The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-02
CHAPTER XXXV.
Annals Tea Party.


able chair.
Il have heard of YOU. of course"
Anna answered hesitatingly. but
You cannot imagine what 1 have
come to see you about. Wen, L am
Nigel EnnisOn's sister,"
"Oh" Anna said.
Nigel is like all men," Lady La
sceues continued. He is a sad blum
derer- He has helped me out of -scrapes
though, NO end of times. He is an .aw-
fully good sort-and now he has come d.
to me to help him if I can Do you
know that he is very much in love with
you?'
Anna smiled.
Well" she admitted. he has said
something of the sort"
And YOU have sent him about. his .
business. He tells me that YOU will not
even see him. 1 don't want 70 bother
you, of course. A woman has a per--
feet right to choose her own. husband.
but Nigel seemed to think that there
was something a little mysterious
about your treatment Of him. You
seemed, ne thought. to have some
grievance which you would not explain .
and which he thought must arise from
misunderstanding. There that
sounds friShtfully involved; doesn't IL,
but perhaps yeu can make out what /
mean. Don't you care for Nigel at
ALP
Anna was silent for a moment or
two. e
Lady Lascelles~ graceful very. FASH
ionably bus quietly dressed. leaned
back and watched her with shrewd.-
kindly eyes. e
T like your brother better than any.
other man / know: Anna; said at last.
well. don't think you told him as
much as that. did you?" Lady: La
scelleS asked. -
I did not" Anna answered. "To ba i.
frank with you. Lady Iiascelles. when
your brother asked me the other: day
TO be his wife / was under a. false inn
preston as regards his relationships
some other person I know now that I
was mistaken"
That sounds more promising" Lady -,
Lascelles. declared. May ] tell Nigel
tC come and see you again? am. not
here 20 do his love making for. him..
you. know I came to see you on my
own. account"
Thank you very much" Anna said
1t is very nice Of.y0u to come. but lido
not think for the present at any rate.
l could give him any other answer. T
do not intend to- be married. or tO''be-
come engaged just at present"
We'll. why nOt2" Lady LasceIIes
asked, smiling. L can only be a few :
years older than you. and. I have been
married four years l. can assure you, .
l wouldn't be single again for worlds.
One. gets. lots more fun married"
Our cases are scarcely similar.
Anna remarked;
why not?' Lady Lasceues. answer
ed. You are one of the HamUshire'
PellissieEs, L know, and Your family
are quite as good as ours. AS, for:
money, Nigel has tons of it," :
1T is. not exactly that" Anna an
SWnTh6 .fhTTf foil hA truth
capnOt bear to look upon myself as a
rank failure. We girls. my sister and.
j, we're left quite alone when our father
died, and made up my mind to make
some little place in the world for my
self: / tried painting and couldn't :Eet
on. Then i came to London and tried
almost eVerything-all failures, 7 :had
two offers of marriage from men I
liked very much Indeed. but it never
occurred to me: to listen to. either OF
them. You see. am rather obstinate.
AT last / tried a'dramatic agent. and
got on the music hall stage"
We'll, you can't say you're fall :
ure there" Lady Eascelles remarked g.
smiling. I've been. to- hear you: lots .
OF tines ..
II have been more fortunate than I.
deserved Anna answered. but / only
meant TO stay upon the. music hall
stage until l. could get something betS
play at the 'Gafrick' and have quite
made up my mind TO try and make
some sort of position for myself as an
actress" -.
DO you think it is really worth
while?" Lady LasceIIes asked gently.
II am sure you will marry Nigel sooner.
or later, and then all YOUR work will e.
be thrown away"
Anna shook her. head.
IF l were TO marry now. she said,
lit would be with sense of humilia-,
ton. L should feel that Il had been
obliged to find some one else TO fight.
What else?'' Aady Lascemes muir
INJURED. ARE men fOr?"
Anna laughed. .
"AfteTward." she said. II should be
perfectly content to have everything.
girl is to feel comfortable about it they
should start fairly equal Take your.
case, for instance. You brought YOUR
husband a large fortune. your people
were we'll known in society, your fami-
" interest L have heard was. useful to
him in his parliamentary career. So
FAR as 1 am concerned. am just now
a hopeless nonentity. Your brother has
everything have not shown myself
capable even Of earning my own living
except in way which could not pos
sibly bring any credit upon anybody.
ana DeyOnO LnlS, Lazy LaSceileS. as
you must know, recent. events haze set
a good many peoples tongues wagging,
and / am quite determined 10 live down
all this scandal before L think Of mar
rying any one"
Il am sure" Lady Lascelles said.
gently that the last consideration
need not weigh. with you in the least
No one in the world is beyond the shaft
of scandal-we all catch IL terribly
some times. 1t simply doesn't count
You are very kind" Anna said II
do hope have been able to make YOU
understand how feel. -that yOu- don't
consider me a hopeless priG. 1t does.
sound a little hOrrid 20 talk so much
about oneself and to have Views"
II think" Lady Lascelles said. put
ting down her teacup. that i must
send Nigel to plead his own cause
/ may tell him. at any rate. that you
will see him.?
ssT shall like tn SEQ him {" Anna ar