登陆注册
19593000000049

第49章

"No, Katharine, I don't," he replied, replacing his manuscript in the drawer. "It does me good to think of you."So quiet an answer, followed as it was by no expression of love, but merely by the statement that if she must go he would take her to the Strand, and would, if she could wait a moment, change his dressing-gown for a coat, moved her to the warmest feeling of affection for him that she had yet experienced. While he changed in the next room, she stood by the bookcase, taking down books and opening them, but reading nothing on their pages.

She felt certain that she would marry Rodney. How could one avoid it?

How could one find fault with it? Here she sighed, and, putting the thought of marriage away, fell into a dream state, in which she became another person, and the whole world seemed changed. Being a frequent visitor to that world, she could find her way there unhesitatingly. If she had tried to analyze her impressions, she would have said that there dwelt the realities of the appearances which figure in our world; so direct, powerful, and unimpeded were her sensations there, compared with those called forth in actual life. There dwelt the things one might have felt, had there been cause; the perfect happiness of which here we taste the fragment; the beauty seen here in flying glimpses only. No doubt much of the furniture of this world was drawn directly from the past, and even from the England of the Elizabethan age. However the embellishment of this imaginary world might change, two qualities were constant in it. It was a place where feelings were liberated from the constraint which the real world puts upon them; and the process of awakenment was always marked by resignation and a kind of stoical acceptance of facts. She met no acquaintance there, as Denham did, miraculously transfigured; she played no heroic part. But there certainly she loved some magnanimous hero, and as they swept together among the leaf-hung trees of an unknown world, they shared the feelings which came fresh and fast as the waves on the shore. But the sands of her liberation were running fast; even through the forest branches came sounds of Rodney moving things on his dressing-table; and Katharine woke herself from this excursion by shutting the cover of the book she was holding, and replacing it in the bookshelf.

"William," she said, speaking rather faintly at first, like one sending a voice from sleep to reach the living. "William," she repeated firmly, "if you still want me to marry you, I will."Perhaps it was that no man could expect to have the most momentous question of his life settled in a voice so level, so toneless, so devoid of joy or energy. At any rate William made no answer. She waited stoically. A moment later he stepped briskly from his dressing-room, and observed that if she wanted to buy more oysters he thought he knew where they could find a fishmonger's shop still open.

She breathed deeply a sigh of relief.

Extract from a letter sent a few days later by Mrs. Hilbery to her sister-in-law, Mrs. Milvain:

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 狼轮回

    狼轮回

    这是一个关于轮回的故事。狼王用双手换取世界的安逸,狼王用血液换取世界的宁静,一切的一切都是轮回的真理,命运已注定,时光要前行,岁月带领我感受转世轮回的气息。不管这段路多难多累,不管这命运多险多苦,狼王总会用生命换来新世界的统一。让我们共同感受,感受主人公凄婉的轮回历程。
  • 江阴城守后纪

    江阴城守后纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 仙尘幻

    仙尘幻

    一位倔强而执着的少年,一段崎岖坎坷的仙路,一个光怪陆离的仙侠世界,悲欢离合的纵横人生,一切尽在仙尘幻。******************************************PS:走过路过的书友,请点击下左边的加入书架收藏下新人新书,求收藏,求推荐!!!
  • 一点一世界

    一点一世界

    大大小小万界并立,祖地沉浮,祖灵咆哮,万界之中谁能掌控一切?神秘出现的绝色少女:玄奇,陪伴身边,bug般的领悟,什么斗技功法符文只是见一眼秒懂而且还能修改升级,跟随在主角身边,她到底是什么人!祖地,禁忌,万魂万念之归宿——冥界!一切故事由此展开……
  • 凤凰劫:极品丑妃

    凤凰劫:极品丑妃

    人倒霉都是喊杯具,我倒霉就喊碗柜,里面摆满了杯具和餐具!过个成人礼也能穿越?虾米?她是长孙王朝有史以来最丑的妃子?哼!老虎不发威,你当我hellokitty?她要反击糟糕,反的过头了。她以为自己只是过客,玩玩就走却没想到玩着玩着把自己卷了进来!她以为自己对爱无动于衷?可当她尝到爱情的甜蜜后,尽是赤裸裸的伤害。她承认伤不起,所以:“生亦何欢,死亦何惧!长孙云,我既休了你,所以,就算是死,我也不会把尸体留给你!永生永世都不会在爱你!你与我就算下至碧落黄泉都不要见面。”
  • 超级大冒险小豪与七人探险队

    超级大冒险小豪与七人探险队

    这是一个探险小说,里面有各种各样的奇幻经历,来看看吧!
  • 过去的路西法

    过去的路西法

    普通宅男董孝在开学第一天与神秘恶魔艾米相遇并接受了恶魔的力量,成为恶魔的董孝未来究竟有着什么危险和磨难等待着他。
  • 笑容的力量

    笑容的力量

    本书内容包括:“生活中保持笑容,为生活加些轻松剂”、“交际中保持笑容,赢得亲近和人心”、“职场中保持笑容,获得同事的认可”、“逆境中保持笑容,乌云背后总有阳光”等。
  • 名胜奇迹(走进科学)

    名胜奇迹(走进科学)

    本套书全面而系统地介绍了当今世界各种各样的难解之谜和科学技术,集知识性、趣味性、新奇性、疑问性与科普性于一体,深入浅出,生动可读,通俗易懂,目的是使广大读者在兴味盎然地领略世界难解之谜和科学技术的同时,能够加深思考,启迪智慧,开阔视野,增加知识,能够正确了解和认识这个世界,激发求知的欲望和探索的精神,激起热爱科学和追求科学的热情,不断掌握开启人类世界的金钥匙,不断推动人类社会向前发展,使我们真正成为人类社会的主人。
  • 仙侣缘:萌妞吃定神君

    仙侣缘:萌妞吃定神君

    一介伥鬼,爱美人爱财宝更爱小命,有点狗腿有些天真还有白痴。嘴巴啰嗦毫无章法,一刻不说话就要死!天天嚷着娶狐狸公子回家过年,又突然蹦出个江湖道士恩恩怨怨那是一个纠缠不休。小小伥鬼正无从选择,又来个大颠覆。什么什么,其实伥鬼是只蔷薇妖?什么什么,其实公子是个修仙的?什么什么,道士才是个神君?伥鬼一头两个大,桃花遍地开,何朵该我摘?哎哟喂,原来冤孽早注定,神君早就藏祸心!