登陆注册
26289300000080

第80章 CHAPTER XXI(4)

The two bathers dipped over an undulation.

Her loss of them rattled her chains.

Deeply dwelling on their troubles has the effect upon the young of helping to forgetfulness; for they cannot think without imagining, their imaginations are saturated with their Pleasures, and the collision, though they are unable to exchange sad for sweet, distills an opiate.

"Am I solemnly engaged?" she asked herself. She seemed to be awakening.

She glanced at her bed, where she had passed the night of ineffectual moaning, and out on the high wave of grass, where Crossjay and his good friend had vanished.

Was the struggle all to be gone over again?

Little by little her intelligence of her actual position crept up to submerge her heart.

"I am in his house!" she said. It resembled a discovery, so strangely had her opiate and power of dreaming wrought through her tortures. She said it gasping. She was in his house, his guest, his betrothed, sworn to him. The fact stood out cut in steel on the pitiless daylight.

That consideration drove her to be an early wanderer in the wake of Crossjay.

Her station was among the beeches on the flank of the boy's return; and while waiting there the novelty of her waiting to waylay anyone--she who had played the contrary part!--told her more than it pleased her to think. Yet she could admit that she did desire to speak with Vernon, as with a counsellor, harsh and curt, but wholesome.

The bathers reappeared on the grass-ridge, racing and flapping wet towels.

Some one hailed them. A sound of the galloping hoof drew her attention to the avenue. She saw Willoughby dash across the park level, and dropping a word to Vernon, ride away. Then she allowed herself to be seen.

Crossjay shouted. Willoughby turned his head, but not his horse's head. The boy sprang up to Clara. He had swum across the lake and back; he had raced Mr. Whitford--and beaten him! How he wished Miss Middleton had been able to be one of them!

Clara listened to him enviously. Her thought was: We women are nailed to our ***!

She said: "And you have just been talking to Sir Willoughby."

Crossjay drew himself up to give an imitation of the baronet's hand-moving in adieu.

He would not have done that had he not smelled sympathy with the performance.

She declined to smile. Crossjay repeated it, and laughed. He made a broader exhibition of it to Vernon approaching: "I say. Mr. Whitford, who's this?"

Vernon doubled to catch him. Crossjay fled and resumed his magnificent air in the distance.

"Good-morning, Miss Middleton; you are out early," said Vernon, rather pale and stringy from his cold swim, and rather hard-eyed with the sharp exercise following it.

She had expected some of the kindness she wanted to reject, for he could speak very kindly, and she regarded him as her doctor of medicine, who would at least present the futile drug.

"Good morning," she replied.

"Willoughby will not be home till the evening."

"You could not have had a finer morning for your bath."

"No."

"I will walk as fast as you like."

"I'm perfectly warm."

"But you prefer fast walking."

"Out."

"Ah! yes, that I understand. The walk back! Why is Willoughby away to-day?"

"He has business."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 极品废柴:邪尊求放过

    极品废柴:邪尊求放过

    【全文免费】她们是月璃国的废物。她们是现代的杀手,因背叛而穿越,从而改变她们的命运。可素~这个妖孽是怎么回事,我只不过是在魔兽森林救了他一命而已,为什么会跟着我?——————晚上:某女:你为什么在我的房间?某妖孽:都夫妻了怎么不可以来到你房间里呢?(珍爱生命,远离妖孽)
  • 女性疾病

    女性疾病

    本书就女性常见病、孕产妇期间女性易患疾病、月经期女性疾病、乳腺病症、以及更年期女性常见症状等内容进行分析,并针对患者提出的具体问题,提供治疗建议和康复方案。
  • 黄泉碧落之人鱼传说

    黄泉碧落之人鱼传说

    禁忌如何?生死又如何?天若夺我所爱,向天拔剑、与天为敌又如何!!!“慕羽,收手吧,你这么做是想得到什么?你毁灭这里的时候,有没有想过你想守护的东西就在这片大地上。”“我想的到的是我这辈子再也无法得到的,我想守护的也不过一人罢了,而她已经不在这片大地上了。”师傅,我说过,如果失去你,我会疯的。师傅,杀戮之剑已出鞘。师傅,你会来救我的对吗?就像千年之前一样……一身白衣胜雪,女子面容清丽无双。黄泉、碧落,本是两个世界,海中鱼恋上陆地之人,师徒绝恋,一条殊途,可否同归?
  • 魔刃天下

    魔刃天下

    上古混沌之初,天地间有三件神器被封印,分别是神剑,妖戟,魔刃,每隔五千年便解除一件神器的封印,得神剑者,则为天帝,万物至尊,得妖戟者,则为邪王,统帅妖界,今魔刃既出,谁为魔君?
  • 爱宠成虐

    爱宠成虐

    初见,她是豪门大小姐,他对她一见倾心,设法将她收服于掌心,步步为营。订婚前期,好友狠心背叛让她心灰意冷离去。四年后,她是一名默默无闻的夜间播音员,他是堂堂集团总裁,高高在上不可攀越。遭遇意外,她被自家亲哥骗回,送上他的床。被吃干又抹净后,他深情款款地把结婚协议书放在她面前,危险微笑:“老婆,签字,相信我,拒绝的后果你承受不起。”
  • 妖精的尾巴之不平凡的人生

    妖精的尾巴之不平凡的人生

    斯塔克:咳咳,在此我想要申明几点。1:我并不希望和任何麻烦沾上关系,我向往的是和平的生活。2:我不是喜欢银头发的女孩子,如果有的话,我也不会一定不喜欢!喂喂喂!纳兹你是什么眼神!3:我不是姐控!我不是姐控!!我不是姐控!!!纳兹:吵死了,姐控。格雷:姐控。哈比:噗~!有一腿~~艾露莎:你,你们原来是这种关系...(脸红)露西:哎!我,我什么都没有看到!温蒂:我,我也什么都没听到...。斯塔克:......你,你们!(此文不是后宫文,更不是种马文,争取写出自己心中的妖尾世界)
  • 极品太子娱乐王

    极品太子娱乐王

    一个小人物救个大神,重生活在娱乐圈的故事。邵大亨;我错过了李小龙,但是我没有错过邓师道。邓平;是他让我看到了香港澳门的回归。他从小是个佛教徒,但是他不会念阿弥头佛,只是会活在花丛中的花花公子,他有着良好的出身。他是除了迈克以外音乐最大的发现
  • 和我们的青春一起毕业

    和我们的青春一起毕业

    推荐大雾漫漫的作品《隐婚闪爱:娇妻满分宠》(原名:隐婚闪爱满分:娇嫩妈咪真甜)和《闪婚娇嫩妻:小叔蜜蜜爱》摘要:三个怀揣梦想的女孩儿大学毕业后打算留在大都市上海,可是毕业后,在找房子和工作上都出现这样或那样的的问题,她们的内心有矛盾、有纠结、有彷徨。为了生活,善良的她们最后还是违背了当时大学毕业时爱的承诺和生活谏言。qq群:275453503大雾漫漫谏言:无论就业还是婚姻都要慎重的走好每一步,选择不同结果也会大不相同。喜欢就收藏、评论、送票!支持大雾漫漫。
  • 神医庶妃:冥王独宠腹黑妻

    神医庶妃:冥王独宠腹黑妻

    她忘却前尘,以为自己便是原身。一朝梦醒,才发现这只是一场玩笑。她爱的那个人一直在她身边保护他原来不过是一场互相利用的戏她就说嘛,就她这样的棋子在各大世家里不计其数,怎么会有人注意到她呢?再次卷土重来,为的也不过是不再被人当做棋子,仅此而已……我爱你,你却不知道。当真相揭开,她却还是神界圣池中那一朵没有灵识红莲。从此他与她再无半分联系。再来,也不过是落得一个如万年之前一样的结局。
  • 倾世璃歌:废柴大小姐逆袭

    倾世璃歌:废柴大小姐逆袭

    世界第一杀手夏璃歌穿越成了苍寒大陆宰相唐耀光嫡女夏璃歌,你说她是废柴?炼丹师,空间法师,冰系破管,水系木系火系风系达到管子最末端。这明明就是妖孽好不好!