Part 62 (1/2)

He looked at me miserably.

”Yes,” he said.

I was silent.

”Yes,” he repeated, ”she went, lugging her pet cat in her arms. She would go; the life has fascinated her. I begged her not to--I felt I was disloyal to Byram, too, but what could I do? I tell you, Scarlett, I wish I had never seen her, never persuaded her to try that foolish dive. She'll miss some day--like the other one.”

”It's my fault more than yours,” I said. ”Couldn't you persuade her to give it up?”

”I offered to educate her, to send her to school, to work for her,”

he said. ”She only looked at me out of those sea-blue eyes--you know how the little witch can look you through and through--and then--and then she walked away into the torch-glare, clasping her cat to her breast, and I saw her strike a fool of a soldier who pretended to stop her! Scarlett, she was a strange child--proud and dainty, too, with all her rags--you remember--a strange, sweet child--almost a woman, at times, and--I thought her loyal--”

He walked to the window and stared moodily at the sea.

”Meanwhile,” I said, quietly, ”I am going to get up.”

He gave me a look which I interpreted as, ”Get up and be d.a.m.ned!” I complied--in part.

”Oh, help me into these things, will you?” I said, at length; and instantly he was at my side, gentle and patient, lacing my shoes, because it made my head ache to bend over, b.u.t.toning collar and cravat, and slipping my coat on while I leaned against the tumbled bed.

”Well!” I said, with a grimace, and stood up, shakily.

”Well,” he echoed, ”here we are again, as poor little Grigg says.”

”With our salaries in our pockets and our possessions on our backs.”

”And no prospects,” he added, gayly.

”Not a blessed one, unless we count a prospect of trouble with Buckhurst.”

”He won't trouble us unless we interfere with him,” observed Speed, drumming nervously on the window.

”But I'm going to,” I said, surprised.

”Going to interfere?” he asked, wheeling to scowl at me.

”Certainly.”

”Why? We're not in government employ. What do we care about this row?

If these Frenchmen are tired of battering the Germans they'll batter each other, and we can't help it, can we?”

”We can help Buckhurst's annoying Madame de Va.s.sart.”

”Only by getting her to leave the country,” said Speed. ”She will understand that, too.” He paused, rubbing his nose reflectively.

”Scarlett, what do you suppose Buckhurst is up to?”

”I haven't an idea,” I replied. ”All I know is that, in all probability, he came here to attempt to rob the treasure-trains--and that was your theory, too, you remember?”

And I continued, reminding Speed that Buckhurst had collected his ruffianly franc company in the forest; that the day the cruiser sailed he had appeared in Paradise to proclaim the commune; that doubtless he had signalled, from the semaph.o.r.e, orders for the cruiser's departure; that a few hours later his red battalion had marched into Paradise.