the dark flower-第41章

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the　confidential　man's　soft：

〃Mr。　Lennan；　miss；〃　he　added　a　softer：　〃May　I　come　in？〃

She　put　her　hand　into　his　with　intense　composure。

〃Oh；　yes；　do！　if　you　don't　mind　the　mess　I'm　making；〃　and；　with　a
little　squeeze　of　the　tips　of　his　fingers；　added：　〃Would　it　bore
you　to　see　my　photographs？〃

And　down　they　sat　together　before　the　photographssnapshots　of
people　with　guns　or　fishing…rods；　little　groups　of　schoolgirls；
kittens；　Dromore　and　herself　on　horseback；　and　several　of　a　young
man　with　a　broad；　daring；　rather　good…looking　face。　　〃That's
OliverOliver　DromoreDad's　first　cousin　once　removed。　　Rather
nice；　isn't　he？　　Do　you　like　his　expression？〃

Lennan　did　not　know。　　Not　her　second　cousin；　her　father's　first
cousin　once　removed！　　And　again　there　leaped　in　him　that
unreasoning　flame　of　indignant　pity。

〃And　how　about　drawing？　　You　haven't　come　to　be　taught　yet。〃

She　went　almost　as　red　as　her　frock。

〃I　thought　you　were　only　being　polite。　　I　oughtn't　to　have　asked。
Of　course；　I　want　to　awfullyonly　I　know　it'll　bore　you。〃

〃It　won't　at　all。〃

She　looked　up　at　that。　　What　peculiar　languorous　eyes　they　were！

〃Shall　I　come　to…morrow；　then？〃

〃Any　day　you　like；　between　half…past　twelve　and　one。〃

〃Where？〃

He　took　out　a　card。

〃Mark　LennanyesI　like　your　name。　　I　liked　it　the　other　day。
It's　awfully　nice！〃

What　was　in　a　name　that　she　should　like　him　because　of　it？　　His
fame　as　a　sculptorsuch　as　it　wascould　have　nothing　to　do　with
that；　for　she　would　certainly　not　know　of　it。　　Ah！　but　there　was　a
lot　in　a　namefor　children。　　In　his　childhood　what　fascination
there　had　been　in　the　words　macaroon；　and　Spaniard；　and　Carinola；
and　Aldebaran；　and　Mr。　McCrae。　　For　quite　a　week　the　whole　world
had　been　Mr。　McCraea　most　ordinary　friend　of　Gordy's。

By　whatever　fascination　moved；　she　talked　freely　enough　nowof　her
school；　of　riding　and　motoringshe　seemed　to　love　going　very　fast；
about　Newmarketwhich　was　'perfect'；　and　theatresplays　of　the
type　that　Johnny　Dromore　might　be　expected　to　approve；　these
together　with　'Hamlet'　and　'King　Lear'　were　all　she　had　seen。
Never　was　a　girl　so　untouched　by　thought；　or　Artyet　not　stupid；
having；　seemingly；　a　certain　natural　good　taste；　only；　nothing；
evidently；　had　come　her　way。　　How　could　it'Johnny　Dromore　duce；
et　auspice　Johnny　Dromore！'　　She　had　been　taken；　indeed；　to　the
National　Gallery　while　at　school。　　And　Lennan　had　a　vision　of　eight
or　ten　young　maidens　trailing　round　at　the　skirts　of　one　old
maiden；　admiring　Landseer's　dogs；　giggling　faintly　at　Botticelli's
angels；　gaping；　rustling；　chattering　like　young　birds　in　a
shrubbery。

But　with　all　her　surroundings；　this　child　of　Johnny　Dromoredom　was
as　yet　more　innocent　than　cultured　girls　of　the　same　age。　　If　those
grey；　mesmeric　eyes　of　hers　followed　him　about；　they　did　so
frankly；　unconsciously。　　There　was　no　minx　in　her；　so　far。

An　hour　went　by；　and　Dromore　did　not　come。　　And　the　loneliness　of
this　young　creature　in　her　incongruous　abode　began　telling　on
Lennan's　equanimity。

What　did　she　do　in　the　evenings？

〃Sometimes　I　go　to　the　theatre　with　Dad；　generally　I　stay　at　home。〃

〃And　then？〃

〃Oh！　　I　just　read；　or　talk　French。〃

〃What？　　To　yourself？〃

〃Yes；　or　to　Oliver　sometimes；　when　he　comes　in。〃

So　Oliver　came　in！

〃How　long　have　you　known　Oliver？〃

〃Oh！　ever　since　I　was　a　child。〃

He　wanted　to　say：　And　how　long　is　that？　　But　managed　to　refrain；
and　got　up　to　go　instead。　　She　caught　his　sleeve　and　said：

〃You're　not　to　go！〃　　Saying　that　she　looked　as　a　dog　will；　going　to
bite　in　fun；　her　upper　lip　shortened　above　her　small　white　teeth
set　fast　on　her　lower　lip；　and　her　chin　thrust　a　little　forward。　　A
glimpse　of　a　wilful　spirit！　　But　as　soon　as　he　had　smiled；　and
murmured：

〃Ah！　but　I　must；　you　see！〃　she　at　once　regained　her　manners；　only
saying　rather　mournfully：　〃You　don't　call　me　by　my　name。　　Don't　you
like　it？〃

