Evening star., 1938-03-20
Aogoziss Ssetios

IN moment eVeIyUlc III Ile IOOdA was d~dIc
that he was deeply hurt.
THAT was unkind of you, Mrs. Burgess"
he said, bowing in funny quaint way, and
got up and left the room.
1t was old Mr.. Burgess who, getting up
slowly. said. You've hurt his feelings, my
dear; III 60 and speak to him."
To Connie the worst part of this disastrous
affair was the behavior of Andrew, who at
once apologized for his friend IN deprecating,
testing way that seemed to her mean and
cowardly. Why was it that only three weeks
ago that same attitude of his to his friend had
seemed to her amusing and jolly? Instantly.
with this, she felt number of other things; he
was selfish; she saw in fash of vision how
many, many times on this journey Egbert had
fetched and carried for him and received small
thanks. She saw now why Andrew needed his
friend - first, to assist his laziness, secondly,
to act as foil to his brilliance and charm.
She found herself, later that morning,
standing beside Egbe1t on the side of the boat
away from the town, looking at the rocks of
ebony that rise from the river like paleolithic
monsters.
'I:xas rude this morning, he said. Il must
apologize. was hurt - stupid to let oneself
mind"
Il don't think 50" she answered warmly.
Il should like to apologize to you, MI. Terry.
We haven't meant any harm. any of us, but
one is happy and one becomes careless. l ad
mire 50 much your patience and self-control."
He looked at her then with gratitude that
made her still more deeply ashamed. Il was
always comic, clown" he said. Il have
wanted to live in another world that could
never quite reach and 50 have never put my
self onto terms with this one"
''You have done so much for Mr. Clynes,"
she answered him.
Il have done him some harm, he answered
fiercely. That the penalty you often pay if
you care for some one. l thought too much of
his need of me; he mustn't need me any more.
l wish to be needed - it's a weakness have"
He gave Mrs. Burgess that afternoon lit
tie present; he made charming apology. That
he was really very queer became to every
one on board a still more certain conviction.
But of his queerness Connie could not as
sure herself. 1t was possible that she herself
was becoming with every hour more queer.
What did one mean by queerness? A sudden
shifting of your gaze as though you were
standing before mirror that Unexpectedly
wheeled to another angle? Her angle was Ger
tainly altering. Egbert Terry, for instance: he
no longer seemed to her moogth or disheveled;
his linen was clean, and if his hair wasn't very
neatly brushed, there was something in the
roughness of the lock that fell over his brow
that beftted him; it was right and proper for
the kind Of man he was. And the odder he
became to the rest of the ships company. the
less odd he became to her.
The evening before they reached Abu-
Simbal she learned with shock how far this
particular journey had taken her. Mabel
Burgess had an intimate little conversation
with her: Mabel was affectionate and con-
gratulatory. CongTatulatory about what?
"Oh, dear, oughtn't to say but everyone
can see with half an eye Andrews devotion
and you seem to like him."
Comics first movement was one of indigna-
ton; what right had any one to thrust this
upon her? And then she knew that Mabel was
trying to be kind and was startled by the
change in her own feelings since only fort
night ago. With fash of self-knowledge she
knew that she had left Andrew behind.
She saw the Colossi at quarter past six the
next morning She saw them first as dim lines
on slabs of rock, she saw them secondly as