iam fleming.for your eyes only-第20节
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riends in。' Rhoda Masters opened her mouth to speak。 He held up his hand。 'This is the last time I shall speak to you in private。 If you speak to me； I shall not answer。 If you wish to municate； you may leave a note in the bathroom。 I shall expect my meals to be prepared punctually and placed in the dining…room； which you may use when I have finished。 I shall give you twenty pounds a month to cover the housekeeping； and this amount will be sent to you by my lawyers on the first of each month。 My lawyers are preparing the divorce papers。 I am divorcing you； and you will not fight the action because you cannot。 A private detective has provided full evidence against you。 The action will take place in one year from now when my time in Bermuda is up。 In the meantime； in public； we shall behave as a normal married couple。'〃
〃Masters put his hands in his pockets and looked politely down at her。 By this time tears were pouring down her face。 She looked terrified … as if someone had hit her。 Masters said indifferently： 'Is there anything else you'd like to know？ If not； you had better collect your belongings from here and move into the kitchen。' He looked at his watch。 'I would like dinner every evening at eight。 It is now seven…thirty。'〃
The Governor paused and sipped his whisky。 He said： 〃I've put all this together from the little that Masters told me and from fuller details Rhoda Masters gave to Lady Burford。 Apparently Rhoda Masters tried every way to shake him … arguments； pleadings； hysterics。 He was unmoved。 She simply couldn't reach him。 It was as if he had gone away and had sent someone else to the house to represent him at this extraordinary interview。 And in the end she had to agree。 She had no money。 She couldn't possibly afford the passage to England。 To have a bed and food she had to do what he told her。 And so it was。 For a year they lived like that； polite to each other in public； but utterly silent and separate when they were alone。 Of course； we were all astonished by the change。 Neither of them told anyone of the arrangement。 She would have been ashamed to do so and there was no reason why Masters should。 He seemed to us a bit more withdrawn than before； but his work was first…class and everyone heaved a sigh of relief and agreed that by some miracle the marriage had been saved。 Both of them gained great credit from the fact； and they became a popular couple with everything forgiven and forgotten。〃
〃The year passed and it was time for Masters to go。 He announced that Rhoda would stay behind to close the house； and they went through the usual round of farewell parties。 We were a bit surprised that she didn't e to see him off in the ship； but he said she wasn't feeling well。 So that was that until； in a couple of weeks； news of the divorce case began leaking back from England。 Then Rhoda Masters turned up at Government House and had a long interview with Lady Burford； and gradually the whole story； including its really terrible next chapter； leaked out。〃
The Governor swallowed the last of his whisky。 The ice made a hollow rattle as he put the glass softly down。 He said： 〃Apparently on the day before Masters left he found a note from his wife in the bathroom。 It said that she simply must see him for one last talk before he left her for ever。 There had been notes like this before and Masters had always torn them up and left the bits on the shelf above the basin。 This time he scribbled a note giving her an appointment in the sitting…room at six o'clock that evening。 When the time arrived； Rhoda Masters came meekly in from the kitchen。 She had long since given up making emotional scenes or trying to throw herself on his mercy。 Now she just quietly stood and said that she had only ten pounds left from that month's housekeeping money and nothing else in the world。 When he left she would be destitute。〃
〃'You have the jewels I gave you； and the fur cape。'〃
〃'I'd be lucky if I got fifty pounds for them。'〃
〃'You'll have to get some work。'〃
〃'It'll take time to find something。 I've got to live somewhere。 I have to be out of the house in a fortnight。 Won't you give me anything at all？ I shall starve。'〃
〃Masters looked at her dispassionately。 'You're pretty。 You'll never starve。'〃
〃'You must help me； Philip。 You must。 It won't help your career having me begging at Government House。'〃
〃Nothing in the house belonged to them except a few odds and ends。 They had taken it furnished。 The owner had e the week before and agreed the inventory。 There only remained their car； a Morris that Masters had bought second hand； and a radiogramophone he had bought as a last resort to try and keep his wife amused before she took up golf。〃
