Part 18 (2/2)

Then--then a blankness: consciousness left her.

For a brief moment Masters held her in his arms; her whole weight. For a brief moment the blood coursed wildly through his veins; surged brainwards. A wild, mad impulse seized him: to press his lips to hers, helpless, pa.s.sive as she lay there.

With difficulty he restrained himself. Laid down his burden reverently; her angel's face seemed eloquent of innocence. Once, surely once on a time, it had spoken truth. Ah! What Might Have Been.

She opened her eyes. Found herself lying on a sofa. Masters standing by her side, holding brandy. She tried, feebly, to push it away; but his now full-of-authority voice commanded:

”Drink!”

She was constrained to do so by reason of a hand which went under and lifted her head; another which placed the gla.s.s to her lips....

Struggling to a sitting position, pa.s.sing her hand across her eyes, with a pitiful little drooping at the corners of her mouth, she said:

”I beg your pardon for--for--Was I silly? Did I--I felt a little faint.”

He remained watching her. His own face had grown almost the colour of hers. He had touched her, had had her hand in his, had felt the softness of her hair! It seemed to him as if the noise of the beating of his heart drowned the ticking of the clock.

”Tell me,” he inquired, still supporting her, ”what brings you here so late?”

She shook her head. Womanlike, answered his question by another:

”Didn't the girl tell you?”

”What girl?” He asked in surprise. ”Didn't the girl tell me what?”

”About Gracie. I--I sent to you half-an-hour ago. She--they tell me--I think--Oh, my G.o.d!--I am so--so afraid!--is dying. She asked for you again and again. You sent a message that you would come tomorrow.”

”I!”

His astonished look, the blaze of suddenly aroused anger in his eyes, frightened her. Could he be even now deceiving her? His kindness--was it falsity? She hurried on with her explanation; in her embarra.s.sment the words tumbled from her lips.

”Yes. You did--did you not? Ah! Don't tell me there was any mistake--the girl saw you herself! I ought to be with Gracie now, but you wouldn't come when I sent for you. She--I--thought if I came for you, you wouldn't be so hard. You could not--oh, you could not--if you knew that perhaps her very life depended on you.”

In speaking she had fallen on her knees; knelt to him in her entreaty.

It hurt; he could not bear to see her--a woman--in this att.i.tude of supplication to him. Almost roughly he raised her to her feet.

When erect, not seeing through her tear-streaming eyes, choked with her emotion, she plucked at his coat sleeve. The action horrified him; recalled the night he had stood beside his mother's death-bed; the dying woman had plucked at the counterpane in just such a way. Roughly--to hide his aroused emotion--he shook himself free.

Then she seized on and took his hand in her own burning hot shaking ones. Continued to plead, sobs breaking her utterance:

”It is a child; a little child dying! She wanted to see you so much! The doctor said we were to gratify her, soothe her, and perhaps get her to a sleep which will save her life. You will come back with me--oh, you will, will you not? She knows I have come to fetch you. She was so confident you would come! I--I have annoyed you, or done something to displease you, I know that, but I am all humility now, Mr. Masters; humble, oh, so humble!”

She had slid to her knees again before he could stop her; continued;

”Humbly begging your pardon for whatever I have done. Praying you, for my little child's sake, to come back with me, please.... Please....

Please!”

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