the three partners- 第18部分

she　heard　the　stableman　say；　〃Mrs。　Barker　is　here。〃　　Her　heart

leaped；Van　Loo　had　returned。



But　here　the　voice　of　the　other　man　which　she　had　not　yet　heard

arose　for　the　first　time　clear　and　distinct。　　〃Are　you　quite　sure？

I　didn't　know　she　left　San　Francisco。〃



The　room　reeled　around　her。　　The　voice　was　George　Barker's；　her

husband！　　〃Very　well；〃　he　continued。　　〃You　needn't　put　up　my　horse

for　the　night。　　I　may　take　her　back　a　little　later　in　the　buggy。〃



In　another　moment　she　had　swept　down　the　passage；　and　burst　into

the　other　room。　　Mrs。　Horncastle　was　sitting　by　the　table　with　a

book　in　her　hand。　　She　started　as　the　half…maddened　woman　closed

the　door；　locked　it　behind　her；　and　cast　herself　on　her　knees　at

her　feet。



〃My　husband　is　here；〃　she　gasped。　　〃What　shall　I　do？　　In　heaven's

name　help　me！〃



〃Is　Van　Loo　still　here？〃　said　Mrs。　Horncastle　quickly。



〃No；　gone。　　He　went　when　I　came。〃



Mrs。　Horncastle　caught　her　hand　and　looked　intently　into　her

frightened　face。　　〃Then　what　have　you　to　fear　from　your　husband？〃

she　said　abruptly。



〃You　don't　understand。　　He　didn't　know　I　was　here。　　He　thought　me

in　San　Francisco。〃



〃Does　he　know　it　now？〃



〃Yes。　　I　heard　the　stableman　tell　him。　　Couldn't　you　say　I　came

here　with　you；　that　we　were　here　together；　that　it　was　just　a

little　freak　of　ours？　　Oh；　do！〃



Mrs。　Horncastle　thought　a　moment。　　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃we'll　see　him

