阳光下的罪恶12

III

Linda Marshall was in the small shop which catered¹ for the wants of visitors to LeathercombeBay. One side of it was devoted² to shelves on which were books which could be borrowed for thesum of twopence. The newest of them was ten years old, some were twenty years old and othersolder still.

Linda took first one and then another doubtfully from the shelf and glanced into it. She decidedthat she couldn’t possibly read The Four Feathers or Vice³ Versa. She took out a small squatvolume in brown calf⁴.

The time passed….

With a start Linda shoved the book back in the shelf as Christine Redfern’s voice said:

“What are you reading, Linda?”

Linda said hurriedly:

“Nothing. I’m looking for a book.”

She pulled out The Marriage of William Ashe at random⁵ and advanced to the counter fumblingfor twopence.

Christine said:

“Mr. Blatt just drove me home—after nearly running over me first. I really felt I couldn’t walkall across the causeway with him, so I said I had to buy some things.”

Linda said:

“He’s awful, isn’t he? Always saying how rich he is and making the most terrible jokes.”

Christine said:

“Poor man. One really feels rather sorry for him.”

Linda didn’t agree. She didn’t see anything to be sorry for in Mr. Blatt. She was young andruthless.

She walked with Christine Redfern out of the shop and down towards the causeway.

She was busy with her own thoughts. She liked Christine Redfern. She and Rosamund Darnleywere the only bearable people on the island in Linda’s opinion. Neither of them talked much to herfor one thing. Now, as they walked, Christine didn’t say anything. That, Linda thought, wassensible. If you hadn’t anything worth saying why go chattering⁶ all the time?

She lost herself in her own perplexities.

She said suddenly:

“Mrs. Redfern, have you ever felt that everything’s so awful—so terrible—that you’ll—oh,burst…?”

The words were almost comic, but Linda’s face, drawn⁷ and anxious, was not. Christine Redfern,looking at her at first vaguely⁸, with scarcely comprehending eyes, certainly saw nothing to laughat….

She caught her breath sharply.

She said:

“Yes—yes—I have felt—just that….”

 

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