Show h 10 ft 6 M Y stry kvet d I 1 by E PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM by little brown a co CHAPTER XII continued is 15 ri please ease dont christopher begged myrtile Myr must mast come I 1 cant always be in iii the way tonight I 1 am tonight at any rate you have it a reprieve myrtile I 1 she stooped for her cloak i christopher arranged it around her shoulders his fingers shivered at the touch of the filmy laciness Inc iness ness as though he loathed it you are ready myrtile Myr he asked she looked once more at gerald ile he teemed seemed so BO far away and was it her fancy or was there something in his face which she had seeri seen in the faces of those others tie ile lit a cigarette ostentatiously tenta bously you had bad better go myrtei myrelle Myr he said bald christopher has the whip hand of us we cant have a row here goodby gerald she faltered it my fault of course not gerald answered sn answered we are all a little overt rg I 1 think goodby little onel one he kissed her almost carelessly and nodded to christopher the two left the room the music had bad ceased they walked through the empty streets in silence when they arrived within a few yards of Myrt Myr lles tiles lodgings christopher slackened his pace was crying quietly myrtu he begged please listen to me 1 I am listening she told him drearily this morning at eight I 1 shall be here to take you to the station please leave behind the clothes you are wearing veering and I 1 will return them to madame lenore you will go to london and lady mary will take care of you lady mary Is geralds sister do you understand yes tes she faltered please dont think of me as an executioner cut ioner christopher went on with a cote of unusual feeling in his tone olove love Is a very wonderful thing myrttle Myr but it Is also a very dangerous paradise it if you care for gerald and he be cares for you believe me some day you will belong to one another and you will be happy but the love which brings happiness Is not of a moments growth it Is not cot a matter of feeling only today you love gerald with your whole soul gerald has simply an affection for you you are a whim to him a child whose softness and prettiness attracts him the kingdom of love Is a wonderful place but no two people who are in the position of you and gerald can enter it by the lower loner gates if you are faithful remember this A year or two of life will bring womanhood to you and you will understand just what was lacking tonight just what in a corner of your heart myrtile Myr I 1 believe that you guessed was wag lacking that something would have poisoned even your won leaful happiness you must wait dear nothing in the world will keep you and gerald apart if your love for one another becomes the love that myrtile crept away without a word for an hour christopher waited halted unseen at the darkened corner of the treet street he waited until he saw the light go out in Myrt lles room then he be went back to the hotel changed his clothes and rested for a couple of hours when he returned to her room the he was waiting tor for him dressed in her little blue serge suit mutely pathetic christopher carried her small bag and they made their way to the station atlon Bt myrtile he said as aa they stood together watching the train coming round the bay this morning I 1 think that you are hating me you think toe roe very cruel try and not judge me for a year 1 I think that you mean well she ahe sighed but you do not understand christopher put money into her purse and took her up to where here lady mary was wag standing with her little array of dependents she spoke a few kindly words to myrtile Myr who answered her politely but without any trace of feeling in her tone myrtile sat down on one of the trunks and looked tread lly fly across at the sleeping white liate fronted hotel christopher and lady mary walked for a moment apart 1 I dont know why I 1 am doing tills this thing tor for you mary said if you wanted to know the truth I 1 dislike the young woman intensely it if you cant feel that you are doing it for my sake Christop christopher ber replied think that you are doing it for geralds I 1 aads lady mary stared glared at him for a moment and christopher fancied that he could read in her somewhat haughty look some trace of that patrician superstition which claimed tor for its people the bodies and soul souls of their satellites the train thundered in you will come and see me in london the she asked arkeel a little softened directly I 1 return he promised 1 I thant shant forget this mary he added a little awkwardly youve been a brick she smiled curiously gratified at his words christopher leaned toward myrelle Myr goodby myrtile Myrt lles he be said she removed her eyes from the window for a moment goodby christopher she on an looked b bililc again at the white building with its irregular front and close drawn curtains behind one of them gerald was sleeping with a cloud of blacut smoke and a succession of hoarse sobbing pants the long train steamed slowly out of the station BOOK TWO chapter I 1 gerald had been lunching at the hyde park hotel and was on his big way to pay a call in curzon street hence his progress through the sunbaked sun baked and dusty park at 3 on a saturday afternoon in august christopher who had been his fellow guest caught him up as he had reached the shelter of the trees the two young men were apparently still on the same friendly terms no one but them delves rea realize lizel the slight cloud which ilitch had never wholly passed away from between them since the night in geralds sitting room at the hotel de paris eighteen months ago christopher took his friends arm lightly he had made several attempts to break through the slight restraint that existed between them and geralds appearance appe areace these days rather troubled him he was thinner his eyes were vere restless his manner a little nervous he had not the of being the spoiled child of fortune that he certainly was 1 I wonder you dont get fed up with the london crowd christopher remarked 1 I ery nearly urn am gerald confessed they were much more amusing in the old days before they took up marriage as a hobby now the most flagrant little hussy begins to talk about her people in the country and st georges hanover square it you hold her fingers its all the