the grey room(灰房间)-第12节
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Miles Handford and Fayre…Michell followed the church party in the
rear； and relieved their minds by criticizing Mr。 Travers。
〃Officious ass！〃 said the stout man。 〃A typical touch that black tie！
A decent…minded person would have felt this appalling tragedy far too
much to think of such a trifle。 I hope I shall never see the brute again。〃
〃It seems too grotesque marching to church like a lot of children；
because he tells us to do so；〃 murmured Fayre…Michell。
〃I don't want to go。 I only want distraction。 In fact； I don't think I
shall go；〃 added Mr。 Handford。 But a woman urged him to do so。
〃Sir Walter would like it；〃 she said。
〃It's all very sad and very exasperating indeed；〃 declared the
Yorkshireman； 〃and it shows； if that wanted showing； that there's far； far
less consideration among young men for their elders than there used to be
in my young days。 If my father…in…law had told me not to do a thing； the
very wish to do it would have disappeared at once。〃
〃Sir Walter was as clear as need be；〃 added Felix。 〃We all heard him。
Then the young fool … Heaven forgive him … behind everybody's back goes
and plays with fire in this insane way。〃
〃The selfishness！ Just look at the inconvenience … the upset … the
suffering to his relations and the worry for all of us。 All our plans must
be altered … everything upset； life for the moment turned upside down … a
woman's heart broken very likely … and all for a piece of disobedient folly。
Such things make one out of tune with Providence。 They oughtn't to
happen。 They don't happen in Yorkshire。 Devonshire appears to be a
slacker's county。 It's the air； I shouldn't wonder。〃
〃Education； and law and order； and the discipline inculcated in the
Navy ought to have prevented this。〃 continued Fayre…Michell。 〃Who； ver
heard of a sailor disobeying…except Nelson？〃
〃He's paid； poor fellow；〃 said his niece； who walked beside him。
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〃We have all paid；〃 declared the north countryman。 〃We have all
paid the price； and the price has been a great deal of suffering and
discomfort and stress of mind that we ought not have been called upon to
endure。 One resents such things in a stable world。〃
〃Well； I'm not going to church； anyway。 I must smoke for my nerves。
I'm a psychic myself； and I react to a thing of this sort；〃 replied Fayre…
Michell。
》From a distant stile between two fields Mr。 Travers； some hundred
yards ahead； was waving directions and pointing to the left。
〃Go to Jericho！〃 snapped Mr。 Handford； but not loud enough for
Ernest Travers to hear him。
A little ring of bells throbbed thin music。 It rose and fell on the
easterly breeze and a squat grey tower； over which floated a white ensign
on a flagstaff； appeared upon a little knoll of trees in the midst of the
village of Chadlands。
Presently the bells stopped； and the flag was brought down to half…
mast。 Mr。 Travers had reached the church。
〃A maddening sort of man；〃 said Miles Handford； who marked these
phenomena。 〃Be sure Sir Walter never told him to do anything of that
sort。 He has taken it upon himself … a theatrical mind。 If I were the
vicar …〃
Elsewhere Dr。 Mannering heard what Henry Lennox could tell him as
they returned to the manor house together。 He displayed very deep
concern combined with professional interest。 He recalled the story that
Sir Walter had related on the previous night。
〃Not a shadow of evidence … a perfectly healthy little woman； and it
will be the same here as sure as I'm alive；〃 he said。 〃To think … we shot
side by side yesterday； and I remarked his fine physique and wonderful
high spirits … a big； tough fellow。 How's poor Mary？〃
〃She is pretty bad； but keeping her nerve； as she would be sure to do；〃
declared the other。
Sir Walter was with his daughter when Mannering arrived。 The
doctor had been a crony of the elder for many years。 He was about the
average of a country physician … a hard…bitten； practical man who loved his
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profession； loved sport； and professed conservative principles。
Experience stood in place of high qualifications； but he kept in touch with
medical progress； to the extent of reading about it and availing himself of
improved methods and preparations when opportunity offered。 He
examined the dead man very carefully； indicated how his posture might be
rendered more normal； and satisfied himself that human power was
incapable of restoring the vanished life。 He could discover no visible
indication of violence and no apparent excuse for Tom May's sudden end。
He listened with attention to the little that Henry Lennox could tell him；
and then went to see Mary May and her father。
The young wife had grown more collected； but she was dazed rather
than reconciled to her fate； her mind had not yet absorbed the full extent of
her sorrow。 She talked incessantly and dwelt on trivialities； as people
will under a weight of events too large to measure or discuss。
〃I am going to write to Tom's father；〃 she said。 〃This will be an
awful blow to him。 He was wrapped up in Tom。 And to think that I was
troubling about his letter！ He will never see the sea he loved so much
again。 He always hated that verse in the Bible that says there will be no
more sea。 I was asleep so near him last night。 Yet I never heard him cry
out or anything。〃
Mannering talked gently to her。
〃Be sure he did not cry out。 He felt no pain； no shock … I am sure of
that。 To die is no hardship to the dead； remember。 He is at peace； Mary。
You must come and see him presently。 Your father will call you soon。
There is just a look of wonder in his face … no fear； no suffering。 Keep
that in mind。〃
〃He could not have felt fear。 He knew of nothing that a brave man
might fear； except doing wrong。 Nobody knows how good he was but
me。 His father loved him fiercely； passionately； but he never knew how
good he was； because Tom did not think quite like old Mr。 May。 I must
write and say that Tom is dangerously ill； and cannot recover。 That will
break it to him。 Tom was the only earthly affection he had。 It will be
terrible when he comes。〃
They left her； and； after they had gone； she rose； fell on her knees； and
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so remained； motionless and tearless； for a long time。 Through her own
desolation； as yet unrealized； there still persisted the thought of her
husband's father。 It seemed that her mind could dwell on his isolation；
while powerless to present the truth of her husband's death to her。 By
some strange mental operation； not unbeneficent； she saw his grief more
vividly than as yet she felt her own。 She rose presently； quick…eared to
wait the call； and went to her desk in the window。 Then she wrote a letter
to her father…in…law； and pictured his ministering at that moment to his
church。 Her inclination was to soften the blow； yet she knew that could
only be a cruel kindness。 She told him； therefore； that his son must die。
Then she remembered that he was so near。 A telegram must go rather
than a letter； and he would be at Chadlands before nightfall。 She
destroyed her letter and set about a telegram。 Jane Bond came in； and
she asked her to dispatch the telegram as quickly as possible。
