Man and Maid

I suppose my voice had taken on a tone of emotion--I was thinking of

Miss Sharp--Alathea--that shall be her name always for me now--.

"Nicholas!" Nina exclaimed--"My dear boy, of course you are in love!"

"And if so?"

Instantly I became of more value to Nina--she realized that she had lost

me, and that some other woman drew me and not herself--and although Nina

is the best sort in the world and more or less really in love with Jim,

I knew that a new note could grow in our friendship if I wished to

encourage it--Nina's fighting instinct had been aroused to try to get me

back!

"Who with?" she demanded laconically.

"With a dream--."

"Nonsense! you are much too cynical--Is it anyone I know?"

"I should not think so--she has not materialised yet."

"This is frightfully interesting, my dear old boy!"

"So you think I'll have a chance then?"

"Certainly when you are all finished."

"My new eye is to be in before Christmas, and my new leg after the new

year, and my shoulder gets straighter every day!"

Nina laughed--.

"Real love would be--I suppose--if you could make her adore you before

you looked any handsomer!"

And this sentence of Nina's rang in my ears long after she had gone, and

often in the night. I could not sleep, I felt something had happened and

that fate might be going to take Miss Sharp--Alathea--from me--.

* * * * *

And then before morning in fretful dreams I seemed to be obsessed by the

cooing of love words between a woman and a child--.