He conducted her through the dangers of the quayside. Her sight was dim.
A moving truck was like a mountain gliding by. Men passed by as if in a
mist; and the buildings, the sheds, the unexpected open spaces, the
ships, had strange, distorted, dangerous shapes. She said to herself
that it was good not to be bothered with what all these things meant in
the scheme of creation (if indeed anything had a meaning), or were just
piled-up matter without any sense. She felt how she had always been
unrelated to this world. She was hanging on to it merely by that one arm
grasped firmly just above the elbow. It was a captivity. So be it. Till
they got out into the street and saw the hansom waiting outside the gates
Anthony spoke only once, beginning brusquely but in a much gentler tone
than she had ever heard from his lips.
"Of course I ought to have known that you could not care for a man like
me, a stranger. Silence gives consent. Yes? Eh? I don't want any of
that sort of consent. And unless some day you find you can speak . . .
No! No! I shall never ask you.
Pages:
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518