Поворот винта
Chapter 23
Todoitinanywaywasanactofviolence,forwhatdiditconsistofbuttheobtrusionoftheideaofgrossnessandguiltonasmallhelplesscreaturewhohadbeenformearevelationofthepossibilitiesofbeautifulintercourse?Wasn’titbasetocreateforabeingsoexquisiteamerealienawkwardness?IsupposeInowreadintooursituationaclearnessitcouldn’thavehadatthetime,forIseemtoseeourpooreyesalreadylightedwithsomesparkofaprevisionoftheanguishthatwastocome.Sowecircledabout,withterrorsandscruples,likefightersnotdaringtoclose.Butitwasforeachotherwefeared!Thatkeptusalittlelongersuspendedandunbruised.“I’lltellyoueverything,”Milessaid—“ImeanI’lltellyouanythingyoulike.You’llstayonwithme,andweshallbothbeallright,andIwilltellyou—Iwill.Butnotnow.”
“Whynotnow?”
Myinsistenceturnedhimfrommeandkepthimoncemoreathiswindowinasilenceduringwhich,betweenus,youmighthaveheardapindrop.Thenhewasbeforemeagainwiththeairofapersonforwhom,outside,someonewhohadfranklytobereckonedwithwaswaiting.“IhavetoseeLuke.”
Ihadnotyetreducedhimtoquitesovulgaralie,andIfeltproportionatelyashamed.But,horribleasitwas,hisliesmadeupmytruth.Iachievedthoughtfullyafewloopsofmyknitting.“Well,then,gotoLuke,andI’llwaitforwhatyoupromise.Only,inreturnforthat,satisfy,beforeyouleaveme,oneverymuchsmallerrequest
