on the firing line-第37节

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slowness　of　his　recovery。　Anything　to　get　out　of　that　house！　She　treated　him　as　he　would　have　scorned　to　treat　an　invalid　dog　who　had　taken　refuge　in　his　stable。

All　this　came　slowly。　For　two　endless　weeks；　Weldon　lay　unconscious。　For　two　more　endless　weeks；　he　raved　in　delirium。　Happily；　his　nurse　was　a　discreet　woman。　She　discouraged　the　visits　of　Mrs。　Dent　and　her　husband；　offered　the　excuse　that　strange　faces　excited　the　invalid；　and　only　admitted　them　during　his　brief　intervals　of　sleep。　Meanwhile；　she　used　all　her　professional　principles　to　keep　herself　from　trying　to　solve　the　problem　before　her　eyes。　Upstairs　was　a　man　sick　unto　death；　a　man　who　raved　ceaselessly　of　the　daughter　of　the　house。　Downstairs；　the　daughter　of　the　house　was　going　her　accustomed　way；　with　never　a　question　in　regard　to　the　man　above。　What　had　happened？　How；　if　anything　had　happened；　how　did　he　chance　to　be　in　that　home；　with　Mrs。　Dent　as　his　devoted　and　anxious　slave？　Resolutely；　she　fell　to　studying　her　temperature　charts。　Her　specialty　was　fever；　not　heart　disease。

A　week　after　the　tide　had　turned；　Carew　had　been　allowed　to　spend　a　short　half…hour　with　the　invalid。　The　next　day；　by　advice　of　the　nurse；　Mr。　Dent　telephoned　to　him　to　come　again。　Something；　whether　in　his　personality　or　in　his　talk；　had　been　of　tonic　power　over　Weldon。　It　seemed　wise　to　repeat　the　experiment。

Carew　came　on　the　heels　of　his　own　voice　through　the　telephone；　and　his　face　was　smiling　broadly；　as　he　went　leaping　up　the　stairs。　After　all；　it　had　not　been　in　vain；　his　quixotic　lingering　in　Cape　Town　for　a　weary　month　after　receiving　his　discharge。　Weldon　and　he　had　been　good　friends　through　thick　and　thin；　it　would　have　been　beastly　to　leave　him。　And　now；　after　all　these　useless　weeks；　he　could　at　least　do　something　to　lighten　the　convalescence。　Moreover；　Carew's　pocket　held　three　letters；　received　that　very　noon；　one　of　grudging　approval　from　his　son…sick　mother；　one　of　chaotic；　but　heartfelt　thanks　from　Mrs。　Weldon；　and　the　third　one　an　affirmative　answer　to　a　telegram　he　had　sent　to　Alice　Mellen；　only　the　night　before。　He　went　into　Weldon's　room；　looking；　as　he　felt；　the　embodiment　of　happiness　and　health。

He　hailed　Weldon　from　the　threshold。　Tidings　like　his　could　wait　during　no　interchange　of　mere　conventional　greetings。　Weldon　heard　him　to　the　end；　congratulated　him；　demanded　the　repetition　of　all　the　details。　Then；　when　Carew's　excitement　had　quite　spent　itself；　Weldon　drew　a　letter　from　underneath　his　pillow。

〃It　came；　this　morning；〃　he　added　laconically。

Carew　seized　the　letter　and　ran　his　eye　down　the　page。　Then　his　face　lighted。

〃Nunc　dimittis！〃　he　said　piously。　〃It's　sure　to　be　yours！　Have　you　told　Miss　Dent？〃

