Elizabeth's Campaign

. The surroundings of the house, too, were as perfect as those of Mannering were slatternly and neglected. All the young men had long since gone from the garden

ipped; but as a matter of fact the lawns had never been smoother, or the creepers and y

the drive and a bit of the road outside. Every now and then she stopped to peer into the sunlit haze

indeed to break it off. Since her first agitated letter to him begging him not to think of he

ind under the stress of war. If he does what he threatens, it will matter very little to me; but of course you must consider it carefully, for I shall hav

ens, but we should have to take the risk. Anyway we shall m

BRE

y a boyish note from Des

ld place, instead of Aubrey, well, there are two can play at that game. I wouldn't touch i

nd the farm. He stands it from me and only chaffs

e calls I must pay. Hope Arthur will be about. I want awfully to see him.

got for his new secretary. And she's not half bad either.

, Beryl was well aware that she was an heiress. Aubrey would lose nothing financially by giving up the Mannering estate to marry her. Personally she cared nothing about Mannering, and

him. Every fibre in her slight sensitive body still remembered the moment when he first kissed her, when she first felt his arm about her. But

unexpectedly much of the people about her. Then when he was badly wounded in some fighting near Festubert, in May 1915, and came home for two months' leave, he seemed like a stranger, and Beryl had not known what to be at with him. She was told that he had suffered very much-it had been a severe thigh wound implicating the sciatic

him in her childhood, Beryl would have done anything-have gone on her knees up the drive, or offered up the only doll she cared for, or gone without jam for a week. Now when he came home invalided, she had the same craving; but what she craved for ca

k with a D.S.O. and a Staff appointment for a short Christmas leave, everybody, except his father, turning out to welcome him as the local hero.

s. It seemed to give him positive pleasure to listen to her garrulous housekeeping talk, or to hold her wool for her while she wound it. And as she, poor lady, was not accustomed to such attention from brilliant y

though they were constantly followed by friendly furtive looks from old labourers who passed them on the road, and nodded as they went by. But when the daily war news was being discussed he had a way of sitting quite silent, unless his opinion was definitely asked. When it

He never talked to her with much intimacy; he certainly never made love to her. But suddenly she became aware that she had grown very necessary to him, that he missed her when she was away, that his eyes lit up when she came back. A special relation was growing up be

ulous and passionate sweetness, beyond her control, in her deep quiet voice, touched something irrepressible in him, an

n reply to his, and her sudden whiteness.

n voice startled her-'I don't know whether I

, hand in hand; but she remembered that, even before they left the wood, something seemed to have dimmed the extraordinary bli

to be kept back from her-was always beyond her reach. Sometimes she supposed she was not clever enough, that he found her inadequate and irresponsive. Sometimes, with a sudden, half-guilty sense of disloyalty to him, she vaguely wondered whether there was some secret in his life-some

s not making him happy; it would be better for her to set him free. This action of his father's offered the opportun

no less exceptional. She had been brought up very much alone. Her mother was no companion for her, and the brother nearest her own age and nearest her heart had been killed at the opening of the war. Arthur and she were very good friends, but not altogether congenial. She was rather afraid of him-of his critical temper, and his abrupt intolerant way, with people or opinions he disliked. Beryl was quite aware of

o figures in it-Aubrey and Pamela. So poor Pam had at

he path, and stood watching intently-a slender creature, in

nd they to her. They disappeared from view for a minute. Then a man's

e that no one was in sight, and then kissed her. Beryl knew she ought to ha

ff somewhere. Very sporting of them, wasn't it? So I've got

tiful modern house, and the equally beautiful and modern gardens in which it stood, with the

through her arm, and drew her on towards the wood-wal

the village,' said Beryl. 'Father doesn't mind

public-house, like my father's Greek po

ncing with her-delaying their rea

er. I don't gather that Pamel

ut what do you think the

of yellow leaf, and she was looking up in surprise at the unu

, and came to tell me so this morning! You should have heard her! Ve

yl, with the instinctive jealousy of a girl in love, was conscious of a sudden ann

do you

new she ought to shake it off, but the pres

o give me up-that I had begged you to consider it-but I didn't think you would,' he smiled down upon her, but more grave

ed the q

-and

ped, and Mannering would be left to Desmond, if we married. "All right!" I said, "I daresay, if he and I survive you, Desmond will let me look round sometimes." Not very respectful, perhaps, but by that time I was fed up. So then I wished him good-night, and went back to the drawing-room. In a fe

