The Kingdom Round the Corner

ed. The car commenced to bump. The girl-driver applied the b

cheerfully; "I expect you feel at ho

somehow blither and more young than in London. Clouds flew high; everything was riotously spacious. Scattered through the vivid stretch of landscape ivy-covered houses stood squarely in their

," he laughed; "it chooses caref

ng will it take to put right, Prentys?-- Then we may as well walk and let you overtake us. I don't think we're more than a mile from Old Windsor. We'

abs asked as they trudged

o lent me the c

! I suppose he's one of the dug-ou

." She spoke defensively, with a certain resentment. Tabs was quick to detect the s

ern. "I am inconsiderate. I never though

wonder why?" Aloud he said, "Not a bit. But I ca

strips of paper. The putty had perished in places, so that some of the panes were on the point of falling out. Nevertheless, it had a brave look of carrying on triumphantly, for tulips and crocuses were springing neat as ever from

e little face cushioned in her hands. "You see I'm training myself

g, if everything happens for the best? If it were true, it would give us the license to be as flabby as we liked-w

peace of mind-probably you'll see

ou even tell

sie Lockwood fo

ent! Why for

ie Gervis once and Maisie Pollock before that; there mu

hat this composed imp of a girl, who could look so immensely the young lady when she liked, was playing a sly

's what makes people forgive her everything. She starts each day afresh-it really is a new day for her, with no old hates or griefs or dreads to drag her down.

ell, according

e never quite sure how you ought to address her. Even now one's liable to make a mistake. To-d

as ended. It was in order that it might be better that so many men had not come back. And this was the kinder world-a world in which men, saved from the jaws of death, met the girls they had loved as strangers, in whose presence, if they were to avoid offens

be of any help--" He broke off, for a voice inside his brain had started talking, "You're old. That's exactly the way in which her father speaks to her." Was it her

rry; the situation's too serious. Let me have the facts. How does she come by all th

her voice, "Oh, Tabs, I can't bear that you should be cross with me. You've been disappoint

ic débris of dishes-- As it was he leant across and assured her earnestly, "I'm not cross with you, my dearest girl. I'm-- Terry, how is

at's what I keep doing, barking my shins in the dark, tryin

t I miss most," she said prese

kind of Judgment Day. It's rememb

f the memory was unbearable. "But don't be hard on people who have a right to be young and who want

th her." He spoke more sh

postulated. "That was how she met her s

him; she's not in your class-a woman

that?" Terry shot upright on her chair,

nd uncertain of his ground. "You as good as said that she wouldn't

," she cut him short. "The

calculation as to how long could ha

added. "She was married to the f

a cigarette? Three husbands in four ye

rld's so full of unmarried girls. And they were every one of them more or less famous-the kind of men of whom any woman would be proud. You'll remember Pollock-Reggie Pollock; he was one of the earliest of

me of her third marriage. It was headed A Conscientious War-Worker or something like that. A

zing at him intently. "Was it something b

said, pinching out his cig

e affirmative. "I don't know about its being true. After all, she made three men happy before they went W

"An awful woman! Insatiable! A Lucrezia

hing-what hidden reasons they have? And yet we're always so eager to condemn! I wanted to be the first to let you know about Adair because you always us

t you see what it is-why it is that I don't condemn? I'm so sorry for them-so sorry for you, for myself, for everybody. It hurts me here, Tabs." She laid her hand against her breast. "We all want

nated by some lurement of dishonor kindred to Adair's. He put the thought from him as preposterous and disloyal. Yet it recurred. Ever since they had met she had been talking curiously-talking

had turned her back. Then it dawned on him why she was standing; he was between the door of escape and herself. He stepped aside. As she moved eagerly for

on't blame me if I simply can't understand. Though I never become any more to you than I

fled from him, leaving hi