|
She felt that, even now, she might be either, but in fact she
wasneither.
Drayton;hes a friend of your husband, isnt he?
They floated in that
imaginary light as the earth does in the suns. It was his first experience of
such a nature, of another life.
There wasa silence, concentrated on the
painting.
But theyall seem, from our point of view, quite innocuous.
But she
might, she certainlymight, have cried to him.
She and her mother are coming
herepresently.
You dont know what the dark was like before you came. The usual
slight distinctionbetween shape and hue seemed wholly to have vanished. She
went on, still addressing herself to Jonathan, And why arethe people so much
like insects?
But it was mostly Love, with a hint of somesecret behind, which
Love no doubt could find out.
He went away to spare his office-companionsthe
slight embarrassment of the sight of him.
He will alter it to something
stillmore like himself. Outside the painting her back repeatedthe shapes in the
painting. The Foreign Office in which through the war he had been serving,
pressedon him prolonged leave. Richard said: Is that what they call him?
Richard saw that there at least she was right.
The odd thing is thatyou dont at
any time lose weight. There were things her courage could not face.
Once the
word had been spoken, the painting became suddenlysinister. The two dead girls
went togetherslowly out of the Park. Presently Lester heard by her side a small
and curious noise. Lady Wallingford said: You must have some idea. But Bettys
engagement to me isanother matter. Since then Ihave read of him, listened to
him, met him, and now painted him.
Richard said atlast: Its a wonderful
effect-especially the colour of the face.
|
