FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   100   101   102   103   104   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   >>   >|  
his heart sank. If only she would be content to leave things as they were; if only she would accept the friendship he was willing to give and close the book of the past for ever. He did not understand that it was because she cared for him so much that at the risk of losing her self-respect and pride she must ask him for the truth, must know ... He heard her catch her breath, then suddenly she spoke: "Micky ... why was it? What have I done?" There was a quiver in her voice that set him on edge; he could not stand the sound of unhappiness in any woman's voice, and he had once thought he loved Marie.... He answered without looking at her, realising that it was kinder to tell the truth out and have done with it. "I meant to have written to you--I hope some day you will try and forgive me, but ... but...." He could not go on for the life of him, but he had said enough, and he knew that she understood. "You mean ... you mean that there is some one else?" she asked with stiff lips. "Yes." He looked at her white, stricken face, and felt himself a brute. It seemed an eternity before she could steady her voice enough to speak. "Is it--is it some one I know?" "No, dear," said Micky very gently. "It isn't any one you have ever seen----" She picked up her big muff suddenly and held it so that her face was hidden; the little word of endearment that had escaped Micky's lips had almost broken her down. This was the end of all she had ever hoped for, and for the moment she could not choke the anguish in her heart. The following silence seemed unending; then she looked round for her gloves, and put them on, buttoning them with shaking fingers. "I am ready if you are," she said. She did not look at him, but it felt like dying to walk beside him out of the shop and into the cold air and know that perhaps this was the last time they would ever be alone, he and she. Once her steps faltered a little, and Micky put out his hand to steady her, but she drew away from him. "Please don't," she said in a whisper. There was a taxi waiting at the roadside, and Micky called to the man. There was a slight cold drizzle of rain falling as he held open the door. He would have followed but she stopped him. "I should like to go alone, if you don't mind." He looked up, and for a moment he saw her face in the light of the taxi lamp; such a white, quivering face it was. "Marie!..." said Micky in a choked voice, but
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   100   101   102   103   104   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   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
looked
 

moment

 

suddenly

 
steady
 

gloves

 

unending

 

silence

 

hidden

 

anguish


broken

 

choked

 
endearment
 

escaped

 
quivering
 
faltered
 

stopped

 

called

 

drizzle


roadside

 

waiting

 

Please

 

falling

 

whisper

 

slight

 

shaking

 
fingers
 

buttoning


breath

 

respect

 

unhappiness

 

quiver

 

losing

 
accept
 

friendship

 

things

 

content


understand

 

thought

 

stricken

 

eternity

 
gently
 
written
 

kinder

 

realising

 

answered


understood
 

forgive

 
picked