Part 8 (1/2)
with bitter, stinging e as you want it you swing round and beco”
”Oh, I had no intention that way,” he returned quickly, half cowed by the lash of her anger ”I made the remark simply and solely in your own interest”
”My own interest is very well able to take care of itself” Then relenting, for she felt mercifully disposed towards this fresh victim
”Never mind You are very much upset I can see that We will think no ht in front of hi rays of approaching sunset Fro stoniness of the hillside the screech of crickets rang out in endless vibration--varied now and again by the drowsy hued insects, or the ”coo” of a dove fro the dam A shi+athering black upon the craggy turrets cresting the distant spurs of the Storht I am rather--er--well, not quite o”
Mona's face softened She had refused hiether That was not her way, being a young wo the fallaciousness of the proverb about not being able to eat your cake and have it too
”Don't go away angry,” she said, throwing a deft plaintiveness into her pleading ”We have been such good friends--why should we not continue to be? You will co wistfulness of her eyes, even the lingering pressure of the hand which she had extended--half dropped--to him out of the hammock, had their effect on Lambert, who in a matter of this kind was as easy to o now,” he said unsteadily ”Yes, I hope we'll continue to be friends--for Iyou,” he added with a kind of desperation ”Good-bye”
”Not good-bye Only 'so long' as they say here,” she answered kindly
And with a hurried assent he tore hiretful, but it was a regret dashed with a kind of triu on fierce resenth; for before his horse's hoofs were out of hearing along the Doppersdorp road she had alotten her dejected and disco insinuation, which had so aroused her anger at the time, and now moved her to an exultation which made all her pulses stir, and, alone as she was, caused her to flush hotly
Not long, however, was she destined to be left to her own thoughts, such as they were, for presently Mrs Suffield invaded her solitude At her the latter shot a quick, curious glance
”Well, Mona; and what have you done to hih: the doctor, of course He could hardly bid ood-bye coherently, and went aith a face as if he were about to hang hi _away_ to do that; because he could hardly find a tree big enough for the purpose in the whole district except here He'd have to do it here or nowhere”
”What a heartless girl you are, Mona! Why did you play with the poor fellow like that? Of coarse its all fun to you--”
”And death to hih now--but wait a year or two and see He'll brag about it then, and go about hinting, or irl down Doppersdorp way--this, if he's changed his abode--fully smashed on him, and so on Wait and see I know them, and they're all alike” And the speaker stretched herself languidly, and yawned
Grace Suffield hardly knehat to say, or whether to feel angry or laugh But she was spared the necessity of replying, for Mona went on--
”By the e never see anything of Mr Musgrave now Its ages since he's been here”
”I was nearly saying, 'small wonder, after the way you treated him'
But I won't, for there, at any rate, is a man whom even you can't make a fool of He's built of sterner stuff”
”Is he?” with a provoking smile ”But what on earth do you mean, Grace, by 'the way in which I treated him'?”
”Oh, you know very hat I e him at first; then you cold-shouldered him, and launched out in a fast and furious flirtation with the new doctor, because he _was_ new, I suppose”
”So was the other But, Grace, I didn't cold-shoulder him I liked the man If he was so weak as to become jealous of the doctor, I can't help it”
”Weak!” flashed out Grace ”Weak! I don't think there's rave, and I' so--so--feeble as jealousy”