England -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Mothers and daughters -- Fiction; Paris (France) -- Fiction; Women -- Fiction
The single word "Rosamund" sufficed to break one mood and induce another in
all bosoms save that of Audrey, who was in a state of permanent joyous
exultation that she scarcely even attempted to control. The great militant
had a surname, but it was rarely used save by police magistrates. Her
Christian name alone was more impressive than the myriad cognomens of
queens and princesses. Miss Nickall ran away home at once. Miss Thompkins
was left to deliver Miss Ingate and Audrey at Nick's studio, which, being
in the Rue Delambre, was not far away. And not the shedding of the kimono
and the re-assumption of European attire could affect Audrey's spirits. Had
she been capable of regret in that hour, she would have regretted the
abandonment of the ball, where the refined, spiritual, strange faces of the
men, and the enigmatic quality of the women, and the exceeding novelty of
the social code had begun to arouse in her sentiments of approval and
admiration. But she quitted the staggering frolic without a sigh; for she
carried within her a frolic surpassing anything exterior or physical.
The immense flickering boulevard with its double roadway stretched away to
the horizon on either hand, empty.
"What time is it?" asked Miss Ingate.
Tommy looked at her wrist-watch.
"Don't tell me! Don't tell me!" cried Audrey.
"We might get a taxi in the Rue de Babylone," Tommy suggested. "Or shall we
walk?"
"We _must_ walk," cried Audrey.
She knew the name of the street. In the distance she could recognise the
dying lights of the café-restaurant where they had eaten. She felt already
like an inhabitant of the dreamed-of city. It was almost inconceivable to
her that she had been within it for only a few hours, and that England lay
less than a day behind her in the past, and Moze less than two days. And
Aguilar the morose, and the shuttered rooms of Flank Hall, shot for an
instant into her mind and out again.
The other two women walked rather quickly, mesmerised possibly by the magic
of the illustrious Christian name, and Audrey gave occasional schoolgirlish
leaps by their side. A little policeman appeared inquisitive from a
by-street, and Audrey tossed her head as if saying: "Pooh! I belong here.
All the mystery of this city is mine, and I am as at home as in Moze
Street."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account