〃I've　not　seen　Miss　Dent。〃

Carew's　face　fell。

〃Not　yet？　But　you　will。　And　then　you　will　tell　her？〃

Weldon's　lips　straightened　into　a　thin　line。　He　shook　his　head。

〃But　she　ought　to　know。〃

〃Why？〃

〃It　is　her　right。〃

〃Why？〃　Weldon　asked　again。

〃Becauseit　is。　It　might　make　some　difference　in〃

Weldon　stopped　him　abruptly。

〃It　could　make　no　difference；　Carew。　In　facing　the　main　question；　such　things　as　that　don't　count。　Even　if　they　did；　though；〃　he　rose　on　his　elbow　and　faced　his　friend　steadily；　〃even　if　they　did；　I　would　never　consent　to　try　to　bribe　a　girl　into　loving　me；　by　telling　her　I　had　won　the　V。　C。　It　will　be　time　enough　for　Miss　Dent　to　hear　of　it；　when　it　is　given。〃

〃But　you　will　be　in　England　then；〃　Carew　objected　practically。

Weldon　lay　down　again　and　drew　the　sheet　upward　till　its　shadow　lay　across　his　lips。

〃What　matter？〃　he　answered　slowly。　〃And；　besides；　Miss　Dent　isn't　the　girl　to　be　won　in　any　such　way　as　that。　Hers　is　a　love　to　be　given；　not　bought。〃

Half　an　hour　later；　Carew　met　Ethel　on　the　stairs。　As　he　halted　to　speak　to　her；　he　was　shocked　at　the　look　in　her　face。　The　lips　were　smiling；　but　the　eyes　were　the　eyes　of　a　hunted　animal。

〃So　long　since　we　have　met！〃　he　said；　as　he　took　her　hand。　〃And　so　much　has　happened。〃

〃Yes。　I　have　been　hoping　to　congratulate　you；〃　she　answered。

〃It　was　a　stunning　letter　you　wrote　me；〃　he　said　boyishly。　〃I　suppose　we　are　cousins　now。〃

Then　there　came　a　little　pause。　Before　either　of　them　quite　realized　it；　the　pause　had　lengthened　until　it　was　hard　to　break。

〃I　have　been　up　to　see　the　invalid；〃　he　blurted　out　at　last。

〃How　is　he？〃　the　girl　inquired　courteously。

〃Better。〃　Then　a　sudden　note　of　resentment　crept　into　Carew's　honest　voice。　〃He　is　counting　the　days　now　before　he　can　be　moved。　He　says　your　mother　has　been　wonderfully　good　to　him。〃

The　girl　stood　aside　to　let　Carew　pass　her　by。

〃She　is　good　to　everybody；〃　she　assented　quietly。　〃I　hope　Mr。　Weldon　won't　think　of　going　away　until　he　can　be　moved　with　perfect　safety。　It　is　really　no　trouble　to　have　him　here；　and　the　nurse　is　very　capable。〃

And　Carew　bowed　in　agreement。　Once　outside　the　door；　however；　he　freed　his　mind；　tersely　and　with　vigor。

〃Damn　the　nurse！〃　he　said　to　the　oak　tree；　as　he　passed　it。




CHAPTER　TWENTY…SIX


　　　　　〃There's　a　true　Heart　in　the　West　World；　that　is　beating　　　　　　　　　still　for　me；　　　　　　Ever　praying　in　the　twilight　once　again　my　face　to　see。　　　　　　Oh；　the　World　is　good　and　gladsome；　with　its　Love　both　　　　　　　　　East　and　West；　　　　　　But　there's　ever　one　love　only　that　is　still　the　First　and　Best。〃

The　low　voice　died　away。　A　moment　later；　Ethel　Dent　pushed　open　one　of　the　long　windows　of　the　drawing…room　and　stepped　out　on　the　veranda。　The　flower…boxes　were　filled　with　limp　stalks；　chilled　by　the　frost　of　the　previous　night；　but　the　sun　lay　warm　over　the　wide；　white　steps；　over　the　lawn　and　over　the　bay　beyond。　She　stood　for　a　moment；　staring　thoughtfully　out　across　the　bay；　then　she　moved　on　to　the　western　end　of　the　veranda；　looked　up　at　Table　Mountain　with　its　cloth　of　cloud；　and　then　dropped　down　into　one　of　the　chairs　which　still　remained　in　the　sunny　corner。

