下载辰思小说免费APP
"ThatIwasinlucknottohavebrokenmyneck。"
"Youhadbetterhaveaglassofwine，"touchingabell。
"Youdonotlookequaltoanyexertion。"
Ingatheringhimselftogether，SirNigelfelthewasforcedtouseenormouseffort。IthadcosthimagruesomephysicalstruggletoendurethedriveovertoBroadmorlands，thoughitwasonlyafewmilesfromMedham。Therehadbeensomethingunnaturalintheexertionnecessarytosituprightandkeephisminddecentlyclear。Thatwastheworstofit。Thefeverandraginghoursofthepastdaysandnightshadsoshakenhimthathehadbecomeexhausted，andhisbrainwasnotalert。Hewasnotthinkingrapidly，andseveraltimeshehadlostsightofapointitwasimportanttoremember。Hegrewhotandcoldandknewhishandsandvoiceshook，asheanswered。But，perhaps——hefeltdesperately——signsofemotionwerenotbad。
"Iamnotquiteequaltoexertion，"hebeganslowly。"Butamancannotlieonhisbedwhilesomethingsareundone——
aMANcannot。"
AstheoldDukesatupright，theblueeyesunderhisbentbrowswerestartled，aswellascurious。Wasthemangoingoutofhismindaboutsomething？Helookedratherlikeit，withthedampnessstartingoutonhishaggardface，andtheuglylooksuddenlystampedthere。ThefactwasthattheinsensatefurywhichhadpossessedandtornAnstruthersashehadwrithedinhisinnbedroomhadsprunguponhimagaininfullforce，andhisweaknesscouldnotcontrolit，thoughitwouldhavebeenwisertoholditincheck。Healsofeltfrightfullyill，whichfilledhimwithdespair，and，throughthisfact，helostsightoftheeffectheproduced，ashestoodup，shakingallover。
"IcometoyoubecauseyouaretheonemanwhocanmosteasilyunderstandthethingIhavebeenconcealingforagoodmanyyears。"
TheDukewasirritated。Confoundtheobjectionableidiot，whatdidhemeanbytakingthatintimatetonewithamanwhowasnotpreparedtoconcernhimselfinhisaffairs？
"Excuseme，"hesaid，holdingupanauthoritativehand，"areyougoingtomakeaconfession？Idon’tlikesuchthings。Iprefertobeexcused。Personalconfidencesarenotparochialmatters。"
"Thisoneis。"AndSirNigelwassickeninglyconsciousthathewasputtingthestatementrashly，whileatthesametimeallbetterwordsescapedhim。"Itisasmuchaparochialmatter，"losingallholdonhiswitsandstammering，"aswas——aswas——theaffairof——yourwife。"
ItwastheDukewhostoodupnow，scarletwithanger。
Hesprangfromhischairasifhehadbeenayoungmaninwhomsomeinsulthadstruckblazingfire。
"You——youdare！"heshouted。"Youinsolentblackguard！
Youforceyourwayinhereanddare——dare————！"
Andheclenchedhisfist，wildlyshakingit。
NigelAnstruthers，staggeringonhisuncertainfeet，wouldhaveshoutedalso，butcouldnot，thoughhetried，andheheardhisownvoicecomeforthbrokenly。
"Yes，Idare！I——your——myown——my————！"
Swayingandtottering，heswungroundtothechairhehadleft，andfellintoit，evenwhiletheoldDuke，whostoodragingbeforehim，startedbackinoutragedamazement。Whatwasthefellowdoing？Washemakingfacesathim？Thedrawnmalignantmouthandmusclessuggestedit。Washealunatic，indeed？Butthesenseofdisgustedoutragechangedallatoncetohorror，as，withacountenancestillmorehideouslylividandtwisted，hisvisitorslidhelplesslyfromhisseatandlayahuddlingheapofclothesonthefloor。
CHAPTERL
THEPRIMEVALTHING
WhenMr。VanderpoellandedinEnglandhiswifewaswithhim。Thisquiet—facedwoman，whowasknowntobeonherwaytojoinherdaughterinEngland，wasmuchdiscussed，envied，andglancedat，whenshepromenadedthedeckwithherhusband，orsatinherchairsoftlywrappedinwonderfulfurs。Gradually，duringthepastmonths，shehadbeentoldcertainmodifiedtruthsconnectedwithherelderdaughter’smarriage。Theyhadbeenpainfultruths，buthadbeensosoftenedandexpurgatedoftheirworstfeaturesthatithadbeenpossibletobearthem，whenonerealisedthattheydidnot，atleast，meanthatRosyhadforgottenorceasedtolovehermotherandfather，orwishtovisitherhome。ThesteadyclearnessofforesightandreadinessofresourcewhichwereoftenspokenofasbeingspeciallycharacteristicofReubenS。
Vanderpoel，wereallrequired，andemployedwithgreattenderness，inthemanagementofthissituation。Aslittleasitwaspossiblethathiswifeshouldknow，wastheutmostshemusthearandbehurtby。Unlessensuingeventscompelledfurtherrevelations，therestofitshouldbekeptfromher。Asfurtherprotection，herhusbandhadfranklyaskedhertocontentherselfwithadegreeoflimitedinformation。
"Ihavemeantallourlives，Annie，tokeepfromyoutheunpleasantthingsawomanneednotbetroubledwith，"hehadsaid。"IpromisedmyselfIwouldwhenyouwereagirl。
Iknewyouwouldfacethings，ifIneededyourhelp，butyouwereagentlelittlesoul，likeRosy，andIneverintendedthatyoushouldbearwhatwasuseless。Anstrutherswasablackguard，andgirlsofallnationshavemarriedblackguardsbefore。
WhenyouhaveRosysafeathome，andknownothingcanhurtheragain，youbothmayfeelyouwouldliketotalkitover。
Tillthenwewon’tgointodetail。Youtrustme，Iknow，whenItellyouthatyoushallholdRosyinyourarmsverysoon。
Wemayhavesomethingofafig
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