The Greatest Works of Edith Wharton - 31 Books in One Edition. Edith Wharton

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СКАЧАТЬ I’m obliged to you for letting me have the chance again.”

      Undine’s brows drew together, but she softened her frown to a quivering smile.

      “I’m glad to see you too, Elmer—I am, REALLY!”

      He returned her smile while his glance continued to study her humorously. “You didn’t betray the fact last night. Miss Spragg.”

      “I was so taken aback. I thought you were out in Alaska somewhere.”

      The young man shaped his lips into the mute whistle by which he habitually vented his surprise. “You DID? Didn’t Abner E. Spragg tell you he’d seen me down town?”

      Undine gave him a startled glance. “Father? Why, have you seen him? He never said a word about it!”

      Her companion’s whistle became audible. “He’s running yet!” he said gaily. “I wish I could scare some people as easy as I can your father.”

      The girl hesitated. “I never felt toward you the way father did,” she hazarded at length; and he gave her another long look in return.

      “Well, if they’d left you alone I don’t believe you’d ever have acted mean to me,” was the conclusion he drew from it.

      “I didn’t mean to, Elmer … I give you my word—but I was so young … I didn’t know anything….”

      His eyes had a twinkle of reminiscent pleasantry. “No—I don’t suppose it WOULD teach a girl much to be engaged two years to a stiff like Millard Binch; and that was about all that had happened to you before I came along.”

      Undine flushed to the forehead. “Oh, Elmer—I was only a child when I was engaged to Millard—”

      “That’s a fact. And you went on being one a good while afterward. The Apex Eagle always headlined you ‘The child-bride’—”

      “I can’t see what’s the use—now—.”

      “That ruled out of court too? See here. Undine—what CAN we talk about? I understood that was what we were here for.”

      “Of course.” She made an effort at recovery. “I only meant to say—what’s the use of raking up things that are over?”

      “Rake up? That’s the idea, is it? Was that why you tried to cut me last night?”

      “I—oh, Elmer! I didn’t mean to; only, you see, I’m engaged.”

      “Oh, I saw that fast enough. I’d have seen it even if I didn’t read the papers.” He gave a short laugh. “He was feeling pretty good, sitting there alongside of you, wasn’t he? I don’t wonder he was. I remember. But I don’t see that that was a reason for cold-shouldering me. I’m a respectable member of society now—I’m one of Harmon B. Driscoll’s private secretaries.” He brought out the fact with mock solemnity.

      But to Undine, though undoubtedly impressive, the statement did not immediately present itself as a subject for pleasantry.

      “Elmer Moffatt—you ARE?”

      He laughed again. “Guess you’d have remembered me last night if you’d known it.”

      She was following her own train of thought with a look of pale intensity. “You’re LIVING in New York, then—you’re going to live here right along?”

      “Well, it looks that way; as long as I can hang on to this job. Great men always gravitate to the metropolis. And I gravitated here just as Uncle Harmon B. was looking round for somebody who could give him an inside tip on the Eubaw mine deal—you know the Driscolls are pretty deep in Eubaw. I happened to go out there after our little unpleasantness at Apex, and it was just the time the deal went through. So in one way your folks did me a good turn when they made Apex too hot for me: funny to think of, ain’t it?”

      Undine, recovering herself, held out her hand impulsively.

      “I’m real glad of it—I mean I’m real glad you’ve had such a stroke of luck!”

      “Much obliged,” he returned. “By the way, you might mention the fact to Abner E. Spragg next time you run across him.”

      “Father’ll be real glad too, Elmer.” She hesitated, and then went on: “You must see now that it was natural father and mother should have felt the way they did—”

      “Oh, the only thing that struck me as unnatural was their making you feel so too. But I’m free to admit I wasn’t a promising case in those days.” His glance played over her for a moment. “Say, Undine—it was good while it lasted, though, wasn’t it?”

      She shrank back with a burning face and eyes of misery.

      “Why, what’s the matter? That ruled out too? Oh, all right. Look at here, Undine, suppose you let me know what you ARE here to talk about, anyhow.”

      She cast a helpless glance down the windings of the wooded glen in which they had halted.

      “Just to ask you—to beg you—not to say anything of this kind again—EVER—”

      “Anything about you and me?”

      She nodded mutely.

      “Why, what’s wrong? Anybody been saying anything against me?”

      “Oh, no. It’s not that!”

      “What on earth is it, then—except that you’re ashamed of me, one way or another?” She made no answer, and he stood digging the tip of his walking-stick into a fissure of the asphalt. At length he went on in a tone that showed a first faint trace of irritation: “I don’t want to break into your gilt-edged crowd, if it’s that you’re scared of.”

      His tone seemed to increase her distress. “No, no—you don’t understand. All I want is that nothing shall be known.”

      “Yes; but WHY? It was all straight enough, if you come to that.”

      “It doesn’t matter … whether it was straight … or … not …” He interpolated a whistle which made her add: “What I mean is that out here in the East they don’t even like it if a girl’s been ENGAGED before.”

      This last strain on his credulity wrung a laugh from Moffatt. “Gee! How’d they expect her fair young life to pass? Playing ‘Holy City’ on the melodeon, and knitting tidies for church fairs?”

      “Girls are looked after here. It’s all different. Their mothers go round with them.”

      This increased her companion’s hilarity and he glanced about him with a pretense of compunction. “Excuse ME! I ought to have remembered. Where’s your chaperon, Miss Spragg?” He crooked his arm with mock ceremony. “Allow me to escort you to the bew-fay. You see I’m onto the New York style myself.”

      A sigh of discouragement escaped her. “Elmer—if you really believe I never wanted to act mean to you, don’t you act mean to me now!”

      “Act mean?” He grew serious again and moved nearer СКАЧАТЬ