FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156  
157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   >>   >|  
God!" he said, "you'll be locked up!" Ann Veronica was disconcerted for a moment. She had a vision of policemen, reproving magistrates, a crowded court, public disgrace. She saw her aunt in tears, her father white-faced and hard hit. "Don't come nearer!" she said. There was a discreet knocking at the door, and Ramage's face changed. "No," she said, under her breath, "you can't face it." And she knew that she was safe. He went to the door. "It's all right," he said, reassuringly to the inquirer without. Ann Veronica glanced at the mirror to discover a flushed and dishevelled disorder. She began at once a hasty readjustment of her hair, while Ramage parleyed with inaudible interrogations. "A glass slipped from the table," he explained.... "Non. Fas du tout. Non.... Niente.... Bitte!... Oui, dans la note.... Presently. Presently." That conversation ended and he turned to her again. "I am going," she said grimly, with three hairpins in her mouth. She took her hat from the peg in the corner and began to put it on. He regarded that perennial miracle of pinning with wrathful eyes. "Look here, Ann Veronica," he began. "I want a plain word with you about all this. Do you mean to tell me you didn't understand why I wanted you to come here?" "Not a bit of it," said Ann Veronica stoutly. "You didn't expect that I should kiss you?" "How was I to know that a man would--would think it was possible--when there was nothing--no love?" "How did I know there wasn't love?" That silenced her for a moment. "And what on earth," he said, "do you think the world is made of? Why do you think I have been doing things for you? The abstract pleasure of goodness? Are you one of the members of that great white sisterhood that takes and does not give? The good accepting woman! Do you really suppose a girl is entitled to live at free quarters on any man she meets without giving any return?" "I thought," said Ann Veronica, "you were my friend." "Friend! What have a man and a girl in common to make them friends? Ask that lover of yours! And even with friends, would you have it all Give on one side and all Take on the other?... Does HE know I keep you?... You won't have a man's lips near you, but you'll eat out of his hand fast enough." Ann Veronica was stung to helpless anger. "Mr. Ramage," she cried, "you are outrageous! You understand nothing. You are--horrible. Will you let me go out of this room?" "No," cried
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156  
157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Veronica
 

Ramage

 

friends

 
Presently
 

understand

 

moment

 

goodness

 

sisterhood

 

members

 

silenced


expect

 
things
 

abstract

 
pleasure
 
horrible
 

outrageous

 

helpless

 

giving

 

quarters

 

return


thought

 

suppose

 

entitled

 

friend

 

Friend

 
common
 

accepting

 

reassuringly

 

inquirer

 

glanced


locked

 

mirror

 
discover
 

parleyed

 

inaudible

 

readjustment

 

flushed

 

dishevelled

 

disorder

 

breath


disgrace
 
public
 

policemen

 

reproving

 

magistrates

 
crowded
 

father

 
knocking
 
disconcerted
 

changed