Moth and Rust; Together with Geoffrey's Wife and The Pitfall

et sensuels: toutes les femmes sont perfides, artificieuses, vaniteuses, curieuses et dépravées: ... mais

d de M

by carriages, but by large numbers of people on foot. At last the cabman

ions as you're a-as

said

re as the fire

e f

ostly burnt out. You can'

d Janet. The Brands lived

proaching, urbane, helpful, not

ies" had already arrived with the same object but could not be taken in, advised her to turn back and go with

r later made her way on foot through the

d with the Brands, and Janet's face was not quickly forgotte

spectacle. Grave men in high hats and over-long buttoned-up frock-coats greeted each other silently, and then produced passes which admitted them to the jealously guarded iron staircase. The other staircase was burnt out at

stood together, silent, stupefied, broken wi

ed by the magnitude of the unseen disaster above, whic

tically. "No lives lost. Two residents shook. One

aid the hall porter call

he now?" en

rand was still in her bedroom. The fire broke out, cause unbeknownst, at ten o'clock yesterday morning precisely.

," corrected

and?" said

the main staircase afore it got well alight; at least, she was found unconscious-like three fl

is gone," sai

e him at once," said Janet, at last realizing t

aid the lift man. "Mr Brand is with her, and t

ran down the steps, and disappeared into a b

nstant," said Janet, shakin

him, but it had obviously run down from overwinding. He slowly led the way through a swing door, and down a da

was no

or, went in, and cl

back towards her, his face to the wall, in the tiny antechambe

ight in the passage, which shone fe

. His death-white face was the only thing visible.

e lean, sallow, wrinkled face, with its retreating forehead and dyed hair, and waxed, turned-up moustaches. One of the waxed ends had been bent, and drooped forl

?" said Jan

key Brand, his chin shak

ilently opened the inner d

ing for you, sir,

d, and he went back i

oked enquiri

iend," said Janet. "

oor thing," said the nurse; "a

lliard-room, and remained stan

prints, and lit by a skylight, on to which opaque bodies, ev

ar the door the nurse had methodically arranged a line of towels and basins

per light, was hot and still, and s

resses and striped sofa cushions, a white, rigid

d bending over her, kissed, without rai

speak it seemed to Janet that she had never

ing death, there was a great yearning towards her husband, and behind the yearning an a

d past the last outpost of endurance to t

could not raise her hands, to which death had

lifelessly, strikin

id Monkey Brand, and he hid his face

and her wide eyes wandered away past it, set

t?" she sai

brought Ja

y, her calm smile a little tremulous, her f

" said Cuckoo, and she s

assed

her husband, as he wiped them away with a shaking brown hand

Monkey Brand, his face twitching. "Yo

e said, "

inge, was illuminated. A sort of shadow of Cuckoo's

l go outside, and wait till Janet comes to you. And then," she looked at her hus

ll hes

she said, "and tak

test wish, was ingrained years deep in him. He got upon

or shut?"

es

d make

o the door,

is s

y me. I can't

knel

t's coming. I can't hold on. There is no time for being surprised, or for explanations. There's no

said

remembered her husband, and summoned her old courage. She spoke quickly, with the clearness and precision whi

on't turn away. There's not time. Keep all that for later-when I'm gone. And don't drive me to distraction by thinking th

say it, but let it die with you. Don't bre

face. How slow she was! What a blunt

trusted me absolutely. I deceived him-for years. The child is not Arthur's. Arty is not Arthur's. I never was really sorry until a year ago, when he-the other-left me for some one else. He said he had fallen in love with a good woman-a snowflake." Even now Cuckoo set her teeth at the remembrance of that speech. But she hurried on. "That was the time I fell ill. And Arthur nursed me.

, and then went on wit

ng, but I did not really mind-except for leaving Arthur, for he told me all our flat was burnt and everything in it, and I only grieved at leaving him. But this morning, when the place was cold enough for people to go up, Arthur told me-he thought it would please me-that my sitting-room, and part of the other rooms, were still standing with everything in the

etallic voice we

years, and that Arty is not his child.

silence; the ice

hat hell I go to, if only Arthur might stay loving me

want me to do

do it;-and it may not be burnt out at the top as they say. If it really is burnt out, you must go up by the iron staircase. If they won't let you pass, bribe

rought to bay, r

me think. I had it on. I know I had it on. I wear the pearls against my neck, unde

t lo

w the nurse put something down

e is a miniature of

alarm reached me. Look on me.

erated by the nurse's scissors, still retained the semblance of a

go up, and burn the letters. There are a good many, but you will know them because they are tied with my hair. The lowest left-hand drawer, remember.

wil

ever happens, you will never tell a

romi

swear

wear

now go. Go at once. And throw away the key when you have locked up the cabinet. I shall not be able to be alone with you again, Janet. Arthur won't leave me a second time. When you come back, stand where I can see you; and if

ce turned with dog-like expectancy towards the billiard-room door,