第10部分(第2/7 頁)

r　why　you　say　that　…　that　it　would　not　seem　so　to　me。〃

Katherine　laughed。　〃I　don't　really　know。　I　suppose　one　forms　impressions　without　thinking　of　it。　I　put　you　down　in　my　own　mind　as　one　of　the　very　rich　of　the　earth。　It　was　just　an　impression。　I　dare　say　I　am　wrong。〃

〃No；〃　said　Ruth；　〃you　are　not　wrong。〃

She　had　suddenly　bee　very　grave。　〃I　wish　you　would　tell　me　what　other　impressions　you　formed　about　me？〃

〃I　…〃

Ruth　swept　on　disregarding　the　other's　embarrassment。

〃Oh；　please；　don't　be　conventional。　I　want　to　know。　As　we　left　Victoria　I　looked　across　at　you；　and　I　had　the　sort　of　feeling　that　you　…　well；　understood　what　was　going　on　in　my　mind。〃

〃I　can　assure　you　I　am　not　a　mind　reader；〃　said　Katherine；　smiling。

〃No；　but　will　you　tell　me；　please；　just　what　you　thought。〃　Ruth's　eagerness　was　so　intense　and　so　sincere　that　she　carried　her　point。

〃I　will　tell　you　if　you　like；　but　you　must　not　think　me　impertinent。　I　thought　that　for　some　reason　you　were　in　great　distress　of　mind；　and　I　was　sorry　for　you。〃

〃You　are　right。　You　are　quite　right。　I　am　in　terrible　trouble。　I　…　I　should　like　to　tell　you　something　about　it；　if　I　may。〃

〃Oh；　dear；〃　Katherine　thought　to　herself；　〃how　extraordinarily　alike　the　world　seems　to　be　everywhere！　People　were　always　telling　me　things　in　St　Mary　Mead；　and　it　is　just　the　same　thing　here；　and　I　don't　really　want　to　hear　anybody's　troubles！〃

She　replied　politely：

〃Do　tell　me。〃

They　were　just　finishing　their　lunch。　Ruth　gulped　down　her　coffee；　rose　from　her　seat；　and　quite　oblivious　of　the　fact　that　Katherine　had　not　begun　to　sip　her　coffee；　said：　〃e　to　my　partment　with　me。〃

They　were　two　single　partments　with　a　municating　door　between　them