In the Cage by Henry James
page 67 of 121 (55%)
page 67 of 121 (55%)
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She was on the point, at this, of imitating with her hand his movement of shortly before; but she checked herself, and there was no want of effect in her soothing substitute. "How can you? How can you?" He had, too manifestly, only to look at it there, in the vulgarly animated gloom, to see that he couldn't; and at this point, by the mere action of his silence, everything they had so definitely not named, the whole presence round which they had been circling, became part of their reference, settled in solidly between them. It was as if then for a minute they sat and saw it all in each other's eyes, saw so much that there was no need of a pretext for sounding it at last. "Your danger, your danger--!" Her voice indeed trembled with it, and she could only for the moment again leave it so. During this moment he leaned back on the bench, meeting her in silence and with a face that grew more strange. It grew so strange that after a further instant she got straight up. She stood there as if their talk were now over, and he just sat and watched her. It was as if now--owing to the third person they had brought in--they must be more careful; so that the most he could finally say was: "That's where it is!" "That's where it is!" the girl as guardedly replied. He sat still, and she added: "I won't give you up. Good-bye." "Good-bye?"--he appealed, but without moving. "I don't quite see my way, but I won't give you up," she repeated. "There. Good-bye." It brought him with a jerk to his feet, tossing away his cigarette. His |
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