Part 21 (2/2)
It had been Mrs Quirk's suggestion that Sylvia Jackson should be invited to ”Layton,” and Sylvia, being at the time rather hipped at home, accepted the invitation readily Desed to obtain a few days' holiday, and arrive in Grey Town in time for the club ball There he had her undivided attention, an i to achieve in Melbourne But the fact did not hed at hiree of liberty to check hiracious and kind to him, as to every otherher; but, while she loved to be admired, she had expressed her true sentiether after the ball
For his part, Desmond O'Connor lived in a fever heat of passion To hint that Sylvia was not perfection was to ed him as to make hiile and easily broken affair, and that at anyon this hope, he ca to perfection the duties of an obedient staff officer
On theafter the dance, Kathleen met Sylvia in a somewhat hostile spirit She resented Desirl, and she had been hurt by the allusions to Mrs Quirk; but Sylvia did her ut
”I am sure you are cross with me,” she said, ”and I want you to like irl I have ever met For your sake I intend to cultivate even Mr Denis Quirk, and to raan to carry out scrupulously To Mrs Quirk she was most attentive, and on Denis she exercised her fascinations, to his intense surprise
”Do you walk into town?” she asked him
”Sometimes I do It depends on the state of my liver When I feel in a desperate temper and inclined to destroy the whole world, myself included, I walk into town; at other ti to-day?” she asked him
”I am,” he answered
”Then I intend to ith you, if I may,” she said
”You won't enjoy it a bit It is all that I can do to preventmy own nose off,” said Denis
”Oh, that does not ry if you tried Will you come with us, Kathleen?”
”I am afraid I can't leave Mrs Quirk But I will ether,” said Kathleen
”Coly ”The et on for once without you”
”I flatter myself that Mrs Quirk will be quite ly ”I have a very good opinion of myself, Mr
Quirk; I feel that I am necessary to one person in the world”
But she watched the what they were laughing about, perhaps a little bit annoyed at Sylvia Jackson's presu herself on Denis Quirk
Sylvia Jackson was very adaptable, where reat difficulty in securing the attention of a , when she desired so to do It was her way to find out where a ular as to have no particular vanity, she would discover wherein his interests were centred and attack hi in her flattery and in her questions, that she rarely failed to secure adift of being able to listen with apparent interest to a conversation, throwing in the necessary question here and there When it was necessary to talk, she could change her tactics and make conversation for the shy, reserved one far to-day before Denis Quirk said to hi in this appreciation, for Sylvia Jackson was undoubtedly clever Before they had co with one another as though they had known each other for years For a woman to arrive at such intimate relations with Denis Quirk in a short ti Sylvia outside ”The Lounge,” as the big e her approach with Denis Quirk, his brows contracted slightly, but he ly
”You call this punctuality?” he asked
”I call it feminine punctuality If a woman fails to keep an appointment by not more than half an hour, she is a model woman I promised to meet you at nine, and it is now barely twenty-five minutes past Mr Quirk, could any woman achieve more than that?”
”My acquaintance omen is so limited that I must refuse to arbitrate If I were Desmond, I should swear,” answered Denis
”Have you been swearing, Desmond?” she asked