Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 20th century -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Politicians -- Fiction
Within less than twenty-four hours Montreal had been written to, Gilly
Foot had been written to--and Andy was at the Nun's door.
She dwelt with Miss Dutton in a big block of flats near Sloane Street,
very high up. Her sitting-room was small and cosy, presenting, however,
one marked peculiarity. On two of the walls the paper was red, on the
other two green. Seeing Andy's eyes attracted by this phenomenon, the
Nun explained: "We quarrelled over the colour to such an extent that at
last I lost my temper, and, when Sally was away for a day, had it done
like this--to spite her. Now she won't let me alter it, because it's a
perpetual warning to me not to lose my temper. But it does look a little
queer, doesn't it?"
She had received him with her usual composure. "I knew you'd come,
because I knew Mr. Jack Rock would do as I wanted, and I was sure he
couldn't keep the letter to himself. Well, that's all right! It was only
that the obvious thing wanted doing."
"But I don't see--well, I don't see why you should care."
She looked at him, a lurking laugh in her eye.
"Oh, you needn't suppose that it was life and death to me! It was rather
fun, just on its own account. You'll like Gilly; he's a good sort,
though he's rather greedy. Did you notice that? Billy's really my
friend. I'm very fond of Billy. Are you ambitious? Billy's very
ambitious."
"No, I don't think I am."
The Nun lay back on a long chair; she was certainly wonderfully pretty
as she smiled lazily at Andy.
"You look a size too large for the room," she remarked. "Yes, Billy's
ambitious. He'd like to marry me, only he's ambitious. It doesn't make
any difference to me, because I'm not in love with him; but I'm afraid
it's an awfully uncomfortable state of affairs for poor Billy."
"Well, if he'd have no chance anyhow, couldn't you sort of let him know
that?" Andy suggested, much amused at an innocent malice which marked
her description of Billy's conflict of feeling.
"No use at all. I've tried. But he's quite sure he could persuade me. In
fact I don't think he believes I should refuse if it came to the point.
So there he is, always just pulling up on the brink! He can't like it,
but he goes on. Oh, but tell me all about Harry Belfield. Now I've got
you off my mind, I'm awfully interested about that."
Andy was not very ready at description. She assisted him by a detailed
and skilful cross-examination, directed to eliciting full information
about Vivien Wellgood's appearance, habits, and character--how old she
was, where she had been, what she had seen. When the picture of Vivien
had thus emerged--of Vivien's youth and secluded life, how she had been
nowhere and seen nothing, how she was timid and shy, innocent and
trustful, above all, how she idolized Harry--the Nun considered it for a
moment in silence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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