off.
“I must speak to you, Lucia,” he said, and his voice thundered through her senses, shaking her to answer him.
“Well,” she said, admitting him to her consciousness since he would not be denied.
“Oh, Lucia, me dear, me dear,” said Captain Gregg.
“Yes,” said Lucy, sitting up against her pillows, “you were right, there’s no fool like an old fool. I admit everything—I am ridiculous, susceptible, and happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“Oh, Lucia,” said the captain piteously.
“Why, I believe you’re jealous,” said Lucy.
“Jealousy is a disease of the flesh,” said the captain, “I am not jealous, but—oh, Lucia, will you ever forgive me?”
“Forgive you!” said Lucy. “But haven’t I just told you that I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life? I’m happier than I believed it possible for anyone——”
“Stop! Stop!” said Captain Gregg. “It was all my fault, blind fool that I am—but there he was and he seemed ideal for my purpose, and I never realized just how young in your emotions you could be, Lucia, and I felt you needed a lesson, you were so complacent and cocksure, and, my God, you’ve got your lesson all right.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lucy.
“Me dear, the man is married,” said the captain.
“Miles—married!” Lucy gasped.
“He is indeed,” answered the captain. “He has a wife and three children, and the youngest only in his cradle.”
“I don’t believe it,” said Lucy.
“It’s true for all that,” said Captain Gregg sadly.
“But he told me he loved me—to-day he kissed me and said he had never been in love like that before,” said Lucy.
“You must never see him again,” said the captain.
“Of course I shall see him again,” replied Lucy. “There must be some mistake. He tells me everything—he couldn’t have
not
told me a big thing like that. He can’t be married—we love each other.”
“Me dear, to-day I took a journey and saw his wife,” said the captain.
“Is she pretty?” asked Lucy swiftly.
“Beautiful,” said Captain Gregg, “and the three boys the dead spit and image of their father.”
“No,” said Lucy, “I don’t believe it. Miles can’t be married.”
“I’m afraid you will have to believe it,” said the captain. “I blame myself, it is all my fault, but there was never a thought in his mind for his wife. I couldn’t tell that he was married till to-day when a letter came from her, telling him the baby was to be christened. For all his charm and good looks he’s nothing but a dilettante with enough money to indulge his fancies.”
“You mean I’m just one of his fancies?” asked Lucy with dry lips.
“I’m afraid so, me dear,” said the captain gently. “He was an only child, his father was a bad lot and his mother spoiled him, which is no reason why he should ruin your happiness,” he added fiercely.
“But I can’t believe it,” said Lucy, “I can’t feel Miles is evil. He makes me feel good, and kinder than I have ever been.”
“The devil himself was in heaven before he fell, and his temptations may be full of beauty and great subtlety. But you must be strong, Lucia,” he said, “you must be strong.”
“I don’t want to be strong,” said Lucy wearily, “I just want to be with Miles.” And turning on her face amongst her pillows, she wept.
In the morning confidence in her happiness returned to her. The conversation of the night before seemed no more than a bad dream. She could scarcely wait for the afternoon, and when it came, she almost ran to the meeting place they had arranged in the little wood. There the bluebells made an azure cascade falling over the hillside to meet the goldenbrown stream, where minnows darted in and out amongst the shadows of the trailing weeds.
She went on her way so quickly that she was there before the time of their tryst, and seating herself on a fallen tree trunk, she leaned back against a beech tree’s
“I must speak to you, Lucia,” he said, and his voice thundered through her senses, shaking her to answer him.
“Well,” she said, admitting him to her consciousness since he would not be denied.
“Oh, Lucia, me dear, me dear,” said Captain Gregg.
“Yes,” said Lucy, sitting up against her pillows, “you were right, there’s no fool like an old fool. I admit everything—I am ridiculous, susceptible, and happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“Oh, Lucia,” said the captain piteously.
“Why, I believe you’re jealous,” said Lucy.
“Jealousy is a disease of the flesh,” said the captain, “I am not jealous, but—oh, Lucia, will you ever forgive me?”
“Forgive you!” said Lucy. “But haven’t I just told you that I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life? I’m happier than I believed it possible for anyone——”
“Stop! Stop!” said Captain Gregg. “It was all my fault, blind fool that I am—but there he was and he seemed ideal for my purpose, and I never realized just how young in your emotions you could be, Lucia, and I felt you needed a lesson, you were so complacent and cocksure, and, my God, you’ve got your lesson all right.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lucy.
“Me dear, the man is married,” said the captain.
“Miles—married!” Lucy gasped.
“He is indeed,” answered the captain. “He has a wife and three children, and the youngest only in his cradle.”
“I don’t believe it,” said Lucy.
“It’s true for all that,” said Captain Gregg sadly.
“But he told me he loved me—to-day he kissed me and said he had never been in love like that before,” said Lucy.
“You must never see him again,” said the captain.
“Of course I shall see him again,” replied Lucy. “There must be some mistake. He tells me everything—he couldn’t have
not
told me a big thing like that. He can’t be married—we love each other.”
“Me dear, to-day I took a journey and saw his wife,” said the captain.
“Is she pretty?” asked Lucy swiftly.
“Beautiful,” said Captain Gregg, “and the three boys the dead spit and image of their father.”
“No,” said Lucy, “I don’t believe it. Miles can’t be married.”
“I’m afraid you will have to believe it,” said the captain. “I blame myself, it is all my fault, but there was never a thought in his mind for his wife. I couldn’t tell that he was married till to-day when a letter came from her, telling him the baby was to be christened. For all his charm and good looks he’s nothing but a dilettante with enough money to indulge his fancies.”
“You mean I’m just one of his fancies?” asked Lucy with dry lips.
“I’m afraid so, me dear,” said the captain gently. “He was an only child, his father was a bad lot and his mother spoiled him, which is no reason why he should ruin your happiness,” he added fiercely.
“But I can’t believe it,” said Lucy, “I can’t feel Miles is evil. He makes me feel good, and kinder than I have ever been.”
“The devil himself was in heaven before he fell, and his temptations may be full of beauty and great subtlety. But you must be strong, Lucia,” he said, “you must be strong.”
“I don’t want to be strong,” said Lucy wearily, “I just want to be with Miles.” And turning on her face amongst her pillows, she wept.
In the morning confidence in her happiness returned to her. The conversation of the night before seemed no more than a bad dream. She could scarcely wait for the afternoon, and when it came, she almost ran to the meeting place they had arranged in the little wood. There the bluebells made an azure cascade falling over the hillside to meet the goldenbrown stream, where minnows darted in and out amongst the shadows of the trailing weeds.
She went on her way so quickly that she was there before the time of their tryst, and seating herself on a fallen tree trunk, she leaned back against a beech tree’s
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