Show By ROBERT W CHAMBERS he e BLACK WATER VATER Author of The King In Yellow The Red Republic A King and anda a Few Dukes etc Copyright 1896 by G P Sons Entered at Stationers Hall London Oh could you view the melodie Ot OC evry grace And musick of her face drop Seeing more moro harmonie In her bright eye Then now you heare Lovelace I Ysonde swung her racquet Her Daughter aughter was very A robin on the tip Up of a cocked his head to listen a shy snowbird peered at her through the meadow mea ow grass What are you laughing at I asked uneasily I spoke sharply 1 had not Intended to The porcupine on the porch lifted his hia head his rising quills grating on the piazza a row ow knee deep in the sedge stared at atme atme atme me in stupid disapproval I 1 beg your I said sulkily for I felt the rebuke of the ow cow Then Ysonde laughed again the robin chirped In sympathy and the snowbird crept to the edge of the Deuce I said picking up a ball baIl ballare ballare are you ready She stepped back making me a mock mockIng mockIng mocking bluer Ing reverence Her eyes were than the flowering wax behind her herI I had Intended to send her a swift service and I should have hae done so had hadI I not noticed her eyes Deuce I repeated pausing to re rover over the composure necessary for good tennis She made mada a gesture with her racquet The service was a miserable failure I i drove the second ball ban into of butt placing the the net and then my racquet on the turf sat down on the rim Vantage out said I gritting my at teeth what were you laughing Ysonde Vantage out she repeated I am amnot amnot amnot not laughing You were I said you are now She went to the boxwood hedge It back picked out one ball and sent the net then then Hien she drove the other over oer and nd retired to her corner comer swinging her racquet I did not move You are spoiling your racquet she paid Fald FaldI I was sitting on it I knew better 4 And your temper she said sweetly Vantage out I repeated and raised my tennis bat for tor a smashing ser serice serIce service vice ice The ball close to the net and the white dust flew from her hercourt court ourt but her racquet caught it fair fall fairand falland fairand and square and I heard the ring of the strings as a the ball shot along my left alley aIley and dropped exactly on the ser service service service vice line How I got it I dont know but the next moment a puff of dust rose In her vantage court there was a rustle of skirts a twinkle of small ten tennis tennis tennis nis shoes and the hall ban rocketed high higher er r higher Into the misty sunshine Oh gasped Ysonde and bit her herlip herlip herlip lip The ball bail began bc n to come down I had timp to laugh before It struck to laugh quietly and twirl my short mus mustache tache I 1 shall place that ball said aid Ial J 1 where here you will not find it easily I and I did deliberately For a second Ysonde was disappoint disappointed ed d I could see that but I Imagined there was the slightest tremor of re relief lief Ilef In her voice when she said Brute force Is useless Bobby listen I Ito to the voice of the Prophetess I 1 I 1 hear I said the echo of your voice In the throat of every bird Which is very pretty but unfair i said aid Ysonde looking at the snow siow snowbirds birds beside her It is unfair she repeated Yes said I It Is unfair are you ready a aLet Let us u finish the game this after afternoon afternoon afternoon noon she suggested i look at these snowbirds Bobby if I raise Ise my rac mc racquet racQuet It will frighten them And you imagine said I that these snowbirds are going to interrupt the frame this game gamet What hat a pity to frighten them see look how close they come to me Do you think the little things are tamed by hunger Some creatures are not tamed by anything I said Are you hungry she asked Inno Info Innocently innocently I was glad that I suppressed my an anger anger anger ger Ysonde I said you know what this game means to me meto to us usI usI usI I know nothing about It she said hastily retreating to her corner play Its deuce you know I know I replied and sent a mer merciless ciless ball baU shooting across her deuce court Vantage In I observed trying not notto notto notto to smile A swift glance from her wide eyes a perceptible tremble of the long lashes that was all but I knew what I knew for I have hunted wild creatures The porcupine on the piazza rose unified sniffed blinked bUnked in the sunlight and I lumbered down the steps every quill erect Billy Go back this minute said Ysonde The quills on Billys back flattened BUly Billy I repeated go and climb a tree If It you speak to him he will bristle again said Ysonde walking over to the porcupine Billy my child climb this pretty balsam treo tree for the gentleman come you are Interrupting the game and the gentleman Is Impatient The Th gentleman is very ery Impatient Billy I said saidI I saw Ysonde color colora a soft faint tint nothing more I 1 saw Billy receive a gentle impulse oh very gentle In Indeed Indeed indeed deed from the point of ot her slender shoes So the porcupine was hus bus hustled hustled tied up the where he lay like an old mat untidy mortified nurs nursing nurs log ing his wrath while two bluebirds tittered among amonI the branches above him Ysonde came back and stood in the game court