Evening star., 1935-12-15
Magazine Section

GJGo. 4IC Nco hANSt WI AANN' AAN hcA
held out against her for bit, but she
had won.
The following days made palmer the
extent of her winning. Nigel Raynor
was obviously at her feet. He was
marvellous companion. He knew such
lot of things. He read her poetry she
had never heard before. He sat cross
legged on the piano stool, and played
carelessly, his long slender fingers find
ing the tunes for themselves while he
talked to Sandra over his shoulder.
Together they won most of the games
they entered.
Together" said Nigel, looking
down at her gravely, Il fancy we
would win anything"
She was dressing for dinner the night
before the ship reached Marseilles
when she came to sudden standstill.
On the bureau lay her letter to Berke-
ley. For four days she knew she had
practically forgotten Berkeley. Slowly
she drew chair towards her and sat
down. The time had come to think.
She leaned her head on her hands, a
triflc bewiIdered. And as she sat there,
a curious thing happened to Sandra.
She remembered running along the
cliffs of the Isle of Wight one day last
summer, with Berkeley, and coming
abruptly to place where the cliffs had
fallen away. Three hundred feet below
them lay the sea. She could see the
rocks, jagged and cruel, as she had
seen them then. She felt again Berke-
ley's hand on her arm; she heard his
voice, swift and anxious: Take carer
She looked up with start. 1t was
almost as if he had spoken. A funny
thing to happen to anyone, far out at
sea. She stood up and lit cigarette. OF
course there was nothing serious in
this affair. She was just amusing her
self, having bit of fun. But all the
same, she hadn't written to Berkeley
for ages.
All contrite she thought, "I'll write
him tonight. won't go and dance at
ALL"
She would slack off bit with Nigel
No use going too far, even with bit of
fun, and she knew in her own heart
that, just as he had predicted, he was
proving more apt pupil than she had
expected. She smiled a little. Dear
Nigel, he was rather nice, and she who
got him would be lucky girl. But she,
Sandra. did not really want him, and it
would be unkind to lead him on too
far. Tomorrow. in Marseilles. where
the ship berthed for night, she would
make up party, so that there could
be no question of his taking her off
alone.
So Sandra planned diligently, and
spent the entire evening dutifully writ
ing to Berkeley, and felt all was we'll
with the world. Only it was little odd
that she never once mentioned Nigel's
name in her letter.
Nigel said, Where are you staying
in Marseilles tonight. Sandra?"
She stood at the head of the gang
way, her suitcase beside her. I'm GO
ing ashore to look around"
Let me give you lift" He was his
old impersonal self again this morning
AS if. because she had let him out of
her sight for one evening, he had for
gotten all about her. Suddenly, it
struck her, she was taking the affair
more seriously than he did, and that
would never do.
'Of course you may, Nigel"
He tucked her into waiting car.
They drove through the maze of the
docks. then turned up side road and
made for the coast.
Sandra said, Where are we going?"
You are coming to Bandol with
me-"
She looked at him, wide-eyed. But
Nigel I'd arranged to lunch with
the Barnett girl and her mother, and