Chapter 15 Chapter two

Mrs. Edward Stringale said she was very much looking forward to seeing Basil tonight; and Frank, after grooming, began to watch the young man dress with great emotion.After one last look in the mirror, Basil turned around. "You look great," Frank quipped. "Shut up!" replied Basil, blushing.But obviously, he is not very satisfied with his appearance at the moment. They went to dinner at Frank's respectable club, surrounded by men engaged in the scientific business, with the cheerfulness of a student.After ten o'clock they drove to Kensington.Basil was dissatisfied with the frugality he had to practice after his marriage, and the wealth of Mrs. Edward Stringale's house seemed to him all the more attractive.A lightly made-up servant took his hat, another servant his coat.After the experience of shuffling around in the cramped cabin of Barnes, Basil was especially fond of moving about in the large, tall great room, richly decorated in the worst Victorian style.Mrs. Edward Stringale's beautiful wig was a little askew today, and a necklace of sparkling diamonds hung around her aging neck.Mrs Edward Stringer welcomed Basil with a seemingly nonchalant welcome, and then turned to the next guest.Basil then began to pace the room, and inadvertently found himself meeting Mrs. Murray's eyes.

"Ah! I'm so glad to see you here!" he exclaimed, surprised and excited. "I didn't know you were back. Come, let's go and sit down, and tell me all you've seen." "It's all trivial things, and I won't talk about it. You must tell me everything that's happened. I know your book has been announced." At this moment, Basil suddenly discovered that Mrs. Murray was so beautiful that even he himself was surprised by this new discovery.He often thought of her against his will, but the images he recalled in his mind were less radiant, less vibrant.Even in his imagination, Basil does not exaggerate her as Sandro Botticelli's Madonna, but only misses her sad mouth and pale oval face.Tonight, however, her vitality was charming; her gray eyes were full of laughter, and her cheeks were flushed with joy.He looked at her beautiful hands and recognized the ring, and her picturesque and delicate coat.The scent that emanated from her reminded Basil of their happy encounters, and of her house in Charles Street, where they used to sit and talk about all sorts of interesting things.At this moment, he felt extremely heartbroken, because he knew that he had always loved her, and it was no less than the night before he got married, when he knew that she also cared about him.

"I don't think you're listening to me at all," she cried. "No, I am," he replied, "but your voice intoxicates me. It's like Italian music. I haven't heard such beautiful music for many years." "When was the last time I saw you?" she asked.Although she remembered it clearly in her heart, she desperately wanted Basil to say the answer. "I did not speak to you until the Thursday before, in your carriage near Westminster Bridge, on a Sunday afternoon. I remember the coat you wore then. You still have it ?" "Your memory is really good!"

She spoke casually, but with a triumphant gleam in her eye; for Basil looked as if she had completely forgotten her visit to his house, and he remembered only the moment when they had each other's fancy. "I often think back to our long conversations," he said, "and I would never have written that book if it weren't for you." "Yeah, before you got married, right?" She smiled and said these few words inadvertently, but it was also a wound to her.But Basil's face suddenly turned pale, an unspeakable pain blinded his eyes, and his lips also began to tremble.Mrs. Murray watched him curiously and cruelly.Sometimes, when she was angry, she wanted revenge for all the suffering she had endured, and that was just the beginning.She told herself that she hated him very much.Then she saw Mr. Farley, the well-dressed vicar, and smiled at him.As she expected, the pastor came over.

"Did you get my letter?" she asked, holding out her hand. "Thank you very much. I have written back to accept." Her inquiry was not without bitterness, for she wanted Basil to know that she extended some kind of invitation to Mr. Farley.Basil then reluctantly rose from Mrs. Murray's side, and our clergyman took his place.After Basil left, a heartbroken Mrs. Murray greeted the new entrant with a compliment, though unusual, but very cordial. "My God! Isn't this the chaste Lucretia? How did you come here?" After hearing his mother's mocking voice, Basil suddenly became pale and stiff.

