in what I am sure they would call 'a big way', they expected to find comfort and cleanliness along with the culture. And what the tourist expects and will pay for, he can always find on the Continent. They found their comfort and cleanliness all right, and we have all benefited since. Particularly the very superior people who talk about the almighty dollar," added Lady Connelton with characteristic humour, "and pretend there is some virtue in being poor and inefficient."
Elinor, who loved Lady Connelton's trenchant comments, chuckled over this, and admitted that she too was by no means superior to the attractions of sheer comfort.
Over dinner plans were made for the following day, and, as these included a comparatively early start, Elinor had already resigned herself to seeing no more of Salzburg than could be managed in an early morning walk. However, when she announced her intention of getting up early for this purpose, Kenneth immediately said, "If you like, I will drive you round. You will see much more that way."
"But—" she looked rather doubtfully at him—"if you are going to drive during most of the day, you won't want to take me on a tour first."
Rudi began to say at this point that it would be very simple for him to take Elinor by taxi. But Kenneth merely reiterated that he would make himself responsible for Elinor's seeing something of Salzburg.
"What time do you want to start? Half-past seven?—quarter to eight?" he enquired, and Elinor had the distinct impression that he was not at all displeased to be cutting out Rudi in this particular respect.
"Half-past seven—if you really don't mind starting so early," she said.
"I really don't mind," Kenneth assured her. And so it was settled.
That night, just as she was going to bed, Ilsa
looked in to bid her a final good night, and, smiling a little quizzically at Elinor, she said, "Your Kenneth is becoming a trifle masterful, isn't he?"
"Masterful?" Elinor flushed at the word. "Towards me, do you mean?"
"Of course. Who else?" Ilsa looked amused. "He was very determined that no one else should show you Salzburg."
"Oh, that—that's just his manner."
"He feels he has some sort of proprietary rights in you, since you are part of his family group?" suggested Ilsa.
"Dear me, no!" exclaimed Elinor, who could not feel that any of his experience with her could have given him a feeling of proprietary rights. "It's just that when he's made up his mind to something, he doesn't let anyone else come in between."
"Which is rather how I should define 'masterful'," retorted Ilsa with a laugh. Then she went off, leaving Elinor to think that over in the few minutes before she fell asleep.
The next day Elinor rose in good time, to find the morning clear and sunny, with a sky of pale, heavenly blue overhead and a spring like sparkle to everything on the ground. When she was dressed, she ran quietly downstairs through the still silent hotel, wrapped warmly in her burgundy-coloured travelling coat, with a smoky blue scarf over her head, which imparted the faintest blue tinge to her grey eyes.
Kenneth was already waiting in the hall, and, coming up to him, she said a little breathlessly, "I'm not late, am I?"
"You are punctuality itself," he assured her. And, taking her lightly by the arm, he escorted her out of the hotel to the waiting car.
Elinor was very much aware of his hand on her arm—of the slight pressure of strong fingers through the thickness of her coat. And suddenly, for the first time in her life, she knew that a touch could be as exciting as any word or glance.
Long afterwards Elinor was to remember that early morning drive round Salzburg with Kenneth. And, even years later, she had only to close her eyes in order to see once more in recollection the wooded slopes of the Kapuzinerberg, the rushing waters of the Salzach, the rich, ornate lines of the buildings around the Residenzplatz, and, above all—from every part of the town and often with
Elinor, who loved Lady Connelton's trenchant comments, chuckled over this, and admitted that she too was by no means superior to the attractions of sheer comfort.
Over dinner plans were made for the following day, and, as these included a comparatively early start, Elinor had already resigned herself to seeing no more of Salzburg than could be managed in an early morning walk. However, when she announced her intention of getting up early for this purpose, Kenneth immediately said, "If you like, I will drive you round. You will see much more that way."
"But—" she looked rather doubtfully at him—"if you are going to drive during most of the day, you won't want to take me on a tour first."
Rudi began to say at this point that it would be very simple for him to take Elinor by taxi. But Kenneth merely reiterated that he would make himself responsible for Elinor's seeing something of Salzburg.
"What time do you want to start? Half-past seven?—quarter to eight?" he enquired, and Elinor had the distinct impression that he was not at all displeased to be cutting out Rudi in this particular respect.
"Half-past seven—if you really don't mind starting so early," she said.
"I really don't mind," Kenneth assured her. And so it was settled.
That night, just as she was going to bed, Ilsa
looked in to bid her a final good night, and, smiling a little quizzically at Elinor, she said, "Your Kenneth is becoming a trifle masterful, isn't he?"
"Masterful?" Elinor flushed at the word. "Towards me, do you mean?"
"Of course. Who else?" Ilsa looked amused. "He was very determined that no one else should show you Salzburg."
"Oh, that—that's just his manner."
"He feels he has some sort of proprietary rights in you, since you are part of his family group?" suggested Ilsa.
"Dear me, no!" exclaimed Elinor, who could not feel that any of his experience with her could have given him a feeling of proprietary rights. "It's just that when he's made up his mind to something, he doesn't let anyone else come in between."
"Which is rather how I should define 'masterful'," retorted Ilsa with a laugh. Then she went off, leaving Elinor to think that over in the few minutes before she fell asleep.
The next day Elinor rose in good time, to find the morning clear and sunny, with a sky of pale, heavenly blue overhead and a spring like sparkle to everything on the ground. When she was dressed, she ran quietly downstairs through the still silent hotel, wrapped warmly in her burgundy-coloured travelling coat, with a smoky blue scarf over her head, which imparted the faintest blue tinge to her grey eyes.
Kenneth was already waiting in the hall, and, coming up to him, she said a little breathlessly, "I'm not late, am I?"
"You are punctuality itself," he assured her. And, taking her lightly by the arm, he escorted her out of the hotel to the waiting car.
Elinor was very much aware of his hand on her arm—of the slight pressure of strong fingers through the thickness of her coat. And suddenly, for the first time in her life, she knew that a touch could be as exciting as any word or glance.
Long afterwards Elinor was to remember that early morning drive round Salzburg with Kenneth. And, even years later, she had only to close her eyes in order to see once more in recollection the wooded slopes of the Kapuzinerberg, the rushing waters of the Salzach, the rich, ornate lines of the buildings around the Residenzplatz, and, above all—from every part of the town and often with
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