England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; London (England) -- Fiction; Upper class families -- England -- Fiction
“In Brompton Cemetery. Mr. Creed's going.”
“What time is the funeral?”
The girl looked up stealthily.
“Mr. Creed's going to start at half-past nine.”
“I should like to go myself,” said Hilary.
A gleam of pleasure passing across her face was instantly obscured
behind the cloud of her stolidity. Then, as she saw Hilary move nearer
to the door, her lip began to droop.
“Well, good-bye,” he said.
The little model flushed and quivered. 'You don't even look at me,' she
seemed to say; 'you haven't spoken kindly to me once.' And suddenly she
said in a hard voice:
“Now I shan't go to Mr. Lennard's any more.”
“Oh, then you have been to him!”
Triumph at attracting his attention, fear of what she had admitted,
supplication, and a half-defiant shame--all this was in her face.
“Yes,” she said.
Hilary did not speak.
“I didn't care any more when you told me I wasn't to come here.”
Still Hilary did not speak.
“I haven't done anything wrong,” she said, with tears in her voice.
“No, no,” said Hilary; “of course not!”
The little model choked.
“It's my profession.”
“Yes, yes,” said Hilary; “it's all right.”
“I don't care what he thinks; I won't go again so long as I can come
here.”
Hilary touched her shoulder.
“Well, well,” he said, and opened the front door.
The little model, tremulous, like' a flower kissed by the sun after
rain, went out with a light in her eyes.
The master of the house returned to Mr. Stone. Long he sat looking at
the old man's slumber. “A thinker meditating upon action!” So might
Hilary's figure, with its thin face resting on its hand, a furrow
between the brows, and that painful smile, have been entitled in any
catalogue of statues.
CHAPTER XXX
FUNERAL OF A BABY
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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