Capricious Caroline

and assurance of some enormous bird, Camilla Lancing

he looked back every now and then

asked once; and Mrs. Lancing o

elightful,"

untry through which they were passing was very open; in a degree bleak. On one hand marshland and rough common ground, and on the other the beach inl

the sky and sea seemed to meet, but her sigh was an unconscious tribu

eing carried away from all that constituted life to her at other times; from excitement and pleasure and anxiety, from

ushing of the incoming and receding water making a musical accompaniment to the humming sound of the motor. Then they passed from the coastline, and th

sy tint; but as the sun vanished this warmth went also, and now the lan

to gather ahead of them. To Mrs. Lancing's imaginative eye this mist took th

quishing his place to the chauffeur

that this road will put us back an hour or so. It was foolish of me to come this way, for

securely about his guest, despite her protestations

isposed of the rough ground with an air of superb ind

s she was tossed up and down occasionall

s the effect motoring has on me! It engenders a heavenly sensation of irresponsibility. I

ers she wore a stole of the softest sables; there was a small cap of sables on her brown hair, and she had tied the brown gauze veil she wore in a cunning bow under her chin. A knot of white flowers that Rupert Haverford had given her at

orry, otherwise I don't think it matters. Agnes said she would expect us when she saw us. Fortunately"-Mrs

swered this

dinner, I am thinking entirely of you. This is the first time you have ent

asked Camilla Lancing; there was the

ord la

t one never knows what is waiting for one round the corner." Then he half rose and looked a

he flock of birds had melted away, and the white velvety film floated about them like smoke.

ancing sp

done my duty I should have insisted on driving back with Agnes, though she declared she did not want me; but it is so nice not to do one's duty every now and then. Did you ever hear o

powerful lamps. By now they had passed completely into the embrace

back with the others," Mrs. Lancing murm

eyes, that even through the mis

impatient contraction of her brows moved almost imperceptibly nearer to him; she arranged her veil with her small, white-gloved hand, and then left it lying for an instant on the o

cing bit

he was only a very straightforward, practical, in a sense, simple-minded man, who, like an explorer, was advancing step by step into an unknown world, meeting and mingling every day with elements that were not only new to him, but that belonged to a range of things about which he had never had occasion to think hitherto. Camilla hersel

m the various men who fluttered in and out of her life as the sun is from the earth; but she had little discrimination. With her it was never a question of character or quality; fundamentally she decreed all men were alike, strong in

d accounted for her wide popularity; there was something so disarming, so delightful about Camilla Lancing. Beauty alone would never have given her a quarter the power she possessed; it was her ready interest

ately fashioned nature, and

aw of Rupert Haverford, the more necessary

ued her; he annoyed he

feelings tow

ribly afraid of making a mistake. I am sure his money oppresses him. He must have been ever so much ni

, so silent, so dull, he was exceedingly good to look at. Old-fashioned, or rather out of the fashion

car moved on cautiously through the cold whit

on, but at the present moment it was the most exquisite, and the most real

ancing had elected to return with him. But this very fact-the fact that this woman, who had been charming herself into his inmost thoughts of late, was alone with him

hile; "if we can only get off this road and tur

face; the fog made everything damp; her ve

nhill now," she s

inly on a downward grade, and the progress was not ple

what lay around and ahead, bu

their seats, and Mrs. Lancing gave a little exclamation of alar

he said; and Rupert Haverfo

rather interested him, as he had commenced to make a study of the mechanism of his various cars, and knew pretty well ho

this moment. With a reassuring word to his guest, Mr. Have

Mrs. Lancing began to wish heartily enough that she had done her

shed; that spell of delicious forgetfulness was swept away, and th

ith the chauffeur, Mr. Hav

cheerily a

in this gloom. I wonder if you would mind sitting here a little while I go and find

g shook asi

uch rather go, a walk will warm me up, and I shall feel so

t, Rupert Haverford felt his heart stir a little. So he supposed other men fe

t a brisk pace

l sufficiently cold and raw to make them shiver, though they were so warmly clad. Indeed, Mrs. La

rew her arm more c

reature. The unconscious claim that she made upon his strength and protection moved him to tenderness

, perhaps we shall be able to get back to Yelverton in time for dinner, after all. It must be somewhere about half-past four now. I am afra

tly; and she nestled a little closer to him.

in which the lights of the one shop-a post off

the car away from the road. He amiably consented to lend his trap to drive Mrs. Lancing to the nearest station, distant about three miles, and when this was ar

ed under the body of the car, from whence he

n all the assistance possible. This done, he lifted Camilla Lancing into the tall cart that was used to dispense the goods from the stores, and they started for the station. To exchange the luxurious armchair of the motor for a hard, slippery seat where balance was most difficult, over a rough country road, was not the most delightful experience in the world; but Camilla lau

s is quite a cosy place; perhaps I will go to slee

d her re

icate bloom. He stood looking at her with a kind of frown on his face for a moment, but he said not

as he went out a

tter of a passing gaiety. Naturally these delightful moments were followed by spells of reaction, when her volatile spirit would sink to such depths of depression t

was staying and a very old friend) had

mpression on her," she had said. "However hardly she is flung about, however sharply she may seem d

fatigue and disappointment memory forced open the

st go back to town-back to the practically impossible task

her now as she recalled them. She opened her eyes after a time and sat watching Haver

l he cares for me more than I have ever been cared for before, then the next moment he chills me; he almost frightens me. He is so reserved, s

lf. Other women (so she pondered) had such ease in their lives; she knew

m fretful generalities to the practical outlook, to the immutable fact that two and two made four for most people, but in her case required six to be satisfactoril

y found some loophole of escape, some tiny thread which, with the ingenuous ingenuity of a child, would be weaved, b

e. He watched her awhile as she sat thinking so inte

you home, Mrs. Lancing; I am sure you must be thoroughly tired out. If I might prescribe for you," he add

red with quic

we are going to play bridge to-night. You never play," she said

d; "a question of habit, I suppose. There was

almost crossly. Then her tone changed. "Let me teach you bridge, it would be such fun! And I don't

only shook

ste your time. I sha

h and sparkle fade out

e other day how good you were, that you would never speculate, or bet, or g

ad sat apart and watched her as she had been playing cards the night before, the expression of her delicately pretty face had g

poke very little during the journey to the junction, w

kstall. There were any amount of papers at Yelverton,

f fretfully; "he is a real 'bourgeois.' Why does suc

compartment, and, as Haverford opened the door for Mrs. Lancin

ht of him, but if she had intended to retreat, this intention was frustr

thought of meeting you, Mrs. Lancing? I'm just home from Yankee land, and

xplained the situation, a

ourne looked kee

all that tin the other day, is it? Stuck up

he other two talk. He was seeing Camilla now in a

jargon she seemed to enjoy it. Her eyes grew bri

n used some slang herself, though it so

e unexpected meeting with Broxbourne signified to her, she responded instant

rne had gone on ahead, she slipped her hand co

have known him all my life, we are sort of cousins," she added; and then she laughed. "Well, after all, it is lucky Si

; but this she vetoed. In fact, she had no d

you will not leave me. And you must n

ield to this argument

one, however. They were rat

at all the rest, but her voice had a shrill tone; or p

he left Mrs. Lancing and Sir Samuel chat

red, and he wanted to be alone. It was

at them mechanically, then he threw them down and strolled to and fr

a while, Haverford was staring into the

Harper," he said; "I shall go to town by

n. The first he opened was written on shabby paper

before, and had bee

Sir,"

e was a little accident yesterday when she was out driving, and she was much alarmed. I am gla

faith

ine Gr

at this letter shall