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Anna the Adventuress

Page 57

"Mr. Brendon," she said, "if I could ask for advice, or borrow money

from any one, I would from you--there! But I cannot. I never could. I

suppose I ought to have been a man. You see, I have had to look after

myself so long that I have developed a terrible bump of independence."

"Such independence," he answered quickly, "is a vice. You see to what

it has brought you. You are going to accept a post as chorus girl, or

super, or something of that sort."

"You do not flatter me," she laughed.

"I am too much in earnest," he answered, "to be able to take this

matter lightly."

"I am rebuked," she declared. "I suppose my levity is incorrigible.

But seriously, things are not so bad as you think."

He groaned.

"They never seem so at first!" he said.

"You do not quite understand," she said gently. "I will tell you the

truth. It is true that I have accepted an engagement from Mr. Earles,

but it is a good one. I am not going to be a chorus girl, or even a

super. I have never told you so, or Sydney, but I can sing--rather

well. When my father died, and we were left alone in Jersey, I was

quite a long time deciding whether I would go in for singing

professionally or try painting. I made a wrong choice, it seems--but

my voice remains."

"You are really going on the stage, then?" he said slowly.

"In a sense--yes."

Brendon went very pale.

"Miss Pellissier," he said, "don't!"

"Why not?" she asked, smiling. "I must live, you know."

"I haven't told any one the amount," he went on. "It sounds too

ridiculous. But I have two hundred thousand pounds. Will you marry

me?"

Anna looked at him in blank amazement. Then she burst into a peal of

laughter.

"My dear boy," she exclaimed. "How ridiculous! Fancy you with all that

money! For heaven's sake, though, do not go about playing the Don

Quixote like this. It doesn't matter with me, but there are at least a

dozen young women in Mr. Earles' waiting-room who would march you

straight off to a registrar's office."

"You have not answered my question," he reminded her.

"Nor am I going to," she answered, smiling. "I am going to ignore it.

It was really very nice of you, but to-morrow you will laugh at it as

I do now."

"Is it necessary," he said, "for me to tell you----"

"Stop, please," she said firmly.

Brendon was silent.

"Do not force me to take you seriously," she continued. "I like to

think of your offer. It was impulsive and natural. Now let us forget

it."

"I understand," he said, doggedly.

"And you must please not look at me as though I were an executioner,"

she declared lightly. "I will tell you something if you like. One of

the reasons why I left Paris and came to London was because there was

a man there who wanted me to marry him. I really cared for him a

little, but I am absolutely determined not to marry for some time at

any rate. I do not want to get only a second-hand flavour of life. One

can learn and understand only by personal experience, by actual

contact with the realities of life. I did not want anything made

smooth and easy for me. That is why I would not marry this man whom I

did and whom I do care for a little. Later on--well then the time may

come. Then perhaps I shall send for him if he has not forgotten."

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