Show th T A by E phillips Oppen hemi M by uvah BOOK TWO CHAPTER 1 I continued 1 madame de hesitated dealta ted for another moment perhaps it was wa something to in the boytek boy lah quality of geralds Oeral ds eagerness which decided her this englishman was waa at any rate no boulevard ler we will await you at that how hour the he replied 1 I trust she added after a momento pause that you will not consider my hesitation in stitt any way discourteous thero there are reasons reason Ir which make it diAl cult fourny for iny niece and myel belf to accept hospitality gerald bowed low and acting on a momentary impulse raised mad amea fingers to his lips she yielded them naturally enough but with a little glance around almost of fear made moiselle mol selle Belle also extended her finger anger tips he took hes leave and was received by christopher who was waiting tor for him with a gaze almost of astonishment gerald was holding himself differently his eyes were filled with a luster which they bad lacked for months he be was wab smiling again in his bin old matter manner my dear fellow christopher exclaimed il what on earth has happened I 1 that old ld devil has recognized my existence at last gerald declared 1 I had bad almost to force myself upon her chris dining with me tonight I 1 before you say another word christopher enjoined 1 I want you to look at th man on that seat by the side aide of the tree look at him care fully please the two youn men slackened theli their pace the person whom christopher indicated us ns a man of medium height draped dK assed notwithstanding the heat of the 1 I ry ay in somber bomber black clothes end and wearing a black bowler hat he was dark and lie he was or affected to be reading a 0 book ula his corn com alexion was waa sallow and he wore a slight blight black mustache his hair was unusually long and even covered a portion f f his ears well I 1 see him gerald admitted not kot much to look at looks like one of the chaps who go in for tills tub thumping up at the for far end he came from that way christopher said but the reason I 1 am pointing him out to you Is because he appeared to recognize your two friends at the same instant that you did lie ile wap walking down between that last roy jf if chairs directly he saw them however he stood quite still for a moment he seemed almost as 09 knocked over as you were wera then he slunk back into that chair and be has been watching them ever since gerald attached no undue importance to the affair til ill tell them about it this evening it if I 1 can remember he promised chris did you ever know such luckl luck I 1 she Is more wonderful that ever no wonder I 1 could never get the feeling of her out of my blood the thought of her from my brain I 1 her eyes chris did you ever see such eyes in your life kind of hazel arent they christopher hazarded you assil gerald declared contemptuously brown the most glor glorious lous shade of brown I 1 ever saw im going to call for them in south kensington at ak a quarter to eight chris were going to dine at ranelagh Rane lagh so you told me christopher ol 01 od served smiling geralds radiant happiness was not for a moment disturbed he took arm chris I 1 know now DOW what has been the matter with me all of these months I 1 knew it directly I 1 saw her sitting bitting there tired and miserable under the trees I 1 came up against the real thing and never knew IL 11 I 1 am in love with pauline I 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 pauline paulina leaned back in her chair with a little murmur of content through the drooping branc branches bes of the great plane tree was a fascinating little vista of scarlet clad orchestra of the terrace with its curving rows of lights the little groups of people sitting about the walters waiters in their quaint Uv li veries erles A breeze rippled in the tree tops after the heat beat of london it was a wonderful respite tou are vry hind ehe bhe murmured to gerald to bring us ua here 1 I 1 was very fortunate to meet yv y he declared dont you think after ill all the discouragement I 1 have re calved I 1 was very braye brave to come and beard your aunts not so very the she answered we W were two defenseless women very sad and weary with life ilfe 1 I 1 wish gerald bald deliberately that yop would tell me wore more about yourselves vW pauline paulina glanced across att lt her ber aunt wl wile was leaning back ln in her bei chair jr also with thi the appearance picara a of af deep content ter her eyes closed tier ber air of isolation complete my icv aut au t does not approve of tuch lucli questions she be said eald quietly we weak lo in ERgIl engleh sh gerald re minded her nud your aunt does not understand my aunt understands english bet ter then than you would believe pauline replied there to la the fact at aleo that I 1 have confidence in her I 1 be aleve that she knows what li in best the hot beat aing than tor for you gerald bald Is IB to believe to in me me she looked at him with a abt allot smile hw her face however howey fo remal remained neill softened oft ened really and why should I 1 believe in you youl and what fc s there to believe that r am deeply interested gerald replied promptly olin in everything tatt concerns you that t wish to be your friend that I 1 wish she stopped ito ped him with a little gesture instinctively mandatory neither my aunt nor V I 1 she ehe itter ii ter erupted are in a position to accept more wim ui in the lest sets acts of good will from any one I 1 have tried to make that clear to you you have gerald admitted but I 1 accept uce pt your decision finally further tion we oo lo not belong to your world pauline aid we are what you call I 1 think adventure adventuresses adventures ses of a unique type ther gerald declared smiling it Is not the usual action of such people having met with a great loss lom as you did at monte carlo to sell their jewelry to pay their bills and leave without owing a penny you are well informed pauline remur remarked ked coldly 1 I saw your pearl necklace in des fordes me le jewelers 1 I cannot 1 elleve that pauline begon began in apparent agitation tile man told me nothing gerald interrupted 1 I recognized the necklace and I 1 bought it you bought my iny necklace she repented incredulously Ho hoplan gerald ventured that souie some day it would be my privilege to return it to you sho she was distinctly taken aback you are apparently a rich man lord dombey its as well as an impertinent one she said are you often subject