CHAPTER XXXIV
關燈
小
中
大
smokethisflamerushingupwards.
“Whatareyouthinkingof,Katharine?”heaskedsuspiciously,noticinghertoneofdreaminessandtheinaptwords.
“Iwasthinkingofyou—yes,Iswearit.Alwaysofyou,butyoutakesuchstrangeshapesinmymind.You’vedestroyedmyloneliness.AmItotellyouhowIseeyou?No,tellme—tellmefromthebeginning.”
Beginningwithspasmodicwords,hewentontospeakmoreandmorefluently,moreandmorepassionately,feelingherleaningtowardshim,listeningwithwonderlikeachild,withgratitudelikeawoman.Sheinterruptedhimgravelynowandthen.
“Butitwasfoolishtostandoutsideandlookatthewindows.SupposeWilliamhadn’tseenyou.Wouldyouhavegonetobed?”
HecappedherreproofwithwondermentthatawomanofheragecouldhavestoodinKingswaylookingatthetrafficuntilsheforgot.
“ButitwasthenIfirstknewIlovedyou!”sheexclaimed.
“Tellmefromthebeginning,”hebeggedher.
“No,I’mapersonwhocan’ttellthings,”shepleaded.“Ishallsaysomethingridiculous—somethingaboutflames—fires.No,Ican’ttellyou.”
Buthepersuadedherintoabrokenstatement,beautifultohim,chargedwithextremeexcitementasshespokeofthedarkredfire,andthesmoketwinedroundit,makinghimfeelthathehadsteppedoverthethresholdintothefaintlylitvastnessofanothermind,stirringwithshapes,solarge,sodim,unveilingthemselvesonlyinflashes,andmovingawayagainintothedarkness,engulfedbyit.TheyhadwalkedbythistimetothestreetinwhichMarylived,andbeingengrossedbywhattheysaidandpartlysaw,passedherstaircasewithoutlookingup.Atthistimeofnighttherewasnotrafficandscarcelyanyfoot-passengers,sothattheycouldpaceslowlywithoutinterruption,arm-in-arm,raisingtheirhandsnowandthentodrawsomethinguponthevastbluecurtainofthesky.
Theybroughtthemselvesbythesemeans,actingonamoodofprofoundhappiness,toastateofclear-sightednesswheretheliftingofafingerhadeffect,andonewordspokemorethanasentence.Theylapsedgentlyintosilence,travelingthedarkpathsofthoughtsidebysidetowardssomethingdiscernedinthedistancewhichgraduallypossessedthemboth.Theywerevictors,mastersoflife,butatthesametimeabsorbedintheflame,givingtheirlifetoincreaseitsbrightness,totestifytotheirfaith.Thustheyhadwalked,perhaps,twiceorthreetimesupanddownMaryDatchet’sstreetbeforetherecurrenceofalightburningbehindathin,yellowblindcausedthemtostopwithoutexactlyknowingwhytheydidso.Itburneditselfintotheirminds.
