Show h my by PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM copyright by little dro co CHAPTER IX continued 27 dut but what made her want to leave gerald persisted christopher did not hesitate for a moment he meant to take every possible advantage of this the first sign of any real interest in life which gerald geraid had bad shown shonn for months because she Is very finely strung he said and the situation was becoming impossible for tier her site she was nas very much in love with you and you were crazy about some one else I 1 was very much in love with her as I 1 always albans had been ind and I 1 was RSS ass enough to try and persuade her to marry me of course he be went on 1 I ought to have realized the unconquerable qu erable fidelity of a nature like hers an ordinary woman he went on leaning back in his corner and discussing the matter very much as he would have done a legal point presented for his opinion tori might select and prefer one man to all others but if for some reason or other oilier lie he did not return her affection she would be able in course of time to to feel practically the same thing for another man myrtile could never do that she lias ions that saint like ilke fidelity which is the joy and the curse of the best women you are a tery iery dear fellow gerald and I 1 am very fond of you but I 1 sometimes get fed up with your nerves your blindness your grand duchesses and your stark idiocy 11 gerald sat up in hs place and stored stared at his friend in amazement how long have you been keeping that bottled up chris he asked ever since myrtile turned me down dovin was the prompt reply she was as kind as she could be about it but slie she did her job like a surgeon she hurt but I 1 knew it was no use ever thinking about her spain again that WRY way I 1 am a dispassionate observer now and I 1 can see the truth 1 I suppose I 1 have been rather an ass gerald acknowledged but you must remember chris I 1 quite know it what hat I 1 vo was as in for when I 1 teak on that visit to russia and I 1 dant think any one could go through what I 1 had to go through without getting bowled over fancy being taken care of like a baby by that amazing woman elsa francks having to owe her your life half a dozen times overt over 1 seeing that great coarse creature with her hank of yellow hair and her breath smelling of drink and pate patchouli boult standing up one moment and defying death and lying the next without a tremor to guards who would have set us up against the wall and shot us on sight if they had known the truth she was an epic figure christopher declared 1 I wonder what has become of her heaven knows gerald answered we may meet her it at monte carlo or she may have married marred a respectable german tradesman and rid burled buried the past she Is wealthy enough she got that fellow kross krois s share of the money I 1 took out as well as her own how these pine trees smell ch carla Is I 1 and what sun thane oue one could sleep here gerald leaned back in his place with lial bialt closed eyes and christopher was well content to leave him alone this was the first time he had spoken naturally of his journey to russia and tile the terrible experience through which he had bad passed all through the surn iner months be had lain about ahe gardens at Hinter leys accepting life as 28 an inevitable burden gaining no strength sleeping little all the time engaged in a morbid struggle with the tyranny of his nerves nothing had bad moved or interested him these last few sentences of his were nere the alist evidences of his cretu return n to a natural outlook physically be hall had shrunken almost to a shadow there the re was very little left of the gay and debonair young wall who nabo had passed his arm roun round d Myrt lles waist and drawn tier her into the aar or mocked at remon trances and with a few cureless careless words nords built up in myrtila Myrt Myr lles heart tile the fairyland at the end of the road yet tet BB as they drew near the place where they had found her he be seemed to ahlke off some of his torpor he sat up tip and looked about him film with reminiscent eyes one more bend and they rould see the gate would you like to stop mop for a mo vi went lent christopher asked myrtile Myr Is ie almost certain to be here this was mst most assur assuredly eoll Y a changed berald i erald he was almost diffident if you think site she would like ille to see aeo us im he assented ile he sat upright now dow leaning a little littie forward they were round the L cor ed in 10 sight bight of the little grove of cy presses and there at the gate myrtile Myr gerald gave a little exclamation which sounded almost like a sob ob ills his incredulous stare had something in it alike of pain and tear fear 1 I wrote her ber days ago and said that we w should be passing pass lne christopher hastily explained she stepped out into the road to greet them even to christopher her coming was almost like a vision the small mall differences of clothing and clr cir cumi cuma tiace tance teemed seemed scarcely arcely gc to exist it was wa myrtile who welcomed them haly but joyfully her bar eyes were 24 2 4 upon gerald and there wn was a touch of sublime pity la in themas them as she realized the change but from her face shone the same things you will come in and see my home she begged the car can turn in here the road la Is better than it used to be 1 I nm am tired of the car gerald said 1 I would rather walk they moved sl slowly oNly down through til rough the cypress avenue gerald leaning a little on myrdies Myrt Myrd lles les arm christopher loitering behind it 13 19 the most restful and the most beautiful place I 1 have ever been in gerald murmured tell me M ali artle he e added do you know all thit has happened to me everything christopher has written and I 1 had a long letter too front from your father please do not speak of those things which are finished you are here to forget involuntarily he looked away toward the road and turned back with a sliver whatever its ills thoughts might have been lie he said nothing A little french maid in spot spotless leks white cap and apron came out on the veranda in reply to millies call A bottle of our own wine and in of glasses myrdle ordered some fruit and the sandwiches I 1 told you to have ready marle marie come we haie hae another half hour of sunshine gerald you must take the sofa chair gerald sank into a sea of cushI cushion rits myrtile bending over him arran arranzer zed them more comfortably her eyes were soft with bilth the shadow of tears gemlo more weary than he had confessed