The Danger Mark

nything; there were several good enough horses at their disposal, two motor cars, a power-boat, canoes, r

new estate, field-glasses dangling, cap on the back of his head, pockets bulging with untidy odds a

were always such a fastidious boy-even dandified. Doesn't anybod

lm of one hand. "I say, Kathleen, look at this little creature. I was messing about under the ledges along

neck over the shoulder of

e poisonous, isn't he

him in your hand; he's cool an

won't to

teach you not to be afraid of things outdoors. This liz

t, don't

were going to be in thorough accor

you mustn'

rd fear of live things, so that you and I can rea

and roam about and-and everythi

e fun is in being perfectly confident and fearless. You have no idea

o-ra

this one

r, realising how completely thei

now, a woman still young, the devotion remained, but time was modifying it in a manner sometimes disquieting. She tried not to remember that

bully me, don'

to like to do w

with a shudder, held out her ha

mall dark-red amphibian on the palm, wh

I'll take it now. Some day you'll be able to

contaminated hand for a moment, then dropped on h

o discover it. I wouldn't bother with any other woman, but you've always liked what I like, and its half the fun in having you see these things. Look here, Kathleen, I'm keepi

ouldn't make it bite me, so let Kathleen hold it. Query: Is it a land or water lizard,

es wandered to the w

lly see an o

was yesterday afternoon. It's a scarce creature here. I'll tell you what, Ka

andkerchief, "I can't spend every minute

sunlit ripples. A little unquiet thrill leaped

an out with you. Ther

"Do you think that's the on

g to say, Scott. I am not a pre

her; and again the unquiet thrill ran like lightning thr

and I expect our big bro

," he said doggedly. She strove to laugh, caught his

stones," she suggested. And af

he said, "you're not a

do you

. I'm a man, an

e you are

se of mortifying me when I act-speak-behave a

to-to mortify you.

g breeches, took two or three short turns alon

d short. The vivid tint in her cheeks was his answer-a swift, disconcerting answer t

sh. I do know what you've been trying to say. I am conscious that you are no longer the boy I could pet and love an

matter!" he

r anybody in the world. I understand your loyalty to me, Scott, a

are ser

ant you to; I-I need it. But don't mistake the kind of affecti

nt to care fo

at way,

hy

ou. I am so

you, all

white birch-tree and passed one hand across her

ldn't," sh

under them, in irregular wedge formation, little ones ahead, big ones in the rea

ked after him in silence, waiting. And aft

love with you that night when-

d not

are the only woman who interests me. I think about you most of the time when I'm not doing something else," he explained na?vely. "I know perfectly well I'm in love with you becaus

e, blue-veined hands were clenched at h

I've often been afraid you would laugh at me if I told you.... If it's only our ag

rew a lon

y," he said. "And

r spoke no

ause I was such a beast of a

oke; she swung about, moved away a few paces, s

pleasures, deep interest in your amusements.... Don't ask for more; don't think that you want more. Don't try to change the lo

hy

pose it were so-that I could venture to think I cared for you that way? What might I put in peril?-Geraldine's affection for me-perhaps her relations with you..

ch things!" h

r, I know, I know! And above all-I am afraid. There are too many years between us-too many bl

me leaped i

uld

exclaimed,

sk me not to try?

Won't you believe me? It must not h

her with a new exp

, "you must have already thought about

ne-and Mr. Grandcourt, too!... Tell me-do my eyes look queer? Are they red and horrid?... Don't look at me that way.

nd path, Delancy Grandcourt dogging her heels, as usual, carrying a pai

s to the stream to her brother. "Jack Dysart is fishing

red the bank, and alighted on a rock in the stream. Poised there she looked back at Grandc

ed. "Where did you cros

with a rising inflection that conveyed something of warning, something of an appeal. But on Scott's face the sullen disconcerted express

urdly youthful; and something else-something so indefinable, so subtle, that only another woman's instinct migh

nscious of something she could not unders

she asked. "Has anythin

ches of a lusty young birch, said, "No, of course not," and the girl, wonder

. "He's the guiltiest-looking man-why, it's absu

that everybody laughed. And presently

, and she hailed him and he left us and went

ane joi

really don't know," she added. And, in a lower voice: "I wish eith

ooked through the wood

ough trout for luncheon. Scott!" calling to her brother, "your horrid trout won't rise t

d and preoccupied. There was sunlight on the glade and on the

istance before she noticed Grandcou

you were fishing. You must catch someth

these bally flie

you, Delancy. If you can't keep your line free in the woods"-she hesitated, then reddening a little under h

the big, awkward fellow appealingly. "Ther

s are in that bush! Untangle

ome, too, Mi

.... And don't you dare return w

hered him; he mopped his red face, tugged at th

Geraldine. She was already far away among the trees, skirts wr

ng her hat and singing, apparently as unconcernedly a

came a swift hail, a gust of wind-blown laughter, and the car was gone in a whirl of du

ng oppressive; her white-shod feet dragged a little, which was so unusu

tter with me?" she said,

apropos of nothing at all, an unaccustomed

ismissed-that some sense, some temporarily suppressed desire was troubling her. The same idea had awakened again that evening on the terrace when the faint

