Ainslee's Magazine, February 1913 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

10 when at last they were turning back again he permitted himself once more to gaze deeply into her eyes, and Stella knew for the first time in her existence that some silences are more dangerous than words. “You do not care at all now for the good clergyman you are afhanced to,” he said. ‘‘No—do not be angry; I am not asking a question—I am stating a fact. When lives have been hedged and controlled and retenue as yours has been, even the feelings lose character, and you cannot be sure of them, but the day is approaching when you will see clearly and—feel—much.” “I am sure it is getting very late,” said Stella Rawson; and with difficulty she turned her eyes away, and looked’ over the green world. Count Roumovski laughed softly, as if to himself. And they were silent un- til they came to the entrance gates again, when the chauffeur stopped and shut the car. “We have at least snatched some mo- ments of pleasure, have we not?” the owner whispered. ‘And we have hurt no one. Will you trust me again when I propose something which sounds to you wild?” “Perhaps I will,” Stella murmured rather low. “When I was hunting lions in Africa I learned to keep my _ intelligence awake,” he said calmly. “It is an ad- vantage to me now in civilization. Nothing is impossible 1f one only keeps cool; if one becomes agitated one in- stantly connects oneself with all other currents of agitation, and one can no longer act with prudence or sense.” “T think I have always been very foolish,” admitted Stella, looking down. “[ seem to see everything differently now.” “What we are all striving after is happiness,” Count Roumovski said. “Only we will not admit it, and nearly always spoil our own chances by drift- ing and allowing outside things to in- fluence us. If you could see the vast plains of snow in my country, and the deep forests, with never a human being for miles and miles, you would under- AINSLEE’S stand how nature grows to talk to one —and how small the littlenesses of the world appear.” Then they were si- lent again, and it was-not until they. were rushing up the Via Nazionale and in a moment or two would have reached their destination that Count Roumovski said : “Stella—that means a star—it is a beautiful name. I can believe you could be a star to shine upon any man’s dark night—because you have a pure spirit, although it has been muffled by circum- stance for all these years.” Then the automobile drew up by the trees, at perhaps two hundred yards from the hotel, near the baths of Dio- cletian. “Tf you will get out here it will be best,” Count Roumovski told her re- spectfully, “and walk along on the in- ner side. I will then drive to the door of the hotel, as usual.” “Thank you, and good-by,’ said Stella, and began untying the veil. He helped her at once, and in doing so his hand touched her soft pink cheek. She thrilled with a new kind of mad enjoy- ment, the like of which she had never felt, and then controlled herself and stamped it out. “It has been very great pleasure to me,” he said, and nothing more—no “good-by” or “au revoir” or anything, and he drew into the far corner as she got out of the car, letting the chauffeur help her. Nor did he look her way as he drove on. And Stella walked lei- surely back to the hotel, wondering in her heart at the meaning of things. ~No one noticed her entrance, and she was able to begin to dress for dinner without even Martha being aware that she had been absent. But as she de- scended in the lift with her uncle and aunt, it seemed as if the whole world and life itself were changed since the same time the night before. And when they were entering the restaurant a telegram was put into Canon Ebley’s hand; it was from the Reverend Eustace Medlicott, sent from Turin, saying he would join them in Rome the following evening. “Eustace has been preparirlg this de- (C@ AMUC Ook (E@)