第37章

dictatedsomeletterstoherandsodiscoveredshehadpretty，soft-lookinghandswithpinknails。Onceortwice，meetingcasually，welookedoneanotherfortheflashofasecondintheeyes。

Thatwasall。Butitwasenoughinthemysteriousfree-masonryofsextosayessentialthings。Wehadasecretbetweenus。

OnedayIcameintoRaggettStreetatlunchtimeandshewasalone，sittingatherdesk。SheglancedupasIentered，andthenbecameverystill，withadowncastfaceandherhandsclenchedonthetable。Iwalkedrightbyhertothedooroftheinneroffice，stopped，camebackandstoodoverher。

Weneitherofusspokeforquiteaperceptibletime。Iwastremblingviolently。

“Isthatoneofthenewtypewriters？”Iaskedatlastforthesakeofspeaking。

Shelookedupatmewithoutaword，withherfaceflushedandhereyesalight，andIbentdownandkissedherlips。Sheleantbacktoputanarmaboutme，drewmyfacetoherandkissedmeagainandagain。Iliftedherandheldherinmyarms。Shegavealittlesmotheredcrytofeelherselfsoheld。

NeverbeforehadIknownthequalityofpassionatekisses。

Somebodybecameaudibleintheshopoutside。

Westartedbackfromoneanotherwithflushedfacesandbrightandburningeyes。

“Wecan’ttalkhere。”Iwhisperedwithaconfidentintimacy。

“Wheredoyougoatfive？”

“AlongtheEmbankmenttoCharingCross。”sheansweredasintimately。“Noneoftheothersgothatway。”

“Abouthalf-pastfive？”

“Yes，half-pastfive。”

Thedoorfromtheshopopened，andshesatdownveryquickly。

“I’mglad。”Isaidinacommonplacevoice，“thatthesenewtypewritersareallright。”

Iwentintotheinnerofficeandroutedoutthepaysheetinordertofindhername——EffieRink。Anddidnoworkatallthatafternoon。Ifrettedaboutthatdingylittledenlikeabeastinacage。

WhenpresentlyIwentout，Effiewasworkingwithanextraordinaryappearanceofcalm——andtherewasnolookformeatall。

Wemetandhadourtalkthatevening，atalkinwhisperswhentherewasnonetooverhear；wecametoanunderstanding。ItwasstrangelyunlikeanydreamofromanceIhadeverentertained。

Icamebackafteraweek’sabsencetomyhomeagain——achangedman。IhadlivedoutmyfirstrushofpassionforEffie，hadcometoacontemplationofmyposition。IhadgaugedEffie’splaceintheschemeofthings，andpartedfromherforatime。

ShewasbackinherplaceatRaggettStreetaftera