It Is vantage I b she said Indifferently Out said I with significance Ysonde looked at me Out I repeated Play she said desperately No I replied sitting down upon I the edge of ot my racquet again I knew I better let us clearly understand tile the consequences first She swung her racquet and looked ne full in the eyes What consequences she said The consequences Incident upon my winning this set seL What consequences she insisted defiantly The forfeit said I Ien When en you win the set we will dis tuss l that she said Do you imagine you will win She was Tas a better player than I she could Quid give g o me thirty on ii adl game Yes es I 1 said and an I 1 believe the tile f ery in my mf m voice would have moved a tigress to pity Now ow perhaps It was because there Is nothing of the tigress about Ysonde perhaps because I showed my 01 fear of her horI herI I dont know which but I saw her scarlet lips press one upon the tho oth other other er cr and an I saw her eyes ees darken like vio violet violet yb let velvet at night Play she said I am ready read The first ball struck the net the racquet turned in Jn my nerveless hand and she ho smiled Play I cried and the second ball bail bit the lime dust dus dusk at her feet I saw the flash of ot her racquet I saw a streak of gray lightning and I lifted my racquet but something struck me mein meIn mein in the face the were heavy and wet and I staggered about blindly faint with pain Oh Bobby Dobb cried Ysonde and stood quite still Im a duffer I muttered trying to open my eye but the pain sickened me meI meI I placed my hand over It and looked out upon the world with on eye The drab colored com corn was watching me she was chewing her cud the porcupine had one sardonic eye fixed upon me methe metho methe the tho robin balanced on the tip of the balsam bal m mocked me It was plain that the creatures were all on her side The wild snowbirds scarcely moved as Ysonde hastened across the court to tomy tomy tomy my side I heard the bluebirds tit tittering tittering tittering over my head but I 1 did not care I had heard the tones of voice and I was glad gla that I had been banged in the eye It was true she had only said Oh Bobby Is it very painful she asked standing close beside me Yes Yea I replied seriously Let me look she said laying one hand on the sleeve of ot my cricket shirt Billy will vill rejoice at this said I removing my handkerchief so she could see the eyes ees The pain was becoming intense With my uninjured eye I could see how white her hand was She stood still a moment my arm grew warm beneath her hand It will cheer Billy I 1 suggested did I tell teU you that he bit me yester yesterday yesterday yesterday day and I whacked him No Well he and I did How can you she murmured how can you speak spek k of that ridiculous Billy when you may Oldy have have to be blind Nonsense I said with a shiver She crossed the turf to the tha spring and brought her handkerchief back soaking and cold as Ice I felt her palm on my cheek check as she adjusted it It was smooth like an apricot Hold it there I said bribing my conscience it Is very pleasant She thought I meant the wet handkerchief If If I have ruined your sight she began Now It was on the tip of my tongue to add and yet you are going to ruin my life by beating me at tennis but bul my m conscience revolted Do you think it is serious she asked In a voice so low that I bent my head Involuntarily She mistook the tile gesture for one of silent acquiescence A tear teara a large warm one fell on my wrist I thought It was a drop of wa water water water ter from the handkerchief at first Then I opened my uninjured eye and saw w her mistake You misunderstood I said wear wearily wearily wearily ily I 1 dont believe bellee what the oculist told me the eye ee will be all right But he warned you that a sudden blow would Might Oh did he say might Yes but it wont Im all right dont take away your hand are you tired No Ko no she said shall I get some fresh water Not yet dont go The Tho game gamo was wasat wasat wasat at deuce It Ysonde was silent Was It deuce Does that point count against me I insisted How can you think of the game now said Ysonde in a queer voice like the note of a very young bird birdI I sat down on the turf and the hand handkerchief handkerchief kerchief fell feIl from my eye ee Ysonde hastened to the spring and returned carrying the heavy stone Jar full of water It must have strained her deli delicate delicate delicate cate wrist she said it did not and kneeling beside me she placed the cold bit of ot cambric over my eye Thank you I said will you sit be beside beside beside side me on the turf turn Both of my eyes were aching and closed but I heard her skirts rustle and felt the momentary moment momentary ary pressure of her palm on my cheek Are you seated 7 Yes Tea Then Ti en tell te l me ine whether I lost that point How can I tell teU she answered I would willingly concede it If It it were not For the forfeit I added then you think I did lost the point Does Docs your eye ce pain very much she asked Yes said I truthfully Perhaps It was ungenerous but I 1 dared not reject such an ally as truth I 1 opened one eye and looked at Ysonde She was ex ox examining examining a buttercup All buttercups look as though they had been carefully varnished said she