Chapter 6 Chapter Six

While the two ladies were talking about Basil Kent, he was standing on a little bridge in St. There is no more beautiful scenery than this: the quiet stream glows silver against the moon, the shadows of the trees are thick, and the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks arrogant and stable, which is perfect, and not inferior to Claude. Any well-painted formal painting by Lorraine.The evening was pleasantly warm and cloudless; there was a pleasant stillness, unlike Piccadilly, which at that hour was always full of frolic and entertainment.It reminded Basil of some peaceful old towns in France.At this moment, he began to feel a rare elation, for at last he was absolutely sure of one thing: that Mrs. Murray loved him.Though he could not have failed to notice Mrs. Murray's pleasure in looking at him and interest in his conversation before, he had not dared to speculate any further.But that very evening, when they met, Mrs. Murray held out her hand to him, and he was surprised to see a blush in her cheeks, which caused him to blush suddenly.He took her into the dining room, and the touch of Mrs. Murray's fingers on his arm burned him like fire.She spoke very little, but listened to him with the utmost attention, as if looking for the words in his words, and her eyes always averted in fear when they met by chance.But at the same time, she looked like she was looking forward to it with some strange eagerness, as if she had been promised something big and good, and although there was some fear, she was eagerly looking forward to it.

Basil recalled Mrs. Murray entering the drawing-room, and his admiration for her graceful manners and the graceful hem of her gown.She was a tall woman, almost as tall as Basil, with a slightly childish, sinuous figure; her hair was neither dark nor light, and her gray eyes implied Warmth, the smile is very sweet, so it is especially attractive.Even though her face is not very beautiful, her charming expression and white skin give people the impression that the women in Sandro Botticelli's works are slightly sad but extremely charming : Their eyes are full of an incomprehensible melancholy, suggesting the pain of a hidden and suppressed passion, and Mrs. Murray has their very elegant posture.But for Basil, Mrs. Murray's greatest charm also comes from her desire to protect others, as if she is ready to protect Basil from all the troubles of the world, which is Basil's feeling of.It immediately made him feel proud, humbled and grateful.He longed to hold her loving hand, longed to kiss her lips; he seemed to have felt her slender, white arms around his neck, drawing him close to her with motherly love. heart of.

Mrs. Murray looked more beautiful than ever that night.She stood erect in the corridor, talking to Basil, and waiting for her carriage.Her cloak was so beautiful that Basil could not help admiring it, and she blushed a little with pleasure at Basil's noticing, and looked down at the damask brocade of the cloak, which resembled those of the eighteenth century. The fabric is just as gorgeous. "I bought it in Venice," she said, "but I always felt that it didn't fit me. And I couldn't resist it because it looked so much like one of the robes in the portrait of Catherine Cornaro in the gallery." .”

"Only you deserve it," replied Basil with twinkling eyes, "and it overwhelms everyone." She smiled shyly and said good night to Basil. Basil Kent was no longer the carefree young man Frank had known at Oxford.At that time, he was always prone to be caught up in the turmoil of emotions, like leaves in the wind; the depression caused by the failure of some interest in him may soon be overwhelmed by ecstasy.At that time, life seemed so good, and he, who was never used to thinking deeply, could always easily rejoice in the various colors and changing beauty of life; he had already determined to write a book, so this prolific young man began Write continuously.And when he realizes with shame and frustration that the world is dirty and dirty (he discovers his mother's infidelity), he feels that he can no longer hold his head up as a human being.After the first bout of nausea, however, Basil began to loathe his own feelings; he loved that vile woman more than anyone else, and he was now firmly on her side.He should not have judged and condemned her, but had come to his aid and protected her when she was humiliated.Couldn't he have shown his mother that there were better things in life than admiration and entertainment, jewels and finery?He decided to find her and take her to the continent of Europe, to a place where they could hide themselves; moreover, this might be a good opportunity to get closer to the relationship between mother and child. In the past, although Basil blindly worshiped his mother, but It was also painful because she couldn't walk into her heart.

