The Swindler and Other Stories

for that, he will

he was a gambler who had staked all on the final throw, and she was watching, weak and ill as she was after long suffe

e imperiously

t calls, I must see him a

e realised that it would do more harm th

r to her message, and hour followed hour in slow, uneven

ffered her morphia, but she ref

want to sleep. I am

he morning?" he s

lashed eager in

is h

ctor n

but I hoped you would settl

. How inexplicably foolish we

"And, please, alone," as the d

y, and again she almost

shouldered man, clean-shaven, with piercing blue eyes that looked straight at her with something-something in the

de, and stood looking down u

d up her tre

aid weakly. "You got my message?

n't," s

ined. His fingers had close

and. Mr. West, I've got to tell you something-something that will make you really angry

ke a blue flame, but still he held himself r

he said stiffly. "Wouldn't it be wiser to wait

tremor of passion in her voice, "I never shall

t still that strange ligh

either now or at any future time. But if

a ghostly little smile. "Don't

ll holding her hand in a warm,

know better than any one how I managed to hurt my hand so badly. But even you don't know everything.

, avoiding his eyes, but c

knew it was you. I was just going to spring the trap with my foot, and then-and then I heard you, and I stooped down-it came to me to do it, and I never

ing piteously; while West sat li

won't let them-I won't let them! It-it's too dreadful a thing to happen to a woman. I can't

as though wrung by the extreme of torture. He had sunk to his knees by the bed. His face was nearer to hers than it had

ted-to see-if-if you really cared for me. I thought-if you did-you wouldn

West, the strong, the cold, the cynical,

ke," he muttered broken

was just what made it so impossible to

nt, breathi

lly, but she did not speak again til

she said sof

ng her hand more t

l about this trouble of mine-that I shall either die very soon, or else have to carry my arm in a sling for

as she had seen it once long ago-alert, vital, fu

clared fiercely. "Who sa

m his. "Unless I consent to be a cripple all my days," she said,

resistance with sheer, overmastering strength. "You'll face this thing l

t me to do this thing-if you really want me to, and it's a big thing to do, even for you-I'll do it. There! I'll do it! I'll go on living

ent out of it. Something of his habi

full of tenderne

do for you. But don't ask me to be the means of ruining you socially, of depriving

ent flashed across

k my heart, and it isn't any fault of his that he didn't do it long ago. No, don't speak. There's nothing left for you to say. The petition is dismissed, but not the petitioner; so liste

nth

ry, but she checked it,

n't you see I'm not going to die? But I'm going to be Mrs. Nat V. West all the same. No

ng-before the operation?" West sai

rs. She looked him sudde

tly. "I want-dear-I want to go to