Part 18 (1/2)
The youngof what you think of me? for I see you are not serious! It's a folly, of course, a sentimental folly,” he met Bulstrode's eyes that silently accused him of a like--”but only a man in love knohat senti ality in love only understood by certain teenerate: I suppose it is, and to push it quite to the last phase, is, of course, cowardly, certainly very weak, and men like you, Monsieur, will deeed him to make himself clear
”I mean,” said De Presle-Vaulx firmly, ”rather than renounce this wole in which the whole matter is!”) and he could not for the life of him put his intention into words He smiled nevertheless unmistakably Bulstrode leaned across the table and put his hand on the other's arh not to break her heart? Or well enough to live a commonplace life for her?”
”I don't kno to do it”
”Well,” said Bulstrode, ”I have run upon quite a good many hard moments, perhaps soht of getting out of the muddle Perhaps it _is_ a question, as you say, of temperament and race I am inclined also to think, stubbornly, that it is a question of the quality of the love that one has for the woman You won't think it impertinent of me, my dear friend,”--and his tone was such that no one could have thought it impertinent--”you won't, I am sure, take it amiss if we talk this over to- that means _life_, instead of what you plan”
”You know you as good as stood for De Presle-Vaulx”
Bulstrode held Mrs Falconer's parasol, her fan, as well as a gold bag purse full of louis, a handkerchief and his own cane and field-glass
For the lady, standing on a chair the better to see the race-track, was applauding with enthusiasm the result of the first handicap She had placed a bet on a horse called Plu of sentiment,” as she said, because she had, that day, quite by chance, selected a hat with a decorative plu_, certainly, Jih heels!-- _There_, I've won! and won't you, like an angel, go and cash ht have your hand picked! You can put s in your pocket; they're not so enor his absence she watched the scene around her with aniht so call it, when the sky and the turf and the whole world looked as though washed clean, and nature, seen in the warently stirred ends of ribbon or tips of plurance of the country air astir Back of the lady the tribune was like a floral display: here and there a corner red as roses, there a mass of lily-white dresses enlivened by pink and blue parasols, and the green _pesage_ stretched between the spectators and the race-track in bands of eroups those interested in the races Mrs Falconer acknowledged a friend here and there, glanced affectionately over to where Molly and the Marquis, seated near, fixed their attention on the race-course, where the winner, flying his blue ribbon, cantered triuroup Falconer, the worse forfamiliarly with his jockey, whilst Bon Jour, blanketed to the eyes, was being led up and down the outside track alongside of her rival, Rothschild's Griave his friend a handful of gold, which she put into her purse, and he repeated: ”You remember that you stood, as it were, for De Presle-Vaulx?”
”I do,” she said, ”if you think the race-course is the place to takeso serious, I do remember, and I do stand
What is the trouble that he needs ood et firmly on the plane where he should be!”
”And that is----?”
”On his feet, my dear friend”
”Well, he is head over heels in love,” she nodded, ”but when he finally lands I think you will find Maurice perfectly perpendicular”
”He won't,” returned the other, ”at all events, land in the bosom of his family”
”No?”--she looked away frohed--”you mean to say, Jimmy, has he heard, then?”
”I mean to say that _they_ are quite clear in their e! They see man lacks
Tell me,” he asked his friend, ”just what do you know about the ly took up his cause with Molly? You have not told me yet”
She relinquished the interests of the moment to those of the senti her tone, ”that they have been secretly engaged for a year Nothing that an Aine that I was overwhelmed at his part in the matter When Molly joined me in Fontainebleau, De Presle-Vaulx proed her to tell
I was dismayed at the lack of _tenue_ he had shown I had a plain talk with him He said that he had first met Molly at some dance or other in the American colony, I don't knohere; that he understood that Airls disposed of their own lives; that he loved her and wanted to ain the consent of his fahted to talk with s He further told , that he had not been able to tear hio down to the country where they were and see them I forced him to write at once; exacted myself that until he received their answer there should be nothing between Molly and him but the merest distant acquaintance I did not know that he had heard from the Marquise or his father You seeained his confidence and takencouple ”Poor Molly!” she exclaimed ”He has not, I should say, told her: she looks so happy and so serene! It's of course only a question of _dot_, otherwise there could be no possible objection She is perfectly beautiful, the sweetest creature in the world; and she is a born Marquise!”
Bulstrode interrupted her impatiently:
”It would be more to the purpose if he were a born bread-winner and she were a dairy-ar you are!”