BEAUTYS A A NN CHAPTER XIII continued js 15 you any right to run awall away I 1 you belong here vicky continued after a pause what ars are we to do just go on quentin presently asked looking up what else As tar far as she goes vicky said with a movement of her head in the direction of the mor alson house shell gradually well get over it if you ran away shed follow you As it Is shell annoy you tor for a while and come over here and break the news to me her voice died away into musing and quentin raised his head arid and stared at her strangely youre an extraordinary woman vicky he said you can talk about it dont you dont you care for a full halt half minute victoria returned his stare then she said in a voice that trembled that was pitched very low oh I 1 carel any woman cares im hurt in my pride and my faith and my my heart it a question of whether or not one cares its only a question as to what one does about it I 1 choose to do it my way she got to her feet stood looking at him irresolutely for a moment opened her lips as if she had something further to say but she thought better of it murmured instead a goodnight good night crossed the room and was gone quentin did not look up when she moved nor answer her goodnight good night after she was gone he sat beside the dying fire for a long long while with his head in his hands and his shoulders bowed in the next week for or the first time in years victoria and quentin hardisty to the great satisfaction of those who loved them were seen lunching together on the fashionable y monday at the st francis hotel they were together later at the reception given to two distinguished visiting physicians vie via wore a new smart suit of blue banded with gray fur infinitely becoming to her warm brown coloring and a dark blue hat on the gray fur violets were pinned who gave me the tha violets vicky dieky said to dr Au austreich er quentin of course and he brought me the suit and the hat from paris dont you think having a hus husband bandt 1 vie you know youve grown awfully pretty john keats told her what have you done to yourself had your face lifted no I 1 discovered shade hats and freckle cream last summer vie vic answered laughing it seems incredible to live to be thirty six without having had the sense to use them before I 1 one dollar a jar for freckle cream and before id used half of it I 1 began to see a great light dawn dawning yes but youve done something else too new clothes this is the outfit quentin brought me hat bat and all I 1 adore it maybe its that youre rested vie vic youve been going like a steam roller all these years 1 I dont see how it can be that johnny im always at home but im not exactly resting HOW is that little scamp johni john i ny keats asked rightly interpreting the sudden softening of her voice the sudden shadow in her eyes to the thought that was never far from martins mother hes adorable fuents put a nurse in for a few weeks vicky said gallantly we have our beloved brownie back miss browning you know chos taken care of me with all the children ashes keeping an eye on mart just temporarily pora rily good ideal johnny said as quentin came up to claim his wife he beamed approval on them both ive been telling vie vic ashes getting awfully pretty he said vie quentin said looking at her unsmilingly he put his hand under her arm how about beating it I 1 think weve done our du tyll tyl ashes got him back and pretty smart work too johnny keats said to his wife 1 I wonder whatever gut got into the poor old idiot got him back echoed violets incisive british accents she never lost him he just had one of those fatuous brainstorms that big men get they concentrate and work and worry and run themselves down and some bome flowery bypath by path tempts them and they stroll into it but personally I 1 shall never forgive quentin hardisty never really like ae him again come now VI you know you loi e him for what he did for katel ah well loving him johnny feeling grateful to him quite a different story but ill never ad mire him again vicky and quentin in the late afternoon drove the 20 miles to ward home there was a sweet spring quality in the air of the april afternoon a fragrance softness a color husband and wife moved through it as through a dream the day had almost disappeared behind the western hills long lances of mellow sunshine streamed across the new grass and occasionally caught a blossoming bloss oming plum tree a pink or white hawthorn in a globe of light A thousand little homes behind their hedges set in their flower packed gardens looked inviting looked happy late children dawdled in the shade of oaks deceived by the lingering daylight into forgetfulness ot of time the violets on on shoulder were wilted every now and ana then she caught their exquisite dying breath mingled with all the other sweet and significant odors grass and turned earth lilac and new leaves the pungent spiciness ness of the pepper trees the piny scent of the blades of the tasseled tasse led eucalyptus tired vicky quentin said as they turned up their own lane only comfortably tired it was worth while I 1 think only when I 1 get this near home vicky said 1 I always begin to want to see the children its the only time I 1 worry corryl 1 just before we see them ah god bless them there they arel there they