(1941) Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham Read Free Book Online Page A

live for. Now I have you I
have everything. Let the future look after itself. Life's not so bad; something
will turn up.’
    `You'll never forget?’
    `Never.’
    She lifted her lips to his.
    `Good-bye, then.’
    `Good-bye till when?’ he murmured passionately.
    She freed herself again.
    `Good-bye for ever, my dear. I'm
leaving here very soon - in three or four days, I expect.’
    It seemed difficult to say what she had to say.
    `We can't see one another any more. You see, I'm not
free.’
    `Are you married? They told me you were a widow.’
    It would have been easy to lie. She did not know what
prevented her. She hedged.
    `What did you think I meant when I said I wasn't free? I
tell you it's impossible we should ever meet again. You don't want to ruin my
life, do you?’
    `But I must see you again. Once more,
only once more. Or else I shall die.’
    `My dear, don't be unreasonable. I tell you it's
impossible. When we part now we part for ever.’
    `But I love you. Don't you love me?' She hesitated a
moment. She did not want to be unkind, but thought it necessary at that moment
to tell the plain truth. She shook her head and smiled a little.
    `No.’
    He stared at her as if he didn't understand.
    `Then why did you take me?’
    `You were lonely and miserable. I wanted to give you a
few moments' happiness.’
    `Oh, how cruel! How monstrously cruel!’
    ` Her voice broke.
    `Don't say that. I didn't mean to be cruel. My heart was
full of tenderness and pity.’
    `I never asked for your pity. Why didn't you leave me
alone? You have shown me heaven and now you want to thrust me back to earth.
No. No. No. He seemed to grow in stature as he flung the words at her. There
was something tragic in his indignation. She was vaguely impressed. It had
never occurred to her that he would take it like that.
    `Perhaps I've been very stupid,' she said.
    `I didn't want to hurt you.’
    There was no love in his eyes now, but cold, sullen
anger. His white face had gone whiter still and it was like a death mask. It
made her uneasy. She knew now what a fool she'd been. The servants slept far
away and if she screamed they would not hear her. Idiot, idiot that she was!
The only thing was to keep her head and not show him that she was frightened.
    `I'm terribly sorry,' she faltered.
    `I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. If there's anything
I can do to make up I'll only be too glad to do it' He frowned darkly.
    `What are you doing now? Are you offering me money? I
don't want your money. How much money have you got here?' She took her bag
which was on the dressing-tables and as she put her hand in felt the revolver.
It gave her a start. She had never fired one in her life. Oh, it was nonsense
to suppose it would come to that But thank God she had
it. Dear Edgar, he hadn't been such an old donkey after all. The inconsequent
thought flashed through her mind that it was not with the idea of her ever
finding herself in such a situation that he had forced it on her. Even at that
moment the idea amused her and she regained her self-possession.
    `I've got two or three thousand lire. It would be enough
to get you into Switzerland. You'd be safer there. Believe me, I shan't miss it.’
    `Of course you won't miss it. You're rich, aren't you?
You're rich enough to pay for the pleasure of a night's fun. D'you always have to pay for your lovers? If I wanted money d'you think
I'd be satisfied with a few lire? I should take the pearls you wore, and the
bracelets you had on your arm.
    `You can have them, too, if you want them. They mean
nothing to me. They're on the dressing-table. Take them.’
    `You vile woman. Are you so vile
that you think any man can be bought off at a price? You fool, if money had meant so much to me don't you think I could have made terms with
the Nazis? I didn't need to be an outcast. I didn't need to starve.’
    `My God, why can't I make you understand? I meant to do
you a kindness, you seem to think I've