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The Streets of Ascalon
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"Oh, I'll cheerfully admit it. If you weren't you'd detest me – perhaps despise me."
"Men don't detest or despise a hurt and frightened child."
"But a selfish and cowardly woman? What does a man of your sort think of her?"
"I don't know," he said. "Whatever you are I can't help loving you."
She strove to laugh but her mouth suddenly became tremulous. After a while when she could control her lips she said:
"I want to talk some more to you – and I don't know how; I don't even know what I want to say except that – that – "
"What, Strelsa?"
"Please be – kind to me." She smiled at him, but her lips still quivered.
He said after a moment: "I couldn't be anything else."
"Are you very sure?"
"Yes."
"It means a great deal to me," she said.
They reached the house, but the motor party had not yet returned. Tea was served to them on the veranda; the fat setter came and begged for tastes of things that were certain to add to his obesity; and he got them in chunks and bolted them, wagging.
An hour later the telephone rang; it was Molly on the wire and she wanted to speak to Quarren. He could hear her laughing before she spoke:
"Ricky dear?"
"Yes."
"Am I an angel or otherwise?"
"Angel always – but why particularly at this instant?"
"Stupid! Haven't you had her alone all the after-noon?"
"Yes – you corker!"
"Well, then!"
"Molly, I worship you."
"Et après?"
"I'll double that! I adore you also!"
"Content! What are you two doing?"
"Strelsa and I have been taking tea."
"Oh, is it 'Strelsa' already?"
"Very unwillingly on her part."
"It isn't 'Ricky,' too, is it?"
"Alas! not yet!"
"No matter. The child is horribly lonely and depressed. What do you think I've done, very cleverly?"
"What?"
"Flattered Jim and his driving until I induced him to take us all the way to North Linden. We can't possibly get back until dinner. But that's not all."
"What more, most wonderful of women?"
"I've got him with us," she said with satisfaction. "I made Jim stop and pick him up. I knew he was planning to drop in on Strelsa. And I made it such a personal matter that he should come with us to see some fool horses at Acremont that he couldn't wriggle out of it particularly as Strelsa is my guest and he's rather wary of offending me. Now, Ricky, make the best of your time because the beast is dining with us. I couldn't avoid asking him."
"Very well," said Quarren grimly.
He went back to the veranda where Strelsa sat behind the tea-table in her frail pink gown looking distractingly pretty and demure.
"What had Molly to say to you all that time?" she asked.
"Was I long away?"
"Yes, you were!"
"I'm delighted you found the time too long – "
"I did not say so! If you think it was short I shall warn Jim Wycherly how time flies with you and Molly… Oh, dear! Is that a mosquito?"
"I'm afraid it is," said Quarren.
"Then indoors I go!" exclaimed Strelsa indignantly. "You may come with me or remain out here and be slowly assassinated."
And she went in, rather hastily, calling to him to close the screen door.
Quarren glanced around the deserted drawing-room. Through the bay-window late afternoon sunlight poured flooding the room with a ruddy glory.
"I wonder if there's enough of this celestial radiance to make a new aureole for you?" he said.
"So my old one is worn out, is it?"
"I meant to offer you a double halo."
"You do say sweet things – for a rather obstinate young man," she said, flashing a laughing side glance at him. Then she walked slowly through the sunshine into the dimmer music-room, and found a seat at the piano. Her mood changed; she became gay, capricious, even a trifle imperative:
"Men don't detest or despise a hurt and frightened child."
"But a selfish and cowardly woman? What does a man of your sort think of her?"
"I don't know," he said. "Whatever you are I can't help loving you."
She strove to laugh but her mouth suddenly became tremulous. After a while when she could control her lips she said:
"I want to talk some more to you – and I don't know how; I don't even know what I want to say except that – that – "
"What, Strelsa?"
"Please be – kind to me." She smiled at him, but her lips still quivered.
He said after a moment: "I couldn't be anything else."
"Are you very sure?"
"Yes."
"It means a great deal to me," she said.
They reached the house, but the motor party had not yet returned. Tea was served to them on the veranda; the fat setter came and begged for tastes of things that were certain to add to his obesity; and he got them in chunks and bolted them, wagging.
An hour later the telephone rang; it was Molly on the wire and she wanted to speak to Quarren. He could hear her laughing before she spoke:
"Ricky dear?"
"Yes."
"Am I an angel or otherwise?"
"Angel always – but why particularly at this instant?"
"Stupid! Haven't you had her alone all the after-noon?"
"Yes – you corker!"
"Well, then!"
"Molly, I worship you."
"Et après?"
"I'll double that! I adore you also!"
"Content! What are you two doing?"
"Strelsa and I have been taking tea."
"Oh, is it 'Strelsa' already?"
"Very unwillingly on her part."
"It isn't 'Ricky,' too, is it?"
"Alas! not yet!"
"No matter. The child is horribly lonely and depressed. What do you think I've done, very cleverly?"
"What?"
"Flattered Jim and his driving until I induced him to take us all the way to North Linden. We can't possibly get back until dinner. But that's not all."
"What more, most wonderful of women?"
"I've got him with us," she said with satisfaction. "I made Jim stop and pick him up. I knew he was planning to drop in on Strelsa. And I made it such a personal matter that he should come with us to see some fool horses at Acremont that he couldn't wriggle out of it particularly as Strelsa is my guest and he's rather wary of offending me. Now, Ricky, make the best of your time because the beast is dining with us. I couldn't avoid asking him."
"Very well," said Quarren grimly.
He went back to the veranda where Strelsa sat behind the tea-table in her frail pink gown looking distractingly pretty and demure.
"What had Molly to say to you all that time?" she asked.
"Was I long away?"
"Yes, you were!"
"I'm delighted you found the time too long – "
"I did not say so! If you think it was short I shall warn Jim Wycherly how time flies with you and Molly… Oh, dear! Is that a mosquito?"
"I'm afraid it is," said Quarren.
"Then indoors I go!" exclaimed Strelsa indignantly. "You may come with me or remain out here and be slowly assassinated."
And she went in, rather hastily, calling to him to close the screen door.
Quarren glanced around the deserted drawing-room. Through the bay-window late afternoon sunlight poured flooding the room with a ruddy glory.
"I wonder if there's enough of this celestial radiance to make a new aureole for you?" he said.
"So my old one is worn out, is it?"
"I meant to offer you a double halo."
"You do say sweet things – for a rather obstinate young man," she said, flashing a laughing side glance at him. Then she walked slowly through the sunshine into the dimmer music-room, and found a seat at the piano. Her mood changed; she became gay, capricious, even a trifle imperative:
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Последний отзыв
Книга дельная. Без воды, приводятся реальные кейсы и способы их разрешения. Много практичных полезных советов и методик. Кое-что уже испробовала в дел...
Далее