蓝色特快上的秘密-蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)- 第11部分

〃It　will　be　heavenly　to　get　into　the　sunshine；〃　sighed　Ruth。　

〃I　am　sure　it　will　be　a　wonderful　feeling。〃　

〃You　know　the　Riviera　well？〃　

〃No；　this　is　my　first　visit。〃　

〃Fancy　that。〃　

〃You　go　every　year；　I　expect？〃　

〃Practically。　January　and　February　in　London　are　horrible。〃　

〃I　have　always　lived　in　the　country。　They　are　not　very　inspiring　months　there　either。　Mostly　mud。〃　

〃What　made　you　suddenly　decide　to　travel？〃　

〃Money；〃　said　Katherine。　〃For　ten　years　I　have　been　a　paid　panion　with　just　enough　money　of　my　own　to　buy　myself　strong　country　shoes；　now　I　have　been　left　what　seems　to　me　a　fortune；　though　I　dare　say　it　would　not　seem　so　to　you。〃　

〃Now　I　wonder　why　you　say　that　…　that　it　would　not　seem　so　to　me。〃　

Katherine　laughed。　〃I　don't　really　know。　I　suppose　one　forms　impressions　without　thinking　of　it。　I　put　you　down　in　my　own　mind　as　one　of　the　very　rich　of　the　earth。　It　was　just　an　impression。　I　dare　say　I　am　wrong。〃　

〃No；〃　said　Ruth；　〃you　are　not　wrong。〃　

She　had　suddenly　bee　very　grave。　〃I　wish　you　would　tell　me　what　other　impressions　you　formed　about　me？〃　

〃I　…〃　

Ruth　swept　on　disregarding　the　other's　embarrassment。　

〃Oh；　please；　don't　be　conventional。　I　want　to　know。　As　we　left　Victoria　I　looked　across　at　you；　and　I　had　the　sort　of　feeling　that　you　…　well；　understood　what　was　going　on　in　my　mind。〃　

〃I　can　assure　you　I　am　not　a　mind　reader；〃　said　Katherine；　smiling。　

〃No；　but　will　you　tell　me；　please；　just　what　you　thought。〃　Ruth's　eagerness　was　so　intense　and　so　sincere　that　she　carried　her　point。　

〃I　will　tell　you　if　you　like；　but　you　must　not　think　me　impertinent。　I　thought　that　for　some　reason　you　were　in　great　distress　of　mind；　and　I　was　sorry　for　you。〃　

〃You　are　right。　You　are　quite　right。　I　am　in　terrible　trouble。　I　…　I　should　like　to　tell　you　something　about　it；　if　I　may。〃　

〃Oh；　dear；〃　Katherine　thought　to　herself；　〃how　extraordinarily　alike　the　world　seems　to　be　everywhere！　People　were　always　telling　me　things　in　St　Mary　Mead；　and　it　is　just　the　same　thing　here；　and　I　don't　really　want　to　hear　anybody's　troubles！〃　

She　replied　politely：　

〃Do　tell　me。〃　

They　were　just　finishing　their　lunch。　Ruth　gulped　down　her　coffee；　rose　from　her　seat；　and　quite　oblivious　of　the　fact　that　Katherine　had　not　begun　to　sip　her　coffee；　said：　〃e　to　my　partment　with　me。〃　

They　were　two　single　partments　with　a　municating　door　between　them。　In　the　second　of　them　a　thin　maid；　whom　Katherine　had　noticed　at　Victoria；　was　sitting　very　upright　on　the　seat；　clutching　a　big　scarlet　morocco　case　with　the　initials　R。V。K。　on　it。　Mrs　Kettering　pulled　the　municating　door　to　and　sank　down　on　the　seat。　Katherine　sat　down　beside　her。　

〃I　am　in　trouble　and　I　don't　know　what　to　do。　There　is　a　man　whom　I　am　fond　of　…　very　fond　of　indeed。　We　cared　for　each　other　when　we　were　young；　and　we　were　thrust　apart　most　brutally　and　unjustly。　Now　we　have　e　together　again。〃　

〃Yes？〃　

〃I　…　I　am　going　to　meet　him　now。　Oh！　I　dare　say　you　think　it　is　all　wrong；　but　you　don't　know　the　circumstances。　My　husband　is　impossible。　He　has　treated　me　disgracefully。〃　

〃Yes；〃　said　Katherine　again。　

〃What　I　feel　so　badly　about　is　this。　I　have　deceived　my　father　…　it　was　he　who　came　to　see　me　off　at　Victoria　today。　He　wishes　me　to　divorce　my　husband；　and；　of　course；　he　has　no　idea　…　that　I　am　going　to　meet　this　other　man。　He　would　think　it　extraordinarily　foolish。〃　

