The Wooden Horse

ode over the Downs once with Robin-but he managed to leave a flock of very active impressions behind him. That, as he knew well, was his str

re-an assurance that this was the really right thing to do, this the proper attitude for correct breeding to adopt. It was always, with him, a case of correct breeding, and

was not the right person, that would be bad breeding, but you realised, of your own accord, that they were not quite right. That was why t

this time; the main result of his vis

to of the gentleman of good breeding is, "The end and aim of al

"You are lucky to have such a father, Bob; it's what we all want, you and I especially, a little fresh air let into our Cambridge dust and confusion; it's most

re was never any doubt about Harry. He missed the fine shades, of course, and was lamentably lacking in discrimination, but you did know where you were. Robin had, almost reluctantly, admired this before the coming of Randal. But now there could be no question. When Randal was there you had displayed before you the complete art of successful allusion. Nothing was ever directly s

olutely essential. You must walk dow

" answered Clare. She liked him, and thou

s been hard enough to snatch these few days. Besides, R

ply, but her sil

. "He is, I'm afraid, a little out of it.

anged," she said. "What h

"For most of us experience has a jostl

y that Clare admired so much. He shook Harry warmly

said. "What sort of time am I

proposal, was immediately vague and gave no definite promise. Harry wat

d and brown in the autumn-tinted trees, whilst the deep green of the lawns in front of the house seemed to hold both blues and golds in its lights and shadows. The ai

e are things any sort of fellow can do, and I must say that I shrink from taking bread out of the mouths of some of them. But of course there are things that one must do-where special

at him with

ll, it sounds silly-but inspired, you know-as if one saw things q

ever there was one. That is why we have bank clerks at Peckham and governesses in Bloomsbury writing their

ng mirror that reflected the blue of the sky and was clouded mistily with the gold of the sun. That sudden springing forward of t

andal?" he said. "One g

orms-who was most awfully interesting. He kept a little bookshop, and I used to go down and talk to him, and he said once that the sea was t

ce is getting on your nerves; always being here is bad for y

"Only one wonders sometimes if-" he broke off sud

person to talk to about it; his advice would have been worth having. But Robin felt vaguely that it would be better not. For some strange rea

strain, and Robin felt relieved when the train had gone. As he hurried from the platform he puzzled

ing had happened. Robin wasn't sure what could have happened, but he had expected something. He had waited for a note; she would most assuredly write and her letter would serve as a hint, he would know how to act; but there had been no sign. On the day following the interview he had felt, for the most part, relief. He was suddenly aware of the burden that the affair had been, he was a free man; but with this there had been compunction. He had acted like a brute; he was surprised that he could have been so hard, and he was a little ashamed of meeting the public gaze. If people only realised, he th

r. He did not know what she would do; he was beginning to realise his inexperience, but he knew that she would never allow the affair to pass quietly away. To do him justice, it was not so much the fear of personal exposure that frightened him; that, of course, would be unpleasant-he would have to face the derision of his enemies and the contempt of those people whom formerly he had himself despised. But it was not personal contempt, it was the disgrace to the family; the house was suddenly threatened on

and bit his lip. How could he have been such a fool? She must

east the uncertainty would be ended. The golden day irritated him, and he found the dark gloom of the Feverels' street a relief. A man was playing an organ at the corner, and three dirty, tatte

and then the colour faded. He noticed that she was looking ill and rather untidy. There were dark lines under her eyes and

never gone out, because I was afraid that I would miss you. But I knew that you would be sorry after the

ia, for having hurt you, but I thought that you would see it as I do

ing all these ten days, and it has been my fault all along. I have bothered you by coming here and interfering when I wasn't really wanted. Mother and I will go away again and then you shall c

eopened when they had decided it finally the other night. He felt again the blind, unreasoning fear of exposure. He had never before doubted his bravery, but there had never been any questio

ever have been otherwise. I see it more clearly than I saw it ten days ago-quite plainly now-and there's no purpose served in keeping the matter open;

ut his one thought was for peace, to put this spectre that had haunted him these ten d

elf to face whatever might come-shame, exposure, anything-she would not cry and beg for pity as she had done before. But it was the end, the end, the end! The end of so much that had given her a new soul during the last few months. She must go back to those dreary years that had had no me

great flood of colour through the window, and meanwhile her heart was broken. She had read of it often enough and had laughed-she

at you had cared enough not to mind what they

people. It would never do, Dahlia, it wouldn't really. You'd never like it either-you see we're different. At Cambridge one couldn't see it so clearly, bu

at all; it was only that one thing that he saw in front of him, how to get out, away, clear of the whole entang

s as though he had struck her in the face. She was not good enough, she was not fit. He had said it before, but

rnt so patiently and faithfully had crumbled into nothing. Her despair seemed, for the moment, to have gone; she only felt bur

round and l

ot your equal socially. Well, we will leave

ally. He had behaved like a cad and he knew it. Her white face, her hands clenched tightly at her s

up and sto

ke that, as you thought. Only I've been so worried, I've not known where to turn an

y convicted of orchard-robbing-and she had loved him, worshipped him! Five minutes ago his helplessness would have stirred her, she would have wanted to t

f everything. It was a mistake for both of us, and perhaps it

t little triumph or satisfa

word. Then he remembered

ut out of the window on to the street. A cab was slowly crawling in the dis

't mean--?" Robin

. You had better go. We will wr

must let me have them back. It's serious-more than you kn

looked melodramatic and very ridiculous

as though she had thought it all out before. "They are valu

s pride came to the rescue; he would not let her

le furtively, as though he was afraid of meeting acquaintances. She turned away from the window, and then, suddenly, k

er kneeling there in the

e said softl

mother," she said. "And he is ne

everel sai