Mrs Vizard was still living at her husband's Charles Street residence, and Basil had rushed there on the day the charges were dropped.He imagined that his mother might be huddled in a corner of the room, afraid of the bright light of day, haggard and weeping like rain; and his tender heart was only sympathy, bleeding because of the pain he imagined his mother.He'll walk up to her, kiss her, and say, "Mom, here I am. Let's get out of here and start a new life together. The world is so big, there's always room for us. I love You love me more than anyone, and I will do my best to be a good and faithful son."

He rang the doorbell, and a short while later, a butler he had known for many years opened the door for him. "Miller, may I see my wife now?" he said. "Yes, sir. Madame is having lunch. You can go to the dining room." Basil went in, but saw many hats on the hall table. "Anyone else here?" he asked in surprise. Before the housekeeper could answer, there was a burst of laughter from the adjacent room.Basil suddenly felt a heavy blow. "Is the lady throwing a party?" "Yes, sir." Basil looked at the butler in frustration, unable to understand everything in front of him; he wanted to ask him, but was ashamed to ask him.The truth is sometimes so startling.The servant's presence seemed insulting, since he had also given testimony at that abominable trial.How could her mother bear those false, servile faces?After seeing the fear in the young man's eyes and the pale face, Miller looked away in embarrassment.

"Would you tell Madame I've come and would like to speak to her? I'll wait for her in the morning room. I suppose no one else will go there?" Basil waited for about a quarter of an hour, and then he heard someone open the door of the dining room, and a lot of people went upstairs, talking and laughing loudly.Then came the mother's voice, as clear and confident as ever: "Please have fun. I'm going to see someone, and no one will be allowed to leave until I come back." Not long after, Mrs. Vizard appeared, with the smile still on her lips, and the questions Basil had doubted during the waiting period immediately had a clear answer.Mother was neither depressed nor ashamed, but she was as alert as ever, no less dignified or proud than when she was last seen.He thought his mother would be wearing coarse linen, however!She wore pakan robes, with that fearless boast that only she could bear.The jet-black eyes flashed, and it was the same gorgeous hair, that extravagant pomp, rich colors with the charm of the gypsy royal family.She was tall, well-built, and thought herself very tall, walking like an oriental queen.

"Honey, it's great of you to come!" she exclaimed, showing her beautiful teeth in a smile, "I guess you wanted to congratulate me on my win. But why didn't you come to the restaurant? There But it's very interesting. You really should make yourself more elegant." She poked her head out and put her cheek in front of Basil, waiting for his kiss—this is undoubtedly a cute and trendy one at the same time. What his mother would do, but Basil chose to back off.Even his lips suddenly turned pale. "Why didn't you tell me about these things?" he asked hoarsely.

Mrs. Vizard smiled slightly, and took out a cigarette from the box on the table. "Honey, I really don't think that's your business." Then, she lit her cigarette, exhaled two very good smoke rings, and looked at her son with half contempt and half amusement. "I didn't expect you to have a party today." "They insisted on coming, and besides, I needed to do something to celebrate my victory." She smiled slightly. "My God! You don't know how lucky it is. You read my cross-examination Is it? That thing saved me." "Save you from what?" cried Basil gravely, with rage. "Did it save you from disgrace? Yes, I've read every word of it. First, I don't believe it's true." of."

"And then?" Mrs. Vizard asked calmly. "But that's true, and a lot of people have come forward and provided proof. My God! How can you do this! You are the person I admire most in this world...I thought about your shame, so I came here, thinking To help you. Don't you realize the terrible shame? Mother, mother, you can't go on like this! God knows, I don't mean to blame you. Come with me, we go to Italy and start a new life life……" His vehement words were finally interrupted by the amused look in Madam Vizard's icy eyes. "You're talking like I'm divorced. How absurd that is! If that's the case, maybe it's good to be away for a while, but even so, I still need to face it. But do you think I'm running away now ? My son, don't be so stupid!"

