Moth and Rust; Together with Geoffrey's Wife and The Pitfall

the weak,

taken this stron

ubstance to th

iam W

n to dinner. Yet so it was. There ought to have been a decent interval before their next meeting. Some one had arranged tactlessly, without any sense of proportion. Though

at sleepless night. He saw the sudden impulse that had goaded him into an offer of marriage-the kind of offer that how many men make in good faith-in its native brutality-as he knew she had seen it. When he first perceived her in th

ewed his "courage to the stick

er," he said. "It is your mi

t because I had something urgent to say to you.

from him. It seemed as if they had gone back by some welcome short cut

hought last night that she was playing into her mother's h

nwhile the

st wit

ure to b

nnaire in her absence, was beaming on his hostess whom he was to take into dinner, and to whom he was sentimentally linked by a mi

to dinner together. It was a large party, a

this time. She beg

afraid, becoming entangled in a far greater difficulty than s

N

s her, becoming a sol

paint. You may recollect having seen her where he saw her first, the day after th

out the dangerous state of the passages. I thought her

ise one woman to another. They did not like it. It was against

idently not offended. Dear me! Mysterious creatures, women! It struck him,

y. "But I am afraid she is not quite as wise as

t ab

used by Mr Brand of burning something. A very valuable paper-an I O U for a large

e, and came down, and De Rivaz told me it was nothing; only the divinity burning some papers.

and directly he heard Miss Black was in trouble, he assured me that he had thoughtlessly burnt a sh

s not made up

nced Miss Black des

es she

cour

y that she bur

sticks to it that

ee of us know she did. De Rivaz knows

he was anxious; and the smoke came from the Brands' sitting-room, which Miss Black left as he came up. He told Mr Brand this, who put what he thought was two and two together

ose she did,"

u would know that t

ooked inc

happen about money," he said slowly. "I

ot do it,"

he use of sticking to it that she burned nothing when Brand knows that's

e practice in lying. I

e is to admit that she burned something, and

insane denial, and the conclusions that must inevitably be drawn from it. W

she expl

ing. She just sets her teeth and repeats he

flat at all then, just wh

s safe. But Mr Brand does not believe that either, as he

ould not have guessed it from her face. She looked as s

But would you say if I also were acc

is little finger and frowned at t

se you have spoken it to me. I should believe

ess from experience. Do you

oft

as a perfectly honest, upright woman. I did not wai

me. To say the truth, I am

you to go by intuition, by your first impression, which

w my intuitions

n, who saw you, that you were on the spot directly befo

me to see him on business to-morrow mo

in his flat. It seems you and Mr De Rivaz both left your cards on the table-why I can

essages to Bran

e them. She says now sh

shook

l be obliged to tell h

n seeing you. I am anxious yo

oked stead

ruth?"

t she burned her brother's I O U. Mr De Rivaz' view of the truth i

Rivaz. He can invent what he

nd's fabric of lies by another lie. He would not do it, come what might. But he felt that Fate

f you do-to a man like him-not only will you help to ruin Miss Black, but you will give weight to this frightful falsehood which is being circula

alk. Plain speaking always appealed to him

end did not burn her brother's

runt, think. Don't confuse your mind with ideas of what w

he has done some folly, and is bolstering it up by a stupid

, under an oath of secrecy. And that is why her mouth is shut. But this is only a supposition. I ask you not to repeat it. I only mention it b

reasonabl

ouse in Hull if I had not been what you

or myself?" she said. "So far I

ecessary to ask it

a great deal, do not mention to her our-our conve

ld her mother. A brand-new idea occurred to him, namely that Anne and her mother we

ant, I will immediately desert you for my other neig

"it appeared to me that you and Vanbrunt were on uncommonly

ning to have a kind

bout those painful dislocations of life. But the idea struck me this evening-I hope needlessl

to marry him yesterd

ed a slight shock,

now?" he said at la

you

ing out that I knew at the time. If she thought I was an accomplice of the crime-your refusal-really if she once

not to mentio

uke s

alk as if class were nothing, and the fact of being well-born of no account. And, of course, it's a subject one can't discuss, because certain things, if put into words, sound snobbish at once. But they are tr

her. I am sure

or the University, and I said the sort of life he had led was an education of a high order. So it is. That man has lived. Really when I come to think of it, I almost

hen she had felt that difference keenl

r say he wasn't. He seems apart from all class. There is no hall-mark upon him. He is himself. So you would not have him, my little Anne? That's over. It's the very devil to be refused, I can tell you. I was refused once. It was some time ago, as you may imagine, but-I have not

er. You won't

hall pretend not to know. Really I have