FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  
was out again in the mocking sunshine, swept unresisting back into the light-hearted whirl of things. At tiffin, to her intense relief, Theo Desmond took the empty chair next her own. He had missed her during the morning: and a glance at her face sufficed to give him an inkling of the truth. All his heart went out to her; and he hastened to answer the question in her eyes. "Lenox went off at sunrise, for a day's shooting," he remarked conversationally, when they had exchanged greetings. She lifted her eyebrows. "Did he? Sensible man! I suppose he is tired to death of our frivolous fooling." "That's rather severe! I can't let you run him down. The other thing's more in his line, that's all; and it'll do him a power of good. He suffers cruelly from want of sleep, poor chap.--By the way, have you heard the latest suggestion for to-morrow?" "No. I was--lying down this morning. What is it?" "A burlesque polo match: ladies against men: the men to play on side-saddles by way of a mild handicap! Some of the older folk are a bit horrified at the notion. But I believe it'll come off; and they want me to captain the team." "You? One of the champions of the Punjaub! What impertinence! Shall you?" "Why, certainly. It will be rather a lark." "Well, then, I'll play too, if they'll have me. Will you ask them, please?" He regarded her in frank astonishment. "Jove! I never thought of that. Are you in earnest?" "But yes. In cut-throat earnest!" she answered, laughing. "Ever tried your hand at it?" "Never, in all my days. I will this afternoon though, if you'll take me in hand for an hour or so." "With all the pleasure in life. You can ride Diamond, if you like. He knows almost as much about the game as I do." Her eyes sparkled. "That gem of an Arab? May I, really? I always thought you were a man in a hundred; and now I know it! That's a bargain, then. Things have been deadly insipid the last two days. But I have something to live for now!" Garth received her announcement with open dismay. He suspected Desmond's influence: and, in his zeal to dissuade her, ventured on a mild tone of authority, with disastrous results. "Well, I shan't have a comfortable moment till the thing is safely over," he concluded unwisely: and she tossed an indignant head. "Am I such a despicable horseman?" she demanded haughtily. "Captain Desmond doesn't find me so, I assure you." And inde
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Desmond
 

earnest

 

morning

 
thought
 
Diamond
 
regarded
 

answered

 

laughing

 

afternoon

 

throat


astonishment
 
pleasure
 

moment

 

safely

 

unwisely

 

concluded

 

comfortable

 

ventured

 

authority

 

disastrous


results
 

tossed

 

indignant

 
Captain
 

assure

 
haughtily
 
demanded
 

despicable

 

horseman

 

dissuade


hundred

 

bargain

 
sparkled
 
Things
 

announcement

 
received
 

dismay

 

influence

 

suspected

 

insipid


deadly

 

sunrise

 
shooting
 

remarked

 
question
 
answer
 

inkling

 

hastened

 
conversationally
 

suppose