iam fleming.for your eyes only-第20部分

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riends　in。'　Rhoda　Masters　opened　her　mouth　to　speak。　He　held　up　his　hand。　'This　is　the　last　time　I　shall　speak　to　you　in　private。　If　you　speak　to　me；　I　shall　not　answer。　If　you　wish　to　municate；　you　may　leave　a　note　in　the　bathroom。　I　shall　expect　my　meals　to　be　prepared　punctually　and　placed　in　the　dining…room；　which　you　may　use　when　I　have　finished。　I　shall　give　you　twenty　pounds　a　month　to　cover　the　housekeeping；　and　this　amount　will　be　sent　to　you　by　my　lawyers　on　the　first　of　each　month。　My　lawyers　are　preparing　the　divorce　papers。　I　am　divorcing　you；　and　you　will　not　fight　the　action　because　you　cannot。　A　private　detective　has　provided　full　evidence　against　you。　The　action　will　take　place　in　one　year　from　now　when　my　time　in　Bermuda　is　up。　In　the　meantime；　in　public；　we　shall　behave　as　a　normal　married　couple。'〃
　〃Masters　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　looked　politely　down　at　her。　By　this　time　tears　were　pouring　down　her　face。　She　looked　terrified　…　as　if　someone　had　hit　her。　Masters　said　indifferently：　'Is　there　anything　else　you'd　like　to　know？　If　not；　you　had　better　collect　your　belongings　from　here　and　move　into　the　kitchen。'　He　looked　at　his　watch。　'I　would　like　dinner　every　evening　at　eight。　It　is　now　seven…thirty。'〃
　The　Governor　paused　and　sipped　his　whisky。　He　said：　　〃I've　put　all　this　together　from　the　little　that　Masters　told　me　and　from　fuller　details　Rhoda　Masters　gave　to　Lady　Burford。　Apparently　Rhoda　Masters　tried　every　way　to　shake　him　…　arguments；　pleadings；　hysterics。　He　was　unmoved。　She　simply　couldn't　reach　him。　It　was　as　if　he　had　gone　away　and　had　sent　someone　else　to　the　house　to　represent　him　at　this　extraordinary　interview。　And　in　the　end　she　had　to　agree。　She　had　no　money。　She　couldn't　possibly　afford　the　passage　to　England。　To　have　a　bed　and　food　she　had　to　do　what　he　told　her。　And　so　it　was。　For　a　year　they　lived　like　that；　polite　to　each　other　in　public；　but　utterly　silent　and　separate　when　they　were　alone。　Of　course；　we　were　all　astonished　by　the　change。　Neither　of　them　told　anyone　of　the　arrangement。　She　would　have　been　ashamed　to　do　so　and　there　was　no　reason　why　Masters　should。　He　seemed　to　us　a　bit　more　withdrawn　than　before；　but　his　work　was　first…class　and　everyone　heaved　a　sigh　of　relief　and　agreed　that　by　some　miracle　the　marriage　had　been　saved。　Both　of　them　gained　great　credit　from　the　fact；　and　they　became　a　popular　couple　with　everything　forgiven　and　forgotten。〃
　〃The　year　passed　and　it　was　time　for　Masters　to　go。　He　announced　that　Rhoda　would　stay　behind　to　close　the　house；　and　they　went　through　the　usual　round　of　farewell　parties。　We　were　a　bit　surprised　that　she　didn't　e　to　see　him　off　in　the　ship；　but　he　said　she　wasn't　feeling　well。　So　that　was　that　until；　in　a　couple　of　weeks；　news　of　the　divorce　case　began　leaking　back　from　England。　Then　Rhoda　Masters　turned　up　at　Government　House　and　had　a　long　interview　with　Lady　Burford；　and　gradually　the　whole　story；　including　its　really　terrible　next　chapter；　leaked　out。〃
