20 лучших повестей на английском / 20 Best Short Novels

I turned me round to follow her out, without once thinking of my mother. The doctor stopped me.

�Don’t forget the medicine,’ he said. �And if you will take my advice, don’t trouble yourself about that woman. Rouse up the constable. It’s his business to look after her – not yours.’

I held out my hand for the medicine in silence: I was afraid I should fail in respect if I trusted myself to answer him. He must have seen, as I saw, that she wanted the laudanum to poison herself. He had, to my mind, taken a very heartless view of the matter.

I just thanked him when he gave me the medicine – and went out.

She was waiting for me as she had promised; walking slowly to and fro – a tall, graceful, solitary figure in the bright moonbeams. They shed over her fair complexion, her bright golden hair, her large gray eyes, just the light that suited them best. She looked hardly mortal when she first turned to speak to me.

�Well?’ she said. �And what do you want?’

In spite of my pride, or my shyness, or my better sense – whichever it might be – all my heart went out to her in a moment.

I caught hold of her by the hands, and owned what was in my thoughts, as freely as if I had known her for half a lifetime.

�You mean to destroy yourself,’ I said. �And I mean to prevent you from doing it. If I follow you about all night, I’ll prevent you from doing it.’

She laughed. �You saw yourself that he wouldn’t sell me the laudanum.

Do you really care whether I live or die?’ She squeezed my hands gently as she put the question: her eyes searched mine with a languid, lingering look in them that ran through me like fire. My voice died away on my lips; I couldn’t answer her.

She understood, without my answering. �You have given me a fancy for living, by speaking kindly to me,’ she said. �Kindness has a wonderful effect on women, and dogs, and other domestic animals. It is only men who are superior to kindness.

Make your mind easy – I promise to take as much care of myself as if I was the happiest woman living! Don’t let me keep you here, out of your bed. Which way are you going?’

Miserable wretch that I was, I had forgotten my mother – with the medicine in my hand! �I am going home,’ I said. �Where are you staying? At the inn?’

She laughed her bitter laugh, and pointed to the stone quarry. �There is my inn for to-night,’ she said.