The Essential W. Somerset Maugham Collection. W. Somerset Maugham

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СКАЧАТЬ few days later, Lady Kelsey and Lucy having gone on the river, Julia Crowley went to Court Leys. When she came down to breakfast the day after her arrival, she found waiting for her six pairs of long sude gloves. She examined their size and their quality, smiled with amusement, and felt a little annoyed. She really had every intention of accepting Dick when he proposed to her, and she did not in the least know why she had refused him. The conversation had carried her away in her own despite. She loved a repartee and notwithstanding the consequences could never resist making any that occurred to her. It was very stupid of Dick to take her so seriously, and she was inclined to be cross with him. Of course he had only gone to Paris to tease, and in a week he would be back again. She knew that he was just as much in love with her as she was with him, and it was absurd of him to put on airs. She awaited the post each day impatiently, for she constantly expected a letter from him to say he was coming down to luncheon. She made up her mind about the _menu_ of the pleasant little meal she would set before him, and in imagination rehearsed the scene in which she would at length succumb to his passionate entreaties. It was evidently discreet not to surrender with unbecoming eagerness. But no letter came. A week went by. She began to think that Dick had no sense of humour. A second week passed, and then a third. Perhaps it was because she had nothing to do that Master Dick absorbed a quite unmerited degree of her attention. It was very inconvenient and very absurd. She tormented herself with all sorts of reasons to explain his absence, and once or twice, like the spoiled child she was, she cried. But Mrs. Crowley was a sensible woman and soon made up her mind that if she could not live without the man--though heaven only knew why she wanted him--she had better take steps to secure his presence. It was the end of August now, and she was bored and lonely. She sent him a very untruthful telegram.

      _I have to be in town on Friday to see my lawyer. May I come to tea at five?_

      _Julia._

      His answer did not arrive for twenty-four hours, and then it was addressed from Homburg.

      _Regret immensely, but shall be away._

      _Richard Lomas._

      Julia stamped her tiny foot with indignation and laughed with amusement at her own anger. It was monstrous that while she was leading the dullest existence imaginable, he should be enjoying the gaieties of a fashionable watering-place. She telegraphed once more.

      _Thanks very much. Shall expect to see you on Friday._

      _Julia._

      She travelled up to town on the appointed day and went to her house in Norfolk Street to see that the journey had left no traces on her appearance. Mayfair seemed quite deserted, and half the windows were covered with newspapers to keep out the dust. It was very hot, and the sun beat down from a cloudless sky. The pavements were white and dazzling. Julia realised with pleasure that she was the only cool person in London, and the lassitude she saw in the passers-by added to her own self-satisfaction. The month at the seaside had given an added freshness to her perfection, and her charming gown had a breezy lightness that must be very grateful to a gentleman of forty lately returned from foreign parts. As she looked at herself in the glass, Mrs. Crowley reflected that she did not know anyone who had a figure half so good as hers.

      When she drove up to Dick's house, she noticed that there were fresh flowers in the window boxes, and when she was shown into his drawing-room, the first thing that struck her was the scent of red roses which were in masses everywhere. The blinds were down, and after the baking street the dark coolness of the room was very pleasant. The tea was on a little table, waiting to be poured out. Dick of course was there to receive her. As she shook hands with him, she smothered a little titter of wild excitement.

      'So you've come back,' she said.

      'I was just passing through town,' he answered, with an airy wave of the hand.

      'From where to where?'

      'From Homburg to the Italian Lakes.'

      'Rather out of your way, isn't it?' she smiled.

      'Not at all,' he replied. 'If I were going from Manchester to Liverpool, I should break the journey in London. That's one of my hobbies.'

      Julia laughed gaily, and as they both made a capital tea, they talked of all manner of trivial things. They were absurdly glad to see one another again, and each was ready to be amused at everything the other said. But the conversation would have been unintelligible to a listener, since they mostly talked together, and every now and then made a little scene when one insisted that the other should listen to what he was saying.

      Suddenly Mrs. Crowley threw up her hands with a gesture of dismay.

      'Oh, how stupid of me!' she cried. 'I quite forgot to tell you why I telegraphed to you the other day.'

      'I know,' he retorted.

      'Do you? Why?'

      'Because you're the most disgraceful flirt I ever saw in my life,' he answered promptly.

      She opened her eyes wide with a very good imitation of complete amazement.

      'My dear Mr. Lomas, have you never contemplated yourself in a looking-glass?'

      'You're not a bit repentant of the havoc you have wrought,' he cried dramatically.

      She did not answer, but looked at him with a smile so entirely delightful that he cried out irritably:

      'I wish you wouldn't look like that.'

      'How am I looking?' she smiled.

      'To my innocent and inexperienced gaze very much as if you wanted to be kissed.'

      'You brute!' she cried. 'I'll never speak to you again.'

      'Why do you make such rash statements? You know you couldn't hold you tongue for two minutes together.'

      'What a libel! I never can get a word in edgeways when I'm with you,' she returned. 'You're such a chatterbox.'

      'I don't know why you put on that aggrieved air. You seem to forget that it's I who ought to be furious.'

      'On the contrary, you behaved very unkindly to me a month ago, and I'm only here to-day because I have a Christian disposition.'

      'You forget that for the last four weeks I've been laboriously piecing together the fragments of a broken heart,' he answered.

      'It was entirely your fault,' she laughed. 'If you hadn't been so certain I was going to accept you, I should never have refused. I couldn't resist the temptation of saying no, just to see how you took it.'

      'I flatter myself I took it very well.'

      'You didn't,' she answered. 'You showed an entire lack of humour. You might have known that a nice woman doesn't accept a man the first time he asks her. It was very silly of you to go to Homburg as if you didn't care. How was I to know that you meant to wait a month before asking me again?'

      He looked at her for a moment calmly.

      'I haven't the least intention of asking you СКАЧАТЬ