Поющие в терновнике

           Hisownmission’simportancedwindled;nowhehadanewone,toallayMeggie’sfears.

           "ForthatIamtoblame,"hesaidfirmly.

           "You?"askedMeggie,bewildered.

           "JustinehadplannedtogotoGreecewithDane,andshe’sconvincedthathadshe,he’dstillbealive."

           "Nonsense!"saidMeggie.

           "Quite.Butthoughweknowit’snonsense,Justinedoesn’t.It’suptoyoutomakeherseeit."

           "Uptome?Youdon’tunderstand,Mr.Hartheim.Justinehasneverlistenedtomeinallherlife,andatthisstageanyinfluenceImightoncehavehadiscompletelygone.Shedoesn’tevenwanttoseemyface."

           Hertonewasdefeatedbutnotabject."Ifellintothesametrapmymotherdid,"shewentonmatter-of-factly."Droghedaismylife…thehouse,thebooks…HereI’mneeded,there’sstillsomepurposeinliving.Herearepeoplewhorelyonme.Mychildrenneverdid,youknow.Neverdid."

           "That’snottrue,Mrs.O’Neill.Ifitwas,Justinecouldcomehometoyouwithoutaqualm.Youunderestimatethequalityoftheloveshebearsyou.WhenIsayIamtoblameforwhatJustineisgoingthrough,ImeanthatsheremainedinLondonbecauseofme,tobewithme.Butitisforyoushesuffers,notforme."

           Meggiestiffened."Shehasnorighttosufferforme!Lethersufferforherselfifshemust,butnotforme.Neverforme!"

           "ThenyoubelievemewhenIsayshehasnoideaofDaneandtheCardinal?"

           Hermannerchanged,asifhehadremindedhertherewereotherthingsatstake,andshewaslosingsightofthem.