She had stood still, in the midst of her swift climbing towards the
house, to think it all out clearly, and it was as she stood there that
she saw the light of a cigarette approaching her. It was Mr. Drew and he
had seen her. Karen was aware of a deep stirring of displeasure and
weariness. "But, please," he said, as, slightly bowing her head, and
murmuring, "Good-night," she passed him; "I want--I very particularly
want--to see you." He turned to walk beside her, tossing away his
cigarette. "There is something I particularly want to say."
His tone was grave and kind and urgent. It reproached her impatient
impulse. He might have come with a message from Tante.
"Where is my guardian?" she asked.
"She has gone to bed. She has a horrible headache, poor thing," said Mr.
Drew, who was leading her through the little copse of trees and along
the upper paths. "Here, shall we sit down here? You are not cold?"
They were in the flagged garden. Karen, vaguely expectant, sat down on
the rustic bench and Mr. Drew sat beside her. The moonlight shone
through the trees and fell fantastically on the young man's face and
figure and on Karen, sitting upright, her little shawl of white knitted
wool drawn closely about her shoulders and enfolding her arms. "Not for
long, please," she said. "It is growing late and although I am not cold
I am tired. What have you to say, Mr. Drew?"
He had so much to say and it was, so obviously, his opportunity, his
complete opportunity at last, that, before the exquisite and perilous
task of awakening this creature of flowers and glaciers, Mr. Drew
collected his resources with something of the skill and composure of an
artist preparing canvas and palette. He must begin delicately and
discreetly, and then he must be sudden and decisive.
"I want to make you feel, in the first place, if I can," he said,
leaning forward to look into her face and observing with satisfaction
that she made no movement of withdrawal as he came a little nearer in so
doing, "that I'm your friend. Can I, do you think, succeed in making you
feel that?" His experience had told him that it really didn't matter so
much what one said. To come near was the point, and to look deeply.
"I've had so few chances of showing you how much your friend I am."
"Thank you," said Karen. "You are kind." She did not say that he would
succeed in making her feel him a friend.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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