Part 51 (2/2)
”Hand it to me.”
”He said to break it to you gently.”
”Well, speak up, Willie. Break it! For the Lord's sake, break it!”
”Sit down, won't you?” He led her to a bench in the temple. ”I hardly know where to begin.”
”Begin at the ending.”
”Well, you see, your poor governor--”
”Has lost all his money?”
”Well, yes--in a way.”
”It's getting to be rather a habit with the poor old boy, isn't it? Is he smashed up badly?”
”Pretty badly.”
”The house in town and the country place will have to go?”
”I'm afraid so.”
”The cars and the horses--my car, too?”
”Looks like it.”
”Then I needn't worry about it's being a last year's model,” she laughed. Willie stared at her admiringly.
”Gad, but you're a good loser.”
”I try to be; an easy winner, an easy loser. I'm awfully sorry for father, though. Did you--did you tell him anything?”
”I told him we were engaged.”
She s.h.i.+vered and mumbled, ”What did he say to that?”
”He seemed immensely relieved. He said, 'G.o.d bless her.' His voice was very faint, but I think that's what he said.”
”Perhaps he said, 'G.o.d help her.'”
”Maybe he did,” Willie sighed. ”Anyway, we're to meet him in town to-morrow.”
He stared at her with hungry eyes, and his little lean fingers crept toward the exquisite hand of hers that lay supine, relaxed, with upturned fingers like the petals of an open rose. He took that flower in his hands timidly. She looked down into his famished eyes and smiled pitifully--perhaps a little for him, certainly for herself.
He overestimated the tenderness in her gaze and squeezed her fingers in his. She winced and drew her hand away.
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