The Man and the Moment

es to the South Lodge gate, only a few hundred yards from the postern, which he reached from his sitting-room. All had gone well in London. Mr. Parsons had rais

long time and se

. Arranstoun had said-"if it is not already done-then we need not bo

r future children?

denly as he looked ou

ally have all I possess

how eventful your life may be, or how accustomed you are to chances and vivid amusements, to be facing a marriage ce

e had learned upon his return home from London that she had, as Henry Fordyce had predicted that she might, "popped in upon hi

egan to experience an unpleasant impatience. The quarter chimed-his temper rose-had she been playing a trick upon him and never i

iously to the gate in the twilight, and he bounded forward to meet her and to open the narr

ne a few paces along the avenue. "I was beginning to think y

e not be all dressed, but had to pretend to be in bed, covered up, still with the awful headache, when Aunt Jemima bounced in." Then she laughed joyously at the recollection of her escape. "The moment she had gone off to her supper, tucking me up for the night, I jumped up and got on my dress and hat and her dust cl

el, and looked do

vening. Her leghorn hat with its wreath of blue forget-me-nots was most b

d forward

n, need I?" she asked. "Nobody c

the slender lines of her childish figure were so exquisite in their promise of be

it almost made her nerv

en though it is only a business arrangement, one

you see-just like a French bridegroom for those wedding parties in t

nd up the balcony steps like two stealthy marauders. Then he tur

t is good of yo

s too silly to consider this one in that light, since he wasn't really going to be hers-only a means to an end. Oh! the pleasure to be free and rich and to do exactly what she pleased! She had been planning all these days what she would do. She would get back to the Inn not later than ten, and creep quietly up to her room through that side door which was always open into the yard. The weather was so beautiful it wou

y all sorts of lovely clothes; it would take her perhaps a whole month, and then when she was a very grand, grown-up lady, she would write to her dear friend and say now she was ready to accept her invitation to go and stay with her! And what absolute joy to give Moravia such a surprise! to say she was married and fre

rather sharply, the blood was no

go into the chapel to see if Mr. Fergu

d been Michael's father's tutor and was now an almost doddering old n

ange sense of intoxication rose to Michael's brain. When he returned to his sitting-room h

got you some flowers--" and he brought her a great bu

l weddings-but won't you just put this bit of steph

p, and she fixed it most becomingly wit

a very serious grown-up play. She was perfectly delicious with her blooming youth and freshness and dimples-her violet eyes shining li

altar rails and t

el and the candles and the flowers all affected her deeply, just as the grand feast days used to do at the convent. A sudden realizati

not think-the whole thing was a maze, a dream. It was too

egroom place the ring upo

cious that she was li

joined together let

little, for she felt a strong ar

d that words of no meaning whatev

ning consciousness by the first man's kiss

her in his evening clothes-and it was over-and she was going away and would never see him a

made husband to his sitting-room through the gloomy corridor. There it was all brilliant light again, the light of soft silk-shaded lamps-and

minute," Michael said to her, "and then we can have some

gne before-but sipped it as she was bid. It did not seem to her a very nice drink-not t

and the fresh, vigorously healthy color came back to hi

all joy-Mrs.-Arra

ught her back to earth and the material, jolly side o

and they would be questioning, and I couldn't have a scrap of fun! You have got another name-you said it just now, 'Michael Howard Arranstoun

nscious of any definite intention-only to talk to her-to detain her as long as

and after thanking him for his services, Michael poured him out some wine to drink their healths, an

d-bye; now that the certificate was there she intended to go herself

d with all his faults he is a splendid fellow; let me wish you every happiness

going to trip off-not as he, just to her own home, but out of Mr. Arranstoun's life forever-but no suitable words would come,

and the clock struck ten in the

," he said, with wha

bride protested; "the Inn may be shut

ntil eleven-have some soup-or a cold quail and some salad-and

inties were not to be resisted, especially the cake! After all, it could not be any harm staying just this little while longer since no one would ever know, and people who got married always did cut

day of the holiday for Moravia's wedding far away in Rome; and there were

Michael more and more with its touches of shrewd common sense. He drank a good deal of champagne

and he had to help her-and

. It caused her a sudden wild emotion of she knew not

ide of the table, leaving the cake-and stood lo

llowe

r go away from me-I want to teach you to love me, Sabine. You belong to me, you kno

sped her i

, you see-and th