Show fa A au ak IX continued 11 oh yes plays backgammon very well 11 spencer answered with his bla characteristic little bitter smile twisting his mouth but she gets no particular thrill from playing with me the drawing room was waa almost dark when they reached it but sorena serena immediately snapped up tho the lights only one lamp had been burning and in its light and that ot of the fire are quentin and she had been sitting in big chairs at the hearth had they been there all ah these long two hours vie vic wondered serena detained quentin for a moment at the door arc you working tonight sometimes I 1 see your light quite late last night you were late last night I 1 was playing bridge with three men quentin told her she watches his light victoria thought disappearing into too the outer blackness with a farewell nod over her shoulder if youre working tonight serena renal said to quentin then without the slightest expression in her voice or her face como come over when you finish and V I 1 will give you a cup of choc chocolate glate goodnight good nighal night quentin said ile he followed vicky down tha porch steps when they reached their room he said that he thought he would do a little work fifteen minutes maybe the next morning at breakfast to him casually you go back to the mor elsons last night did you I 1 well yes 1 I did quentin an looking off his paper id meant to take her a book andI and lett eft it on rn my dresser iran over with it and sho was making chocolate chocola tc she says she often has a little supper after hes gone upstairs wo we sat ln in the kitchen awhile well whan was a wite to say nay I 1 to that t i after that night there was another change and this one to her sinking heart seemed to victoria much more moke ominous than tho the first quentin was always good natured and gentle now absentminded absent minded uninterested in what went on at home ileno lie no longer longed defended mrs morrison or seemed especially to want to exchange family courtesies dinners and evening meetings with the house next door whatever his relationship with serena had become he was content never to mention it it was their own affair now his and Sc renas and needed no apologies no justification from vies confused cont used thoughts there emerged surprisingly ono one concrete fact shi she loathed serena she would have been glad to hear of 0 Serc nas violent and sudden death and tills this made it increasingly hard to endure Quen quentina tins simple rovela tlona concerning her neighbor ashes always been just a little girl quentin would say she says she still likes to get a kitten and a plate of apples and a good book on a rainy afternoon and curl up in the atti att cand leand read just try to imagine if VIC this oils woman W oman who has been adored arid and spoiled by some of tho the most famous persons in the worldly rothesay middleton for or example you know that every woman ir hollywood is trying to get him she sha tells me that when morrison Morr lson she told him that sho she had to spend one week every year with middio middleton and po no questions askell she sha said spencer almost lost his mind trying to reconcile himself to tho the idea but in tho the end ho he gave in not much to tits credit vie VIC might submit dryly dut but fortunately 1 tor for her quentin was usually too much absorbed in his subject to see anything amiss well ho he have gotten her otherwise t and when I 1 think what that follow fellow has put her through spencer I 1 how d ayou I 1 you mean put her through why my god vie vic he was climbing right to the top lop in diplomacy when he got hartl they wore were to go to spain one of the fat theres lots of money nothing coul aoud id have stopped html she was packing her trunks when he w was as hurt huit aeu W I 1 dont suppose he especially bially enjoyed it 11 1 i she told me sold said in ina a tender undertone not hearing one word id of what vicky had said she told me that just before tho the smash sho she had been planning to buy a certain white shawl at the sea captains bains shop in shanghai she says it was vas the most gorgeous thing she ever yaw saw and that when their plans sll all changed and before she knew whether Morri morrisons sons eye was going to be saved or not she used to go every day and take a look at the 1 savl so when it 11 was all over and hed resigned from the diplomatic staff she went up there one last las time and kissed the white shawl good byl somehow quentin said lost in his own thoughts somehow the thought 0 of her going in ahto and laying her face against that shawl well it gets youl I 1 mean ashes nothing but a little girl and youre nothing but a little raw blind babal vicky might think hotly but she never said it aloud no he was in the grip of a fever now and there was no saving him until it went down ile he could net nel ther hear nor understand until then one day vie vic met in the street a woman who stopped her with a smile A pretty woman but wearing too much rouge and powder lipstick and mascara a woman suggesting a gallant retreat from youth and beauty marian vicky said martan marian was animated the beautiful eyes worked with their old fire she had an adorable cattle king in tow my dear he be owns half of brazill she said in an aside introducing a copper colored stout old