here　together。〃



〃Oh　no！　no！〃　said　Mrs。　Barker　suddenly；　clinging　to　her　dress　and

looking　fearfully　towards　the　door。　　〃I　couldn't；　COULDN'T　see　him

now。　　Say　I'm　sick；　tired　out；　gone　to　my　room。〃



〃But　you'll　have　to　see　him　later；〃　said　Mrs。　Horncastle　wonderingly。



〃Yes；　but　he　may　go　first。　　I　heard　him　tell　them　not　to　put　up　his

horse。〃



〃Good！〃　said　Mrs。　Horncastle　suddenly。　　〃Go　to　your　room　and　lock

the　door；　and　I'll　come　to　you　later。　　Stop！　　Would　Mr。　Barker　be

likely　to　disturb　you　if　I　told　him　you　would　like　to　be　alone？〃



〃No；　he　never　does。　　I　often　tell　him　that。〃



Mrs。　Horncastle　smiled　faintly。　　〃Come；　quick；　then；〃　she　said；

〃for　he　may　come　HERE　first。〃



Opening　the　door　she　passed　into　the　half…dark　and　empty　hall。

〃Now　run！〃　　She　heard　the　quick　rustle　of　Mrs。　Barker's　skirt　die

away　in　the　distance；　the　opening　and　shutting　of　a　doorsilence

and　then　turned　back　into　her　own　room。



She　was　none　too　soon。　　Presently　she　heard　Barker's　voice　saying；

〃Thank　you；　I　can　find　the　way；〃　his　still　buoyant　step　on　the

staircase；　and　then　saw　his　brown　curls　rising　above　the　railing。

The　light　streaming　through　the　open　door　of　the　sitting　room　into

the　half…lit　hall　had　partially　dazzled　him；　and；　already

bewildered；　he　was　still　more　dazzled　at　the　unexpected　apparition

of　the　smiling　face　and　bright　eyes　of　Mrs。　Horncastle　standing　in

the　doorway。



〃You　have　fairly　caught　us；〃　she　said；　with　charming　composure；

〃but　I　had　half　a　mind　to　let　you　wander　round　the　hotel　a　little

longer。　　Come　in。〃　　Barker　followed　her　in　mechanically；　and　she

closed　the　door。　　〃Now；　sit　down；〃　she　said　gayly；　〃and　tell　me　how

you　knew　we　were　here；　and　what　you　mean　by　surprising　us　at　this

hour。〃



Barker's　ready　color　always　rose　on　meeting　Mrs。　Horncastle；　for

whom　he　entertained　a　respectful　admiration；　not　without　some　fear

of　her　worldly　superiority。　　He　flushed；　bowed；　and　stared　somewhat

blankly　around　the　room；　at　the　familiar　walls；　at　the　chair　from

which　Mrs。　Horncastle　had　just　risen；　and　finally　at　his　wife's

glove；　which　Mrs。　Horncastle　had　a　moment　before　ostentatiously

thrown　on　the　table。　　Seeing　which　she　pounced　upon　it　with　assumed

archness；　and　pretended　to　conceal　it。



〃I　had　no　idea　my　wife　was　here；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃and　I　was　quite

