He received this with discreet lack of melodrama of tone.
"You mustn't do that, Mrs. Lawless," he said, "or I shall burst
into tears myself. I am a sensitive creature."
"Oh, DO say 'Feather' instead of Mrs. Lawless," she implored.
"Sometimes you said 'Feather'."
"I will say it now," he answered, "if you will not weep. It is an
adorable name."
"I feel as if I should never hear it again," she shuddered, trying
to dry her eyes. "It is all over!"
"What is all over?"
"This--!" turning a hopeless gaze upon the two tiny rooms crowded
with knick-knacks and nonsense. "The parties and the fun--and
everything in the world! I have only had some biscuits and raisins
to eat today--and the landlord is going to turn me out."
It seemed almost too preposterous to quite credit that she was
uttering naked truth.--And yet--! After a second's gaze at her be
repeated what he had said below stairs.
"Will you tell me exactly what you mean?"
Then he sat still and listened while she poured it all forth. And
as he listened he realized that it was the mere every day fact that
they were sitting in the slice of a house with the cream-coloured
front and the great lady in her mansion on one side and the
millionaire and his splendours on the other, which peculiarly
added to a certain hint of gruesomeness in the situation.
It was not necessary to add colour and desperation to the story.
Pages:
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78