Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-09

would some time have to be answered. and
having made up her mind as to what her
answer would be. she also made it i'm
possible for herself, far as was in her
power to leave herself any time for recon-
sidering 1t. She had. has been said. no
real moral code to refer 1t to; she had been
born, as many people are, without moral
sense, and her upbringing and environment
had not spontaneously generated it. She
did not, for instance. steal. not because 1t
was wicked to steal. and the commandment
told you not to. but because it was mean
and nasty. like going about with dirty
gloves. And as regards other things, no
sense of morals dictated decision now. To
put 1t BADLY and blankly. as she did to
herself. here was a man who had loved
her twelve years ago, and She felt certain
still loved her. But she was Thurso's
wife. Other wives-but she reflected that
that was not her business. Worldly wisdom,
however, said much more than this to her.
1t would be absurd to appear to be
stranger to Count Villars; If she avoided
him, did not treat him with the friendli-
ness that was only his due, the world
would certainly say that she avoided him
in public to meet him in private. That,
she knew, was ridiculous, since London life
was a glass case of publicity, but her
rect attitude, obviously, was to be friends
with him. It was here that Thursos pres
ence in London was desirable; the whole
affair was delicate, and if he was some
where in Caithness. where there might be
typhoid or there might not, her position
was more difficult. That the opinion of the
world was unduly important to her was
very likely to be true, but she lived in it.
Lady Thurso had charming place on the
Thames, just below Maidenhead, which had
been left her by her mother and here she
often entertained from Saturday till Mon
day, not with any mistaken notion that IL
was a rest after the hustle of London to
get into the country, but in order to hustle
more than ever. London, it is true, was
hustle enough, but the London hustle did
not publicly begin till II or so, unless she
was seeing writers of socialistic articles
Whereas at Bray Court the hustle began
earlier, since, as this was the country it
was necessary to play round of golf, or
row wildly On the Thames, battle in that
long suffering river before the day began
at all. Thurso was coming down with her,
and they left Thurso House together after
luncheon on Saturday. Maud had, 50 to
speak, engaged a bed ROOM but she had
not appeared when the motor came round
1t was obvious that she was going to find
her way on her own account.
well, she's not here said Lily, as she
stepped into the car. land really we can't
wait, Thurso, Unless we start now people
will get there before we do, and you can't
do that in the country"
mo, it's we'll to be at ones house If
one has asked people to stay in it, he
marked.
He got in after her. but stood for mo-
ment with his hand on the door, as If wait
ing to give Maud another minute Her eye
happened to fall on it, and she saw it was
trembling. The next moment he sat down,
caught ler eye, ana looked away again,
flushing little. There was something fur
tive about the movement, which was unlike
him. But all this week she had been a little
uneasy about him; he had seemed nervous
easily startled, uncertain of himself. And
as they started, though caresses were not
frequent between them, she laid her hand
on his
''Thurso. old boy" she said are you
well? There Is nothing the matter with
your"
Perfectly well. thanks" he said IT don't
know why you ask"
You don't look very we'll Meud said,
too. that you had had several very bad
headaches uo north"
II have had no return of them since I
came to town." said he.
The footman had got up by the chauffeur,
and the big Napier car dubbed and whirred
to itself a moment and then slid noiselessly
off with rapid but absolutely smooth accel-
GRAFTON of its pace over the dry street. The
roadway was very full, but it f1cked in
and out of the moving traffic. dancing gen.
tly on its springs, with the precision of a
fish steering between clumps of waving wa
terweeds. It seemed more like sentient
animal, horse with a fine mouth. than
a machine, or as If intelligence and discern
ment. a brain Of exquisite delicacy. lived
in the long bonnet, rather than merely
wheels and cylinders 1t slackened its
speed before it came to any block in the
traffic, as If seeming it from far of: 1t
cut In and out of moving cabs and omni-
buses as II possessed of occult knowledge
with regard to the pace they were going.
and what lay ahead of them: 1t foresaw
impediments to it's running that seemed as
il they could not be foreseen. and found
openings that appeared invisible. But all
down Piccadilly Thurso seemed very ner-
vous; he could hardly sit still. but kept
shifting in his seat, frowning and even once
calling out to the chauffeur, who. as
matter Of fact, was one in thousand, bid
ding him take care, and go more quietly
through the jostle of vehicles. This. again,
WAS uuite unlike him. and his wife watched
him narrowly and attentively. But when
1t came to his calling out to the inimitable
Marcel, who would sooner have scraped all
the skin off his own hands than let an
other vehicle scrape one grain Of paint of
the splash-board of his beloved car, she
could not help protesting.
my dear Thurso," she said. what Is
the matter? He is driving absolutely care
fully"
Thurso frowned and spoke irritably.
II don't think he is at ALL" he said.
But women are never satisfied till they've
had a smash