Moth and Rust; Together with Geoffrey's Wife and The Pitfall

ses amitiés, mais

ess Ka

r she ought to accept or not. There might be etiquettes connected with afternoon walks of which she was not aware. For even

id Mrs Trefusis, with impatient formality.

awing-room with a little groan. Anne sat down by her. The eyes of both women

rs Trefusis. "And what a hat! Exactly

mpassion, what was indeed the case, that Janet had made a special pilgrimage to Mudb

spectable people go on the

Mrs Trefusis. "Heaven knows if there had been anything against

faintly. "A

ne else. "But from all I can make out this girl is a model of middle-class respectability. Yet she comes

George might have presented you with an actress with a pas

Mrs Trefusis, "that my only son sh

her brother who wa

t was riding to hounds that

aw her out cub-hunting last a

but I know it was disgraceful. He is quite an impossible person, but I suppose we shall have to know him now. T

Trefusis'. She invariably spoke as if a

atter who one k

in every country neighbourhood. She did what she considered to be her duty by the secondary set, but she belonged by birth and by inclination to the upper class. It was at first with bewildered surprise, and la

just when her son needed him most. She had not expected it, but she ought to have expected it. Did not everything in her lot go crooked, while the lives of all those around her went straight? What wa

the chief personage. It had been so with George. Fred Black, the disreputable horse-breaker, and his companions, had sedulously paid court to him. George, who had a deep-rooted love of horse-flesh, was often at Fred's training stables. There he met Janet, and fell in love with her, as did most of Fred's associates. But unlike them, George had withdrawn. He knew

decision, he suddenly rushed up

refusis did not answer, and

girl is a nice girl, innocent and go

o be conceited abo

It is an amazing match for her. And she might be conce

ish the sentence. She twitched her hands restlessly, and then went on: "And she can't come into a room. She sticks in the door. And she always calls you 'Lady Varney.' She hasn't called a gir

ntious. Middle-class she may be, and is: so was my grandmother; but vulgar she is not. A

fice for her, and, as I constantly tell h

to-himself. He is considering only himself. He is marrying only

re talking

into words, it turned into nonsense. The little things you notice in

e offended directly she is spoken to. All stupid people are. Now come, Anne! Don't t

ked deprecatingly into the eld

she said at last, and

obsti

id people alw

"I am obstinate, but no o

being always obstinate, because obs

ate, Anne?" There were te

o do it with a good grace, before you estrange George from you, and bef

nse as a rhinoceros, s

It gives you a better chance with her. Make her l

usis, "be they who they may,

hallucination. You

anion, and then smiled grimly. "You are the only

. She will never learn anything by imagination or perception, for she seems quite devoid of them. But I think she might learn by trouble or happiness, or both. She can feel. Strong feeling would be the turning-point with her, if sh

ot sent into the world to r

Trefusis had been sent into this imp

ould be kind to her." Anne took Mrs Trefusis' ringed, cla

have been you. But of course, just because I had set my heart upon it, I was not to have it. That has been my life from first to last. If I might onl

see my affections are-is not that

ou are

air. That is where th

the crea

is why I take in the World. If he had been in Lond

is enormousl

y me; by tons of others younger

y certain that you have ne

atical smile. "The proprieties have been observed. At least by me

ow what he

or one thing, and I have not

g willing to think of him. In my young days a

get their ch

doesn't he

"he thinks I like him for his money. He h

like you would

ing such things all the time. H

st be

not look

f Dundee's last summer. He was pointed out to me as the biggest thing in millionaires since Barnato. But I must conf

what he

very una

ooking man of forty," said A

s that," said Mrs Trefusi

t choose to like me, or I to like him. I never had any choice in the matter. When I first saw him I recognised him. I had known him all my life. I had been waiting for him always without knowing it. I never really understood anything till he came. I did not fall in love with him; at least, not i

is so rare that when we meet it we

marry some day,"

age. There was no romance here as she understood it, nothing but a grim

sunderstanding can hol

t mother,"

, well-drilled daughters, all of whom were now advantageously married except Anne-the eldest. And if Anne was not at this moment wedded to G

a hard hitter, and she will run till she drops on the chance of any catch. But her bowling is her strong point. Young men have not a chance with her

ly try to ge

with her when she came in his way, but he never made the l

Cec

ter, and, for her part, if a man was a good man, she thought it was of no importance if he had not had a father. Think of mother's saying that, after marrying poor father? But she was quite sincere. Mother never minds contradicting herself. There is nothing petty about her. She cried, and I cried too. We seemed to be nearer to each other than we had been for years. I was the last daughter left at home, and she actually said she did not want to part with me. I think she felt it just for the moment, for she had had a good deal of worry with some of the sons-in-law, especially Harry. But after a little bit she came to herself, and she gave me such advice. Oh, such advice! Some of it was excellent-that was the worst of it-but it was all from the standpoint of the woman stalking the man

unt saw t

n't prove it, but I am morally certain that mother cornered him and had a talk with him one day, and tol

or

r, but he has refused. I found she had given a little message

any sense he must see that it is your

marrying him. He may know a great deal about finance, and stocks, and all those weary thi

s. "What a nuisance men are! I wish t

er rueful little smile, "mother w