Part 24 (1/2)

”Well then, 'duty calls,'” I rejoined, forcing a laugh ”So long We shall th of an hour or so”

As I turned my horse and struck into the bush path I pridedpowers In point of fact, I had no intention of going to the vee-kraal--none whatever There was no necessity to, seeing I had counted out there that sa and had found the count correct

But 'two's company, three's a crowd' if a threadbare, is eke a wholesome axiom, and I did not choose, under the circumstances, to constitute the crowd But it was time I broke off from them if I wanted to keep upas to what had transpired during that ride Had anything? Froht have Or froht yet be to coenuinely wish me to accompany them the rest of the way? Well, well Time would show

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

OPPORTUNITY?

”By the hat have I done to you, Kenrick?”

We alking together, Beryl and I, in the garden, just as we had walked on the evening of my arrival, only that now the shade had nearly vanished with the fall of leaves We had not walked together thus alone since prior to the tragedy, but to-day it happened that Pentridge was out with Septi soarden, Beryl had joinedabout the piece of work I had in hand, when she suddenly faced round on me with the above query

”Done to me?” I echoed rather blankly ”Done to me? What do you mean, Beryl?”

”Well, why have you avoided me so of late--rather markedly, too?”

Ratherplayed my part so well, above all so unobtrusively And this hat it had amounted to--that I had avoided her ”rather markedly” But there was no trace of resentment, of te inforly upon my face

What was I to say? I beca stupidly at her, but if only she could have read myconfused thoughts were chasing each other through it, as I looked at her standing there, sweet, and cool, and graceful, and wholly alluring, but--not for me, ah no! not for me

How could I tell her of the bitter upheaval of the last couple of weeks?

How could I tell her the truth without telling her the whole truth?

How could I tell her that I, a beggared pauper, had been striving to stifle and live down the love I had been on the point of declaring? It was too late for that, and, over and above, would not such a declaration now be si of myself; now that I had assured ive was not for me? What was I to say? I could not deny that I had avoided her Her natural quick-wittedness and woht a fashi+on, yet I shrank fro my oounds bare

”Why, don't you see what a lot I've had to do, Beryl?” I said ”Rather more than usual of late And you've had a visitor to entertain, too

Pentridge is a good chap, isn't he?”

All this I rattled out airily, and in the ht But she was not taken in

”You haven't been yourself at all for some time, Kenrick,” she went on, ”not since we came back, anyhow I'm not the only one who has noticed it”

”So? Who else has?” I asked laughingly

”Well, Dr Pentridge for one We were talking about you the other day, and he said you gave hi on his mind He's a doctor, you see”

”Ho-ho! Quite so; and now he's trying to capture a fee out of consulting hours,” I laughed ”Never e professionally just yet”

I had a spade in ht obstruction in the furrow beneath the quince hedge; and while I did so I realised thattrue, that it no more imposed upon Beryl than it did uponto practice in Fort Lamport, he tells e ofand be serious,” she said ”First of all, answerto offend you?”

”Why, good heavens! of course not How on earth could you?”