Love stories; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Scotland -- Fiction
When they arrived Joy went at once into the hotel leaving her father
to tell the coachman at what hour to be ready for the afternoon drive.
She went straight to the window and, keeping as usual behind the
curtain, looked over at the lilac bushes. She could see through the
foliage that there was _some one_ there, and that satisfied her. She
would have liked to have instructed the driver herself so that she
would have been sure that he knew; but on this occasion a wave of
diffidence suddenly overwhelmed her. Times were coming when she would
not be able to afford the luxury of such an emotion, so she grasped it
whilst she could.
Colonel Ogilvie was to catch the train from Windermere at nine
o’clock, so the second drive should come after lunch and not after
tea; and when she was in her own room, Joy feared that He might miss
them. When, however, before going downstairs she looked out of the
window she saw that he was still at his post. Athlyne’s campaigning
experience had had its own psychology. Seeing that there was some
change in the Ogilvie day he had arranged his own plans to meet it.
Whilst they had been taking their morning drive he had provided
himself with some sandwiches; he had determined not to leave his post
until he knew more. Joy’s words had all day rung in his ears, and he
was now and again distracted with doubts. Was it possible that there
had been any meaning or intention in her words more than was apparent?
Was the spontaneity consequent on some deep feeling which evoked
memory? Could he believe that she really. … He would wait now before
sending the letter, whatever came. In that he was adamant.
During the drive Joy was mainly silent. It was not the silence of
thought; it was simply spiritual quiescence. She knew that the rest of
the day was so laid out that it was unlikely it could be marred by an
untoward accident. There was this in His persistent waiting that she
had come to trust it. There was some intention, so manifest, though
what it was was unknown to her, that it was hardly to be disturbed by
any sudden exigency. She lived at the moment in a world of calm, a
dream-world of infinite happiness. Now and again she woke to the
presence of her father and then poured on him in every way in which a
young woman can all the treasures of her thought and affection. This
made the old man so happy that he too was content to remain silent
when she ceased to speak.
When they got back to the hotel, she spoke to the driver:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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