FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  
e." "I love argument, but art is long and my stay at Nimes very brief. To-morrow I must move on to Orange." "Then I'll not disturb you further. I expect you have a good deal to get through." "Yes. This afternoon it's the Pont du Gard; this evening the Druids' Tower." "This evening! The place is very lonely at night-time." "I know. But I must sketch it in moonlight. That's essential." "Remember Arles," warned Riviere. "You ought not to be alone." She nodded. "I know. But I have my work to do." Riviere felt uneasy over the matter. He did not wish to urge an undesired escort upon her, but he did not like to think of her working alone by the solitude of the Druids' Tower at night-time. "If I can be of any service to you while you are here at Nimes," he said, "you have only to send a note to the Villa Clementine." With that he said good-bye and left her. It seemed evident that he had offended her in some way. Possibly, he thought, it was by asking her to write that letter to Olive. Though she had agreed willingly enough at the time, it was possible that afterwards she had regretted it. It had offended against her sense of right. Riviere felt distressed. Then the remembrance came to him that this was the merest tourist acquaintanceship. To-morrow she would be leaving Nimes, and the episode would pass out of her thoughts. Probably they would never meet again. It was not worth further thought on either side. Resolutely he banished all thoughts of Elaine from his mind, and concentrated on his own work-problems. From the corner of a lane near the Maison Carree, Crau, the young Provencal, had been watching them keenly as they talked together. CHAPTER XIV BY THE DRUIDS' TOWER Mme Giras, the proprietress of the Villa Clementine, was a rosy, smiling body, plumped and rounded in almost every aspect, and with a heart of gold. Yesterday it had been plain to her shrewd, twinkling eyes that monsieur and mademoiselle were soon to make a match of it. Of course it was very shocking that mademoiselle should be travelling about alone at her age, but much could be forgiven in so charming a young lady. When Riviere returned to the villa for lunch, he found the table in the arbour laid for two, and by one plate a rose had been placed. "I have prepared for two," said Mme Giras, smilingly. "Is it not right?" "Thank you; but it will not be necessary," answered Riviere. "After all my preparations! A
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Riviere
 

offended

 

Clementine

 
mademoiselle
 
thought
 
thoughts
 

morrow

 

Druids

 

evening

 

smiling


proprietress
 
banished
 

Resolutely

 

Elaine

 

DRUIDS

 

concentrated

 

corner

 

Provencal

 

watching

 

Maison


Carree
 

keenly

 

CHAPTER

 
talked
 

problems

 
arbour
 
charming
 

returned

 

answered

 

preparations


prepared

 

smilingly

 
forgiven
 
Yesterday
 

shrewd

 
twinkling
 

rounded

 

aspect

 

monsieur

 

travelling


shocking

 

plumped

 
Though
 

nodded

 
warned
 
moonlight
 

essential

 

Remember

 
uneasy
 

escort