughofashowofappreciationthatIcouldseeit。Iamtiredofthisone- sidedbusiness。Afterthis,IwanttogetalittleinreturnforwhatIgive。Elnora,youhavelove,tenderness,andhonestappreciationofthefinestinlife。TakewhatIoffer,andgivewhatIask。\" \"Youdonotaskmuch,\"saidElnora。 \"AsfornotlovingyouasIdidEdith,\"continuedPhilip,\"asIsaidbefore,Ihopenot!Ihaveanewerandabetterideaofloving。ThefeelingIofferyouwasinspiredbyyou。ItisaLimberlostproduct。Itisasmuchbigger,cleaner,andmorewholesomethananyfeelingIeverhadforEdithCarr,asyouarebiggerthanshe,whenyoustandbeforeyourclassesandincalmdignityexplainthemarvelsoftheAlmighty,whileshestandsonaballroomfloor,andgiveswaytouncontrolledtemper。 Yegods,Elnora,ifyoucouldlookintomysoul,youwouldseeitleapandrejoiceovermyescape!Perhapsitisn\'tdecent,butit\'shuman;andI\'monlyacommonhumanbeing。I\'mthegladdestmanalivethatI\'mfree! IwouldturnsomersaultsandyellifIdared。Whatanescape! StopstrainingafterEdithCarr\'sviewpointandtakealookfrommine。PutyourselfinmyplaceandtrytostudyouthowIfeel。 \"IamsohappyIgrowreligiousoverit。FiftytimesadayIcatchmyselfwhispering,`Mysoulisescaped!\' Asforyou,takeallthetimeyouwant。Ifyouprefertobealone,I\'lltakethenexttrainandstayawayaslongasIcanbearit,butI\'llcomeback。Youcanbemostsureofthat。Straightasyourpigeonstotheirloft,I\'llcomebacktoyou,Elnora。ShallIgo?\" \"Oh,what\'stheusetobeextravagant?\"murmuredElnora。 CHAPTERXXII WHEREINPHILIPAMMONKNEELSTOELNORA,ANDSTRANGERSCOMETOTHELIMBERLOST ThemonthwhichfollowedwasareproductionofthepreviousJune。Therewerelongmothhunts,daysofspecimengathering,wonderfulhourswithgreatbooks,bigdinnersallofthemhelpedtoprepare,andperfectnightsfilledwithmusic。Everythingwasasithadbeen,withthedifferencethatPhilipwasnowanavowedsuitor。HemissednoopportunitytoadvancehimselfinElnora\'sgraces。Attheendofthemonthhewasnoneareranysortofunderstandingwithherthanhehadbeenatthebeginning。Herevelledintheprivilegeoflovingher,buthegotnoresponse。 Elnorabelievedinhislove,yetshehesitatedtoaccepthim,becauseshecouldnotforgetEdithCarr。 OneafternoonearlyinJuly,Philipcameacrossthefields,throughtheComstockwoods,andenteredthegarden。 HeinquiredforElnoraatthebackdoorandwastoldthatshewasreadingunderthewillow。Hewentaroundthewestendofthecabintoher。Shesatonarusticbenchtheyhadmadeandplacedbeneathadroopingbranch。 Hehadnotseenherbeforeinthedressshewaswearing。 Itwasclingingmullofpalegreen,trimmedwithnarrowrufflesandtouchedwithknotsofblackvelvet;asimpledress,butvastlybecoming。Everytintofherbrighthair,herluminouseyes,herredlips,andherrose-flushedface,neck,andarmsgrewalittlemorevividwiththedelicategreensetting。 Hestoppedshort。Shewassonear,sotemptinglysweet,helostcontrol。Hewenttoherwithahalf- smotheredcryafterthatfirstlonglook,droppedononekneebesideherandreachedanarmbehindhertothebenchback,sothathewasverynear。Hecaughtherhands。 \"Elnora!\"hecriedtensely,\"enditnow!Saythisstrainisover。Ipledgeyouthatyouwillbehappy。 Youdon\'tknow!Ifyouonlywouldsaytheword,youwouldawaketonewlifeandgreatjoy!Won\'tyoupromisemenow,Elnora?