The Sixth Sense

Y-AND

atch the fury of a disappointed woman

ch was another. In great measure the glory had departed from the house-boats, every one poured into the town by train or car, and the growth of ad hoc riverside clubs

pleasant, assiduous orchestra that neither ate nor slept in its zeal to play us all the waltzes we had grown tired of hearing in London. A Mad Hatter's luncheon started at noon and went on till midnight. Any passing boat that liked the "Desdemona's" loo

The air became charged with Rutlandshire Morningtons, and our conversation showed signs of degenerating into a fantastic Burke's Auction Bridge. Two earls counted higher than three viscounts; I called her out with one marquis, she took the

day Rawnsley had given the House its time-table. There would be no Autumn Session, but the House would sit till the end of the third week in August to conclude the Third Reading of the Poor Law Bill; no fresh le

s its own and to ring for anything likely to contribute to its comfort. Though we had never met before and were only to meet once again, I f

ore or less as part of her too-often-withheld due; Philip was constitutional, guided by precedent, anxious to help peace and order in the execution of their arduous duties. The only active molestation came from Robin: left to himself he wou

me in your thousands," and he came in a dove-grey suit, grey socks and buckskin shoes, grey tie, silk handkerchief and Homburg hat. I appreciated Michael more and more at each meeting. Of a detached family he was the most detached member. O

God!" (forty

n Michael's tie?"

!" (Sylvia's cri de

my own verdict, perhaps not alto

d Culling with derisory finger outstretch

nswered in a voice discreetly lowered to keep

Yard had been incarcerated in its own stronghold. Culling sat outside their door improvising an oratorio on an accordion. "The Philistines are upon thee," I heard hi

ficial hand shot impotently out of the cabin window

ustodes custodiet

a gaol delivery. The detectives were near weeping with humiliation, but I comforted them in some measure

h Culling at the Three Card Trick, a third would count the Jews on a neighbouring house-boat.... There was no sign of Elsie or the Seraph, but that was only to be expected. He was to provide her with luncheon and publicity at Phyllis Court, and

her half paddle down stream to look at the house-boats, the narrow water midway between start and finish becomes hopelessly, chaotically congested. One or two skiffs and dinghies-which should never be allowed at any reg

broad side on, they slid and trembled like a tesselated pavement in an earthquake. The fatalists shipped their poles and pa

God! it's our sad

ing unable to secure either a pea or two thimbles, Paddy Culling h

r and nearer the "Desdemona." A last vicious thrust by a boatload of pierrots jammed the box of h

on of his already strong brogue. "The tay's wet, Mrs. Wylton, and we wai

ommotion or excitement of any kind; of those who lingered on deck or in the saloon, fully half, I dare say, were unconscious of what was going on below. Such was certainly the case with Sylvia. While Paddy and I served out stra

wed and received a slight inclination of the head in return. The Seraph bowed, and was accorded the most perfect cut I have ever witnessed. Sylvia looked straight through him to a dinghy four yards t

to me and started paddling up stream towards Henley Bridge. Elsie had seen all tha

Seraph said, as they landed a

and for all you've done these last few weeks. And before that." She hesitate

not goin

h trouble on my account without los

I hav

riskin

ur acc

no

azenness to attem

you think so

t help seeing the way she took

e objected. "And he and I

s a diff

th

ferent how much he

lush it had taken on after their encounter at the raft, his eyes grew calmer and his

you honestly tell me you d

can't say th

well,

worth the harm you do yourself. It didn't matt

ted impatiently

or man in the world is going to dictate

exception to the

shoul

exception to every rule

ved an uncompr

ssed memory," he said, "I tha

h his moods to know nothing was to b

quare," she compromised; "but you mustn

Park to-morrow as u

be there

ial tradition-extinguished by a tropical downpour. Brian notified me by wireless that he was on his way home and halfway through the Bay. He was, in fac

