The Fighting Chance

ctically over; he had become too bulky during the last year to endure the physical exertion; his habits, too, had at length made traitors of his eyes; a half hour's snipe-shooting in the sun,

id not experience any particular sense of deprivation in the prospect. Only the wholesome dread caging. But Mortimer, not yet done with self-indulgence i

cars agreed with him only when driving with a pretty woman. Forced through ennui to fish off t

of his financial secrets, blandly dodged the pressing invitations to rum and confidence, until Mortimer sulkily took up his headquarters in the reading-room, on the chance of his

rrall. What information his pretty wife might have extracted he did not know; her income had never visibly increased above the vanishing point, although, like himself, she denied herself nothing. One short, lively interview with her had been enough to drive all partnership i

reticent puzzle; Rena, Katharyn, and Eileen tormented him; Marion Page, coolly au fait, yawned in his face. There remained Sylvia, who, knowing nothing about his species, met him half-way with the sweet and sensitive de

body except him was impatiently cordial for the event; and so, at the little house party, he slipped and slid from every attempt at closer quarters, until, rolling smoothly enough, he landed without much discomfort so

n, displayed certain warning notices perfectly comprehensive t

ormant desire for a general review of the situation with his wife-perhaps even the furtive hop

he point-shooting at dawn. For not only was there to be no point-shooting for him, but he had risen fro

n company. Irritated, bored, he had perforce sulkily entered the elevator and passed to his room, where there wa

d of slow thoughts; he stood at the rain-smeared pane, fat fingers resting on the glass. The richl

thought of Beverly Plank, and his own failure to fasten himself upon that anxiously ov

r came from his wife's bed-chamber. He listened; the maid was still there; so he sat down in the darkness

ed ponderously and jauntily to his

her hair was coiled for the night, her pretty f

matter?" she

int-shootin

to chat

iston, after breakfast, with Be

to you," he re

h an assenting gesture, turned away into her room;

ite foot half concealed by the silken toe of her slipper. And as he pulled a chair forward fo

said, "why c

rupted, indicating her d

hted her own from a candle and settled back, studying the

ade a quick, disdainful sign of caution, which subdued his voice instantly. "Why can't we take him up-tog

up," observed his wife serenely. "I can

re clubs where he

such matters

he insisted sullenly. "There

ed Mrs. Mortimer,

ew observations; but I could, if I cared to.... It becomes you to be civil at l

passed over her face. "

be of use to me.... I discovered him before you did, anyw

wha

nding with you, I said,"

arette into the grate. "O

t th

what

e to stand behind him this

d t

eggar can show his g

e asked l

us; and even if he climbs, he can't ignore us. I can do as many things for him in my way as you can in yours.

ed, bending her head and pleating the lace

ered Mortimer. "And you mean he'll squeeze

eating her lace wi

. It's a perfectly plain business proposition; we can do for him in a couple of winters what he can't

e said under

is it s

tled

nto a benevolent society

t to, Roy," sh

y n

there nervously pleating the fra

ly quiescent attitude had emboldened him to a bul

his: "I-rather like h

" he burst out, mask off, every in

You da

ll yo

dare

pendulous lip hanging, he stared at her from distended eyes, realising that he had

ars, made any outward pretence of conjugal unity they alone knew. The modus vivendi suited them better than divorce: that was apparent, or had been until recently. Recently Leila Mortimer had changed-become subdued and

a sudden snarl: "You'd better be careful

ed under t

tinued venomously, "how

ked calmly, "that I am a

, with that understanding, he had not been at all careful of his own behaviour, neither had he been at any particular pains to conceal his doings from her. His alarm increased. What had he against her, after all, except ancient suspicions, now so confused and indefinite that memory itself outlawed the case, if it ever really existed. What had

alking about?"

I mention

I say. You'd stand as much chance bef

," she said coolly,

Leila! And keep this hard-headed Dutchman for yourself, if you feel that way abo

ged to say, her disgus

ardly cursing his blunder in stirring up a sleeping

Once he drew out a memorandum-book and stood under a lighted sconce, studying the figures. His

ife was going to strike such attitudes in the very face of decency? Cer

ur was three o'clock in the morning. That discovery, however, only appeared to increase his thirst. He opened the hall door, prepared to descend into the depths of the house and raid a sideboard; and as he thrust hi

his excitement he stepped half-way into the corridor, th

he breathed to himself, and sat down

it, glued his eyes to the crack, in time to catch

came conscious of a definite idea. It took shape and matured so sud

t the devil ever put it into my head?... And there are men I know-women, too-scoundrelly

