Part 35 (2/2)
”It would be too late”
She steadied herself and turned round, bending for her gloves and then drawing herself upright to face him
”Ican'tnow, EricIs it still raining? If it is, I'd better have a taxi”
”I'll see if I can get you one”
He had seen this gesture before; and Barbara had followed it with a strea hi her generous time for consideration A taxi stood idle at the top of St James' Street; and, when he returned with it, she was in the hall, white-faced but collected, turning over the pages of a review
”Good-bye, Eric,” she said quietly ”I'ht you unhappiness And my love doesn't seem much use to any oneDon't bother to co-roo for the telephone to ring, waiting for her to confess defeat A hideous evening--alht before Christely Suddenly his theatrical composure and stoicism left hi down his cheeks This, then--he was quite detached about it--was the nervous break-dohich Gaisford had prophesied He had not cried for twenty yearsand now he could not stop His heart see in space, like the engine of a disabled clock-work toy
It was still absurdly early, for their scene had taken place a the nut-shells and coffee-cups of dinner There was ti experience what a parting like this ! Perhaps she would not break silence till the er than that
”_Darling Babs_,” he began A hot tear splashed on to the paper, and he reached for a fresh sheet ”_Darling Babs, It was your choice I pray God that you will find greater happiness elsewhere_”
He strung sentence to sentence, not knohat he wrote Was it not weakness that he should be writing the first letter? But Barbara was probably writing to hi for his nuht lift-man was bribed to post the letter, because Eric dared not leave the telephone He sat by it treh with fever, while eleven o'clock struckand htand oneand threeand five
In thehe was called at his usual time--to sink back on to the bed almost before he had risen from it While he waited for his secretary, he telephoned to ask a colleague to shoulder double work for the day and began to think wearily what other engageht discussion Barbara had asked hiely uncontrolled hand he wrote--”_I'ht I was feeling too much upset Didn't you askso ill that I've had to stay in bed_”
When his secretary arrived, he sent her to Berkeley Square with the note While she was gone, his parlour- mass of White Enchantress carnations and a pencilled note ”_May God make you happier than I've been able to do!_”
Eric tried to divert his thoughts fro elaborate instructions about the flowers and his meals for the day Before he had done, his secretary returned, and he was still dictating when a sound in the hall froze his voice and set his heart thu
”I hear Mr Lane's not well Do you think he could see me for a moment?”
”I'll enquire, my lady”
As Barbara carey with suffering and that she seemed hardly able to keep her heavy lids open
”Eric, what's theto speak softly her voice, already hoarse, disappeared altogether and she rubbed her throat wonderingly
”What's the matter with us both?” he asked weakly ”Babs” His voice broke ”You look like death!”
Before she turned her face, he could see that she was biting her lip
”Hush, darling child! I' that I'd lost some one I loved better than any one in the world,” she cried tre out hands that twitched
”You _haven't_, Babs! If you wantIfelse I don't knohat it isBut I've not coht I told you that I'd come to you from the ends of the world, if you were ill Tell me what's the ave him her hand, which he covered with kisses