Evening star., 1923-07-11
tContinued from yesterday

"a
YOU will excuse us. Ledsam? We
shall not be gone long"
! They moved away together. toward
the shrubbery and the door In the
wall behind. Francis resumed his
seat.
Are you not also curious to pene-
trate the mysteries behind the wall,
Mr.. Ledsam?" Margaret asked.
Not so curious but that l would
much prefer to remain here" he an
sswered.
| with me?"
{ She knocked the ash from her
icigarette She was looking ,di-
rectly at him, and he fancied that
there was a gleani of curiosity in her
beautiful eyes. There was certainty
a little more abandon about her atti-
tude. She was leaning back in a cor
;ner of her high backed chair. and her
gown. although it lacked the daring
,of Lady Cynthia's. seemed to rest
about her like a cloud of blue-gray
:smoke.
What a curious meal" she muir
injured. Can you solve puzzle for
me, Mr.. Ledsam?"
! II would do anything for you that
] could" he answered.
Tell me, then, why my father
asked you here tonight? I can un-
derstand his bringing you to the
opera. that was just a whim or the
moment, out an do"
savors of deliberation: Studiausly
polite though you are to one another,
one is conscious all the time of the
hostility beneath the surface"
II think that so far as your father
is concerned, 1t Is part of his peculiar
disposition" Francis replied. You
remember he once said that he was
tired of entertaining his friends
that there was more pleasure in hav-
sing an enemy at the board"
Are you an enemy, Mr. Ledsanl
Sshe asked curiously.
He rose a little abruptly to his feet.
ignoring her question: There were
servants lowering in the background.
viii you walk with me in the
gardens" he begged. "Or may take
you upon the river?'
She rose to her feet. For "a mo-
ment she seemed to hesitate.
"The river, I think" she decided.
''Will you wait for three minutes
4 some punts moored to the landing
! stage there in the stream. I like the
very largest and most comfortable"
Francis strolled to the edge of the
stream and made his choice of punts.
Soon q servant appeared with his
! arms full OF cushions, and a moment
or two later, Margaret herself.
wrapped in an ermine cloak. She
smiled little deprecatingly as she
picked her way across the lawn.
Don't laugh at me for being such
a chilly mortal please" she enjoined.
"And don't be afraid that am going
to propose a long expedition. i want
TO 60 to a little backwater in the
z next stream"
She settled herself in the stern and
they siided down the narrow thor
oughfare. The rose bushes from the
garden almost Tapped the water as
they passed. Behind: the long low
cottage, the deserted dinner table. the
smooth lawn with its beds of scarlet
geraniums and dropping lilac shrubs
In the background. seemed like a
scene from fairyland, to attain per-
fection of detail unreal, almost
ITO the right when you reach the
river, please" she directed. You
will find there is scarcely any cur
rent. We turn up the next stream
: There was something almost mys-
terious, little impressive, about the
broad expanse of river into which
they presently turned. Opposite were
woods and then sloping lawn. From
house hidden in the distance they
heard the sound of a woman singing.
They even caught the murmurs of
f, applause as she concluded. Then
there was silence. only the soft CUR
: Cling of the water cloven by the punt
: pole. They glded past the front of
1 fhe great unlit house, past another
i. strip of woodland, and then up mar
row stream.
ITO the left here" she directed.
sand then stop
They bumped against the bank.
. The little backwater into which they
had turned seemed to terminate in a
bed of lilies whose faint fragrance
almost enveloped them. The trees
on either side made little arch of
darkness.
please ship your pole and listen."
Margaret said dreamily. Make your
self as comfortable as you can. There
are plenty of cushions behind you.
. This is where I come for silence.
Francis obeyed her orders without
remark. For few moments. speech
seemed impossible. The darkness
, was so intense that although he was
acutely conscious of her presence
but the barest outline of her form
was visible. The silence which she
had brought him to seek was all
around them. There was just the
faintest splash of water from the spot
where the stream and the river net.
the distant barking of a dog, the
, occasional croaking of a frog from
; somewhere in the midst of the bed
of lilies. Otherwise the silence and
the darkness We're like a shroud.
His hands, which gripped the sides
of the punt. were hot. The serenity
of the night mocked him.
SO this is your paradise" he said,
! She made no answer. Her silence
seemed to him more thrilling than
words. He leaned forward. His
hands fell upon the soft fur which
encompassed her. They rested there.
Still she did not speak. He tight
/ ened his grasp, moved further for
ward, the passion surging through
his veins, his breath almost failing
him. He was SO near, now that he
heard her breathing. saw her face, as
5 pale as ever. Her lips were a little
/ parted. her eyes looked out, as 1t
seemed to him, half In fear. half in
! hope. He bent lower still. She
I neither shrank away nor invited him.
"Dear" he whispered
Her arms stole from underneath the
cloak, her fingers rested upon his
. ehoulders. He scarcely knew whether
IT was a caress or whether she were
/ holding him from her In any case
Z it was too late With little sob
! Of passion his lips were pressed to
( hers. Even as she closed her eyes, the
scent of the lilies seemed to intoxi-
{ cate him.
I He was back In his place without
conscious movement. His pulses
{ were quivering, the passion singing
In his blood. the Joy of her faint
J caress living proudly In his memory.
It had been the moment Of his life,
and yet even now he felt sick at
heart with fears. with the torment
of her passiveness. She had lain
thrill of her body. some quaint in
spiration had told him that she had
had not wholly failed. Yet his anx-
. tety was tunultuous, overwhelming.
Then she spoke. and his heart leap
ed again. Her voice was moro nat
nral. 1t was not a voice which he
had ever heard before.