to these whims 1 I 1 am well off gerald replied that la Is to say any that I 1 have an income apart from my allowance for the rest I 1 have never done anything ui L the sort before because I 1 have ne never ver felt the same inclination 1 I thought that you were rather by w way ay of being the support of the ladice of the ballet at monte carlo she observed did yov you not entertain them at supper and that sort of thing 1 I entertained them at supper occasionally casio nally gerald admitted but that Is the extent of my acquaintance with them then there was a child whom you yon a and rid your friend found at a mountain farm she abe become became your ward did she not a pretty child with large affectionate eyes my family has haa relieved me of my responsibility in that direction gerald ald replied she Is living down at with my people my father will allow no one else to read to him my sister Is devoted to her it and nd ray my friend Is in love with her 1 I still do not understand what made you buy my pearls pauline remarked after a moments thoughtful silence or under what possible conditions editions you contemplated returning them to roe me 1 I bought them because I 1 ani am la in love with you gerald declared she turned her head bead and studied him deliberately she was still lounging in her chair but she gave him the impression that she was looking down at him that she said quietly ile is a style of conversation which you must keep for your dancing ladles or your village maidens it happens to be the truth be instated insisted doggedly anee more she looked nt at him still puzzled but this time a little more leniently his dark eyes were aglow he was obviously in earnest you must forgive me it if I 1 find your methods a little unusual she said bald do I 1 understand that you are proposing an alliance 1 I ask you to do me the honor of been becoming ming my wife gerald replied ledl pauline turned to her aunt aunt aun she said in french lord dombey desires to marry me he has box just juat told me so most eloquently madame do de Pon leret leres expression was for her almost tolerant never mind my dear she rejoined he la Is a very amiable young youn man and he be has given us an an axce excellent dinner pauline turned back to gerald smiling ton we see my aunt lot la quite reasonable about the afie matter she remarked order some ome more cigarettes will yoa yon and some eoff coffee eel think gerald obeyed promptly then bitt be leaned for forward word madame Mada iua de Pon lero he 1116 NAM laid do I 1 understand thata that 1 I have your permit loo to pay my addresses to your adecer I 1 you must not be foolish she be replied plied soothingly we ore an exceedingly obliged to you forgiving or giving us dinner in this harming place it la 14 really quite a revelation to me mademoiselle do Pon lere gerald continued appealing to pauline paulina will you be my wife atter I 1 monsieur Mona leur lord dombey was waa the prompt but not unkindly reply I 1 1 I will riot not then may I 1 become your suitor he be pleaded hoping that you will change your aheu you find and that I 1 am very much in ear earnesta earne nestr att it it appears to me aak die anaw answers ered that the omee office would be a tha than Aless kleu bue one 1 I am content to take my chance gerald pronounced 1 11 I cut can cobmand command all the usual resources which might make life more endurable for yon uy MY personal per conal devotion you are already ea cured OV 0 you had better not tempt us u too far pauline warned him a little bitterly the good folk at monte carlo sere only guessing when they called us its adventuresses adventures ses but we are down on our luck just now we might accept your offer 1 I will take my risk gerald declared eagerly you hove have given me encouragement you havo have no redpoll As AB for the rest we are all ad or adventuresses adventures ses more or less I 1 am in quest of happiness and I 1 have met no one else except you who could give it to me there wits a touch of real feeling in her eyes as she glanced toward him feeling however composed of varying elements some curiosity a tinge of scorn acorn an lota iota of compassion she shrugged her shoulders slightly beneath her wrap of black lace how bow long do you remain in london lord dombey she inquired As long as I 1 can be of service to you yon wits the quick reply 1 I was going down to soon tor for want of something better to do A days visit there will suffice I 1 shall remain at your service 1 I sin fun in love with another man assured him gerald considered tile the matter for a moment 1 I do riot believe it ue be declared pauline sighed nevertheless it Is true she r re el tt elated lie ho Is very bad tempered and if he knows that I 1 arn am accepting all these attentions from another man mad lip ho will certainly quarrel with you yon 1 I will risk it gerald deci decided deti how hew am I 1 to get rid of tills this persistent young man pauline asked her aunt madame de had bad a great deal to tiny say about the subject in a rapid undertone when she ehe had finished pauline turned back to her compan companion JOIL my aunt was very much against a renewal of our acquaintance she told him but as she justly remarks one must live this evening has turned our heads a little a return to the fleshpots flesh pots you know and that sort of thing you shall be my suitor it you will lord dombey but of one thing i you must be very sure 1 I shall never warry loarry you there Is another thing of which you may be equally sure aure gerald rejoined n 1 I shall never leave off trying to persuade you to gallant but pigheaded pig headed pauline murmured you can judge of my aunts newly found tolerance when I 1 tell you that she permits us ua to walk in the rose garden I 1 want to see whether those delphiniums aro are really as blue as they seem to be the walk in the rose gardens although gerald welcomed with intense satisfaction this now new phase in him bs relations with pauline was in some ways way a disappointment pauline looked around her all the time with serene pleasure she was fond of flowers flo she knew them all by name and paused often to admire some wonderfully der fully fine bloom she acceded without demur to his bis suggestion that they should take one of the small email boats moored against the bridge and lay back among the cushions whilst he lazily sculled round the small stretch of water on the far side aide ot of the island be let the boat drift and laid the oar across his knees TO DID BB CONTINUED |