It began abruptly:

"If you are gone to sea then I can't forgive you for not sending



the usual word at the last moment. If you are not gone why don't

you come? Why did you leave me yesterday? You leave me crying - I



who haven't cried for years and years, and you haven't the sense to

come back within the hour, within twenty hours! This conduct is



idiotic" - and a sprawling signature of the four magic letters at

the bottom.



While I was putting the letter in my pocket the girl said in an

earnest undertone: "I don't like to leave Madame by herself for



any length of time."

"How long have you been in my room?" I asked.



"The time seemed long. I hope Monsieur won't mind the liberty. I

sat for a little in the hall but then it struck me I might be seen.



In fact, Madame told me not to be seen if I could help it."

"Why did she tell you that?"



"I permitted myself to suggest that to Madame. It might have given

a false impression. Madame is frank and open like the day but it



won't do with everybody. There are people who would put a wrong

construction on anything. Madame's sister told me Monsieur was



out."

"And you didn't believe her?"



"Non, Monsieur. I have lived with Madame's sister for nearly a

week when she first came into this house. She wanted me to leave



the message, but I said I would wait a little. Then I sat down in

the big porter's chair in the hall and after a while, everything



being very quiet, I stole up here. I know the disposition of the

apartments. I reckoned Madame's sister would think that I got



tired of waiting and let myself out."

"And you have been amusing yourself watching the street ever



since?"

"The time seemed long," she answered evasively. "An empty coupe



came to the door about an hour ago and it's still waiting," she

added, looking at me inquisitively.



"It seems strange."

"There are some dancing girls staying in the house," I said



negligently. "Did you leave Madame alone?"

"There's the gardener and his wife in the house."



"Those people keep at the back. Is Madame alone? That's what I

want to know."



"Monsieur forgets that I have been three hours away; but I assure

Monsieur that here in this town it's perfectly safe for Madame to



be alone."

"And wouldn't it be anywhere else? It's the first I hear of it."



"In Paris, in our apartments in the hotel, it's all right, too; but

in the Pavilion, for instance, I wouldn't leave Madame by herself,



not for half an hour."

"What is there in the Pavilion?" I asked.



"It's a sort of feeling I have," she murmured reluctantly . . .

"Oh! There's that coupe going away."



She made a movement towards the window but checked herself. I

hadn't moved. The rattle of wheels on the cobble-stones died out



almost at once.

"Will Monsieur write an answer?" Rose suggested after a short



silence.

"Hardly worth while," I said. "I will be there very soon after



you. Meantime, please tell Madame from me that I am not anxious to

see any more tears. Tell her this just like that, you understand.



I will take the risk of not being received."

She dropped her eyes, said: "Oui, Monsieur," and at my suggestion



waited, holding the door of the room half open, till I went

downstairs to see the road clear.



It was a kind of deaf-and-dumb house. The black-and-white hall was

empty and everything was perfectly still. Blunt himself had no



doubt gone away with his mother in the brougham, but as to the

others, the dancing girls, Therese, or anybody else that its walls



may have contained, they might have been all murdering each other

in perfect assurance that the house would not betray them by



indulging in any unseemly murmurs. I emitted a low whistle which

didn't seem to travel in that peculiaratmosphere more than two



feet away from my lips, but all the same Rose came tripping down

the stairs at once. With just a nod to my whisper: "Take a



fiacre," she glided out and I shut the door noiselessly behind her.

