The Vision of Desire

gh to know that there are always a certain number of censorious people sufficiently ungenerous and nar

n't seem to know what to do." She looked round her vaguely, feeli

lthough I might, of course, sleep outside, if you preferred-on the top of the Roche d'Or, for instance!-I'm afraid it wouldn't h

he was rewarded by seeing a faint smile

uld kick myself for landing you into this mess. It's all my fault. If I hadn't gone fooling about

realisation was over she was recovering her usual cheery outlook on

things," vouchsafed

re shaking off a burden-"we may as well make the best of things. At least we

sed a moment, then went on with frank admiration: "Ann, you're a real little sport! There isn't one girl in

it-the sunset and the moonrise and everything else. Oh! I do hope they'll give us a decent dinner! You did us

nod

paused uncertainly. "By the way, I'll have to e

ushed nervously. "O

course. What do you say to Smith-nice, inoffensive sort of name, don't you t

gled su

er funny if it

supplied Ton

nds better. And now do go and order some food for '

he Hotel de Loup was congratulating himself upon the acquisition of two unexpected guests during t

sinking royally westward, bathing the mountains in a flood of lambent light, and piercing the darkening blue of the sky with quivering shafts of scarlet and orange and saffron. Across the snow-fields shimmered a translucent rosy glow, so that they seemed no longer bleak and desolate, but lay spre

es which had brought her here, forgotten even Tony, except that she was vaguely conscious he was beside her, another human being, sharing with her the deep, eternal quiet of the mou

lad we missed the last

en so wo

ueer, excited note in his voice. "It's been wonderful to b

he drew a littl

ouldn't," she

firmly. "Help you down this hill? You might tr

oof with a skill that was altogether baffling. Now, as usual, having

I didn't mean that,"

then? That I'm not t

f you," she urge

self again-alone on the top of the world. But I'll promise you one thing"-his voice deepened to a sudden gravity. "This is

eat a little

e began pr

er let my mother down. But I won't! I swear it." He stood still and, slipping his arm from under hers, took both her hands in his

t!" she brok

you," he answered simpl

e in the moonlight, white and rather stern. It made her think of the face of some young kn

t down

gently. "I love you so m

re it. But this was different. There was a gravity, an earnestness in his speech which she could not lightly brush aside. Alone here, under the wide sky, with only God's open

from her he was willing to renounce the one thing for which he craved-the thing that had wrecked his father's life, and which might some day wreck his own. Ought

row her whole life's happiness into the scales, and still fail to turn the balance. Without lo

oman should bring to the man she will call husband. Out of the turmoil of her mind this one tho

knew she must inflict. "I must say no, dear. If I loved you,

won't m

an't mar

long, we'll get back to the hotel. If we're going to watch the sunrise to-morrow, we'd better tur

conversation which had just taken place. It was incredible that a man could ask you to marry him, promise to forswear a deadly vice that was

She stole a glance at his face. But she could learn nothing whatever from his expression. App

he hall at the f

down at her. "I'm afraid you'll find it a bit of a p

on the threshold to pull off the heavy coat he was wearing, he shot a casual glance in the direction of the two peop

from Tony's face to hers. He himself remained standing unobserved in the curtained shadow of the entry, and, when

, flicking over the leaves till he came to the current page. He ran his fingers down the list of names, p

he, too, took his way to bed, and presently the Hotel