Part 12 (2/2)
”Oh, nothing; nothing at all. In the first place, the health of our friend, Frederick, is excellent. But if this fellow were not younger; and if apoplexy or judgment should--well; why, perhaps--”
”Perhaps what?”
”Of course, Helena, my great desire is for your happiness; but in my position I--I am not as free as I once was to follow my own inclinations. And if--”
”Oh, my _G.o.d!_” she said violently.
She fled out of the room with flying feet. As he followed her up the stairs he heard her door slam viciously and the bolt slip. He came down, his face flushed and angry. He stood a long while with his back to the fire, staring at the lamp or the darkness of the uncurtained window. By and by he shook his head and set his jaw in sullen determination; then he went up-stairs and knocked softly at her door.
There was no answer. Again, a little louder; silence.
”Nelly,” he said; ”Nelly, let me speak to you--just a minute?”
Silence.
”Nelly!”
Silence.
”d.a.m.n!” said Lloyd Pryor, and went stealthily back to the parlor where the fire was out and the lamp flickering into smoky darkness.
A quarter of an hour later he went up-stairs again.
”How _could_ you say it!” ”I didn't mean it, Nelly; it was only a joke.” ”A joke! Oh, a cruel joke, a cruel joke!” ”You know I didn't mean it. Nelly dearest, I didn't mean it!” ”You do love me?” ”I love you.... Kiss me....”
CHAPTER VIII
”Well, now,” said Dr. Lavendar that Sunday evening when he and David came into the study after tea; ”I suppose you'd like me to tell you a story before you go to bed?”
”A Bible story?”
”Why, yes,” Dr. Lavendar admitted, a little taken aback.
”No, sir,” said David.
”You don't want a Bible story!”
The little boy shook his head.
”David,” said Dr. Lavendar chuckling, ”I think I like you.”
David made no response; his face was as blank as an Indian's. He sat down on a stool by the fire, and once he sighed. Danny had sniffed him, slowly, and turned away with a bored look; it was then that he sighed. After a while he got up and wandered about the room, his hands gripped in front of him, his lips shut tight. Dr. Lavendar watched him out of the tail of his eye, but neither of them spoke. Suddenly David climbed up on a chair and looked fixedly at a picture that hung between the windows.
”That is a Bible picture,” Dr. Lavendar observed.
”Who,” said David, ”is the gentleman in the water?”
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