Part 46 (2/2)
”That's all,” said Nap.
”But--afterwards?” she hazarded.
”My dear Lady Carfax, if it is to be a surprise picnic, where's the use of settling all the details beforehand?” Nap's tone was one of indulgent protest; he was eating and drinking rapidly, as if he had an appointment to keep. ”My suggestion is that we then follow our inclinations--your inclinations.” He smiled at her again. ”I am your slave till sunset.”
”Could we be back at the Manor by then?” she asked.
”Of course we could.”
”Will you promise that we shall be?” She looked up at him seriously.
He was still smiling. ”If you ordain it,” he said.
”I must be back by dinner-time,” she a.s.serted.
”And you dine?”
”At eight.”
He pushed back his chair and rose. ”Very discreet of you! The sun sets at eight-ten. At what hour will you deign to be ready?”
”At eleven,” said Anne.
He glanced at his watch. ”I am afraid you can't see Lucas to say good-bye. Hudson has just given him morphia.”
”Is he so bad then?” she asked quickly.
”No worse than he has been before. Bad pain all night. He always fights against taking the stuff. I persuaded him.” He spoke shortly, as if the subject were distasteful to him. ”No doubt he is easier by this time,” he added. ”Eleven o'clock then! I will go and get ready.” But even then he paused, his hand on the back of her chair. ”Can you keep a secret?” he asked lightly.
She glanced up at him. ”A secret?”
”An it please you,” he said, ”let this be a secret between yourself and your humble slave!”
And with the words he turned with an air of finality and went away.
CHAPTER X
A DAY IN PARADISE
It was a day in the very heart of the summer, a day of cloudless skies and wonderful, magic breezes, a day for the dreaming--and perchance for the fulfilment--of dreams. Swift and noiseless as the swoop of a monster bird the motor glided on its way; now rus.h.i.+ng, now slackening, but never halting. Sometimes it seemed to Anne that she sat motionless while the world raced by her. She had often seen herself thus. And then with a thrill of the pulses came the exultation of rapid movement, banis.h.i.+ng the illusion, while the very heart of her rejoiced in the knowledge thereof.
For this one day--for this one day--she had left the desert behind her.
She had yielded half against her judgment, but she knew no regret. On the morrow she would be back in the waste places where, during all her womanhood, she had wandered. But for this one day the roses bloomed for her and she drank deep of their fragrance. It had come to her so unexpectedly, so dazzlingly, this brief and splendid hour. She marvelled at herself that she had hesitated even for a moment to accept it.
Perhaps memories of another day came now and again to her as she leaned back on the cus.h.i.+ons and opened her soul to the suns.h.i.+ne, memories of a day of sparkling winter which had begun in much the same genial atmosphere and had ended in most hideous disaster. But if they came she put them resolutely from her. There was no time to waste upon past or future. For this one day she would drink the wine of the G.o.ds; she would live.
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