The Reef

ame-keeper. They grew slowly upon the bluishbackground, with occasional delays and re-effacements, andshe sat still, waiting till

e had really begun toknow him. The eager observation of her own child had shownher how much she had still to learn about the slight fairboy whom the holid

y-twisted reflection of her husband's. With hisbursts of door-slamming activity, his fits of bookishindolence, his crude revolutionary dogmatizing and hisflashes of precocious irony, the boy was not unlike aboisterous embodiment of his father's theories. It was asthough Fraser Leath's ideas, accustomed to hang likemarionettes on their pegs, should suddenly come down andwalk. There were moments,

ved farther and farther from the throne;and Anna could not help noting that these stages coincidedwith the gradual decline of the artist's fame. She had afancy that if his credit had been in the ascendant the firstMrs. Leath might have continued to throne over the drawing-room mantel- piece, even to

a large lonely canvas, in the blank contemplationof a gilt console

e apostrophized her, with a derisionaddressed rather to herself than to the dead; but it wasonly after Effie's birth that it occurre

it. She died ofit long before they buried her: I'm certain of that. Thoseare stone-dead eyes in the picture...The loneliness musthave been awful, if even Owen couldn't keep her from dyingof it. And to feel it so she must have HAD feelings--real live ones, the kind that twitch a

ced both children in the same passion of motherhood, asthough

derstand": certainly DID understandnow, in a tacit way that yet perpetually spoke to her. Thissense of his understanding was the deepest element in theirfeeling for each other. There were so many

e faster at the thought of whatshe had to say to him. But when he reached the gate she sa

meant to go back with the gamekeeper,perhaps to the kennels, to see a retrie

st her letter into herbodice, and

her motion, short of flight, would have beenbuoyant enough for her humour. She seemed to be keepingpace with some inward rhythm, seeking to give bodilyexpression to the lyric rush of her thoughts. The earthalways felt elastic under her, and she had

t sharpperfumes of the failing day. She panted to herself: "Thisis nonsense!" her blood hummed back: "But it's

shed and laughing, her handsclaspe

oday--don't you feel it?--And I wanted to have alittle talk with you,"

shade ofanxiety which, for the last two months,

that! I don't want you

me to do? To race with you as I do Effie? But Ishouldn't have a

e you going

wantedto know if you'd had good sport."The shadow dropped on him again. "None at all. The fact isI didn't try. Jean and I have just been knocking about inthe woods. I wasn't in a sanguinary

hing you wanted to tell me,"he

e involuntarily, andthey came to a pause

ow coming?

he question a sudden heatsuffu

. I've just heard.

my reason for wantingto speak to you----""Because he's coming?""Because he's not yet here.""It's a

, I see." He had slipped his hands into the pockets ofhis tweed shooting jacket and lounged along at he

?"He did not yield. "Well, then--anything on earth that evenYOU can say.""You don't in the least know what I can say--or what I meanto.""Don't I, generally?"She gave him this point, but onl

and so have you to HER!" His voice broke down toboy

easier for her, though,

ter pleased to be toldyou've behaved as well as she?""Oh, you know, I've not done it for you,"

must remember I hadyour grandmother to consider.""Yes: and my father--and Effie, I suppose--and the outragedshades of Givre!" He paused, as if to lay more stress on theboyish

say nothing to your grandmotherbefore her return."He considered. "Your real object, of course, was to gaintime.""Yes--but for whom? Why

only you'll promise to give me time----""Time for her to send for Adelaide Painter?""Oh, she'll undoubtedly send f

things. You must give metime to prepa

" He drew away for

marriage. Yes,that's what I mean. I'm going to see you through, you

n slowly. "I can't say you've convinced me of the wisdomof the step. Only I seem to see that other things mat

""Not at Givre!" he laughed, and shot a half-ironic look ather. "But you haven't really BEEN at Givre lately--notfor months! Don't you suppose I've noticed that, my dear?"She echoed his laugh to merge it in an undenying sigh. "PoorGivre...""Poor empty Givre! With so many roo

iven it that look for me!" He paused, andthen went on in a lower voice: "Don't

n't you? After all, in old times there must have beenliving people here!"Loosening her arm from his she continued to gaze

eautiful,"

overwhen I'm grinding at the law in New York, and you're--

ways feel like saying: 'Come back. All isdiscovered'."She returned his smile. "You know as much as I know. Ipromise you that."He

speaking? I thought it was your eyes----" Hecaught her by both elbows and sp

they told me long ago why it's just today you've made upyour m