. We were getting on so comfortably without my brother that I think the natural affection of us

he offender,"

responsibl

il?" I suggested, with

t's

The day your parents land, I shall shift myself bag and baggage to an hotel. Isn't the si

me. The Seraph dropped in to dinner on the last night of my guardianship, and I asked

ing to stay wit

ence of me as a guest. I don't kn

tter, if you don't

thout wishing to be patronising-I had to remember that he was a man of very moderate means and would feel the cost of housing me more than I should feel it myself. The following afternoon I called round at Adelphi Terrace to acquaint him with my decision, but something seemed to have upset him; he was gazing abstractedly out of the

portion of the afternoon in playing providence with Sylvia. It is a part

voted to works of religion, the rest to lives and histories of the world's great women. Catherine of Siena marched in front of the army, Florence Nightingale brought up the rear; in the ranks were queens like Elizabeth, Catherine of Russia, and Joan of Arc, the great uncrowned; writers from M

you mind having it here alone with me? I'm sure you won't want to

d time to look at some of your books and make a discovery about you.

ht I had angered her, but the threatenin

she said with a smile. "Do I-look the sort of p

avenant. That I did not ask it was due to a prudent resolve to keep my

s a great deal of ability and ambiti

tting that I'm

litants are cur

is just the

ode astride,"

idn't break windows to

r woman of personality going to make her infl

many women o

r spri

e mesmerising you, you had to do anything th

litics, and at the end of my second cup I adva

eaking, don't you,

in as y

ot treating the

r raising her little dark e

t you here?

nitiative," I said. "I don't k

er it is, I

oba

n doesn't think highly of wome

re both of you abnormal and irrational; as likely as not you're both of you wron

old her of my first meet

im then, and you didn't; so believe me when I tell you he was suffering from

ssionately. "Um. It sounds to me like a dent

case, and flew a distre

u to be serious a

e do I c

atches, and eventually

ove with y

ion in a series of short sente

bable. Irrelevant, anyway. Unless

rday," I reminded her

ght hav

bo

. Do you usually go about talking to

o leaving. "Being a friend of you bo

haven't g

I suppose t

to him: if your pride's greater than your generosity, waive the apology

s to be treated seriously: the flippancy was now ebbing away, and leaving her implaca

've not done it well," I admitted, "but the adv

y. "I should be glad of such a cham

'you su

f a sofa, clasping her han

it's safe. I think I'm quite capable of taking care of myself, so I disregard their objection. Your friend also rides in the Park every morning, sometimes with a

ning incidentally that England was a free c

ed, "except just that little piece where

can't keep him o

an flog him out of it as I'd flog any

to be said, but I sai

he nodded. "And I can say

can do

re coming a most awful cropper one of the

think

nd half man, and half angel

unting the attribu

rrupted, "they taught me it took

you're the equivalent of any three ordinary women. Now I r

he bell, but I was ready

me downstairs," I said. "It'll be horribly lonely

n to the hall, and presente

nted to an olive-green car at the corner of the Square. "I believe I must have made a conquest, he's always there

pon a half-sovereign, which I held consp

arry me,

oubt

you

if you offer t

ur convictions," I said severe

er. I walked to the corner and hailed t

, sir,"

's up," I

stake,

have seen better days; they remind me of my brother before he was made a judge. I had only caught a glimpse of dark eyes, a sallow complexion and bushy black beard and moustache. En

that I had run across Sylvia, and hinted that his propinq

me this morni

ng on an impression for what it was w

shall go there just

l anno

at's as may be. This is not the time for

man-on horseback-in broad dayligh

ically deserted at

had marked a group of men moving furtively through a clump of trees to the side of the road. Their character and intentions will never be known, for Sylvia abruptly drew rein-throwing her horse on his haunches as she did so-then she turned in her own length, and awaited her gratuitous escort. T

h white face a

to-morrow," she told him. "It seems you have

ore his face lost the last trace of Sylvia's castigation. A purple wale first blackened and then turned yellowish green. When I saw him later in the day, his face

If you've got any influence with her, use it, and use it quickly. S

he room in uncontrolla

voice that was intended to be sympathetic, sce

ger-I know that-I know that-I'

en different ways. It occurred to me that the less

hion. "Meantime, I dropped in to know if your invitatio

ered; and then less conventional

red, pretending not to see that he h

reading look returned fo

d. "Don't hide them. I shan't commit suicide, bu

flection I thought it would be wiser to send instructions over the telep