Part 39 (1/2)

”There doesn't seem to be much point in staying on,” he said finally, ”unless things improve.”

”But they will improve,” said Dinah quickly. ”At least--at least they ought to.”

”A fortnight of bad weather isn't particularly encouraging,” he remarked.

”Of course it isn't! It's horrid,” she agreed. ”But every day makes it less likely that it will last much longer. And I expect it's much worse in England,” she added.

”I wonder,” said Sir Eustace. ”There's the hunting anyway.”

”Oh no; it would freeze directly you got there,” she said, with a shaky little laugh. ”And then you would wish you had stayed here.”

”I could shoot,” said Sir Eustace.

”And there is the Hunt Ball, isn't there?” said Dinah with more a.s.surance.

He looked at her keenly. ”What Hunt Ball?”

She met his eyes with a faint challenge in her own. ”I heard you were going to stay with the de Vignes. They always go to the Hunt Ball every year.”

”Do you go?” asked Sir Eustace.

She shook her head. ”No. I never go anywhere.”

She saw his eyes soften unexpectedly as he said, ”Then there isn't much inducement for me to go, is there?”

Her heart gave a wild throb of half-incredulous delight. She made a small movement of one hand towards him, and quite suddenly she found it grasped in his. He bent to her with a laugh in his eyes.

”Shall we go on with the game,--Daphne?” he whispered. ”Are you well enough?”

Her eyes answered him. Was he not irresistible? ”Oh,” she whispered, ”I thought--I thought you had forgotten.”

He glanced round, as if to make sure that they were alone, and then swiftly bent and kissed her quivering lips. ”But the past has no claims,”

he said. ”Remember, it is a game without consequences!”

She laughed very happily, clasping his hand. ”I was afraid it was all over,” she said. ”But it isn't, is it?”

He laughed too under his breath. ”I am under the very strictest orders not to excite you,” he said, pa.s.sing the question by. ”If the doctor were to come and feel your pulse now, there would be serious trouble. And I shouldn't be allowed within a dozen yards of you again for many a long day.”

”What nonsense!” murmured Dinah. ”Why, you have done me so much good that I feel almost well.” She squeezed his hand with all the strength she could muster. ”Don't go away till I'm quite well!” she begged him wistfully. ”We must have--one more dance.”

His eyes kindled suddenly with that fire which she dared not meet. ”I will grant you that,” he said, ”on condition that you promise--mind, you promise--not to run away afterwards.”

His intensity embarra.s.sed her, she knew not wherefore. ”Why--why should I run away?” she faltered.

”You ran away last time,” he said.

”Oh, that was only--only because I was afraid the Colonel might be angry with me,” she murmured.

”Oh well, there is no Colonel to be angry now,” he said. ”It's a promise then, is it?”

But for some reason wholly undefined she hesitated. She felt as if she could not bring herself thus to cut off her own line of retreat. ”No, I don't think I can quite promise that,” she said, after a moment.