CHAPTER V
關燈
小
中
大
DenhamhadnoconsciousintentionoffollowingKatharine,but,seeingherdepart,hetookhishatandranrathermorequicklydownthestairsthanhewouldhavedoneifKatharinehadnotbeeninfrontofhim.Heovertookafriendofhis,bynameHarrySandys,whowasgoingthesameway,andtheywalkedtogetherafewpacesbehindKatharineandRodney.
Thenightwasverystill,andonsuchnights,whenthetrafficthinsaway,thewalkerbecomesconsciousofthemooninthestreet,asifthecurtainsoftheskyhadbeendrawnapart,andtheheavenlaybare,asitdoesinthecountry.Theairwassoftlycool,sothatpeoplewhohadbeensittingtalkinginacrowdfounditpleasanttowalkalittlebeforedecidingtostopanomnibusorencounterlightagaininanundergroundrailway.Sandys,whowasabarristerwithaphilosophictendency,tookouthispipe,litit,murmured“hum”and“ha,”andwassilent.Thecoupleinfrontofthemkepttheirdistanceaccurately,andappeared,sofarasDenhamcouldjudgebythewaytheyturnedtowardseachother,tobetalkingveryconstantly.Heobservedthatwhenapedestriangoingtheoppositewayforcedthemtoparttheycametogetheragaindirectlyafterwards.WithoutintendingtowatchthemheneverquitelostsightoftheyellowscarftwistedroundKatharine’shead,orthelightovercoatwhichmadeRodneylookfashionableamongthecrowd.AttheStrandhesupposedthattheywouldseparate,butinsteadtheycrossedtheroad,andtooktheirwaydownoneofthenarrowpassageswhichleadthroughancientcourtstotheriver.AmongthecrowdofpeopleinthebigthoroughfaresRodneyseemedmerelytobelendingKatharinehisescort,butnow,whenpassengerswererareandthefootstepsofthecoupleweredistinctlyheardinthesilence,Denhamcouldnothelppicturingtohimselfsomechangeintheirconversation.Theeffectofthelightandshadow,whichseemedtoincreasetheirheight,wastomakethemmysteriousandsignificant,sothatDenhamhadnofeelingofirritationwithKatharine,butratherahalf-dreamyacquiescenceinthecourseoftheworld.Yes,shedidverywelltodreamabout—butSandyshadsuddenlybeguntotalk.Hewasasolitarymanwhohadmadehisfriendsatcollegeandalwaysaddressedthemasiftheywerestillundergraduatesarguinginhisroom,thoughmanymonthsorevenyearshadpassedinsomecasesbetweenthelastsentenceandthepresentone.Themethodwasalittlesingular,butveryrestful,foritseemedtoignorecompletelyallaccidentsofhumanlife,andtospanverydeepabysseswithafewsimplewords.
Onthisoccasionhebegan,whiletheywaitedforaminuteontheedgeoftheStrand:
“IhearthatBennetthasgivenuphistheoryoftruth.”
Denhamreturnedasuitableanswer,andheproceededtoexplainhowthisdecisionhadbeenarrivedat,andwhatchangesitinvolvedinthephilosophywhichtheybothaccepted.MeanwhileKatharineandRodneydrewfurtherahead,andDenhamkept,ifthatistherightexpressionforaninvoluntaryaction,onefilamentofhisminduponthem,whilewiththerestofhisintelligencehesoughttounderstandwhatSandyswassaying.
Astheypassedthroughthecourtsthustalking,Sandyslaidthetipofhisstickupononeofthestonesformingatime-wornarch,andstruckitmeditativelytwoorthreetimesinordertoillustratesomethingveryobscureaboutthecomplexnatureofone’sapprehensionoffacts.Duringthepausewhichthisnecessitated,KatharineandRodneyturnedthecorneranddisappeared.ForamomentDenhamstoppedinvoluntarilyinhissentence,andcontinueditwithasenseofhavinglostsomething.
Unconsciousthattheywereobserved,KatharineandRodneyhadcomeoutontheEmbankment.Whentheyhadcrossedtheroad,Rodneyslappedhishanduponthestoneparapetabovetheriverandexclaimed:
“IpromiseIwon’tsayanotherwordaboutit,Katharine!Butdostopaminuteandlookatthemoonuponthewater.”
Katharinepaused,lookedupanddowntheriver,andsnuffedtheair.
“I’msureonecansmellthesea,withthewindblowingthisway,”shesaid.
Theystoodsilentforafewmomentswhiletherivershiftedinitsbed,andthesilverandredlightswhichwerelaiduponitweretornbythecurrentandjoinedtogetheragain.Veryfaroffuptheriverasteamerhootedwithitshollowvoiceofunspeakablemelancholy,asiffromtheheartoflonelymist-shroudedvoyagings.
“Ah!”Rodneycried,strikinghishandoncemoreuponthebalustrade,“whycan’tonesayhowbeautifulitallis?WhyamIcondemnedfor