〃Philip Masters looked at her for the last time He was never to see her again。 He said： 'All right。 You can have the car and the radiogram。 Now that's all。 I've got to pack。 Goodbye。' And he walked out of the door and up to his room。〃
The Governor looked across at Bond。 〃At least one last little gesture。 Yes？〃 The Governor smiled grimly。 〃When he had gone and Rhoda Masters was left alone； she took the car and her engagement ring and her few trinkets and the fox fur tippet and went into Hamilton and drove round the pawnbrokers。 In the end she collected forty pounds for the jewellery and seven pounds for the bit of fur。 Then she went to the car dealers whose nameplate was on the dashboard of the car and asked to see the manager。 When she asked how much he would give her for the Morris he thought she was pulling his leg。 'But； madam； Mr Masters bought the car by hire purchase and he's very badly behind on his payments。 Surely he told you that we had to send him a solicitor's letter about it only a week ago。 We heard he was leaving。 He wrote back that you would be ing in to make the necessary arrangements。 Let me see' … he reached for a file and leafed through it。 'Yes； there's exactly two hundred pounds owing on the car。'〃
〃Well； of course； Rhoda Masters burst into tears and in the end the manager agreed to take back the car； although it wasn't worth two hundred pounds by then； but he insisted that she should leave it with him then and there； petrol in the tank and all。 Rhoda Masters could only accept and be grateful not to be sued； and she walked out of the garage and along the hot street and already she knew what she was going to find when she got to the radio shop。 And she was right。 It was the same story； only this time she had to pay ten pounds to persuade the man to take back the radiogram。 She got a lift back to within walking distance of the bungalow and went and threw herself down on the bed and cried for the rest of the day。 She had already been a beaten woman。 Now Philip Masters had kicked her when she was down。〃
The Governor paused。 〃Pretty extraordinary； really。 A man like Masters； kindly； sensitive； who wouldn't normally hurt a fly。 And here he was performing one of the cruellest actions I can recall in all my experience。 It was my law operating。〃 The Governor smiled thinly。 〃Whatever her sins； if she had given him that Quantum of Solace he could never have behaved to her as he did。 As it was； she had awakened in him a bestial cruelty … a cruelty that perhaps lies deeply hidden in all of us and that only a threat to our existence can bring to the surface。 Masters wanted to make the girl suffer； not as much as he had suffered because that was impossible； but as much as he could possibly contrive。 And that false gesture with the motor car and the radiogramophone was a fiendishly brilliant bit of delayed action to remind her； even when he was gone； how much he hated her； how much he wanted still to hurt her。〃
Bond said： 〃It must have been a shattering experience。 It's extraordinary how much people can hurt each other。 I'm beginning to feel rather sorry for the girl。 What happened to her in the end … and to him； for the matter of that？〃
The Governor got to his feet and looked at his watch。 〃Good heavens； it's nearly midnight。 And I've been keeping the staff up all this time；〃 he smiled； 〃as well as you。〃 He walked across to the fireplace and rang a bell A Negro butler appeared。 The Governor apologized for keeping him up and told him to lock up and turn the light out。 Bond was on his feet。 The Governor turned to him。 〃e along and I'll tell you the rest。 I'll walk through the garden with you and see that the sentry lets you out。〃
They walked slowly through the long rooms and down the broad steps to the garden。 It was a beautiful night under a full moon that raced over their heads through the thin high clouds。
The Governor said： 〃Masters went on in the Service but somehow he never lived up to his good start After the Bermuda business something seemed to go out of ham。 Part of him had been killed by the experience。 He was a maimed man。 Mostly her fault； of course； but I guess that what he did to her lived on with him and perhaps haunted him。 He was good at his work； but he had somehow lost the human touch and he gradually dried up。 Of course he never married again and in the end he got shunted off into the ground nuts scheme； and when that was a failure he retired and went to live in Nigeria … back to the only people in the world who had shown him any kindness … back t