person who spoke only a stilted english and used that almost entire ly 7 for labored compliments to marian marian was still beautiful vicky thought she was not much more than forty but ten years ago she would not have wasted any time on senor do de ran raa now she was working over him industriously laughing at his lame jokes allowing the tat fat paw to squeeze her own pretty hands watch me get a present out of him ho he shipped his wife and daughters on the last steamer and hes going wild said marian drawing vicky with them into marshs marahs beautiful shop she called the attention of the cattle king to the cabinets of jade jewelry vicky who had left gwen with a dentist en straightening of teeth looked interestedly at one ol of the worlds finest collect collections lons of oriental jewelry and porcelain brocade and teak and ivory brass and enamel A middle aged saleswomen saleswoman presently drew her aside excuse me madam but did your friend speak of you as mrs hardisty vf im m mrs Ilar disty vie vic said and your husband Is mr dr har dasty I 1 thought so there was something I 1 wanted to ask you this Is very unprofessional the woman broke olt off ina in a tone of smiling and eager apology vie Vic could only continue to lo look expectation and surprise you see the saleswoman kursu pursued d christinas Is deiy very close and someone was looking at a present you ye r and I 1 thought sho sha hadded ha had dIed led victoria into a small adjoining salesroom where there were a teak table and some chairs do sit down she sha said and ill explain your husband was in here yesterday looking at some of 0 our lovely things and he picked one out for your christmas present now ofte oan n when a gentleman does that mrs went on confidentially 1 I liko like to give the lady just a little hint when I 1 can because sometimes arwe all know tastes do dafter and when a present la Is very handsome handsom and this Is hand some LIs Its s so 1 0 easy to td give a gentleman just a little hint and say 1 I think your wife would surely prefer that and then she gets what she wants and we please a customer while the amiable endless patter had bad been streaming on victoria had been smiling vaguely hardly listening now nov this must be a secret where is that chati il thou thought glit oll oh yes I 1 know where it isal ls mrs moore weather was wag saying as she drew in and out ol of their frames great deep black drawers filled with silken beauty this must bs be a little secret between you and me she ran on victoria did riot not hear her her head was spinning spi lining and her mouth tilled filled with salt water her brown hands were lying on the royal told folds of a white chinese shawl after a while she was out in the street again walking in a businesslike way toward the white house the tat ta willar rillar shops and corners went by her flashing in winter sunlight and cold shadows moving mo vang with forms and sounding with the horns of cars and the tha chip of feet victoria dazed and weak she felt that her knees would give way oh my god my god my godl victoria said halt aloud slie silo stand here like an idiot passersby passers by would notice hershe walked irresolutely toward geary street turned bark back she had had something sot to do something to do at three oh yes quen tin had asked her what she wanted for christmas and she had said that he would meet her some otter noon to pick it out and she had told the children that grownups grown ups like surprises as much as they liked getting just what they wanted and then only yesterday quentin had suggested that she pick it out herself she had said she would go tn in at three and pick out the electric refrigerator friger ator her christmas gift was to bs be an electric refrigerator another oriental art shop victoria went la in you have a beautiful shawl in the window the red and yellow one what price is a shawl like that that one madam shall we take it out of the window that one is its beautiful but not today thank you it as handsome as the white one vicky thought wandering aimlessly out into the sunshine again it anything like 91 as a handsome what will he write on the card but no I 1 wont bear it I 1 wont bear III she felt sick sore as if every bone bona of her mental moral and spiritual had been jarred and hurt she even select the refrigerator feverishly in a sudden need to be home and with her children victoria picked up gwen very chatty and gay went to the garage got into her car and threaded her way through the southbound south bound traffic toward the Penh peninsula isula the trees were bare and the roads looked cold smoke went straight up from all the little houses christmas wreaths showed in their windows victoria shuddered it would be good to get home but when she was in a cotton dress and fairly smothered by the enthusiastic reception from the nursery even then the sense censa of sickness and shock did not heal even then she sat blankly maddy in her lap the other children circling about her in the glow of the nursery fire with her eyes staring into space quentin loved another woman quentin loved another woman A more beautiful woman than she could ever hope to be A strange my mysterious a merlou s fascinating woman the doctor will not be home for dinner mrs hardisty miss cone just telephoned ile he has an operation