\" Thegirlsatstaringintothewestwoods,whilestronginhereyeswasherfather\'slookofseeingsomethinginvisibletoothers。Philip\'sarmslippedfromthebencharoundher。Hisfingersclosedfirmlyoverhers。 Elnora,\"hepleaded,\"youknowmewellenough。 Youhavehadtimeinplenty。Enditnow。Sayyouwillbemine!\"Hegatheredhercloser,pressinghisfaceagainsthers,hisbreathonhercheek。\"Can\'tyouquitepromiseyet,mygirloftheLimberlost?\" Elnorashookherhead。Instantlyhereleasedher。 \"Forgiveme,\"hebegged。\"Ihadnointentionofthrustingmyselfuponyou,but,Elnora,youaretheveriestQueenofLovethisafternoon。Fromthetipsofyourtoestoyourshiningcrown,Iworshipyou。Iwantnowomansaveyou。 Youaresowonderfulthisafternoon,Icouldn\'thelpurging。 Forgiveme。Perhapsitwassomethingthatcamethismorningforyou。IwrotePollytosendit。Maywetryifitfits?Willyoutellmeifyoulikeit?\" Hedrewalittlewhitevelvetboxfromhispocketandshowedherasplendidemeraldring。 \"Itmaynotberight,\"hesaid。\"Theinsideofaglovefingerisnotveryaccurateforameasure,butitwasthebestIcoulddo。IwrotePollytogetit,becausesheandmotherarehomefromtheEastthisweek,butnexttheywillgoontoourcottageinthenorth,andnooneknowswhatisrightquitesowellasPolly。\"HelaidtheringinElnora\'shand。\"Dearest,\"hesaid,\"don\'tslipthatonyourfinger;putyourarmsaroundmyneckandpromiseme,allatonceandabruptly,orI\'llkeeloveranddieofsheerjoy。\" Elnorasmiled。 \"Iwon\'t!Notallthoseventuresomethingsatonce; but,Phil,I\'mashamedtoconfessthatringsimplyfascinatesme。ItisthemostbeautifuloneIeversaw,anddoyouknowthatIneverownedaringofanykindinmylife?WouldyouthinkmeunwomanlyifIslipitonforasecond,beforeIcansayforsure?Phil,youknowIcare!Icareverymuch!YouknowIwilltellyoutheinstantIfeelrightaboutit。\" \"Certainlyyouwill,\"agreedPhilippromptly。\"Itisyourrighttotakeallthetimeyouchoose。Ican\'tputthatringonyouuntilitmeansabondbetweenus。 I\'llshutmyeyesandyoutryiton,sowecanseeifitfits。\"Philipturnedhisfacetowardthewestwoodsandtightlyclosedhiseyes。Itwasaboyishthingtodo,anditcaughtthehesitatinggirlinthedepthsofherheartastheboyelementinamaneverappealstoamotherlywoman。Beforeshequiterealizedwhatshewasdoing,theringslidonherfinger。WithbotharmsshecaughtPhilipanddrewhimtoherbreast,holdinghimclosely。Herheaddroopedoverhis,herlipswereonhishair。Soaninstant,thenherarmsdropped。 Heliftedaconvulsed,whiteface。 \"DearLord!\"hewhispered。\"You——youdidn\'tmeanthat,Elnora!You——Whatmadeyoudoit?\" \"You——youlookedsoboyish!\"pantedElnora。\"Ididn\'tmeanit!I——IforgotthatyouwereolderthanBilly。 Look——lookatthering!\" \"`TheQueencandonowrong,\'\"quotedPhilipbetweenhissetteeth。\"Butdon\'tyoudothatagain,Elnora,unlessyoudomeanit。Kingsarenotsogoodasqueens,andthereisalimitwithallmen。Asyousay,wewilllookatyourring。Itseemsverylovelytome。Supposeyouleaveitonuntiltimeformetogo。Pleasedo!Ihaveheardofmuteappeals;perhapsitwillpleadforme。 Iamwildforyourlipsthisafternoon。Iamgoingtotakeyourhands。\" Hecaughtbothofthemandcoveredthemwithkisses。 \"Elnora,\"hesaid,\"Willyoubemywife?\" \"Imusthavealittlemoretime,\"shewhispered。\"Imustbeabsolutelycertain,forwhenIsayyes,andgivemyselftoyou,onlydeathshallpartus。Iwouldnotgiveyouup。SoIwantalittlemoretime——but,IthinkIwill。\" \"Thankyou,\"saidPhilip。\"Ifatanytimeyoufeelthatyouhavereachedadecision,willyoutellme?Willyoupromisemetotellmeinstantly,orshallIkeepaskingyouuntilthetimecomes?\" \"Youmakeitdifficult,\"saidElnora。\"ButIwillpromiseyouthat。Wheneverthelastdoubtvanishes,I willletyouknowinstantly——ifIcan。\" \"Woulditbedifficultforyou?\"whisperedAmmon。 \"I——Idon\'tknow,\"falteredElnora。 \"ItseemsasifIcan\'tbemanenoughtoputthisthoughtasideandgiveupthisafternoon,\"saidPhilip。 \"Iamashamedofmyself,butIcan\'thelpit。IamgoingtoaskGodtomakethatlastdoubtvanishbeforeIgothisnight。Iamgoingtobelievethatringwillpleadforme。Iamgoingtohopethatdoubtwilldisappearsuddenly。 Iwillbewatching。EverysecondIwillbewatching。 Ifithappensandyoucan\'tspeak,givemeyourhand。 Justtheleastmovementtowardme,Iwillunderstand。 Wouldithelpyoutotalkthisoverwithyourmother? ShallIcallher?ShallI——?\" Honk!Honk!Honk!HartHendersonsetthehornofthebigautomobilegoingasitshotfrombehindthetreesliningtheBrushwoodroad。Thepictureofavine- coveredcabin,alargedroopingtree,agreen-cladgirlandamanbendingoverherverycloselyflashedintoview。 EdithCarrcaughtherbreathwithasnap。PollyAmmongaveTomLeveringaquicktouchandwickedlywinkedathim。 Severaldaysbefore,EdithhadreturnedfromEuropesuddenly。 SheandHendersonhadcalledattheAmmonresidencesayingthattheyweregoingtomotordowntotheLimberlosttoseePhilipafewhours,andurgedthatPollyandTomaccompanythem。 Mrs。Ammonknewthatherhusbandwoulddisapproveofthetrip,butitwaseasytoseethatEdithCarrhaddeterminedongoing。 SothemotherthoughtitbettertohavePollyalongtosupportPhilipthantoallowhimtoconfrontEdithunexpectedlyandalone。 Pollywasfullofspirit。ShedidnotrelishthethoughtofEdithasasister。Alwaystheyhadbeeninthesameset,alwaysEdith,becauseofgreaterbeautyandwealth,hadpatronizedPolly。Althoughithadrankled,shehadborneitsweetly。Buttwodaysbefore,herfatherhadextractedapromiseofsecrecy,givenherPhilip\'saddressandtoldhertosendhimthefinestemeraldringshecouldselect。 Pollyknewhowthatringwouldbeused。Whatshedidnotknowwasthatthegirlwhoaccompaniedherwentbacktothestoreafterward,madeanexcusetotheclerkthatshehadbeensenttobeabsolutelysurethattheaddresswasright,andsosecureditforEdithCarr。 TwodayslaterEdithhadinducedHartHendersontotakehertoOnabasha。BytheaidofmapstheylocatedtheComstocklandandpassedit,merelytoseetheplace。 Hendersonhatedthattrip,andimploredEdithnottotakeit,butshemadenoefforttoconcealfromhimwhatshesuffered,anditwasmorethanhecouldendure。HepointedoutthatPhiliphadgoneawaywithoutleavinganaddress,becausehedidnotwishtoseeher,oranyofthem。 ButEdithwassosureofherpower,shefeltcertainPhilipneededonlytoseehertosuccumbtoherbeautyashealwayshaddone,whilenowshewasreadytopleadforforgiveness。 SotheycamedowntheBrushwoodroad,andHendersonhadjustsaidtoEdithbesidehim:\"ThisshouldbetheComstocklandonourleft。