The Second Honeymoon
arried, Costin," s
of another, and he was blowing rather agitated puffs of smoke
le, and just for an instant the syphon jerked,
, sir; to-to Miss Fa
momentary si
Jimmy Challoner curtly
m going to be married t
appiness, sir. And if I may ask, sir-w
y st
," he said; he did not look at Costin now. "Miss Wyatt has lost her mother recently-I dare say you know. I-er-I think that is all," he added, with a sort of embarrassment, as he recalled the times, the many times, he had
Cost
s,
to mention-Miss Farro
ectly
get out,"
hero to the valet. Left alone, Jimmy subsided again into his chair with a sigh. The day after to-morrow! it seemed as if it m
even with Jimmy. And she loved Jimmy; she seemed to love him all the more now that he was all that was left to her. Jimmy realised it, too, and it worried him. He mea
him over because he was not rich enough, because she valued diamonds and beautiful clothes more than she valued
Horatio, who had cabled that he was delighted, and that he wa
shell out now, when-when-he pulled up his thoughts sharply; he tried to remember that he was already almost
ened; Costi
ir-a lady
ha
ly. "A lady to see me? R
," said Costin stolidly. "It's-if
ound slowly and mechanically, almost as if someone h
rushed from his brow to chin; his heart began to race just as it used to in the old days when he had called to see her, an
r to come i
he looked at his tie with critical eyes; he wished there had been time to shave, he wished-and the
oked more desirable, and yet for the life of him he could not have told what she was
ands to him; she w
," she
and take her in his arms; then he remembered. He
you come here fo
laug
don't look a bit ple
you'd be so hap
arm; she leaned her cheek against his coat-sleeve; the scen
fen his arm beneath her cheek; but his heart
n she looked up at him with a litt
forgive me-is that it
in front of him, looking into his face
red steadily over her head at th
of forgiveness-is i
p. You-you told me a
stion of forgiven
ce between her hands, holding it so that he was forced to m
ess in her voice. "I'm more sorry than I can ever say. Forgive me, Jimmy
t of dread in his eyes. There were tears in hers; one big tear fell
t he spoke wi
hat are you tryi
sides; she looked down
nd how poor you are. I thought I did, but-oh, Jimmy, I'd rather have you, a
y in his face which she had so confidently expected; none of the passionate joy in his voice which her heart told he
? Oh, you are frightening me. I thought you would be so glad-so glad." She
re himself free wi
-too late," he
. "What-what do you mean? That-that you can't fo
, white-faced
d again hopelessly. "I'
er send me away?" he
t she was still far en
married-you!
r in a voice o
ou that I met some friends in the theatre that night when you . . . well, I'm engaged to her-to Christine. I've known her al
ok in them. She had never even remotely dreamed of this; it was like some crude nightmare. . . . Jimmy engaged! Jimmy who had sworn a
no-
d Jimmy obstinat
not believe even now that she was in earnest; he found himself remembering that night in her dressing-room at the theatre when she had lied to him, and pre
broke ou
for years. It's-it's absurd!" She took a step towards him. "You must tell her, Jimmy
made him wince; he thought of
him to a promise which he was unwilling to fulfil; he thought of h
it's too late . . . w
is fixed up. I-oh, fo
out it. You drove me t
I can't go bac
e stood; she tried to put her arms round his neck, but he resisted fier
ing back on it now. You can't blame me. . . . I-I'd have given my l
cared more for me than I do for you, but now I know you don't-you don't care so much. If you did you would give up this-this girl, whoever she is, withou
; you lied to me
he dared not for one instant allow himself to forget everyt
e dropped into a chair, hi
immy was too miserable to be critical. He only knew that s
out agi
you break my heart. . . Oh,
if you can stand there like a stone and tell me that it's too late. It's not too late; y
at the hotel where Mrs. Wyatt had died, and the crushed little figure of Chr
e." Her voice came back to him, a mou
ot me, Ch
that-how could he add
oking at Cynthia now, as if he found it easier. "She has just lost he
was carefully wiping her eyes; she got up and walked over to t
d a little. She picked up her gloves and a silver chain-bag which she had
He walked past her and put his fingers on the door handle to
r an instant; she was
she said a
ind his voice; their eyes met, and
ards her, or she to him; but he held her fast, kissing her as he had ne
then, after all
fell back against the
do," he sa
not bear to look at her; when she had gone, he sat d
racing; his he
late to break her heart. And yet there was only one woman in all the world whom he loved, and whom he wanted-the woman from whom he ha