下载辰思小说免费APP
Noonehaseverlovedaswehaveloved。“
Itseemedtohimthattheircompleteunionandhappinessfilledtheroomwithringseddyingmoreandmorewidely。Hehadnowishintheworldleftunfulfilled。Theypossessedwhatcouldneverbetakenfromthem。
Hewasnotconsciousthatanyonehadcomeintotheroom，butlater，momentslater，orhourslaterperhaps，hefeltanarmbehindhim。
Thearmswereroundhim。Hedidnotwanttohavearmsroundhim，andthemysteriouswhisperingvoicesannoyedhim。HelaidRachel’shand，whichwasnowcold，uponthecounterpane，androsefromhischair，andwalkedacrosstothewindow。Thewindowswereuncurtained，andshowedthemoon，andalongsilverpathwayuponthesurfaceofthewaves。
“Why，“hesaid，inhisordinarytoneofvoice，“lookatthemoon。
There’sahaloroundthemoon。Weshallhaverainto-morrow。“
Thearms，whethertheywerethearmsofmanorofwoman，wereroundhimagain；theywerepushinghimgentlytowardsthedoor。Heturnedofhisownaccordandwalkedsteadilyinadvanceofthearms，consciousofalittleamusementatthestrangewayinwhichpeoplebehavedmerelybecausesomeonewasdead。Hewouldgoiftheywishedit，butnothingtheycoulddowoulddisturbhishappiness。
Ashesawthepassageoutsidetheroom，andthetablewiththecupsandtheplates，itsuddenlycameoverhimthatherewasaworldinwhichhewouldneverseeRachelagain。
“Rachel！Rachel！“heshrieked，tryingtorushbacktoher。
Buttheypreventedhim，andpushedhimdownthepassageandintoabedroomfarfromherroom。Downstairstheycouldhearthethudofhisfeetonthefloor，ashestruggledtobreakfree；andtwicetheyheardhimshout，“Rachel，Rachel！“
Fortwoorthreehourslongerthemoonpoureditslightthroughtheemptyair。Unbrokenbycloudsitfellstraightly，andlayalmostlikeachillwhitefrostovertheseaandtheearth。
Duringthesehoursthesilencewasnotbroken，andtheonlymovementwascausedbythemovementoftreesandbrancheswhichstirredslightly，andthentheshadowsthatlayacrossthewhitespacesofthelandmovedtoo。Inthisprofoundsilenceonesoundonlywasaudible，thesoundofaslightbutcontinuousbreathingwhichneverceased，althoughitneverroseandneverfell。Itcontinuedafterthebirdshadbeguntoflutterfrombranchtobranch，andcouldbeheardbehindthefirstthinnotesoftheirvoices。Itcontinuedallthroughthehourswhentheeastwhitened，andgrewred，andafaintbluetingedthesky，butwhenthesunroseitceased，andgaveplacetoothersounds。
Thefirstsoundsthatwereheardwerelittleinarticulatecries，thecries，itseemed，ofchildrenoroftheverypoor，ofpeoplewhowereveryweakorinpain。Butwhenthesunwasabovethehorizon，theairwhichhadbeenthinandpalegreweverymomentricherandwarmer，andthesoundsoflifebecamebolderandmorefullofcourageandauthority。Bydegreesthesmokebegantoascendinwaveringbreathsoverthehouses，andtheseslowlythickened，untiltheywereasroundandstraightascolumns，andinsteadofstrikinguponpalewhiteblinds，thesunshoneupondarkwindows，beyondwhichtherewasdepthandspace。
Thesunhadbeenupformanyhours，andthegreatdomeofairwaswarmedthroughandglitteringwiththingoldthreadsofsunlight，beforeanyonemovedinthehotel。Whiteandmassiveitstoodintheearlylight，halfasleepwithitsblindsdown。
Atabouthalf-pastnineMissAllancameveryslowlyintothehall，andwalkedveryslowlytothetablewherethemorningpaperswerelaid，butshedidnotputoutherhandtotakeone；shestoodstill，thinking，withherheadalittlesunkuponhershoulders。
Shelookedcuriouslyold，andfromthewayinwhichshestood，alittlehunchedtogetherandverymassive，youcouldseewhatshewouldbelikewhenshewasreallyold，howshewouldsitdayafterdayinherchairlookingplacidlyinfrontofher。
Otherpeoplebegantocomeintotheroom，andtopassher，butshedidnotspeaktoanyofthemorevenlookatthem，andatlast，asifitwerenecessarytodosomething，shesatdowninachair，andlookedquietlyandfixedlyinfrontofher。Shefeltveryoldthismorning，anduselesstoo，asifherlifehadbeenafailure，asifithadbeenhardandlaborioustonopurpose。
Shedidnotwanttogoonliving，andyetsheknewthatshewould。
Shewassostrongthatshewouldlivetobeaveryoldwoman。
Shewouldprobablylivetobeeighty，andasshewasnowfifty，thatleftthirtyyearsmoreforhertolive。Sheturnedherhandsoverandover
