The Path of a Star

er body followed it after an instant's poise of hesitation, head thrust a little forward, eyes inquiring and a tent

own-it cried out of luxury with the cheapest voice-taking folds of great audacity as she bent her

ing! Oh, you

t go. "It is a hand," she said to herself, in one of those quick reflections that so often visite

or to a mere embarrassed accent of their greeting. Then her voice showed

bare feet, as she spoke, nestled into the coarse Mirzapore rug on the floor, and her eye lingered approvingly upon an Owari v

she had found, acquiesced, with the gladness of

ed; "I am very happy. It is

a pictorial fact, but that was because she could not help it.

om side to side as if to negative contradiction in advance. She smiled

t; her voice seemed to dwell upon them with a kind of rich affection. Her face covered

er attire. It was a brooch that exclaimed in silver letters "Glory to His Name!" "It is the dr

-closed eyelids. A fine sensuous appreciation of the indolence it was possible to enjoy in the East clung about her. "To live on a plane that lifts you up like that-so that you can defy all critici

ung of the roadways to burn for fuel. If the Army is to conquer India it must march bare-footed and bare-headed all the way. All the way," Laura repeated, with a tremor of musical sadness. Her eyes were fixed in appeal upon the other woman's. "And if the

d Saviour d

oss! On t

y sins at

rugged

dy thrust a little forw

hands and fe

thorns, the

m, Father!'

rugged

claimed. Then she murmured ag

cross the moon. She regarded Hilda from behind it, with pe

ed I

think you cannot be ver

belong to it. Not the vulgar kind, you understand-but no, you don't understand. You'll have to take my word for it." Miss H

t's clear glance was disturbed by a ray of curiosity, but the

t mine eyes unto the hills,' must have belonged to it." She paused, with an odd look of discomfiture. "But one shouldn't talk about things like that-it takes t

rd-ferns that grew beside the door. The muffled crescendo of steps on the stair and the sound of an inqu

e room to Hilda Howe to suggest that the idea abashed him. For her part she rose and made on

irst day when one was dying to be welcomed. Miss Filbert came too, and we have been talking about our respective wa

coat, and one shabby glove had manifestly never been on. Yet Miss Filbert's first words seemed to show a slight unbending. "Won't you sit there?" she said, indicating the sofa corner she had been occupying. "You get the glare from the window where you are." It was

Howe delightedly, "we s

already. Very badly built these Calcutta houses, aren't

o go home on furlough. The native food didn't suit me. I

e year to arrive," M

seasons, since every one brings its appointed opportunity. Last year, in

not looking at her with those speculatio

bert. "I have a meeting at half-past five.

ate acquiescence; but Miss Ho

lda put the semblance of a rebuke into he

pray for you long and late to-night, and ask my lieutenant to do so too. D

flesh-coloured sari that fell over her shoulder the texture of draperies so often depicted as celestial. The sun sought into her face, revealing nothing but great purity of line and a clear pallor except where below the wide light blue eyes two ethereal shadows brushed themselves. Under the int

a soul wo

thing was said in the room until the pad

esperately seedy, poor girl. I looked after her a little, but it was mistaken kindness, for now she's got me on her mind. And as the two hundred and eighty mi

with a look of ac

hat end of the sh

hankful enough at the prospect of cold meat and sardines for tea every night f

"when you know how easily it could have been arranged. Your own sense of the fitness of

before, that her eyes were beautiful. But this had been so long acknowledged between them that she could hardly have been conscious that she was insistin

e most unbusinesslike. Stanhope has been equal to bringing us out; but I quite see myself, as leading lady, tak

pray

s you are getting beastly rich. You would take all the tragedy ou

ur experiences," Lindsay said. She retorted, "Oh yes, you do"; and they re

ng company this ti

when we are not doing Hamlet and Ophelia we can please with light comedy, or the latest thing in rainbow chiffon done on mirrors with a thou

t carried an implication which appe

is here too?

is hardly ever troublesome now. He understands. And he teaches me a great deal more than I can tell you. You k

t women," Duff said. "I don't believe their behaviour is a bit more affected

o offer me so absurd a sophistry! At what Calcutta dinner-table did you pick it up?" she cried

s were not often discussed at Calcutta dinner-tables, when she added,

hing in him-perhaps the primitive hunting instinct, perhaps a more sophisticated Scotch impulse to explore the ve

it. Leander Morris offered him-But why should I tell you

ever fellow

ome essential things, and now I can give them back to him. I begin to think that is what keeps hi

t, straight into the subject, to perceive it with a cynical clearness, and as Hilda watched him a little hardness came about her mouth. "Well," he said, visibly detaching himself from the matter, "it's a satisfact

onsidering the advisability of returning. "It's a pity you can'

e saw fixed. "How simple life is to you

dividual. The flame in you would never consent even for an instant to be the flame in anybo

d was: "I wish you would go on. You can't t

e an idea that I mi

e hardly seen you. Are you comfortable h

ly on her guard against freedom of speech. He moved a blind and ineffectual hand about to find th

l be at the theatre. Remember you are to give the man his orders about the broug

nd, and he overcame the temptation to lay his own on his heart in a burlesque of it. At the door he remembered something, and turned. He stood loo

you heard,

ut

n discover her for yourself, at the Army

replying, and half-way down the stairs he

rget that. I didn't p

woman! But you yourself-you're not goin

g over from the elbows. "I suppose I may look at

lly rewards attentio

she was unique? You may come back if you like, fo

an hour to discuss anything, or nothing," he replied, "but there

say on arrival: 'My dear Archdeacon, your sermon and your mutton the same evening

le number of seconds, Miss Howe stood leaning over the banisters, her eyes fixed full of speculation on the place where he had stood. She was thinking of a scene-a