She looked at him blankly. What he said was so unexpected that at the first moment she could hardly gather its sense.

“What on earth are you talking about?” she faltered.

Even to herself her reply rang false, and she saw the look of disdain which it called forth on Walter's stern face.

“I'm afraid you've thought me a bigger fool than I am.”

She did not quite know what to say. She was undecided whether indignantly to assert her innocence or to break out into angry reproaches. He seemed to read her thoughts.

“I've got all the proof necessary.”

She began to cry. The tears flowed from her eyes without any particular anguish and she did not dry them: to weep gave her a little time to collect herself. But her mind was blank. He watched her without concern, and his calmness frightened her. He grew impatient.

“You're not going to do much by crying, you know.”

His voice, so cold and hard, had the effect of exciting in her a certain indignation. She was recovering her nerve.

“I don't care. I suppose you have no objection to my divorcing you. It means nothing to a man.”

“Will you allow me to ask why I should put myself to the smallest inconvenience on your account?”

“It can't make any difference to you. It's not much to ask you to behave like a gentleman.”

“I have much too great a regard for your welfare.”

She sat up now and dried her eyes.

“What do you mean?” she asked him.

“Townsend will marry you only if he is co-respondent and the case is so shameless that his wife is forced to divorce him.”

“You don't know what you're talking about,” she cried.

“You stupid fool.”

His tone was so contemptuous that she flushed with anger. And perhaps her anger was greater because she had never before heard him say to her any but sweet, flattering, and delightful things. She had been accustomed to find him subservient to all her whims.

“If you want the truth you can have it. He's only too anxious to marry me. Dorothy Townsend is perfectly willing to divorce him and we shall be married the moment we're free.”

“Did he tell you that in so many words or is that the impression you have gained from his manner?”

Walter's eyes shone with bitter mockery. They made Kitty a trifle uneasy. She was not quite sure that Charlie had ever said exactly that in so many words.

“He's said it over and over again.”

“That's a lie and you know it's a lie.”

“He loves me with all his heart and soul. He loves me as passionately as I love him. You've found out. I'm not going to deny anything. Why should I? We've been lovers for a year and I'm proud of it. He means everything in the world to me and I'm glad that you know at last. We're sick to death of secrecy and compromise and all the rest of it. It was a mistake that I ever married you, I never should have done it, I was a fool. I never cared for you. We never had anything in common. I don't like the people you like and I'm bored by the things that interest you. I'm thankful it's finished.”

He watched her without a gesture and without a movement of his face. He listened attentively and no change in his expression showed that what she said affected him.

“Do you know why I married you?”

“Because you wanted to be married before your sister Doris.”

It was true, but it gave her a funny little turn to realise that he knew it. Oddly enough, even in that moment of fear and anger, it excited her compassion. He faintly smiled.

“I had no illusions about you,” he said. “I knew you were silly and frivolous and empty-headed. But I loved you. I knew that your aims and ideals were vulgar and commonplace. But I loved you. I knew that you were second-rate. But I loved you. It's comic when I think how hard I tried to be amused by the things that amused you and how anxious I was to hide from you that I wasn't ignorant and vulgar and scandal-mongering and stupid. I knew how frightened you were of intelligence and I did everything I could to make you think me as big a fool as the rest of the men you knew. I knew that you'd only married me for convenience. I loved you so much, I didn't care. Most people, as far as I can see, when they're in love with someone and the love isn't returned feel that they have a grievance. They grow angry and bitter. I wasn't like that. I never expected you to love me, I didn't see any reason that you should, I never thought myself very lovable. I was thankful to be allowed to love you and I was enraptured when now and then I thought you were pleased with me or when I noticed in your eyes a gleam of good-humoured affection. I tried not to bore you with my love; I knew I couldn't afford to do that and I was always on the lookout for the first sign that you were impatient with my affection. What most husbands expect as a right I was prepared to receive as a favor.”

Kitty, accustomed to flattery all her life, had never heard such things said to her before. Blind wrath, driving out fear, arose in her heart: it seemed to choke her, and she felt the blood-vessels in her temples swell and throb. Wounded vanity can make a woman more vindictive than a lioness robbed of her cubs. Kitty's jaw, always a little too square, protruded with an apish hideousness and her beautiful eyes were black with malice. But she kept her temper in check.

“If a man hasn't what's necessary to make a woman love him, it's his fault, not hers.”

“Evidently.”

His derisive tone increased her irritation. She felt that she could wound him more by maintaining her calm.

“I'm not very welleducated and I'm not very clever. I'm just a perfectly ordinary young woman. I like the things that the people like among whom I've lived all my life. I like dancing and tennis and theatres and I like the men who play games. It's quite true that I've always been bored by you and by the things you like. They mean nothing to me and I don't want them to. You dragged me round those interminable galleries in Venice: I should have enjoyed myself much more playing golf at Sandwich.”

“I know.”

“I'm sorry if I haven't been all that you expected me to be. Unfortunately I always found you physically repulsive. You can hardly blame me for that.”

“I don't.”

Kitty could more easily have coped with the situation if he had raved and stormed. She could have met violence with violence. His self-control was inhuman and she hated him now as she had never hated him before.

“I don't think you're a man at all. Why didn't you break into the room when you knew I was there with Charlie? You might at least have tried to thrash him. Were you afraid?”

But the moment she had said this she flushed, for she was ashamed. He did not answer, but in his eyes she read an icy disdain. The shadow of a smile flickered on his lips.

“It may be that, like an historical character, I am too proud to fight.”

Kitty, unable to think of anything to answer, shrugged her shoulders. For a moment longer he held her in his immobile gaze.

“I think I've said all I had to say: if you refuse to come to Mei-tan-fu I shall file my petition.”

“Why won't you consent to let me divorce you?”

He took his eyes off her at last. He leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette. He smoked it to the end without saying a word. Then, throwing away the butt, he gave a little smile. He looked at her once more.

“If Mrs. Townsend will give me her assurance that she will divorce her husband and if he will give me his written promise to marry you within a week of the two decrees being made absolute, I will do that.”

There was something in the way he spoke which disconcerted her. But her self-respect obliged her to accept his offer in the grand manner.

“That is very generous of you, Walter.”

To her astonishment he burst suddenly into a shout of laughter. She flushed angrily.

“What are you laughing at? I see nothing to laugh at.”

“I beg your pardon. I daresay my sense of humour is peculiar.”

She looked at him frowning. She would have liked to say something bitter and wounding, but no rejoinder occurred to her. He looked at his watch.

“You had better look sharp if you want to catch Townsend at his office. If you decide to come with me to Mei-tan-fu it would be necessary to start the day after to-morrow.”

“Do you want me to tell him to-day?”

“They say there is no time like the present.”

Her heart began to beat a little faster. It was not uneasiness that she felt, it was, she didn't quite know what it was. She wished she could have had a little longer; she would have liked to prepare Charlie. But she had the fullest confidence in him, he loved her as much as she loved him, and it was treacherous even to let the thought cross her mind that he would not welcome the necessity that was forced upon them. She turned to Walter gravely.

“I don't think you know what love is. You have no conception how desperately in love Charlie and I are with one another. It really is the only thing that matters and every sacrifice that our love calls for will be as easy as falling off a log.”

He gave a little bow, but said nothing, and his eyes followed her as she walked with measured step from the room.

她茫然地看着他，他所说的一切在一开始是那么出乎意料，她几乎都没明白是怎么回事儿。

“你究竟在说什么？”她用颤抖的声音说道。

甚至在她自己听起来这声音都不正常，她看到沃尔特板着的脸上露出了轻蔑的神情。

“恐怕你把我当成了彻头彻尾的大傻瓜了。”

她不知道该说什么好，迟疑着是否应该义愤填膺地为自己的清白辩解，还是用一串怒火中烧的斥责来回击。他似乎看出了她的想法。

“我已经得到了全部必要的证据。”

她开始哭了，泪水汩汩而出，但没有任何特别的痛苦，她并没有打算擦干它们。哭泣能给她腾出点儿时间整理一下思路，可是她的大脑还是一片空白。他冷漠地观察着她，他的这种冷静让她感到害怕。后来，他变得不耐烦了。

“现在哭还有用吗？你心里很清楚。”