surprised　when　the　man　told　me；　for　she　had　not　written　to　me　about

it。〃　　As　his　face　was　brightening；　she　for　the　first　time　noticed

that　his　frank　gray　eyes　had　an　abstracted　look；　and　there　was　a

faint　line　of　contraction　on　his　youthful　forehead。　　〃Still　less；〃

he　added；　〃did　I　look　for　the　pleasure　of　meeting　you。　　For　I　only

came　here　to　inquire　about　my　old　partner；　Demorest；　who　arrived

from　Europe　a　few　days　ago；　and　who　should　have　reached　Hymettus

early　this　afternoon。　　But　now　I　hear　he　came　all　the　way　by　coach

instead　of　by　rail；　and　got　off　at　the　cross…road；　and　we　must　have

passed　each　other　on　the　different　trails。　　So　my　journey　would

have　gone　for　nothing；　only　that　I　now　shall　have　the　pleasure　of

going　back　with　you　and　Kitty。　　It　will　be　a　lovely　drive　by

moonlight。〃



Relieved　by　this　revelation；　it　was　easy　work　for　Mrs。　Horncastle

to　launch　out　into　a　playful；　tantalizing；　wittybut；　I　grieve　to

say；　entirely　imaginativeaccount　of　her　escapade　with　Mrs。

Barker。　　How；　left　alone　at　the　San　Francisco　hotel　while　their

gentlemen　friends　were　enjoying　themselves　at　Hymettus；　they

resolved　upon　a　little　trip；　partly　for　the　purpose　of　looking　into

some　small　investments　of　their　own；　and　partly　for　the　fun　of　the

thing。　　What　funny　experiences　they　had！　　How；　in　particular；　one

horrid　inquisitive；　vulgar　wretch　had　been　boring　a　European　fellow

passenger　who　was　going　to　Hymettus；　finally　asking　him　where　he

had　come　from　last；　and　when　he　answered　〃Hymettus；〃　thought　the

man　was　insulting　him



〃But；〃　interrupted　the　laughing　Barker；　〃that　passenger　may　have

been　Demorest；　who　has　just　come　from　Greece；　and　surely　Kitty

would　have　recognized　him。〃



Mrs。　Horncastle　instantly　saw　her　blunder；　and　not　only　retrieved

it；　but　turned　it　to　account。　　Ah；　yes！　but　by　that　time　poor

Kitty；　unused　to　long　journeys　and　the　heat；　was　utterly　fagged

out；　was　asleep；　and　perfectly　unrecognizable　in　veils　and　dusters

on　the　back　seat　of　the　coach。　　And　this　brought　her　to　the　point

which　was；　that　she　was　sorry　to　say；　on　arriving；　the　poor　child

was　nearly　wild　with　a　headache　from　fatigue　and　had　gone　to　bed；

and　she　had　promised　not　to　disturb　her。



The　undisguised　amusement；　mingled　with　relief；　that　had　overspread

Barker's　face　during　this　lively　recital　might　have　pricked　the

conscience　of　Mrs。　Horncastle；　but　for　some　reason　I　fear　it　did

not。　　But　it　emboldened　her　to　go　on。　　〃I　said　I　promised　her　that

I　would　see　she　wasn't　disturbed；　but；　of　course；　now　that　YOU；　her

HUSBAND；　have　come；　if〃



〃Not　for　worlds；〃　interrupted　Barker　earnestly。　　〃I　know　poor

Kitty's　headaches；　and　I　never　disturb　her；　poor　child；　except　when

I'm　thoughtless。〃　　And　here　one　of　the　most　thoughtful　men　in　the

world　in　his　sensitive　consideration　of　others　beamed　at　her　with

such　frank　and　wonderful　eyes　that　the　arch　hypocrite　before　him

with　difficulty　suppressed　a　hysterical　desire　to　laugh；　and　felt

the　conscious　blood　flush　her　to　the　root　of　her　hair。　　〃You　know；〃

he　went　on；　with　a　sigh；　half　of　relief　and　half　of　reminiscence；

〃that　I　often　think　I'm　a　great　bother　to　a　clear…headed；　sensible

girl　like　Kitty。　　She　knows　people　so　much　better　than　I　do。　　She's

wonderfully　equipped　for　the　world；　and；　you　see；　I'm　only　'lucky；'

as　everybody　says；　and　I　dare　say　part　of　my　luck　was　to　have　got

her。　　I'm　very　glad　she's　a　friend　of　yours；　you　know；　for　somehow

I　fancied　always　that　you　were　not　interested　in　her；　or　that　you

didn't　understand　each　other　until　now。　　It's　odd　that　nice　women

don't　always　like　nice　women；　isn't　it？　　I'm　glad　she　was　with　you；

I　was　quite　startled　to　learn　she　was　here；　and　couldn't　make　it

out。　　I　thought　at　first　she　might　have　got　anxious　about　our

little　Sta；　who　is　with　me　and　the　nurse　at　Hymettus。　　But　I'm　glad

it　was　only　a　lark。　　I　shouldn't　wonder；〃　he　added；　with　a　laugh；

〃although　she　always　declares　she　isn't　one　of　those　'doting；

idiotic　mothers；'　that　she　found　it　a　little　dull　without　the　boy；

for　all　she　thought　it　was　better　for　ME　to　take　him　somewhere　for

a　change　of　air。〃



The　situation　was　becoming　more　difficult　for　Mrs。　Horncastle　than

she　had　conceived。　　There　had　been　a　certain　excitement　in　its

first　direct　appeal　to　her　tact　and　courage；　and　even；　she

believed；　an　unselfish　desire　to　save　the　relations　between　husband

and　wife　if　she　could。　　But　she　had　not　calculated　upon　his

unconscious　revelations；　nor　upon　their　effect　upon　herself。　　She

had　concluded　to　believe　that　Kitty　had；　in　a　moment　of　folly；　lent

herself　to　this　hare…brained　escapade；　but　it　now　might　be　possible

that　it　had　been　deliberately　planned。　　Kitty　had　sent　her　husband

and　child　away　three　weeks　before。　　Had　she　told　the　whole　truth？

How　long　had　this　been　going　on？　　And　if　the　soulless　Van　Loo　had

deserted　her　now；　was　it　not；　perhaps；　the　miserable　ending　of　an

intrigue　rather　than　its　beginning？　　Had　she　been　as　great　a　dupe

of　this　woman　as　the　husband　before　her？　　A　new　and　double

consciousness　came　over　her　that　for　a　moment　prevented　her　from

meeting　his　honest　eyes。　　She　felt　the　shame　of　being　an　accomplice

mingled　with　a　fierce　joy　at　the　idea　of　a　climax　that　might

separate　him　from　his　wife　forever。



Luckily　he　did　not　notice　it；　but　with　a　continued　sense　of　relief

threw　himself　back　in　his　chair；　and　glancing　familiarly　round　the

walls　broke　into　his　youthful　laugh。　　〃Lord！　how　I　remember　this

room　in　the　old　days。　　It　was　Kitty's　own　private　sitting…room；　you

know；　and　I　used　to　think　it　looked　just　as　fresh　and　pretty　as

she。　　I　used　to　think　her　crayon　drawing　wonderful；　and　still　more

wonderful　that　she　should　have　that　unnecessary　talent　when　it　was

quite　enough　for　her　to　be　just　'Kitty。'　　You　know；　don't　you；　how

you　feel　at　those　times　when　you're　quite　happy　in　being　inferior〃

He　stopped　a　moment　with　a　sudden　recollection　that　Mrs。　Horncastle's

marriage　had　been　notoriously　unhappy。　　〃I　mean；〃　he　went　on　with　a

shy　little　laugh　and　an　innocent　attempt　at　gallantry　which　the　very

directness　of　his　simple　nature　made　at