"You mean to stay in a place where everyone knows you? Are you not afraid of them pointing at you in the street and telling each other dirty stories? And, no matter how dirty the stories are, They are all real." Madam Vizard shrugged. "You're being a bit of a nosy!" she said contemptuously, proud of her French accent, "if you think I'm going to hide in some shabby outback town, or worry about the loss of Florence You just don't know me well if the status society brings an extra stigma. I'll be anywhere, I'll be in all the theaters, operas and racetracks. Some friends look down on me now, But you'll see, in a few years, I'll get over it. After all, I'm no better than a lot of people, if bourgeois people know something they didn't know about My business - I don't care. I got rid of my pig husband, and it was worth it all for it. After all, he knows what the truth of the matter is; Too much money." "Aren't you ashamed?" asked Basil in a low voice, "or sorry?" "My dear, only fools repent. I didn't do anything I'd never do again—except those two men I married." "Are you going to stay here as if nothing happened?" "Don't be silly, Basil," said Mrs. Vizard gruffly. "Of course I won't continue to live in this house. Ernest Torrens has a better cottage in Currency Street." It’s still empty, so he decided to lend it to me.” "But, mother, you can't have him. It's too disreputable. For God's sake, don't have more to do with these men." "Really? I can't abandon my old friends just because my husband accused them of being co-defendants." Basil approached his mother and put his hand on her shoulder. "Mum, you can't say that. I know I'm stupid and clumsy—I can't express my words sometimes. God knows, I don't mean to preach to you, but the things you don't think are honor and duty, clean and Pure? Of course, there are others... You don't have to blame yourself. Don't bother what people say, let's drop everything and fly away!" "Honey, this is hilarious," Mrs Vizard responded.At the same time, her complexion also began to deteriorate. "If you don't have a more interesting proposal than that, we'd better go to the living room...Would you like to come with me?" She went to the door, but Basil stopped her. "You can't go yet. After all, I am your son, and you have no right to humiliate yourself." "So, what do you want to do?" Mrs Vizard's smile at the moment suggested that she was on the verge of an outburst. "I don't know, but I will find out. If you no longer have the honor to protect yourself, then I must come out to protect you." "You presumptuous child, how dare you talk to me like that!" Mrs. Vizard turned to look at him as she spoke, her eyes flickering with fear, "What do you mean by coming here to teach? You Poor self-important man! I suppose it comes from your family, because your father used to be like that." As Basil looked at her, anger overwhelmed all other emotions; sympathy was gone, and he was no longer trying to hide his anger. "How stupid of me to believe you wrong all these years! I used to bet my life on your innocence. And when I read those pleadings, even though the jury was still in doubt, I knew That's the truth." "Of course it's true!" she cried defiantly. "Every word is true, but they can't prove it." "Now, I'm ashamed of being your son." "You don't have to do anything for me, my good son. You already have your own income. Do you think I want a clumsy and uneducated nerd to hang around all day?" "I know who you are now and you terrify me. I hope I never see you again. I'd rather my mother be some miserable woman in the street than you!" Mrs Vizard rang the bell. "Miller," she said when the butler came in, as if she had forgotten about Basil, "I need the carriage at four o'clock." "Yes, ma'am." "You know I'm