他的声音是那么的冰冷和无情，反而激起了她的某种愤慨之情。她定了定神。

“我不在乎，我想你不会反对我和你离婚吧，这对一个男人来说算不上什么事儿。”

“恕我冒昧地问一句，凭什么由于你的缘故，我要让自己陷入哪怕是最微不足道的麻烦中呢？”

“这对你丝毫没有影响呀，只不过让你做得像个绅士。”

“我已经够绅士的啦，还要考虑到你以后的生活。”

现在她坐直了身子，擦干了眼泪。

“你什么意思？”她质问他道。

“除非汤森受到指控和你通奸，这样他才能和你结婚。这案子太丢人了，他妻子不得不和他离婚。”

“你不知道你在胡说些什么吧。”她喊了出来。

“你个蠢货。”

他的口吻非常轻蔑，她的脸因为愤怒涨得通红。因为她以前从没听到过他这样对她讲话，她听到的总是甜言蜜语、赞美奉承以及轻松愉快的事情，所以听到这话她更加愤怒。她已经习惯了他对于她每次的异想天开都百依百顺。

“如果你想要知道真相我就统统告诉你。他急不可耐地想娶我，多萝西·汤森也非常愿意和他离婚，只要我们一获得自由就马上结婚。”

“这些话是他告诉你的吗，还是你从他的行为中获得的感想？”

沃尔特的目光中闪烁着辛辣的挖苦，使得凯蒂有些不自在。她确实不太肯定查理是否真的说过这些话了。

“他一遍又一遍地这样说了。”

“那是谎言，而且你也知道这不过是骗你玩儿的。”

“他全心全意地爱着我。他爱我就像我爱他一样充满着激情。既然你已经发现了，我也就不想否认任何事了。我为什么要隐瞒？我们是情人关系已经一年了，我为此感到自豪。在这个世界上，对我来说他意味着一切，我很高兴你终于知道了这一点。我们已经厌倦偷偷摸摸、提心吊胆的生活了。嫁给你是我犯的一个错误，当初真不应该这样做，我是个傻瓜，我一点儿也不爱你，我们俩没有丝毫的共同点，我不喜欢你欣赏的人，我讨厌你感兴趣的那些事儿。谢天谢地，这种日子终于结束了。”

他纹丝不动地看着她，脸上没有任何表情。他听得很专注，但神情并没有什么变化，表明她的话并没有对他产生丝毫影响。

“你知道我为什么会嫁给你吗？”

“因为你想在你妹妹多瑞丝前面把自己嫁出去。”

这倒是真的，但多少让她觉得具有讽刺意味，她吃了一惊——他竟然了然于胸。说也奇怪，就在恐惧和愤怒的这一刻，她的心中产生一丝怜悯。这时，他也淡淡地一笑。

“我对你没抱什么幻想。”他说道，“我知道你愚蠢、轻浮、没头脑，但是我爱你；我知道你的目标和理想既粗俗又平庸，但是我爱你；我知道你是个二流货色，但是我爱你。想想都可笑，你开心的时候，我还得千方百计装作和你一样开心。我曾因得在你面前表现出我是一个愚昧、粗俗和爱传流言蜚语的蠢人而焦虑。我知道智慧会让你大惊失色，所以我竭尽全力让你觉得我和你所交往的男人们一样是个大傻瓜。我知道你嫁给我就是为了图省事，我是那么爱你，所以我不在乎。我所见到过的大多数人，当他们爱上某个人的时候，如果他们的爱没有得到回报，他们就会觉得委屈，就会变得愤怒和怨天尤人。我不像他们，我绝不指望你能爱上我，我找不出任何理由你应该爱我，也从没想过我自己有多值得爱。我心存感激，因为上苍允许我爱你，有时当我想到你和我在一起时，心中充满快乐，因为我注意到了在你眼中有一抹快活的神色，这种念头会让我欣喜若狂。我努力不让你对我的爱感到厌烦，如果你厌了、烦了，我知道我会受不了的。我总是小心翼翼地留神你对我的感情有不耐烦的蛛丝马迹，有些事情，大多数丈夫认为是自己的权利，而我会把它当成一种恩惠。”

