The Career of Katherine Bush

about eleven o'clock on the Monday night of the return journey. "I don't know how I shall bear it, but you will write every day, w

d against his shoulder, so that he could not see the expre

have had a divine time, and I shall never forget it. But i

ter the three days of perfect bliss they had enjoyed-and, of c

just let him kiss her as much as he desired without speaking a word, and then she arranged he

suggestions, as lots of girls might have done with her limited experience of these transitory affairs. She had accepted the situation as frankly as a savage who had never heard that there could be any more binding unions. He really did not know how he was going to stand a whole month of separation, but perhaps it was just as we

riend for months and months, and he would rush back from Wales the moment he could break from his family, and seek solace in her arms-he would have got himself in hand again by then, so as not to do anything stupid. He always meant to be very,

commanded, wishing, like all lo

entrated feeling in her face which startled him.

ow how much. I do not suppose I will ever reall

in drew up a

indeed when, half an hour later, Katherine sped through the suburban roads to Bindon's Green, alone in the taxi. Lord

peared an impossible tedium. She had mastered all the shades of what three days of most intimate companionship with a gentleman could mean, and the memory contained no flaw. Algy's chivalry and courtesy had never faltered; she might have been a princess or his bride, from the homage he had paid her. Dear,

he handle of her little valise. She was trembling. She had insisted upon his keeping the fur-lined coat for

chkey, and she crept up to her little icy chamber under the roof, numb i

bedroom at the Palatial! And once she had not

e tears gathered in her eyes one by one, and she sobbed uncontro

dered. But her face was set like marble, and there was not a trace of weakness

atters while she sewed up a rent in the skirt which Ethel, the youngest, would presently wear to the school "for young ladies" which she daily attended. This, the most youthful Miss Bush, meanwhile sat in a

Matilda for her part could not see why Fred had insisted upon hav

insisted, things had to be d

She had not asked to be born among them! They were completely uncongenial to her, and always had been. It was obviously ridiculous and illogical then to expect her to feel af

"the greatest old fool living," and

all appeared now to the u

cup down with a grimace. "It is no more like French coffee than Ett

brother just younger than herself, demanded, with one of his bright flas

h interposed, stopping for a moment his bicker with Gladys. "Mabel stron

subsided into a chuckle of laughter. He was the reco

n throwing down the gauntlet to her, it remained lying there. She did not even answer Mat

ificant the word "before"

preparatory to starting. She did not tell Gladys that she would be late if she did

dining-room, she

g, please. I'll have one every day-Make out how much i

d. "Why, it is only October yet. No one ever has a fire until November,

ne retorted. "I want it, and so I shall have it. I

arguing. She had not lived with Kathe

rvant to clear away the breakfast things, when they had all departed to the West End, where

way, and Fred has got this idea, too, but nothing like Kitten's! Ho

adventures of aristocratic villains and persecuted innocent governesses and actresses, and felt she, too, had a link with the great world. She was a good sound Radical in what represented politics to her, so she knew all aristocrats must be

nce in the train-where he man?uvred to meet her every morning-r

newal of the loan to Lord Algernon Fitz-Rufus-the old Marquis would b

sudden short laugh-it was quite mirthless and s

ull lisp, too taken off his guard to be

ng to pay, of course,

ur she deliberately read the papers. She had trained herself to do one thing at a time, and the moment for reflection would not come until she could be undistur

ing to her sanctuary. The maid-of-all-work was not a talented fire-lighter and objected to criticism. Kat

at we are all equal! Why can't she do

indling soon produced a bright blaze, and when she had rem

Thus, obviously, all connection with him must be broken off at once, or her career would be at an end, and her years of study wasted. Even if he offered to marry her she could never take the position with a high hand. There would always be this delicious memory of illicit joys between them, which would unconsciously bias Algy's valuation of her. She had learned things of consequence which she could not have acquired in any other way, and now she must have strength to profit by them. She utterly despised weaklings and had

ed themselves. Not that she wished to dawn once more upon his horizon as a polished Vere de Vere-but that for her own satisfaction she must make herself his equal in all respects. T

stupidity and vanity," she told herself, "a

t her, so that aspect did not appeal to her as it would have done to an ordinary woman who is ruled by emotional lov

. She gloried in the fact that she had had the courage to taste of life's joys for experience, but she would

liberation and iron will. She truly believed that such experiments were extremely dangerous, and on no account to be adopted as a principle of action in general. The straight and narrow path of orthodox virtue was the only one for

that she should never be hampered, in h

in the Morning Post for information, and then endeavour to secure some post as companion or secretary to some great lady. There she would pick up the rest of the necess

omen in England," she told herself, as she

owed herself to go over the whole of he

te! How easy were his manners; he was too sure of himself, and his welcome in life, ever to show the deplorable self-co

years! But even now in her moment of fierce, passionate first love, which in her case was so largely made up of the physical, her brain was too level and speculative not to balance the pro

ss bitter-Never any more to feel his fond arms claspin

the climb, her heart at all events must turn t

it. If she had held out and drawn him on, no doubt she could have been his wife, but it was only for one second that this thought agitated her. Yes, she could have been his wife-but to what end? Only one of humiliation. She was not yet ready to carry off such a position with a certainty of success; she knew she was ignorant, and that the knowledge of such ignorance would destroy her self-confidence an

er, after tramping the wet roads r

he fell asleep w