hr.thecarpetbaggers-第22节
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ught his。 〃Thank you； ma'am；〃 he said。
〃Please call me Miss Pluvier；〃 she said coldly。
It was after three o'clock one morning when Max came into the foyer from the gaming rooms on his nightly tour of inspection。 Already； the cleaning women were busy in the downstairs rooms。 He paused at the front door。
〃Everythin' locked up； Jacob？〃 he asked the tall Negro doorman。
〃Tighter'n a drum； Mistuh Sand。〃
〃Good；〃 Max smiled as he started for the staircase； then stopped and looked back。 〃Did Mr。 Darcy leave？〃
〃No； suh；〃 the Negro replied。 〃He spendin' the night with Miss Eleanor。 You don' have to worry； though。 I move 'em to the gol' room。〃
Max nodded and started up the staircase。 Darcy had been his only problem the last few months。 The young man was determined not to be satisfied until he had spent a night with the mistress of the house。 And tonight he had been rather unpleasant about it。
Max stopped at the top of the stairway。 He knocked at a door and went in。 His employer was seated at her dressing table； a maid brushing her hair。 Her eyes met his in the mirror。
〃Everythin's locked up； Miss Pluvier；〃 he said。
Her eyebrows raised questioningly。 〃Darcy？〃
〃In the gold room with Eleanor at the other end of the house。〃
〃Bon。〃 She nodded。
Max stood there looking at her； his face troubled。 She saw his expression in the mirror and waved the maid from the room。 〃You are disturbed； chéri？〃
He nodded。 〃It's Darcy；〃 he admitted。 〃I don't like the way he's actin'。 I think we ought to bar him。〃
〃La。〃 She laughed。 〃We can't do that。 The family is too important。〃
She laughed again happily and came toward him。 She placed her arms around his neck and kissed him。 〃My young Indien is jealous。〃 She smiled。 〃Do not worry about him。 He will forget about it soon。 All young men do。 I have seen it happen before。〃
A little while later； he lay beside her on the big white bed； his eyes delighting in the wonder of her lovely body。 He felt her fingers stroking him gently； reawakening the fires inside him。 He closed his eyes。
He felt her soft lips brushing his flesh； her whispering voice seemed to float upward to him。 〃Mon coeur； mon indien； mon chéri。〃 He heard the soft sounds of her pleasure as she raised her lips from him。 Through his almost closed lids he could see the blurred sensuality of her face。
〃The weapon you carry has turned into a cannon；〃 she murmured； her fingers still stroking him gently。
His hand reached out and stroked her hair。 An expression of almost frightened ecstasy came into her face and he closed his eyes。 He could feel the trembling begin deep inside him。 How could a woman know so much？ From what deep spring could such a fountain of pleasure e？ He caught his breath。 It was almost unbearable； this strange delight。 It was like nothing he had ever known。
There was a soft sound at the door。 He turned his head slightly； wondering what it could be。 Suddenly； the door burst open and Darcy was there in the room。
He felt her roll away from him as he sat up； then her voice from the foot of the bed： 〃Get out of here； you damned idiot！〃
Darcy stared at her stupidly。 He weaved slightly； his eyes bewildered。 His hand came out of his pocket and a shower of bills fell to the floor。 〃See； I brought a thousand dollars with me；〃 he said drunkenly。
She got out of the bed。 She stormed toward him regally； unaware of her nudity。 She raised a hand； pointing to the door。 〃Get out； I said！〃
Darcy just stood there staring at her。 〃My God；〃 he mumbled huskily。 〃I want you。〃
Max finally found his voice。 〃You heard Miss Pluvier；〃 he said。 〃Get out。〃
For the first time； Darcy became aware of him。 His face began to flush with anger。 〃You；〃 he said thickly。 〃You！ All the time I was begging； pleading； it was you。 You were laughing at me all the time！〃
A knife appeared in his hand suddenly。 He thrust quickly and Max rolled off the bed to the floor as the knife stabbed the satin sheets。 Max snatched a pillow from the bed and held it in front of him as he backed toward the chair from which his gun hung。
Darcy's eyes were glazed with rage。 〃You were laughing all the time；〃 he mumbled。 〃Every time you did it you were laughing at me。〃
〃You better get out of here before you get hurt；〃 Max said。
Darcy shook his head。 〃And have you laugh at me some more？ Oh； no。 This time I'm going to do the laughing。〃
