Part 33 (2/2)
”Don't you believe it, Madeline. I believe in taking a common-sense view of life. We've only one life to live, and it's our duty to squeeze all the juice out of it that we can.”
”But may not the pursuit of self end in missing self? Is there not more joy in pursuing duty than in chasing pleasure?”
”Look here, Madeline,” he said, after a long pause, staring hard at her, ”tell me candidly who's been putting these silly notions into your pretty little head.”
”I wish you would not talk to me as though I had the head of a baby,”
she said, a little indignantly. ”You should remember that I am no longer a child,” and she turned and walked slowly out of the room.
Gervase went off to the library at once to interview his father. The days were pa.s.sing away, and he was getting no nearer the realisation of his desire. All his interviews with her ended where they began. Whenever he approached the subject nearest his heart and his interests, she always managed to shunt him off to some side issue.
Sir Charles was busy writing letters, but he looked up at once when Gervase entered.
”Can you spare time for a little talk?” the son asked, abruptly.
”Why, of course I can,” was the reply. ”Is there something particular you wish to talk about?”
”Well, the truth is,” he said, in a tone of irritation, ”I am not getting on with Madeline a bit.”
”Perhaps you are too eager and impatient. You must remember that Madeline is not the girl to be driven.”
”Yes, I've heard that before,” he said, angrily. ”You have always harped on that string. But you've been in the wrong, I'm sure you have. If you'd only let me have my way I would have proposed to her three years ago.”
”And spoiled everything.”
”No, I should have won everything. She was only a girl then, and was immensely gone on me. A soldier in her eyes was a hero, and an officer's uniform the most splendid thing she could imagine. If I'd struck then, when the iron was hot, she'd have fallen into my arms, and once engaged there'd have been no backing out.”
”My dear boy, you don't know Madeline Grover,” Sir Charles said, seriously. ”No girlish promise would have bound her if she wanted to get out of it.”
”Oh, yes, it would. She has tremendously high notions about honour and duty.”
”Exactly. That's just where you fail to appreciate the difficulties of the situation. Very likely you tell her that some of her notions are silly, because you don't understand them.”
”That's just what I have been telling her this very morning.”
”And you think that's the way, perhaps, to win her promise.”
”But what's a fellow to do? One cannot sit mum while she talks rot about--about----”
”About what?”
”Oh! I don't know; but you know when a girl gets on to heroics she generally makes a fool of herself.”
”Madeline is very sane as a general thing.”
”Then why in the name of common-sense doesn't she jump?”
”She wants to make sure of her ground, perhaps.”
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