第76章 SALVATION OF A FORSYTE(6)

'What?' he thought, 'more of that infernal music!' Margit, leaning over him, whispered: "Listen! Racoczy! It is forbidden!" Swithin saw that Rozsi was no longer in her seat; it was she who was striking those forbidden notes.He looked round--everywhere the same unmoving faces, the same entrancement, and fierce stillness.The music sounded muffled, as if it, too, were bursting its heart in silence.

Swithin felt within him a touch of panic.Was this a den of tigers?

The way these people listened, the ferocity of their stillness, was frightful...! He gripped his chair and broke into a perspiration;was there no chance to get away? 'When it stops,' he thought, 'there'll be a rush!' But there was only a greater silence.It flashed across him that any hostile person coming in then would be torn to pieces.A woman sobbed.The whole thing was beyond words unpleasant.He rose, and edged his way furtively towards the doorway.There was a cry of "Police!" The whole crowd came pressing after him.Swithin would soon have been out, but a little behind he caught sight of Rozsi swept off her feet.Her frightened eyes angered him.'She doesn't deserve it,' he thought sulkily; 'letting all this loose!' and forced his way back to her.She clung to him, and a fever went stealing through his veins; he butted forward at the crowd, holding her tight.When they were outside he let her go.

"I was afraid," she said.

"Afraid!" muttered Swithin; "I should think so." No longer touching her, he felt his grievance revive.

"But you are so strong," she murmured.

"This is no place for you," growled Swithin, "I'm going to see you home.""Oh!" cried Rozsi; "but papa and--Margit!""That's their look-out!" and he hurried her away.

She slid her hand under his arm; the soft curves of her form brushed him gently, each touch only augmented his ill-humour.He burned with a perverse rage, as if all the passions in him were simmering and ready to boil over; it was as if a poison were trying to work its way out of him, through the layers of his stolid flesh.He maintained a dogged silence; Rozsi, too, said nothing, but when they reached the door, she drew her hand away.

"You are angry!" she said.

"Angry," muttered Swithin; "no! How d'you make that out?" He had a torturing desire to kiss her.

"Yes, you are angry," she repeated; " I wait here for papa and Margit."Swithin also waited, wedged against the wall.Once or twice, for his sight was sharp, he saw her steal a look at him, a beseeching look, and hardened his heart with a kind of pleasure.After five minutes Boleskey, Margit, and Kasteliz appeared.Seeing Rozsi they broke into exclamations of relief, and Kasteliz, with a glance at Swithin, put his lips to her hand.Rozsi's look said, "Wouldn't you like to do that?" Swithin turned short on his heel, and walked away.

V

All night he hardly slept, suffering from fever, for the first time in his life.Once he jumped out of bed, lighted a candle, and going to the glass, scrutinised himself long and anxiously.After this he fell asleep, but had frightful dreams.His first thought when he woke was, 'My liver's out of order!' and, thrusting his head into cold water, he dressed hastily and went out.He soon left the house behind.Dew covered everything; blackbirds whistled in the bushes;the air was fresh and sweet.He had not been up so early since he was a boy.Why was he walking through a damp wood at this hour of the morning? Something intolerable and unfamiliar must have sent him out.No fellow in his senses would do such a thing! He came to a dead stop, and began unsteadily to walk back.Regaining the hotel, he went to bed again, and dreamed that in some wild country he was living in a room full of insects, where a housemaid--Rozsi--holding a broom, looked at him with mournful eyes.There seemed an unexplained need for immediate departure; he begged her to forward his things;and shake them out carefully before she put them into the trunk.He understood that the charge for sending would be twenty-two shillings, thought it a great deal, and had the horrors of indecision."No," he muttered, "pack, and take them myself." The housemaid turned suddenly into a lean creature; and he awoke with a sore feeling in his heart.

His eye fell on his wet boots.The whole thing was scaring, and jumping up, he began to throw his clothes into his trunks.It was twelve o'clock before he went down, and found his brother and Traquair still at the table arranging an itinerary; he surprised them by saying that he too was coming; and without further explanation set to work to eat.James had heard that there were salt-mines in the neighbourhood--his proposal was to start, and halt an hour or so on the road for their inspection; he said: "Everybody'll ask you if you've seen the salt-mines: I shouldn't like to say I hadn't seen the salt-mines.What's the good, they'd say, of your going there if you haven't seen the salt-mines?" He wondered, too, if they need fee the second waiter--an idle chap!

A discussion followed; but Swithin ate on glumly, conscious that his mind was set on larger affairs.Suddenly on the far side of the street Rozsi and her sister passed, with little baskets on their arms.He started up, and at that moment Rozsi looked round--her face was the incarnation of enticement, the chin tilted, the lower lip thrust a little forward, her round neck curving back over her shoulder.Swithin muttered, "Make your own arrangements--leave me out!" and hurried from the room, leaving James beside himself with interest and alarm.