To Let by John Galsworthy (the beginning after the end novel read TXT) 📖
- Author: John Galsworthy
Book online «To Let by John Galsworthy (the beginning after the end novel read TXT) 📖». Author John Galsworthy
She Was Sitting On One Of The Two Rush-Seated Chairs, With Her Back To
The Door, When He Came In, And She Said At Once:
"Sit Down, Jon, I Want To Talk Seriously."
Jon Sat On The Table By Her Side, And Without Looking At Him She Went
On:
"If You Don't Want To Lose Me, We Must Get Married."
Jon Gasped.
"Why? Is There Anything New?"
"No, But I Felt It At Robin Hill, And Among My People."
"But--" Stammered Jon, "At Robin Hill--It Was All Smooth--And They've
Said Nothing To Me."
"But They Mean To Stop Us. Your Mother's Face Was Enough. And My
Father's."
"Have You Seen Him Since?"
Fleur Nodded. What Mattered A Few Supplementary Lies?
"But," Said Jon Eagerly, "I Can't See How They Can Feel Like That After
All These Years."
Fleur Looked Up At Him.
Part II VIII (The Bit Between The Teeth) Pg 13"Perhaps You Don't Love Me Enough."
"Not Love You Enough! Why-I--"
"Then Make Sure Of Me"
"Without Telling Them?"
"Not Till After."
Jon Was Silent. How Much Older He Looked Than On That Day, Barely Two
Months Ago, When She First Saw Him--Quite Two Years Older!
"It Would Hurt Mother Awfully," He Said.
Fleur Drew Her Hand Away.
"You've Got To Choose."
Jon Slid Off The Table Onto His Knees.
"But Why Not Tell Them? They Can't Really Stop Us, Fleur!"
"They Can! I Tell You, They Can.
Part II VIII (The Bit Between The Teeth) Pg 14How?"
"We're Utterly Dependent--By Putting Money Pressure, And All Sorts Of
Other Pressure. I'm Not Patient, Jon."
"But It's Deceiving Them."
Fleur Got Up.
"You Can't Really Love Me, Or You Wouldn't Hesitate. 'He Either Fears
His Fate Too Much--!'"
Lifting His Hands To Her Waist, Jon Forced Her To Sit Down Again. She
Hurried On:
"I've Planned It All Out. We've Only To Go To Scotland. When We're
Married They'll Soon Come Round. People Always Come Round To Facts.
Don't You See, Jon?"
"But To Hurt Them So Awfully!"
So He Would Rather Hurt Her Than Those People Of His!
"All Right, Then; Let Me Go!"
Jon Got Up And Put His Back Against The Door. "I Expect You're Right,"
He Said Slowly; "But I Want To Think It Over."
She Could See That He Was Seething With Feelings He Wanted To Express;
But She Did Not Mean To Help Him. She Hated Herself At This Moment, And
Almost Hated Him.
Why Had She To Do All The Work To Secure Their Love? It Wasn't Fair.
And Then She Saw His Eyes, Adoring And Distressed.
Part II VIII (The Bit Between The Teeth) Pg 15`
"Don't Look Like That! I Only Don't Want To Lose You, Jon."
"You Can't Lose Me So Long As You Want Me."
"Oh, Yes, I Can."
Jon Put His Hands On Her Shoulders.
"Fleur, Do You Know Anything You Haven't Told Me?"
It Was The Point-Blank Question She Had Dreaded. She Looked Straight At
Him, And Answered: "No." She Had Burnt Her Boats; But What Did It
Matter, If She Got Him? He Would Forgive Her. And Throwing Her Arms
Round His Neck, She Kissed Him On The Lips. She Was Winning! She Felt
It In The Beating Of His Heart Against Her, In The Closing Of His Eyes.
"I Want To Make Sure! I Want To Make Sure!" She Whispered. "Promise!"
Jon Did Not Answer. His Face Had The Stillness Of Extreme Trouble. At
Last He Said:
"It's Like Hitting Them. I Must Think A Little, Fleur. I Really Must."
Fleur Slipped Out Of His Arms.
