The Lamp of Fate

en a crash and a staggering blow on the car's near side which sent it ree

he car yet rocked with the force of its collision with the motor-bus another vehicle drove blindly in

he grinding of brakes and clash of splintered glas

appearing and disappearing in the fog like baleful eyes opening and shutting spasmodically. A tumult of hoarse c

of raucous noise came

ghtened. I'll

ich had overwhelmed her. The sound of that unknown voice-quiet, commanding, and infini

ause while the strained woodwork resisted the pull, then with a scrape of ja

!" She felt his outstretched hands close on her shoulders as sh

t no bones were broken, though her head ached horr

t hurt," sh

led up a bit, but I'll lift you

ng her way towards the vague panel of

the swathing fog,

That's right. No

ladimir Ravinski, the amazingly clever young Russian who partnered her in several of her dances, sometimes

, as the unknown owner of the arms

e the answer. There was a ki

y denser, swirling round her in great murky waves and surging in her ears with a noise like the boom of the ocean. Higher and higher ro

nk t

ed her nostrils. Magda shrank back, her eyes still shut, and pressed her head furth

t! Do yo

and looked straight up into other eyes-dark-grey ones, these-that were bent on

feebly trying to p

r head swam with it. The sea of fog came rolling b

ently on the top of the waves now; the sensation was very peaceful and pleasant. A little breeze played across her face. She d

ain." A man was speaki

e, very kindly and commiserating. A hand lightly smoothed the fur of her coat-sle

ghed a litt

ng lady, Mrs. Braithwaite. Don't

No. How s

s is Mademoiselle Wielit

! Well, I d

rest, and Magda, who had not gathered the actual sense of the murmured conversation, felt an arm pass behi

unclosed

ay," she wa

you hear? Do a

the contents of the glass with a gulp. Then she looked resentfully at the man whose curt command she ha

ty glass with satisfaction. "No, lie still"-as she att

ow," declared

en able to feel an intense irritation against this ma

at her unp

-looking woman who was standing at the foot of the couch on which Magda lay-a housekeeper of the nice old-fashioned blac

good

n bustled away, leaving Magda alone with her unknown host and burning with in

ke up the fire, and Magda raised herself on her elbow, pre

where you were," h

as I'm told," she r

hough," he rejoined, crossing

blazing defiance, she slipped from the couch and stood up

hole room seemed to swim round her as she tottered

he said sharply. "You

her up in his arms and depo

little giddy," sh

t you would. Another time, p

nced under their penetrating glance. She felt as though they could see into her

beying orders," sh

l be a salutary experience for you. Now, lie s

appeared to forget all about her, while his pen travelled s

bout the man. Had she ever seen him before? Or was it merely one of those chance resemblances which one comes across occasionally? That fair hair with its crisp wave, the

igue, she gave up the attempt. Her brain still felt muddled and confused from the bl

that lifted it altogether out of the ruck of the ordinary. It held its contradictions, too. Notwithstanding the powerful, determined jaw, the mouth had a sensitive upward curve

ed in with the tea and withdrew again. But the man remained ab

ther she dared venture to draw his attention to its arrival or whether he would snap her

some tea?"

no

astically-"allow

d her cons

ut as the mountain can't go to Mahomet

hat he proposed to do, he stooped and dexterously wheeled

ft hands he rearranged the cushions so that they sho

urse, I should think," commen

all he vouchsa

ught her cup and placed it beside her on a

n the kitchen," he observed presently. "Possibly you may be intere

e was not really the heartless type of woman he inferred her to be, to whom the fate of her dependents was only of impo

d by the blow she herself had received that she had hardly yet collected

duce her to explain matters. If this detestably superior individual c

f deliberate indifference. "That's q

ake a good deal of repairing. At present it's still in the middle of the

! How on earth a

suggestively. "Later, when it cle

id I'm giving you

sclaim the idea as mo

helped," he r

olouring again. This

knight-errant is new

f rescuing damsels in distress. But

h such a very bad grac

are of the sense of familiarity even

elight that your car cannoned into my bus-incidentally I barked my shins badly in the g

were men who would have given half their fortune for the chance to render a like service, and then counted

have been," she

you are the Wiel

him in blank

who I was all the

inly I

n-th

suitably impressed?

