Man and Maid

"I made so bold as to leave the young lady our address before we left,

Sir Nicholas, in case she wanted to communicate with us, and she writes

now to say, would I be good enough to ask you if you took with you

Chapter Seven, because she cannot find it anywhere."

Then he went on with evident constraint to tell me that the rest of the

letter said that while she was working on Friday a "Mademoiselle la

Blonde" called, and insisted upon passing Pierre who answered the

door--and coming in to her--("It was Mam'zelle of course, Sir Nicholas!"

Burton snapped!) And that she had demanded my address--but Miss Sharp

had not felt she was justified in giving it to her--but had said letters

would be forwarded--.

"I hope to goodness that the baggage made no scene with the young lady,

Sir Nicholas," Burton growled--"Of course she don't say in the

letter--but it's more than likely--I would not have her insulted for the

world."

"Nor I either," I retorted angrily--"Suzette ought to know better now

that I have given her everything she wanted--Will you let her understand

please that this must not occur again--."

"I'll see that the lawyer does it, Sir--that is the only way to deal

with them persons--though Mam'zelle was the best of her sort. Seems to

me Sir Nicholas, they are more bother than they are worth. I said it

always, even when I was younger--They leave their trail of trouble where

ever they go."

How I agreed with him!

So here was a fresh barrier arisen between Alathea and myself!--a fresh

barrier which I cannot explain away. The only comfort I get out of the

whole thing is that imperative necessity must have been driving my

little darling--or she would not put up with any of these things for a

moment, and would have given her demission at the same time as she

wrote.

If money is so necessary to her--perhaps after all I could get her

consent to marry me--The very thought made my pulses bound again--and

all my calm flew to the winds! All the sage reasoning which was

beginning to have an effect upon me evaporated!--I knew that once more I

was as utterly under the spell of her attraction, as the moment when my

passionate lips touched her soft reluctant ones--Ah! that thought! that

memory--One I have never let myself indulge in--but now, all resistance

broken on every side,--I spent the rest of the day dreaming about the

joy of that kiss--until by night time I was as mad as a hatter, and more

full of cruel unrest than ever--.