Part 29 (2/2)
”How big you are. You almost overpower me.”
He smiled down at her, but it was just a quiet, friendly smile, and she could not tell if her touch stirred him.
”I'm afraid I am rather a monster. It is sometimes a nuisance.”
”Ah, don't say that. I am quite sure the first Adam was as big as you, and Eve was frightened and ran away, but she wouldn't for the world have had him an inch smaller. And every true Eve since has gloried in the man who towered above her, and was a little terrifying in his strenght. Don't let them spoil you,” she added with a note of wistfulness, ”all the Eves who must needs follow with or without your bidding.”
”I imagine Hal will counteract much of that; and the feeling, when I am with you, that I am just a great, brainless, useless animal.”
”No; you are not that; and you are quite extraordinarily unspoilt as yet. Come and see me again soon, when you've nothing better to do.”
”How soon?”
He was looking hard into her face now, almost as if he were only just fully realising her beauty, and she flushed a little as she met his ardent eyes and answered:
”As soon as you like.”
”Friday is my first free evening.”
”The come and dine here quietly. I shall not act this week at all. I shall run down to the sea from Sat.u.r.day to Monday.”
She had intended to go on Friday afternoon, but with his nearness all Flip Denton's sage advice vanished from her mind, and instead of running away as he urged, she went a step nearer to the temptation.
When he had gone she sat down in the arm chair he had used, and stared hard at the fire. Jean came in to urge her to go to bed, but she only said:
”No; I like this room and the fire. Bring me the fish, or whatever it is, here. I will go to bed about half-past eight if you like, but not before.”
So she sat on, and in her heart she saw still the fine face, with its unspoiled freshness, and felt his presence still filling the room.
It would seem Fate had brought her and Hal together into the arena of new happenings and new feelings, for amont the crowded houses of Bloomsbury, in a little high-up bedroo near the sky, Hal sat on the edge of her bed leisurely brus.h.i.+ng her long, bright hair, and pondering a telephone message that had asked her to go for a motor ride the following Sat.u.r.day.
”It means putting Amy off,” was her final cogitation, ”but I think I'll go. It wil be such fun, and I'm rather sick of work.”
So, in spite of strong wills and common-sense warning, we still, as ever, let our footsteps follow the alluring paths, and go boldly forth to meet a joy, ever careless of the following sorrow that may accompany it, until the hour of shunning is past.
CHAPTER XVI
The following Friday afternoon Lorraine went out with Flip Denton in his motor, and among his first questions was:
”Well, how is the foolish falling in love progressing?”
”It is stationary. I've got another friend I want to keep, Flip; another friend like you.”
”Ah, I can't pa.s.s that. You were never even remotely in sight of falling in love with me. And you know what Kipling says: 'Love's like line-work; you can't stand still, you must go backward or forward.'
You don't propose to take my advice and run away from it?”
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