Man and Maid

"I should think so."

Then something seemed to strike her suddenly, of how hateful it must all

have been for me. Her hard expression changed and she almost whispered: "It--will seem like a new life."

"I mean to make a new life, if you will help me. I want to get away from

all the old useless days. I want to do things which are worth while."

"Shall you soon go into Parliament?"

"I suppose it will take a year or two, but we shall begin to pave the

way directly we go back to England, and I hope that will be for

Christmas."

She avoided looking at me. I could never catch her eye, but her adorable

little profile was good enough to contemplate, the crisp curl by her ear

delighted me, and another in the nape of her neck filled me with wild

longings to kiss it, and the pearly skin beneath it!

I think I deserve great praise for the way I acted, for the whole thing

was acting. I was cold, and as haughty and aloof as she was herself, but

I used every art I knew of to draw her out and make her talk.

She is such a lady that she fell into the stride and spoke politely as

if to some stranger who had taken her into dinner at a party.

At last we talked of the Duchesse, and we discussed her interesting

character, such a marvel of the ancien régime!

"She is so very good and charitable," Alathea said, "and has always a

twinkle in her eye which carries her through things."

"You laugh sometimes, too?" I asked with assumed surprise. "That is

delightful! I adore the 'twinkle in the eye,' but I was afraid you would

never unbend far enough so that we could laugh together!"

I think this offended her.

"Life would be impossible without a sense of humor, even if it is a grim

one."

"Well, nothing need be grim any more, and we can both smile at the

rather absurd situation between us, which, however, suits us both

admirably. You will never interfere with me, or I with you."

"No--" There was a tone in this which let me feel that her thoughts had

harked back to Suzette.

"The Duchesse is going to have a little tea party for us on Saturday,

you know, so that you may be introduced as my wife."

Alathea became embarrassed at once.