〃Well；　don't　you　think　it　is？〃　

〃I　suppose　it　is。〃　

Ruth　Kettering　looked　down　at　her　hands；　they　were　shaking　violently。　

〃But　I　can't　draw　back　now。〃　

〃Why　not？〃　

〃I　…　it　is　all　arranged；　and　it　would　break　his　heart。〃　

〃Don't　you　believe　it；〃　said　Katherine　robustly；　〃hearts　are　pretty　tough。〃　

〃He　will　think　I　have　no　courage；　no　strength　of　purpose。〃　

〃It　seems　to　me　an　awfully　silly　thing　that　you　are　going　to　do；〃　said　Katherine。　〃I　think　you　realize　that　yourself。〃　

Ruth　Kettering　buried　her　face　in　her　hands。　〃I　don't　know　…　I　don't　know。　Ever　since　I　left　Victoria　I　have　had　a　horrible　feeling　of　something　…　something　that　is　ing　to　me　very　soon　…　that　I　can't　escape。〃　

She　clutched　convulsively　at　Katherine's　hand。　

〃You　must　think　I　am　mad　talking　to　you　like　this；　but　I　tell　you　I　know　something　horrible　is　going　to　happen。〃　

〃Don't　think　it；〃　said　Katherine；　〃try　to　pull　yourself　together。　You　could　send　your　father　a　wire　from　Paris；　if　you　like；　and　he　would　e　to　you　at　once。〃　

The　other　brightened。　

〃Yes；　I　could　do　that。　Dear　old　Dad。　It　is　queer　…　but　I　never　knew　until　today　how　terribly　fond　of　him　I　am。〃　She　sat　up　and　dried　her　eyes　with　a　handkerchief。　〃I　have　been　very　foolish。　Thank　you　so　much　for　letting　me　talk　to　you。　I　don't　know　why　I　got　into　such　a　queer；　hysterical　state。〃　

She　got　up。　〃I　am　quite　all　right　now。　I　suppose；　really；　I　just　needed　someone　to　talk　to。　I　can't　think　now　why　I　have　been　making　such　an　absolute　fool　of　myself。〃　

Katherine　got　up　too。　

〃I　am　so　glad　you　feel　better；〃　she　said；　trying　to　make　her　voice　sound　as　conventional　as　possible。　She　was　only　too　well　aware　that　the　aftermath　of　confidences　is　embarrassment。　She　added　tactfully：　

〃I　must　be　going　back　to　my　own　partment。〃　

She　emerged　into　the　corridor　at　the　same　time　as　the　maid　was　also　ing　out　from　the　next　door。　The　latter　looked　towards　Katherine；　over　her　shoulder；　and　an　expression　of　intense　surprise　showed　itself　on　her　face。　Katherine　turned　also；　but　by　that　time　whoever　it　was　who　had　aroused　the　maid's　interest　had　retreated　into　his　or　her　partment；　and　the　corridor　was　empty。　Katherine　walked　down　it　to　regain　her　own　place；　which　was　in　the　next　coach。　As　she　passed　the　end　partment　the　door　opened　and　a　woman's　face　looked　out　for　a　moment　and　then　pulled　the　door　to　sharply。　

It　was　a　face　not　easily　forgotten；　as　Katherine　was　to　know　when　she　saw　it　again。　A　beautiful　face；　oval　and　dark；　very　heavily　made　up　in　a　bizarre　fashion。　Katherine　had　a　feeling　that　she　had　seen　it　before　somewhere。　

She　regained　her　own　partment　without　other　adventure　and　sat　for　some　time　thinking　of　the　confidence　which　had　just　been　made　to　her。　She　wondered　idly　who　the　woman　in　the　mink　coat　might　be；　wondered　also　how　the　end　of　her　story　would　turn　out。　

〃If　I　have　stopped　anyone　from　making　an　idiot　of　themselves；　I　suppose　I　have　done　good　work；〃　she　thought　to　herself。　〃But　who　knows？　That　is　the　kind　of　woman　who　is　hard…headed　and　egotistical　all　her　life；　and　it　might　be　good　for　her　to　do　the　other　sort　of　thing　for　a　change。　Oh；　well　…　I　don't　suppose　I　shall　ever　see　her　again。　She　certainly　won't　want　to　see　me　again。　That　is　the　worst　of　letting　people　tell　you　things。　They　never　do。〃　

