| Show eb b ca roain bu OPPENHEIM ond ft CO CHAPTER I 1 continued 17 taulene Taul raul lne 11 ho he wald leaning a little forward you are adorable adorn ble 1 I suppose it goes without saying that you should find me so she answered bored composedly 1 I suppose also that I 1 must permit you the privilege of my christian name on the other hand do not try to get on too quickly will you I 1 must warn you that you have reached the extreme limit of I 1 my complaisance ilia his eyes flashed for a moment ile he was much too spoilt to regard tier her indifference its 08 anything more than part of the game it was a duet duel between the two tile tho result of which lie he scarcely arcely ec doubted but with hla his usual impetuosity he resented delity delay you will accept mo me some day he said laid why not now we could spend t the e honeymoon in paris and go on to the italian lakes or we could be married at the embassy ln eirls P als if you liked you re taking base advantage of this lonely spot she murmured dipping her hand in the water 1 I have told you that I 1 am in love with another man you will forget him in a weel week gerald assured her 1 I am a most moat companionable person 1 I have havia no doubt that you have given many people tile the opportunity of finding you so BO she replied however I 1 am not prepared just yet tor for such an experiment Paul pauline lne do you like me a little he be asked neAtly she looked him in the eyes not much she admitted frankly you see the nicer purt part of me the part with which I 1 should care la Is numb numbed with misfortune the most that I 1 can say le Is that it if you are very kind I 1 may change to some extent personally I 1 think it hopeless hopel ws you consider I 1 suppose he suggested telling me your history now that we are on a slightly different tooting nothing would induce me to anything of the sort she replied 1 I think that we have left my alent alone quite long lone enough ne he took up the scull and dug due it into the still stagnant water ile he did not speak peak again until they reached the landing stage where Is this other man ho be asked us as he handed her out she thought for or several moments before she ahe answered then she turned toward him with the air of one who has arrived at a decision the other man she declared Is my brother he Is in prison condemned to what you call I 1 believe penal servitude CHAPTER 11 lord Hinter leys leaned back in his chair and prepared to enjoy his greatest treat during the day hla his one glass of vintage port so you did not goto go to scotland after all gerald he remarked on the evening of the lat tatters arrival at hinter S s leys no I 1 go sir 10 Gerald replied some old friends of mine turned up tip in town I 1 have been spending a good deal of time with them 1 I would have preferred hearing that you had been on the abe moors hla his father observed with a glance at his sons pallia face and careworn expression london in august always seems to roe me intolerable it was certainly very hott hot gerald admitted 1 I was wan on the river a great deal of the time though there was waa a short silence lord Hinter leys was as a rule a reserved man and he much disliked the task which he fiat had set himself ile he dallied with it for a few moments looking through the high window across the terrace to the gardens below ills face softened as lie he glanced at the two girlish figures seated under the cedar tree where coffee was being served you have been guilty I 1 suppose gerald he said of the usual number of In discretions but one action of yours youra which threatened to come under that heading berding I 1 shall always remember with gratitude myrelle Is the most wonderful child who ever came to brighten a somewhat dull household 1 I am glad you approve of her air gerald replied indifferently the more I 1 study her lord nin went on earnestly more bhe fills me with amazement it seems beema as though she must 1 be some tort jort of a spiritual changeling I 1 have always been as you know rather a ts tickler for race myrtile to Is one of abose marvelous exceptions which upset all argument she Is an aristocrat to the finger taps in every wily way small mail or great that counts it seems as though it were absolutely talt sible tor for her to do an ungracious or thiv she baa destroyed every prejudice I 1 ever posses possessed seu gerald wits was interested at lust last it was as many years since he had known his fathe so enthusiastic 1 I tim arn very glad you kept her hero here sir lie he remarked 1 I am more than glad I 1 am thankful was the fervent reply 1 I look looft forcad with n pleasure which I 1 can describe to the hours she gives up for my entertainment to watch tier her development too during the last year has been like watching a beautiful flower she made a conquest of you at any anny rate dad gerald remarked 1 11 I thought myself that she looked perfectly sweet tonight at dinner time site she has made a conquest of tile me to an all extent which I 1 should never have believed possible lord admitted glancing across at his eon acon 1 I have had bad an elderly mans desire gerald to welcome I 1 home iome to the woman whom you might decide to choose for a wife I 1 have kept a little list in my mind of the young women at present known to society whom it would give me pleasure to see aee here I 1 have never for one second contemplated the addition to that list of an unknown person and yet there Is no question of anything of that sort betl between veen myrelle and me sir air gerald declared breaking a somewhat embarrassed pause lord Hinter leys sipped his p port ort and looked once more out of the window gerald n little startled by life hla fathers unexpected suggestion was suddenly conscious of that one wild moment after his party