Part 15 (2/2)
Joseph was silent. Ian went on:
”But nowadays we've got to take chances. And Vanda will never want for what I--I mean Mother and I can share with her. But there's the other reason against your marriage, now.”
”What's that?” His handsome face grew cold again. Ian did not answer at once; the old struggle between honesty and hatred was going on within his heart. He decided to let his foe decide.
”Put yourself in my place,” he began huskily. ”You come here, a prisoner, in a German uniform. You're all but shot as a spy. Let's not go into the whys and wherefores. But would you, in my place, let Vanda marry Roman, if the things happened that have happened to you, till he had redeemed his promise to fight on the right side?”
Joseph got up and faced his cousin.
”You're the head of the family, I'll not go against your decision,” he said quietly.
”I don't want to decide.”
”But why?”
”I'd rather not say.”
Joseph gave a little laugh. ”We may as well be frank with each other and have it out.”
Ian made a gesture of dissent.
”Frankness is brutal,” he said hastily. ”It leaves rancor ... and I want to be fair.”
”I suppose you despise me for letting Roman take my place, last night,”
said Joseph bitterly.
Ian was silent. The other watched his face, but could read little there; his own had flushed.
”It's easy to talk here.” He glanced round the comfortable room. ”But it was infernally hard to die, like that, and so easy for Roman to get past. He had brought tools with him.”
”Yes,” said Ian. ”He unpicked the lock.... But there was...”
”There was what?”
”Oh, nothing.” A sudden wave of pa.s.sion was coming over him. He could trust himself no longer. He felt that, unless he escaped from the room he would hurl all the bitterness of his soul against Joseph, expose his deep wound to that cold gaze. He made for the door.
”Stop!” said the other peremptorily. He looked back, his hand on the door.
”Sleep on it,” he muttered and would have pa.s.sed out, but Joseph was beside him, his sound hand grasping his shoulder.
”I have made up my mind.”
”Ah--and what----?”
”You're right. After the war--if I'm alive.”
”No need for that. In six months.”
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