became suddenly poor would on his linen not his drinks she has told me nothing � but there is something fresh i know � brave as she is between i see a soul in torment matters have reached an acute stage i said things have been forced on her against her will and i am anxious about her she wants distraction amusement � to be taken out of herself or i won t answer for her brain or her conduct cried with flashing eyes but will � and for too one woman knows another as a man never can she will never hurt anyone but herself t the i said and we must not let her do that these next few weeks will be the turning point of her life � she is like a chestnut that is in two minds � whether to to pieces the trap to which she is or be to the firm bit gentle touch the encouraging word � and these if you love you must give � above all she wants gaiety you won t find it such a punishment � a few weeks at the flower filled end of the town in june � and you know great ladies have their duties and you sadly neglect yours h cried and quoted mrs if you do not go here and there it will be supposed you were not asked and then the false aims and multitude of small ends to be oh depend upon it there is no like the life of a woman of the world and you see it in the expression of the face it is not late hours that bring the anxious restless look on the contrary i believe you might sit up till morning singing till the lark interrupted you and be none the worse it is the perpetual struggle to be and do and the eternal dissatisfaction with all one is and does that eats away the freshness of life it won t eat yours i said come promise will make no difficulties only bargain to be allowed to run up and down and finally i her into promising later in the day when with a fine contempt the thing alive for wet feet insisted on walking across the park to suddenly she caught my hand and said paul looking back we often stand aghast at such and such an act of selfishness cruelty or wrong doing � yet at the time probably we were passing through some phase of mental agony that us to all other things � and a number of wrong or curious results sprang from that act � but not from the phase � which remains i know but that s all over declared this was not so � that memory kept on her with a hat pin � memory must be a woman she so but she was quite cheerful by the time we reached and the white house with its green shutters looked very peaceful the scent of flowers and shrubs new washed by the late rain all about it just inside the square hall with its of lilies of the valley was curly s favourite dog and nurse grace in act of descending the shallow oak staircase exclaimed with joy at sight of us while a cheery voice from above shouted down come up both of you he is better whispered to nurse grace but the latter shook her head it is his way she said and then we found ourselves in a delightful apartment adjoining his bedroom the walls covered with illustrations taken from sporting papers while curly on a the couch waved something high above his head in welcome as we approached my first story � better than he said with the little laugh they all missed so in the regiment accepted then we saw that it was a proof he was and of which he was evidently extremely proud he shook hands joyfully with us as he pointed us to seats near him he wore a silk shirt his tie was as of old but for the of his face and his quiet body you would never know anything was amiss with him and when gave him the bunch of forget me out of her gown he told her they were not half such a nice blue as her eyes upon which she called him an absurd boy and they talked utter nonsense for some time � vivid nonsense peculiar to curly with which he always his company while nurse grace and i exchanged glances i seemed to see him lying alone at night all the pretence and the high spirits gone out of him counting the long hours listening for signs of awakening day a revolver i had seen before was lying on the table beside him as he picked it up our eyes met on wet days i practise with it he said lady are your nerves in good order she nodded and he turned his head � took aim at an intricate arrangement of glass balls suspended from a and smashed the particular one at which he aimed then picked the thing alive out another � i had never seen a truer aim even with men who practised trick shooting you ve no idea how fast the days go he said was here last week somehow we never meet in town i said and he comes to when i am not there as like as ever � more so said curly but there s a heart of gold under that rough manner and a big brain beneath those shaggy locks nodded i love him she said but he me i shall have to sham ill and call in street how is mrs she added having purposely i think delayed her inquiry as long as possible on she s fine said curly carelessly � too carelessly i thought she is lying down for a bit now 