〃Nell？〃

〃Yes。　　It's　really　Eleanor；　of　course。　　DON'T　you　like　it？〃

If　he　had　detested　the　name；　he　could　only　have　answered：　〃Very
much。〃

〃I'm　awfully　glad！　　Good…bye。〃

When　he　got　out　into　the　street；　he　felt　terribly　like　a　man　who；
instead　of　having　had　his　sleeve　touched；　has　had　his　heart　plucked
at。　　And　that　warm；　bewildered　feeling　lasted　him　all　the　way　home。

Changing　for　dinner；　he　looked　at　himself　with　unwonted　attention。
Yes；　his　dark　hair　was　still　thick；　but　going　distinctly　grey；
there　were　very　many　lines　about　his　eyes；　too；　and　those　eyes；
still　eager　when　they　smiled；　were　particularly　deepset；　as　if　life
had　forced　them　back。　　His　cheekbones　were　almost　'bopsies'　now；
and　his　cheeks　very　thin　and　dark；　and　his　jaw　looked　too　set　and
bony　below　the　almost　black　moustache。　　Altogether　a　face　that　life
had　worn　a　good　deal；　with　nothing　for　a　child　to　take　a　fancy　to
and　make　friends　with；　that　he　could　see。

Sylvia　came　in　while　he　was　thus　taking　stock　of　himself；　bringing
a　freshly…opened　flask　of　eau…de…Cologne。　　She　was　always　bringing
him　somethingnever　was　anyone　so　sweet　in　those　ways。　　In　that
grey；　low…cut　frock；　her　white；　still　prettiness　and　pale…gold
hair；　so　little　touched　by　Time；　only　just　fell　short　of　real
beauty　for　lack　of　a　spice　of　depth　and　of　incisiveness；　just　as
her　spirit　lacked　he　knew　not　what　of　poignancy。　　He　would　not　for
the　world　have　let　her　know　that　he　ever　felt　that　lack。　　If　a　man
could　not　hide　little　rifts　in　the　lute　from　one　so　good　and　humble
and　affectionate；　he　was　not　fit　to　live。

She　sang　'The　Castle　of　Dromore'　again　that　night　with　its　queer
haunting　lilt。　　And　when　she　had　gone　up；　and　he　was　smoking　over
the　fire；　the　girl　in　her　dark…red　frock　seemed　to　come；　and　sit
opposite　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　his；　just　as　she　had　been　sitting
while　they　talked。　　Dark　red　had　suited　her！　　Suited　the　look　on
her　face　when　she　said：

〃You're　not　to　go！〃　　Odd；　indeed；　if　she　had　not　some　devil　in　her；
with　that　parentage！


V


Next　day　they　had　summoned　him　from　the　studio　to　see　a　peculiar
phenomenonJohnny　Dromore；　very　well　groomed；　talking　to　Sylvia
with　unnatural　suavity；　and　carefully　masking　the　goggle　in　his
eyes！　　Mrs。　Lennan　ride？　　Ah！　　Too　busy；　of　course。　　Helped　Mark
with　hiser　　No！　　Really！　　Read　a　lot；　no　doubt？　　Never　had　any
time　for　readin'　himselfawful　bore　not　having　time　to　read！　　And
Sylvia　listening　and　smiling；　very　still　and　soft。

What　had　Dromore　come　for？　　To　spy　out　the　land；　discover　why
Lennan　and　his　wife　thought　nothing　of　the　word　'outside'whether；
in　fact；　their　household　was　respectable。　。　。　。　　A　man　must　always
look　twice　at　'what…d'you…call…ems；'　even　if　they　have　shared　his
room　at　school！　。　。　。　　To　his　credit；　of　course；　to　be　so　careful
of　his　daughter；　at　the　expense　of　time　owed　to　the　creation　of　the
perfect　racehorse！　　On　the　whole　he　seemed　to　be　coming　to　the
conclusion　that　they　might　be　useful　to　Nell　in　the　uncomfortable
time　at　hand　when　she　would　have　to　go　about；　seemed　even　to　be
falling　under　the　spell　of　Sylvia's　transparent　goodness
abandoning　his　habitual　vigilance　against　being　scored　off　in
life's　perpetual　bet；　parting　with　his　armour　of　chaff。　　Almost　a
relief；　indeed；　once　out　of　Sylvia's　presence；　to　see　that
familiar；　unholy　curiosity　creeping　back　into　his　eyes；　as　though
they　were　hoping　against　parental　hope　to　find　somethinger
amusing　somewhere　about　that　mysterious　Mecca　of　good　timesa
'what…d'you…call…it's'　studio。　　Delicious　to　watch　the　conflict
between　relief　and　disappointment。　　Alas！　no　modelnot　even　a
statue　without　clothes；　nothing　but　portrait　heads；　casts　of
animals；　and　such…like　sobrietiesabsolutely　nothing　that　could
bring　a　blush　to　the　cheek　of　the　young　person；　or　a　glow　to　the
eyes　of　a　Johnny　Dromore。

With　what　curious　silence　he　walked　round　and　round　the　group　of
sheep…dogs；　inquiring　into　them　with　that　long　crinkled　nose　of
his！　　With　what　curious　suddenness；　he　said：　〃Damned　good！　　You
wouldn't　do　me　one　of　Nell　on　horseback？〃　　With　what　dubious
watchfulness　he　listened　to　the　answer：

〃I　might；　perhaps；　do　a　statuette　of　her；　if　I　did；　you　should　have
a　cast。〃

Did　he　think　that　in　some　way　h