Consequences

o

ery often-a look of pleased, speculative

nding time in one another's society. For five glowing, heather-surrounded days a

said one night

t, haven't you, darlin'?

ntly, "are we reall

he early train," her mo

pe prize lest it be taken from them, made Alex wonder

s though at the unreason of a child. Alex blushed with shame as she thought that her mother might have guesse

houlders, Alex," she said negligently. "It wi

, and she stood gazing critically while

e, darling child

, mo

downstairs

xperienced from Lady Isabel since the first days of her return from Liège, when she had fina

er in evening clothes, a chaotic excitement surged up w

he dinner-table, she said piteously, "

're

Didn't y

gh she avoided looking at him, she noted with

t a shame. Must

more visits and then lea

onger myself," observ

ck of her mind, with the implication which she attached to t

rom the room, Noel, holding open the door, sa

nto the garden aft

haps" was not in

, radiant smile, and

ty that she ran any risk of cheapening t

gravelled walk beside him, actuall

h now. They're all so old-and besides, I don't think English people as a rule care much about psychology and that sort of thing. They're

she made it, but in some undercurrent of her consciousness there floated the conviction that on

alike," She defended herself against her own u

e, men are far more interesting than women, if you don't mind my saying so, sim

, n

e, there are a great many exceptions. But you know what I mean-as a rule

aged. She would not admit to herself that his swe

ns meant nothing to her when weighed in the balance against her desire to establish, to he

ly. "You'll think I'm always getting insane

, w

ation had time for a hundred foolish, ecstatic promptings, such as her reason knew coul

sure you could write if you tried, and anyway, you could probably give me sideligh

was invaded by unreasoning disapp

ularly, and then put it in together later. We should have to do a good deal

least," said

entional myself. Of course, in a way it might be rather unc

" said Alex

way, and then I hope, of course, that y

w the exact date when we shall be back, but I

don Sq

plied the numbe

rget it," said Noel easily; "but I sh

ex, feeling su

, but with disastrous and quite unconscious humility, she told herself that it was, of course, not to be expected that an

vident. But he repeated several times that he wished she were not goin

ed her. "Then Lady Isabel could pay the oth

allowed to stay on by mys

ve any, shall be brought up quite differently. I've made up my mind to that. I daresay you'l

eive the habitual ready discl

pothetical daughters had re

tling sense of protest had revolted within her at his words, but her mind shied

ety to make sure of catching the connection, politely concealed, but quite evident to the perceptio

book," was his cheer

orget,"

iècle emancipation, amongst the house party in the midst o

sorts of subjects, and making private assignations with her," she declared amusedly. "Aren't

leges undreamed of by the older generation. The inference obviously placed upon her friendship with Noel Cardew was evident, and p

nt. Brushed lightly by the passing wing of triumph, she became eager and self-confident, even rather over-clam

luded to the collaboration scheme between her and Noel Cardew. "But all the same, darlin' child," she observed to Alex in private, "I can't have you corre

anxious to establish the authentic existence of a correspondence between Noel Cardew and herself than

ndon. Secretly bitterly disappointed, she read th

letter, but hope this will be

E. C

f the front page

't forget that I am coming to call

saw the proposed call looming eno

in her mind-the expectation of finding Noel's card upon the hall table on their return-or else took h

ly ceased to listen for the sound of the front-door bell, "Mr. Cardew" was at leng

ween herself and Noel so frequently, and with such a prodigal folly of romantic detail, that it seemed incredibl

together, although he remained beside Alex most of the af

r? I've heaps of things to discuss with you, only you wer

Alex told him eagerly, "and

erhaps we'll meet in the

so," s

all through the ensuing weeks before Christmas

as once placed next her, on neither occasion, to Alex' a

ragments that fell to her share, forced herself to believe that they would eventually cons

trembling readiness to fall in with his every suggestion, a community of tastes, and into his interminable exposition

, Noel would suddenly plunge into the impassioned declarations of her own fancy, but when she was actually with him, his cool, pleasant, boyish voice dispelled the folly

ted by the latter with a bright and conditional affe

thoughts appeared suddenly to change, and h

ing, very thoroughly. Some day-a long, long time hence, of course-I shall have to run our own place, and I'm rather keen about the duties of a landlord, and improving the cond

ooked rather oddly

settling down, I believe

possible and impossible interpretations on

rrified her so much that she felt she

ing evenin

nd he conducted her rather solemnly to a small conservatory where t

udible above the hum an

men-but I see now that two people who had very much the same sort of ideas about life in general could do a tremendous lot for a place, and for the country generally; don't you agree?-and, of course-" He became hopelessly incoherent, "... knowing one

hysically faint, and she raised her head desperately, in

people that you-that we-we'r

on Alex' ear almo

y that he was asking something of her-that she had at la

nscious of bathos, she ve

oth her hands and shook

ut one feels such an awful fool-and I've never done it before. I say, Alex-I can call you Alex now, can't I-you're like me,