第27章

”Youarestillmywife，”saidSoames。Whyhesaidthat，whathemeantbyit，heknewneitherwhenhespokenorafter。Itwasatruismalmostpreposterous，butitseffectwasstartling。Sherosefromthewindow-seat，andstoodforamomentperfectlystill，lookingathim。Hecouldseeherbosomheaving。Thensheturnedtothewindowandthrewitopen。”Whydothat?”hesaidsharply。”You’llcatchcoldinthatdress。I’mnotdangerous。”Andheutteredalittlesadlaugh。

Sheechoedit——faintly，bitterly。”Itwas——habit。””Ratheroddhabit，”saidSoamesasbitterly。”Shutthewindow！”

Sheshutitandsatdownagain。Shehaddevelopedpower，thiswoman——this——wifeofhis！Hefeltitissuingfromherasshesatthere，inasortofarmour。Andalmostunconsciouslyheroseandmovednearer；hewantedtoseetheexpressiononherface。Hereyesmethisunflinching。Heavens！howcleartheywere，andwhatadarkbrownagainstthatwhiteskin，andthatburnt-amberhair！

Andhowwhitehershoulders。

Funnysensationthis！Heoughttohateher。”Youhadbettertellme，”hesaid；”it’stoyouradvantagetobefreeaswellastomine。Thatoldmatteristooold。””Ihavetoldyou。””Doyoumeantotellmetherehasbeennothing——nobody?””Nobody。Youmustgotoyourownlife。”

Stungbythatretort，Soamesmovedtowardsthepianoandbacktothehearth，toandfro，ashehadbeenwontintheolddaysintheirdrawing-roomwhenhisfeelingsweretoomuchforhim。”Thatwon’tdo，”hesaid。”Youdesertedme。Incommonjusticeit’sforyou……”

Hesawhershrugthosewhiteshoulders，heardhermurmur：”Yes。Whydidn’tyoudivorcemethen?ShouldIhavecared?”

Hestopped，andlookedatherintentlywithasortofcuriosity。

Whatonearthdidshedowithherself，ifshereallylivedquitealone?Andwhyhadhenotdivorcedher?Theoldfeelingthatshehadneverunderstoodhim，neverdonehimjustice，bithimwhilehestaredather。”Whycouldn’tyouhavemademeagoodwife?”hesaid。”Yes；itwasacrimetomarryyou。Ihavepaidforit。Youwillfindsomewayperhaps。Youneedn’tmindmyname，Ihavenonetolose。NowIthinkyouhadbettergo。”

Asenseofdefeat——ofbeingdefraudedofhisself-justification，andofsomethingelsebeyondpowerofexplanationtohimself，besetSoameslikethebreathofacoldfog。Mechanicallyhereachedup，tookfromthemantel-shelfalittlechinabowl，reversedit，andsaid：”Lowestoft。Wheredidyougetthis?IboughtitsfellowatJobson’s。”And，visitedbythesuddenmemoryofhow，thosemanyyearsago，heandshehadboughtchinatogether，heremainedstaringatthelittlebowl，asifitcontainedallthepast。Hervoicerousedhim。”Takeit。Idon’twantit。”

Soamesputitbackontheshelf。”Willyoushakehands?”hesaid。

Afaintsmilecurvedherlips。Sheheldoutherhand。Itwascoldtohisratherfeverishtouch。’She’smadeofice，’hethought——

’shewasalwaysmadeofice！’Butevenasthatthoughtdartedthroughhim，hissenseswereassailedbytheperfumeofherdressandbody，asthoughthewarmthwithinher，whichhadneverbeenforhim，werestrugglingtoshowitspresence。Andheturnedonhisheel。Hewalkedoutandaway，asifsomeonewithawhipwereafterhim，notevenlookingforacab，gladoftheemptyEmbankmentandthecoldriver，andthethick-strewnshadowsoftheplane-treeleaves-c

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