cw.imarriedadeadman-第23部分

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h　from　under　the　recesses　of　an　ivy…covered　porch　seemed　to　attract　him。　He　shunted　over　to　the　walk　suddenly；　and　back　a　little；　and　stopped　opposite　it。
　They　sat　for　awhile。
　Then　he　got　out　on　his　side；　came　around　to　hers；　and　opened　the　door　beside　her。
　〃e　in；〃　he　said　briefly。
　She　didn't　move；　she　didn't　answer。
　〃e　on　in　with　me。　They're　waiting。〃
　She　didn't　answer；　didn't　move。
　〃Don't　just　sit　there　like　that。　We　had　this　all　out　before；　back　at　Caulfield。　Move。　Say　something；　will　you？〃
　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　say？〃
　He　gave　the　door　an　impatient　slap…to　again；　as　if　in　momentary　reprieve。　〃Get　yourself　together。　I'll　go　over　and　let　them　know　we　got　here。〃
　She　watched　him　go；　in　a　sort　of　stupor；　as　though　this　were　happening　to　someone　else；　heard　his　tread　go　up　the　wooden　plankwalk　that　led　up　to　the　house。　She　could　even　hear　the　ring　of　the　bell；　from　within　the　house；　all　the　way　out　here　where　she　was。　It　was　no　wonder；　it　was　so　quiet。　Just　little　winged　things　buzzing　and　humming　in　a　tree　overhead。
　She　wondered：　How　does　he　know　I　won't　suddenly　start　the　car　and　drive　off？　She　answered　that　herself：　He　knows　I　won't。　He　knows　it's　too　late　for　that　As　I　know　it。　The　time　for　stopping；　for　drawing　back；　for　dashing　off；　that　was　long　ago。　So　long　ago。　Long　before　tonight。　That　was　in　the　partment　on　the　train　ing　here；　when　the　wheels　tried　to　warn　me。　That　was　when　the　first　note　came。　That　was　when　the　first　phone…call　came；　the　first　walk　down　to　the　drugstore。　I　am　as　safely　held　fast　here　as　though　I　were　manacled　to　him。
　She　could　hear　their　voices　now。　A　woman　saying；　〃No；　not　at　all；　you　made　very　good　time。　e　right　in。〃
　The　doorway　remained　open；　lighted。　Whoever　had　been　standing　in　it　had　withdrawn　into　the　house。　He　was　ing　back　toward　her　now。　The　sound　of　his　tread　along　the　wooden　walk。　She　gripped　the　edge　of　the　car…seat　with　her　hands；　dug　them　in　under　the　leather　cushions。
　He　was　up　to　her　now；　standing　there。
　〃e　on；　Patrice；〃　he　said　casually。
　That　was　the　full　horror　of　it；　his　casualness；　his　matter…of…factness。　He　wasn't　acting　the　part。
　She　spoke　quietly　too；　as　quietly　as　he；　but　her　voice　was　as　thin　and　blurred　as　a　thrumming　wire。
　〃I　can't　do　it。　Georgesson；　don't　ask　me　to　do　this。〃
　〃Patrice；　we've　been　all　over　this。　I　told　you　the　other　night；　and　it　was　all　settled　then。〃
　She　covered　her　face　with　cupped　hands；　quickly　uncovered　it　again。　She　kept　using　the　same　four　words；　they　were　the　only　ones　she　could　think　of。　〃But　I　can't　do　it。　Don't　you　understand？　I　can't　do　it。〃
　〃There's　no　impediment　You're　not　married　to　anyone。　Even　in　your　assumed　character；　you're　not　married　to　anyone；　much　less　as　yourself。　I　investigated　all　that　in　New　York。〃
　〃Steve。　Listen；　I'm　calling　you　Steve。〃
　〃That　doesn't　melt　me；〃　he　assured　her　jocosely。　〃That's　my　name；　I'm　supposed　to　be　called　that〃　He　lidded　his　eyes　at　her。　〃It's　my　given　name；　not　one　that　I　took　for　myself…Patrice。〃
　〃Steve；　I've　never　pleaded　with　you　before。　In　all　these　months；　I've　taken　it　like　a　woman。　Steve；　if　there's　anything　human　in　you　at　all　I　can　appeal　to…〃

　〃I'm　only　too　human。　That's　why　I　like　money　as　much　as　I　do。　But　your　wires　are　crossed。　It's　my　very　humanness；　for　that　reason；　that　makes　your　appeal　useless。　e　on；　Patrice。　You're　wasting　time。〃