were at the gate ready to leap upon the car and be carried the hundred yards up to the porch oh its so good to get home its so wonderful to shut it all away victoria was murmuring to herself as somewhat hampered by the scrambling children she descended and smiled at the nurse who came down to meet them marty all right she asked miss browning nodded massurin reassuringly gly sound asleep but when vie vic trailing sons and daughters like clouds of glory had fought her biln painful way upstairs harriet browning turned her good middle aged face to quentin 1 I wish have a look at marty doctor I 1 rather think anyway I 1 wish just take a look hes sleeping beautifully he may sleep like that all through the night but he had a sort of restless time about three and he coughed quite hard victoria saw the shadow on quen tins face when he came to dress a few minutes later he was tired poor old fellow he had been serious and quiet ever eve since his return anyway all very well to say that a man could escape from his sins scot free nobody ever escaped scot free from anything in this world and especially a man as fine as quentin escape ft whenever enever his eyes fell on the morrison house hed remember and be sorry even when serena had lingeringly cloyingly gone away as of course she would some day he be proud to remember that sickening little interval of kisses and whisperings and presents and stolen hours and some day when susan was a beautiful eighteen fresh and sweet and fine some innocent question ot of hers about their old neighbors about gita or altas alta s father or gitas mother you lyou remember the ibe morrisons Morri sons dad she terri bly beautiful would strike him in his soul and make him wince anaf and then the whole ohof thing would seem to him like what vicky had called it a fever that had caught mind arid and soul instead of body so his silence at dinner did not alarm her after dinner when gwen had carried her school books upstairs 3 and magda had gone oft off with old judge and mrs trimmer to a movie there was the usual interruption the clock had just struck ten vicky had been conscious of a pleasant conviction that they were not going to lo be disturbed this evening when the telephone rang from quen tins manner as ashe he answered itsie it she knew that the fireside hour was doomed ive got the whole apparatus here youve got one good quentin said ill be right over you might get him upstairs there was the usual little flurry brownie came down to say that marty was sleeping nicely wid and his pulse was much better quentin rushed into the night leaving the two women in consultation by the fire the telephone rang sharply again for a moment in the general contusion confusion of her thoughts vicky could not seem to make out clearly just who it was oh yes dr cudworth she said her face brightening and youre your at the at the oh h yes at the Morri morrisons sons who Is dying oh no Is he really oh I 1 am corryl lie he was quite well yesterdays yester dayl oh too bad she hung up the telephone stared at the expectant brownie its dr cudworth hes rather excitable she said her own face rather pale he says that spencer morrisons Morri sons dying hes been there sinew since seven and he wants to see me 1 I wonder if f hed like to have doctor come if he ha comes in I 1 wish send him straight over cudworth asked for him anil ana when I 1 said quent was over at the hospital he said my god this may be life and deatel dea button your coat up around your lace face mrs hardisty they were at the doorway now the chilly spring night rushed at them like a living thing vicky went oft off alone into the dark happened she asked when she arrived at the house for it was obvious from the manner of both serena and the village doctor that something more than ordinary illness was afoot Is he gone he cant live sel se na said in a quick whisper that held a puzzling hint of stubbornness of defiance in it why but he was well yesterday better than hes been for or weeks at least P vicky hesitated look ing at the doctor as one deferring naturally to his opinion 1 I dont know anything about IV it she said but he be came to the fence to speak to me and he seemed Exact lyl lyt the doctor said sharply he was better I 1 saw him sunday I 1 was called today three hours after he first began to complain of violent pain and I 1 find the man dying he looked at serena and serena returned the look with one that more definitely than her voice had ha a done expressed defiance I 1 CHAPTER XIV ill not sign any death certify cat mark my words cudworth said in a menacing undertone victoria shocked beyond the power to grasp what all this meant glanced bewilderedly fit at the sickroom door hell hear bear us she breathed he is he dead la Is he you dont have to sign anything serena said sharply in a 10 C aj fl vy i aa 7 g V vicky voice clear but hardly as strong as a whisper 1 I never asked you to sign anything dr hardisty 11 sign it ile he knows all about the easel casel spencer morrison Morr lson says hes been poison edl cudworth said shortly to vicky vicky could only stare at him in horror come int the doctor direct directed ed her leading the way she followed him into the sickroom A subdued light was burning there vicky had never been in spencers room at night before but once or twice when he