going out to dinner, right?" "Yes, ma'am." Then she pretended to think of Basil who was watching her silently, his face was pale and he could hardly control himself. "Miller, you can take Mr. Kent out. If he asks to see me again, you can say I'm not home." She watched him dismissively as he walked out, resuming her party hostess look. Basil then went to the Cape of Good Hope, where he, unwilling to return to England, stayed for three years until the end of his service.At first, his shame was too much to bear, and his sorrows tormented him day and night; but as he grew farther and farther from the continent of Europe, and finally set foot on African soil, the humiliation became more and more humiliating. Faded.The pains of his heart were assuaged by the hard work of his squadron assigned to the interior of Africa; the drudgery of cavalry, the long marches, the excitement and the novelty, all drained his energies, and so his The quality of sleep started to get better than ever before.Then there is the toil and tedium of war.He has experienced the days of starvation, severe heat and extreme cold.But it's these things that bring him closer to the very people he was trying to escape in the first place, and he's moved by their crass humor, their mutual help—and, of course, their sympathy when they're sick.His former general distaste for humanity vanished as he saw people face everything together in the intimacy of their difficulties.And when at last he went into battle as he wished, out of fear of dying, he suddenly felt a joy that would make life more worth living.At this time, sin, filth, and ugliness all disappeared, and people stood shoulder to shoulder to fight as in ancient times, blood burned in their veins, and death walked among the fighting crowd; here, death is neither trivial nor dirty Dirty and not mean. In the end, Basil decided, it wasn't brave to just hide there.Because the talents he possessed did not bring him any opportunities in the Cape of Good Hope.So, determined to return to London, he began to proudly hold his head up and show himself bravely to people.He felt more and more self-reliant because he knew that he had been able to face fatigue and desire positively, and the medal on his chest showed that he was not lacking in courage. On his return to London at last he applied to be a member of Lincoln's Bar, and studied law in earnest while trying to publish some of the small works he had written during the war.Although some wind and rain he experienced made him a little taciturn and fell in love with introspection, deep down in his heart, the spirit of enlightenment and optimism was not necessarily less than before, so he stepped into a new era with burning hope. field.At times, however, his room in the Temple Quarter seemed utterly lonely.He is a man who longs for a family, wishes for a woman to take care of him, wishes to hear the rustle of skirts often, or the voice of affection and love in his ears, this is his nature. necessity.Now it seemed that the last regret in his life could be redeemed, because Mrs. Murray had just given him the affection he needed, and he, still doubtful of himself, longed for her support. Then, Basil, who was thinking, frowned, because in the joy of his new life, a doubt that he had forgotten for a while suddenly arose.He walked off the bridge and wandered into the darker part of the boulevard, hands behind his back; and for a long time he walked up and down among the trees, bewildered and frustrated.It was late at night, and there were almost no people outside; many poor homeless people were lying on the chairs by the roadside sleeping, extruding in chaotic and grotesque postures, and a policeman followed them quietly. One day a few months ago, instead of eating in