Man and Maid

"Shall we not begin work now," she suggested--and I demonstrated my

first lesson in self control by agreeing, and we did not talk again

until luncheon time.

"If you don't mind we shall go to the little café by the lac," I

said--"and then afterwards we can find another place and work

again--Burton will have had my wheeled chair brought down there, so we

can choose a decent spot in one of the bosquets."

She nodded slightly--Now that it was not to help my moral regeneration

she did not intend to talk any more, it seemed!

As we got into the fiacre I slipped in the slightest degree, and caught

on to her arm--It was bare to the elbow in the little cheap cotton

frock, and as I touched the fine, fine skin, that maddening feeling came

over me again to clasp her in my arms.--I pulled myself together, and

she got in beside me. She has a darling tiny curl which comes behind her

ear, slipped down probably because her hair is so unfashionably

dressed--None of Suzette's "geste," nor even the subtle perfect taste

of the fluffies.--It is just torn back and rolled into a tight twist.

But now that I see her out of doors and in perspective I realize that

she has a lovely small figure, and that everything is in the right

place. I had told Burton to order the nicest lunch he could think of in

that simple place, and our table under one of the umbrellas was waiting

for us when we arrived.

There were only four other people there besides ourselves, and a few

came in afterwards.

I had forgotten my bread tickets, so Miss Sharp gave me one of hers. She

had relapsed into absolute silence. The only words she had uttered as

we came down that avenue from The Trianon to the lac were when I

exclaimed at the beauty of it--I judged by her mouth that she was

admiring it too--and she said softly-"For me, Versailles is the loveliest spot on earth!"

My mind flew then to the thought of what it would be to buy a really

nice house here and spend the summers--with her--for my own--. I found

myself clutching at my crutch--.

I tried to make conversation at lunch. There is nothing in the world so

difficult as to keep this up when you are nervous with interest, and the

other person is determined not to say a sentence which is unnecessary. A

chill crept over me.

Burton turned up in time to pay the bill and put me into my chair.