Эпоха невинности

           ""ImeanttogotoWashingtontoseeyou.I’dmadeallmyarrangements—Iverynearlycrossedyouinthetrain.""Oh—"sheexclaimed,asifterrifiedbythenarrownessoftheirescape."Doyouknow—Ihardlyrememberedyou?""Hardlyrememberedme?""Imean:howshallIexplain?I—it’salwaysso.EACHTIMEYOUHAPPENTOMEALLOVERAGAIN.""Oh,yes:Iknow!Iknow!""Doesit—doItoo:toyou?"heinsisted.Shenodded,lookingoutofthewindow."Ellen—Ellen—Ellen!"Shemadenoanswer,andhesatinsilence,watchingherprofilegrowindistinctagainstthesnow-streakedduskbeyondthewindow.Whathadshebeendoinginallthosefourlongmonths,hewondered?Howlittletheyknewofeachother,afterall!Thepreciousmomentswereslippingaway,buthehadforgotteneverythingthathehadmeanttosaytoherandcouldonlyhelplesslybroodonthemysteryoftheirremotenessandtheirproximity,whichseemedtobesymbolisedbythefactoftheirsittingsoclosetoeachother,andyetbeingunabletoseeeachother’sfaces."Whataprettycarriage!IsitMay’s?"sheasked,suddenlyturningherfacefromthewindow."Yes.""ItwasMaywhosentyoutofetchme,then?Howkindofher!"Hemadenoanswerforamoment;thenhesaidexplosively:"Yourhusband’ssecretarycametoseemethedayafterwemetinBoston."InhisbrieflettertoherhehadmadenoallusiontoM.Riviere’svisit,andhisintentionhadbeentoburytheincidentinhisbosom.Butherreminderthattheywereinhiswife’scarriageprovokedhimtoanimpulseofretaliation.