"Mr. Herrier brought me here," he replied. "He is indeed careful to bring you to the most uninteresting part of London, but it is also the most respectable. How is Camberwell? Have you had your evening tea?" "My wife is at Brighton now," replied Basil, humiliated as always by Mrs Vizard's jeers. "I don't want to meet her here. It's a pity you're really pretty and you're so stupid!" She nodded to her son and left.After a while, she ran into Miss Ley who was observing the various people with great interest. "How have you been lately?" Mrs. Vizard asked.

"I didn't expect you to remember me," replied Miss Ley. "I read in the newspaper that you have inherited the inheritance of that hateful Miss Doris. Don't you know that since this incident, many people have been unable to forget you?" After she finished speaking, she did not wait Miss Ley replied. "Are you my young boy's friend? I just saw him, and I don't know why he hates me so much. I guess he thinks I'm immoral, but I'm not, really. I don't know what evil I did. I did do some stupid things, some things I regret, but that's about it."

"I'd love to hear someone confess to me," whispered Miss Ley. At this moment, Lord De Capiter came towards Mrs. Vizard, and Miss Ley took advantage of the momentum to move towards Mrs. Barlow Bassett, who was, as expected, talking enthusiastically with the Castingyans. "It's a real relief to hear him being a very good boy," Miss Ley heard her say. "He never hides anything from me, and I assure you he has nothing to tell anyone. Hidden secrets." "Who is so worthy of respect?" asked Miss Ley. "I'm thanking Mrs. Castinyoung for being so good to Reggie. He's at an age where he needs the influence of some women—good women—and that's important to him."

"Reguinald is the model of all virtuous people," said Miss Ley softly, "and Mrs. Carsting Young is the embodiment of mercy." "You're flattering me so much that it confuses me," the lady responded with a smile, thanks to the blush on her cheeks that concealed the blush of shame. She took some time to get Miss Ley alone with herself and find a place to sit.Mrs. Castingyoung's demeanor was so casual that no one could see that she was trying to solve a serious problem. "You must despise me very much, Miss Ley?" she said. "why?" "I assure you, I haven't seen Reggie again, I don't know if you thought about it when you heard Mrs. Bassett's words?"

"At least it saves you the trouble of lying to me." "I'm not lying. I wish I had someone to talk to me frankly. Oh! What a wretched woman I am!" When she said these words, she was still so expressionless that those who were outside the range of hearing might think that she was just saying the most insignificant things. "I did my best," she went on, "and I endured it for a month. Then I found I couldn't live without him. I found myself like a woman in one of those old tales, under some love spell, and so again I can't help myself. I think you will call me a fool, but I think Isolde and Feder must have experienced this deep feeling. I have no will, no courage, and what's worse, the whole thing This thing is a great shame. You really have no reason not to despise me, for I despise myself. God knows where it will end; I always feel that something terrible is going to happen. One day, Paul It will all be discovered, and then it will all be ruined, and I will throw it all away for this poor, despicable rascal."

