天锡小说网

第7部分（第2页）

〃Exactly　what　I　said　to　Arthur　this　morning；〃　cried　the　doctors　wife。　〃You　know；　Katherine；　you　could　look　possibly　positively　beautiful　if　you　tried。〃

Miss　Grey　laughed　unaffectedly。

〃Oh；　I　dont　think　you　could　ever　make　a　beauty　out　of　me；〃　she　said　sincerely。　〃But　I　shall　enjoy　having　some　really　good　clothes。　Im　afraid　Im　talking　about　myself　an　awful　lot。〃

Mrs　Harrison　looked　at　her　shrewdly。

〃It　must　be　quite　a　novel　experience　for　you；〃　she　said　drily。

Katherine　went　to　say　good…bye　to　old　Miss　Viner　before　leaving　the　village。　Miss　Viner　was　two　years　older　than　Mrs　Harfield；　and　her　mind　was　mainly　taken　up　with　her　own　success　in　outliving　her　dead　friend。

〃You　wouldnt　have　thought　Id　have　outlasted　Jane　Harfield；　would　you？〃　she　demanded　triumphantly　of　Katherine。　〃We　were　at　school　together；　she　and　I。　And　here　we　are；　she　taken；　and　I　left。　Who　would　have　thought　it？〃

〃Youve　always　eaten　brown　bread　for　supper；　havent　you？〃　murmured　Katherine　mechanically。

〃Fancy　your　remembering　that；　my　dear。　Yes；　if　Jane　Harfield　had　had　a　slice　of　brown　bread　every　evening　and　taken　a　little　stimulant　with　her　meals　she　might　be　here　today。〃

The　old　lady　paused；　nodding　her　head　triumphantly；　then　added　in　sudden　remembrance：

〃And　so　youve　e　into　a　lot　of　money；　I　hear？　Well；　well。　Take　care　of　it。　And　youre　going　up　to　London　to　have　a　good　time？　Dont　think　youll　get　married；　though；　my　dear；　because　you　wont。　Youre　not　the　kind　to　attract　the　men。　And；　besides；　youre　getting　on。　How　old　are　you　now？〃

〃Thirty…three；〃　Katherine　told　her。

〃Well；〃　remarked　Miss　Viner　doubtfully；　〃thats　not　so　very　bad。　Youve　lost　your　first　freshness；　of　course。〃

〃Im　afraid　so；〃　said　Katherine；　much　entertained。

〃But　youre　a　very　nice　girl；〃　said　Miss　Viner　kindly。　〃And　Im　sure　theres　many　a　man　might　do　worse　than　take　you　for　a　wife　instead　of　one　of　these　flibbertigibbets　running　about　nowadays　showing　more　of　their　legs　than　the　Creator　ever　intended　them　to。　Good…bye；　my　dear；　and　I　hope　youll　enjoy　yourself；　but　things　are　seldom　what　they　seem　in　this　life。〃

Heartened　by　these　prophecies；　Katherine　took　her　departure。　Half　the　village　came　to　see　her　off　at　the　station；　including　the　little　maid　of　all　work；　Alice；　who　brought　a　stiff　wired　nosegay　and　cried　openly。

〃There　aint　a　many　like　her；〃　sobbed　Alice　when　the　train　had　finally　departed。　〃Im　sure　when　Charlie　went　back　on　me　with　that　girl　from　the　Dairy；　nobody　could　have　been　kinder　than　Miss　Grey　was；　and　though　particular　about　the　brasses　and　the　dust；　she　was　always　one　to　notice　when　youd　give　a　thing　an　extra　rub。　Cut　myself　in　little　pieces　for　her；　I　would；　any　day。　A　real　lady；　thats　what　I　call　her。〃

Such　was　Katherines　departure　from　St　Mary　Mead。

Chapter　8

LADY　TAMPLIN　WRITES　A　LETTER

〃Well；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　〃well。〃

She　laid　down　the　continental　Daily　Mail　and　stared　out　across　the　blue　waters　of　the　Mediterranean。　A　branch　of　golden　mimosa；　hanging　just　above　her　head；　made　an　effective　frame　for　a　very　charming　picture。　A　golden…haired；　blue…eyed　lady　in　a　very　being　negligee。　That　the　golden　hair　owed　something　to　art；　as　did　the　pink…and…white　plexion；　was　undeniable；　but　the　blue　of　the　eyes　was　Natures　gift；　and　at　forty…four　Lady　Tamplin　could　still　rank　as　a　beauty。

Charming　as　she　looked；　Lady　Tamplin　was；　for　once；　not　thinking　of　herself。　That　is　to　say；　she　was　not　thinking　of　her　appearance。　She　was　intent　on　graver　matters。　Lady　Tamplin　was　a　well…known　figure　on　the　Riviera；　and　her　parties　at　the　Villa　Marguerite　were　justly　celebrated。　She　was　a　woman　of　considerable　experience；　and　had　had　four　husbands。　The　first　had　been　merely　an　indiscretion；　and　so　was　seldom　referred　to　by　the　lady。　He　had　had　the　good　sense　to　die　with　mendable　promptitude；　and　his　widow　thereupon　espoused　a　rich　manufacturer　of　buttons。　He　too　had　departed　for　another　sphere　after　three　years　of　married　life　…　it　was　said　after　a　congenial　evening　with　some　good　panions。　After　him　came　Viscount　Tamplin；　who　had　placed　Rosalie　securely　on　those　heights　where　she　wished　to　tread。　She　had　retained　her　title　when　she　married　for　a　fourth　time。　This　fourth　venture　had　been　undertaken　for　pure　pleasure。　Mr　Charles　Evans；　an　extremely　good…looking　young　man　of　twenty…seven；　with　delightful　manners；　a　keen　love　of　sport；　and　an　appreciation　of　this　worlds　goods；　had　no　money　of　his　own　whatsoever。　Lady　Tamplin　was　very　pleased　and　satisfied　with　life　generally；　but　she　had　occasional　faint　preoccupations　about　money。

The　button　manufacturer　had　left　his　widow　a　considerable　fortune；　but；　as　Lady　Tamplin　was　wont　to　say；　〃what　with　one　thing　and　another　…〃　（one　thing　being　the　depreciation　of　stocks　owing　to　the　war；　and　the　other　the　extravagances　of　the　late　Lord　Tamplin）。　She　was　still　fortably　off。　But　to　be　merely　fortably　off　is　hardly　satisfactory　to　one　of　Rosalie　Tamplins　temperament。

So；　on　this　particular　January　morning；　she　opened　her　blue　eyes　extremely　wide　as　she　read　a　certain　item　of　news　and　uttered　that　nonmittal　monosyllable　〃Well。〃

The　only　other　occupant　of　the　balcony　was　her　daughter；　the　Hon　Lenox　Tamplin。　A　daughter　such　as　Lenox　was　a　sad　thorn　in　Lady　Tamplins　side；　a　girl　with　no　kind　of　tact；　who　actually　looked　older　than　her　age；　and　whose　peculiar　sardonic　form　of　humour　was；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　unfortable。

〃Darling；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　〃just　fancy。〃