Part 47 (1/2)

Yorick, sunning himself by the door, gave vent to a goblin chuckle.

”Oh, what a pal was M-Mary! Oh, what a pal--Nothing doing!” he finished with a shriek and began to flap his wings.

The professor laughed. ”Yorick gets his lessons mixed,” he said. ”But isn't he a wonder? Did you ever know a bird who could learn so quickly?”

Mary did not want to talk about birds. ”Do tell me why you dislike driving?” she asked with gentle insistence.

”Oh, I like it.-It's not that. I used to drive like Jehu, or John.

Never had an accident. But when I came back from overseas I found I couldn't trust my nerve--no quick judgment, no instinctive reaction--all gone to pieces. Rather rotten.”

With unerring intuition Mary knew this for a real confidence.

Fortunately she was an expert with shy game.

”Quite rotten,” she said soberly. He went on.

”It's little things like that that hit hard. Not to be One's own man in a crisis--d'y' see?”

Mary nodded.

”But it's only temporary,” he continued more cheer-fully. ”I'll try myself out one of these days. Only, of course, arranged tests are never real ones. The crisis must leap on one to be of any use. Some little time ago, when I was at the coast, an incident happened--a kind of unexpected emergency”--he paused thoughtfully as a sudden vision of a moon-lit room flashed before him--”I got through that all right,” he added, ”so I'm hopeful.”

”How thrilling,” said Mary. ”Won't you tell me what it was?”

His eyes met hers with a placidity for which she could have shaken him.

”It wouldn't interest you,” he said. ”I hear Aunt coming at last.”

Miss Campion's voice had indeed preceded her.

”Oh, there you are, Mary,” she said with some acidity. ”I told Desire you were sure to be down first.”

”I try to be prompt,” said Mary meekly. ”I have been keeping Benis company until you were ready.” She spoke to Miss Campion but her slightly mocking eyes watched for some change upon the face of her young hostess. Desire, as usual, was serene.

”Mary thinks we are all heathens not to have a car,” said Benis. ”When are you going to choose yours, Desire?”

”Not at all, I think,” said Desire.

Men, even clever men, are like that. The professor had seen no possible sting in his idly spoken words. But the sore, hot spot, which now seemed ever present in Desire's heart, grew sorer and hotter. To owe a car to the reminder of another woman! Naturally, Desire could do very well without it.

”But don't you miss a car terribly?” asked Mary with kind concern.

”I cannot miss what I have never had.”

”Oh, in the west, I suppose one does have horses still.”

”There may be a few left, I think.” Desire's slow smile crept out as memory brought the asthmatic ”chug” of the ”Tillic.u.m.” ”My father and I used a launch almost exclusively.” In spite of herself she could not resist a glance at the professor. His eyes met hers with a ghost of their old twinkle.

”A launch?” Mary's surprise was patent. ”Did you run it yourself?”

”We had a Chinese engineer,” said Desire demurely. ”But I could manage it if necessary.”

Further conversation upon modes of locomotion on the coast was cut off by the precipitate arrival of John who, coming up the drive in his best manner, narrowly escaped a triple fatality at the steps.