Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-15
CHAPTER w.
A Bunch of Violets,

i Hendricks rose slowly to his feet Julien
was looking toward the door with frown
| upon his face. While they stood there
i the knocking was repeated, still soft but
a little more insistent. Julien hesitated
no longer.
| II think" Hendricks said, dryly. that
| you had better see who is there
| The door was already opened. Julien
seemed suddenly transformed into a
craven image. He said nothing, merely
gazing at the woman who walked calmly
past him into the room. Hendricks, who
also recognized her. withdrew his pipe
| from his mouth. This was a situation in
deed. The woman, with her hands inside
her muff. looked from one to the other
of the two men.
Am I interrupting very important in
terview?" she asked, calmly. IF not,
perhaps you could spare me five minutes
of your time, Sir Julien?'
Hendricks recovered himself at once.
I'll wait for you downstairs, Julien, :
he declared.
He caught up his hat and departed,
closing the door after him. Julien was
still motionless.
"Well?" she began.
He drew a little breath. He was be-
ginning to regain his self-possession.
My dear Mrs. Carraby," he said. with
your wonderful knowledge of the world
and it's ways. will you permit me to point
out that your presence here is little en-
barraSSing to me and might. under GER
tain circumstances, be good deal more
embarrassing to YOU
the sunlight touched her brown hair and
her quiet, pale face. She was one of
those women who are never afraid of
the light. Her face was Of that strange,
self-contained nature. colorless. apparent
ly. yet capable of strange and rapid
changes. Just now the last glow of SUM-
light seemed to have found skein of
gold in her hair. a queer gleam OF light
in her eyes. She stood there looking at
the man whom she had come to visit
words with YOU
1t was impossible for him to remain
altogether unmoved. Whatever else might
be the truth, she had risked most Of the
things that We're dear to her in life by
this visit
Mrs. Carraby," he declared, Il am en-
tirely at your service. If you think that
any useful purpose can be served by
words between you and me, would only
point out, for your own sake, that your
visit is, to say the least of 1t, unwise.
These are bachelor chambers
You know very WELL" she replied,
calmly, that it was my only chance of
speaking with you. If had sent for you,
you WOulu HOI nave COulS IL i ndu
spoken to. you in the street, you would
have passed me by-quhte rightly. This
was my only chance. That is why have
come to YOU"
IF you think it worth the risk" he
remarked. gravely, "pray continue"
She shrugged her shoulders very
slightly
"Who can tell what is worth the risk?"
You have at least excited my curios-
ity,' he admitted, leaning a little toward
her. Il cannot conceive what 1t is that
you want to say to me-
She lifted her eyes to his, and though
there was nothing unusual about them
there were few people. indeed, who could
tell you what color they were-men sell
dom forgot 1t when Mrs. Carraby looked
at them steadily.
Il do not know myself she said. II
do not know why have come"
Julien laughed unnaturally.
Pray be seated" he begged. Would
you like to examine my curios or my
photographs? I must apologize for the
condition of my room. You See, you hap
pen to be the first woman who has ever
crossed it's Threshold
THAT" she remarked, rather interests
me. STILL. it is only what I should have
expected. No, do not think that 1 will
sit down. l am trying to ask myself ex-
actly why I have come"
IF you can answer that question:" Ju-
lien said, grimly, you will appease a
not like YOU.
Quite true" she assented 1T is not
like me. / have run great risk in COM
ing here and it is not my meter to run
| risks. And now that / am here I do not
know why / have come. This has been
an impulse and this is an hour outside my
life am trying to understand it. Come
here, Julien"
He came unwillingly to her side. She
held out her hand, but he shook his head.
'Mah0l ~ he said and do
need to mince words. Tonight / am cele-
brating the ruin of my career. l am
leaving England within a few hours l
have you to thank for what has hap
pened. Yet you come to me, you hold
out your hand. You must forgive mel
am afraid l am dull
No she replied. you are not dull.
Your feelings toward me are obvious and
so sure of. 1t is not because / did not
understand you that 1 came here tonight.
It is because did not understand myself.
May ] go on?"
why not?'' he answered. II am at
From the days Of my boarding school,"
she continued, Il have known only one
Mabel. In her girlhood she had all that
she could get out of life and turned
everything she could to her own ends. A
marriage was arranged for her-you see
| was half Jewess and my husband was
half Jew, and things are done like that
with US. The marriage opened the door
to a fresh set of ambitions. For the last
few years / have trodden well worn
path. 1t was / who advised my husband
TO refuse a baronetcy. 1t was I who won
his first election. / see that my photo
graphs are in all the illustrated papers,
that his speeches are properly recorded,
| that my visiting list moves within the
correct limits. These things have spelt
life. To the fulfillment OF my husband
ambitions there was one obstacle. That
OBSTACLE was you. In life one schemes
| 1t was my husbands wish that should
make myself agreeable to you. even to
the extent of Irritation"
She raised her eyes
Your obedience to your husband is
| most touching" he said.
1t is true, l suppose" she went on,
that we have f1rted. l looked upon 1t
as the means to an end. The end came.
1 played my cards quite ruthlessly, /
gathered in the reward. / got your letter.
handed 1t to my husband Your career
was finished. my husbands begun"
This is most interesting Julien NUT
tered.
rs it?" she answered. II supnose II
should have been an hour of triumph
with me. 1t simply isn't 1 have come
| to place In my life which / don't un-
derstand. When l told myself that 1t was
over, that / had f1irted with YOU. that
had won your friendship and your conf
dence. betrayed you. ruined YOU for a