凯蒂，早已习惯养尊处优，人人都呵护奉承她，她以前从没听到有人对她说过这样的话。于是，无名的怒火从她心中升起，驱散了恐惧，她似乎觉得胸口被什么东西堵住了，太阳穴的血管突突直跳。虚荣心受到伤害使一个女人产生的报复心甚至比一只幼崽被抢走的母狮子还要重。凯蒂的下巴，平时总显得太过四四方方，可这时像猿猴一样凸出，显得很丑陋，她漂亮的双眸闪烁着怨恨的黑色火焰，但是她最终控制住了自己的脾气。

“如果一个男人不能让一个女人爱他，那是那个男人的错，而不是那个女人的错。”

“完全正确。”

他嘲弄的口吻增加了她的恼怒，她觉得如果自己能保持冷静，就能够伤害到他。

“我受教育不多而且也不是很聪明，我只是一个非常普通的年轻女人，我喜欢的东西和我生活圈子里的人喜欢的东西一模一样，我喜欢跳舞、网球和戏剧，也喜欢运动型的男人。实话实说，我觉得你很乏味，对你喜欢的东西也不感兴趣，所有的这些我全都厌烦，全都不想要。你拽着我没完没了地逛威尼斯那些毫无趣味的美术馆，可我更喜欢去桑维治打高尔夫球。”

“我知道。”

“如果我没能成为你理想中的妻子我很抱歉，更不幸的是，我总是对你在身体上有种排斥，但你不能因为这一点而责怪我。”

“我没有怪你。”

假设他暴跳如雷，凯蒂可能还更容易应付这种局面。她本来能以暴制暴，还以颜色的。他的自控力简直是非人性的。虽然她以前从来没有恨过他，但现在她开始恨他了。

“我觉得你简直就不是个男人。为什么当你知道我和查理在屋里的时候你不闯进来？至少你应该想着要痛打他一顿呀。你害怕了？”

但是，说这话的一刻她的脸红了，因为她感到了羞愧。他没有说话，但是在他的眼中她读出了冰冷的鄙视，他的嘴角闪着一丝不易察觉的冷笑。

“本来应该那样，就像历史上的人物决斗一样，但我不屑于打架。”

凯蒂实在想不出用什么话来回击他了，耸了耸肩。他盯着她好一会儿。

“我认为我已经说完了要说的话，如果你拒绝去湄潭府，我就撤回申请。”

“为什么你不同意跟我离婚？”

最后他把目光从她身上移开了，靠在椅子上点着了一支香烟，直到把烟抽完也没再说一句话。然后，他扔掉了烟蒂，淡淡地一笑，再一次看着她。

“如果汤森太太向我承诺会跟她丈夫离婚，而他同样向我做出书面承诺要娶你，在一周之内两份协议生效，我就同意跟你离婚。”

他说话的方式中有某种东西让她不安，但是她的自尊迫使她只能接受他的条件，而且是以一种大义凛然的态度。

“你真是慷慨大度极了，沃尔特。”

让她大吃一惊的是，他突然爆发出一阵大笑，她愤怒的脸又涨得通红。

“你在笑什么？我看不出有什么可笑的。”

“请你原谅，我只能说我的幽默感与众不同。”

她皱着眉看着他，想说些刺耳和伤人的话，但是一时又想不起。他看了看手表。

“如果你想在办公室里找到汤森，你最好麻利点儿。如果你决定跟我去湄潭府，后天就得动身了。”

“你想让我今天就告诉他？”

“人们常说时不我待。”

她的心开始跳得快了起来，不是因为不安，到底是因为什么，自己也说不清楚。她原本希望时间能够再拖得长些，好让查理有所准备。但是，她对查理充满信心，他爱她如同她对他的爱一样多——或许他不太愿意接受这强加在他们头上的胁迫，这种念头在她脑海中一闪而过。不，这简直是对他们爱情的亵渎。她很严肃地转过身对着沃尔特说道：

“我认为你不知道爱情是什么，你对我和查理两人之间彼此热烈的爱情完全没有概念，它是我们生命中唯一重要的东西，如果让我们为了爱情做出牺牲，我们会毫不犹豫。”

他向她微微鞠了一躬，但是什么话也没有说，目送着她昂首挺胸走出房间。