Part 16 (2/2)
I did look, and the picture orth it The horse, holding high his stag-like head, deep-shouldered, delicate-limbed, yet full of fire and muscle, hardly restrainable in his sportive freshness, would have taken a good e Yet this one sat hi with his everypart of the steed hin of heat or effort, just a little glow of health and content her cheeks No, Beryl never looked better than on her favourite horse To-day she looked splendid
I had arranged this ride along with her for a purpose, and the readiness ith she had concurred in the arrange, but I preferred to think the contrary--that she understood my purpose and concurred in it I had been here now some months, and we had seen each other daily, and the complete cordiality of our intercourse, with never a hitch, never a jar, so far fro, had, if possible, increased I had resolved to-day to bring matters to a head; yet in the--to ether, I seeht break the charm I would leave it to our return ride So we chatted on as usual, and gaily, about one thing and another, and then, even if I had wished it otherwise it was too late, for we could see the white tilts of Cape carts and buggies co road and veldt path--riders, too, like ourselves, but all converging upon the co” of a bell, as we drew nearer to this, seeht
I off-saddled our horses and knee-haltered the the sareet the people of the place and other acquaintances, and these were many, for of course everybody knew everybody Just as ere going in Trask bore down upon us
”I say, Miss Matterson, and you, Holt Co up as ain, eh, Trask?” I saidthat Trask, who really did know soanist, or to be more accurate, harmoniumist, had on the occasion referred to undertaken to launch out into anthes unknown to theoff of wholly extemporised and weird harmonic fireworks on the instru in the silence, by relays, of the whole body of singers; though not before the latter had ingeniously if unconsciously blended the ”Adeste fideles,” the ”Old Hundredth,” ”Coh the Rye,” and other historic and popular ined that of this fiasco Trask did not quickly hear the end, wherefore he liked not o to blazes, Holt,” he retorted pepperily ”I'd like to knohat you'd have done in ed to stop short, re that Beryl had been one of the offenders She, catching ht, Mr Trask,” she answered ”We'll do e can Only you mustn't try and make us do e can't”
The little plain, ashed building--which Stacey had erected on his far to as ”regation of stock farmers, and their families Many, like ourselves, had ridden over, and there was a sprinkling of habits a, eke a proportion of pretty faces But, great Hercules!
there was nothing here to colow of pride that, co daisies and--she ithby h I had a kind of proprietary interest in her
Frankly, I own to not being ht on those who are It is sad, though a fact, but the process--especially in the --has a soporific effect Yet here, in this little ashed building, with the blue sky glie call of birds in the bush without, wafting in to ation, I did not feel drowsy in the least The graceful habit-clad figure beside lance, the sweet true voice, theto which constituted, I fear, the sole assistance on my part towards Trask's choral aspirations--there was no room for boredom or drowsiness in such proxi of the creature for the Creator, well, still in ical ibly to savemore than a mere earthly one But let that pass
After the service we strea on all sides
”Do persuade your brother to stay and have dinner with us, Miss Matterson,” said a voice on the other side of Beryl ”We can't; and it'sfor poor little Iris to wait if he persists in taking her back at once Of course you'll stay--and Mr Holt”
The speaker was one of the two girls who had ot Iris out of the sea at East London, and we had often laughed over it together, and the figure I must have cut Then old Stacey caave way
But Brian was as adaet back, for several reasons, he said Beryl and I knew more than one of theynist He detested fooling around airls he held in particular aversion, which was ungrateful of hiuised ade and poor little Iris were carried suust of the latter
We who reh somewhat shaky over his aspirates, was not half a bad old sort, and the girls showed to far the best advantage in their own holy pleasant to Beryl and ether, so to say, it was by no ot into a way ht in her, ere a other people If she noticed this, assuredly she could not have resented it; at times I would even let myself think she unconsciously reciprocated it She would often refer to me upon some debated matter, for instance, as if mine was the opinion which rendered it final
We took leave of our entertainers a couple of hours before sundown, in great good hu had at one time seized me lest Trask should inflict hiether, but he had taken himself off ht, not even a house The undulation of the veldt, green and gold in the westering sun, stretching away on either side, was as if deserted by h A troop ofour horses, and chattering at us from the tree-tops; and bird voices were never still Several blue cranes were sha of doves, near and far, blendedscene
Yes, the happiness and peace of the day were upon me, as if this fair scene were an earnest of the happiness and peace which had filled my life of late Was it a reflection of that which should continue to irradiate it? Alas and alas, could I but have foreseen! Yet whatthat this day was the last--the very last day of happiness or peace fortime to come?
”Well, Kenrick, and what is the subject of that very deepI had been plunged in silence
”You are,” I said
”Me?”
Her eyes opened wide There was thelittle s around her lips Then, as I took in her whole sweet personality, as I looked at her and thought how the next few racious personality were to belong to me for the re and beating at such a rate that I wondered how I should get out even two consecutive and coherent words Yet it an ”There is so I want you to hear, and that you ood people! Hold on a bit and give us a chance to co upon our heels, having spotted us from the road which led fro My opportunity was gone--for that day, at any rate; and I hold a superstition to the effect that opportunities have a way of not recurring
”Thought I'd ride over andof it at your place, Miss Matterson,” he rattled on ”A lad I fell in with you like this”
Beryl answered sweetly that so e, and that they were always glad to see him, and so forth While I--well, at that moment I could cheerfully have murdered Trask with my own hand
CHAPTER NINETEEN