Part 48 (1/2)
”Nothing comes well from me But, if I can't undo the har to it If you don't coive yourself”
He shook his head and looked at her defiantly
”You should have thought of that e first”
”Dear Eric, don't start that again!”
”Thanks! It doesn't aainI was facing things--till Lady Poynter shewed the devilish irony to arrange this ”
”Won't you come back forto marry some one else?”
”You may not be told that I don't know”
Eric was filled with a blaze of anger; he had to pause long before he could be sure of his voice
”You _still_ don't want to let o? The pathetic invocation of my mother----”
Barbara tried to speak and then turned aith a helpless shrug Eric woke fro voices Lady Poynter was retailing the secret history of the latest political crisis and the fall of the Coalition Govern the Board of Trade with ill-disguised veno, ”that in six ar fit to s--he's a fellow I've dealt with all my life, and my father before me--he promised me _half_ a cabinet--and then made a favour of it!”
Another voice enquired in a drawl: ”What is it exactly that you're lecturing on, Mr Lane?”
Barbara's head was still turned fro with surprise that a finger-bowl had been placed in front of hi since the fish And he had been drinking the rather sickly Gabarnac without tasting it
”You asked my opinion of this wine, sir,” he said to Lord Poynter, belatedly attentive; in a ed its way through dessert until Lady Poynter pushed back her chair and rustled majestically to the door
She was hardly outside the room before his host sidled conspiratorially into the e of still cha a pass-word
”I've _drunk_ it, of course,” answered Eric
”Of course?” Lord Poynter echoed ”My dear friend, not one eneration has even _heard_ of still chane”
It was all wonderfully like that first night fifteen months before Lord Poynter explained for the tenth tiht in until the port wine had circulated for twenty ized for his brandy, retailed the tragedy of the last bottle of Waterloo and, like a sluggard dragging himself from bed, reluctantly -rooh he had asked her to talk to hi; he had nothing , indeed, to keep a man whose train left Euston before noon next day He waited till Lady Poynter was dummy and then asked her to excuse hireat deal to do,” she said, shaking hands reluctantly
”Oh, Eric, aren't you going to take me home?”
Barbara threw out the question casually, but she found tioing to be long?” he asked in the saaarette”
In the next hand Barbara was du out her cards, she looked round the room, picked up a review and two library novels frolance, walked to the piano The bridge-players looked up, as she began to sing; an impatient, ”It's you to play, Lady Poynter,” passed unheeded; and, one after another, they laid down their hands
”_One fine day, we'll notice A thread of s on the sea In the far horizon, And then the shi+p appearing;-- Then the trim white vessel Glides into the harbour, thunders forth her cannon
See you? He is coo to meet him Not I I stay Upon the brow of the hillock and wait, and wait For a long ti