seemed for a moment almost to doze lie Is very weak myrtile will whispered looking anxiously across towards christopher christopher nodded it Is the journey he answered 1 I wish that it were over the wine was brought but gerald was now in a deep sleep christopher and myrelle sat at the other end of the veranda and talked in an undertone 7 4 14 eq 1 leave him to me christopher she begged he needs rest presently the sun began to sink behind gilr d the forest crowned hills lillas westwards wa rde A cool breece came stealing across the valley myrtile rose suddenly to her feet ile must not sleep any longer she said firmly he ought not to be out at all as late as this they tried to rouse him three times christopher laid his bis liand land apon upon ills shoulder and called him by name th there ere wa was s no response response gerald was was sleeping heavily his breathing g was regular the lie lines seemed to have faded from this may be his salvation christopher declared there were tears in n Myrt Myr lles tiles eyes A all 11 the time she seem fl to be listening leave him to me christopher she begged ue he needs rest christopher nodded ill send two of its his bogs bags down from the car lie proposed and some of us will come and have a look at hina him in a few days ill ills servant an can stay here if t aou alke ike so that yu yuu have bave help if you yol t want wani it she fhe smiled through her tears 1 I shall need no help she promise I 1 will cure cube gerald tell lady ma mary ry plad and lord Hinter leys that I 1 promise it only oaly leave him aarle with me do not come tiny any of you until I 1 send it if he wishes to leave eave I 1 can hire a car from san raphael he be can be with you in a few hours but I 1 think he will he be content I 1 think he will get better here chapter X and now christopher said as their car crawled up tip the last ascent to see it if myrelle has kept tier her word 1 personally lord Hinter leys declared 1 I am confident that young woman has powers beyond the ordinary human beings be lings besides our telegrams every day have assured us that all Is will it seems curious to me m that gr 1 aid should have been so 30 content mary remarked Is this the place christopher christopher nodded the car was waa slowing up on their right V as the little grove of cypress trees and the gate here they are mitry enry exclaimed why just look it at gerald I 1 the two young people came down the cypress grove arm in arm gerald was walking filth much n lucli ot of its his old swagger once more ills his head was wag thrown back once more there was all the joy of wild spirits in the abandon of his enthusiastic greeting myrtile Myrt lie on the other han hand seemed quieter than usual gerald what have you been up to ills his father demanded gerald ailing laughed hed listen to that dad he be said and see it if you on cant gu guess es 11 the bell from the little white church was tinkling away crazily craz lly gerald passed his arm around myrtile ashes terrified to death he declared please ilease every one tell her that glad was easily persuaded her father in law dispossessed gerald as they turned towards the house mary walked on the other side you have now arrived in time tor for tile the celebrations gerald continued the feasting tenantry are in view on the far side of the house you will presently have the opportunity of hearing me make a little speech in my most perfect french which I 1 have just learnt by heart so you are really mar married riedl 1 mary exclaimed incredulously gerald myrtile how wonderful it all seems amazing I 1 gerald agreed matrimony was evidently roy ray predestined mecca I 1 rm am no longer III 1 I have never been so happy in my life I 1 was plowing for four hours yesterday and practicing approach shots over the road to get rid of a little superfluous energy after ten tea abbat I 1 really covet Is the job of pierre the head man but myrtile wont listen to it she sha says I 1 dont understand the soil As they reached the house the old cure came shuffling out beaming with smiles delighted to find that every one spoke his own language and that he could talk to them about Myr myrtile luncheon was spread out on the veranda and marle and a young friend from the village with great bunches of white carnations fastened to their frocks were waiting to serve gerald himself uncorked the wine 1 I propose to make a speech lord HInter leys announced holding out hla his foaming glass it mut must be a short one gerald insisted ed the om wont wait then as an Is my favorite dish and that one appears to be a chef I 1 drop the speech his father assented 1 I will only say gerald that you have made mary and me very happy and that no bride alde in the world was ever more welcome than myrtile to our home an and lives every one bagan argan to talk at once by and by that curious sense of unreality the feeling that the whole thing was a scene out of an old fashioned comedy passed away gerald who was shamelessly holding Myrt Myr lles tiles anond under the tablecloth raised ralson 1 his glass and looked into her eyes it was 1 I after all he whispered who had no idea what lay at the end of the road you were the wise lady and I 1 the tool fool all through the afternoon the villagers came and went and the young people danced in the field at the back of the farm many toasts were exchanged every one was extraordinarily happy then the time came for christopher who was on his way back to england to leave mary who was spending ill lie night with her father at cannes Cant les walked with him film to the road they paused for a moment at the gate and it was really here that you found myrtile mary alary looking aro urill her with interest we lound found her on tills this very spot christopher answered gazing along the he road to the hills all her life she had wondered what lay on the other side mole many of us never find out I 1 think that gerald has been very fortunate 1 I am glad that you are happy about it she said avith quiet but tactful significance it Is s because I 1 am happy about it christopher rejoined turning towards tier her that I 1 am going to venture that mary mar well I 1 think I 1 feel a little like the man who walked for a few minutes nil of his life in the moonlight and fancied th that at it was a day I 1 honestly thought that I 1 was in love with myrtile I 1 know now that there Is no one I 1 ever really cared for but you mary she alia raised her head and looked nt at him yielding unresistingly to the arm which was wag drawn dran around her 1 I am quite sure she murmured that this Is an enchanted land END I 1 |