Poppy

se sand, and ran her hands restlessly in and out of it, making little banks about her. She was wondering if she wou

there was a pale primrose d

every few yards and watching the hole fill with water afterwards. She carried the tail of her white-linen skirt under her chin, and her feet

st méchant,

sourire

'à ton c?

e en plac

came slowly sauntering up the beach to where she sat. Poppy recognised Mrs. Portal. Mrs. Porta

rsaken by your lover," she said. "Why aren'

my lover is gone?" sa

"I thought I was the only sun-worshipper in Durban," she remarked, as one continuing an ordinary

it must be lovely at night, too. I was thinking that I s

darkly, "or an awful thing will happen to you

Mrs. Portal burst out laughing. "You have done it already?

her," sa

n't give one away." Mrs. Portal plugged her stick deep in the sand and made a suppo

keeps on smiling. I suppose it's becau

y: the longest-not

mischief in

ingle hours of m

o modest all the whi

tal repr

young and good loo

old and ugly?" laughed Poppy.

nite. You don't grow in the cabbage garden. O

dash of both sunshine and sorrow about the eyes and lips. She screwed

st méchant,

es yeux vifs

ent dans l

aux et par

the face beside her she saw in it no signs of any mean content with life. There were fine cobwebby lines around the eyes and mouth, and a deep one between the

ot shameful ones. She wears the

had seven red lights in her hair, which was always extraordinarily t

loving what is lovable and sweet, and gent

hing they could find to say of her was t

en, and was kind to all wo

found a place in her heart for Poppy Destin, too. She was touched by

so much to hide behind those lovely eyes!" A line fro

ooked on all the world; and th

ke Monna Lisa, she herself had the hands of that Mo

be your friend,"

a little sore too, for her friendship was more often sought than proffered, and never before had she known a repulse. She could not know that the girl before her felt honoured as never in her life before, and was filled with gratitude and affection. But Clementine

last. "Poor child! doesn't she know an enemy from a fri

eantime, while they gazed before them to where the risen sun was tr

got up from the san

shaking her skirt into shape. "Heaven meant me to roam the deserts and run in the woods; but Fate laid u

r; but her laugh en

has its drawbacks, too!" said sh

l shows on the first and last Fridays of the month, and you will find the best kinds of turnips and cabbages in my drawing-r

own, thin hand an

lind

d gone a little way, she ran afte

ou would call

ortal's circle of friends, and she had heard from Sophie Cornell that the chief of these was Mrs. Capron. Mrs. Capron! That was the name in which he had bidden her good=bye, speaking in his drunkenness or delirium, she knew not which. Mrs. Capron, the splendid, milky creature, who had been with him in the rickshaw, and whom Poppy had so clearly recognised! Would she, too, recognise Poppy? The girl was not so certain now of the impro

e had put on a white gown that was all simple lines and soft laces, and she really looked very young and girlish, but she hated her appearance when she thought of those two charming-looking women of the world with their eloquent clothes. What

these vile, purple shadows?-and holes in my cheeks? I never had them before!" She burst into tears, a

to take off that tight frock and put on a nice c

nocking." Poppy made occasion to fling a towel over her hat and gloves

nse; and Poppy, unused to such blandishments, stared at

he comes back, if I hav

enly sickened

any right over me or my health!" She could have struck the leering smile from

being married?" she said in a toneless voi

needn't look at me like a mal-meit!... I'm going now ... I wouldn't stop with you another minute when you look like that ... you and Luce are a nice pair for temper ...

neither the first nor last Friday in the month, nor yet Sunday afternoon; but she had not come for so