at nine thank you anna and the jealous agony lulled for a moment she lay thinking her throat thick her head confused began again fierce and tearing and irresistible after a while victoria was in her er own room and idly handling tho the telephone suddenly shamed color in her pale face was dr hardisty there was he to be there thee no operation that eve ning you can get him at his I 1 home come atherton eight eight eight a pl pleas ant girls voice presently said waited awhile and the cold bound winter world and the wind whining over the oaks and the tha blighted gardens seemed to wait avalt too presently she telephoned to serena what are you two doing tonight night I 1 my dear said serena ive just ord ordered red an early dinner tor for spencer why dont you be a darling and come over and play back gammon with him ive been called to town A dear old ola friend mary catherwood Is at the fairmont and she wants me to come in and dine late with her im disgusted such a frightful night but what can you you do there was more of it it was wai very convincing budnot but not quite con enough when the conver bation was ended there was nothing for victoria but vigil restless feverish sleepless the hours of the night began to go by it was a still night the eve of christmas eve with the world tightened under a frost and every outdoor sound echoing like a pistol shot ten eleven midnight and no quentin Quent ln at half past twelve vic torla drowsing with her reading lamp shining full in her eyes stat start ed cd up with a frightened sense that everything was all wrong fire ac aident calamity then slie she heard what had waked her his ear car on the drive she knew the sound of the engine and the scrunch of the gravel her heart heavy and yand sad as it was felt some thing of reassurance and calm she snapped off her light composed herself se as it if asleep ile he feel eel himself watched she heard him come upstairs he going to put his car away poor quentin perhaps it had really been an operation then at the city and county hospital or the emergency gency y perhaps he was completely blameless tonight at least CHAPTER X other sounds victoria sat up in bed with her heart pumping everything ery thing was all wrong cold terrifying shaken again for quentin cautiously coming upstairs had only put out his hl porch light had snapped out the drive light now the car lights were up again and the car itself was slowly wheeling on the drive victoria not knowing what sho she did was on her own upper porch trembling with cold and tear fear and despair in her thin wrapper with her feet bare and her eyes straining after the departing car she saw the tha car turn saw it leave the gates again saw it turn toward the morrisons MorrI sons house it stopped at the side door and presently a house light went up and then the tha car lights were put out shrubs shut the doorway partially from the window porch where victoria stood with all her world going to pieces about her but she could discern two figures silhouetted for an instant against the open door then it closed and presently the downstairs light went out too and the cold christmas countryside and her life and her love and her faith were all plunged into cold darkness I 1 an iron winter sky was low over the world when morning came without sunrise vicky waking at seven shivered wearily down again into her warm blankets it would be good to stay in bed on such a morning she thought still caught in dreams what morning was this anyway good heavens this was christmas eve with everything to do then she remembered and the gray dark morning seemed darker and her bones her head her whole being seemed to ache with the bitter necessity of coming coining back to consciousness ness ah if she could only stay asleep and go on from sleep to death beautiful warm friendly death she lay thinking her throat thick her head a confuse confused cont used her er heart and mind in confusion quentin quentin and serena morrison Morr lson victoria suddenly felt that she was suffocating strangling she flung of off the blankets reached for her heavy wrapper even while she was groping with her for her fur lined slippers B r r rl ri she muttered going to the opened window shutting it with one swift gesture the garden below the window lay bleak and bare under a fine frosting of white a delicate powdering of frost covered the bricks of the walks and lay like lace on the soaked bronze red of the leaf pile under the oaks she splashed her face with cold water brushed her hair looked at the ghostly vision in the mirror after a while she went downstairs to sit holding her coffee cup at the level of her mouth an elbow resting on the table her eyes tar far away she could eat nothing but she managed a few swallows of cottee managed a question to the maid did the doctor have his breakfast anna no maam he had a cup of coffeo coffee standing in the kitchen he sit down he had an eight atthe at the dante did he say anything about dinner he said held hed have miss cone telephone all the tha would be coming down tomorrow to have christmas dinner with all the Hardi there would be presents tor for all the little upon the little Hardi treed tree this was wa christmas eve hateful men endurable durable empty ersty christmas eve and christmas day d ay must somehow be endured she |