Part 43 (1/2)
She put up a hand to straying hair. ”I'm falling to pieces. I have but two desires in the world--a cold bath and food. Perhaps I shall see you later.”
He stood unflinching, like a soldier condemned for crime. I wondered at her indifference. He said:
”Unfortunately I can't have that pleasure. My engagements take up the rest of the day, and tomorrow I leave Clermont-Ferrand. I shan't have another opportunity of seeing you.”
Their eyes met and his, calm yet full of pain, dominated. She thrust her hand through my arm.
”Very well then, let us get into the shade.”
We entered the park, found an empty bench beneath the trees and sat down, Auriol between us. She said:
”Do you mean at Royat or in the world in general?”
”Perhaps the latter.”
She laughed queerly. ”As chance has thrown us together here, it will possibly do the same somewhere else.”
”My sphere isn't yours,” said he. ”If it hadn't been for the accident of Hylton being here, we should not have met now.”
”Captain Hylton had nothing to do with it,” she said warmly. ”I had no notion that you were at Clermont-Ferrand.”
”I'm quite aware of that, Lady Auriol.”
She flushed, vexed at having said a foolish thing.
”And Captain Hylton had no notion that I was coming.”
”Perfectly,” said Lackaday.
”Well?” she said after a pause.
”I came over to Royat, this morning,” said Lackaday, ”to call on you and bid you good-bye.”
”Why?” she asked in a low voice.
”It appeared to be ordinary courtesy.”
”Was there anything particular you wanted to say to me?”
”Perhaps to supplement just the little I could tell you yesterday afternoon.”
”Captain Hylton supplemented it after you left. Oh, he was very discreet.
But there were a few odds and ends that needed straightening out. If you had been frank with me from the beginning, there would have been no need of it. As it was, I had to clear everything up. If I had known exactly. I should not have gone to the circus last night.”
His eyelids fluttered like those of a man who has received a bullet through him, and his mouth set grimly.
”You might have spared me that,” said he. He bent forward. ”Hylton, why did you let her do it?”
”I might just as well have tried to stop the thunder,” said I, seeing no reason why this young woman should not bear the blame for her folly.