She　hoped　that　she　would　not　be　given　the　same　table　at　dinner。　She　reflected；　not　without　humour；　that　it　might　be　awkward　for　both　of　them。　Leaning　back　with　her　head　against　a　cushion　she　felt　tired　and　vaguely　depressed。　They　had　reached　Paris；　and　the　slow　journey　round　the　ceinture；　with　its　interminable　stops　and　waits；　was　very　wearisome。　

When　they　arrived　at　the　Gare　de　Lyon　she　was　glad　to　get　out　and　walk　up　and　down　the　platform。　The　keen　cold　air　was　refreshing　after　the　steam…heated　train。　

She　observed　with　a　smile　that　her　friend　of　the　mink　coat　was　solving　the　possible　awkwardness　of　the　dinner　problem　in　her　own　way。　A　dinner　basket　was　being　handed　up　and　received　through　the　window　by　the　maid。　

When　the　train　started　once　more；　and　dinner　was　announced　by　a　violent　ringing　of　bells；　Katherine　went　along　to　it　much　relieved　in　mind。　Her　vis…а…vis　tonight　was　of　an　entirely　different　kind　…　a　small　man；　distinctly　foreign　in　appearance；　with　a　rigidly　waxed　moustache　and　an　egg…shaped　head　which　he　carried　rather　on　one　side。　Katherine　had　taken　in　a　book　to　dinner　with　her。　She　found　the　little　man's　eyes　fixed　on　it　with　a　kind　of　twinkling　amusement。　

〃I　see；　Madame；　that　you　have　a　Roman　Policier。　You　are　fond　of　such　things？〃　

〃They　amuse　me；〃　Katherine　admitted。　

The　little　man　nodded　with　the　air　of　plete　understanding。　

〃They　have　a　good　sale　always；　so　I　am　told。　Now　why　is　that；　eh；　Mademoiselle？　I　ask　it　of　you　as　a　student　of　human　nature　…　why　should　that　be？〃　

Katherine　felt　more　and　more　amused。　

〃Perhaps　they　give　one　the　illusion　of　living　an　exciting　life；〃　she　suggested。　

He　nodded　gravely。　

〃Yes；　there　is　something　in　that。〃　

〃Of　course；　one　knows　that　such　things　don't　really　happen；〃　Katherine　was　continuing；　but　he　interrupted　her　sharply。　

〃Sometimes；　Mademoiselle！　Sometimes！　I　who　speak　to　you　…　they　have　happened　to　me。〃　

She　threw　him　a　quick；　interested　glance。　

〃Some　day；　who　knows；　you　might　be　in　the　thick　of　things；〃　he　went　on。　〃It　is　all　chance。〃　

〃I　don't　think　it　is　likely；〃　said　Katherine；　〃Nothing　of　that　kind　ever　happens　to　me。〃　

He　leaned　forward。　

〃Would　you　like　it　to？〃　

The　question　startled　her；　and　she　drew　in　her　breath　sharply。　

〃It　is　my　fancy；　perhaps；〃　said　the　little　man；　as　he　dexterously　polished　one　of　the　forks；　〃but　I　think　that　you　have　a　yearning　in　you　for　interesting　happenings。　Eh　bien；　Mademoiselle；　all　through　my　life　I　have　observed　one　thing　…　'All　one　wants　one　gets！'　Who　knows？〃　His　face　screwed　itself　up　ically。　〃You　may　get　more　than　you　bargain　for。〃　

〃Is　that　a　prophecy？〃　asked　Katherine；　smiling　as　she　rose　from　the　table。　

The　little　man　shook　his　head。　

〃I　never　prophesy；〃　he　declared　pompously。　〃It　is　true　that　I　have　the　habit　of　being　always　right　…　but　I　do　not　boast　of　it。　Good…night；　Mademoiselle；　and　may　you　sleep　well。〃　

Katherine　went　back　along　the　train　amused　and　entertained　by　her　little　neighbour。　

She　passed　the　open　door　of　her　friend's　partment　and　saw　the　conductor　making　up　the　bed。　The　lady　in　the　mink　coat　was　standing　looking　out　of　the　window。　The　second　partment；　as　Katherine　saw　trough　the　municating　door；　was　empty；　with　rugs　and　bags　heaped　up　on　the　mat。　The　maid　was　not　there。　

Katherine　found　her　own　bed　prepared　and　since　she　was　tired；　she　went　to　bed　and　switched　off　her　light　about　half…past　nine。　

She　woke　with　a　sudden　start；　how　much　time　had　pass