A Modern Chronicle -- Volume 03

he appearance of the shifting grains at any one time. Some households there were, indeed, which maintained a precarious though seemingly miracul

nd gone again in a flash. Such was what might appropriately be called the episode of the Alfred Ferns. After three years of married life they had come, they had rented; the market had gone up, they had bought and built-upon the sands. The ancient far

h on the side of the ocean, but a view of the water was shut off from it by a hedge which, during the successive ownerships of the adjoining property, had attained a height of twelve feet. There was a little toy gr

, one must not be depressing. That is the unforgiveable si

between young poplars, you came to a mass of cedars. Behind these was hidden the stable. There were four stalls, all replete with brass trimmings, and a box, an

r curtains: later, she was on the gay, yellow-ochre beach with Lily Dallam, making new acquaintances; and presently stepping, with a quiver of fear akin to delight, into the restless, limitless blue water that stretched southward under a milky haze: luncheon somewhere, more new acquaintances, and then, perhaps, in Lily's light wood victoria to meet the train of trains. For at half-past five the little station, forlorn all day long in the midst of the twisted cedars that grew out of the heated sand, assumed an air of gayety and animation. Vehicles of all sorts drew up in the open space before it, wagonettes, phaetons, victorias, hi

o Quicksands. It was characteristic of Lily that her touch made the desert bloom. Three years before Quicks

" Lily explained triump

ng view. "Nobody woul

lace" had belonged to the middle ages, as time is reckoned in Quicksands, and had lain deserted for years, chiefly on account of its lugubrious and funereal aspect. It was on a corner. Two "for rent" signs had fallen success

cquired with such startling rapidity in the community. When Honora and Howard drove up to the door in the deepening twilight, every window was a yellow, blazing square, and above the sound of voices rose a waltz from "Lad

e been so lucky to-night," she added in Honora'

us scene. Some ten or a dozen guests, laughing and talking gayly, filled the spaces between the furniture; an upright piano was embedded in a corner, and the lady who had just executed the walt

hes of roses. She's stopped mourning for her husband. Trixy told her to-night she'd discarded the sackcloth and k

Englishman. He had close-cropped hair and a close-cropped mustache; and his grey eyes,

kill across the room and dragging Honora after her, "Trixy, I wan

her reputation as the mistress of a house where one and all had such a good time.

es not quite express it. You usually have a supply o

emanded Lily Dallam, deligh

to Mr. Brent's manner. Honora could not define his attitude, but she vaguely resented it. All of Lily's guests had the air of being at home, and at that moment a young gentleman

ell you look in that go

to dinner. "Trixy, what

ry Trowbridge, with an

ily Dallam declaring that he was horrid, and Mrs. Chandos giving him a look o

down from, Mrs. Sp

granted that I have drop

ly for a moment, and t

to Lucifer," he said. "It's ki

"And besides, as a dinner companion, I

ughed

would limit Lucifer to dinners? That's rathe

ng his eyes. "Of course I've been brought up to believe that he was alwa

Brent. "Has my reput

brimstone,"

infinite amusement fro

of sitting here, I should have used anoth

ora's turn

r ladies," she retorted. "We are notoriously fond of b

at she should be holding her own in this manner with the renowned Trixton Brent. No

oward, who was explaining something to Mr

band like?" he d

en aback, but recovered

me to give you an u

" he agreed s

d Honora, "that is to b

in these days," d

ntrary," s

know is why you came

en

been disappointed. But why do you ask that question?" she

, at home anywhere, a sort of 'freebooter. I'm not here all the time-but t

t ab

Quicksands more than s

y that?" she a

ok his

," he declared enigmatically

from his other side, "Warry Trowbridge won't tell

cally, and readdressed himself to Honora, who had

ime for you to talk to

at

ry, out of consideration for the hos

sn't care

dos? I have an idea

esture of i

ora continued. "Perhaps

ll

er tried it?

hom Lily had unlimited credit, and who handed her over the counter such things as she desired. And to-night, in contrast to Trixton Brent, Sidney Dallam suggested the counter more than ever before. He was about five and fort

sed by one all-absorbing weakness. She had fallen in love, she remarked, with little Sid on the beach, and Sidney Dallam suddenly became transfigured. Was she fond of children? Honora coloured a little, and said "yes.

her confidentially, "I slip upstairs f

oing to-night mayn't I go with y

ney Dallam, and he looked at her so

ack in the drawing-room, "what did you do to Sid?

ut children," replie

ild

ur husband has promised to

dren, too?" cried Lily, laughing, wit

sted in them?

eath of me. Lula, Honora wants to know w

act of lighting a cig

ly he is,

's ever going to be," sai

began to betray an intense interest in

, but she pinched Honora's arm delightedly. "How wic

eople's possessions, interspersed with anecdotes of a kind that was n

xclaimed his wife; "of cou

t up smilingly and led the way on tiptoe into the nursery, turning on a shaded electric light. Honora bent over the crib. The child lay, as children will, with his

Daddy?" h

m!" said Honora

the child, "te

s her duty demanded, and yet she smiled. Th

ny to-night," th

to Honora, and, looking at the nur

y one," sai

allam," said the nurse, "but-h

one side of him,

ep right away if I

hut his eye

at," he

who told that story, and Honora listened with stra

r as they went out, and little Sid had settled himself obediently on the pillow once more

allam ha

insult her, it was half-past eleven when Honora and her husband reached home. He

ked, "how do you like

bewildering movements that sometimes charact

nder what would have happened to you if I hadn't rescued you in

he qualified

scheme. It's a strange thing that Sid Dallam was never able to do any business with him. If I can put this through, coming to

ver to her dressing table, unclas

indifferent tone, "that he acts s

hile in the doorway, se

heel, and she heard hi

ad been tossed back and forth in the drawing-room after dinner, her delicacy had been offended: an air of revelry had prevailed, enhanced by the arrival of whiskey-and-soda on a tray. And at the time she had been caught up by an excitement in the grip of which she still found herself. She had been aware, as she tried to talk to Warren Trowbridge, of Trixton Brent's glance, and of a certain hostility from Mrs. Cha

before her then, a cigar in one hand and a lighted match in the other, his eyes fixed upon her with a si

he had cried, "you

tossing away the matc

ghed ne

e added, "and r

n he had declared that she w