Man and Maid

"Do you ever write--I mean write on your own?"

"Sometimes."

"What sort of things?"

She hesitated for a moment and then said as though she regretted having

to speak the truth.-"I write a journal."

I could not prevent myself from replying too eagerly--.

"Oh! I should like to see it!--er--I write one too!"-She was silent. I felt nervous again--.

"Do you put down your impressions of people--and things?"

"I suppose so--."

"Why does one write a journal?--" I wanted to hear what she would

answer.

"One writes journals if one is lonely."

"Yes, that is true. Then you are lonely?"

Again she conveyed to me the impression that I had shown bad taste in

asking a personal question--and I felt this to be unjust, because in

justice, she would have been forced to admit that her words were a

challenge.

"You explain to me why one writes journals, and then when I presume upon

the inference you snub me--You are not fair, Miss Sharp--"

"It would be better to stick to business," was all she answered--"will

you dictate, please?"

I was utterly exasperated--.

"No, I won't!--If you only admit by inference that you are lonely, I say

it right out--I am abominably lonely this morning and I want to talk to

you.--Did I see you at the Duchesse de Courville-Hautevine's on

Wednesday last?"

"Possibly."

I literally had not the pluck to ask her what she was doing there.

However, she went on--.

"There are still many wounded who require bandages--."

That was it! of course--she was bringing bandages!

"She is a splendid woman, the Duchesse, she was a friend of my

mother's--" I said.

Miss Sharp looked down suddenly--she had her head turned towards the

window.

"There are many splendid women in France--but you don't see them--the

poor are too wonderful, they lose their nearest and dearest and never

complain, they only say it is 'la Guerre!'."

"Have you any near relations fighting?"-"Yes"-It was too stupid having to drag information out of her like this--I

gave it up--and then I was haunted by the desire to know what relations

they were?--If she has a father he must be at least fifty--and he must

be in the English Army--why then does she seem so poor?--It can't be a

brother--her's is only thirteen--would a cousin count as a near

relation?--or--can she have a fiancé--?!