He lunged with the knife again。 This time it caught in the pillow and he fell against Max； who was shoved against the wall。 The gun went off； and a look of surprise came over Darcy's face as he slumped to his knees； then sprawled out on the floor。 The naked woman stared at Max。 Quickly she knelt beside Darcy。 She reached for his pulse； then dropped his hand。 〃You didn't have to kill him； you fool！〃 she said angrily。
Max looked at her。 Her breasts heaved excitedly and there was a fine moisture in the valley between them。 He had never seen her look so beautiful。 〃What was I supposed to do？〃 he asked。 〃He was in' at me with a knife！〃
〃You could have knocked him out！〃 she snapped。
〃What was I supposed to hit him with？〃 he snapped back； feeling the anger rise in him。 〃My cannon？〃
She stood very still for a moment； staring at him。 Then she turned and walked to the door。 She looked out into the hallway。 The house was quiet。 The shot had been muffled by the pillow。 Slowly she closed the door and came back toward him。
He stood there watching the blurred； sensual look e back into her face。 She sank to her knees before him； and he felt her lips press against his thighs。 〃Do not be angry with Anne…Louise； my stalwart； wild stallion；〃 she whispered。 〃Make love to me。〃
He reached down to lift her to the bed。 But she held his arms。 〃No；〃 she said； pulling him down to the floor beside her。 〃Here。〃
They made love for the last time on the floor； lying next to a dead man。 In the morning； Anne…Louise Pluvier calmly turned him over to the police。
10
THE EAST； WEST AND SOUTH OF THE PRISON WAS bounded by a swamp； along which the cypresses rose high and spilled their leaves onto the murky surface of the water。 The only way out was to the north； across the rice paddies tended by Cajun tenant farmers。 There was a small village eighteen miles north of the prison and it was here that most prisoners trying to escape were caught and brought back to the prison by the Cajuns for the ten…dollar bounty offered by the state。 Those who were not caught were presumed dead in the swamp。 There had been only two such cases reported in the prison's twenty years of operation。
One morning in May； after Max had been there a few months； the guard checking out his hut reported to one of the trusties the absence of a prisoner named Jim Reeves。
The trusty looked around。 〃He ain't here？〃
〃He ain't out in the latrines； neither；〃 the guard said。 〃I looked。〃
〃He's gone； then；〃 the trusty said。 〃I reckon he went over the wall in the night。〃
〃That Jim Reeves sure is a fool；〃 the guard said softly。 He turned on his heel。 〃I better go tell the warden。〃
They were lined up in front of the kitchen； getting their coffee and grits； when Max saw one of the guards ride out of the prison and start up the road toward the village。
He sat down against the wall of one of the huts and watched the guard disappear up the road while he ate。 Mike； the giant Negro trusty who had given him ten lashes the day he arrived； came over and sat down beside him。
Max looked over at the trusty。 〃That all the fuss they make over a man gettin' out？〃
Mike nodded； his mouth filled with grits。 〃What you expec' them to do？〃 he asked。 〃They'll git him back。 You wait and see。〃
He was right。 The next morning； while they were at breakfast again； Jim Reeves came back。 He was sitting in a wagon between two Cajuns； who carried their long rifles in the crooks of their arms。 The prisoners looked up at him silently as he rode by。
When they came back from their work in the evening； Jim Reeves was tied naked to the whipping post。 Silently the trusties led the prisoners to the pound； so that they could view the punishment before they had their meal。
The warden stood there until all the prisoners were in line。 〃You men know the penalty for attempted escape … ten lashes and fifteen days in the cage for each day out。〃 He turned to Mike； standing next to him。 〃I don't want him knocked out。 He must be conscious so he can rue the folly of his action。〃
Mike nodded stolidly and stepped forward。 The muscles along his back rippled and the long snake wrapped itself lightly around the prisoner。 It seemed to caress him almost gently； but when Mike lifted it from the victim's back； a long red welt of blood bubbled and rose to the surface。
A moment later； the prisoner screamed。 The snake rippled around him again。 This time； his scream was pure agony。 The prisoner fainted three times before the lashing was pleted。 Each time； the warden stepped forward and had a pail of water thrown into his face to revive him； then ordered the lashing continued。
At the end； Jim Reeves hung there from the post； unconscious。 Blood dripped down his back from his shoulders； across his buttocks and the top of his thighs。
〃Cut him down and put him i
