Mauritius

.Only then did Maurice realize how natural it was that their primitive indulgence at Penge would lead to distress.They know too little about each other—and too much.This is where fear comes from, and where cruelty comes from.He was glad to learn of Alek's shamelessness through his own scandal.Not for the first time, he has glimpsed a talent lurking in a person's tormented soul.He stepped forward, rebuffing the other side's intimidation, not as a hero, but as a close partner.Behind the intimidation he found childishness, and behind childishness he found something else.

After a while, Alek spoke, and the bursts of self-blame and apology calmed him down, as if he was a person who threw away drugs.So he pulled himself together.He was no longer embarrassed and began to open the window to his friends.He talked about his family... He was also deeply branded by class.No one knew he was in London-Pengy's people only thought he was with their father, and his father thought he was in Pongy-and it was difficult.Now he had to go home—to see his brother.He will be traveling with his brother, who is in business, and his sister-in-law, who is going back to Argentina.There are also a few boastful words mixed in.Anyone who has not received much education must do this.He repeated that he came from a decent family.He bowed his head to no one, never bowed his head, he was an upright man, in fact no worse than any gentleman.However, when he was bragging, he and Maurice had already exchanged arms.They deserved such caresses—it was a wonderful feeling.The words faded away and began again unexpectedly, at Alek's presumptuous suggestion.

"Spend the night with me."

Maurice turned and the two embraced.They are now consciously in love with each other.

"Sleep with me overnight, I know a place."

"I can't, I have an appointment," said Maurice, his heart beating wildly.There was a formal dinner awaiting him for the company's business, which he couldn't miss no matter what.He almost forgot there was such a dinner party. "Now I've got to leave you and get dressed. Listen, Alek, be reasonable. Let's meet another night—any day."

"I'll never come to London again--my father or Mr. Ayres will say so."

"They said, what does it matter?"

"What does your dinner party matter?"

They fell silent again.Then Maurice said, in a kindly dejected tone, "Well, to hell with the dinner party." They both walked off through the rain.

"Alek, get up."

One arm trembled.

"It's time for us to talk about our future plans."

He cuddles closer and closer, more awake than he pretends, warm and muscular and happy.Maurice was also immersed in the feeling of happiness.He moved for a moment, and felt that the other party was holding him tightly in response, so he forgot what he wanted to say.It was still raining outside, and from there a patch of light floated over them.A strange hotel, a temporary shelter, in order to protect them from the enemy for the time being.

"It's time to get up, boy, it's morning."

"Then get up."

"You hold me like this, how can I get up!"

"You're so quick-tempered. I'll teach you not to be so quick-tempered." He stopped paying respects to Maurice, and the British Museum cured his inferiority complex.It was a holiday, with Maurice in London, away from all worries, and he wanted to nap, waste time, tease, make love.

Morris didn't want to do this, it would be more comfortable.But the looming future distracted him.There was a ray of dawn, and the warmth and comfort seemed even more unreal.Something has to be said, arranged.Oh, the night that is coming to an end, when one sleeps and when one wakes, a mixture of strength and thoughtfulness, a good mood, peace in the dark, can there be another night like this?

"Are you all right, Maurice?"—for he sighed. "Do you feel comfortable? Put your head on me again, according to the way you prefer... just lean on it like this. Don't worry, you are with me, why worry?"

Yes, he's had his luck, there's no doubt about that.Scudder appeared to be a man of integrity and kindness.Be happy with him.He was a treasure, a fascination, one in a thousand, a dream he had longed for for years.However, is he brave?

"How nice, you and I are like this..." The lips of the two were so close that they were hardly talking. "Who would have thought... the first time I saw you, I had this thought: 'I wish I could be with that master...' That's what I thought...'Can I be with him...' So that's it."

"Yeah, so we have to fight."

"Who wants to fight?" he said in a weary tone. "Enough has been fought."

"The whole world is against us, and we have to work together and make plans while we can."

"Why do you say such things? It's such a disappointment!"

"Because it has to be said. We can't let things go from bad to worse, like it was in Penji, and hurt our feelings again."

Alek suddenly stretched out the back of his hand, which was rough from the sun, rubbed it against Maurice's body, and said, "Does it hurt? It doesn't hurt. If I want to fight, I will do it like this." It hurts, this stupid behavior also has a hint of resentment. "Don't tell me about Peng Jie," he went on. "Hmph! Pooh! I've always been a servant at Penje. Scudder, do this; Scudder, do that. And the old lady, do you know what she said once? She said, 'Excuse me , please send this letter for me. What's your name? What's your name! I've been outside Clive's damn front porch every day for six months and his mother doesn't know my name .She's a bitch.I want to say to her: 'What's your name? X your name.' I almost said it.If only I told her.Maurice,you can't trust people How you talk to the servants. It's so rude you can't even tell. That Arch London, you give him credit for it, but he's just as bad as you. You're so bad, you're so bad, and you just open your mouth and say, 'Hey! Come on!' You almost lost your chance to get me. When you called, I almost gave up climbing that ladder. I said to myself, 'He doesn't really want me.' You didn't come to the boathouse as I said, and it drove me mad and furious. Too big! We'll see. I've always liked the boathouse. Ever since I never heard of you, I used to go there to smoke a cigarette. It was easy to open the lock, and of course I still have the key in my hand... The boathouse, looking out to the pond from the boathouse, is very quiet, Every now and then a fish would jump up. I've got a couple of cushions on the floor."

Tired of talking, he fell silent.At first his tone was gruff, jovial, and a little artificial, then his voice became limp and died away sadly.It was as if the truth had risen to the surface and he could not bear it.

"We can still meet in your boathouse," Maurice said.

"No, we won't see each other." Alek pushed Maurice away, then moaned with difficulty, and pulled Maurice tightly tightly, hugging him like it was the end of the world. "Remember this, anyway." He slipped out of bed and looked down through the gray dawn light, his arms empty and drooping, as if wishing Maurice to remember him in this position. "I could easily kill you."

"I can kill you too."

"Where did all my clothes go?" He seemed confused. "It's so late and I don't even have a razor. I didn't think I'd be out overnight... I must—I must catch the train right away, or what Fred's thinking."

"Whatever I like to think about."

"My God, if only Fred saw us like this now."

"He didn't see it, so it's over."

"He might have seen it. I mean, isn't tomorrow Thursday? Packing on Friday, and the Normania from Southampton on Saturday. Britain’s second largest port.) Set sail, and bid farewell to old England.”

"You mean that the two of us will never see each other again."

"Well, you're absolutely right."

How nice it would be if the rain stopped!After yesterday's downpour, it ushered in the rainy morning again. Whether it was the roof of Wanjia or the museum, or my own home and the green forest, everything was wet.Maurice, suppressing his emotion, and choosing his words with great care, said: "That's what I'm going to talk about. Why don't we arrange to meet again?"

"How do you plan to meet?"

"Why don't you stay in England?"

Alek was so frightened that he turned around with a whimper.He was half naked and looked like a half-civilized man.

"Stay?" he growled. "No ship? Are you crazy? I've never heard such absurd nonsense. Make me do this and that again, ah, you will