Read Online (1941) Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: W. Somerset Maugham
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been!’
`We must have gone about five miles now. We haven't
missed the turning, have we?’
`No, but we ought to be getting to it soon. Slow down a
little.’
They went on. Mary looked anxiously for the narrow road
that led winding up to the hill town. She had been along it two or three times,
tempted by the sight of it in the distance, for it looked like one of those
hill towns in the background of an old Florentine picture, one of those
pictures of a scene from the Gospels which the painter has set in the lovely
landscape of his native Tuscany.
`There it is!’
` she cried suddenly. But Rowley
had already passed it; he put on his brakes, and then backed till he could
turn. They slowly ascended the hill. They peered into the darkness on each
side. Suddenly Mary touched Rowley's arm. She pointed to the left. He stopped.
There was a coppice on that side of what looked like acacias, and the ground
was thick with undergrowth. It seemed to slope sharply down. He put out the
lights.
`I'll just get out and have a scout round. It looks all
right.’
He stepped out and plunged into the thicket. In the
deathly silence that surrounded them the noise he made scrambling through the
undergrowth seemed fearfully loud. In two or three minutes he appeared once
more.
`I think it'll do.’
He talked in whispers, although there could not have been
a soul within earshot `Help me to get him out. I shall have to carry him if I
can. You'd never be able to get down. You'd be scratched to pieces.’
`I don't care.’
`It's not you I'm thinking about,' he answered roughly.
`How are you going to explain to your servants that your
stockings are torn and your shoes in a devil of a mess? I think I can manage.’
She got out of the car and they opened the rear door.
They were just about to lift the body out when they saw a light above them. It was
a car coming down the hill.
`Oh, my God, we're caught!’
` she cried.
`Run. Rowley, you must keep out of this.’
`Don't talk such rot.’
`I won't get you into trouble,' she cried desperately.
`Don't be a damned fool. We shan't get into trouble if
you keep your head. We can bluff it out.’
`No. Rowley, for God's sake. I'm
done for.’
`Stop it. You've got to keep cool. Get into the back.’
`He's there.’
`Shut up.’
He pushed her in and scrambled in after her. The lights
of the oncoming car were hidden by a turn in the road, but another turn must
bring it in full view.
`Cuddle up to me. They'll take us for lovers who've come
to a quiet place to have a bit of nonsense. But keep still. Don't move.’
The car came on. In two or three minutes it would be upon
them and the road was so narrow that it would have to slow down to pass them.
It could just scrape by. Rowley flung his arms round her and drew her closely
to him. Under their feet was the huddled body of the dead man.
`I'm going to kiss you. Kiss me as if you mean it.’
The car was nearer now and it seemed to be swaying from
side to side of the road. Then they heard the occupants singing at the tops of
their voices.
`By God, I believe they're drunk. I hope to God they see
us. Christ, it would be bad luck if they hit us. Quick, now, kiss me.’
She put her lips to his and they appeared to kiss as
though so absorbed in one another they were unconscious of the approaching car.
It seemed to be full of people and they were shouting loud enough to wake the
dead. Perhaps there had been a wedding at the village on the top of the hill
and these were wedding guests who had been making merry till this late hour and
now, much the worse for liquor, were returning to their own home in some other
village. They appeared to be coming down the middle of the road and it looked
as though they must infallibly crash into the other car. There was nothing to
do. Suddenly there was a yell. The headlights had disclosed the stationary car.
There was a great screeching of brakes and the oncoming car slackened
`We must have gone about five miles now. We haven't
missed the turning, have we?’
`No, but we ought to be getting to it soon. Slow down a
little.’
They went on. Mary looked anxiously for the narrow road
that led winding up to the hill town. She had been along it two or three times,
tempted by the sight of it in the distance, for it looked like one of those
hill towns in the background of an old Florentine picture, one of those
pictures of a scene from the Gospels which the painter has set in the lovely
landscape of his native Tuscany.
`There it is!’
` she cried suddenly. But Rowley
had already passed it; he put on his brakes, and then backed till he could
turn. They slowly ascended the hill. They peered into the darkness on each
side. Suddenly Mary touched Rowley's arm. She pointed to the left. He stopped.
There was a coppice on that side of what looked like acacias, and the ground
was thick with undergrowth. It seemed to slope sharply down. He put out the
lights.
`I'll just get out and have a scout round. It looks all
right.’
He stepped out and plunged into the thicket. In the
deathly silence that surrounded them the noise he made scrambling through the
undergrowth seemed fearfully loud. In two or three minutes he appeared once
more.
`I think it'll do.’
He talked in whispers, although there could not have been
a soul within earshot `Help me to get him out. I shall have to carry him if I
can. You'd never be able to get down. You'd be scratched to pieces.’
`I don't care.’
`It's not you I'm thinking about,' he answered roughly.
`How are you going to explain to your servants that your
stockings are torn and your shoes in a devil of a mess? I think I can manage.’
She got out of the car and they opened the rear door.
They were just about to lift the body out when they saw a light above them. It was
a car coming down the hill.
`Oh, my God, we're caught!’
` she cried.
`Run. Rowley, you must keep out of this.’
`Don't talk such rot.’
`I won't get you into trouble,' she cried desperately.
`Don't be a damned fool. We shan't get into trouble if
you keep your head. We can bluff it out.’
`No. Rowley, for God's sake. I'm
done for.’
`Stop it. You've got to keep cool. Get into the back.’
`He's there.’
`Shut up.’
He pushed her in and scrambled in after her. The lights
of the oncoming car were hidden by a turn in the road, but another turn must
bring it in full view.
`Cuddle up to me. They'll take us for lovers who've come
to a quiet place to have a bit of nonsense. But keep still. Don't move.’
The car came on. In two or three minutes it would be upon
them and the road was so narrow that it would have to slow down to pass them.
It could just scrape by. Rowley flung his arms round her and drew her closely
to him. Under their feet was the huddled body of the dead man.
`I'm going to kiss you. Kiss me as if you mean it.’
The car was nearer now and it seemed to be swaying from
side to side of the road. Then they heard the occupants singing at the tops of
their voices.
`By God, I believe they're drunk. I hope to God they see
us. Christ, it would be bad luck if they hit us. Quick, now, kiss me.’
She put her lips to his and they appeared to kiss as
though so absorbed in one another they were unconscious of the approaching car.
It seemed to be full of people and they were shouting loud enough to wake the
dead. Perhaps there had been a wedding at the village on the top of the hill
and these were wedding guests who had been making merry till this late hour and
now, much the worse for liquor, were returning to their own home in some other
village. They appeared to be coming down the middle of the road and it looked
as though they must infallibly crash into the other car. There was nothing to
do. Suddenly there was a yell. The headlights had disclosed the stationary car.
There was a great screeching of brakes and the oncoming car slackened
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