Poppy

master's wrath. Once the words "key" and "gate" came floating up the staircase and reached Poppy where she lay on her pillows, as she had lain until dawn, staring at the walls an

ty from Abinger's fury and tyrannical questioning; and not

" she repeated monotonously to all demands, un

her heart had suffered, the anguish of humiliation and defeat had all passed. She felt nothing. She thought of nothing. Only sometimes as she lay there star

least some mechanical resemblance of herself; so that when Kykie once more pounded upon her do

ious, and what do y

and some delicately prepared sandwiches; in the meantime, she unfolded the tale of her woes to the girl's unhearing ears. Luce had beaten her best kitchen boy, and he had run away, so tha

wanting to know what's the matter with you. Promise to come down to din

said Poppy dully. "What i

said that I or the boys ought to have found out and looked for the key in his room and locked it. Me! Me that is on my weary

e. Go away now, and see abou

e old woman took up Poppy's hair-brushes and approached the long ruffled plaits of h

are touch my hair again

indignant Kykie. She grabbed her t

ty in his glance as it swept over her. The same peculiar quality was in it that had troubled her at their last dining together. Only now she did not notice i

until she had partaken of one of the hors-d'?uvre. And when the soup appeared, he waved hers away and ordered an entrée to be brought at once. The wine flew into Poppy's cheeks and

Only I didn't sleep much

f this infernal

gether and added more calmly: "I like the place, Luce-and

uriously

e other day, Poppy ... we'll change things. You could go out if you want to ... we

ery day. I mean to write. I will write a wonderful book. Surely people who work hard are happy in a way, aren't they, Luce?" Her voice

oing to hurl a barb at her, but he onl

are the kind of girl who will live the won

opposite gave a sad long look into h

are terrible, Luce," s

e from the t

ke in the gar

from him, staring vaguely

o-night, Luce. The drawing-room,

g. There is something

se-clad arms to them. She went straight to one she knew well, and dropped into it, laying her cheek against the cool, shiny chintz. Close beside her was an open window, and Abinger came and stood in it, his face in profile to her, staring out into the

hat I was unprepared. I hadn't had time to think out what was the best plan for you-for us. Of course, you know-it was very well for you to travel all o

aid she vaguely, from

shed me before I had been able to decide what was best to do, and

nted penitence, would have murmured

unting to people-women particularly-for the

" she echoed faintly

who can tell them, and expect a satisfactory

to you, starving and ragged and beaten; I couldn't bear anyone knowing that ... but they could

k that would

l. But I believe it is not unheard of for a girl to

ear girl, there is one thing you

is t

be a dog with

to go out into Durban and meet men and women no longer burned within her. In her present state of weariness she be

ld commend me to the good ladies of South Africa as th

sat

ith ribald shouts of laughter by all the men who have the pleasure of my acquaintance, an

ck in her chair with her hands before her face. She thought

she sof

stly live in Johannesburg and we don't, we won't worry about them. There are others there too, who are only in the grey, or one-coat stage, and I've no doubt they would extend a claw of welcome to you, if you'd like to go and live up there. Durban is another matter altogether. This, I must tell you, is a city of the highest moral rectitude. The whitewash is within, as well as without. It flows in the women's veins.

air now, her eyes shin

must put the matter right. I do not wish to know these women, but I do not choose that they shall

he turned it up high, and she saw that he was smiling-a smile none the less unlovely because

our living any kind of social life here, unless you are prepared to let everybody know the real state of affairs. When everything is known it will be a simple affair for you to t

ok was of

e? You have been at great pains to te

xpression on his own that she found arresting too, and she said no m

ear voice, "do you remember the old Fr

expression reverted to

, too. And how you stormed at each other in French for about twenty

ded, as she threw herself back impatiently in her chair. She wrinkled her brows

to have a young girl living in your house without her parents, and that he wished you to make a solemn set of promises to him to the effect that you would be a good friend and guard

mber that

t is the use of this tiresome repet

emember going back into the dining-room to t

i' whenever you told me to, and some words after him once. It was then you gave me this r

wouldn't think of depriving you

you have gon

g, Poppy. When we stood before the pr

e said contemptuously, "you are developing

I remember being exceedingly annoyed about it at the time. But I have come round since then." As he went on, Poppy ceas

a meaning, "I have begun to find the fact th

g up from

on't want to hear any more about it. I refuse to listen." She turned to go, but he c

talking nonsense? Kykie was a witnes

is not true. She has

notice if she did. Further, as you are so very hard to convince, Pop

s her. But she had suddenly sunk back into the big

y. "Say it is not true! say it is no