Judge breathed hard, and looked dark under the eyes, but he made no attempt to draw nearer.
"What's wrong, Isbel?"
"You are cruel!…"
"I cruel…?"
"Oh, go away from me-altogether!…"
She turned her back on him, and bent her head.
"Will you listen to me?…I have no right…"
"I know. You've told me a thousand times already…You put law first, love second."
"I demand a very small assurance from you, but that assurance I must have. Are you free now?"
"I won't say-I refuse to answer. I'll have everything, or nothing from you." She wheeled round furiously. "If I'm not worth that, I'm worth nothing at all…"
The scent of violets and primroses seemed to come in with the breeze through the open window, while Isbel's voice, like soft brass, thrilled the ear with its strange range of tones. She stood there, confronting him-a warm, passionate girl, in sweet clothes-as though she were a second self, his own soul reflected from a magic mirror. Among the whole world of human beings, they two alone possessed the entry into each other's innermost nature…That delicately-modelled woman's mouth, which had just uttered such words of scorn-if he pleased, in another instant it should break into the loveliest smiles…
As they faced one another in silence, the music out-of-doors recommenced without warning. It was the same everlasting tune. Isbel twitched impatiently, and abruptly turned her back on Judge again…But thjough the theme was the same, the execution was markedly different that she had to listen, despite her agitation. The playing was faster, higher, lighter, and staccato. The lingering, haunting sweetness was transformed into a delicate and triumphant dance; the very sunshine which flooded the room seemed suddenly to become more joyous and ethereal…Without understanding, or wishing to understand, how the change had been effected, she felt her brow clearing, her heart lightening…
Judge waited until the last note had died down, and then said, in a low voice:
"I find I'm not as strong as I thought I was…so I'm yours, to do what you like with. Tell me to jump out of the window, and I'll do it. You're the only person in the world for me."
Chapter XVI THE MUSICIAN DEPARTS
Isbel commenced unbuttoning her left-hand glove, with slightly trembling fingers.
"Something is to go out our the window, but not you," She removed the diamond ring from her third finger, and eyed it pensively, before handing it to him…"Throw it out! Let strange find strange. I never should have worn it."
"Better to return it to the giver."
"As long as I carry it about with me, I haven't cast off the past. Do as I say. That episode is finished."
Judge, without further demur, took the ring to the window and dropped it out.
"That's done!" said Isbel, drawing a deep breath. "We shall have no more anxiety from that quarter."
Raising her ungloved hand, he bent over and kissed it submissively. She offered no resistance, but closed her eyes, as if to think the better, reopening them only when he had relinquished her fingers.
"Had your wife been still alive, would you have done as much for my sake, I wonder?"
"Don't doubt it. I would have sacrificed everything. But let the poor girl rest in peace. Fortunately, my loyalty wasn't put to the test during her lifetime."
"That magic word 'loyalty'! How can we be loyal to those to whom we don't naturally belong? You mean, fortunately you were enabled to act a living lie with her, without either of you suspecting the fact…You know you never loved her."
"What has been, has been. Whatever we felt towards each other, after all, she ws my dear companion. You can't grudge her that."
Isbel laughed lightly. "I grudge her nothing. If you assured me you loved her, even I should accept your word…But you didn't. Love doesn't come twice in a lifetime…However, to avoid competition, it seems I must aim at higher things than being a mere dear companion."
"You must be aware that, in that sense, companionship is impossible between us," said Judge, in a low voice.
"Tell me why?"
"Because I am a man, and you are a beautiful girl, and all our ways and thoughts are strange and foreign to each other. Because my place is not standing face-to-face with you, exchanging incomprehensible ideas, but at your feet, smothering the hem of your skirt with kisses…" He stopped abruptly.
Her eyes danced. "But why waste precious kisses on inanimate cloth?"
"You're quite justified in laughing-I know my language sounds exaggerated…Pardon me, I'm excited!"
"And I-am I cool, do you think?…Now finish it all-and kiss me quickly!…"
Judge looked at her slowly. "You grant me this favour without my asking it?"
"Do you want it in writing, to make quite sure?…Oh, what are we here for? Why have we been brought to this place, except for this very one purpose? For half an hour I've done nothing else but count the minutes disappearing, one by one…"
"Isbel!" He approached her, almost as if disbelieving.
"Did you imagine that women's feelings had been left out of my anatomy?" laughed Isbel, pressing both cheeks with her fingers in an automatic attempt to cool them.
But as they were on the point of meeting, the music sounded again through the open window. Its scrape ws so strangely insistent that they remained where they were until the interruption should come to an end; a moment afterwards, however, Isbel walked quietly to the window to see what could be seen, resuming her former attitude of leaning one arm on the sill.
The tune was as before, but once more its interpretation was varied. The gaiety had gone out of it, and it now possessed a swift, smooth strength which curiously suggested an incoming tide. Neither of the other versions had been half as beautiful; it was like a quick, tragic, irresistible summary of all which had gone before. Nothing had changed in the landscape. The sun shone, the trees waved, the brook glittered at the foot of the chalk hill, the musician remained half-concealed, half-visible, as his body swayed in unison with the rhythm of the theme. The entering breeze brought with it the smell of growing life, while, as an undertone to the music, many a soft cry of nature reached Isbel's ear. But as she continued to listen it seemed to her as if the world were at last moving, after a long, enchanted dream-as if a current had begun to run, and things could no longer be what they had been hitherto…
Her heart deepened. She felt suddenly that she had up to now been playing with life, but that reality had at length clutched her in its grip grasp, and now she must show what stuff she was made of. She was like a bather for whom a river proves too strong, and who is being walked downstream step by step, struggling in vain for footholds, until her waist is covered, and she must either swim or resign herself to be carried away to death…Her old happiness was past recovery. It rested with herself whether she were to be borne along backwards, looking after it despairingly, or whether she should throw herself audaciously into this new element, confiding in her strength and courage to bring her to safety…She realised that this was the moment she had been waiting for all her life…
The music stopped. Isbel faced round towards Judge, but did not stir from the window.
"These interruptions have a strangely agitating effect," he said, with a quiet smile. "Apparently he means neither to take notice of us nor leave us in peace. I see you are rather deeply moved."
"And you are not?"
"When you are present, music can be no more than a decoration of life. You are the centre of the piece, and the disturbing factor. If he plays again, I shall suggest that we return to the other room. We have seen everything here there is to see."
"You wish to resume where we left off, but I don't think we can…Henry, can't you understand that all this has a meaning? Don't you see that it's carrying us higher and higher? If you have forgotten your own words, I haven't."