American library books Β» Other Β» The Golden Bowl by Henry James (free ebook reader for android TXT) πŸ“•

Read book online Β«The Golden Bowl by Henry James (free ebook reader for android TXT) πŸ“•Β».   Author   -   Henry James



1 ... 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 ... 203
Go to page:
not to⁠—?”

β€œWould make me have to speak of him. And I can’t,” said Maggie, β€œspeak of him.”

β€œYou β€˜can’t’⁠—?”

β€œI can’t.” She said it as for definite notice, not to be repeated. β€œThere are too many things,” she nevertheless added. β€œHe’s too great.”

The Prince looked at his cigar-tip, and then as he put back the weed: β€œToo great for whom?” Upon which as she hesitated, β€œNot, my dear, too great for you,” he declared. β€œFor me⁠—oh, as much as you like.”

β€œToo great for me is what I mean. I know why I think it,” Maggie said. β€œThat’s enough.”

He looked at her yet again as if she but fanned his wonder; he was on the very point, she judged, of asking her why she thought it. But her own eyes maintained their warning, and at the end of a minute he had uttered other words. β€œWhat’s of importance is that you’re his daughter. That at least we’ve got. And I suppose that, if I may say nothing else, I may say at least that I value it.”

β€œOh yes, you may say that you value it. I myself make the most of it.”

This again he took in, letting it presently put forth for him a striking connection. β€œShe ought to have known you. That’s what’s present to me. She ought to have understood you better.”

β€œBetter than you did?”

β€œYes,” he gravely maintained, β€œbetter than I did. And she didn’t really know you at all. She doesn’t know you now.”

β€œAh, yes she does!” said Maggie.

But he shook his head⁠—he knew what he meant. β€œShe not only doesn’t understand you more than I, she understands you ever so much less. Though even I⁠—!”

β€œWell, even you?” Maggie pressed as he paused. β€œEven I, even I even yet⁠—!” Again he paused and the silence held them.

But Maggie at last broke it. β€œIf Charlotte doesn’t understand me, it is that I’ve prevented her. I’ve chosen to deceive her and to lie to her.”

The Prince kept his eyes on her. β€œI know what you’ve chosen to do. But I’ve chosen to do the same.”

β€œYes,” said Maggie after an instantβ β€”β€œmy choice was made when I had guessed yours. But you mean,” she asked, β€œthat she understands you?”

β€œIt presents small difficulty!”

β€œAre you so sure?” Maggie went on.

β€œSure enough. But it doesn’t matter.” He waited an instant; then looking up through the fumes of his smoke, β€œShe’s stupid,” he abruptly opined.

β€œO⁠—oh!” Maggie protested in a long wail.

It had made him in fact quickly change colour. β€œWhat I mean is that she’s not, as you pronounce her, unhappy.” And he recovered, with this, all his logic. β€œWhy is she unhappy if she doesn’t know?”

β€œDoesn’t know⁠—?” She tried to make his logic difficult.

β€œDoesn’t know that you know.”

It came from him in such a way that she was conscious, instantly, of three or four things to answer. But what she said first was: β€œDo you think that’s all it need take?” And before he could reply, β€œShe knows, she knows!” Maggie proclaimed.

β€œWell then, what?”

But she threw back her head, she turned impatiently away from him. β€œOh, I needn’t tell you! She knows enough. Besides,” she went on, β€œshe doesn’t believe us.”

It made the Prince stare a little. β€œAh, she asks too much!” That drew, however, from his wife another moan of objection, which determined in him a judgment. β€œShe won’t let you take her for unhappy.”

β€œOh, I know better than anyone else what she won’t let me take her for!”

β€œVery well,” said Amerigo, β€œyou’ll see.”

β€œI shall see wonders, I know. I’ve already seen them, and I’m prepared for them.” Maggie recalled⁠—she had memories enough. β€œIt’s terrible”⁠—her memories prompted her to speak. β€œI see it’s always terrible for women.”

The Prince looked down in his gravity. β€œEverything’s terrible, cara, in the heart of man. She’s making her life,” he said. β€œShe’ll make it.”

His wife turned back upon him; she had wandered to a table, vaguely setting objects straight. β€œA little by the way then too, while she’s about it, she’s making ours.” At this he raised his eyes, which met her own, and she held him while she delivered herself of some thing that had been with her these last minutes.

β€œYou spoke just now of Charlotte’s not having learned from you that I β€˜know.’ Am I to take from you then that you accept and recognise my knowledge?”

He did the inquiry all the honours⁠—visibly weighed its importance and weighed his response. β€œYou think I might have been showing you that a little more handsomely?”

β€œIt isn’t a question of any beauty,” said Maggie; β€œit’s only a question of the quantity of truth.”

β€œOh, the quantity of truth!” the Prince richly, though ambiguously, murmured.

β€œThat’s a thing by itself, yes. But there are also such things, all the same, as questions of good faith.”

β€œOf course there are!” the Prince hastened to reply. After which he brought up more slowly: β€œIf ever a man, since the beginning of time, acted in good faith!” But he dropped it, offering it simply for that.

For that then, when it had had time somewhat to settle, like some handful of gold-dust thrown into the air⁠—for that then Maggie showed herself, as deeply and strangely taking it. β€œI see.” And she even wished this form to be as complete as she could make it. β€œI see.”

The completeness, clearly, after an instant, had struck him as divine. β€œAh, my dear, my dear, my dear⁠—!” It was all he could say.

She wasn’t talking, however, at large. β€œYou’ve kept up for so long a silence⁠—!”

β€œYes, yes, I know what I’ve kept up. But will you do,” he asked, β€œstill one thing more for me?”

It was as if, for an instant, with her new exposure, it had made her turn pale. β€œIs there even one thing left?”

β€œAh, my dear, my dear, my dear!”⁠—it had pressed again in him the fine spring of the unspeakable. There was nothing, however, that the Princess herself couldn’t say. β€œI’ll do anything, if you’ll tell me what.”

β€œThen wait.” And his raised Italian hand, with its play of admonitory

1 ... 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 ... 203
Go to page:

Free e-book: Β«The Golden Bowl by Henry James (free ebook reader for android TXT) πŸ“•Β»   -   read online now on website american library books (americanlibrarybooks.com)

Comments (0)

There are no comments yet. You can be the first!
Add a comment
πŸ“š Book genres: