Пробный камень
VI
UnderDresham’stutelageshehaddevelopedintoa“thoughtfulwoman,”whoreadhisleadersintheRadiatorandboughtthebooksherecommended.Whenanewnovelappeared,peoplewantedtoknowwhatMrs.Armigerthoughtofit;andayounggentlemanwhohadmadeatripinTourainehadrecentlyinscribedtoherthewide-marginedresultofhisexplorations.
Glennard,leaningbackwithhisheadagainsttherailandaslitoffugitivebluebetweenhishalf-closedlids,vaguelywishedshewouldn’tspoiltheafternoonbymakingpeopletalk;thoughhereducedhisannoyancetotheminimumbynotlisteningtowhatwassaid,thereremainedalatentirritationagainstthegeneralfutilityofwords.
Hiswife’sgiftofsilenceseemedtohimthemostvividcommentaryontheclumsinessofspeechasameansofintercourse,andhiseyeshadturnedtoherinrenewedappreciationofthisfinerfacultywhenMrs.Armiger’svoiceabruptlybroughthometohimtheunderratedpotentialitiesoflanguage.
“You’vereadthem,ofcourse,Mrs.Glennard?”heheardherask;and,inreplytoAlexa’svagueinterrogation—“Why,the‘AubynLetters’—it’stheonlybookpeoplearetalkingofthisweek.”
Mrs.Dreshamimmediatelysawheradvantage.“Youhaven’treadthem?Howveryextraordinary!AsMrs.Armigersays,thebook’sintheair;onebreathesitinliketheinfluenza.”
Glennardsatmotionless,watchinghiswife.
“Perhapsithasn’treachedthesuburbsyet,”shesaid,withherunruffledsmile.
“Oh,doletmecometoyou,then!”Mrs.
