Husband and wife -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Rich people -- Fiction; Triangles (Interpersonal relations) -- Fiction
“I say this, were I related in any way, were I the brother, father, the
husband of such a woman, I would wring her neck. I believe in purity in
women, and I believe also in purity in men.”
“Yes, it’s a good thing to believe in, but it’s hard to find.”
Mr. Incoul had spoken more vehemently than was his wont, and to this
remark he made no answer. His eyes were green, not the green of the cat
but the green of a tiger, and as he sat with fingers clinched, and a
cheerless smile on his thin lips, he looked a modern hunter of the Holy
Grail.
The night train leaves Hendaye a trifle after ten, and soon a _sereno_
was heard calling the hour, and declaring that all was well. It was
time to be going, they knew, and without further delay they had
themselves ferried again across the stream. The return journey was
unmarked by adventure or incident. Mr. Blydenburg fell into a doze, and
after dreaming of the pomegranate mouth awoke at Biarritz, annoyed
that he had not thought to address the manola in Basque. At the station
they found a carriage, and, as Blydenburg entered it, he made with
himself a little consolatory pact that some day he would go back to
Fuenterrabia alone.
The station at Biarritz is several miles from the town, and as the
horses were slow it was almost twelve o’clock before the Continental
was reached. Blydenburg alighted there and Mr. Incoul drove on alone
to the villa. As he approached it he saw that his wife’s rooms were
illuminated. For the moment he thought she might be waiting for him,
but at once he knew that was impossible, for on leaving he had said he
would pass the night in Spain.
The carriage drew up before the main entrance. He felt for small money
to pay the driver, but found nothing smaller than a louis. The driver,
after a protracted fumbling, declared that in the matter of change he
was not a bit better of. Where is the cabman who was ever supplied?
Rather than waste words Mr. Incoul gave him the louis and the man drove
off, delighted to find that the old trick was still in working order.
Mr. Incoul looked up again at his wife’s window, but during his parley
with the driver the lights had been extinguished. He entered the gate
and opened the door with a key. The hall was dark; he found a match and
lit it. On the stair was Lenox Leigh. The match flickered and went out,
but through the open door the moon poured in.
The young man rubbed his hat as though uncertain what to do or say. At
last he reached the door, “I am at the Grand, you know,” he hazarded.
“Yes, I know,” Mr. Incoul answered, “and I hope you are comfortable.”
Leigh passed out. Mr. Incoul closed and bolted the door behind him. For
a moment he stood very still. Then turning, he ascended the stair.
CHAPTER X.
THE POINT OF VIEW.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account