Poppy

lesome, without any colour on her cheeks, her good looks effectively di

ng how she could have so little vanity as to a

e. As a matter of fact, Sophie's vanity was so great, that it never occurred to her that she could appear unlovely to anyone-even in her unpainted morning hours. Her resentfulness was roused entirely by rea

oolly. "You look all right. A little pale, but,

Dish

ons of her looks. To anyone's. As she stood there in the little black muslin gown she always wore to

ct of another two or three days'

s littered up with parcels of books and magazines he has sent you. I couldn't think what excuse to make for his not seeing you, for, of course, he thinks you live here, so I

on to disguise her fee

me sick!" she sa

that you would meet Bramham sometimes, and if he likes you,

ps, that might have been only an exc

een kidding you, I suppose, and you d

y at last, in her soft, low voice. "Your mind must

stretched her well-shaped arms above her head until

not to want to meet nice fellows when you ge

Bramham's, which were clumsily bunched in rows on the m

y have to do with you

don't come to Africa with the idea of entering into the holy state of matrimony. When they do marry, it's quite by accident, and the girl

ul?" Poppy's tone was one of poli

white face and thin figure," she retorted, addi

d carelessly t

I would not drink with my mouth full.' I am quite willing to believe anything you like to tell me about your conquests, Sophie; only plea

ent, as though she was shutting in the light of the world and regret

d, for the boys had taken his luggage to the station and seen him l

at Father Eugène was still alive, and that by writing to the Jesuit Monastery in the Transvaal she could at any time ascertain the simple truth. The rest of the letter was written in a strain of casual indifference, that Poppy found singularly reassuring. His attitude appeared to be that of a man rather bored with the subject because it bored her; but, facts

ces. You may have as many friends as you like, and I will allow you five thousand pounds a year to entertain them and yourself upon. In making the matter public, no painful details need be gone into. All that is necessary is that you give me permission to make the truth public. Tell me when you are ready to assume the title

future. That future looked a land all shadows and gloom, whatsoever pathway she chose to take towards it. The simplest thing to do seemed the most desirable; and surely it was simplest just to let things stay as they were! She would tell Luce Abinger that her choice was to let things remain as they had

for this she asked for everything. For no woman finds peace until she has tasted of all the pois

ng through the dreary days. But the young have a great capacity for suffering, and she had forgotten how very young and strong she was, and how hot the blood ran in her veins. After a day she

im quite that time. The thought of the long respite from his presence was a great relief to the girl, and by unconsciously lifting a little of the strain from her mind helped her to come back the sooner to her normal

secret exit, and then she remembered Sophie Cornell, whose image had quite faded from her memory. It occurred to her that she ought to visit her self-impose

osing such times as would be safest to make entries and exits through the little opening in the passion-flower house. In the early mornings she knew well that wild horses might pass through Sophie's garden without her knowing or caring-and again, under cover of darkness it would be simple to slip through unseen. She told Kykie that in the future she always desired dinner at six-thirty; and Kykie,

e would go, catching little pictures between the trees, at windows, and through open doors-sometimes an exquisite little vision of a mother romping with her children and kissing them good-night; or a husband standing back with a critical cock to his head to get a better view of his wife's new gown, or the way she had done her hair. She never stayed for the kiss that would come after the verdict, but flew swiftly on with her eyes suddenly hot and teeth set in her lip. Other sights were amusing: a face contorted a

ines and flesh-potters. Times her heart came into her throat and tears scalded her eyes, and she

r prowl the veldt lean and f

he devil might be observed in every house lighting the fires to make the pots boil. The remark seemed to have lost some of its original point in translation, but it still bore an air of significance, and came singularly to hand once or twice, startling Poppy to the thought that Paris and Durban

the clank of dinner plates. But if sound attracted her, Poppy was not deterred by gates or gravelled paths. With a fleet foot, a sweet tongue, and an excellent i

ollowed her so persistently, that she was driven at last to the expedient of walking under the glare of a street lamp with her shoulders humped and her skirts held high eno

ch, only to discover that she was afflicted with a painful sniffing cold-ab

h a most grand air and tell him to send her a rickshaw when he reached the main road, as she was in a hurry and could not wait for the car. The minute he was out of sight she would scud down a side street. But upon this occasion a rickshaw was so close at hand that she was obliged to take it and boldly direct

d a smell she was familiar with, from daily contact with Sophie and sheets of MSS. This

f laughter and the flavour of smoke came to her through the trees, or

's heart seemed to her to be lying very still in her breast. As she walked over

"Has my soul forgotten what I did to it, and how I found it only

the play, and little intimate remarks about people were flung freely to her upon the night wind. But her ears heeded nothing, for she had a companion who singularly engross

te gate which was full under the light of the lamp. A man descended, turned, and held out his hand, and a woman stepped daintily down. She was a thin, slim woman, wrapless, in a black satin gown with silvery sleeves. She looked as interesting, though not as wicked, as the Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith. In the lamp-light her hair, which was dark brown, appeared to have seven red lights in it. Her face wa

illy-Bill?" said she. "You would be good

e man, who looked as though he had never

nded when he bl

life, he can't convincingly imply to the woman h

al fell t

you always carry along on to

ary would want too much of a deuce of a

cried Mrs. Portal, laughin

waited to receive it. As it passed Poppy,

to go with you-and to take me too,

a weary way, than a horse-litter,' you know. But it

wed at the thought of his nearness. Now she knew that it was Destiny who had walked with h

tood still, the man called Billy came forward and put out his hand to the woman in the rickshaw, and she regally descended. The watching girl, through eyes dim with jealous pain and anger,

ippling waves of yellow chiffon. Her hair rippled and waved too, and shone in masses on her

for a play?" asked the sullen-

y. "So full of introspection and

spection," was the ready answe

re speaking to the bearer, a powerful Zulu, as he paid him, asking if he had found the pul

co

ed the others in, but he stood still. He stood still, with a yello

me think of poppies?... God! I cou

shadows where Poppy stood, watching him with both hands on her heart. T

ome to dark,