The Reef

by Edith Wharton

  XXIV

  Anna stood looking from one to the other. It had become apparent to herin a flash that Owen's retort, though it startled Sophy, did not takeher by surprise; and the discovery shot its light along dark distancesof fear.

  The immediate inference was that Owen had guessed the reason of Darrow'sdisapproval of his marriage, or that, at least, he suspected Sophy Vinerof knowing and dreading it. This confirmation of her own obscuredoubt sent a tremor of alarm through Anna. For a moment she felt likeexclaiming: "All this is really no business of mine, and I refuse tohave you mix me up in it--" but her secret fear held her fast.

  Sophy Viner was the first to speak.

  "I should like to go now," she said in a low voice, taking a few stepstoward the door.

  Her tone woke Anna to the sense of her own share in the situation."I quite agree with you, my dear, that it's useless to carry on thisdiscussion. But since Mr. Darrow's name has been brought into it, forreasons which I fail to guess, I want to tell you that you're bothmistaken if you think he's not in sympathy with your marriage. If that'swhat Owen means to imply, the idea's a complete delusion."

  She spoke the words deliberately and incisively, as if hoping that thesound of their utterance would stifle the whisper in her bosom.

  Sophy's only answer was a vague murmur, and a movement that broughther nearer to the door; but before she could reach it Owen had placedhimself in her way.

  "I don't mean to imply what you think," he said, addressing hisstep-mother but keeping his eyes on the girl. "I don't say Darrowdoesn't like our marriage; I say it's Sophy who's hated it sinceDarrow's been here!"

  He brought out the charge in a tone of forced composure, but his lipswere white and he grasped the doorknob to hide the tremor of his hand.

  Anna's anger surged up with her fears. "You're absurd, Owen! I don'tknow why I listen to you. Why should Sophy dislike Mr. Darrow, and ifshe does, why should that have anything to do with her wishing to breakher engagement?"

  "I don't say she dislikes him! I don't say she likes him; I don't knowwhat it is they say to each other when they're shut up together alone."

  "Shut up together alone?" Anna stared. Owen seemed like a man indelirium; such an exhibition was degrading to them all. But he pushed onwithout seeing her look.

  "Yes--the first evening she came, in the study; the next morning, early,in the park; yesterday, again, in the spring-house, when you were at thelodge with the doctor...I don't know what they say to each other, butthey've taken every chance they could to say it...and to say it whenthey thought that no one saw them."

  Anna longed to silence him, but no words came to her. It was as thoughall her confused apprehensions had suddenly taken definite shape. Therewas "something"--yes, there was "something"...Darrow's reticences andevasions had been more than a figment of her doubts.

  The next instant brought a recoil of pride. She turned indignantly onher step-son.

  "I don't half understand what you've been saying; but what you seem tohint is so preposterous, and so insulting both to Sophy and to me, thatI see no reason why we should listen to you any longer."

  Though her tone steadied Owen, she perceived at once that it would notdeflect him from his purpose. He spoke less vehemently, but with all themore precision.

  "How can it be preposterous, since it's true? Or insulting, since Idon't know, any more than YOU, the meaning of what I've been seeing?If you'll be patient with me I'll try to put it quietly. What I mean isthat Sophy has completely changed since she met Darrow here, and that,having noticed the change, I'm hardly to blame for having tried to findout its cause."

  Anna made an effort to answer him with the same composure. "You're toblame, at any rate, for so recklessly assuming that you HAVE found itout. You seem to forget that, till they met here, Sophy and Mr. Darrowhardly knew each other."

  "If so, it's all the stranger that they've been so often closetedtogether!"

  "Owen, Owen--" the girl sighed out.

  He turned his haggard face to her. "Can I help it, if I've seen andknown what I wasn't meant to? For God's sake give me a reason--anyreason I can decently make out with! Is it my fault if, the day afteryou arrived, when I came back late through the garden, the curtains ofthe study hadn't been drawn, and I saw you there alone with Darrow?"

  Anna laughed impatiently. "Really, Owen, if you make it a grievancethat two people who are staying in the same house should be seen talkingtogether----!"

  "They were not talking. That's the point----"

  "Not talking? How do you know? You could hardly hear them from thegarden!"

  "No; but I could see. HE was sitting at my desk, with his face in hishands. SHE was standing in the window, looking away from him..."

  He waited, as if for Sophy Viner's answer; but still she neither stirrednor spoke.

  "That was the first time," he went on; "and the second was the nextmorning in the park. It was natural enough, their meeting there. Sophyhad gone out with Effie, and Effie ran back to look for me. She toldme she'd left Sophy and Darrow in the path that leads to the river, andpresently we saw them ahead of us. They didn't see us at first, becausethey were standing looking at each other; and this time they were notspeaking either. We came up close before they heard us, and all thattime they never spoke, or stopped looking at each other. After that Ibegan to wonder; and so I watched them."