the cafeteria, Basil went to a pub in Fleet Street, where behind the bar he spotted a particularly pretty young girl with whom he was immediately attracted.Her freshness was so attractive in that tawdry place, the tawdry decor as gloomy as the London fog; and though no man accosted the barmaid during his meal, he could not help Live to make some common comments.To this the girl responded haughtily (the tavern is obviously a place for learning wit), and her smile added to her delicate face an extra charm.This intrigued him, but also excited him, because no one had ever impressed him more with sheer beauty alone.Basil told Frank Herrier, the doctor then at St. Luke's, that he had found the loveliest girl in London in Fleet Street.Doctor Frank had made fun of his friend's passion, and to justify his remark Basil insisted on taking Frank again to the Golden Crown one day as they passed Fleet Street.Afterwards, he went a couple of times by himself, and the barmaid grew to know him, giving him a friendly nod now and then.Basil liked romantic fantasies, so he soon had some grotesque fantasies about this lovely girl: in order to beautify her profession, he turned back the time in his imagination and imagined the girl as a knight and armored warrior delivering sacks. The maid, imagined to be the immortal gods distributing Herb's nectar; after he told these fantasies of his to the girl, who blushed, though she did not fully understand, were the regulars of the bar (admittedly admirers of ) to the effect that even obscene compliments could do nothing.Basil thought that blush was the most attractive thing he had ever seen. As a result, he went to the Golden Crown more often, usually at tea time when there were fewer customers.They become more and more friendly, discussing the weather, the customers, or the news of the day.Basil found that half an hour often passed by in the blink of an eye in her company, and Basil was perhaps flattered that the barmaid seemed to take more care of him than the other guests.He arrived a little later than usual one afternoon and was delighted to find that when he appeared the girl had a bright smile like sunshine on her face. "Mr. Kent, I'm afraid you won't come!" Now, she started calling him by his first name, and the girl's name was Jenny Bush. "Do you mind if I don't come?" "It will be a little bit." At this time, another waitress at the Golden Crown Bar walked up to her. "Jenny, it's your turn to rest tonight, isn't it?" "yes." "What are you going to do?" "I don't know," Jenny replied, "I don't have any plans yet." As she was talking, a customer came in, and Jenny's friend shook hands with him. "I guess it's the same stuff as usual, huh?" she said. "Would you like to hang out with me?" Basil asked softly, "We can have dinner first, and then go wherever you want." The suggestion flashed through his mind, and he said it without thinking.There was a gleam of joy in Jenny's eyes. "Yes, I'd love to. Pick me up here at seven, will you?" At this moment, a short man with obvious dentures and a smug expression walked in.Basil knew vaguely that this man was engaged to Jenny, and he could often be seen winking at the bar and drinking copious amounts of whiskey and soda. "Jenny, shall we go out to dinner?" he said. "I can book a table at Tivoli if you like." "I'm afraid it won't be tonight, Tom," she replied, blushing a little. "I've got other plans." "What arrangement?" "A friend promised to take me to the theater." "Who?" The man asked with a fierce look on his face. "It's my business, isn't it?" replied Jenny. "If you don't tell me, I'm leaving." "I won't stop you, will I?" "Give me a whiskey and soda, quick!" The man said rudely, as if reminding Jenny that she was there waiting to serve him.Basil