French cap and apron, showed her into a drawing-room that was full of the scent of flowers, with open windows and dra

you last night. Poppy, I have a feeling that you and I

Before she realised it, they were seated together in a deep lounge just big enough for two people, and a pile of cushions with cool, dull-toned surfaces, talking like friends of long standing. Mrs. Portal was quite

ings that went unnoted by the every-day man and woman. Being Irish, she was packed full of superstition, but, fortunately, a strong vein of common sense counterbalanced it. As for her humour, that most fatal gift in a woman, it sometimes resembled a fine blue flame, that scorched everything in reach; and sometimes, to the consternation of the conventional, was the rollicking wit of a fat and jolly Irish priest addicted to the punch-bowl. She had a wonderful way of attracting confiden

ith new sorts of trees growing by the wayside as one passes along.... I hate the modern woman's book, b

ly," said the girl. "I know so little of l

e discovered that the world is full of sawdust, and the people stuffed with s

ver thought

into glory in a novel. But no such man exists. He died when the sons of God saw that the da

wonderful pictures on the walls, or valuable china in cases. Only a few well-arranged native curios, a good piano, and the kind of things people from home gather about them when they are sojourning in a foreign land. As Poppy followed to the tea-table, her eye c

-Mrs. Capron. Mrs. Portal tu

le thing is that she is good, too. That is remarkable, isn't it? I'm sure i

Poppy, still before

nd, Mrs.

r name writ

t friend, and so she is allowed to ca

felt suddenly happier, for now she could follow the dict

tly and a little figure stole into t

d love you," sa

ou been doing?" Mrs. P

nd shadows, and the same grave-gay mouths. There, however, all resemblance ceased. The child's physique consisted of a

ke you," she r

ething very wicked, Cinthie. You alw

hie, now gazing

ook about dinner; do forgive me for five minutes, dear; Cinthie will look after y

gone Cinthie made a

s bigger t

carefully; then looked at Cinthie's wi

aps it is!"

inued Cinthie, even more bragf

nd surprising questio

think I am mar

married to the moon, and the moon's married to the sun, and the sun's married to the sea, and the sea's married to

a space into the lilac eyes. She then carefully selected a long streak of her own h

aid. "I like Karri better'n anyone, except

ri a ma

isn't that funny? One's Karri and the

oom, grabbed a frame from a table,

d, and dumped it

to the pictured face

rtal re

I'm very angry with you. I knew you had been doing s

id Cinthi

w, to the nursery. I'

ted, bitterly

as petite mé

the photograph

he hero of us all. Everyone in this

he name of the idol before

nal point of beauty with Cinthie-to have a big face. Well, Evelyn Carson's face is not

d continue to talk upon this subject; and Clem, looking dreamily at

imes asks us why, and our ears sometimes hear the untoward things that are not

Poppy, in an

son has been a marked man, watched by the Secret Service, and his every action and every word reported, with the result, of course, that he has said and done many daringly foolish things, and nearly been deported over the border once or twice. Fortunately, there are more interesting places than the Rand, and there is always a rumpus going on in some quarter of Africa, and he has been in all the rumpuses of the last fifteen years-Uganda-Matabelel and-anywhere where there was anything in the wind and where real men were wanted. He's earned the V.C. a dozen times, though he'

ept her voice so calm while h

ywhere with him. He has gone on a peaceful expedition into the midst of one of the fiercest tribes in Africa to barter or bargain for Concessions that will eventually extend the Empire by sixty thousand square miles, and add a country crammed with coal and iron and ivory and a dozen other lovely things to the pink part of the map. And he has gone without even official permission, so that if he succeeds-why, hurrah! for the Union Jack and everything under it! And if he fails-only another reputation buried in an African grave! No one will care a rap, and everyo

n gone with him?" Popp

sailed with him as far as Mombassa, and Mrs. Capron declares they will accompany him inland, too, until he dr

answered. Darkness engulfed

er. He had a frightful attack about six weeks before he left; he was found raving in a rickshaw one night, and for nearly a fortnight afterwards was practically delirious. However, no sooner was he out of danger than he took up his preparations again, and in spite of the d

Clementine, roused from her reverie by the

ave been wandering on, about all the things that interest me!...

es. Clem came with her through the garden, and they stood for a moment with the low double gate between them, bidding each other good-bye. Mrs. Portal

ou will need courage, resolution, and silence ... those are a woman's greatest friends in this w

. For a moment she clung to the older woman's hand like a child afraid; then they parted. Poppy walked away through the vapoury, delicate l