hidden nothing from her except what he thought would wound her or what made himself ridiculous. He did not tell her that he had been forced to sit at dinner with a wreath of flowers round his head and he did not tell her that Edward was prepared to marry her uncle's half-caste daughter the moment she set him free. But perhaps Isabel had keener intuitions than he knew, for as he went on with his tale her eyes grew colder and her lips closed upon one another more tightly. Now and then she looked at him closely, and if he had been less intent on his narrative he might have wondered at her expression.
'What was this girl like?' she asked when he finished. 'Uncle Arnold's daughter. Would you say there was any resemblance between her and me?'
Bateman was surprised at the question.
'It never struck me. You know I've never had eyes for anyone but you and I could never think that anyone was like you. Who could resemble you?'
'Was she pretty?' said Isabel, smiling slightly at his words.
'I suppose so. I daresay some men would say she was very beautiful.'
'Well, it's of no consequence. I don't think we need give her any more of our attention.'
'What are you going to do, Isabel?' he asked then.
Isabel looked down at the hand which still bore the ring Edward had given her on their betrothal.
'I wouldn't let Edward break our engagement because I thought it would be an incentive to him. I wanted to be an inspiration to him. I thought if anything could enable him to achieve success it was the thought that I loved him. I have done all I could. It's hopeless. It would only be weakness on my part not to recognize the facts. Poor Edward, he's nobody's enemy but his own. He was a dear, nice fellow, but there was something lacking in him, I suppose it was backbone. I hope he'll be happy.'
She slipped the ring off her finger and placed it on the table. Bateman watched her with a heart beating so rapidly that he could hardly breathe.
'You're wonderful, Isabel, you're simply wonderful.'
She smiled, and, standing up, held out her hand to him.
'How can I ever thank you for what you've done for me?' she said. 'You have done me a great service. I knew I could trust you.'
He took her hand and held it. She had never looked more beautiful.
'Oh, Isabel, I would do so much more for you than that. You know that I only ask to be allowed to love and serve you.'
'You're so strong, Bateman,' she sighed. 'It gives me such a delicious feeling of confidence.'
'Isabel, I adore you.'
He hardly knew how the inspiration had come to him, but suddenly he clasped her in his arms; she, all unresisting, smiled into his eyes.
'Isabel, you know I wanted to marry you the very first day I saw you,' he cried passionately.
'Then why on earth didn't you ask me?' she replied.
She loved him. He could hardly believe it was true. She gave
him her lovely lips to kiss. And as he held her in his arms he had a vision
of the works of the Hunter Motor Traction and Automobile Company growing in
size and importance till they covered a hundred acres, and of the millions
of motors they would turn out, and of the great collection of pictures he
would form which should beat anything they had in New York. He would wear
horn spectacles. And she, with the delicious pressure of his arms about her,
sighed with happiness, for she thought of the exquisite house she would have,
full of antique furniture, and of the concerts she would give, and of the this dansants, and the dinners to which only the most cultured people
would come.
'Poor Edward,' she sighed.
Rain
It was nearly bed-time and when they awoke next morning land would be in sight. Dr Macphail lit his pipe and, leaning over the rail, searched the heavens for the Southern Cross. After two years at the front and a wound that had taken longer to heal than it should, he was glad to settle down quietly at Apia for twelve months at least, and he felt already better for the journey. Since some of the passengers
'What was this girl like?' she asked when he finished. 'Uncle Arnold's daughter. Would you say there was any resemblance between her and me?'
Bateman was surprised at the question.
'It never struck me. You know I've never had eyes for anyone but you and I could never think that anyone was like you. Who could resemble you?'
'Was she pretty?' said Isabel, smiling slightly at his words.
'I suppose so. I daresay some men would say she was very beautiful.'
'Well, it's of no consequence. I don't think we need give her any more of our attention.'
'What are you going to do, Isabel?' he asked then.
Isabel looked down at the hand which still bore the ring Edward had given her on their betrothal.
'I wouldn't let Edward break our engagement because I thought it would be an incentive to him. I wanted to be an inspiration to him. I thought if anything could enable him to achieve success it was the thought that I loved him. I have done all I could. It's hopeless. It would only be weakness on my part not to recognize the facts. Poor Edward, he's nobody's enemy but his own. He was a dear, nice fellow, but there was something lacking in him, I suppose it was backbone. I hope he'll be happy.'
She slipped the ring off her finger and placed it on the table. Bateman watched her with a heart beating so rapidly that he could hardly breathe.
'You're wonderful, Isabel, you're simply wonderful.'
She smiled, and, standing up, held out her hand to him.
'How can I ever thank you for what you've done for me?' she said. 'You have done me a great service. I knew I could trust you.'
He took her hand and held it. She had never looked more beautiful.
'Oh, Isabel, I would do so much more for you than that. You know that I only ask to be allowed to love and serve you.'
'You're so strong, Bateman,' she sighed. 'It gives me such a delicious feeling of confidence.'
'Isabel, I adore you.'
He hardly knew how the inspiration had come to him, but suddenly he clasped her in his arms; she, all unresisting, smiled into his eyes.
'Isabel, you know I wanted to marry you the very first day I saw you,' he cried passionately.
'Then why on earth didn't you ask me?' she replied.
She loved him. He could hardly believe it was true. She gave
him her lovely lips to kiss. And as he held her in his arms he had a vision
of the works of the Hunter Motor Traction and Automobile Company growing in
size and importance till they covered a hundred acres, and of the millions
of motors they would turn out, and of the great collection of pictures he
would form which should beat anything they had in New York. He would wear
horn spectacles. And she, with the delicious pressure of his arms about her,
sighed with happiness, for she thought of the exquisite house she would have,
full of antique furniture, and of the concerts she would give, and of the this dansants, and the dinners to which only the most cultured people
would come.
'Poor Edward,' she sighed.
Rain
It was nearly bed-time and when they awoke next morning land would be in sight. Dr Macphail lit his pipe and, leaning over the rail, searched the heavens for the Southern Cross. After two years at the front and a wound that had taken longer to heal than it should, he was glad to settle down quietly at Apia for twelve months at least, and he felt already better for the journey. Since some of the passengers
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