Adventure, February 1917 — page 149: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Biches = child’s happiness. I answered that I agreed with him, unless the lady’s affections had already caused her to form other ties. “Affections!”’ he exclaimed, dropping all pretence. ‘There are none involved in this accursed business, as you are quite sharp enough to have seen for yourself.”’ oy understood that an engagement was involved,” I remarked. “On my part, perhaps, not on hers,” he answered. “Oh, can’t you understand, Quatermain, that sometimes men find themselves forced into strange situations against their will?” Remembering the very ugly name that I had heard Todd call Marnham on the night of the card party, I reflected that I could understand well enough, but I only sald— ‘“‘After all, marriage is a matter that concerns a woman even more than it does her father, one, in short, of which she must be the judge.” “Quite so, Quatermain, but there are some daughters who are prepared to make” great sacrifices for their fathers. Well, she will be of age ere long, if only I can stave it off till then. But how, how?” And with a groan he turned and left me. That old gentleman’s neck is in some kind of a noose, thought I to myself, and his difficulty is to prevent the.rope from being -drawn tight. Meanwhile this poor girl’s happiness and future are at stake. ‘‘Allan,” said Anscombe to me a little later, for by now he called me by my Christian name, “I suppose you haven’t heard anything about those oxen, have you?” “No, I could scarcely expect to yet, but why do you ask?” He smiled in his droll fashion and re- plied— “Because, interesting as this household is in sundry ways, I think it is about time that we, or at any rate that I, got out of it.” “Your leg isn’t fit to travel yet, Ans- combe, although Todd says that all the symptoms are very satisfactory.” : “Yes, but to tell you the truth I am experiencing other symptoms quite un- known to that beloved physician and so unfamiliar to myself that I attribute them to the influences of the locality. Altitude affects the heart, does it not, and this house stands high. 2 “Don’t play off your jokes on me,” I said sternly. ‘‘What do you mean?” 147 “T wonder if you find Miss Heda attrac- tive, Allan, or if you are too old. I believe there comes an age when the only beauties that can move a man are those of archi- tecture or scenery or properly cooked food.” , “Hang it all! replied; “but if you mean that you are fall- ing in love with Heda, why the deuce don’t you say so, instead ‘of wasting my time and your own?” “Because time was given to us to waste. Properly considered it is the best use to which it can be put, or at any rate the one that does least mischief. Also because I wished to make you say it for-me that I might judge from the effect of your words whether it is or is not true. I may add that I fear the former to be the case.” “Well, if you are in love with the girl you can’t expect one so ancient as myself, who is quite out of touch with such follies, to teach you how to act.” “No, Allan. occasions when one must rely upon one’s own wisdom; and mine, what there is of it, tells me I had better get out of this. But I can’t ride even if I took the horse and you ran behind, and the oxen haven’t come.” “Perhaps you could borrow Miss Marn- ham’s cart in which to run away from her,” I suggested sarcastically. ‘Perhaps, though I believe it would be fatal to my foot to sit up in a cart for the next few days, and the horses seem to have been sent off somewhere. Look here, old fellow,” he went on, dropping his bantering tone, ‘Gs rather awkward to make a fool of oneself over a lady who is engaged to some one else, especially if one suspects that with a little encouragement she might begin to walk the same road. The truth is I have taken the fever pretty bad, worse than ever I did before, and if it isn’t stopped soon it will become chronic.” “Oh no, Anscombe, only intermittent at the worst, and African malaria nearly always yields to a change of climate.”’ “How can I expect a cynic and a mis- ogynist to understand the simple fervor of an inexperienced ‘soul—Oh, drat it all, Quatermain! me what is to be done. tight place.” _ ' “Very, so tight that I rejoice to think that, as you were kind enough to point out, Really I am in a my years protect me from anything of the a) KS) Ehoo Stop your acid chaff and tell’ I att not Methusaleh,” I - Unfortunately there are (E@) | 7EO