The Servant by Robin Maugham

Author:Robin Maugham
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Valancourt Books
Published: 2019-06-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

I have tried to piece the scene together from the halting phrases which Tony used when he told me about it six months later.

‘At first,’ he said, ‘I was haunted by the idea of Barrett finding out.’

‘Did you tell her that?’

‘Oh yes, I told her everything. You see by then I was mad about her.’

‘What did she say?’

Apparently she reassured him.

‘If you don’t tell him,’ she used to say, ‘you can bet your life that I won’t. He’d never get over it.’

He was wildly in love with her. It was as if passion had been an animal asleep yet growing in his body. Vera had awoken the animal which now gnawed at his heart. It controlled him utterly, and it was insatiable. No sooner was his passion slaked than it was aroused again with increased appetite.

She told him it was dangerous for her to come up to his room until Barrett, whose room lay the other side of the basement, had gone to bed.

‘I can’t come every night, dear. It wouldn’t be safe.’

At night he would lie in bed staring up at the ceiling, tortured by desire for her lean body. There was always the chance that she would come. He could think of nothing else. Gradually his habits changed. He used to lunch near the lecture rooms. But now he would dash back for a quick meal so as to get a glimpse of her. After lunch one day, he was about to leave the house in time for the afternoon lectures when he saw Barrett walking out of the house with a suit under his arm. He remembered he had told him to get it cleaned and pressed. For a moment he stared after him. Then he stepped slowly down the stairs to the basement. His mouth was dry, and he could feel his heart thudding. There was no one in the kitchen. He knocked softly on Vera’s door and opened it. She was lying on her bed resting. She started violently as he came in.

‘He’s gone out, Vera. We’re alone, my darling. We’re alone, my darling. We’re all alone. Oh Vera! I love you so much.’

She did not answer. But she began trembling. Her whole body shook as if with a fever. He sat down on the bed beside her.

‘What is it, my darling?’

‘Quick,’ she said, ‘quick.’

For the first time he knew the ecstasies of passion fully requited. All day long he could think of nothing but Vera. He gave up going to lectures because he could not concentrate. He took law books home from the library; but he did not read them. He waited in an agony of impatience for Barrett to leave the house. Sometimes Vera would go out with him, and the anguish would be prolonged. It seemed to him that she was going out with Barrett more often than before.

‘I never get you alone in the afternoons now. Why don’t you stay in?’

‘I think he’s beginning to get suspicious.’ Fear clouded his heart.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.