The Magician by W Somerset Maugham

Author:W Somerset Maugham [W Somerset Maugham]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781407019871
Publisher: Random House

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SUSIE stared without comprehension at the note that announced Margaret's marriage. It was a petit bleu sent off from the Gare du Nord, and ran as follows:

"When you receive this I shall be on my way to London. I was married to Oliver Haddo this morning. I love him as I never loved Arthur. I have acted in this manner because I thought I had gone too far with Arthur to make an explanation possible. Please tell him.

"MARGARET"

Susie was filled with dismay. She did not know what to do nor what to think. There was a knock at the door, and she knew it must be Arthur, for he was expected at midday. She decided quickly that it was impossible to break the news to him then and there. It was needful first to find out all manner of things, and besides, it was incredible. Making up her mind, she opened the door.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Margaret isn't here," she said. "A friend of hers is ill and sent for her suddenly."

"What a bore!" answered Arthur. "Mrs. Bloomfield as usual, I suppose?"

"Oh, you know she's been ill?"

"Margaret has spent nearly every afternoon with her for some days."

Susie did not answer. This was the first she had heard of Mrs. Bloomfield's illness, and it was news that Margaret was in the habit of visiting her. But her chief object at this moment was to get rid of Arthur.

"Won't you come back at five o'clock?" she said.

"But, look here, why shouldn't we lunch together, you and I?"

"I'm very sorry, but I'm expecting somebody in."

"Oh, all right. Then I'll come back at five."

He nodded and went out. Susie read the brief note once more, and asked herself if it could possibly be true. The callousness of it was appalling. She went to Margaret's room and saw that everything was in its place. It did not look as if the owner had gone on a journey. But then she noticed that a number of letters had been destroyed. She opened a drawer and found that Margaret's trinkets were gone. An idea struck her. Margaret had bought lately a number of clothes, and these she had insisted should be sent to her dressmaker, saying that it was needless to cumber their little apartment with them. They could stay there till she returned to England a few weeks later for her marriage, and it would be simpler to despatch them all from one place. Susie went out. At the door it occurred to her to ask the concierge if she knew where Margaret had gone that morning.

"Parfaitement, Mademoiselle," answered the old woman. "I heard her tell the coachman to go to the British Consulate."

The last doubt was leaving Susie. She went to the dressmaker and there discovered that by Margaret's order the boxes containing her things had gone on the previous day to the luggage office of the Gare du Nord.

"I hope you didn't let them go till your bill was paid," said Susie lightly, as though in jest.

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