"Don't speak so loudly," said Miss Ley, as Mrs. Castingyoung raised her voice a little. "Do you think he's going to marry you?" "No, he used to tell me he wouldn't marry me. And I won't marry him now; I know him too well. Oh! I wish I had never met him. He never Don't care about me, he knows I'm completely in his power, so he treats me like a whore. I've been punished badly." Her eyes scanned the room and found Reggie talking to Mrs. Murray. "Look at him," she went on to Miss Ley, "even now I would give him my soul to take me in his arms and kiss me. I don't care how dangerous it is, And I don't care if it's a shame, as long as he loves me alone." Now, the well-dressed Reggie spoke calmly and gracefully, which made him look like a mature man in his forties.His dark and lustrous eyes fixed on Mrs. Murray, and his smile and lustful expression showed that he was attracted by Mrs. Murray's beauty.Looking at the scene in front of her, Mrs. Kastingyang was jealous and angry at the same time, almost going crazy. "She's got her chance," murmured Mrs. Castingyoung. "She's a widow, rich, and younger than I am. But I don't want my poor enemy to fall miserably into that man." trap." "My God! Why can't you pull yourself together? Have you given up the idea of ​​parting with him altogether?" "Yes," she replied in despair, "I don't want to struggle any more. Just let it happen. I don't care now, it's fate. Unless he treats me like a tired toy Generally throw it aside, otherwise, I won't leave him." "What about your husband?" "Paul? Paul is ten times better than that man. If I hadn't been so unlucky, I might not have discovered Paul's goodness." "Then you are not ashamed to treat your husband like this?" "Whenever I think about this question at night, I can't sleep. Every gift he gave me is like a sharp sword piercing my heart; his kindness to me has also become the most unbearable Painful. But I still can't control myself." Miss Ley thought for a while. Then she said: "I have just spoken to Mrs Vizard. I don't think there is a pious woman in London who would give in so easily to the flames of love, and then think she is in fact a very good woman." Likewise, I don’t think our mutual friend, Reggie, would see anything wrong with his behavior. It made me realize that the only bad people in the world are those with a conscience.” "Then do you think I have a conscience?" asked Mrs. Castingyoung bitterly. "Of course you are. I didn't see a trace of it until I met you in Rochester. But I think it's just the beginning, and things will come to the surface. Be careful not to sink in any deeper. I I feel that there are still many dangers waiting for you." "What do you mean by that?" Despite the rouge, Mrs. Castingyan's face was haggard and pale.Miss Ley looked at her with her penetrating eyes. "Have you ever considered confessing everything to your husband?" "Oh, Miss Ley, Miss Ley, why do you say that?" She forgot restraint.Involuntarily excited, both hands clenched together in pain. "Be careful. Remember, everyone can see you now." "I forgot." After a while, she finally regained her usual calm, "I think about this question day and night. Sometimes, when Paul is nice to me, I can't help but want to tell He. There was a terrible force in me to tell him, and I knew that one day I would not be able to keep my mouth shut and tell him everything." Over the past six months, Mrs. Kastinyoung has aged considerably and is painfully aware of her loss of beauty, and she has resorted to more cosmetic techniques.Her hair color was also getting unnatural, she wore eyeliner and put too much powder on her face.She also behaved more and more erratically, so being with her was sometimes painful.She talked more and more loudly, and her laughter became sharper and more frequent.However, the good mood she used to maintain because of her complete indifference to the world has now become a completely impossible disguise, and even her feelings for herself are just utterly miserable.Her life had been smooth sailing before.She possesses wealth sufficient to satisfy all her whims.Never before had she longed for something so desperately that without it everything would be eclipsed: yet now, having had no such experience before, she was suffering endless troubles.This violent passion had completely overwhelmed her, and she was in agony when she suddenly realized that it was her turn to suffer.She had no illusions about Reggie.He was extremely selfish and insensitive to her pain.She had already discovered that tears could not win him the slightest sympathy.He is only willing to act according to his own wishes, and when she wants to resist, he will use cruel methods to make her realize the truth. "If you don't like me, you can get out. You're not the only woman in the world." On the whole, however, he is very humorous-this is his greatest advantage; and when he is happy, he still listens to Mrs. Casting Young occasionally.His whining could be avoided by simply taking him to the theater; he was always anxious to get into the upper circles, and an invitation to a party from some well-to-do family could soften him all week.But he never allowed her to dominate him, and Mrs. Kastingyang's occasional jealousy was met with his merciless ridicule, which made her feel very painful.In addition, she was very afraid of him, because she knew that if she wanted to protect herself, he would definitely betray him without hesitation.However, no matter what, she still loved him so passionately, and even caused her own personality to be affected a lot.Mrs. Kastingyang, who never knew how to restrain herself before, has become more cautious in her actions, for fear of offending this dissolute child.She began to be extremely courteous to avoid his constant references to her age and fading charm.In excruciating pain, she learned a level of tenderness and self-control she never knew before.In her daily life, she also suddenly became kind, especially in front of her husband, she was no longer as irritable as before.Her husband's love for her was obviously a rare comfort, and she knew that she was still as lovable to him as when he fell in love with her.