  "Oh, Owen!" "Oh, I only had to wait. Yesterday, when I motored youand the doctor back from the lodge, I saw Sophy coming out of thespring-house. I supposed she'd taken shelter from the rain, and when yougot out of the motor I strolled back down the avenue to meet her. Butshe'd disappeared--she must have taken a short cut and come into thehouse by the side door. I don't know why I went on to the spring-house;I suppose it was what you'd call spying. I went up the steps and foundthe room empty; but two chairs had been moved out from the wall and werestanding near the table; and one of the Chinese screens that lie on ithad dropped to the floor."

  Anna sounded a faint note of irony. "Really? Sophy'd gone there forshelter, and she dropped a screen and moved a chair?"

  "I said two chairs----"

  "Two? What damning evidence--of I don't know what!"

  "Simply of the fact that Darrow'd been there with her. As I looked outof the window I saw him close by, walking away. He must have turned thecorner of the spring-house just as I got to the door."

  There was another silence, during which Anna paused, not only to collecther own words but to wait for Sophy Viner's; then, as the girl made nosign, she turned to her.

  "I've absolutely nothing to say to all this; but perhaps you'd like meto wait and hear your answer?"

  Sophy raised her head with a quick flash of colour. "I've no answereither--except that Owen must be mad."

  In the interval since she had last spoken she seemed to have regainedher self-control, and her voice rang clear, with a cold edge of anger.

  Anna looked at her step-son. He had grown extremely pale, and his handfell from the door with a discouraged gesture. "That's all then? Youwon't give me any reason?"

  "I didn't suppose it was necessary to give you or any one else a reasonfor talking with a friend of Mrs. Leath's under Mrs. Leath's own roof."

  Owen hardly seemed to feel the retort: he kept his dogged stare on herface.

  "I won't ask for one, then. I'll only ask you to give me your assurancethat your talks with Darrow have had nothing to do with your suddenlydeciding to leave Givre."

  She hesitated, not so much with the air of weighing her answer as ofquestioning his right to exact any. "I give you my assurance; and now Ishould like to go," she said.

  As she turned away, Anna intervened. "My dear, I think you ought tospeak."

  The girl drew herself up with a faint laugh. "To him--or to YOU?"

  "To him."

  She stiffened. "I've said all there is to say."

  Anna drew back, her eyes on her step-son. He had left the threshold andwas advancing toward Sophy Viner with a motion of desperate a
ppeal; butas he did so there was a knock on the door. A moment's silence fell onthe three; then Anna said: "Come in!"

  Darrow came into the room. Seeing the three together, he looked rapidlyfrom one to the other; then he turned to Anna with a smile.

  "I came up to see if you were ready; but please send me off if I'm notwanted."

  His look, his voice, the simple sense of his presence, restored Anna'sshaken balance. By Owen's side he looked so strong, so urbane, soexperienced, that the lad's passionate charges dwindled to mere boyishvapourings. A moment ago she had dreaded Darrow's coming; now she wasglad that he was there.

  She turned to him with sudden decision. "Come in, please; I want you tohear what Owen has been saying."

  She caught a murmur from Sophy Viner, but disregarded it. Anilluminating impulse urged her on. She, habitually so aware of herown lack of penetration, her small skill in reading hidden motives anddetecting secret signals, now felt herself mysteriously inspired. Sheaddressed herself to Sophy Viner. "It's much better for you both thatthis absurd question should be cleared up now." Then, turning to Darrow,she continued: "For some reason that I don't pretend to guess, Owen hastaken it into his head that you've influenced Miss Viner to break herengagement."

  She spoke slowly and deliberately, because she wished to give time andto gain it; time for Darrow and Sophy to receive the full impact of whatshe was saying, and time to observe its full effect on them. She hadsaid to herself: "If there's nothing between them, they'll look at eachother; if there IS something, they won't;" and as she ceased to speakshe felt as if all her life were in her eyes.

  Sophy, after a start of protest, remained motionless, her gaze on theground. Darrow, his face grown grave, glanced slowly from Owen Leath toAnna. With his eyes on the latter he asked: "Has Miss Viner broken herengagement?"

  A moment's silence followed his question; then the girl looked up andsaid: "Yes!"

  Owen, as she spoke, uttered a smothered exclamation and walked out ofthe room. She continued to stand in the same place, without appearingto notice his departure, and without vouchsafing an additional word ofexplanation; then, before Anna could find a cry to detain her, she tooturned and went out.

  "For God's sake, what's happened?" Darrow asked; but Anna, with a dropof the heart, was saying to herself that he and Sophy Viner had notlooked at each other.