Эпоха невинности
Chapter 9
HeknewthatMaymostparticularlywantedhimtobekindtohercousin;wasitnotthatwishwhichhadhastenedtheannouncementoftheirengagement?Itgavehimanoddsensationtoreflectthat,butfortheCountess’sarrival,hemighthavebeen,ifnotstillafreeman,atleastamanlessirrevocablypledged.ButMayhadwilleditso,andhefelthimselfsomehowrelievedoffurtherresponsibility—andthereforeatliberty,ifhechose,tocallonhercousinwithouttellingher.AshestoodonMadameOlenska’sthresholdcuriositywashisuppermostfeeling.Hewaspuzzledbythetoneinwhichshehadsummonedhim;heconcludedthatshewaslesssimplethansheseemed.Thedoorwasopenedbyaswarthyforeign-lookingmaid,withaprominentbosomunderagayneckerchief,whomhevaguelyfanciedtobeSicilian.Shewelcomedhimwithallherwhiteteeth,andansweringhisenquiriesbyahead-shakeofincomprehensionledhimthroughthenarrowhallintoalowfirelitdrawing-room.Theroomwasempty,andshelefthim,foranappreciabletime,towonderwhethershehadgonetofindhermistress,orwhethershehadnotunderstoodwhathewastherefor,andthoughtitmightbetowindtheclock—ofwhichheperceivedthattheonlyvisiblespecimenhadstopped.Heknewthatthesouthernracescommunicatedwitheachotherinthelanguageofpantomime,andwasmortifiedtofindhershrugsandsmilessounintelligible.