That　corner　held　many　memories　for　her。　She　had　sought　it　now　unconsciously；　yet；　once　there；　she　lingered；　although　for　weeks　past　she　had　been　seeking　to　banish　those　memories　from　her　life。　Why　keep　them？　They　belonged　to　a　chapter　that　was　dead　and　gone。　Better　to　seal　its　pages　and　never　break　the　seal。　Better　never　to　reread　what　had　been　written　there。　If　she　had　been　mistaken　in　giving　her　love　where　it　was　not　desired；　not　only　should　the　world　never　be　aware　of　the　fact；　but　she　herself　would　ignore　the　existence　of　that　mistake。　She　had　loved　Weldon　with　all　the　energy　of　her　headstrong；　girlish　nature。　She　had　supposed　that　he　had　loved　her　in　return。　Instead　of　that；　he　had　gone　away　and　left　her　without　a　word；　just　when　her　need　for　him　was　the　greatest。　No　man　in　his　senses　could　have　seen　the　agony　of　that　last　hour　she　had　spent　with　Captain　Frazer；　and　failed　to　understand　the　pitiful；　appealing　look　she　had　cast　upon　him。　Unable　to　escape　the　agony；　she　had　given　this　tacit　call　to　Weldon　to　share　it　with　her；　to　understand；　and　to　forgive。　She　had　been　sure　she　could　trust　him；　but　it　was　evident　that　she　had　trusted　him　in　vain。　In　the　hour　of　her　supremest　need；　he　had　gone　away　and　left　her　alone。　No　man　who　cared　for　her　could　have　forsaken　her　in　such　a　crisis　as　that。　Her　lips　curved　into　a　hard　little　smile；　as　she　sat　rocking　to　and　fro　in　the　sunshine；　and；　going　back　over　a　past　which　she　had　rarely　allowed　herself　to　reopen。

And　afterwards？　Afterwards　Fate　had　been　all　against　her。　It　had　been　easy　to　escape　from　her　engagement　at　Johannesburg；　comparatively　easy　to　shut　the　past　experience　into　the　inner　places　of　her　mind；　to　close　her　lips　with　the　show　of　a　smile；　and　to　plunge　into　a　whirl　of　social　life　which　should　leave　her　no　time　for　quiet　thought。　So　long　as　she　kept　her　secret　to　herself；　it　mattered　nothing　to　the　girl　that　it　was　eating　pitilessly　at　her　vitality；　that　it　was　ever　hard　and　harder　for　her　to　keep　up　her　ceaseless　round　of　gayety。

And　then；　all　at　once；　their　home　life　had　been　invaded　by　the　man　who　was　never　absent　from　her　thoughts。　In　a　sense；　she　was　glad　of　the　invasion。　It　proved　to　her；　more　surely　than　any　words　could　have　done；　that　she　had　kept　her　secret　well　and　beyond　suspicion。　Had　her　mother　gained　any　inkling　of　the　true　state　of　the　case；　Harvard　Weldon　would　never　have　been　brought　away　from　the　room　at　the　Grand。　For　so　much　surety；　Ethel　Dent　could　rejoice　with　a　thankful　heart。　Nevertheless；　as　the　days　passed　by；　Weldon's　presence　in　the　house　increased　the　strain　tenfold。　Night　after　night；　Ethel　had　crept　noiselessly　from　her　room　across　the　hallway　and　crouched　outside　his　door；　listening　for　any　sounds　from　within　which　might　tell　her　that　all　was　well　with　the　man　whom　she　would　not　see。　Day　after　day；　she　forced　her　life　to　run　along　in　its　usual　grooves；　going　out　of　the　house　with　a　laugh　on　her　lips　and；　in　her　heart；　the　sickening　dread　of　the　tidings　which　might　greet　her　upon　her　return。　Again　and　again；　as　she　passed　the　door　left　open　during　the　nurse's　temporary　absence　from　the　room；　she　put　forth　all　her　strength　to　keep　herself　from　stealing　in；　to　look　just　once　on　the　unconscious　face　of　the　man　who　had　made　her　whole　life。　But　she　held　herself　in　check；