"Oh! Very Well!" And Suddenly She Burst Into Tears Of Disappointment,
Shame, And Overstrain. Followed Five Minutes Of Acute Misery. Jon's
Remorse And Tenderness Knew No Bounds; But He Did Not Promise. Despite
Her Will To Cry: "Very Well, Then, If You Don't Love Me
Enough--Good-Bye!" She Dared Not.
Part II VIII (The Bit Between The Teeth) Pg 16From Birth Accustomed To Her Own Way,
This Check From One So Young, So Tender, So Devoted, Baffled And
Surprised Her. She Wanted To Push Him Away From Her, To Try What Anger
And Coldness Would Do, And Again She Dared Not. The Knowledge That She
Was Scheming To Rush Him Blindfold Into The Irrevocable Weakened
Everything--Weakened The Sincerity Of Pique, And The Sincerity Of
Passion; Even Her Kisses Had Not The Lure She Wished For Them. That
Stormy Little Meeting Ended Inconclusively.
"Will You Some Tea, Gnadiges Fraulein?"
Pushing Jon From Her, She Cried Out:
"No--No, Thank You! I'm Just Going."
And Before He Could Prevent Her She Was Gone.
She Went Stealthily, Mopping Her Flushed, Stained Cheeks, Frightened,
Angry, Very Miserable. She Had Stirred Jon Up So Fearfully, Yet Nothing
Definite Was Promised Or Arranged! But The More Uncertain And Hazardous
The Future, The More "The Will To Have" Worked Its Tentacles Into The
Flesh Of Her Heart--Like Some Burrowing Tick!
No One Was At Green Street. Winifred Had Gone With Imogen To See A Play
Which Some Said Was Allegorical, And Others "Very Exciting, Don't You
Know?" It Was Because Of What Others Said That Winifred And Imogen Had
Gone. Fleur Went On To Paddington. Through The Carriage The Air From
The Brick-Kilns Of West Drayton And The Late Hay-Fields Fanned Her
Still-Flushed Cheeks. Flowers Had Seemed To Be Had For The Picking; Now
They Were All Thorned And Prickled. But The Golden Flower Within The
Crown Of Spikes Seemed To Her Tenacious Spirit All The Fairer And More
Desirable.
Part II IX (Fat In The Fire) Pg 17
On Reaching Home Fleur Found An Atmosphere So Peculiar That It
Penetrated Even The Perplexed Aura Of Her Own Private Life. Her Mother
Was In Blue Stockingette And A Brown Study; Her Father In A White Felt
Hat And The Vinery. Neither Of Them Had A Word To Throw To A Dog. 'Is
It Because Of Me?' Thought Fleur. 'Or Because Of Profond?' To Her
Mother She Said:
"What's The Matter With Father?"
Her Mother Answered With A Shrug Of Her Shoulders.
To Her Father:
"What's The Matter With Mother?"
Her Father Answered:
"Matter? What Should Be The Matter?" And Gave Her A Sharp Look.
"By The Way," Murmured Fleur, "Monsieur Profond Is Going A 'Small'
Voyage On His Yacht, To The South Seas."
Soames Examined A Branch On Which No Grapes Were Growing.
Part II IX (Fat In The Fire) Pg 18"This Vine's A Failure," He Said. "I've Had Young Mont Here. He Asked
Me Something About You."
"Oh! How Do You Like Him, Father?"
"He--He's A Product--Like All These Young People."
"What Were You At His Age, Dear?"
Soames Smiled Grimly.
"We Went To Work, And Didn't Play About--Flying And Motoring, And
Making Love."
"Didn't You Ever Make Love?"
She Avoided Looking At Him While She Said That, But She Saw Him Well
Enough. His Pale Face Had Reddened, His Eyebrows, Where Darkness Was
Still Mingled With The Grey, Had Come Close Together.
"I Had No Time Or Inclination To Philander."
"Perhaps You Had A Grand Passion."
Soames Looked At Her Intently.
"Yes--If You Want To Know--And Much Good It Did Me." He Moved Away,
Along By The Hot-Water Pipes. Fleur Tiptoed Silently After Him.
Part II IX (Fat In The Fire) Pg 19
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