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

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СКАЧАТЬ was sitting in his room, and presently heard Mary's voice calling from the hall.

      "Jamie! Jamie!"

      He got up and came downstairs.

      "Why, Jamie," said his father, "you ought to have gone to fetch Mary, instead of waiting here for her to come to you."

      "You certainly ought, Jamie," said Mary, laughing; and then, looking at him, with sudden feeling: "But how seedy you look!"

      James had hardly slept, troubling over his perplexity, and he looked haggard and tired.

      "I'm all right," he said; "I'm not very strong yet, and I was rather exhausted yesterday."

      "Mary thought you would like to go with her this morning, while she does her district visiting."

      "It's a beautiful morning, Jamie; it will do you good!" cried Mary.

      "I should like it very much."

      They started out. Mary wore her every-day costume--a serge gown, a sailor hat, and solid, square-toed boots. She walked fast, with long steps and firm carriage. James set himself to talk, asking her insignificant questions about the people she visited. Mary answered with feeling and at length, but was interrupted by arriving at a cottage.

      "You'd better not come in here," she said, blushing slightly; "although I want to take you in to some of the people. I think it will be a lesson to them."

      "A lesson in what?"

      "Oh, I can't tell you to your face, I don't want to make you conceited; but you can guess while you're waiting for me."

      Mary's patient was about to be confined, and thinking her condition rather indecent, quite rightly, Mary had left James outside. But the good lady, since it was all in the way of nature, was not so ashamed of herself as she should have been, and insisted on coming to the door to show Miss Clibborn out.

      "Take care he doesn't see you!" cried Mary in alarm, pushing her back.

      "Well, there's no harm in it. I'm a married woman. You'll have to go through it yourself one day, miss."

      Mary rejoined her lover, suffused in blushes, hoping he had seen nothing.

      "It's very difficult to teach these people propriety. Somehow the lower classes seem to have no sense of decency."

      "What's the matter?"

      "Oh, nothing I can tell you," replied Mary, modestly. Then, to turn the conversation: "She asked after my young man, and was very anxious to see you."

      "Was she? How did she know you had a young man?" asked James, grimly.

      "Oh, everyone knows that! You can't keep secrets in Primpton. And besides, I'm not ashamed of it. Are you?"

      "I haven't got a young man."

      Mary laughed.

      They walked on. The morning was crisp and bright, sending a healthy colour through Mary's cheeks. The blue sky and the bracing air made her feel more self-reliant, better assured than ever of her upright purpose and her candid heart. The road, firm underfoot and delightful to walk upon, stretched before them in a sinuous line. A pleasant odour came from the adjoining fields, from the farm-yards, as they passed them; the larks soared singing with happy heart, while the sparrows chirruped in the hedges. The hawthorn was bursting into leaf, all bright and green, and here and there the wild flowers were showing themselves, the buttercup and the speedwell. But while the charm of Nature made James anxious to linger, to lean on a gate and look for a while at the cows lazily grazing, Mary had too sound a constitution to find in it anything but a stimulus to renewed activity.

      "We mustn't dawdle, you lazy creature!" she cried merrily. "I shall never get through my round before one o'clock if we don't put our best foot foremost."

      "Can't you see them some other time?"

      The limpid air softened his heart; he thought for a moment that if he could wander aimlessly with Mary, gossiping without purpose, they might end by understanding one another. The sun, the wild flowers, the inconstant breeze, might help to create a new feeling.

      But Mary turned to him with grave tenderness.

      "You know I'd do anything to please you, Jamie. But even for you I cannot neglect my duty."

      James froze.

      "Of course, you're quite right," he said. "It really doesn't matter."

      They came to another cottage, and this time Mary took James in.

      "It's a poor old man," she said. "I'm so sorry for him; he's always so grateful for what I do."

      They found him lying in bed, writhing with pain, his head supported by a pillow.

      "Oh, how uncomfortable you look!" cried Mary. "You poor thing! Who on earth arranged your pillows like that?"

      "My daughter, miss."

      "I must talk to her; she ought to know better."

      Miss Clibborn drew away the pillows very gently, smoothed them out, and replaced them.

      "I can't bear 'em like that, miss. The other is the only way I'm comfortable."

      "Nonsense, John!" cried Mary, brightly. "You couldn't be comfortable with your head all on one side; you're much better as you are."

      James saw the look of pain in the man's face, and ventured to expostulate.

      "Don't you think you'd better put them back in the old way? He seemed much easier."

      "Nonsense, Jamie. You must know that the head ought to be higher than the body."

      "Please, miss, I can't bear the pillow like this."

      "Oh, yes, you can. You must show more forbearance and fortitude. Remember that God sends you pain in order to try you. Think of Our Lord suffering silently on the Cross."

      "You're putting him to quite unnecessary torture, Mary," said James. "He must know best how he's comfortable."

      "It's only because he's obstinate. Those people are always complaining. Really, you must permit me to know more about nursing than you do, Jamie."

      Jamie's face grew dark and grim, but he made no answer.

      "I shall send you some soup, John," said Mary, as they went out, "You know, one can never get these people to do anything in a rational way," she added to James. "It's perfectly heartrending trying to teach them even such a natural thing as making themselves comfortable."

      James was silent.

      They СКАЧАТЬ