blushed, he was a little angry, and wanted to tell the man that he should be more careful and polite when speaking, but Jenny stopped him with her eyes.Jenny silently gave the guest what he ordered, and the three of them sat quietly without speaking. Before long the new visitor finished his drink and lit a cigarette.He looked at Basil suspiciously and struck up a conversation, trying to get to know him better, but Basil just looked at him and didn't think talking to him was a good idea. "Good-bye, then!" he said to Jenny. After he leaves, Basil asks why Jenny doesn't dump him, which is better than annoying him outright. "I don't care," cried Jenny, "I'm sick of his behavior. I'm not married to him yet, and if he won't let me do what he wants now, he can opt out." They dined together in a restaurant in Soho, and Basil, in high spirits for the little adventure, was delighted at the pleasure of discovering the girl.Such pleasures were good for him, and his satisfaction was not diminished by his busy admiring Jenny's beauty.She was shy, but when Basil began to please her, she smiled beautifully and blushed at the same time: he began to want to be of practical value to her, because she seemed to have a very pleasant personality. nature; he could give her new ideas and perspectives on the beauty of life that were certainly new to her.She wore a hat, he wore a plain dress, and they sat in the back row of the second-story balcony; but even so, all this was an unusual luxury for Jenny, who usually only stayed in the main hall. It’s just watching a show on the back seat or on the third floor.Towards the end of the performance, she turned to Basil and looked at him fondly. "I'm so happy today," she cried. "It's more fun to go out with you than with Tom, who's always trying to save money." They then returned in a cab to the Golden Crown, where Jenny lived, sharing a room with another waitress. "Will you go out with me again?" Basil asked. "Of course I would. You are so special compared to other guys who go to bars. You are a gentleman and treat me like a lady. That's why I liked you in the first place, because you didn't take me lightly: You always call me Miss Bush..." "I'd rather call you Jenny." "You can call me that," she replied, smiling and blushing again, "the other guys who come to bars always think they can do anything to me, but you never do Tried to kiss me." "It's not because I don't want to, Jenny," replied Basil, laughing. She didn't answer, but she smiled and looked at him with tender eyes; he would be a complete fool if he didn't see the invitation in those eyes.He slid his hand around her waist and kissed her, yet surprised by her lack of resistance to his embrace, and that momentary movement suddenly turned into a kiss so passionate that Basil felt his limbs tremble. Started shaking.The carriage stopped at the Golden Crown Bar, and he helped her out of the carriage. "Good night." The next day, when he went to the tavern again, Jenny blushed even more, but she still greeted him with a touch of intimacy, which was very satisfying to Basil, who had been in a lonely state for a long time.It made him very content—someone was finally interested in him.Freedom is good, but men always yearn for someone, longing for their own arrival or departure, their own health or disease is no longer something that others don't care about at all. "Don't go yet," Jenny said, "I have something to tell you." He waited until the last guest got up and left. "I've broken off my engagement with Tom," she said. "Last night, he was waiting across the street and saw us going out together. This morning, he came over and got mad at me. I told him if he didn't like it, he You can opt out. Then he throws a tantrum and I tell him I don't want