Part 33 (1/2)
”D'you think I' Eric, if you knohat you et well!”
”I don't knohy California shouldany easier”
”Ah, don't say _I've_ made you ill! I'll say 'yes' EricNow
But I should only be able to give you a little piece of myself, I should always be dividedI don't think you really want that, and you'd be si it
Eric, don't hurry one by since the--news If there's no further newsWait till--h Abbey, and for abudded and blossomed into summer, Eric counted the days that separated him from the fulfilment of her promise There was no reason for hies, and iested a thousand fantastic ways in which Barbara ht be snatched frones Waring and onceyet,” she answered ”A long ti” He hated himself for the hypocrisy of this conventional solicitude, when he was only impatient for authentic news that his best friend was dead ”You'll let nes answered ”I don't knohen_----”
Her undrae, reinforced by his own sense of h he had never been in love with Agnes--as Barbara had taught him to understand the term--he was still fond of her
”I wish you caainst the side of his boot ”It would ive you dinner and take you to a play?”
It was the first tin of affection, and she looked at hiined that he had failed elsewhere and was drifting back to her
”Soan ”dick Benyon--you reht him over to dine with you?--wanted me to come”
”It can't do any _harm_”
”It can't do any harm, certainly I'll talk to est a night, and Eric felt that he had involuntarily succeeded where young Benyon had failed; a week later he aiting for her in the lounge of the Carlton Though she had stipulated for a seven o'clock dinner so that they should be in their places before the curtain went up, half-past seven had struck before she hurried in with breathless apologies
”It's all right, but I'm afraid your cocktail will be tepid,” he said
”I ordered it beforehand to save tiet a taxi”
”Yes” She laid her hand on his arm for support and walked with the same breathlessness into the restaurant ”My head's in a whirlI nearly telephoned to say I couldn't coood that would do Eric, I want you to straighten this out for ust Last year Yes”
”Well, father had a letter from Cranborne's the ar, to say that a cheque had coh Holland, I think--dated October the 9th Apparently a lot of people are traced in that way, and Cranborne's wanted father to know as soon as possible They sent the cheque and asked father to look at it very carefully and say if _he_ was satisfied that it was Jack's signature; then they'd knohat to do about it or soly and bade her finish her story He tried to tell himself that he had always expected and discounted this
”I brought the cheque withtalk with one of the partners That's why I'm so late There's no doubt about it, Eric! Mr
Cranborne--told me--as a banker--that he was prepared to honour the cheque--is that the phrase?--as being signed _by Jack_--_on_ that day
What does it mean, Eric? I want you to explain it all”
A voluble waiter was gesticulating and seeking instructions about the wine
”Oh, open it now!” Eric exclaine was creahed once and collected hiested