Nogales international., 1932-06-15
First InstaIrnent
Il was intensely not.

III was intensely IlOt-
la the bic. sorlberiy furnished con
sujting room, its blinds drawn closely
against tie midday sun which poured
down on Harley Street, there seemed
hardy 4 breath OF ali.
A girl sitting at the table, idly turn
ing the pages of an illustrated paper,
p,shed her chair back with sudden
ifnpatience.
"Fow much longer is he going to
keep Us waiting, | wonder? It's dis
graceful, asking anyone to wait III a
Iettial chamber like this"
The large overdressed woman in the
armchair on the other side Of the room
roused herself with sigh of regret
froul a doze which the heat and too
large and too late a breakfast had
brought upon her
Tin sure it's a very nice room,
she said vaguely.
"Nice" The girl flashed her con-
tetnptuous look ANY place is nice
to you as long as you can sleep in
It," she said rudely.
Tie large woman sighed again; her
oaIv protest against life was sigh,
ard she had long since grown accus-
tc,ned to her niece'S disrespect.
@The furniture must be most va1u-
able" she said again in the same vague
way.
The oirl glanced round the room
with a frown.
Furniture which fools like us have
paid for" she said irritably. q don't
know why we're here at all. There's
nothing in tie world the matter with
me-"
Mrs. Gladwyn began tanning her
pI2mp flushed face with a daily paper
which had been lying disregarded on
her lap.
Six months ago you weighed nearly
hundred and twenty-five" she said
without much interest. To-day you
weigt-ninety eight, is it? At any rate,
you have only to look at yourself in the
glass to see that you're wasting away
to complete shadow without any
adequate reason for it, unless" she
paused, and family malicious smile lit
her sleepy eyes" unless you're in love
again" she added.
The girl turned another page of
the magazine before her with an angry
little flick.
Il don't believe in love-" she said
sharply.
Diana's further answer was checked
by the opening of the door and the
appearance of maid.
eff you will please come this way,
Miss"
Bodily weakness, mental unhappi-
ness, and never ending fear that she
was about to lose the only thing she
had ever really wanted in life.
1t was these things that had kept
her obstinately in London when every
one else was away at the sea, or on
the rloors, or down in the country
At twenty-five the only thing in the
world which Diana really desired was
another woman's husband.
Diana, a little nervous in spite Of
herself, entered the top mans con-
Suiting room.
He was big and rather clumsy look
ing, with grave steady eyes and mouth
that looked as if it rarely smiled.
II did not smile now, but his eyes
seemed to pierce through all the brav-
cry of her carefully Redeemed lips and
makeup, right down through her ar
tificiality to the trembling weakness
of her.
Diana said nothing-she felt as if
an ordinary greeting would be wasted
on this man. She just stood and
looked at him with an unconscious ap-
peal in her eyes, till he said quietly:
wont you sit DOWN."
He indicated chair close to his own
and facing the window, so that the
Light fell full on her face.
Diana obeyed, her hands clasped in
her lap, and her heart beating in a
queer, frightened manner.
He seemed to realize this, for he
said more gently:
Don't be frightened. I am not go
ing to eat you"
She flushed scarlet through all her
pai1or, and her eyes grew angry.
Speaking to her as if she were a silly
child with a cut thumb.
She gave a little high-pitched laugh.
sY'm not really i'll. | feel rather
a f,urnbug coming here at all, but my
aunt insisted. I've got rather thin, you
see-but then, | was always thin. It's
the bot weather, think, and | don't
sleep very we'll London's always
rather trying at this time of the year,
don't you think? We generally go
away, but this summer"
She broke off, feeling suddenly very
young and foolish and hating herself
"That was brandy, suppose"
mo"
He kept away from her a moment,
then, seeing that she had raised her
self and was half sitting, half leaning
against the cushions of the couch
where he had placed her, he came back
and looked down at her steadily.
t He ignored that.
Cor il. It seemed SO long since she