Read Online The Judas Tree by A. J. Cronin - Free Book Online Page A

the lower end of the station. The fog had thickened. It swirled about them, blurring the street lamps and deadening the sound of the traffic. They seemed to move in a world of their own, but he could not reach her, did not dare to take her arm. Even their words were stilted, formal, utterly meaningless.
    â€˜How is the study going?’ she asked him.
    â€˜All right … I hope. And how have things been with you? All well at home?’
    â€˜Quite well, thank you.’
    â€˜And Walter?’
    She did not immediately reply. Then, as though resolved to reveal and explain beyond all question of doubt:
    â€˜He’s been upset, but he’s better now. You see … he wanted to fix the date of our wedding. I felt it was a little early … I thought we ought to wait a bit. But now it’s all settled … for the first of June.’
    A long pause followed. The first of June, he repeated dully to himself – it was only three weeks away.
    â€˜And you’re happy about it?’ he asked.
    â€˜Yes,’ she reasoned, in a tone of practical common sense, and with words that seemed to him to have been instilled in her. ‘ It’s the right thing for people to settle down early and get used to each other’s ways. Walter’s a good man and he’ll make a good husband. Besides…’. She faltered slightly but went on, ‘… his connections in the town will help our business. Father’s not been doing near so well these last few years.’
    A few large drops fell upon them and in a moment it was raining heavily. They sheltered in the entrance to a shuttered shop.
    â€˜I’m sure I wish you the best of luck, Mary.’
    â€˜And I do you, David.’
    It was completely dark in the narrow passageway. He could not see her but with all his senses he felt her near him. He heard her breathing, quietly yet quickly, and the scent of her wet fur came to him. A frightful weakness came over him, his mouth was dry, and his joints so loosened they barely supported him.
    â€˜I mustn’t miss my train,’ she said, almost in a whisper.
    They went back to the station. There was only a minute to spare. Her train was at the platform. He found her a corner seat in a third-class compartment. While he stood on the footboard she lowered the window. The whistle shrilled, the engine emitted a hiss of steam. She leaned out of the window. She was fearfully pale. The rain had streaked the smut on her cheek and draggled her little necklet. The pupils of her eyes were wide and dark. A little vein in her neck was pulsing frantically.
    â€˜Goodbye then, David.’ Her voice trembled.
    â€˜Goodbye … Mary.’ The hurt in his side was unendurable. She was leaving him for good, he would never see her again.
    Then as the train began to move, together, with an instinctive irresponsible, predestined movement, each reached out towards the other. They clung together, closely, blindly, passionately, and their lips met in a wild, delirious, exquisite kiss. Drunkenly, at the end of the platform, the train now moving fast, he jumped from the footboard, staggered and almost fell. Still leaning from the window she was borne into the darkness of the tunnel. His heart was beating like mad with delight, tears had formed under his eyelids and, to his consternation, were running down his cheeks.

Chapter Five
    Suddenly, as from a great distance, he remembered that his chief was due at eight o’clock to perform a lumbar puncture – a case which had come into the ward that afternoon. He must rush to the hospital to relieve Kerr. Dashing out of the station into the fog he was fortunate in finding an Eldongrove tram which, though its progress was laborious, took him back in time. Yet how he got through the next two hours he never fully understood. Speech and movements were automatic, he was barely conscious of his own presence in the ward. Once or twice he felt Drummond glancing at him