anything to do with him again." For a while Basil just looked at her in silence. "But, Jenny, do you like him?" "No. I don't want to see him at all. I liked him in the past, but it's different now. I'm happy to get rid of him." Basil could not help thinking then that it was for him that Jenny had broken off her engagement with Tom.He was curious and shocked, and his heart was full of pride and pride, but at the same time, he was worried that he had caused great harm to Jenny. "I'm sorry," he said dryly, "I thought I might have hurt you." "You won't stop coming because of this, will you?" She looked at his doubtful face and asked uneasily. What he thought at first was that the sudden break might be good for both of them, but he couldn't bear to have those beautiful eyes tarnished because of him.And when he saw that Jenny's eyes were filled with tears, he quickly put aside this idea. "No, of course not. If you want to see me, of course I'd be more than happy to come." "Promise me you'll come here every day." "I'll come over as often as I can." "No, that doesn't count. You have to come every day." "Okay, I promise you." He was moved by her enthusiasm. If he still couldn't see Jenny's true feelings for him, he would be a fool. However, he, who was used to introspection, never asked his own feelings.He hoped to be a good influence on her, and vowed never to let her be harmed because of him.She was so different from what he thought the average barmaid was, that he thought it should be easy to induce some thoughts of personal dignity in her; he wanted to take her out of that lower profession , put her in an environment that is more conducive to her study; although she has worked in the Golden Crown Bar for three years, her temperament is still innocent, but in such an environment, she can't stay out of the mud forever, If he can help her move towards a better life, it seems to be more proof of his friendship to her.The most obvious result of these considerations was that Basil was now in the habit of taking her out to dinner and theater in the evenings when she was not working. Never before had anyone attracted her so much by his courteous behavior and novel conversations as this young lawyer: although she sometimes did not understand what he said, she was still delighted by it, and , like all women, she pretended to understand, and it made Basil feel that she was not as ignorant as he thought she was.At first she was frightened by Basil's courteousness to her, for she was accustomed to more casual treatment, and Basil always treated her with the dignity and decency of a duke; As a result, admiration and awe turned into love, and finally evolved into blind admiration that Basil never imagined.She always wondered why, except on the first night they went out together, Basil never kissed her again, and only kissed her hand when they parted; the only thing they had achieved in three months. The only progress was that she started calling him by his Christian name out of habit. Spring has finally come.On Fleet Street and on the beach, flower girls are selling beautiful spring flowers, and their flower baskets add a little color to this gloomy city.Sometimes the spirit of the country cheers the dispirited souls weary of long and monotonous toil: the sky is blue, and under the same blue sky there are green meadows and leafy trees. .At times, the western sky would be filled with cloud clusters, dazzlingly beautiful in the sun, and turning a golden rose red as the sun went down.Their brilliance can cover the entire street, so that the blackened water vapor also glows milky white, and every heart is moved by this beautiful London town. A mild night in May, when the air was soft and fragrant, was enough to lighten heavy steps and