　The　Governor　swallowed　the　last　of　his　whisky。　The　ice　made　a　hollow　rattle　as　he　put　the　glass　softly　down。　He　said：　〃Apparently　on　the　day　before　Masters　left　he　found　a　note　from　his　wife　in　the　bathroom。　It　said　that　she　simply　must　see　him　for　one　last　talk　before　he　left　her　for　ever。　There　had　been　notes　like　this　before　and　Masters　had　always　torn　them　up　and　left　the　bits　on　the　shelf　above　the　basin。　This　time　he　scribbled　a　note　giving　her　an　appointment　in　the　sitting…room　at　six　o'clock　that　evening。　When　the　time　arrived；　Rhoda　Masters　came　meekly　in　from　the　kitchen。　She　had　long　since　given　up　making　emotional　scenes　or　trying　to　throw　herself　on　his　mercy。　Now　she　just　quietly　stood　and　said　that　she　had　only　ten　pounds　left　from　that　month's　housekeeping　money　and　nothing　else　in　the　world。　When　he　left　she　would　be　destitute。〃
　〃'You　have　the　jewels　I　gave　you；　and　the　fur　cape。'〃
　〃'I'd　be　lucky　if　I　got　fifty　pounds　for　them。'〃
　〃'You'll　have　to　get　some　work。'〃
　〃'It'll　take　time　to　find　something。　I've　got　to　live　somewhere。　I　have　to　be　out　of　the　house　in　a　fortnight。　Won't　you　give　me　anything　at　all？　I　shall　starve。'〃
　〃Masters　looked　at　her　dispassionately。　'You're　pretty。　You'll　never　starve。'〃
　〃'You　must　help　me；　Philip。　You　must。　It　won't　help　your　career　having　me　begging　at　Government　House。'〃
　〃Nothing　in　the　house　belonged　to　them　except　a　few　odds　and　ends。　They　had　taken　it　furnished。　The　owner　had　e　the　week　before　and　agreed　the　inventory。　There　only　remained　their　car；　a　Morris　that　Masters　had　bought　second　hand；　and　a　radiogramophone　he　had　bought　as　a　last　resort　to　try　and　keep　his　wife　amused　before　she　took　up　golf。〃
　〃Philip　Masters　looked　at　her　for　the　last　time　He　was　never　to　see　her　again。　He　said：　'All　right。　You　can　have　the　car　and　the　radiogram。　Now　that's　all。　I've　got　to　pack。　Goodbye。'　And　he　walked　out　of　the　door　and　up　to　his　room。〃
　The　Governor　looked　across　at　Bond。　〃At　least　one　last　little　gesture。　Yes？〃　The　Governor　smiled　grimly。　〃When　he　had　gone　and　Rhoda　Masters　was　left　alone；　she　took　the　car　and　her　engagement　ring　and　her　few　trinkets　and　the　fox　fur　tippet　and　went　into　Hamilton　and　drove　round　the　pawnbrokers。　In　the　end　she　collected　forty　pounds　for　the　jewellery　and　seven　pounds　for　the　bit　of　fur。　Then　she　went　to　the　car　dealers　whose　nameplate　was　on　the　dashboard　of　the　car　and　asked　to　see　the　manager。　When　she　asked　how　much　he　would　give　her　for　the　Morris　he　thought　she　was　pulling　his　leg。　'But；　madam；　Mr　Masters　bought　the　car　by　hire　purchase　and　he's　very　badly　behind　on　his　payments。　Surely　he　told　you　that　we　had　to　send　him　a　solicitor's　letter　about　it　only　a　week　ago。　We　heard　he　was　leaving。　He　wrote　back　that　you　would　be　ing　in　to　make　the　necessary　arrangements。　Let　me　see'　…　he　reached　for　a　file　and　leafed　through　it。　'Yes；　there's　exactly　two　hundred　pounds　owing　on　the　car。'〃
