Part 9 (1/2)
Mrs Falconer regarded hient amusement
”It's your fault--you took s and pointed out that poor young creature to me” And he was interrupted by her exclamation:
”Oh, how _dear_ of you, Jimmy! hoeet and kind and ridiculous! It won't be fit to be seen”
”Oh, never mind that,” he waved; ”no one need see it I haven't--she won't let me”
He had accepted a cup of tea fro the eed, ”all about it It was just like you--any other man would have found oodness, and that's the rarest thing in the world Fancy posing every day! How ghastly and hoonderful of you!”
”No,” he said slowly, ”it wasn't any of these things I wanted to do it It amused me at first, you see But now I am a little annoyed--rather bothered to tell the truth--He met her eyes with almost an appeal in his Mrs Falconer was in kindness bound to help him
”Bothered? How, pray? With what part of it? You're not chivalrous about it, are you? You're not by the way of feeling that you have co?”
”Oh, no, no,” he hurried; ”but I do feel, and I ae, that it was a mistake Because--do you know--that for some absurd reason I am afraid she has become fond of me” He blushed like a boy Mrs Falconer said coldly:
”Yes? Well, what of it?”
”This--” Bulstrode's voice was quiet and deterht I shall e overthe man hom she dealt She knew that to atteenerous source any intent of Mr Bulstrode would have been as futile as to attempt to turn a river from its parent fountain
”You're quixotic, I know, but you're not demented, and you won't certainly marry this nobody--whose fancies or love-affairs have not the least iain unless you are in love with her yourself”
Bulstrode interrupted her hastily:
”Oh, yes, I shall”
He got up and walked over to thethat looked down on Mrs
Falconer's triarden A couple of iron chairs and a table stood under the trees Early roses had begun to bloom in the beds whose outlines were thick and dark with heart's-ease Beyond the iron rail of the high wall the distant rumble of Paris came to his ears
Mrs Falconer's voice behind hih to be your daughter”
”No,” he said quietly, ”not by many years”
As he turned about and carown darker and she to sit in the shadow She leaned toward hi:
”So you have coe of yours we have so often planned together”
Bulstrode stood looking down on her
”I feelhoed her plans She is perfectly alone and perfectly poor, and I a to add to her perplexities I have no one in the world to care what I do I have no ties and no duties”
”No,” said Mrs Falconer; ”you are wonderfully free”
He said vehemently: