Пробный камень
V
Assheceasedtobeanelementoffearinhiscalculationsthedistancebetweenthemseemedtolessenandhetookheragain,asitwere,intothecircleofhisconjugalprotection....Yetamomentbeforehehadalmosthatedher!...Helaughedaloudathissenselessterrors....Hewasoffhisbalance,decidedly.
“Whatareyoulaughingat?”sheasked.
Heexplained,elaborately,thathewaslaughingattherecollectionofanoldwomaninthetrain,anoldwomanwithalotofbundles,whocouldn’tfindherticket....Butsomehow,inthetelling,thehumorofthestoryseemedtoevaporate,andhefelttheconventionalityofhersmile.Heglancedathiswatch,“Isn’tittimetodress?”
Sherosewithserenereluctance.“It’sapitytogoin.Thegardenlookssolovely.”
Theylingeredsidebyside,surveyingtheirdomain.Therewasnotspaceinit,atthishour,fortheshadowoftheelm-treeintheangleofthehedge;itcrossedthelawn,cuttheflower-borderintwo,andranupthesideofthehousetothenurserywindow.Shebenttoflickacaterpillarfromthehoney-suckle;then,astheyturnedindoors,“IfwemeantogoontheyachtnextSunday,”shesuggested,“oughtn’tyoutoletMr.Flamelknow?”
Glennard’sexasperationdeflectedsuddenly.“OfcourseIshalllethimknow.YoualwaysseemtoimplythatI’mgoingtodosomethingrudetoFlamel.”
Thewordsreverberatedthroughhersilence;shehadawayofthusleavingonespaceinwhichtocontemplateone’sfollyatarm’slength.Glennardturnedonhisheelandwentupstairs
