The Crack of Doom

ddressed in an unfamiliar hand. The writing was bold, and formed like a man's. There w

y. Their luggage was already at the station. Would I send on what I required for a short visit, and meet them at eleven o'clock on the bridge over the Serpentine

hich some of the members assumed when directly questioned as to its object, suggested much. Might it not be a revolutionary party engaged in a grave intrigue-a branch of some foreign body whose purpose was so dangerous that ordinary disguises were not considered sufficiently secure? Might they not have adopted the jargon and pretended to the opinions of scien

ly dressed youths there, one smoking a cigarette. I sauntered about until one of the lads, the one who was not smoking, looked up and beckoned

hy did you not come on when you saw us?" t

of-Miss-Miss-

Natalie Brande said coolly. "This is my friend,

heard 'favourable mention' of you from the Brandes,"

d Miss Brande, "Is this a tableau vivant? What is the meaning of these disguise

d before!" Miss Brande answered complacently, while the

atalie Brande. She was perceptibly taller than her friend, and of fuller figure. In consequence, she looke

Oh, yes. I know the

u call the divided skirt atrocity r

our I do not

h did not, however, appear to embarrass them. I proposed hastily to get a cab, but they demurred. It was such a lovely day, t

cks?" Miss M

able we shall all be arreste

not in Russia,"

tickets. To do so, I felt, would only give offence. Critical glances followed us as we went to our carriage. Londoners are becoming accustomed to varieties, if not vagaries, in ladies' costumes, but

oing to smoke-if

et no one, even the most fastidious, could associate vulgarity with Natalie Brande. There remained an air of unassumed sincerity about herself and all her actions, including even her dress, which absolutely excluded her from hostile criticism. I

him over, gave him half-a-crown to hav

r this precaution. I replied that I wanted the compartment reserved for ourselve

all the seats,"

nt the extra seats. But I thou

ic emotion," Miss Metford remarked

We may be crowding others,

d she did

up with a label. To the girls I remarked a little snappishly,

d. "You have been away so much. You have hardl

en marching in my ab

that I really could not help retorting with as much em

preciate the New Woman, of whom I ha

is a grandmotherly old fossi

leant back in my seat,

with its sweet perfume, redolent of old associations. My long absence dwindled to a short holiday. The world's wide highways were far off. I was back in the Engl

hink us very advan

I look to you to brin

o that, but we must pr

an excellent st

ou would onl

and I felt relieved when, with a warning shriek, the train dashed into a tunnel. By the time we had emerged again into the sunlight and the so

y pleasant to travel

nk y

ysterical fear of my ki

Miss Metford replied with great c

tation idlers would swear we were demented. We crossed the platform so quickly that the wonderment we created soon passed. Our luggage was looked after by a serv

lose-shaven lawns bordered it. They were artificial products, no doubt, but they were artificial successes-undulating, earth-scented, fresh rolled every morning. Here there was an isolated shrub,

e business of a country gentleman-which he now seemed to be-is something less exacting than busy people's leisu

ts ending. Looking back on it, I know that the sun which set that eveni

ssed every familiar wild flower as eagerly as if we had been professed field naturalists. In walking or climbing my assistan

roned about in busy flight. There was a perfume of honeysuckle wafted to us on the summer wind, which stirred the beech-tree and rustled its young leaves lazily, so that the sunlight peeped through the green lattice-work and shone

od thing to