fault of these callow youths Christopher great heavens they had bad passed the achilles statue and were making toward stanhope gate the crowd here seemed more spiritless than ever in chairs a little way back and apart from the others two women dressed in plain black were seated one was elderly the other oung both were weary both sat there with the air of wishing to avoid observation to christopher they were entirely unfamiliar his whole attention was absorbed by geralds strange demeanor geralds long lingers fingers had gripped his arm painfully for the first time in months there was a real feeling in his face its pauline he exclaimed walt for me chris without hesitation gerald turned and threaded his way among the chairs the two women watched his approach the older one with stolid indifference pauline apparently with some faint resentment gerald however in these last few seconds had bad become a very determined person ile he stood before them with his hat in his hand his bow was lower than la 13 customary among english people his manner could scarcely have been more respectful it if he be had been paying his homage at buckingham palace may I 1 be permitted to recall myself to the recollection of madame de confere Pon lere fere he begged the woman looked at mm him with unrecognizing eyes the last eighteen months had bad dealt hardly with her the flesh had sagged a little from her cheek bones her mouth had become bitter her throat was thin her eyes cold and glassy you do not succeed in doing so BO monsieur she said coldly pauline intervened there wits some faint note of courtesy in her manner nothing nhat whatever ever of kindliness this young gentleman she explained to her aunt lord dombey I 1 believe his name Is was kind enough to be of assistance to us at monte carlo on the night when zubin met with his unfortunate accident madame de inclined her head 1 I trust that we ue tendered our thanks on that occasion she observed icily gerald held his ground pauline was paler than ever and thin but perhaps he fancied that there was a shade of encouragement in those toft soft weary madame he said there was some slight preN previous lous acquaintance between your niece and myself some trifling service I 1 had bad been able to render which gave me the right to perform this further one it gives me great pleasure to see you again in my own country the older woman laughed hardly it Is difficult to believe she scoffed that the sight of us could give pleasure to any one apart from which fact she added rapidly it Is not our wish to make or renew acquaintances quain while we are here madame gerald replied that was wa your attitude in monte carlo an attitude which I 1 may tay say occasioned me the lie deepest regret I 1 venture to hope that I 1 may be able to induce you to modify it and why should it ir the bhe asked almost insolently I 1 I 1 because I 1 have the sincerest and in most ost admiration for mademoiselle I 1 mol selle gerald declared stoutly and because in my own country there ts Is the possibility that I 1 may be of service to you madame de Ion lere opened a plain pair of lorgnettes and locked for a moment at gerald tor for an englishman she remarked coolly you seem to have some gome manners who Is this pauline there was the faintest possible indication di cation of a smile on paulines pauline a lips ills his name la Is lord dombey abo answered demurely ile he Is the ton son of the earl of dear mel madame de murmured the earl of Hinter leys pauline continued la is one of the lesser english noblemen notwithstanding his anxiety geralds sense of humor was touched it if only his father could have been standing at his side to assist in the conversation with these two shabbily dressed ladles ladies I 1 our titles are at any rate not unduly modern he pleaded deprecatingly besides is this of any real consequence what precisely do you want of us the older lady asked after a slight alight hesitation the privilege of renewing my acquaintance with you both gerald replied you tou have done so madame de reminded him with permission to pay my respects at your london residence he urged we do not receive in london was the curt reply 1 I trust gerald persisted that you will make an exception in nay my favor pauline suddenly intervened there was a shade of hauteur in her manner but some frankness my dear aunt she said there are certain things which it Is 18 impossible to conceal my aunt and I 1 she went on addressing gerald are living in some impossible rooms in an impossible hotel in south kensington I 1 see no reason however why we should not receive you there if you are in earnest in your desire to call we are without acquaintances in this city madame de closed her lorg bettes with a little snap we ere are staying at number 28 er riston gardens south kensington she said 1 I believe the they call the place the Er earlston riston gardens hotel hold if you will permit me gerald suggested 1 I will bring my sister to call upon you when she Is 1 in town in the meantime may I 1 venture upon a daring suggestion you are without acquaintances acqua ln in town so tor for these few days am I 1 will you do roe me the great honor of dining at Kane liane lagh laigh tonight with me we shall escape this insufferable heat beat and be able to listen to music out of doors 1 I regret that it Is impossible sir madame de replied gerald was naturally quick witted there were many little things he had already noted mademoiselle lie said turning to pauline 1 I beg you to intercede with your aunt I 1 do not invite you to one of the established restaurants the great charm of 0 ranelagh Rane lagh Is its informality the people who have been playing tennis and golf stay on to dine with some trifling change in their attire I 1 myself should have to ask you to excuse my remaining in morning dress it Is a convention of the place milord dombey doubts our wardrobe pauline remarked with a faint smile no she went on hastily please do not think we are offended I 1 think your discretion Is admirable and aunt I 1 beg of you let us accept lord domneys Dom beys invitation think how bow much we are suffering from the heat think of our stuffy room our unspeakable dinner in short I 1 insist if you will allow me I 1 will call for you at a quarter to eight gerald proposed turning to madame de Pon lere TO BE CONTINUED |