Indeed, he had put on only his trousers, shirt, and Norfolk jacket; no
tie, no hat, not even socks under his tennis shoes, and he was as hot
as fire, with his hair flying back—a strange young creature indeed for
anyone to meet. But he had lost now all feeling, save the will to get
there. A flock of sheep came out of a field into the lane. He pushed
through them somehow, but they lost him several seconds. More than a
mile still; and he was blown, and his legs beginning to give! Downhill
indeed they went of their own accord, but there was the long run-in,
quite level; and he could hear the train, now slowly puffing its way
along the valley. Then, in spite of exhaustion, his spirit rose. He
would not go in looking like a scarecrow, utterly done, and make a
scene. He must pull himself together at the end, and stroll in—as if
he had come for fun. But how—seeing that at any moment he felt he might
fall flat in the dust, and stay there for ever! And, as he ran, he made
little desperate efforts to mop his face, and brush his clothes. There
were the gates, at last—two hundred yards away. The train, he could hear
no longer. It must be standing in the station. And a sob came from his
overdriven lungs. He heard the guard's whistle as he reached the gates.
Instead of making for the booking-office, he ran along the paling, where
an entrance to the goods'-shed was open, and dashing through he fell
back against the honeysuckle. The engine was just abreast of him; he
snatched at his sleeve and passed it over his face, to wipe the sweat
away. Everything was blurred. He must see—surely he had not come in time
just not to see! He pushed his hands over his forehead and hair, and
spied up dizzily at the slowly passing train. She was there, at a
window! Standing, looking out! He dared not step forward, for fear of
falling, but he put out his hand—She saw him. Yes, she saw him! Wasn't
she going to make a sign? Not one? And suddenly he saw her tear at her
dress, pluck something out, and throw it. It fell close to his feet.
He did not pick it up—he wanted to see her face till she was gone. It
looked wonderful—very proud, and pale. She put her hand up to her lips.
Then everything went blurred again and when he could see once more, the
train had vanished. But at his feet was what she had thrown. He picked
it up! All dry and dark, it was the flower she had given him in the
Tyrol, and stolen back from his buttonhole.
Creeping out, past the goods'-shed, he made his way to a field, and lay
down with his face pressed to that withered thing which still had its
scent....
The asphyxiated speculation in his guardian's eyes had not been without
significance. Mark did not go back to Oxford. He went instead to Rome—to
live in his sister's house, and attend a school of sculpture. That was
the beginning of a time when nothing counted except his work.
To Anna he wrote twice, but received no answer. From his tutor he had
one little note:
“MY DEAR LENNAN,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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