at the hotel de paris J 4 11 nothing would induce me to do any thing of the sort she replied of stern figure of that si strange medley of the flare of passion which seemed to have perished in the shame of triumph he be too looked out of the window myrelle had had been a child then she ans a woman now more wonderful more just ashcom as completely vi virginal verenal yet to him she existed at that moment only as the picture of something that had passed 1 I am afraid his father said a little sadly that myrelle does not look at it in qu quite te the same way however that Is nothing it may be only I 1 a sort of hero worship with her it was you I 1 understand who took the initiative in bringing her away from her home her indifference to your sex la Is a little Rb abnormal normal for her years doubtless Doub doubtless it will pass when the right man an arrives I 1 envy that nan aan more than an any other living lord Hinter leys eflowly finished his wine gerald produced his bis cigarette case you are ready sir he be asked will you take my arm not to fo a moment was the quiet reply you perceive from ridy my reference to that I 1 am in a confidential frame of mind J I 1 shall go even further to prove it you wont mind my mv cigarette sirl clr not in the least gerald I 1 do not as a rule interfere in such matters as you know but I 1 take a certain natural interest I 1 think in your ahsu associates chates and your affairs genet ally it has come to my knowledge through various channels that you have spent the greater part of the last month with two ladles ladies bearing a french name an aunt and a niece I 1 believe both unknown to english society that Is true sir gerald admitted furthermore lord Hinter leys continued thong though again I 1 am a little outside my province I 1 must confess that I 1 was somewhat disturbed to hear from mr bendever bendo Ben dover ei that you had offered for sale a portion of the property band yand considering amort a mortgage Rhys allt 11 1 T I do ri not 1 ot know why mr dendofer Ben Den dovar dover should have troubled you yon with items details gerald said mid a little uneasy une aay but in the main they are coir corrot 1 I mako you an allowance as an you know his fattier father continued as an my only son aon and the ho heir to of five thousand a year which I 1 can well eai afford to do you have yourself it ft portion of house in town and you have tho the use of my servants there your polo pontes ponies by express arrangement have always been charged to my iny own stable expenses you must forgive my feeling some surprise Bur prise therefore nt at tile the fact that you have found it necessary to ralso raise these large sums of money molley 11 gerald wits was silent for a moment conscious of and inwardly resenting his fathers anxious scrutiny something of the bitterness which he wile was feeling showed itself perhaps in life hl tone 1 I needed the money dad he be said it will probably all come back to me or its value if tho necessity Is in occasioned by your losses nt at cards or on the turf lord continued 1 I should prefer making you sou artile advance my i self to tuning having you part with land and which belonged to your great gr grandmother nd or executing a mortgage upon pon any part of your property 1 I have needed the money for quite a different purpose gerald explained a purpose which precluded my iny apply ing to you there aro are other people involved you have never presented yourself to my iny mano gerald his father admitted na aa being a likely tool for the adv adventurers or harpies of the world I 1 shall continue to believe that you are able to take cure care of yourself although I 1 nin bound to say that I 1 regret your lack of confidence 11 1 I shall be in a position to tell you the whole story very shortly gerald promised the element clement of secrecy about it at present lias as nothing to dok do with me they made way through the window on to the terrace down the stops steps and across the lawn to the cedar tree myrtile was standing behind the coffee tray and gerald remembering hla his fathers recent words gazed at her with a new though somewhat languid interest the thinness of a year ago had given place to the slender blender perfection of early womanhood she had the air of being wholly and gracefully at ease yet the sweetness of herp her smile nille a certain ever present but unobtrusive desire to please seemed like tile the hallmarks of her constant but unexpressed gratitude lady mary and amiable tolled in a hammock with a cigarette between her teeth there was a telegram upon her knee she seemed content with life have you heard the news sh ahto asked christopher has been invited to stand for west leeds it la Is a certain seat and he has accepted he be la 13 coming down tomorrow afternoon i good old chris I 1 gerald murmured though what on earth he wants wanta to spend half his time pottering lottering pott ering about the house of commons commons common 4 for I 1 cant magine 11 your friend christopher dent bent lord Hinter leys observed finds hla his pleasures without a doubt somewhat interfered with by the possession 62 some out of date principles tie will be very welcome here my aly coffee and the evening paper it if you please myrtile myrtile Myrt lles a attention had bad moment momentarily airily wandered her eyes were fixed upon gerald who was looking pater and more tired than ever in the clearese clear evening twilight you found it hot in the city she ahe asked softly as she poured out the coffee ile he frowned frown 1 ed impatiently there la is nothing which irritates a selfish man more than the evidences of an affection which he does not covet if it was I 1 dont deserve any sympathy 11 he replied 1 I was only there because it amused rife me TO DE BE CONTINUED |
