Leslie's Loyalty. Garvice Charles

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      Did she hear him?

      CHAPTER VII.

      THE DUKE'S SNEERS

      The boat sails on. Leslie has no mother to watch over her and warn her of sinning against the great goddess Propriety; and as there is no harm to him who thinks none, Leslie is not troubled by conscience because she is out sailing on this Heaven sent evening with a young man and only deaf William for chaperon.

      Perhaps this is because of the peculiar nature of the young man. There is no shyness about Yorke, and his manner is just of that kind to inspire confidence; he treats Leslie with a mixture of frankness and respect which could not be greater if he had known her for years instead of a few hours only; and it is but fair to add that his manner toward a duchess would be just the same.

      He is happy, is enjoying himself to the utmost, and he assuredly does not trouble his head about the proprieties. But all the same, he is silent after that last remark of his, which Leslie may or may not have heard.

      He is lying across the boat, so that without much effort he can see her face. What a lovely face it is, he thinks, and how thoughtful. Is she thinking of that letter he gave her, or of the ring? And who gave her that? It ought not to matter to him, and yet the question worries him not a little. He dismisses it with a half audible "Heigh-ho!"

      "I suppose these are what are called dancing waves?" he says at last. "Are you fond of dancing, Miss Leslie? But of course you are."

      Leslie lets her dark gray eyes fall on his handsome upturned face as if she had been recalled to earth.

      "Oh, yes," she says. "All women are, are they not? But I do not get much dancing. It is years since I was at a party. My father is not strong, and dislikes going out, and – well, there is no one else to go with me; besides, I should not leave him."

      He nods thoughtfully, and some idea of what her life must be dawns upon him.

      "You must lead a very quiet life," he says.

      Leslie smiles.

      "Yes, very, very quiet," she assents.

      "What do you do to amuse yourself?" he asks.

      Leslie thinks a moment.

      "Oh," she says, cheerfully, and without a shadow of discontent in her voice or in her face, "I take walks, when my father does not want me, but he usually likes me to stay with him while he is painting; and sometimes William takes me for a sail, and there is the piano. My father likes me to play while he is at work; but when he does not I read."

      "And is that all?" he says, raising himself on his elbow that he may better see her face.

      "All?" she repeats. "What else is there? It seems a great deal."

      He does not answer, but he thinks of the women he knows, the idle women who are always restless and discontented unless they are deep in some excitement, riding, driving, ball and theater going; and as he thinks of the difference between their lives and this girl's, there rises in his breast a longing to brighten her life if only for a few hours a day.

      "Well," he says, "it sounds rather slow. And – and have you led this kind of life long?"

      "As long as I can remember," replies Leslie. "Papa and I have been alone together ever since I was a little mite, and – yes, it has always been the same."

      "And you never go to a theater, a dance, a concert?"

      Leslie laughs softly.

      "Never is a big word," she says. "Oh, yes, when we are in London my father sometimes but very seldom takes me to a theater, and now and again there are dances at the boarding houses we stay at."

      Yorke almost groans. How delightful it would be to take this beautiful young creature for a whole round of theaters, to see her dressed in full war paint, to watch those dark gray eyes light up with pleasant and girlish joy.

      "And which are you most fond of?" he asks. "Walking, sailing, playing, reading?"

      She thinks again.

      "I don't know. I'm very fond of the country, and enjoy my walks, but then I am also fond of sailing, and music, and reading. Do you know the country round here?"

      He shakes his head.

      "No, I only came to-day, you know."

      "Ah, yes," she says, and she says it with a faint feeling of surprise; it seems to her as if he had been here at Portmaris for a week at least. "There is a very lovely place called St. Martin; it is about twelve miles out. There is an old castle, or the remains of one, and from the top of it you can see – well, nearly all the world, it seems."

      "That must be worth going to," he says, and an idea strikes him. "My cousin – I mean Mr. Temple, you know – would like to see that."

      "Yes," says Leslie. "But he could not walk so far."

      "No. Do you mean to say you can?"

      Leslie laughs softly.

      "Oh, yes; I have walked there and back several times."

      "You must be very strong!"

      "Yes, I think I am. I am always well; yes, I suppose I am strong."

      He still sighs at her; the graceful figure is so slight that he finds it difficult to realize her doing twenty-four miles. The women he knows would have a fit at the mere thought of such an undertaking.

      "I think to-morrow is going to be a fine day," he says, looking up at the cloudless sky with a business-like air.

      "Yes," says Leslie, as if she were first cousin to the clerk of the weather. "It's going to be fine to-morrow."

      "Well, then," he says, "I'll try and get something and drive my cousin over to – what's the name of the place with the castle?"

      "St. Martin."

      "Yes. The worst of it is that he – I mean my cousin, and not St. Martin – so soon gets bored if he hasn't some one more amusing than I am to keep him company; you see, he's an invalid, and crotchety."

      "Poor fellow!" murmurs Leslie. "And yet he is so kind and generous," she adds as she thinks of the fifty pounds he has given for the "picture."

      "Yes, indeed!" he assents. "The best fellow that ever drew breath, for all his whims and fancies; and he can't help having those, you know. He would like to go to St. Martin to-morrow, especially if you – do you think we could persuade you and Mr. Lisle to accompany us?"

      Leslie looks at him almost startled, then the color comes into her face, and her eyes brighten.

      "It would be awfully good-natured of you if you would," he goes on, quickly, and as if he knew he was demanding a great sacrifice of her "awfully good nature."

      "My father – ." Leslie shakes her head. "I am afraid he would not go; he will want to paint if the day is fine."

      "He can paint at St. Martin," he breaks in, eagerly. "There must be no end of sketches, studies, whatever you call it, there, you know. I wish you'd ask him! It would do my cousin so much good, and – and," the arch hypocrite СКАЧАТЬ