United States or Saint Martin ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"I gather from your tone," his friend remarked, "that the young man is not a favorite of yours." "He is not," Vandermere answered. "I don't understand the breed, and that's a fact. Apart from that, he has had the confounded impertinence to make love to to a very charming young lady of my acquaintance."
I shouldn't have been here now, to tell you the truth, Lois," he went on, "but Lady Mary's been frightening me a bit." "About me?" Lois asked. "About you," he assented. "What has she been saying?" "Well, nothing definite," Captain Vandermere answered, "but of course you know she's an awful good pal of mine, and she did write me a line or two about you.
"Lois is late this morning," Vandermere remarked, looking up at the clock. "And on her birthday, too!" Lady Mary declared. "Young people, nowadays, are so blasé. Look at all those presents on the table for her, and here the breakfast gong has rung twice, and there is no sign of her." Vandermere turned to his host. "You haven't heard anything about that fellow Saton?" he asked.
"I remember him," he faltered. "Drink some of this, old fellow," Rochester said. "You'll be better in a moment." The judge's eyes were closed again. He had suddenly become a dead weight on Rochester's arm. Vandermere, who had done amateur doctoring at the war, brought a pillow for his head. They cut off more of his clothes.
"Is it a man or a woman?" Rochester asked. "A man!" was the quick reply. Rochester glanced carelessly around the little circle. "Come," he said, "the women can have their thrill. There is nothing to fear. Penarvon here has all the pluck in the world. Hinckley is a V.C. Captain Vandermere is a soldier, and I will answer for it that he has no nerves. Guerdon and I, I am sure, are safe.
"If Captain Vandermere will come up to the house, my study is at his service, and I can give him some cigarettes which I think he would find passable." "Thank you," Vandermere answered, a little gruffly, "I'll wait out here. Remember, Lois," he added, turning towards her, "that we are expected home to play bridge directly after tea." "I will not be long," she answered.
"Take your hands off her, sir, or you shall learn how mountebanks like yourself should be treated." Saton struck him full in the face, so that losing for a moment his balance upon the slippery floor, Vandermere nearly fell. In a moment he recovered himself, however. There was a struggle which did not last half-a-dozen seconds.
"I know I am going to have ever such nice things to thank you for. May I be a child, and put off looking at them until after breakfast? Do you mind, all of you?" "Of course not," Vandermere answered. "We want you to tell us how you would like to spend the day." "I would like to ride a long way away," she declared, breathlessly. "Or the motor-car I shouldn't mind that.
"Nothing of the sort," Captain Vandermere replied. "I was beginning to worry about you. I almost fancied " "Well?" "It almost seemed," he continued, a little awkwardly, "as though you had something on your mind. You seemed so queer every now and then, little girl," he added, "I do hope that if there was anything bothering you, you'd tell me all about it. We're old pals, you know."
Saton Captain Vandermere. I don't know whether you remember him." The two men exchanged the briefest of greetings. Saton's was civil enough. Vandermere's was morose, almost discourteous. "Let me persuade you to change your mind," Saton said, speaking slowly, and with his eyes fixed upon Lois. "The Comtesse would be so disappointed if she knew that you had passed this way and had not entered."
Word Of The Day