Love stories; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Scotland -- Fiction
The second day of waiting and watching was just like the first, with
only the addition that the hearts of both the young people were more
clamant, each to each; and that the rising passion of each was harder
to control. The same routine of going out and returning was observed
by the Ogilvies, and each of the lovers had tumultuous moments when
the other was within view. More than once Athlyne was tempted to put
his letter in the post or to leave it at the hotel; but each time
Joy’s chance phrase: “If I ever fall in love” came back to him as a
grim warning. He knew that if he once declared himself to Colonel
Ogilvie the whole truth must come out, and then his title and fortune
might be extraneous inducements to the girl. Whenever he came to this
point in his reasoning he thrust the letter deeper into his pocket and
his lips shut tight. He would win Joy on his mere manhood and his
manhood’s love--if at all!
By the post next morning Colonel Ogilvie and Joy both got letters from
Italy. That of the former was from his wife who announced that they
were just starting for London where they wished to remain for a few
days in order to do some shopping. When this was done she would wire
him and he could run up to London and bring them down with him. This
pleased him, for he was certain that by then he would have his
automobile. He felt in a way that his pride was at stake on this
point. He had told his women folk that the car would be ready, and he
wished to justify. He wired off at once to the agents, in even a
sterner spirit than usual, as to the cause of delay. For excuses had
come in a most exasperating way. Long after it had been reported that
the car had started and had even proceeded a considerable distance on
the way he was told that there had been an error and that by some
strange mistake the progress made by a car long previously ordered by
another customer had been reported; but that Colonel Ogilvie’s
esteemed order was well in hand and that delivery of the car was
daily--hourly--expected; and that at once on its receipt by the writer
it would be forwarded to Ambleside either with a trusty chauffeur or
by train as the purchaser might wish. Colonel Ogilvie fumed but was
powerless. He wanted the car and at once; so it was useless for him to
cancel the contract. He could only wait and hope; and console himself
with such attenuated expressions of disapproval as were permissible in
the ethics of the telegraphic system.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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