\" Aminutelaterthewoodended,whilethesunlight,asalwayspitiless,etchedwithdistinctnessthesceneatthewestendofthecabin。Instinctively,tosaveEdith,Hendersonsetthehornblowing。Hehadthoughttodrivetothecity,butPollyAmmonarosecrying:\"Phil!Phil!\" TomLeveringwasonhisfeetshoutingandwaving,whileEdithinhermostimperialmannerorderedhimtoturnintothelaneleadingthroughthewoodsbesidethecabin。 \"Findsomewayformetohaveaminutealonewithher,\" shecommandedashestoppedthecar。 \"ThatismysisterPolly,herfianceTomLevering,afriendofminenamedHenderson,and——\"beganPhilip,\"——andEdithCarr,\"volunteeredElnora。 \"AndEdithCarr,\"repeatedPhilipAmmon。\"Elnora,bebrave,formysake。Theircomingcanmakenodifferenceinanyway。Iwon\'tletthemstaybutafewminutes。 Comewithme!\" \"DoIseemscared?\"inquiredElnoraserenely。\"Thisiswhyyouhaven\'thadyouranswer。Ihavebeenwaitingjustsixweeksforthatmotor。Youmaybringthemtomeatthearbour。\" Philipglancedatherandbrokeintoalaugh。Shehadnotlostcolour。Herself-possessionwasperfect。 Shedeliberatelyturnedandwalkedtowardthegrapearbour,whilehesprangoverthewestfenceandrantothecar。 Elnorastandinginthearbourentrancemadeaperfectpicture,framedingreenleavesandtendrils。Nomatterhowherheartached,itwasgoodtoher,foritpumpedsteadily,andkepthercheeksandlipssuffusedwithcolour。 ShesawPhilipreachthecarandgatherhissisterintohisarms。PastherhereachedahandtoLevering,thentoEdithCarrandHenderson。Heliftedhissistertotheground,andassistedEdithtoalight。Instantly,shesteppedbesidehim,andElnora\'sheartplayeditsfirsttrick。 ShecouldseethatMissCarrwassplendidlybeautiful,whileshemovedwiththehauteurandgracesupposedtobetheprerogativesofroyalty。AndshehadinstantlytakenpossessionofPhilip。Buthealsohadabrainwhichwasworkingwithrapidity。HeknewElnorawaswatching,soheturnedtotheothers。 \"Giveherup,Tom!\"hecried。\"Ididn\'tknowIwantedtoseethelittlenuisancesobadly,butIdo。Howarefatherandmother?Polly,didn\'tthematersendmesomething?\" \"Shedid!\"saidPollyAmmon,stoppingonthepathandliftingherchinasalittlechild,whileshedrewawayherveil。 Philipcaughtherinhisarmsandstoopedforhismother\'skiss。 \"BegoodtoElnora!\"hewhispered。 \"Umhu!\"assentedPolly。Andaloud——\"Lookatthatrippinggreenandgoldsymphony!Ineversawsuchabeauty! ThomasAsquithLevering,youcomestraighthereandtakemyhand!\" Edith\'smovetocompelPhiliptoapproachElnorabesideherhadbeeneasytosee;alsoitsfailure。HendersonsteppedintoPhilip\'splaceasheturnedtohissister。InsteadoftakingPolly\'shandLeveringrantoopenthegate。 Edithpassedthroughfirst,butPollydartedinfrontofherontherun,withPhilholdingherarm,andsweptuptoElnora。Pollylookedfortheringandsawit。Thatsettledmatterswithher。 \"Youlovely,lovely,darlinggirl!\"shecried,throwingherarmsaroundElnoraandkissingher。WithherlipscloseElnora\'sear,Pollywhispered,\"Sister!Dear,dearsister!\" Elnoradrewback,staringatPollyinconfusedamazement。 Shewasabeautifulgirl,hereyesweresparklinganddancing,andassheturnedtomakewayfortheothers,shekeptoneofElnora\'shandsinhers。