ang to

she exclaimed hotly. "You

d her quit

you were thinking. Only you fun

o her side and stood

ct?" he insist

h and she knew it. But none the less she hated him for it-hated him for driving her up int

with a short,

he courage of your con

her rescue in the fog! He was taking a brutal advantage of their relative positions to speak to her as no man had ever dared to

ave the satisfaction of finding he was right in that respect. She walked straight up to

I have the courage of my convictions." She paused. Then, with an effort: "Yes, I d

hadn't anticipated such a candid acknowledgment, but

a without regarding the event as a piece of stupendous good luck a

lips together. The

she ad

and made no pretence of fatuous delight over your presence here,

rrent of keen contempt. Each word stung like the flick of a lash on

id very low.

s shoulders an

superfluou

mpulsive step

this man should hold her in such poor esteem. She wanted to pu

een me dance?" s

azy enthusiasm with which her audience received her, he would make allowance, judge her a little

willing admiration

?" he repeated. "Yes,

truth-that during her last winter's season at the Impe

kind of incredulous appeal. "Ca

nd idolised to such an extent that it seems incredible to you t

re he was thrusting at her with the rapie

ngly. "But if you understand so well, couldn't you-can't you"

te your typ

h he were fighting against some impulse within himself and the fiercen

despise

the most consistent expressions of beauty. It's the sheer symmetry and grace of that body which was made in God's own likeness developed to the utmost limit of h

n understood-oh, he understood! Then

he had read her t

knowledge the Wielitzska to

on. What do you know

ed disag

king of you your soul got

orced a

ery stupid. Do yo

need expl

plea

est pals was a ma

of veiled mockery from be

e a recommendation-so

es har

n offers when she has finished playing with a man and got bored with him. . . . I've no place for your kind of woman. I tell you"-his tone deepening in intensity-"the wife of any common labourer, who cooks and washes and sews for her man day in, day out, is worth a dozen of you! She knows th

a's weak defences and found her helpless and unarmed. Once she had uttered a faint cry of protest, tried to chec

she lifted to him was white a

now," she said unsteadily. "I-I didn'

stunned expression of the dark eyes. And suddenly realisation of the enormity of all h

iveness now," he said curtly. "But-you ra

action to you to know it, I think you've paid off at least some of your friend's score." She looked at him with a cur

nt he stood looking down at her with an oddly conflicting expression on his face. It was as th

it down here"-pulling forward a big easy-chair-"and for the rest of your

supple grace of limb which made it s

disapproved of y

on the other side of the heart

u did, too," he added abruptly. "But at least you've no more devoted admirer of your ar

th a smile. Her spirits were rising a l

udden boyishness

tinue to cover their wall-space

nown painter. But he gave her no chance to find

ancing in a wood." Magda leaned forward. "It was the prettiest thing imaginable. She was all by herself, a little, thin, black-and-white wisp of a thing, with a small, tense face and eyes like black smudges. And s

artist she had met in the wood at Coverdale the day Sieur Hugh had beaten her-her "Saint Mic

ed?" she asked, forcing he

pose of

ery well-known one. Everybody k

t be Michael

've been introdu

opics of music and books. Finally he took her into an adjoining room, and showed her a small, beloved collection of coloured prints which he had gathered together, recounting various am

entertained. She found herself enthusing, discussing, arguing points, in a happy spirit of

ut of the window where the street lamps were now glimm

I was beginning-" He checked himself and glance

ssly. The atmosphere had all at once grown te

I tel

-tel

f woman I hate,'" he said. And strode out of the r

ompletely reassumed his fo

's perfectly clear outside now, so I think you will

ll, and as they shook hands sh

hall meet aga

back s

ng purposeful, almost vehemently so, in the c

prompted. "

quietly, "I shouldn't have dare

between them. Then, with

. I'm leaving England nex

door and stood aside for her to pass out. A minute later she was in

said. "Good-by

s in a grip that almost c

was a note of sudden, desperate

es that had burned their way into her memory ten y