THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY
THE MARRIAGE SONG - - (Continued from Page 1)
les to produce Frederick, and though some might think that a waste of time, Frederick and his family didn't, nor that all
though she was excited she felt a bit foolish as well, and her scat- tered brain could not seize on any
the village until I get some- one to lend me a car.
"There's mine
said Louise.
centuries to come should be really good reason for rushing Her hands were moist and her
seven
heart was
The car roared, then throbbed evenly.
“Where to?
"Back along the road you
He hunched in the seat wearily. "Louise, that's all rot about You're all treatment, isn't it?
right?".
"I suppose so."
came.” and she thumping, be de- down here. And, of course, the mo-
thought how absurd it was to re- ment she saw Roger, she must be
hearse any situation which had to ready with that reason or he might
do with a man and a woman, be- think That would be ghast-
cause one never got the right ly, if he thought, as he well
cues. him
This comedy or tragedy might, that she had come to
because she couldn't go or whatever it was had bolted through with things. If Roger right away from the set lines. kissed her
in that first mo- ment before she could speak well, that wouldn't do anybody any good.
voted to the continuation of Fre- derick's line. Well, you couldn't Flame them. A habit of, mind
after must be cast-iron hundred years.
And they always married beautiful women. That's why Frederick was marrying her. -because she was beautiful, and because, with her aunt's help, she had been so very clever in ap- pearing exactly the same as any one of the young
women Fre- derick might have married only more beautiful Yes she had. been very clever.
Frederick's part of it was all right Nobody was blaming him. He was going to hang silver rings and river gold and make her part of a tradition. And that was what she wanted.
* ***
Suddenly she got out of bed and she ran around the room clutch- ing at clothes here and there. She slipped off her nightgown and began to dress. She was trembl- ing, but she was not crying. She was swearing softly and innocu- ously and biting again at the broken spot on her lip, without awareness. She put on the new sports suit and a new hat and a new travelling coat because she didn't have single garment which was not new. All her old -things had been given away. Then she went out of the bedroom. All the lights in the house were out, although it was not much after eleven o'clock. But the wedding reception was to be held in the house and to-morrow would be a frightful strain. Servants, Aunt
a
Sybil said, needed care like any machines. Without rest they were liable to crack under strain. Aunt Sybil was perfect at that sort of thing.
The garage was not far off and there was no need to hurry, but her body moved in unconscious swiftness, matching her whirling thoughts. As she half ran, she was forming, in staccato snatches, the things she wanted to say to Rog- er. Why, she would say, in rea- son's name, is it more laudable to marry for love than for any- thing else? I'm giving up 2 great deal to
marry Frederick
because I think I'll get something worth having. If I had married you instead, I'd still be giving up a great deal because I thought you were worth having. In either case I'm only pleasing myself. The trouble with people is
* *
*
When she had driven for an hour she was no longer feverish. She drew her coat round her. A fine drizzle was falling and the hood of
the roadster was down. But she drove on, feeling nothing... in particular. A bit sleepy, if anything. She hardly thought at all now. But when she
into the village street, she was again seized by excitement and began to tremble, and under her shaking hands the car
bled from one side of the road to the other, but she drew up squarely in front of the red lamp burning. over Boger's gate. It was a quar- ter past one, and, except for the red lamp, his silly little huddle of a house was in darkness. She got out and stood undecided, star ing at the red lamp.
She fled up the path, desiring now the safety of a closed door. But as she stood in the porch, she heard the sound of a car engine coming from the back of the house. It shattered the night in a spurt of sound, then died abruptly. That would be Roger. That was the kind of thing he did. Drifting about the country all night visiting the sick. She went round to the back, making no sound on the wet grass. She stood in the garage doorway for almost a minute, watching Roger bent over the engine of the bat- tered little car before he noticed. her. He was swearing like mad The engine was exploding and he was swearing. There was a kind of rhythm to it
*
THR
Louise loved him so dreadfully that she almost fainted. She was quite literally unable to move, or she would certainly have away. Her brain was giving or- ders: Get out of here! You're a foolTM Get out of.. ever to have come. here!
Then Roger looked up and saw her.
"For Pete's sake!" Roger said. "How did you get here?”
"I drove down," said Louise; then added wildly, because Roger was coming towards her with a blind, strange look: "I thought I'd like to see a doctor and get a little advice. I-I've been rather nervous lately and I thought you might be able to to give me something You see, "I'll have rather a day to-morrow."
Roger stopped short and laugh- ed. He lit a cigarette and inhal- ed the smoke deeply before he came nearer to her.
"Very, flattering of you to pick on "me. It'll do me end of
no good, having anyone as famous as you for a patient."
"Please
"No. It's a fact. You know we read the papers down here. Some of us even cut your pictures out Joe Caddy you wouldn't know Joe, he's a friend of mine -has put you in his frieze of film stars. You're over the bookcase. The shock had passed from his eyes. His second laugh was mor naturals
Sorry to greet you with non sens Louise But
knew
Roger
"That's an idea. I've got to get out to this woman as soon as I possibly can. But...”
"But what?”
"I don't know how long I'll be. Listen, you'd better take me. It's on your way partly. You can drop me and then go on. The sooner you get back and get to bed, the better for you. I don't know what made you do this mad thing. Only one reason would justify it--and that apparently isn't your reason- He waited.
Louise felt like screaming. So she giggled stupidly. "In the set one moves in, it's rather fashion- able to do mad things. I felt like a drive, and thought I might as well call on you as anybody, and that you being a doctor would be more likely than most of my friends to be up and about.”.
We
*
"Well, do you mind if I go to sleep? I think that would be the best way to cope with this situa tion. There's nothing left for you and me to say to each other. I haven't slept for 24 hours and I'm all in. Go straight until you come to the fork about three miles out.
"Yes, I know It”
"Then take the left turn and it's about two miles farther They've put a lantern at the lane there and it's only about half mile to the house. I'll walk that, and you can get away.”
Yes, she thought, it was rather futile planning things to Situations you prepared for dramatic turned out common- place generally. He was right. There was nothing left for either of them to say. He might as wen go to sleep. The laugh was on her
He was asleep. A bump in the Roger turned his back on her. road rocked the car sideways and-
"I don't "Possibly," he said.
his head fell against her. He went to sleep suddenly. Like know much about your set. are very sane down here How child Like night coming in the tropics. Country doctors learn- ever, for once in your life, you can be useful as well as fashioned to do that. Asleep, he moved able. Do you mind if we start at once?" He took up his coat. With it on, he appeared huge. But he moved jerkily. He was dead with sleep.
his head so that it rested more comfortably against her should- She. er. His arm lay across her. almost ceased to breathe. All
(Continued on Page 8)
"Equal to
fine liqueur
"I can tell
White Horse
blindfold! And to think that at one
time I used simply to ask for whisky and sod White Horse is just like a fine liqueur 199
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