PollywouldhavedroppeddeadinthatinstantifEdithCarrcouldhavekilledwithalook,fornotuntilthendidsherealizethatPollywouldevenmanyaslight,andthatithadbeenagreatmistaketobringher。 Edithbowedlow,mutteredsomethingandtouchedElnora\'sfingers。TomtookhiscuefromPolly。 \"Ialwaysfollowagoodexample,\"hesaid,andbeforeanyonecoulddivinehisintentionhekissedElnoraashegrippedherhandandcried:\"Mightygladtomeetyou! Liketomeetyouadozentimesaday,youknow!\" Elnoralaughedandherheartpumpedsmoothly。Theyhadaccomplishedtheirpurpose。Theyhadletherknowtheyweretherethroughcompulsion,butonherside。InthatinstantonlypitywasinElnora\'sbreastfortheflashingdarkbeauty,standingwithsmilingfacewhileherheartmusthavebeenfilledwithexceedingbitterness。 Elnorasteppedbackfromtheentrance。 \"Comeintotheshade,\"sheurged。\"Youmusthavefounditwarmonthesecountryroads。Won\'tyoulayasideyourdust-coatsandhaveacooldrink?Philip,wouldyouaskmothertocome,andbringthatpitcherfromthespringhouse?\" Theyenteredthearbourexclaimingatthedim,greencoolness。 Therewasplentyofroomandwideseatsaroundthesides,atableinthecentre,onwhichlayapieceofembroidery,magazines,books,themothapparatus,andthecyanidejarcontainingseveralspecimens。Pollyrejoicedinthecoolingshade,slippedoffherduster,removedherhat,rumpledherprettyhairandseatedherselftoindulgeinthedelightfuloccupationofpayingoffoldscores。 TomLeveringfollowedherexample。Edithtookaseatbutrefusedtoremoveherhatandcoat,whileHendersonstoodintheentrance。 \"Theregoessomethingwithwings!Shouldyouhavethat?\"criedLevering。 Heseizedanetfromthetableandracedacrossthegardenafterabutterfly。Hecaughtitandcamebackmightilypleasedwithhimself。Asthecreaturestruggledinthenet,ElnoranotedarepulsedlookonEdithCarr\'sface。 Leveringhelpedthesituationbeautifully。 \"NowwhathaveIgot?\"hedemanded。\"Isitjustacommononethateveryoneknowsandyoudon\'tkeep,orisittherarestbirdofftheperch?\" \"Youmusthavehadpractice,youtookthatsoperfectly,\" saidElnora。\"Iamsorry,butitisquitecommonandnotofakindIkeep。Supposeallofyouseehowbeautifulitisandthenitmaygonectarhuntingagain。\" Sheheldthebutterflywhereallofthemcouldsee,showeditsupperandunderwingcolours,answeredPolly\'squestionsastowhatitate,howlongitlived,andhowitdied。ThensheputitintoPolly\'shandsaying:\"Standthereinthelightandloosenyourholdslowlyandeasily。\" Elnoracaughtabrushfromthetableandbegansoftlystrokingthecreature\'ssidesandwings。Delightedwiththesensationthebutterflyopenedandcloseditswings,clingingtoPolly\'ssoftlittlefingers,whileeveryonecriedoutinsurprise。Elnoralaidasidethebrush,andthebutterflysailedaway。 \"Why,youareawizard!Youcharmthem!\"marvelledLevering。 \"IlearnedthatfromtheBirdWoman,\"saidElnora。 \"Shetakessoftbrushesandcoaxesbutterfliesandmothsintothepositionsshewantsfortheillustrationsofabooksheiswriting。Ihavehelpedheroften。MostoftherareonesIfindgotoher。\" \"Thenyoudon\'tkeepallyoutake?\"questionedLevering。 \"Oh,dear,no!\"criedElnora。\"Notatenth!Formyself,apairofeachkindtouseinillustratingthelecturesI giveinthecityschoolsinthewinter,andonepairforeachcollectionImake。