Part 11 (1/2)
”And I on the mud,” she mused
”And I on all three, for the earth contains old and jewels,” I broke in, being tired of silence
But neither of them paid much attention to me Ansob did say, out of politeness, I suppose, that pitch and subterranean fires should be added, or soan to tell hiary, which were extremely faint; of how they cae Kaffir huts, until suddenly they began to grow rich; of her school days at Maritzburg; of the friends hoot up and went out for a walk
When I returned an hour or so later they were still talking, and so continued to do until Dr Rodd arrived upon the scene At first they did not see hile to thereat deal of interest It, or rather its expression, was not pleasant; before now I have seen so like it on that of a wild beast which thinks that it is about to be robbed of its prey by a stronger wild beast, in short, a mixture of hate, fear and jealousy-especially jealousy At the last I did not wonder, for these two see on uncommonly well
They were, so to speak, wellof the two, a really pretty and attractive young woman indeed, but the vivacity of Ansob's face, the twinkle of his eneral refineularity of feature I think he had just told her one of his good stories which he alwaysand har ht of the doctor and her merriment evaporated like a drop of water on a hot shovel Distinctly I saw her pull herself together and prepare for so and holding out her slim sun-browned hand ”But I need not ask, you look so well”
”How do you do, my dear,” with a heavy emphasis on the ”dear” he answered slowly ”But I needn't ask, for I see that you are in perfect health and spirits,” and he bent forward as though to kiss her
Somehow or other she avoided that endearment or seal of possession I don't quite kno, as I turnedto witness what I felt to be unpleasant When I looked up again, however, I saw that she had avoided it, the scowl on his face the demureness of hers and Ansob's evident a about her father; he answered that he also seemed quite well
”Then why did you write to tell ht to co of her delicate eyebrows
The question was never answered, for at that moment Marnham himself appeared
”Oh! father,” she said, and rushed into his arms, while he kissed her tenderly on both cheeks
So I was not ht I to myself, she does really love this moral wreck, and what is ood in him Is anyone truly bad, I wondered, or for the ood either? Is it not all a question of circumstance and blood?
Neither then or at any other time have I found an answer to the proble beautiful about theof these two
The influence of Miss Heda in the house was felt at once The boys became smarter and put on clean clothes Vases of flowers appeared in the various rooreeable process so far as ere concerned Moreover, at dinner both Marnham and Rodd wore dress clothes with short jackets, a circumstance that put Ansob and myself to shame since we had none It was curious to see hoith those dress clothes, which doubtless awoke old associations within hiht have been the colonel of a cavalry regi to toast the Queen after he had sent round the wine, so polite and polished was his talk Who could have identified the man with the dry old ruffian of twenty-four hours before, he as drinking claret (and very good claret too)with a polite interest to all the details of his daughter's journey? Even the doctor looked a gentle dress Moreover, soer called Miss Heda ”My dear” or attempted any familiarities, while she on more than one occasion very distinctly called hiht and for several others that followed As for the days they went by pleasantly and idly Heda walked about on her father's arm, conversed in friendly fashi+on with the doctor, alatching hi an opportunity to spring, and for the rest associated with us as e behind , I suppose, coht possibly prove useful But all the while I felt that the storreat extent, played the part of the cloud-co Jove, for soon it became evident to ing the intihter and Ansob by every means in his power
In one way and another he had fully informed himself as to Ansob's prospects in life, which were brilliant enough Moreover he liked the man who, as the remnant of the better perceptions of his youth told hilishmen, and what is more, he saw that Heda liked him also, as much indeed as she disliked Rodd He even spoke tothat the young woman who married Ansob would be lucky and that the father who had hirave confident of his child's happiness I answered that I agreed with him, unless the lady's affections had already caused her to for all pretence, ”there are none involved in this accursed business, as you are quite sharp enough to have seen for yourself”
”I understood that an engagement was involved,” I remarked
”On my part, perhaps, not on hers,” he answered ”Oh! can't you understand, Quatere situations against their will?”
Rely naht of the card party, I reflected that I could understand well enough, but I only said-
”After all e is a matter that concerns a woman even more than it does her father, one, in short, of which she e”
”Quite so, Quaterreat sacrifices for their fathers Well, she will be of age ere long, if only I can stave it off till then But ho?” and with a groan he turned and left entleht I todrawn tight Meanwhile this poor girl's happiness and future are at stake
”Allan,” said Ansob to me a little later, for by now he calledabout those oxen, have you?”
”No, I could scarcely expect to yet, but why do you ask?”