pgw.adamselindistress-第47部分

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　The　distressed　brigand　showed　no　gratification。　She　had　the　air　of　one　who　is　aloof　from　worldly　things。　All　she　wanted　was　rest　and　leisureleisure　to　meditate　upon　the　body　upstairs。　　All　flesh　is　as　grass。　We　are　here　today　and　gone　tomorrow。　　But　there；　beyond　the　grave；　is　peace。
　〃Your　change？〃　she　said。
　〃Damn　the　change！〃
　〃You　are　forgetting　your　hat。〃
　〃Damn　my　hat！〃
　Geoffrey　dashed　from　the　room。　He　heaved　his　body　through　the　door。　He　lumbered　down　the　stairs。
　Out　in　Bond　Street　the　traffic　moved　up　and　the　traffic　moved　down。　Strollers　strolled　upon　the　sidewalks。
　But　Maud　had　gone。
　
　CHAPTER　27。
　
　IN　his　bedroom　at　the　Carlton　Hotel　George　Bevan　was　packing。　　That　is　to　say；　he　had　begun　packing；　but　for　the　last　twenty　minutes　he　had　been　sitting　on　the　side　of　the　bed；　staring　into　a　future　which　became　bleaker　and　bleaker　the　more　he　examined　it。　　In　the　last　two　days　he　had　been　no　stranger　to　these　grey　moods；　and　they　had　bee　harder　and　harder　to　dispel。　Now；　with　the　steamer…trunk　before　him　gaping　to　receive　its　contents；　he　gave　himself　up　whole…heartedly　to　gloom。
　Somehow　the　steamer…trunk；　with　all　that　it　implied　of　partings　and　voyagings；　seemed　to　emphasize　the　fact　that　he　was　going　out　alone　into　an　empty　world。　Soon　he　would　be　on　board　the　liner；　every　revolution　of　whose　engines　would　be　taking　him　farther　away　from　where　his　heart　would　always　be。　　There　were　moments　when　the　torment　of　this　realization　became　almost　physical。
　It　was　incredible　that　three　short　weeks　ago　he　had　been　a　happy　man。　Lonely；　perhaps；　but　only　in　a　vague；　impersonal　way。　Not　lonely　with　this　aching　loneliness　that　tortured　him　now。　What　was　there　left　for　him？　As　regards　any　triumphs　which　the　future　might　bring　in　connection　with　his　work；　he　was；　as　Mac　the　stage…door　keeper　had　said；　〃blarzy〃。　Any　success　he　might　have　would　be　but　a　stale　repetition　of　other　successes　which　he　had　achieved。　He　would　go　on　working；　of　course；　but。　The　ringing　of　the　telephone　bell　across　the　room　jerked　him　back　to　the　present。　He　got　up　with　a　muttered　malediction。　Someone　calling　up　again　from　the　theatre　probably。　They　had　been　doing　it　all　the　time　since　he　had　announced　his　intention　of　leaving　for　America　by　Saturday's　boat。
　〃Hello？〃　he　said　wearily。
　〃Is　that　George？〃　asked　a　voice。　It　seemed　familiar；　but　all　female　voices　sound　the　same　over　the　telephone。
　〃This　is　George；〃　he　replied。　〃Who　are　you？〃
　〃Don't　you　know　my　voice？〃
　〃I　do　not。〃
　〃You'll　know　it　quite　well　before　long。　I'm　a　great　talker。'
　〃Is　that　Billie？〃
　〃It　is　not　Billie；　whoever　Billie　may　be。　I　am　female；　George。〃
　〃So　is　Billie。〃
　〃Well；　you　had　better　run　through　the　list　of　your　feminine　friends　till　you　reach　me。〃
　〃I　haven't　any　feminine　friends。〃
　〃None？〃
　〃That's　odd。〃　　〃Why？〃
　〃You　told　me　in　the　garden　two　nights　ago　that　you　looked　on　me　as　a　pal。〃
　George　sat　down　abruptly。　He　felt　boneless。
　〃Isis　that　you？〃　he　stammered。　〃It　can't　beMaud！〃
　〃How　clever　of　you　to　guess。　George；　I　want　to　ask　you　one　or　two　things。　In　the　first　place；　are　you　fond　of　butter？〃
　George　blinked。　This　was　not　a　dream。　He　had　just　still　hurt　most　convincingly。　He　needed　the　evidence　to　assure　himself　that　he　was　awake。
　〃Butter？〃　he　queried。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Oh；　well；　if　you　don't　even　know　what　butter　means；　I　expect　it's　all　right。　What　is　your　weight；　George？〃
　〃About　a　hundred　and　eighty　pounds。　But　I　don't　understand。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute。〃　There　was　a　silence　at　the　other　end　of　the　wire。　〃About　thirteen　stone；〃　said　Maud's　voice。　〃I've　been　doing　it　in　my　head。　And　what　was　it　this　time　last　year？〃
　〃About　the　same；　I　think。　I　always　weigh　about　the　same。〃
　〃How　wonderful！　George！〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃This　is　very　important。　Have　you　ever　been　in　Florida？〃
　〃I　was　there　one　winter。〃
　〃Do　you　know　a　fish　called　the　pompano？〃
　〃Tell　me　about　it。〃
　〃How　do　you　mean？　It's　just　a　fish。　You　eat　it。〃
　〃I　know。　Go　into　details。〃
　〃There　aren't　any　details。　You　just　eat　it。〃
　The　voice　at　the　other　end　of　the　wire　purred　with　approval。　　〃I　never　heard　anything　so　splendid。　The　last　man　who　mentioned　pompano　to　me　became　absolutely　lyrical　about　sprigs　of　parsley　and　melted　butter。　Well；　that's　that。　Now；　here's　another　very　important　point。　How　about　wall…paper？〃
　George　pressed　his　unoccupied　hand　against　his　forehead。　This　conversation　was　unnerving　him。
　〃I　didn't　get　that；〃　he　said。
　〃Didn't　get　what？〃
　〃I　mean；　I　didn't　quite　catch　what　you　said　that　time。　It　sounded　to　me　like　'What　about　wall…paper？〃
　〃It　was　'What　about　wall…paper？'　Why　not？〃
　〃But；〃　said　George　weakly；　〃it　doesn't　make　any　sense。〃
　〃Oh；　but　it　does。　I　mean；　what　about　wall…paper　for　your　den？〃
　〃My　den？〃
　〃Your　den。　You　must　have　a　den。　Where　do　you　suppose　you're　going　to　work；　if　you　don't？　Now；　my　idea　would　be　some　nice　quiet　grass…cloth。　And；　of　course；　you　would　have　lots　of　pictures　and　books。　And　a　photograph　of　me。　I'll　go　and　be　taken　specially。　Then　there　would　be　a　piano　for　you　to　work　on；　and　two　or　three　really　fortable　chairs。　Andwell；　that　would　be　about　all；　wouldn't　it？〃
　George　pulled　himself　together。
　〃Hello！〃　he　said。
　〃Why　do　you　say　'Hello'？〃
　〃I　forgot　I　was　in　London。　I　should　have　said　'Are　you　there？〃
　〃Yes；　I'm　here。〃
　〃Well；　then；　what　does　it　all　mean？〃
　〃What　does　what　mean？〃
　〃What　you've　been　sayingabout　butter　and　pompanos　and　wall…paper　and　my　den　and　all　that？　I　don't　understand。〃
　〃How　stupid　of　you！　I　was　asking　you　what　sort　of　wall…paper　you　would　like　in　your　den　after　we　were　married　and　settled　down。〃
　George　dropped　the　receiver。　It　clashed　against　the　side　of　the　table。　He　groped　for　it　blindly。
　〃Hello！〃　he　said。
　〃Don't　say　'Hello！'　It　sounds　so　abrupt！〃
　〃What　did　you　say　then？〃
　〃I　said　'Don't　say　Hello！〃
　〃No；　before　that！　Before　that！　You　said　something　about　getting　married。〃
　〃Well；　aren't　we　going　to　get　married？　Our　engagement　is　announced　in　the　Morning　Post。〃
　〃ButBut〃
　〃George！〃　Maud's　voice　shook。　〃Don't　tell　me　you　are　going　to　jilt　me！〃　she　said　tragically。　〃Because；　if　you　are；　let　me　know　in　time；　as　I　shall　want　to　bring　an　action　for　breach　of　promise。　I've　just　met　such　a　capable　young　man　who　will　look　after　the　whole　thing　for　me。　He　wears　a　bowler　hat　on　the　side　of　his　head　and　calls　waitresses　'Mabel'。　Answer　'yes'　or　'no'。　　Will　you　marry　me？〃
　〃ButButhow　aboutI　mean；　what　aboutI　mean　how　about？〃
　〃Make　up　your　mind　what　you　do　mean。〃
　〃The　other　fellow！〃　gasped　George。
　A　musical　laugh　was　wafted　to　him　over　the　wire。
　〃What　about　him？〃
　〃Well；　what　about　him？〃　said　George。
　〃Isn't　a　girl　allowed　to　change　her　mind？〃　said　Maud。
　George　yelped　excitedly。　Maud　gave　a　cry。
　〃Don't　sing！〃　she　said。　〃You　nearly　made　me　deaf。〃
　〃Have　you　changed　your　mind？〃
　〃Certainly　I　have！〃
　〃And　you　really　thinkYou　really　wantI　mean；　you　really　wantYou　really　think〃
　〃Don't　be　so　incoherent！〃
　〃Maud！〃
　〃Well？〃
　〃Will　you　marry　me？〃
　〃Of　course　I　will。〃
　〃Gosh！〃
　〃What　did　you　say？〃
　〃I　said　Gosh！　And　listen　to　me；　when　I　say　Gosh；　I　mean　Gosh！　Where　are　you？　I　must　see　you。　Where　can　we　meet？　　I　want　to　see　you！　For　Heaven's　sake；　tell　me　where　you　are。　I　want　to　see　you！　Where　are　you？　Where　are　you？〃
　〃I'm　downstairs。〃
　〃Where？　Here　at　the　'Carlton'？〃
　〃Here　at　the　'Carlton'！〃
　〃Alone？〃
　〃Quite　alone。〃
　〃You　won't　be　long！〃　said　George。
　He　hung　up　the　receiver；　and　bounded　across　the　room　to　where　his　coat　hung　over　the　back　of　a　chair。　The　edge　of　the　steamer…trunk　caught　his　shin。
　〃Well；〃　said　George　to　the　steamer…trunk；　〃and　what　are　you　butting　in　for？　Who　wants　you；　I　should　like　to　know！〃
　
　
　
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