relieve weary thoughts--and in a strangely sad form of joy.It was night when Jenny and Basil dined at a small restaurant they used to frequent in Soho.Afterwards they went to the music hall, but on that sweet evening the noise and the blinding glare of the hall were unbearable; the dark and agreeable street beckoned them, and soon Basil suggested that perhaps They can get out of this dreary place.Jenny readily agreed, because the singer made her feel listless, and an unprecedented restlessness made her heart beat violently with some indescribable longing.They walked into the night, and for a while, Jenny stared at Basil with wide-open eyes, a strange mixture of fear and the most primitive wild desire of human beings in her eyes. "Let's go to the embankment," she whispered to Basil. "It's quiet there." They looked at the quietly flowing river, the large shops on the opposite bank, and the chaotic night sky dotted with bright stars.The gleam of these solitary lamps, like malicious eyes, gave mystery to the square pile of dirty bricks, suggesting some hideous tale of illicit passion and sin.It was at low tide, and under the stone wall, a long and narrow stretch of sand was shimmering; but the Waterloo Bridge with simple arches was unusually neat, and those yellow, yellow, and white lights left traces on the water. Gorgeous reflection.Nearby, there are three ships docked, their silhouettes can only be vaguely seen by the red lanterns hanging on the hull; they have incredible magic power, because even though they have been abandoned, they still symbolize the vigorous life and passion And servitude: he dwelt upon the widening rivers, strong men, romantic in all their filth and cruelty, making an eternal pilgrimage to the sea, to a vast world . 他们沿着威斯敏斯特桥慢慢地走着，迂回的堤坝上的光被奇怪地反射过来，所以，火红的水面上惊现一片森林，而水中的倒影似乎本应是一座神秘而无形的城市。虽然这是个美好的夜晚，空气中还满布着春日的芬芳，然而短程的行走让他们觉得很累，他们的肢体开始变得如铅般沉重。 “我走不回去了，”珍妮说，“我太累了。” “那我们叫一辆马车吧。” 巴兹尔叫住了一辆双轮双座马车载他们回家。他给了车夫弗利特街金皇冠酒吧的地址。巴兹尔和珍妮没再说话，然而这沉默仿佛预示了比言语更为重要的东西。最终，珍妮爆出一个似乎不属于自己的声音，就像那话语是生生被拽出来一样，以此打破了让彼此都深感压抑的沉默。 “巴兹尔，为什么在我们出去的第一个晚上之后，你便不再吻我了？” 她并没有看着他，他则装作没有听到，然而珍妮却感到了他四肢的颤抖。她的喉咙开始变得燥热，一阵恐怖的焦虑席卷了她。 “巴兹尔。”她声音嘶哑地叫道，坚持要向对方寻一个答案。 “因为我并不在意这事。” 她现在可以清楚地听见自己胸中的悸动，而车夫也像是一边行车，一边在心里暗暗地下着赌注。他们就这样在漆黑的堤坝上疾驰着。 “但是我希望你那么做。”她狠狠地说。 “珍妮，我们不要自欺欺人了。” 尽管嘴上这么说着，他却被一股更强劲的力量所控制，一边说着，一边去吻珍妮的唇；因为他对这份甜蜜已忍耐多时，这甜蜜便有了双倍的滋味。她则像个野兽一样，伸出双臂紧紧抱住他，她的身体散发出来的暗香驱走了所有的疑虑：于是，他也顾不得道上有没有路人，热切地将她紧紧搂到自己胸前。巴兹尔为珍妮的美丽而疯狂，这顺从美人的屈服反倒使巴兹尔更富有激情，他为那个似乎永无止境的吻而疯狂，在他的整个一生当中，还从未有过如此狂喜。他的心像风中的树叶一样颤抖不止。 “珍妮，你会跟我到我家去吗？”他在珍妮的耳边低语道。 她并未做出回答，却让自己的身体与他靠得更近了。他掀开马车顶上的幕帘，告诉了马车夫他家的地址。 一周以来，甚至是一个月以来，巴兹尔一直因这个女人将爱奉献给了他而感到自豪、陷入狂喜；他开始更加自信地面对这个世界，生命也开始有了新的内容与活力。然而不久，这一浪漫的冒险便演化为有些庸俗的密谋，当回忆起过去那洁白纯净的理想时，他发现自己已放弃了崇高的追求，感到追悔不已。他的这份爱不过是昙花一现的念头，哀伤中透着喜悦，他沮丧地认识到，珍妮已经将心灵和身体都交付给了他：珍妮付出的是不朽的激情，相比而言，自己的感情可说是非常冷淡。他每日都在点燃着珍妮的激情，因此，他已变为珍妮生活中的必需品，如果他由于太忙而没去见他，他便会收到一封充满渴望的来信，这类令人感到同情的来信总是充满了拼写错误，表达也很笨拙，然而目的却只有一个：恳求他去找她。珍妮是很苛求的，因此，尽管对巴兹尔而言，金皇冠酒吧已日渐失去其吸引力，然而他却不得不坚持每日前往。这女孩完全没有受过教育，他们一起度过的傍晚也变得日渐沉重——现在，他们不再去剧院，而是待在巴兹尔的房间里。他发现，谈话往往会非常困难。他意识到，他的手脚都被套上了锁链，更让人无法忍受的是，它们除了带来了令人惧怕的疼痛外，没有带来任何实质上的东西。他是个不太会处理此类事情的人，也常常问自己，这样下去的结果会是什么；有好几次，他下定决心要同珍妮分手，但每每等到实际面对珍妮时，看到她对自己的感情依赖，他便顿时勇气全无。六个月来，在巴兹尔心里，这段关系已降级至一种习惯而维持了下去。 但仅仅是靠着反复地提醒自己现已不是自由之身，巴兹尔才得以抑制住自己对莫里太太的感情，他想到，他对莫里太太的感觉是远异于从前任何感觉的。现在，他迫切地想要斩断使他降格的那段过去，并从此过上一种崭新而有益的生活：尽管可能会付出代价，但他必须要和珍妮一刀两断。他知道莫里太太想要在冬天出国去，而他自己也确实没有不去意大利的理由；这样，他便能偶尔见到她，并在六个月后，光明磊落地向她求婚。 在理清了自己的思绪并下定决心之后，巴兹尔结束了他的独自漫步，开始慢慢地向皮卡迪利大街走去。经过白日的喧嚣后，此刻这里的安静显得极不自然，甚至还有些诡异，似乎让人难以置信；大街则是庄严、空洞又宽广，被安静所横扫，也因平静的河流而放松下来。空气纯净又清澈，却可以激起回响，因此，只是一辆马车便能使整个地方显得喧嚣起来，马匹那咔嗒咔嗒的有力奔跑会在空气中久久回荡。排成一行的电灯因为它们的规则而给人留下深刻的印象，压倒一切而又稳重无比，在各家房顶上闪烁着，冷漠又猛烈；往低处，灯光使得公园笔直的栏杆及近处的树木显出了形状，也突出了远处枝叶茂密的黑暗之地的轮廓。闪烁其间的煤油灯的黄色火焰亮过了一串大小不一的褪色宝石。四周寂静无声，但除了打开着的窗户，其余都为一片白的房屋却有着一种别样的沉默；这些沉睡的房屋都已关好了门窗，闩上了门闩，虽然装点了人行道，然而却没有秩序，也并不庄严，似乎缺少了人类的嘈杂之音与进进出出的熙熙攘攘，它们便失去了所有的意义。