The Trespasser, Volume 2

m. Without any accent life was made easy for him. He was alone

who had come, for the first time, into somewhat intimate relations with an English girl. He was struck with her conventional delicacy and honour on one side, and the limitation of her

lone together. Gaston saw her mostly with others. Even a woman with a tender strain for a man knows what will serve for her ascendancy: the graciousness

us, and said that Delia was at least four years older than himself, that he was just her-Agatha's-age, and that the other match would be very unsuitable. This put Cluny on Delia's defence, and he praised her youth, and hinted at his own elderliness. He had lived, he had seen It (Cluny called the world and all therein "It"), he was aged; he

etter. A fellow comes to a time when he says, 'Here, I want a shop of my own,' doesn't he? He's s

and, purposely putting himse

s Agatha

y basis. Now, see I've got a little load of L s. d., and I'm to get more, especi

usband and father in you ye

lward, don

ore serious. W

's natural; and if it comes off, no one'll

? Deli

nd so does Delia, and I'm on the spot, and it wouldn't look well to be taking advantage of that with her father and mother-they'd feel bound

, are you very

s? I think she's the very finest. A fellow'd hold himself up, 'd b

h, with regular attendance, and a justice of th

face wen

een It all, of course;

ut that sounds-flipp

tha knows that, I fancy. She is a little sportsman. I might let you go and speak; but I think my chances are bet

y settled into a grey ruddiness. "Belward," he said at last, "I didn't

have your chance; but le

a fool. Why, my trying what

miles fail

d a deer on th

eplechase to Sandown-is that it? Belward, I'm

really have had It, you will learn to say of a woman, not that she's the very finest, and that you hate br

choly. Delia glowed as she saw the admiring glances sent his way, but burned with anger when she also saw that he was to take in Lady Gravesend to dinner; for Lady Gravesend had spoken slightingly of Gaston-had, indeed, referred

e of the guests, who, at the call of some one else, suddenly

ed to say: "What shall

u the other day-'The

er sung it be

e, that's unfair! Believe

d her eye

lieve you. Your 'very well' means muc

le. Is that your mood to-

shed with a

depends on how your comm

t help but

hy

will help y

t again she said that she would rather have his cruelty than another man's tenderness, so long as she knew that she had his- She paused,

make

ud!" he said to hi

: I've heard it sung, I've sung it; I've taught you;

ng it yoursel

ht I wish t

hy

. Can you play the acc

hink. You played it so beautifully the o

smi

I hammered away for years. I had to learn difficult things at the start, or none at all, or else those I improvised; and that's how I c

one at first noticed them.

ember th

arned them

oo

ss, a deep persuasiveness, which drew every face like a call. A fe

ow

or a minute lon

feels dry a

e rest, towards me

and held it. Presently her voice as softly

ge of the M

land of

embers

es of those

rn to th

me at t

ockers o

we will v

mp of Lov

re to r

e really did not know-her voice seemed an endless dista

other. Don't be afraid; let

let mys

: just swim w

elia Gasgoyne's friends hear her sing as she did that night. And Lady Gravesend whispered for a week afterwards that Delia Gas

lifted the girl on the waves of his music, a

the light

fare o

wil

r-winged her

e sha

ws of sapp

all we wan

oam to t

pirit t

serfs as

ckers

athe on the e

ive by tha

y heart t

journe

evermore,

er murmur, and requests for more; but Gaston, still le

d to hear you sin

r

very hot,

nto the

orridor, and walked up and

t music?" he

lt music befor

why I asked y

hould

far you coul

ar did

as I e

satisf

fect

experimen

were not, after all, as

m

as well as you. You did not e

felt, too, as if, somehow, it wasn't qu

the Garden? Sit down here

ed a littl

id, looking earnestly at her. "You know my history-a

ey have

othing more that you ought to know: thoug

t to know'?"

ld be prepared to open the cupboard of skeletons." She wa

ask you to be m

at motionless, her ha

wen

be wise to accept me, but

she said, and her hand

id to her, as they p

art, that you will neve

it. It rests with you, Gaston

m. He could not have told why he said it. "Why will you al

hing else to do, sir," he replied. "Brillon," Gaston

ll we do,

ever tur

m a prair

. I've ridd

one chance in

an to be thoug

s that ot

l, t

es said: "Who i

es said no more. The next morning early the guests