按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Good…bye； then；〃 said the girl。
〃Good…bye。〃
Rose quitted the room successfully enough； but on the other side of
the door； on the landing； she sank into a chair and buried her face
in her hands。 She had burst into tears； and she sobbed there for a
moment； trying hard to recover herself； so as to go downstairs
without showing any traces of emotion； passing before the servants
and again perhaps before aunt Julia。 Mrs。 Tramore was too old to
cry； she could only drop her knitting and； for a long time； sit with
her head bowed and her eyes closed。
Rose had reckoned justly with her aunt Julia； there were no footmen；
but this vigilant virgin was posted at the foot of the stairs。 She
offered no challenge however； she only said： 〃There's some one in
the parlour who wants to see you。〃 The girl demanded a name； but
Miss Tramore only mouthed inaudibly and winked and waved。 Rose
instantly reflected that there was only one man in the world her aunt
would look such deep things about。 〃Captain Jay？〃 her own eyes
asked； while Miss Tramore's were those of a conspirator： they were；
for a moment； the only embarrassed eyes Rose had encountered that
day。 They contributed to make aunt Julia's further response evasive；
after her niece inquired if she had communicated in advance with this
visitor。 Miss Tramore merely said that he had been upstairs with her
motherhadn't she mentioned it？and had been waiting for her。 She
thought herself acute in not putting the question of the girl's
seeing him before her as a favour to him or to herself； she presented
it as a duty； and wound up with the proposition： 〃It's not fair to
him； it's not kind； not to let him speak to you before you go。〃
〃What does he want to say？〃 Rose demanded。
〃Go in and find out。〃
She really knew； for she had found out before； but after standing
uncertain an instant she went in。 〃The parlour〃 was the name that
had always been borne by a spacious sitting…room downstairs； an
apartment occupied by her father during his frequent phases of
residence in Hill Streetepisodes increasingly frequent after his
house in the country had； in consequence； as Rose perfectly knew； of
his spending too much money； been disposed of at a sacrifice which he
always characterised as horrid。 He had been left with the place in
Hertfordshire and his mother with the London house； on the general
understanding that they would change about； but during the last years
the community had grown more rigid； mainly at his mother's expense。
The parlour was full of his memory and his habits and his thingshis
books and pictures and bibelots； objects that belonged now to Eric。
Rose had sat in it for hours since his death； it was the place in
which she could still be nearest to him。 But she felt far from him
as Captain Jay rose erect on her opening the door。 This was a very
different presence。 He had not liked Captain Jay。 She herself had；
but not enough to make a great complication of her father's coldness。
This afternoon however she foresaw complications。 At the very outset
for instance she was not pleased with his having arranged such a
surprise for her with her grandmother and her aunt。 It was probably
aunt Julia who had sent for him； her grandmother wouldn't have done
it。 It placed him immediately on their side； and Rose was almost as
disappointed at this as if she had not known it was quite where he
would naturally be。 He had never paid her a special visit； but if
that was what he wished to do why shouldn't he have waited till she
should be under her mother's roof？ She knew the reason； but she had
an angry prospect of enjoyment in making him express it。 She liked
him enough； after all； if it were measured by the idea of what she
could make him do。
In Bertram Jay the elements were surprisingly mingled； you would have
gone astray； in reading him； if you had counted on finding the
complements of some of his qualities。 He would not however have
struck you in the least as incomplete； for in every case in which you
didn't find the complement you would have found the contradiction。
He was in the Royal Engineers； and was tall； lean and high…
shouldered。 He looked every inch a soldier； yet there were people
who considered that he had missed his vocation in not becoming a
parson。 He took a public interest in the spiritual life of the army。
Other persons still； on closer observation； would have felt that his
most appropriate field was neither the army nor the church； but
simply the worldthe social； successful； worldly world。 If he had a
sword in one hand and a Bible in the other he had a Court Guide
concealed somewhere about his person。 His profile was hard and
handsome； his eyes were both cold and kind； his dark straight hair
was imperturbably smooth and prematurely streaked with grey。 There
was nothing in existence that he didn't take seriously。 He had a
first…rate power of work and an ambition as minutely organised as a
German plan of invasion。 His only real recreation was to go to
church； but he went to parties when he had time。 If he was in love
with Rose Tramore this was distracting to him only in the same sense
as his religion； and it was included in that department of his
extremely sub…divided life。 His religion indeed was of an
encroaching； annexing sort。 Seen from in front he looked diffident
and blank； but he was capable of exposing himself in a way （to speak
only of the paths of peace） wholly inconsistent with shyness。 He had
a passion for instance for open…air speaking； but was not thought on
the whole to excel in it unless he could help himself out with a
hymn。 In conversation he kept his eyes on you with a kind of
colourless candour； as if he had not understood what you were saying
and； in a fashion that made many people turn red； waited before
answering。 This was only because he was considering their remarks in
more relations than they had intended。 He had in his face no
expression whatever save the one just mentioned； and was； in his
profession； already very distinguished。
He had seen Rose Tramore for the first time on a Sunday of the
previous March； at a house in the country at which she was staying
with her father； and five weeks later he had made her； by letter； an
offer of marriage。 She showed her father the letter of course； and
he told her that it would give him great pleasure that she should
send Captain Jay about his business。 〃My dear child；〃 he said； 〃we
must really have some one who will be better fun than that。〃 Rose
had declined the honour； very considerately and kindly； but not
simply because her father wished it。 She didn't herself wish to
detach this flower from the stem； though when the young man wrote
again； to express the hope that he MIGHT hopeso long was he willing
to waitand ask if he might not still sometimes see her； she
answered even more indulgently than at first。 She had shown her
father her former letter； but she didn't show him this one； she only
told him what it contained； submitting to him also that of her
correspondent。 Captain Jay moreover wrote to Mr。 Tramore； who
replied sociably； but so vaguely that he almost neglected the subject
under discussiona communication that made poor Bertram ponder long。
He could never get to the bottom of the superficial； and all the
proprieties and conventions of life were profound to him。
Fortunately for him old Mrs。 Tramore liked him； he was satisfactory
to her long…sightedness； so that a relation was established under
cover of which he still occasionally presented himself in Hill
Streetpresented himself nominally to the mistress of the house。 He
had had scruples about the veracity of his visits； but he had
disposed of them； he had scruples about so many things that he had
had to invent a general way； to dig a central drain。 Julia Tramore
happened to meet him when she came up to town； and she took a view of
him more benevolent than her usual estimate of people encouraged by
her mother。 The fear of agreeing with that lady was a motive； but
there was a stronger one； in this particular case； in the fear of
agreeing with her niece； who had rejected him。 His situation might
be he