'Do you know that you are going ahead at a frightful pace?' she asked.

'Why should I waste time? My time is my life. It's all I have. Any fool

can make money when he has wasted it and really wants more, but no

power in heaven or earth can give me back an hour thrown away, an hour

of what might have been.' 'I'm sure you must have learnt that in an English Sunday school! It's a

highly moral and practical sentiment! But what becomes of the

imagination?' 'Oh, that's the other side,' Logotheti answered, laughing. 'Never do

to-day what you can put off till to-morrow, for if you do you'll lose

all the pleasure of anticipating it! And the anticipation is much more

delightful than the reality, so you must never realise your dream, if

you mean to be happy--and all that sort of thing! But if reality knocks

at my door while I am asleep and dreaming, and if I don't wake up to

let it in, it may never take the trouble to knock again, you know, and

I shall be left dreaming. I don't know about the Sunday school maxim

being moral in all cases, but it's certainly very practical. I wish you

would follow it and come with me to the East--you and Mrs. Rushmore.' 'You mean that if I don't, you'll never ask me again, I suppose?' 'No. That was not what I meant.' He looked steadily into her eyes till

she turned her head away. 'What I meant was that you might be induced

to give up the idea of the stage.' 'And as an inducement to throw up my engagement and sacrifice a career

that may turn out well--you have told me so!--you offer me a trip to

Constantinople!' 'You shall keep the yacht as a memento of the cruise. She's not a bad

vessel.' 'What should I do with a steam yacht?' 'Oh, you would have to take the owner with her,' Logotheti answered

airily.

'Eh?' Margaret stared at him in amazement.

'Yes. Don't be surprised. I'm quite in earnest. I never lose time, you

know.' 'I should think not! Do you know that this is only our second meeting?' 'Exactly,' replied the Greek coolly. 'Of course, I might have asked you

the first time we met, when we were standing together on the pavement

outside Madame Bonanni's door. I thought of it, but I was afraid it

might strike you as sudden.' 'A little!' 'Yes. But a second meeting is different. You must admit that I have had

plenty of time to think it over and to know my own mind.' 'In two meetings?' 'Yes. Surely you know that in France young people are often engaged to

be married when they have never seen each other at all.' 'That is arranged for them by their parents,' objected Margaret.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024