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"Your party," Andrew said, "does not seem to me to be an unqualified success." "It is not," Cecil admitted. "Miss Le Mesurier has been quite unapproachable the last few days. She's just civil to me and no more. She isn't even half as decent as she was in town. I wish I hadn't asked them here. It's cost a lot more money than we can afford, and done no good that I can see."
'I have driven the coach from Johannesburg to Pretoria, ten mules and a couple of ponies, and a man beside you swinging a sixty-foot lash. Captain Le Mesurier laughed out. 'Then there'll be no upset to-night. Come along. The guests took their seats, while Drake stood on the pavement. 'Come along, Drake, shouted the Captain from the box seat of the waggonette. Drake roused himself with a start.
"I can tell you all about Miss Le Mesurier." There was a moment's breathless silence as Andrew stood there looking in upon the little group. Then he left his position at the door and came up to the table round which they were seated. "Madam," he said to the Princess, "your daughter is safe. She came down to the island this afternoon, and was unable to return owing to the storm."
'I think, my dear, stories of that class are, as a rule, a trifle crude. Eh, Drake? Miss Le Mesurier on the instant became personified submission. 'Of course, papa, she said, 'if you have reason for believing the story isn't suitable, I wouldn't think of asking Mr. Drake to tell it. Mr. Le Mesurier raised his hands in a gesture of despair, and looked again at Mrs. Willoughby.
'The phrase, Drake had said, 'to me is significant of something more than cheap phraseology. I know that half a throb could create an earthquake in Matanga. What if the man's established interest in this direction were to suppress his nascent interest in Clarice! Fielding immediately asked Drake what he thought of Miss Le Mesurier.
'By the way, do you smoke? 'Yes, but I won't just now, thank you. 'You had better. You can throw it away when I have done. These are in rather a good condition. Mr. Le Mesurier seemed inclined to branch off upon the quality of different brands, but Drake gave him no assistance. He lit his cigar and patiently waited, his eyes fixed upon his host. Mr.
Andrew turned slowly toward the girl, who stood looking at her stepmother with flushed cheeks and quivering lips. "Miss Le Mesurier," he said, "on one condition I will sell you the island, but on only one." "And that is?" she asked. The Princess recovered herself just in time, and sailed in between them. "Mr. De la Borne," she said, "my daughter is too young for such conversations.
On the night of the polling-day Captain Le Mesurier brought his house-party into Bentbridge to dine with Drake, and after dinner the ladies remained in the room overlooking the street, while the gentlemen repaired to the Town Hall, where the votes were being counted. It seemed to Clarice as she gazed down that all the seven thousand electors had gathered to hear the result announced.
And at the same instant it had occurred to the boy, that the face thus turned to him for a moment was the loveliest face he had ever seen, the only lovely face he would ever care to see. But with that thought, too, had come a curious pang of hopelessness into his heart. For Esther Mesurier was one of those girls who are the prizes of men.
I saw that you had landed from an interview in the Meteor, and thought you might have liked to come with your friend. The words were spoken indifferently. 'The Meteor? inquired Mr. Le Mesurier. 'Isn't that the paper which attacked you, Mr. Drake? You let yourself be interviewed by it? I didn't know that. He glanced keenly at his daughter, and Mallinson intercepted the look.
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