touching one with the tip Up of her middle finger Did I win the set I began again Oh no not the set she protested Then I lost that point Oh Ohl why will you dwell upon tennis at such a moment Because said I It means so much to me meI I suppose there was something in my voice olce that frightened her Forgive me I said bitterly ashamed for I had broken our com corn compact pact not directly but in substance Forgive me Ysonde I said looking at the porcupine with my left eye Ridiculous Billy for that was his name stared at me with the insolence born of safety s fety and his white whiskers twitched In derision You old devil I thought remembering remembering bering the scar on my ankle Where did he bite you asked Ysonde unconsciously reading my thoughts It was a trick of ot hers In the ankle It was nothing I 1 would rather have him bite the other ankle than get any an more of ot his quills into me mel I replied See how the snow birds have hae followed you They are there among the wild strawberries ries nez She turned her head Hush she raising one palm It was pinker than the unripe berries There was an ache in my nty heart as na well as In my eyes so I said something silly There was an old man who said Hush I perceive a ayoung ayoung young bird In this thic bush When they said Is it small he re replied replied plied pIled Not at all It Is four times as big biff as na astha the tha bush replied Ysonde sol so sot t I We both laughed but I read reada a gratitude in her eyes which annoyed me We Ve digress I said speaking of the game Oh but we were not speaking of or orthe the game she slie said half larme there I thought you were ere going to be sensible Bobby I 1 am I only wish to know whether I lost that game You know the rules she said Yes I know the rules If It It were wore not for the forfeit I should not Insist she continued re returning returning returning turning to her buttercup It seems unfair to take the point does the eye pain Bobby Not so much I replied i sticking to the truth to the bitter end My ally aIly was becoming a nuisance Let me iDe see it ft she said gently gentl re removing removing removing moving the handkerchief The eye must have looked bad for her faco face changed Oh you poor fellow she said and andI I fairly revelled In the delight of my myown myown myown own misery Then I lost that point said I stifling conscience She replaced the handkerchief Her hand had become suddenly steady No she said you did not lose the point I concede It ItI ItI itI I wondered whether my eyes were tricking me Then if I won the point I won the thet set t I said Yes And the forfeit The forfeit was that I should kiss you said Ysonde gravely That was not all 1111 No you are to be allowed to tell teU me that you love me continued Ysonde in calm even tones Then said I flushing uncomfortably bly when will you pay the forfeit Now if it you wish it Shall I kiss you She leaned on the turf one hand hid hidden hidden den oen by the buttercups She had drop dropped dropped dropped ped the handkerchief and I 1 picked It up and held It to my eye with my left lefthand lefthand lefthand hand Then rhen with my right hand I took her right hand listlessly drooping beside her and anil an I looked her full In Inthe inthe Inthe the eyes When hen we made the wager I said I we were boy and girl That was al almost almost a most hours ago You need not kiss me Ysonde A kiss means more at our age she said We were very silly said I T TIt It should mean love she said aid faintly Indeed It should I said Ysonde sat straight up among amori the field flowers I do not love she said saidI I know it I replied gaily gall and I Ilet Ilet Ilet let the bandage drop from my eye The pain Is all aU gone I said closing my left eye to see whether my vision was Impaired I was totally blind in my 01 right eye For an Instant the shock staggered me I dont ont know knew how long I sat erat mouth open staring staTing at the sun with one sound one sightless eye Ysonde her chin on her hands lay with her face lace turned toward the Lady a towering peak in the east Come I said rising your our aunt will be Impatient dinner has been served this half halt hour She sprang prang to her feet she had been In a reverie and gave me a long look which I could not define And our eye pain she asked after a moment No I said for the th pain had dis disappeared disappeared disappeared appeared with the sight I am all allright allright allright right except a headache And you can see perfectly well Perfectly It was at this point that truth and andI I parted for tor what was a lost eye that It should cause her a moments moment regret 11 It was about this time that the oculist oculist oculist list came to Holderness and visited me meat meat meat at the Rosebud Inn I was in a dark darkroom darkroom darkroom room Ysonde thought it better be believing believing lieving darkness a cure for headache When the oculist walked In his name was Keen he said What the devil are you doing here I am blind In one eye will It be no noticeable noticeable noticeable I asked Banged in the eye he Inquired opening the shutters Banged in the eye I repeated as ashe ashe ashe he bent over me mc His examination lasted scarcely ten seconds After a moment he rose and closed the shutters and I stood glood up in inthe Inthe inthe the darkness I |