n the d

Major Mannering? I wish to say something private. Shall we walk down to the kitchen garden?" So we walked down to the kitchen garden, and then she told me what had happened after dinner, when my father sent for her. She told it very stiffly, rather curtly in fact, as though she were annoyed to have to bother about such unprofessional things, and hated to waste her time. "But I don't wish, I don't intend," she said, "to h

done anything else!' s

nering sent me to the drawer this morning, where he had put it away. It was lying on the top, and I saw it." "Signed?" I said. "No, not signed." Then she began to hurry, and I thought I had offended her in some way. But it dawned upon me, presently, that she was really torn between her feeling of chivalry towards me-she seems to have a kindness for soldiers

ryl, 'it may be all sign

k her any more questions. We had better take it for granted. My father is as obst

n that was familiar to Beryl. It was an expression of fatigue-not physical now, for he had clearly recovered his health, but moral; as though the man behin

lifting her eyes, which were grey and fringed with dark lashes-beautiful ey

nt, then took her hands a

' he said, smiling. 'T

e fringed belt of her sports co

t I don't seem to make much difference to you. And now this is very serio

hat?

es again and look

an't ma

, far within, something stirred 'like a gui

snapped his fingers-'for Man

e right opportunity. So often, Aubrey, I don't seem to understand you! I say the wrong thing. I'm not clever. I haven'

ing his chin on his hands, looked gravely

say that-I wonde

you don't let me know things-share things. You seem sometimes so sad-and I c

e said, 'I wonder, Beryl, whether you-whether you-ever realize-

hands to her eye

t-of course I can't!'

sed through his worn features a sharp spasm, as o

ld-rose colour came and went; her eyes were full of tears. She had honestly made her attempt, but she could not carry it through, and he saw it. Some vag

er read Sin

year

sometimes. Things I've seen-horrible sufferings and death-come back on me. I can't get over it-at least not yet. But I'll n

is deep voice, and the warm shelter of his arms. He bent down to

they both looked at each

sily as you think. I stick! Well, now, you take me as a pauper-not exactl

they should go and

nt hand

en gardens. His son Arthur and Pamela Mannering were following him round the greenhouses, findi

ere was a frost last night,' said Sir Henry, throwing open a doo

t a show!'

said his father, annoyed. 'Not a

mela exchanged smiles. The next house showed a couple of elderly m

ed Sir Henry. 'Such a wonderful result for s

Grimes?' Arthur inquired discr

nd the syringing, and the manuring,' said the man addr

he pleasant, penetrating eyes under his staff cap. Arthur, she thought, must be now over thirty. Before his recent wound he had been doing some special artillery work on the Staff

orward to the meeting with such eagerness, such hidden emotion! And now-what was there to have be

Henry in anxious consultation over the mushroom-house with the

He pointed to some distant f

n make her see that she isn't doing

how could she d

attered!' said the girl scornfully. 'A

t? No girl ought t

e walk with no particular consciousness at all about his companion, except that she was a nice, good

humble, please?' sh

rous that you shoul

f it about, if we did!' T

h more humble than you think. But we're human, of cour

y of Aubrey, that she knows she'll disappoint him, that she wouldn't mind his giving up Mannering if on

eside her was all impatience. 'One can't exactly boast about o

ly. 'Besides, Desmond

hillings, and pence, if one must talk of them, it's lucky that Beryl has her

ushed ind

about it. He called in Miss Bremerton and wanted her to witness it. And she r

xpressed both amusement and curiosity. 'Ah! I h

tened her shou

up to date, and all the rest of it. She's beginning to b

it!' said Captain

y doesn't guess! And now she's begun to take an interest in the farms! I believe she's walked over to the Holme Wood farm to-day, to see

ughing up

la n

cksands heartily. 'I'm sure you

,' said the girl stubbornly

sternness crossed

's as much to be won here as it is over seas. Food!-that'll be th

But an odd jealousy-or perhaps her

ike strangers interferi

strong, high-minded, capable fellow, with an instinctive interest in women, and a natural aptitude for making friends with them. He was inclined, always, to try and set them in the right way; to help them to some of the mental training which men got i

'I expect it's only that she's got a bit of an organizing gift-

to do fine things in the w

ppose you and Miss Bremerton c

s eyes

t me. No, I think some

he was annoyed with him for t

sisted. 'I shall do

etly. 'Make friends with M

nough,' she said, d

ht. But he didn't mean to let her. With those eyes-in s

's absolutely determined about this thing-they can't afford to be anything else. We're being hammered, and gassed, and blown to pieces over there'-he pointed e

timate enough, to be hitting it off enough. This meeting, which had been to her a point of romance in the distance, was turning out to be just nothing-only disappo