OnemightaswellkeepthebignightmothsofJune,fortheyonlylivefourorfivedaysanyway。 FortheBirdWoman,Ionlysaverareonesshehasnotyetsecured。 SometimesIthinkitiscrueltotakesuchcreaturesfromfreedom,evenforanhour,butitistheonlywaytoteachthemassesofpeoplehowtodistinguishthepeststheyshoulddestroy,fromtheharmlessonesofgreatbeauty。 Herecomesmotherwithsomethingcooltodrink。\" Mrs。Comstockcamedeliberately,talkingtoPhilipassheapproached。Elnoragaveheronesearchinglook,butcoulddiscoveronlyanextremebrightnessofeyetodenoteanyunusualfeeling。Sheworeoneofherlavenderdresses,whilehersnowyhairwashighpiled。Shehadtakencareofhercomplexion,andherfacehadgrownfullerduringthewinter。Shemighthavebeenanyone\'smotherwithpride,andshewasperfectlyatease。 Pollyinstantlywenttoherandheldupherfacetobekissed。 Mrs。Comstock\'seyestwinkledandshemadethegreetinghearty。 Thedrinkwascompoundedofthejuicesoforangesandberriesfromthegarden。Itwascoolenoughtofrostglassesandpitcheranddelicioustodustytiredtravellers。 Soonthepitcherwasempty,andElnorapickeditupandwenttorefillit。WhileshewasgoneHendersonaskedPhilipaboutsometroublehewashavingwithhiscar。 Theywenttothewoodsandbeganaminuteexaminationtofindadefectwhichdidnotexist。PollyandLeveringwerehavingananimatedconversationwithMrs。Comstock。 HendersonsawEditharise,followthegardenpathnextthewoodsandstandwaitingunderthewillowwhichElnorawouldpassonherreturn。Itwasforthatmeetinghehadmadethetrip。Hegotdownontheground,toreupthecar,worked,askedforhelp,andkeptPhilipbusyscrewingboltsandapplyingtheoilcan。AllthetimeHendersonkeptaneyeonEdithandElnoraunderthewillow。 ButhetookpainstolaytheworkheaskedPhiliptodowherethatscenewouldbeoutofhissight。WhenElnoracamearoundthecornerwiththepitcher,shefoundherselffacingEdithCarr。 \"Iwantaminutewithyou,\"saidMissCarr。 \"Verywell,\"repliedElnora,walkingon。 \"Setthepitcheronthebenchthere,\"commandedEdithCarr,asifspeakingtoaservant。 \"Iprefernottooffermyvisitorsawarmdrink,\"saidElnora。 \"I\'llcomebackifyoureallywishtospeakwithme。\" \"Icamesolelyforthat,\"saidEdithCarr。 \"Itwouldbeapitytotravelsofarinthisdustandheatfornothing。I\'llonlybegoneasecond。\" Elnoraplacedthepitcherbeforehermother。\"Pleaseservethis,\"shesaid。\"MissCarrwishestospeakwithme。\" \"Don\'tyoupaytheleastattentiontoanythingshesays,\"criedPolly。\"TomandIdidn\'tcomeherebecausewewantedto。Weonlycametocheckmateher。IhopedI\'dgettheopportunitytosayawordtoyou,andnowshehasgivenittome。IjustwanttotellyouthatshethrewPhiloverinperfectlyhorridway。Shehasn\'tanyrighttolaytheghostofaclaimtohim,hasshe,Tom?\" \"Naryaclaim,\"saidTomLeveringearnestly。\"Why,evenyou,Polly,couldn\'tservemeasshedidPhil,andevergetmebackagain。IfIwereyou,MissComstock,I\'dsendmymothertotalkwithherandI\'dstayhere。\" TomhadgaugedMrs。Comstockrightly。PollyputherarmsaroundElnora。\"Letmegowithyou,dear,\"shebegged。 \"IpromisedIwouldspeakwithheralone,\"saidElnora,\"andshemustbeconsidered。Butthankyou,verymuch。\"