clothes with a sudden shiver;

h milder emphasis. "Blackm

muttering something incoherent

, lights breaking out from transoms, the thud of rubber-shod heels, the rattle of cartridges from the echoing gun-room. For the guests at Shot

cious of the stir and movement before dawn; and it was only when a maid told her, as she came from her bath, that she rememb

seat of a Mercedes, and Beverly Plank climbing in beside her; and she watched Plank steer the big machine across the wet lawn, while the machinist swung himself into the tonneau; and

freedom from restraint; liberty to roam about, to read, to dream, to idle, to remember! Ah, that was what she needed-a quiet i

cool fruits; to loiter over cream-jug and cereal; to saunter out into the freshness of the world and breathe it, and f

re on the hearth. And here, at the fragrant hearth of the world, she stood, sweet and fresh as the morning itself, untroubled gaze in

ing her rounded arms skyward in the unaccustomed luxury of a liberty which had become the naively unconscious licence of a child. The poise of sheer health stretched her to tip

scending path she knew full of rocky angles, swept by pendant sprays of blackberry, and then down under the jutting rock, south through thicke

timer peeped forth, followi

iangle of rock, which rolled clattering and ringing below; and as she sprang lightly to the sand, a man, lying f

o his feet, still dazed, the sand running from his bro

she asked briefly. Then, frank in her disappointment, she lo

with the others?"

ank disappointment in her face penetrating his surprise; and now he

titude and confused by it; "wait a moment,

said quietly; "quite v

Siw

en I give you the privilege of knowing me better than anybody ever knew me-of seeing me as I am, with all my faults, my failings, my impulses, my real self? ...I don't know why the pleasure of being a

. I meant n

you have no right to hear.... After last night"-the vivid tint grew in her face-"after such a n

er; the answering colou

hy?" he as

not a r

reason-for

she had meant to do her drifting alone in still sun-dreams, fearing no w

nnot go-now," she r

I can, a

o dig in the sand wi

you

ou come blundering into my private world and upset my calculations and change my intentions! It's a

said, looking

very selfish

that," he said

erself on the sand and ca

you like to be called

shall do no

It is goo

"You see what you've done, don't you?-saved me from an entire morning wasted in sentimental reverie over what might have been. Now you can appreciate it, can't you?-your wisdom in appearing in the flesh to save

d her to a gay audacity, which for the instant extinguished i

"that you also aroused

can't you

me the n

lly-"a weak plagiarism on what I conveyed very wittily. Yo

ttle drifted sand dune he found a place for himself; and while she watched him indignantly,

rd!" she br

azily, and closed his eyes; and neither taunts nor jeers nor questions, nor

ts, vague as the fitful breeze, arose, lingered, and, like the breeze, faded, dissolved into calm, throug

oated about her, settling over her, entangling her in unseen meshes, so that she stirred, groping amid the netted brightn

amed on awake, unconscious of the tinted sea and sky which stained her eyes to hues ineffable. A long while afterward a small cloud floated acro

how long she did not know, she did not heed-until, stirring, he looked up; and she p

up gravely, pouring the last handful of

eam?" he as

es

u dream

happen," she said. "You

ve... and that we

ing deeply into hers-a close, sweet caress, a

n you make it so hard for me? Ho

he repeat

I cannot hope to be more to you-w

t dare,

ds in hers, flushed, trembling, unstrung. "I cannot-I simply cannot! How can you love me and listen to such wickedness? How can you still care fo

t," he said, "until you

withdrawing her hands from his, and f

other reason," sh

hesitated, and-"My ha

es

them i

ou-cer

k I may

ly, "you lost one fig

en with me to face it with you; and if the pity of it, the grief of it, killed me, I would take that chance-if you loved me through it all.... But there is something else. Hush; let me have my say while I find the words-something else you do not understand.... Turn your face a little; please don't

w! and now! I don't know-truly I don't know what I may become. Your love forces my hand. I am displaying all the shallowness, falseness, pettiness, all the mean, and cruel and callous character which must be truly my real self.... Only I shall not marry you! You are not

eavily, densely gold, and the white nape of her neck, and the tiny close-set ears, and the curved softness of cheek and chin; every smoot

ever it was, material, spiritual, was gone now, and where it had glimmered for a night, the old accustomed twilit doubt crept in-the same dull acquiescence-the same uncertainty

id in a dull voice

her lovely face and heavy eyes. "But I hav

o," he sa

ope so, y

nd-pipers whirling into the cove like a gray s

ong breath: "Then it is

eived none; and perhaps she was not awaiting i

, yawned impatiently and glanced about him for the most c