Поющие в терновнике

           "Whydoyoucometoseemesooften?"sheaskedoutoftheblue."EverygossipcolumnistinEuropethinksit’sgreat,butIconfessIsometimeswonderifyoudon’tsimplyusemeasanexcusetovisitLondon."

           "It’struethatIuseyouasablindfromtimetotime,"headmittedcalmly."Asamatteroffact,you’vebeendustincertaineyesquitealot.Butit’snohardshipbeingwithyou,becauseIlikebeingwithyou."Hisdarkeyesdwelledonherfacethoughtfully."You’reveryquiettonight,Herzchen.Isanythingworryingyou?"

           "No,notreally."Shetoyedwithherdessertandpusheditasideuneaten."Atleast,onlyasillylittlething.MumandIdon’twriteeveryweekanymore—it’ssolongsincewe’veseeneachotherthere’snothingmuchtosay—buttodayIhadsuchastrangeletterfromher.Nottypicalatall."

           Hisheartsank;Meggiehadindeedtakenhertimethinkingaboutit,butinstincttoldhimthiswasthecommencementofhermove,andthatitwasnotinhisfavor.ShewasbeginningherplaytogetherdaughterbackforDrogheda,perpetuatethedynasty.

           HereachedacrossthetabletotakeJustine’shand;shewaslooking,hethought,morebeautifulwithmaturity,inspiteofthatghastlydress.Tinylineswerebeginningtogiveherragamuffinfacedignity,whichitbadlyneeded,andcharacter,whichthepersonbehindhadalwaysownedinhugequantities.Buthowdeepdidhersurfacematuritygo?ThatwasthewholetroublewithJustine;shedidn’tevenwanttolook.