, disturbed by the tardiness of accustomed tribut

ately-she had sought relief from sleepless nervousness and this new depression in the old and apparently harmless manner of her girlhood. For weeks now she had exercised little control of herself, feeling im

-an indefinable impression concerning Kathleen-a definite one which

little white shoes, head bent, brown eyes brooding, striving to fix her wandering thoughts o

uld care for him, I dare not let myself do it wit

ectrified, glaringly enlightened by them, she halted. A confused sense that some

walked forward, turned across the law

king a very large fa?ence pipe and reading a sporting magazine. He got up with alacrity w

cushions. For a moment she felt rather limp, then a q

men who ever get tired of idleness and

ot enough of this tailor, for example," looking at his trousers. "I'm tire

hen you tire of p

rs or go away.

yourself-or go a

ained in astonishment. She regarded him cu

remember when w

er. I wouldn't mi

gag

you take me on a

u cared for S

ut I can

ed him with brow

ally tire of o

that my tailor is t

efully groomed combination of New York

r rough, isn't it? Or do yo

kinds of fashionable things. You play too much tennis, drink too many pegs, gamble too much, ride and drive too much. You all have too much and too many-if you understand that! Yo

driving at, Geraldine?

you.... Because you were always kind-and even when foolish yo

suspicious, but she cut him short with a ligh

m only bored with your species. What do yo

brightening up. "Do you

ple

behind her head, she gazed straight out ahead. Light breezes lifted her soft bright hair; the sa

they?" sh

"and I've side obligations with Rosalie and Duane. Take you on if you like; od

tha

ents late

orizon-"seems to be tarnished with the hard living and empty thinking of the people I have brought into it.... I include

've alway

like to give mine away and

as that notion on

hey?" s

ncome to the Senegambians and spending life in a Wall Street office. Of course if I had a pretty fancy for the artisti

were never any busier than Du

seems to keep at it,

Duane hasn't done any work s

t do you suppose he's

oolly. "I've never seen any colo

a lot of sketches. I saw several at the Lodge. And

rryon

them have the ga

ow that," sh

ople are rather

at

questions; but little Bunbury didn't know much more about the matter, me

r way to the showers. Bunbury began to settle his obligations; Na?da and the Pink 'uns went

rved. "Bunny is in fifty, I be

the game?" she asked with a

for one's hea

rt in it. Tell me, Mr. Dysart, don't

iselle," he

at

s is

is the

he thought of Rosalie, and it was on the tip of her tongue to say some

e to judge how

? Yes, if

umpire our own gam

play and umpire, too." Suddenly the thought of D

erested umpires. I choose your w

est muscular change passed, but f

game is well on you may ask Rosalie to ju

which her thoughts had suddenly begun racing-wild little thoughts, all tumult and confu

hat she said. "I'll choose Duane for the second. He and Ro

way leisurely, then look

! But that means y

la

tain

th

th

o you know we have been

part of

ume that the-the gam

pens that way

oes it end,

o say," he replied

what are

loses. There are no stakes. We play as spor

tle excited, a little interes

strolled into view. She saw them, and with a nervous m

ds beyond the green world's rim. A few seconds later a shadow fell over the terrace at her feet

of the chair that Duane drew forward. "I fussed about in tha

peated Geraldi

herself serenely

often

m-wh

the Gray W

are no ba

laughed

forest on the other side. Then we swim out and shake hands in the middle. Our bathing dresses are drying on

showing it, lighted a cigarette and aske

to a lake of iced Apollinaris. Geraldine, why on earth

tters of no consequence. Dysart rose, stretched his sunburned arms with over-elaborate ease, tossed a

s to Geraldine; her husband waited, exchanging a remar

ine, "I must run away and dry my hair.

Geraldine and Duane he entered the house, his young

oward him. She was lying deep in the chair, apparently relaxed and limp; but every nerve in her was at tension, every delicate muscle taut and rigid

all the morning?" he asked

es

hing

N

. That's why I didn't keep on with Kathleen and Scott

aid n

rt running close at heel and that made four rods

de no

, did you?" he a

N

e nodded, not feel

ink why; yet her anger was rising against him, and it surged, receded helplessly, flushed her veins again till they tin

ng all right," he ventured uneasily,

she took comm

. It's a headache; I wa

e faithf

ly, "Mr. Grandcourt

ughing. The girl lifted her face to look at him-a white l

ne of my few pleasant memories of this year-Mr

nd rested her cheek in her hollowed han

seriously," he said in a low

returned. She lifted

y for

aking as

thought you might b

sel

ghbour's wife

t myself and my

ow anything about such affairs, but if you think I ought to I might try to learn." She laughed and leaned back into the depths of

between his knees. She strove to study him calmly; her mind was chaos; only the de

ly, loo

not right between-my neighbo

doesn't in

sn't

N

ou. What is the matter that

de no

ward me.... Lonely women are always adrift, Geraldine. There seems to be some current that sets in toward me; it catches them and they drift in, l

r experience at

ut not sadd

s no regrets," she

an who is in

itality of Port Mallett ought

loved," he said. "They know

n him white

n the excuse of

ho

o comes drifting into

her, if that is what you

r believe it-and

unless made love to. You'v

right. I know men and women only throug