had been unusually larne and had stayed in bed she had come over in the daytime tor for a a chat or for a game ol of cribbage tonight everything was as usual books and photographs chairs and rugs and lamps but she sensed this rather than saw it tor for her anxious eyes were instantly fixed upon the man who lay jay panting propped in pillows in the wide comfortable bed the worn deep lines of the disillusioned face were accentuated now by his violent illness he smiled a ghastly smile ani she came in and stretched his lean hand toward her that dope seems to have quieted things down doctor he said in a hoarse whisper to the amah who was now moving about the room sharply while I 1 was out of the room nobody came in nobody touched anything on that table the woman shook her head she looked hall half sick with fright and bewilderment all right then said the doctor bime by nurse come you stay here natchee an all time 1 I not go the amah said 1 I was pretty near done for did he tell you spencer whispered holding to hand ile he ignored serena looking away from her with a frown you had a bad upset vicky said bold looking down at him trusting her face did not betray her appalled thoughts ill get through this wont 1 I Doc doctor the sick man whispered 1 I would be wrong to deceive you mr morrison the old aid doctor said solemnly youre already sinking sir the absence of pain and the pulse both show it its it no time for me to say anything else to you if there are affairs for you to settle vicky cant you get hold of Quen quentine spencer gasped hes coming spencer lie he was at the hospital but I 1 left word what did you take vicky demanded in a sort of wall 1 I take she gave it to me I 1 want ju both spencer said panting to remember what I 1 bayl she tried a week ago she tried to double my sleeping stuff she brought it to me ive not been taking it lately ive been sleeping better she told me id better make sure she knew I 1 was going back to england she want to go and I 1 told her shed take care of herself if she cornel comel that drove her crazy I 1 saw it ashes been half crazy anyway lately I 1 told amah to watch everything I 1 ate and she did but today I 1 was asleep when she brought me up my lemonade it was there when I 1 woke up I 1 ought to have thought that serenade Ser enad baen at it serena whose face was ghastly looked from one to the other I 1 not truel true she whispered sharply in the silence and abruptly she left the room spencer struggled to speak quite suddenly out of the nightmare vicky was awakened by a step she knew sounding on the stairs a voice out in the hallway Quen quentina tins herel she said dr cudworth turned quickly you stay right here arnah amah he said you watch ma basterl mast sterl crl he and vicy went out into the tha halt hall and when she saw quentin Quent ln pale and shocked but strong and big and adequate and infinitely comforting vicky experienced one of the good moments of life fear turned to confidence fi peril to safety and the tha horrors of the black night seemed less black the matter with him quentin asked serena began a frantic explanation the other doctor brushed her aside hes taken poison he said bluntly suicide quentin whispered with a glance toward spencers door nothing of the kind cudworth answered sharply the man no more wanted to dle die than you dol lie he told me that hed planned he told me that held hed been much better I 1 tell you I 1 cant sign it doctor he interrupted himself to say agitatedly tat edly you may if you likel like but there have been things going on here that are against the laws of god and man sirl IU ill not do it my professional honor forbids ill quentan Quent ln evidently trying to grasp the situation looked from face to face who suggested poison he asked sharply no onel serena said on a passionate breath doctor the man himself told me the village doctor said his forehead forehead shining with sweat 1 I saw him sunday in good health ile he was talking then of going back to england he say when he tells tell me tonight that it was to be at once and thai chahe he was leaving his bis wife I 1 tipped oft off the chinese comah woman I 1 told her to watch him I 1 knew some something thing was he told me that she the amah often brought him up lemonade in the afternoon and that this afternoon it was there when he awakened ah but non nonsense quen tin said in his honest troubled voice of course it serena said she went over and clung to quen tins arm he disengaged her hand without seeming conscious of her presence and turned to V victoria I 1 actor I 1 a why did you come here dear he asked tn in a concerned tender voice it will only distress you horribly you dont belong in tills spencer asked for me quent vie vic raised her eyes to his and saw serena pale and tense and watch ing looking at them and she felt an odd twist of something like pity in her heart nonsense or not t little dr cudworth said inflexibly 1 I professionally I 1 could not ascribe this to a natural illness serena faced him down you could mind your own bust she said with a hiss on the last word it if you dont want to do it it knowing as 1 I 1 told you when you got here as everyone knows that hes been a sick man for years I 1 say that if you dont believe that a man who takes boex no exercise a rc I 1 se and is not strong