　She　cowered　away　edgewise　along　the　seat。　He　drummed　his　fingers　on　the　top　of　the　door　and　laughed　a　little。
　〃Why　this　horror　of　marriage？　Let　me　get　to　the　bottom　of　your　aversion。　Maybe　I　can　reassure　you。　There　is　no　personal　appeal　involved；　you　haven't　any　for　me。　I've　got　only　contempt　for　you；　for　being　the　cheap；　tricky　little　fool　you　are。　I'm　leaving　you　on　the　doorstep　of　your　ever…loving　family　again；　just　as　soon　as　we　get　back　to　Caulfield。　This　is　going　to　be　a　paper　marriage；　in　every　sense　of　the　word。　But　it's　going　to　stick；　it's　going　to　stick　to　the　bitter　end。　Now　does　that　take　care　of　your　mid…Victorian　qualms？〃
　She　cast　the　back　of　her　hand　across　her　eyes　as　though　a　blow　had　just　blinded　her。
　He　wrenched　the　door　open。
　〃They're　waiting　for　us　in　there。　e　on；　you're　only　making　it　worse。〃
　He　was　beginning　to　harden　against　her。　Her　opposition　was　mencing　to　inflame　him　against　her。　It　showed　inversely；　in　a　sort　of　lethal　coldness。
　〃Look；　my　friend；　I'm　not　going　to　drag　you　in　there　by　the　hair。　The　thing　isn't　worth　it。　I'm　going　inside　a　minute　and　call　the　Hazzard　house　from　here；　and　tell　them　the　whole　story　right　now。　Then　I'll　drive　you　back　where　I　got　you　from。　They　can　have　you…if　they　want　you　any　more。〃　He　leaned　toward　her　slightly　across　the　door。　〃Take　a　good　look　at　me。　Do　I　look　like　I　was　kidding？〃
　He　meant　it。　It　wasn't　an　empty　bluff；　with　nothing　behind　it。　It　might　be　a　threat　that　he　would　prefer　not　to　have　to　carry　out；　but　it　wasn't　an　idle　threat。　She　could　see　that　in　his　eyes；　in　the　cold　sullenness　in　them；　the　dislike　of　herself　she　read　in　them。
　He　turned　and　left　the　car…side　and　went　up　the　plank…walk　again；　more　forcefully；　more　swiftly；　than　he'd　trod　it　before。
　〃Excuse　me；　could　I　trouble　you　for　a　minute…〃　she　heard　him　start　to　say　as　he　entered　the　open　doorway；　then　the　rest　was　blurred　as　he　went　deeper　within。
　She　struggled　out；　clinging　to　the　flexing　door　like　somebody　walking　in　his　sleep。　Then　she　wavered　up　the　plank…walk　and　onto　the　porch；　and　the　ivy　rustled　for　a　minute　as　she　teetered　soddenly　against　it。　Then　she　went　on　toward　the　oblong　of　light　projected　by　the　open　doorway；　and　inside。　It　was　like　struggling　through　kneedeep　water。
　A　middle…aged　woman　met　her　in　the　hallway。
　〃Good　evening。　Are　you　Mrs。　Hazzard？　He's　in　here。〃
　She　took　her　to　a　room　on　the　left；　parted　an　old…fashioned　pair　of　sliding　doors。　He　was　standing　in　there；　with　his　back　to　them；　beside　an　old…fashioned　telephone…box　bracketed　to　the　wall。
　〃Here's　the　young　lady。　You　can　both　e　into　the　study　when　you're　ready。〃
　Patrice　drew　the　doors　together　behind　her　again。　〃Steve；〃　she　said。
　He　turned　around　and　looked　at　her；　then　turned　back　again。
　〃Don't…you'll　kill　her；〃　she　pleaded。
　〃The　old　all　die　sooner　or　later。〃
　〃Has　it　gone　through　yet？〃
　〃They're　ringing　Caulfield　for　me　now。〃
　It　wasn't　any　sleight…of…hand　trick。　His　finger　wasn't　anywhere　near　the　receiver…hook；　holding　it　shut　down。　He　was　in　the　act　of　carrying　it　out。
　A　choking　sound　broke　in　her　throat。
　He　looked　around　again；　less　fully　than　before。　〃Have　you　decided　once　and　for　all？〃
　She　didn't　nod；　she　simply　let　her　eyelids　drop　closed　for　a　minute。
　〃Operator；〃　he　said；　〃cancel　that　call。　It　was　a　mistake。〃　He　replaced　the　receiver。
　She　felt　a　little　sick　and　dizzy；　as　when　you've　just　looked　down　from　some　great　height　and　then　drawn　back　again。
