Mike Fletcher by George Moore (ebook pc reader .txt) 📕

And Never Even Waited To Ask The Name Or The Address! Well,  I Suppose

I Must Believe That You Are In Love. But You Have Not Heard.... They

Say I'm Dying. I Have Only One Lung Left. Do You Think I'm Looking

Very Ill?"

"You Are Looking More Lovely Than Ever. My Love Shall Give You

Health; We Shall Go--Where Shall We Go? To Italy? You Are My Italy.

But I'm Forgetting--Why Did You Not Answer My Letter? It Was Cruel Of

You. Deceive Me No More,  Play With Me No Longer; If You Will Not Have

Me,  Say So,  And I Will End Myself,  For I Cannot Live Without You."

"But I Do Not Understand,  I Haven't Had Any Letter; What Letter?"

"I Wrote Asking You To Marry Me."

They Walked Out Of The Flower Market On To The _Promenade Des

Anglais_,  And Mike Told Her About His Letters,  Concealing Nothing Of

His Struggle. The Sea Lay Quite Blue And Still,  Lapping Gently On The

Spare Beach; The Horizon Floated On The Sea,  Almost Submerged,  And

The Mountains,  Every Edge Razor-Like,  Hard,  And Metallic,  Were Veiled

In A Deep,  Transparent Blue; And The Villas,  Painted White,  Pink And

Green,  With Open Loggias And Balconies,  Completed The Operatic

Aspect.

"My Mother Will Not Hear Of It; She Would Sooner See Me Dead Than

Married To You."

"Why?"

"She Knows You Are An Atheist For One Thing."

"But She Does Not Know That I Have Six Thousand A Year."

"Six Thousand A Year! And Who Was The Fairy That Threw Such Fortune

Into Your Lap? I Thought You Had Nothing."

Vanity Took Him By The Throat,  But He Wrenched Himself Free,  And

Answered Evasively That A Distant Cousin Had Left Him A Large Sum Of

Money,  Including An Estate In Berkshire.

"Well,  I'm Very Glad For Your Sake,  But It Will Not Influence

Mother's Opinion Of You."

"Then You Will Run Away With Me? Say You Will."

"That Is The Best--For I'm Not Strong Enough To Dispute With Mother.

I Dare Say It Is Very Cowardly Of Me,  But I Would Avoid Scenes; I've

Had Enough Of Them.... We'll Go Away Together. Where Shall We Go? To

Italy?"

"Yes,  To Italy--My Italy. And Do You Love Me? Have You Forgiven Me My

Conduct The Day When You Came To See Me?"

"Yes,  I Love You; I Have Forgiven You."

"And When Shall We Go?"

"When You Like. I Should Like To Go Over That Sea; I Should Like To

Go,  Mike,  With You,  Far Away! Where,  Mike?--Heaven?"

"We Should Find Heaven Dull; But When Shall We Go Across That Sea,  Or

When Shall We Go From Here--Now?"

"Now!"

"Why Not?"

"Because Here Are My People Coming To Meet Me. Now Say Nothing To My

Mother About Marriage,  Or She Will Never Leave My Side. I'm More Ill

Than You Think I Am--I Should Have No Strength To Struggle With Her."

Not Again That Day Did Mike Succeed In Speaking Alone With Lily,  And

The Next Day She And Her Mother And Major Downside,  Her Uncle,  Went

To Spend The Day With Some Friends Who Had A Villa In The Environs Of

The Town. The Day After He Met Mother And Daughter Out Walking In The

Morning. In The Afternoon Lily Was Obliged To Keep Her Room. Should

She Die! Should The Irreparable Happen! Mike Crushed The Instinct,

That Made Him See A Poem In The Death Of His Beloved; And He

Determined To Believe That He Should Possess Her,  Love Her And Only

Her; He Saw Himself A New Mike,  A Perfect And True Husband-Lover.

Never Was Man More Weary Of Vice,  More Desirous Of Reformation.

He Had Studied The Train Service Until He Could Not Pretend To

Himself There Remained Any Crumb Of Excuse For Further Consideration

Of It. He Wandered About The Corridors,  A Miserable Man. On Sunday

She Came Down-Stairs And Drove To Church With Her Mother. Mike

Followed,  And Full Of Schemes For Flight,  Holding A Note Ready To

Slip Into Her Hand,  He Wondered If Such Pallor As Hers Were For This

Side Of Life. In The Note It Was Written That He Would Wait All Day

For Her In The Sitting-Room,  And About Five,  As He Sat Holding The

Tattered Newspaper,  His Thoughts Far Away In Naples,  Algiers,  And

Egypt,  He Heard A Voice Calling--

"Mike! Mike! Mother Is Lying Down; I Think We Can Get Away Now,  If

There's A Train Before Half-Past Five."

Mike Did Not Need To Consult The Time-Table. He Said,  "At Last,

At Last,  Darling,  Come! ... Yes,  There Is A Train For The Italian

Frontier At A Few Minutes Past Five. We Shall Have Just Time To

Catch It. Come!"

But In The Gardens They Met The Major,  Who Would Not Hear Of His

Niece Being Out After Sunset,  And Sent Her Back. Mike Overtook Lily

On The Staircase.

"I Can Endure This No Longer," He Said; "You Must Come With Me

To-Night When Every One Is In Bed. There Is A Train At Two."

"I Cannot; I Have To Pass Through My Mother's Room. She Would Be Sure

To Awake."

"Great Scott! What Shall We Do? My Head Is Whirling. You Must Give

Your Mother A Sleeping Potion,  Will You? She Drinks Something Before

She Goes To Bed?"

