CHAPTER II
關燈
小
中
大
Margaretglancedathersister’snoteandpusheditoverthebreakfast-tabletoheraunt.Therewasamoment’shush,andthentheflood-gatesopened.
“Icantellyounothing,AuntJuley.Iknownomorethanyoudo.Wemet—weonlymetthefatherandmotherabroadlastspring.IknowsolittlethatIdidn’tevenknowtheirson’sname.It’sallso—”Shewavedherhandandlaughedalittle.
“Inthatcaseitisfartoosudden.”
“Whoknows,AuntJuley,whoknows?”
“But,Margaret,dear,Imean,wemustn’tbeunpracticalnowthatwe’vecometofacts.Itistoosudden,surely.”
“Whoknows!”
“But,Margaret,dear—”
“I’llgoforherotherletters,”saidMargaret.“No,Iwon’t,I’llfinishmybreakfast.Infact,Ihaven’tthem.WemettheWilcoxesonanawfulexpeditionthatwemadefromHeidelbergtoSpeyer.HelenandIhadgotitintoourheadsthattherewasagrandoldcathedralatSpeyer—theArchbishopofSpeyerwasoneofthesevenelectors—youknow—‘Speyer,Maintz,andKoln.’ThosethreeseesoncecommandedtheRhineValleyandgotitthenameofPriestStreet.”
“Istillfeelquiteuneasyaboutthisbusiness,Margaret.”
“Thetraincrossedbyabridgeofboats,andatfirstsightitlookedquitefine.Butoh,infiveminuteswehadseenthewholething.Thecathedralhadbeenruined,absolutelyruined,byrestorationnotaninchleftoftheoriginalstructure.Wewastedawholeday,andcameacrosstheWilcoxesaswewereeatingoursandwichesinthepublicgardens.Theytoo,poorthings,hadbeentakenin—theywereactuallystoppingatSpeyer—andtheyratherlikedHelen’sinsistingthattheymustflywithustoHeidelberg.Asamatteroffact,theydidcomeonnextday.Wealltooksomedrivestogether.TheyknewuswellenoughtoaskHelentocomeandseethem—atleast,Iwasaskedtoo,butTibby’sillnesspreventedme,solastMondayshewentalone.That’sall.YouknowasmuchasIdonow.It’sayoungmanoutoftheunknown.ShewastohavecomebackSaturday,butputofftillMonday,perhapsonaccountof—Idon’tknow.”
Shebrokeoff,andlistenedtothesoundsofaLondonmorning.TheirhousewasinWickhamPlace,andfairlyquiet,foraloftypromontoryofbuildingsseparateditfromthemainthoroughfare.Onehadthesenseofabackwater,orratherofanestuary,whosewatersflowedinfromtheinvisiblesea,andebbedintoaprofoundsilencewhilethewaveswithoutwerestillbe