　He　went　over　to　the　sliding…doors　and　swung　them　vigorously　back。
　〃We're　ready；〃　he　called　into　the　study　across　the　hall。
　He　crooked　his　arm　toward　her；　backhand；　contemptuously　tilting　up　his　elbow　for　her　to　take；　without　even　looking　around　at　her　as　he　did　so。
　She　came　forward　and　they　went　toward　the　study　together；　her　arm　linked　in　his。　Into　where　the　man　was　waiting　to　marry　them。
　
　
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　It　was　on　the　way　back　that　she　knew　she　was　going　to　kill　him。　Knew　she　must；　knew　it　was　the　only　thing　left　to　be　done　now。　She　should　have　done　it　sooner；　she　told　herself。　Long　before　this；　that　first　night　as　she　sat　with　him　in　his　car。　It　would　have　been　that　much　better。　Then　this；　tonight's　ultimate　horror　and　degradation；　would　at　least　have　been　avoided。　She　hadn't　thought　of　it　then；　that　was　the　one　thing　that　had　never　occurred　to　her。　It　had　always　been　flight；　escape　from　him　in　some　other　way；　never　safety　in　this　way…his　removal。
　But　she　knew　she　was　going　to　do　it；　now。　Tonight。
　Not　a　word　had　passed　between　them；　all　this　way；　ever　since　leaving　the　justice's　house。　Why　should　one？　What　was　there　to　say？　What　was　there　to　do；　now…except　this　one　final　thing；　that　came　to　her　opposite　a　white…stockinged　telegraph…pole；　about　four　miles　out　of　Hastings。　Just　like　that　it　came：　click；　snap；　and　it　was　there。　As　though　she　had　passed　through　some　electric…eye　beam　stretched　across　the　road；　there　from　that　particular　telegraph…pole。　On　the　one　side　of　it；　still；　just　passive　despair；　fatalism。　On　the　other；　full…grown　decision；　remorseless；　irrevocable：　I'm　going　to　kill　him。　Tonight。　Before　this　night　ends；　before　the　light　es　again。
　Neither　of　them　said　anything。　He　didn't；　because　he　was　content。　He'd　done　what　he'd　set　out　to　do。　He　did　whistle　lightly；　once；　for　a　short　while；　but　then　he　stopped　that　again。　She　didn't　say　anything；　because　she　was　undone。　Destroyed；　in　the　fullest　sense　of　the　word。　She'd　never　felt　like　this　before。　She　didn't　even　feel　pain　of　mind　any　more。　Struggle　was　ended。　She　was　numb　now。　She'd　even　had　more　feeling　left　in　her　after　the　train…crash　than　now。
　She　rode　all　the　way　with　her　eyes　held　shut。　Like　a　woman　returning　from　a　funeral；　at　which　everything　worth　keeping　has　been　interred；　and　to　whom　nothing　left　above　ground　is　worth　looking　at　any　longer。
　She　heard　him　speak　at　last　〃There；　was　that　so　bad？〃　he　said。
　She　answered　him　mechanically；　without　opening　her　eyes。
　〃Where　are　you…？　What　do　you　want　me　to　do　now？〃
　〃Exactly　nothing。　You　go　on　just　as　you　were　before。　This　is　something　between　the　two　of　us。　And　I　want　it　to　stay　that　way；　understand？　Not　a　word　to　the　Family。　Not　until　I'm　ready。　It'll　be　Our　Little　Secret；　yours　and　mine。〃
　He　was　afraid　if　he　took　her　with　him　openly；　they'd　change　the　will；　she　supposed。　And　afraid　if　he　left　her　with　them；　and　they　learned　of　it；　they'd　have　it　annulled　for　her。
　How　did　you　kill　a　man？　There　was　nothing　here；　no　way。　The　country　was　flat；　the　road　level；　straight。　If　she　snatched　at　the　wheel；　tried　to　throw　the　car　out　of　control；　nothing　much　would　happen。　You　needed　steep　places；　hairbreadth　turns。　And　the　car　was　only　trundling　along；　not　going　fast。　It　would　only　roll　off　into　the　dirt　maybe；　strike　a　telegraph…pole；　shake　them　up　a　little。
　Besides；　even　if　that　had　been　the　feasible　way；　she