Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-08-05
CHAPTER Is

be important" and went away again.
"Will you excuse me, Dayne?"
Keith tore the envelope open, glanced
at the massage and then handed it to
Eustace. 1t read:
VIII you come to US as soon as con-
venient stop Felicia very eager to see
YOU. Denise.
Eustace said: Are you going,"
Keith nodded.
Eustace laid the cablegram down
carefully on a table, said quickly
"There was more l meant to say, but
now it is not necessary, perhaps" and
went out of the room without any
good-by.
On that narrow strip of beach be-
tween the chalk cliffs, Denise lay
quiet after swimming, drew lines and
curves and geometric patterns with
pebble on the hard sand, and let her
thoughts run. Felicia had gone to
London to meet Keith Sheldie, would
bring him down in time for dinner.
1t was almost two months since Gil
bert had sailed, and since Felicia had
said: 'I want Keith to come here.
You must help me-"
And she had said firmly: "I'l do
nothing of the Sort"
Not all Felicia's arguments and
persuasions moved her from that re-
fusal-and Felicia knew it-but an
idea in her own mind: a growth of
the thought she had told Gilbert in
Russia in the spring: "Untl I do
something to solve that situation, that
situation will possess me-"
She would let Keith come then;
and when she saw him, she would
know what she thought, what she
meant to do. Gilbert's undoubted dis
approval did occur to her, but did not
seem important measured against the
necessity to know her own heart at
last. When she decided, she was as
dexterous as Felicia could have been,
in convincing her father and mother
that to let Keith visit them was de-
sirable.
Denise waited with an impatience
no less than Felicia's, after Keith
cabled, Sailing in fortnight just as
soon as sling is off arm," and then
cabled his sailing date.
But she was determined no one
should guess her impatience, least of
all Felicia. She and her sister swan
together, rode together, talked as light
ly as in their very young girlhood.
But they never talked about anything
in their thoughts.
Except once. Felicia said: Denise,
are you glad you married Gilbert"
Naturally"
"'You really dislike me nowadays,
don't you'
''How intense you are Felicia! I
expect it's because you've been i'll,
and aren't your self yet"
Felicia did not try again after that.
Stubbornly Denise told herself: 81
shall do as I want, and not let anyone
know that I want anything: Perhaps
I don't want anything, except to con-
vince myself that can get my own
way as we'll as other people can get
theirs"
The shadows of the chalk cliffs
were lengthening across the blue
water. She must go up to the house
dress, and be ready to welcome Keith
to her husbands house. She repeated
to herself: "My husbands house" And
suddenly she was ashamed. Gilbert
had treated her rather too well for her
to think of treating him as carelessly
as-as she might now.
Her pink mouth stiffened. Even
Gilbert had said, 'You have no hard
ness in you," meaning no strength,
only his phrasing was slightly more
polite. Well, they should all see.
She walked up to the house through
the level sunlight on the downs, and
found her parents in the garden, look
ing worried, as if modernity was toe
much for them. When she kissed
them both, her mother said: "Denise
you're a comfort"
All, she might not always be &
comfort! Was it worth it, after all
to hurt people, to be ruthless in fol
lowing ones own desires How coulc
she tell, she who had always been SC
easily diverted from hers
She dressed slowly, and heard voice:
in the garden, before she was finished
Felicia's voice, high, sweet, eager
And Keith's-Keith's! She though