Initials Only

第38章

”Andtheyaccuseheroftakingherownlife?Theirverdictisalie。Theydidnotknowher。”Then,aftersomemomentsofwildandconfusedfeeling,hedeclared,withadesperateeffortatself-control:”Yousaidthatsomebelievethis。Thentheremustbeotherswhodonot。Whatdotheysay?””Nothing。Theysimplyfeelasyoudo。Theyseenoreasonfortheactandnoevidenceofherhavingmeditatedit。Herfatherandherfriendinsistbesides,thatshewasincapableofsuchahorror。Themysteryofitiskillingusall;meaboveothers,forI’vehadtoshowyouacheerfulface,withmybrainreelingandmyheartlikeleadinmybosom。”

Sheheldoutherhands。Shetriedtodrawhisattentiontoherself;

notfromanysentimentofegotism,buttobreak,ifshecould,thestrainoftheseinsupportablehorrorswheresoshortatimebeforeHopesangandLiferevelledinre-awakenedjoys。

Perhapssomefaintrealisationofthisreachedhim,forpresentlyhecaughtherbythehandsandbowedhisheaduponhershoulderandfinallyletherseathimagain,beforehesaid:”Dotheyknowof-ofmyinterestinthis?””Yes;theyknowaboutthetwo0。B。s。””Thetwo-”Hewasonhisfeetagain,butonlyforamoment;hisweaknesswasgreaterthanhiswillpower。”OrlandoandOswaldBrotherson,”sheexplained,inanswertohisbrokenappeal。”Yourbrotherwroteletterstoheraswellasyou,andsignedthemjustasyoudid,withhisinitialsonly。Theseletterswerefoundinherdesk,andhewassupposed,foratime,tohavebeentheauthorofallthatweresosigned。Buttheyfoundoutthedifferenceafterawhile。YourswereeasilyrecognisedaftertheylearnedtherewasanotherO。B。wholovedher。”

Thewordswereplainenough,butthestrickenlistenerdidnottakethemin。Theycarriednomeaningtohim。Howshouldthey?Theveryideashesoughttoimpressuponhimbythisseeminglycarelessallusionwasanincredibleone。Shefounditherdreadfultasktotellhimthehard,baretruth。”Yourbrother,”saidshe,”wasdevotedtoMissChalloner,too。Heevenwantedtomarryher。Icannotkeepbackthisfact。Itisknowneverywhere,andbyeverybodybutyou。”Orlando?”Hislipstookanironicalcurve,asheutteredtheword。

Thiswasayounggirl’simaginativefancytohim。”WhyOrlandoneverknewher,neversawher,never-””HemetheratLenox。”

Thenameproduceditseffect。Hestared,madeanefforttothink,repeatedLenoxovertohimself;thensuddenlylosthisholdupontheideawhichthatwordsuggested,struggledagainforit,seizeditinaninstantofmadnessandshoutedout:”Yes,yes,Iremember。Isenthimthere-”andpaused,hismindblankagain。

PoorDoris,frightenedtoherverysoul,lookedblindlyaboutforhelp;butshedidnotquithisside;shedidnotdareto,forhislipshadreopened;thecontinuityofhisthoughtshadreturned;hewasgoingtospeak。”Isenthimthere。”Thewordscameinasortofshout。”IwassohungrytohearofherandIthoughthemightmentionherinhisletter。Insane!Insane!Hesawherand-What’sthatyousaidabouthislovingher?Hecouldn’thavelovedher;he’snotofthelovingsort。They’vedeceivedyouwithstrangetales。They’vedeceivedthewholeworld

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