The next time I saw her she was opening the door of the house on

• phrase [freiz] n.短语；词组；措词 (初中英语单词)


• discussion [di´skʌʃən] n.讨论；辩论 (初中英语单词)


• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• absurd [əb´sə:d] a.荒谬的，可笑的 (初中英语单词)


• extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)


• monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)


• utmost [´ʌtməust] a.最大的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• permission [pə´miʃən] n.允许；同意；许可 (初中英语单词)


• engagement [in´geidʒmənt] n.婚约；雇用；受聘 (初中英语单词)


• frankly [´fræŋkli] ad.直率地；慷慨地 (初中英语单词)


• elsewhere [,elsweə] ad.在别处；向别处 (初中英语单词)


• suspect [´sʌspekt, sə´spekt] v.怀疑；觉得 n.嫌疑犯 (初中英语单词)


• extremely [ik´stri:mli] ad.极端地；非常地 (初中英语单词)


• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)


• dignity [´digniti] n.尊严，尊贵；高官显贵 (初中英语单词)


• mainly [´meinli] ad.主要地；大体上 (初中英语单词)


• dismiss [dis´mis] vt.解散；下课；解雇 (初中英语单词)


• distinctly [di´stiŋktli] ad.清楚地，明晰地 (初中英语单词)


• wherever [weər´evə] conj.无论在哪里 (初中英语单词)


• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• carpet [´kɑ:pit] n.地毯 vt.铺地毯 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)


• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)


• impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)


• disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词)


• anywhere [´eniweə] ad.无论何处；任何地方 (初中英语单词)


• instance [´instəns] n.例子，实例，例证 (初中英语单词)


• movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)


• rattle [´rætl] n.嘎吱声 (初中英语单词)


• meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• betray [bi´trei] vt.背叛；辜负；暴露 (初中英语单词)


• whistle [´wisəl] v.吹哨 n.口哨；汽笛 (初中英语单词)


• peculiar [pi´kju:liə] a.特有的；奇异的 (初中英语单词)


• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)


• whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)


• psychology [sai´kɔlədʒi] n.心理(学) (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• painful [´peinfəl] a.痛(苦)的；费力的 (高中英语单词)


• torment [´tɔ:ment] vt.(使)痛苦，折磨 (高中英语单词)


• delicacy [´delikəsi] n.精美；娇弱，微妙 (高中英语单词)


• sensitive [´sensitiv] a.敏感的；感光的 (高中英语单词)


• indies [´indiz] n.东(西)印度群岛 (高中英语单词)


• infinite [´infinit] a.无限的，无穷的 (高中英语单词)


• convent [´kɔnvənt] n.女修道院；女修道会 (高中英语单词)


• positively [´pɔzətivli] ad.确实；断然；绝对 (高中英语单词)


• originally [ə´ridʒənəli] ad.本来；独创地 (高中英语单词)


• signature [´signətʃə] n.签名；盖章 (高中英语单词)


• amusing [ə´mju:ziŋ] a.有趣的 (高中英语单词)


• gardener [´gɑ:dnə] n.园艺家；园林工人 (高中英语单词)


• perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)


• pavilion [pə´viljən] n.大帐篷；亭子 (高中英语单词)


• assurance [ə´ʃuərəns] n.保证；自信；信任 (高中英语单词)


• vulgar [´vʌlgə] a.粗俗的；大众的 (英语四级单词)


• superiority [su:piəri´ɔriti, sju:-] n.优越，卓越 (英语四级单词)


• beforehand [bi´fɔ:hænd] ad.事先；提前 (英语四级单词)


• impatiently [im´peiʃəntli] ad.不耐烦地，急躁地 (英语四级单词)


• reluctantly [ri´lʌktəntli] a.不情愿地；勉强地 (英语四级单词)


• noiselessly [´nɔizlisli] ad.静静地，轻轻地 (英语四级单词)


• exquisitely [´ekswizit] ad.精巧地，优美地 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• condescend [,kɔndi´send] vi.屈尊；堕落 (英语六级单词)


• chivalrous [´ʃivəlrəs] a.勇武的；武士的 (英语六级单词)


• tranquil [´træŋkwil] a.平静的，稳定的 (英语六级单词)


• respectful [ri´spektfəl] a.恭敬的；尊敬人的 (英语六级单词)


• arched [´ɑ:tʃid] a.弓形(结构)的 (英语六级单词)


• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)


• holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)