The Vision of Desire

shining silks and embroidery, with which the shrewd Swiss shopkeeper seeks to open the purse of the foreigner. It seemed to chase the gaily blue-painted trams as they sped up and down the cen

ss habitués solemnly imbibed the sweet pink or yellow sirop which they infinitely preferred to tea, while a vivid note of colour was added to the scene by the picturesque uniforms of a couple of officers of an

ome one, for every now and again he leaned forward and glanced impatiently up the street, then, apparentl

good-looking to have escaped being more or less spoiled by every other woman with whom he came in contact. Like many another boy, Tony Brabazon had been rushed headlong from a public school into the fou

ead to look up the street there was a certain arrogance in the movement-a hint of impetuous self-will that was attractively characteristic.

tle hand descended

attoo on that table, Tony," said an

new-comer with a mixture of

ely swamping the resentment, he went on eagerly: "Sit down and tell me w

sat down

" she replied with composure, "by so

suppose?"-in

ented s

n of her acquaintance, you know. And this morning my employer was seized with a sudden desire t

uld be competent to manipulate the steering-wheel of a car. Yet there was more than one keen-eyed, red-tabbed so

nounced, tossing her gloves on to the

eeded to spear up such as most appealed to them of the delectable patisseries arranged in tempting rows along shin

took it very much for granted that she had been blessed with russet hair which gave back coppery gleams to the sunlight, and with a pair of changeful hazel eyes that looked sometimes clearly golden and sometimes like

her consideringly wh

mily. He was obviously feeling very much ill-used. "Tell Lady Susan she'

ot been getting

nxiety flitted across her face as she paused,

t, his eyes sullen,

mischief-my particul

akes at the tables limit

re at Mo

she made no comment on it. She

d with decision. "You'd be too big

an manage me-if you want

n your hands if yo

in my hands, thank you," she retorted promptly.

frank,

's more, you're not re

stiff

he best judge of that

're too young t

Then he laughed outright. Like most people, he found it difficult

senior, I'd have you r

a man. All women are born with at least three ye

ng successfully side-tracked the topic of matrimony. The subject cropped up intermittently in their intercourse wit

intimate fashion rather than anything of deeper root. But now that the boy had merged into the man, she had begun to ask herself, a little apprehensively, whether she were mistaken in her assumption, and she sometimes wondered i

idn't want to marry any one, in fact. But circumstances had combined to

ence, remained a bachelor, and in due course came into the title and estates. Whereas Dick, lovable and hot-headed, and with the gambling blood of generations of dicing, horse-racing ancestors running fierily in his veins, fell in love with beautiful but penniless Virginia Dale, and married her, spent

of his brother's career, and then did the only decent thing-too

n who had come to live with her somewhat irascible godparent, filled a gap in her small life of which, hitherto, she had been only dimly conscious. With the passing of the years came a clearer un

e concealed them completely-and many of Tony's youthful escapades as well, paying some precocious card-losses he sustained while still in his early t

an his father, and if he's handled properly he may yet make the kind

ding as to Tony's ultimate future. And then, one day, shortly before the weak flame of her life flicker

s impossible. "He's so-alone. Philip represents nothing to him but an autocrat he is bound to obey. And Tony resents it. Any one

man's feverish hands in her

that I can," sh

ties?" persisted Virginia, her ea

own at her r

he does, why, then I'll get him out

ia lay, straight and still in the utter peace and tranqui

ed. Adding, with a faint, humorous little smile: "I'

had felt that she could relax her vigilance somewhat. There was no temptation to back "a certainty" of which some racing friend had apprised him, and, as Tony himself disco

way-and then trouble would be sure to arise between him and his uncle, with whom he was staying at the Hotel Gloria.

with Sir Philip again? There's generally some disturbing

t you? He'd be

your uncle?"-with

nod

nything? Just as I do," he added with the quic

ook he

wered my questio

ve a bit of a dust-up this morning. I'm sick of doi

el

ng to take up planning houses as a profession if he knew it! I'd got my duty to t

the Brabazon town house in Audley Square was the worst thing in the world for him. Privately she determined to approach her godfather on the subject at the very next opportunity, though she could make a very good, guess at the r

by letting Tony know her thoughts, so sh

orne and to the tenants. A good landlord is quite

ing and gives all the orders-without consulting me. I just have to see that what he orders is carried out, and trot about wit

your bread-and-butter,"

not a bad sor

day off' to-morrow. He's going over to Evian by the midday boat. The St. Keliers-blessed be

o. She's staying the nig

considerably. "Suppose you and I go up to the Dents de Loup for the afternoon, and then have a f

partook a little of both, and shaded by absurdly long lashes which gave them an almost womanish softness. A certain shrewd old duchess

sm

te sure that if Tony's gambling propensities were bottled up too tightly, they would only break out more strongly later on-when he might chance to be in a part of the world where he could come to bigger grief financially than was possible at Montricheux. Sh

consented to be amenable for once. Together they took their way up th

bber, I think," he vouchsafed, "befo

," cautioned Ann

ntered the house meditating thoughtfully upon the amazing short-sightednes