The Philanderers

rs. Willoughby at half-past one on the following day. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and the eyes themselves seemed to look pathetic rep

d?' she exclaimed. 'You look as

e, she realised, to some new shuffle of Clarice's facile emotions. She returned the kiss, and refrained from furth

ly into the most comfor

id. 'I am sure I cou

enderness in it. She laid a light hand upon the brown hair, touching with a caress the curls about the forehead. A child's face was turned up to hers with a pretty appeal of melancholy. Mrs. Willoughby was moved to kiss the girl again. In spite

he quavered, 'you can't guess what has happened!' The voice threaten

ou shall tell

ere of a drawing-room. To sharpen his diatribes the worthy captain was in the habit of straining ineffectually after epigrams. Mrs. Willoughby quoted an unsuccessful essay concerning the novels women favoured. 'A woman with a slice of intellect likes that sort of garbage for the sa

nt of a cosy fire in her boudoir, 'tell me what all the trouble's about

He said he was glad to get the opportunity of speaking to me by myself, and he-he-well, he asked me to marry him. He was quite different from what he usually is, else I might have stopped him bef

of Clarice's hand, and the

htened me; but I don't think that was at all a nice thing to say, do you, Connie?' and her hand tightened upon her friend's. 'But he said other things too, much worse than that,-I can't tell you. And at last I felt as if I wanted to scream. I should have screamed in a minute or two, I know, so I told him to go away.

l; Mrs. Willoughby, however, did

e hall. Mr. Mallinson was standing on the first step. He never looked back-he was turning up his coat

d Mrs. Willo

he room, and asked him if

id he a

re is to laugh at. You wouldn't either if you had seen him then, because he just sat down and cried, not as you and I do, you know, but with great tears running through his fingers and heaves of his shoulders. It was heartbreaking. Then he got up and begg

refused him,' she said thoughtfully, and she be

'because Mr. Mallinson asked it too.' She paused for a second or so and went on. 'I have never thought of him in that way, I am sure. Oh no!' an

at her sharply but said

o the room as though mo

a note here

ted the process on four sheets of note-paper, and as she was beginning the fifth attempt the door was opened and the servant announced that Mr

rs. Willoughby when th

! He's not in the h

mbarrassment, as she pinned on her hat, 'I asked

at the girl, noticing the traces of tears still

Mesurier, and her tone

unsympa

illoughby, and she laughed yet

ne how lonely I

d Mrs. Willoughby, and

u'll be the

composing herself to a fitting seriousness. But for all her efforts her mouth worked, and the dimples

ice, 'I am disappoi

she spoke. Fearing another access she began, as a resource, to lecture Clarice upon the impropriety of makin

till more out of pl

into the drawing-room

lou

them by her friend. She betrayed the extent of her indignation by a proportionately excessive friendliness towards Conway that afternoon. He was allowed to conduct her to four picture galleries, and a P

it to Stephen Drake. She had a question to ask him, she stated, of some importance to herself. Would he call on Thursday afternoon and answer it? Clarice read through the note before she sealed up the envelope. The word importance caught her eye, and she pond

from the pages of his Time

to tell me

ulation. 'You will make the man believe you're in love with him,' he said, and in fact he could have chanced on no happier objection to present to her. Clarice flushed to the temples. Sidney Mallinson, Mrs. Willoughby, and now her father! All three had made the same suggestion, and the repetition of it vexed her pride. There were others they might have said it of w

sort of conceit. Anyhow, if he has that impressio

n instructions to his butler, and when Drake arrived at the hou

th an uneasy geniality. 'I have something

and seated himself opp

a certain answer to a certain question, and I thought that I had better prepare you for what that question will be.' He hesitated in

ay, do yo

on't just now

it away when I have done. These

tance. He lit his cigar and patiently waited, his eyes fixed upon his host. Mr. Le Mesurier felt driven back up

squely, 'means to ask you how Gor

reath of relief. 'I am glad you take it like this,' he went on. 'I was afraid that what I had to say might have

d knocked the ash off

ed; 'why did

ier looked u

r a time. She is not very strong, you know. So it was deemed best, not only by me, but by Gorley's family as well, that she should be kept in ignorance of what had actually happened. We simply tol

Willou

o you. I only found that out the night you were introduced to us at the theatre. It made me certain that she had suspicions, and I admit that I asked you to call in the hope of allaying them. I believed, foolishly as it seems, that if I was cordial, she would give up any ideas she might have, that you were connected in any

e whatever to Mr. Le

he said, 'that Miss Le

he time of

arting up from his chair. 'You are awa

nodded

ined to believe that the whole affair had been just a girl's whim. Indeed, in spite of her illness, I am not certain now

here is Miss Le Me

in the dra

d for a second, bracing his shoulders; then he walked firmly across the

ou mean to

round. 'There surely is but one thing to s

ley left England. They had nothing more to do with one a

ms to m

p till now. No one could blame you if

He had an unreasoned conviction that the g

t to tell her i

u to do it,' grumb

sponsible decision, and Mr. Le Mesurier was averse by nature to making such decisions out of hand. If Drake c

' he replied, 'to either for

d what the se

ourse,' he said, and he went out o