Show ASPIRATIONS i I By Anthony Hope Copyright 1S3 by Anthony Hope I had been telling Phillippa March exactly ex-actly how matters stood between Cousin I Flo and myself I Its really a little awkward you know I ended smiling I Awkward said Phillippa who had listened lis-tened to me quite gravely Awkward Mr Vansittart I call it disgusting And her clear blue eyes flashed scorn Now I myself did not consider it exactly ex-actly disgusting so I said nothing more thanPerhaps I Perhaps I oughtnt to have mentioned mention-ed it to you But it seemed amusing in a way Of course its a secret Well I suppose you wouldnt like it known observed Phillippa with meaning mean-ing < u i sat smooimng my nut ana smiling What are you smiling at she asked ask-ed sharply Oh I wonder how you and people like you by which sho meant cousin Flo can make a jest of it as you do And she began to walk up and down A jest gL what Miss March I Why ofofof love and so on Mr Vansittart Oh or love said I meditatively as I deposited my hat on the table Thats serious surely if anything in tIme world is > And you make fun of it allWell Well it makes a fool of me I pleaded Phillippa gave me a look and walked about Youre quite right said I Itsits I uncommon bad form I shall tell flo I that I thatYou were Just as bad yourself I worse Why worse I I You were the man You began it You I encouraged her I Flo does not give the impression of needing encouragement but I let that I pass In fact I was much interested in r r ag infori i rhillippas opinion You re right I said again It is a I I serious thing Its a holy thing said Phillippa from I the middle of the room It is I agreed meeting her earnest gaze With the right person it is with I the wrong Its a desecration interrupted PhilI lippa Im so glad I talked to you about it Miss March You take such a jollyI mean such a splendid high view of It I You elevate the whole thing so And I rose and joined Phillippa who was now standing on the hearthrug where the sun II caught her hair through the drawing room window Have you read this asked Phillippa I suddenly taking three volumes from the mintleplcce Its simply magnificent Idont think I have What is it I Incomprehensa answered Phillippa I By the author of Too Many by Half you know I Whats it about I A girl said Phillippa with kindling I eye who gave her whole life toBut I whats the uso of talking about it to you I i iYoun laughing again II I I I I II I j I j I I I I 1ll I 1 lir I 4i I i AT LAST PHILIPPA SPOKE I I Upon my honor I just screwed up my mouth becausebecause of the sun you know I Gave her whole life to saving a man not in the least worthy of her I What a pity said I trying to say i the right thing I A pity Its just that thats so splcn did didOh yes of coursein one point of view Yes it would be Miss March I And he never understood her Liked someone else did he I Oh no He loved her Come be had some good I 11111 his way ended PhilliKJa with < c = i c measureless disdain That made It I worse I I began to feel uncomfortable yet 11 I had another feeling Phillippa is wonderfully I fully striking when she looks haughty I and scornful I I shall read it said I Its a fine I idea Pity things like that dont happen in real life In real life nobody tries to help a fellow I think I achieved some pathos in this remark for Phillippa turned a softening glance upon me Hes just allowed I continued too to-o on making an making all sorts of blunders I meanand nobody cares I enough to do anything It s very hard to help some people i said Phillippa sadly ui 1 of I ij jI f j f 1 > i 1 l i c 1i 1 1i i T I I AROSE AND JOINED PHILIPPA Iii But whatshername Incomprehensa Mr Vansittart Yes Thanks Incomprehensa tried all the same Yes she aid said Phillippa and a pause followed But a books one thing and lifes another an-other I observed bitterly It oughtnt to be said Phillippa In a low voice and she looked away towards the window I dont think It would be withwIth everybody A fellow feels dont you know Miss March that he would be better if any body took any interest in him you know 1 mean sensibly not all for a lark as Flo does Shes not cry serious herself Is she rsked Phillippa with a slight patient smile smileThat the worst of it said I 50 of course shes no use I often feel that it I had someone towell at any rate to talk to about such things What things Mr Vansittart < Oh welloh wellCome you know what I mean Miss March And Phillippa said softly Yes I think I do Mr Vansittart If 1 resumed I might come and talk to you some times IIm often at home murmured Philippa And hear what you think about It you > know and see our1 mean hear your opinion Jf you really think It would be any Oh it wouldno end I assuro you Miss March It would make me a different dif-ferent fellowupon by word It would It would elevate me like anything Phllippa blushedmaybe only because I was implying a compliment to her moral worth I continued to regard her with admiring eyes It would make me very happy if I thought she said Andand Miss March I Interrupted encouraged by her tone perhaps you might find there was some good in a chap after all and Im sure I should Mr Vnnslttart And then perhaps some day you might come to care for I had gOt thus far and after all It was most of the way when Phillppii suddenly drew back and flushing a line color asked in grand indignation C1 A = 2 c y Have you forgotten Otr cousin Mr Vansittart I It was exactly what I had done I had clean forgotten FIO You must have I think she went on or you would hardly venture to hint tome to-me Look here Miss March I broke in its all nonsense about Flo you know She doesnt half mean it and I dont I understood that you had askedIt Well so I did I admitted In desperation despera-tion I say Phllippa mean Miss March If I can square it with Iflh If you can what j If I can honorably Xot another word please Mr Van slttart How can I listen while your 1 I cousin She broke off turning away But I took a step after her I If my cousin wore not I began in low persuasive tones j Not another word please whispered i Philippa There it is I cried tragically Im I left to myself You wont hold out a finger to me Please go away now said she I Ill go said I if I No no go please I If youll say one word to me I One word I just heard from Phil j ippa as I leant my head forward to catch it i Yes one word Then I shall have I strength toto tackleII mean to go like an honest man to Flo andand do I It you know 1 I There was a pause I stood expectant 1 At last Philippa spoke j I never thought of this she said Of course you didnt said I As a matter of fact I had not thought of it myself 11 do think theres some good In I youa little Ah youre too Just a little which under good Influences 1 In-fluences 4 Yours would be angelic 1 Hush hush Say one word I Implored Perhaps said Philippa I gave a cry of joy Now go added Philippa I As a gentleman I was bound to go 1 I took my hat and walked straight to tha door a smile of radiant happiness on I I my face Just as I reached It Philippe i spoke again Mr Vanslttart Yes I You youll see your cousin soon Somehow I felt less radiant My smile vanished j Goodbye said I and I opened the j I doorShall Shall you see her tonight asked I Philippa I paused a moment then I said urn < try and I shut the door I I went downstairs whistling softly Then I lit a cigarette I wanted it And o I said as I walked away I I wonder if Im In a tight place o i I For it seemed possible that I was Sq II took the night to think it over c T |