United States or Mauritius ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
My uncle is away, and I am so lonely, and I have not any one else on earth." Her eyes had a pleading, frightened look, like a child's who is afraid to be left alone in the dark. He could not resist her. And, after all, her sin was of long ago she could have done nothing since she had been his wife why should she not come to Wrayth? She could stay there if she wished, for a while after he had gone.
And off they went. And Tristram, with his face more set than the Crusader ancestor's in Wrayth Church, said to his uncle, Lord Charles, "We are all wet through: let us come along." And he turned round and went out. And as he walked, he wondered to himself how much she must know of English poetry to have been able to answer Arthur like that.
By chance there was an old number of Country Life lying on the table, and, the nurse bringing in the tea at the moment, they turned on the electric light and looked at the pictures; and by the strangest coincidence, when they came to the weekly series of those beautiful houses she read at the beginning of the article, "Wrayth the property of Lord Tancred of Wrayth."
And Mirko was there, too, with Maman, and we were so happy!" she said, as if to herself. Tristram winced. "Are we near home I mean, Wrayth?" she asked. "Not quite yet," he answered. "There will be another hour and a half." "Need we have the light on?" she questioned. "It hurts my eyes."
It was quite dark now, and she said, in a frightened voice, "Where am I? Where have I been?" Tristram slipped his arm from round her instantly, and turned on the light. "You are in the motor, going to Wrayth," he said. "And I am glad to say you have been asleep. It will do you good." She rubbed her eyes. "Ah! I was dreaming.
And the grave servant, who was collecting all the other letters from the post-box in the hall, returned and placed beside his master on the table a blue envelope. There were always big blue envelopes, for the sending of telegrams, on all the writing tables at Wrayth. Tristram hurriedly wrote out another and handed it, and the servant finally left the room.
Then he shook in his chair with rage, and muttered between his teeth: "If I find this is true then I will kill him, and kill her, also!" So near to savages are all human beings, when certain passions are aroused. And neither bride nor bridegroom guessed that fate would soon take things out of their hands and make their resolutions null and void. The gardens at Wrayth were famous.
And the two men heard the distant wail of the last notes as they came out of the dining-room, and, while it made the financier uncomfortable, it caused Tristram a sharp stab of pain. The next three weeks passed for Lord Tancred in continuously growing excitement. He had much business to see to for the reopening of Wrayth which had been closed for the past two years.
He would accept the position until the Wrayth rejoicings were over, and then he would certainly make arrangements to go and shoot lions, or travel, or something. There should be no further "perhaps" about it. Life, with the agonizing longing for her, seeing her daily and being denied, was more than could be borne.
"I have arranged that you stay here at Wrayth until you care to make fresh arrangements for yourself," he began, averting his eyes, and speaking in a cold, passionless voice. "But if I can help it, after I leave here to-day I will never see you again. There need be no public scandal; it is unnecessary that people should be told anything; they can think what they like.
Word Of The Day