United States or Bouvet Island ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Whatever is the best lie to tell," burst in Paul "as we seem to live in an atmosphere of them I must go to Thors; that is quite certain." "There is no must in the case," put in Steinmetz quietly, as a parenthesis. "No man is compelled to throw himself in the way of infection. But I know you will go, whatever I say." "I suppose I shall," admitted Paul. "And Catrina will find you out at once."
It conveyed nothing to her. Womanlike, she went back to her first question. "What is she like?" Paul hesitated. "Tall, I suppose?" suggested the stunted woman at his side. "Yes." "And graceful?" "Yes." "Has she pretty hair?" asked Catrina. "I think so yes." "You are not observant," said the girl in a singularly even and emotionless voice. "Perhaps you never noticed."
Catrina had a long conversation with the man, who stood hatless, ruddy, and shy. "It is," she then explained to Maggie, "Paul's own man, who always loads for him and carries his spare gun. He has sent him to tell us that the game has been ringed, and that the beaters will close in on a place called the Schapka Clearing, where there is a woodman's refuge.
Such people are not of much use in these days, when we like to touch things lightly, adorning a tale but pointing no moral. "I would ask you to believe that your society was one incentive to make me accept the countess's kind hospitality," the Frenchman observed after a pause. "And?" De Chauxville looked at her. He had not met many women of solid intellect. "And?" repeated Catrina.
There was another chair by the fire, inviting Catrina to indulge in those maiden confidences which attach themselves to slippers and hair-brushings. Maggie looked up with a smile which slowly ebbed away. Catrina's remark was of the nature of a defiance. Her half-diffident rôle of hostess was suddenly laid aside. "No; she does not," answered the English girl.
"What about money?" asked Steinmetz, who was always practical. "Catrina sent it, the dear child! That is one of the conditions made by the Agency a hard one. I am to see no relations. My wife well, bon Dieu! it does not matter much. She is occupied in keeping herself warm, no doubt. But Catrina! that is a different matter. Tell me how is she? That is the first thing I want to know."
He placed himself in front of Catrina, who had suddenly lost color. She could only see his broad back. The others in the room could not see her at all. She was rather small, and Steinmetz hid her as behind a screen. "Ah!" he said to the countess, "his marriage! But Madame the Countess assuredly knows of that." "How could she?" put in De Chauxville.
I am afraid, my good Paul, you are a fool, God bless you for it!" "I think you are wrong," said Paul rather curtly; "not about me being a fool, but about Catrina Lanovitch. If you are right, however, it only makes me dislike her instead of being perfectly indifferent to her." His honest face flushed up finely, and he turned away to look at the clock again.
She might have forgiven him, if only for the remembrance of that little while. But Paul had always been a man of set purpose, and such men are cruel. Even for her sake, even for the sake of his own vanity, he had never pretended to love Catrina. He had never mistaken gratified vanity for dawning love, as millions of men do. Or perhaps he was without vanity. Some few men are so constructed.
It was observable that not one of them knew anything about the Kongone Mouth; all thought that we had come in by the "Barra Catrina," or East Luabo. Dr. Kirk remained here a few weeks; and, besides exploring a small lake twenty miles to the south-west, had the sole medical care of the sick and wounded soldiers, for which valuable services he received the thanks of the Portuguese Government.
Word Of The Day