"Yes,  But----"

"There Must Be No Buts. It Is A Case Of Life And Death. You Do Not

Want To Die,  As Many Girls Die. To Many A Girl Marriage Is Life. I

Will Get Something Quite Harmless,  And Quite Tasteless."

She Waited For Him In The Sitting-Room. He Returned In A Few Minutes

With A Small Bottle,  Which He Pressed Into Her Hand. "And Now,  _Au

Revoir_; In A Few Hours You Will Be Mine For Ever."

After Leaving Her He Dined; After Dinner Went To A Gambling Hell,

Where He Lost A Good Deal Of Money,  And Would Have Lost More,  Had The

Necessity Of Keeping At Least £200 For His Wedding-Tour Not Been So

Imperative. He Wandered About The Streets Talking To And Sometimes

Strolling About With The Light Women,  Listening To Their Lamentable

Stories--"Anything," He Thought,  "To Distract My Mind." He Was To

Meet Lily On The Staircase At One O'clock,  And Now It Was Half-Past

Twelve,  And Giving The Poor Creature Whose Chatter Had Beguiled The

Last Half-Hour A Louis,  He Returned Hurriedly To His Hotel.

The Lift Had Ceased Working,  And He Ascended The Great Staircase,

Three Steps At A Time. On The Second Floor He Stopped To Reconnoitre.

The _Gardien_ Lay Fast Asleep On A Bench; He Could Not Do Better Than

Sit On The Stairs And Wait; If The Man Awoke He Would Have To Be

Bribed. Lily's Number Was 45,  A Dozen Doors Down The Passage. At One

O'clock The _Gardien_ Awoke. Mike Entered Into Conversation With Him,

Gave Him A Couple Of Francs,  Bade Him Good-Night,  And Went Partly Up

The Next Flight Of Stairs. Listening For Every Sound,  Expecting Every

Moment To Hear A Door Open,  He Waited Till The Clocks Struck The

Half-Hour. Then He Became As If Insane,  And He Deemed It Would Not Be

Enough If She Were To Disappoint Him To Set The Hotel On Fire And

Throw Himself From The Roof. Something Must Happen,  If He Were To

Remain Sane,  And,  Determined To Dare All,  He Decided He Would Seek

Her In Her Room And Bear Her Away. He Knew He Would Have To Pass

Through Mrs. Young's Room. What Should He Do If She Awoke,  And,

Taking Him For A Robber,  Raised The Alarm?

Putting Aside Such Surmises He Turned The Handle Of Her Door As

Quietly As He Could. The Lock Gave Forth Hardly Any Sound,  The Door

Passed Noiselessly Over The Carpet. He Hesitated,  But Only For A

Moment,  And Drawing Off His Shoes He Prepared To Cross The Room. A

Night-Light Was Burning,  And It Revealed The Fat Outline Of A Huge

Body Huddled In The Bed-Clothes. He Would Have To Pass Close To Mrs.

Young. He Glided By,  Passing Swiftly Towards The Further Room,

Praying That The Door Would Open Without A Sound. It Was Ajar,  And

Opened Without A Sound. "What Luck!" He Thought,  And A Moment After

He Stood In Lily's Room. She Lay Upon The Bed,  As If She Had Fallen

There,  Dressed In A Long Travelling-Cloak,  Her Hat Crushed On One

Side.

"Lily,  Lily!" He Whispered,  "'Tis I; Awake! Speak,  Tell Me You Are

Not Dead." She Moved A Little Beneath His Touch,  Then Wetting A Towel

In The Water-Jug He Applied It To Her Forehead And Lips,  And Slowly

She Revived.

"Where Are We?" She Asked. "Mike,  Darling,  Are We In Italy? ... I Have

Been Ill,  Have I Not? They Say I'm Going To Die,  But I'm Not; I'm

Going To Live For You,  My Darling."

Then She Recovered Recollection Of What Had Happened,  And Whispered

That She Had Failed To Give Her Mother The Opiate,  But Had

Nevertheless Determined To Keep Her Promise To Him. She Had Dressed

Herself And Was Just Ready To Go,  But A Sudden Weakness Had Come Over

Her. She Remembered Staggering A Few Steps And Nothing More.

"But If You Have Not Given Your Mother The Opiate,  She May Awake At

Any Moment. Are You Strong Enough,  My Darling,  To Come With Me?

Come!"

"Yes,  Yes,  I'm Strong Enough. Give Me Some More Water,  And Kiss Me,

Dear."

The Lovers Wrapped Themselves In Each Other's Arms. But Hearing Some

One Moving In The Adjoining Room,  The Girl Looked In Horror And

Supplication In Mike's Eyes. Stooping,  He Disappeared Beneath A Small

Table; And Drew His Legs Beneath The Cloth. The Sounds In The Next

Room Continued,  And He Recognized Them As Proceeding From Some One

Searching For Clothes. Then Lily's Door Was Opened And Mrs. Young

Said--

"Lily,  There Is Some One In Your Room; I'm Sure Mr. Fletcher Is

Here."

"Oh,  Mother,  How Can You Say Such A Thing! Indeed He Is Not."

"He Is; I Am Not Mistaken. This Is Disgraceful; He Must Be Under That

Bed."

"Mother,  You Can Look."

"I Shall Do Nothing Of The Kind. I Shall Fetch Your Uncle."

When He Heard Mrs. Young Retreating With Fast Steps,  Mike Emerged

From His Hiding.

"What Shall I Do?"

"You Can't Leave Without Being Seen. Uncle Sleeps Opposite."

"I'll Hide In Your Mother's Room; And While They Are Looking For Me

Here,  I Will Slip Out."