Man and Maid

When we had finished our task she rose--.

"If you don't mind, as it is Saturday I have promised Burton"--and she

looked at him, seated on a chair beyond earshot enjoying the sun--"to do

up the accounts and prepare the cheques for you to sign--. So I will go

in now and begin."

I wanted to say "Damn the accounts"--but I let her go--I must play the

tortoise in this game, not the hare. She smiled faintly--the third

smile--as she made me a little bow, and walked off.

After a few paces she came back again.

"May I ask Burton for the bread ticket I lent you on Thursday," she

said--"No one can afford to be generous with them now, can they!"

I was delighted at this. I would have been delighted at anything which

kept her with me an extra minute.

I watched her as she disappeared down towards the Reservoirs with

longing eyes, then I must have dozed for a while, because it was a

quarter to five when I got back to my sitting-room.

And when I was safely in my chair there was a knock on the door, and in

she came--with a cheque-book in her hand. Before I opened it or even

took it up I knew something had happened which had changed her again.

Her manner had its old icy respect as of a person employed, all the

friendliness which had been growing in the last two or three days had

completely departed. I could not imagine why--.

She put the cheque-book open, and handed me a pen to sign with, and then

I signed the dozen that she had filled in, and tore them off as I did

so. She was silent, and when I had finished she took them, saying

casually that she would bring the corrected chapter typed again on

Tuesday, and was now going to catch her train--and before I could reply,

she had gone into the other room--.

A frightful sense of depression fell upon me--What could it possibly

be--?

Idly I picked up the cheque-book--and absently fingered the leaves--then

my eye caught a counterfoil where I had chanced to open it. It was not

in Miss Sharp's handwriting, although this was the house cheque-book

which Burton usually keeps, but in my own and there was written, just

casually as I scribble in my private account.--"For Suzette 5000 francs"

and the date of last Saturday--and on turning the page there was the

further one of "For Suzette 3000 francs" and the date of Monday!!