　〃Well；　of　course；　Rhoda　Masters　burst　into　tears　and　in　the　end　the　manager　agreed　to　take　back　the　car；　although　it　wasn't　worth　two　hundred　pounds　by　then；　but　he　insisted　that　she　should　leave　it　with　him　then　and　there；　petrol　in　the　tank　and　all。　Rhoda　Masters　could　only　accept　and　be　grateful　not　to　be　sued；　and　she　walked　out　of　the　garage　and　along　the　hot　street　and　already　she　knew　what　she　was　going　to　find　when　she　got　to　the　radio　shop。　And　she　was　right。　It　was　the　same　story；　only　this　time　she　had　to　pay　ten　pounds　to　persuade　the　man　to　take　back　the　radiogram。　She　got　a　lift　back　to　within　walking　distance　of　the　bungalow　and　went　and　threw　herself　down　on　the　bed　and　cried　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　She　had　already　been　a　beaten　woman。　Now　Philip　Masters　had　kicked　her　when　she　was　down。〃
　The　Governor　paused。　〃Pretty　extraordinary；　really。　A　man　like　Masters；　kindly；　sensitive；　who　wouldn't　normally　hurt　a　fly。　And　here　he　was　performing　one　of　the　cruellest　actions　I　can　recall　in　all　my　experience。　It　was　my　law　operating。〃　The　Governor　smiled　thinly。　〃Whatever　her　sins；　if　she　had　given　him　that　Quantum　of　Solace　he　could　never　have　behaved　to　her　as　he　did。　As　it　was；　she　had　awakened　in　him　a　bestial　cruelty　…　a　cruelty　that　perhaps　lies　deeply　hidden　in　all　of　us　and　that　only　a　threat　to　our　existence　can　bring　to　the　surface。　Masters　wanted　to　make　the　girl　suffer；　not　as　much　as　he　had　suffered　because　that　was　impossible；　but　as　much　as　he　could　possibly　contrive。　And　that　false　gesture　with　the　motor　car　and　the　radiogramophone　was　a　fiendishly　brilliant　bit　of　delayed　action　to　remind　her；　even　when　he　was　gone；　how　much　he　hated　her；　how　much　he　wanted　still　to　hurt　her。〃
　Bond　said：　〃It　must　have　been　a　shattering　experience。　It's　extraordinary　how　much　people　can　hurt　each　other。　I'm　beginning　to　feel　rather　sorry　for　the　girl。　What　happened　to　her　in　the　end　…　and　to　him；　for　the　matter　of　that？〃
　The　Governor　got　to　his　feet　and　looked　at　his　watch。　〃Good　heavens；　it's　nearly　midnight。　And　I've　been　keeping　the　staff　up　all　this　time；〃　he　smiled；　〃as　well　as　you。〃　He　walked　across　to　the　fireplace　and　rang　a　bell　A　Negro　butler　appeared。　The　Governor　apologized　for　keeping　him　up　and　told　him　to　lock　up　and　turn　the　light　out。　Bond　was　on　his　feet。　The　Governor　turned　to　him。　〃e　along　and　I'll　tell　you　the　rest。　I'll　walk　through　the　garden　with　you　and　see　that　the　sentry　lets　you　out。〃
　They　walked　slowly　through　the　long　rooms　and　down　the　broad　steps　to　the　garden。　It　was　a　beautiful　night　under　a　full　moon　that　raced　over　their　heads　through　the　thin　high　clouds。
　The　Governor　said：　〃Masters　went　on　in　the　Service　but　somehow　he　never　lived　up　to　his　good　start　After　the　Bermuda　business　something　seemed　to　go　out　of　ham。　Part　of　him　had　been　killed　by　the　experience。　He　was　a　maimed　man。　Mostly　her　fault；　of　course；　but　I　guess　that　what　he　did　to　her　lived　on　with　him　and　perhaps　haunted　him。　He　was　good　at　his　work；　but　he　had　somehow　lost　the　human　touch　and　he　gradually　dried　up。　Of　course　he　never　married　again　and　in　the　end　he　got　shunted　off　into　the　ground　nuts　scheme；　and　when　that　was　a　failure　he　retired　and　went　to　live　in　Nigeria　…　back　to　the　only　people　in　the　world　who　had　shown　him　any　kindness　…　back　t