Herman Cyril McNeile

“ You see it was a Jazz band and they always economise by borrowing their instruments in the houses they go to. . . ."
"And did she dance with him?" asked Vane.
"I don't think he even asked her to," said Joan. "But even as she went off with a boy in the Flying Corps she realised that she was face to face with a problem."
"Quick work," murmured Vane.
"Most of the big problems in life are quick," returned the girl. "You see the man of great possessions was not accustomed to disguising his feelings; and the girl--though she didn't show it--was never far removed from the skeleton in her cupboard." ”

“ Only one thing do I insist upon, that she be passing fair to look upon. Otherwise--nix doing for this child. . . .'"
Joan stirred restlessly, and her fingers drummed idly on the side of the boat. And Vane--because he was a man, and because the girl so close to him was more than passing lovely--said things under his breath. The parable was rather too plain.
"And behold one night," went on Joan after a while, "this man of great wealth partook of his dried rusk and Vichy water--his digestion was not all it might be--at the house of one of the nobility of his tribe. ”

“ For a while he made no answer, but lay back against the cushions, puffing at his pipe. Occasionally she pulled two or three gentle strokes with the oars, but for the most part she sat motionless with her eyes brooding dreamily over the lazy beauty of the water.
"You're a funny mixture, Joan," he said at length. "Devilish funny. . . ." And as he spoke a fat old carp rose almost under the boat and took an unwary fly. "The sort of mixture, you know, that drives a man insane. ”

“ The air is warm, and the faint scent of roses comes to her from outside. A great pride wells up in her--a great pride and a great love, for the sleeping glory in front of her belongs to her; to her and her father and her brother." The girl's face was half-turned away, and for a moment Vane watched the lovely profile gravely. ”

“ He further considered it possible that by filling his guest with food and much wine, he might continue the good work on other prospectuses, thereby pouching more Bradburys. In the vulgar language in vogue at the period, however, Vichy water put the lid on that venture with a bang. . . . But even with champagne it is doubtful whether there would have been much doing, because--well, because--the man of wealth had his attention for the moment occupied elsewhere. To be exact on the other side of the table. . . ."
"Ah!" said Vane, and his breath came in a sort of sigh. ”

“ Vane knocked out his pipe on the side of the boat.
"It's only when morning comes," he went on, and there was a hint of sadness in his voice, "that the strange, old-fashioned ideas creep shyly into the corner. Along with the tea have come some of the new smart ones which makes them feel badly dressed and dull. They feel that they are gauche--and yet they know that they are beautiful- wonderfully beautiful in their own badly dressed way. ”

“ Because, though the girl in grey is one of the set in her tribe who dance and feed in many public places, and which has nothing in common with those who sit at home doing good works; yet she possesses one or two strange, old-fashioned ideas, which she will hardly ever admit even to herself. Just sometimes o' night they creep out as she stares through the window, and the weird cries of the wild come softly through the air. ”

“ It's as they float towards the window that sometimes they hear the girl talking to herself. 'Don't be a fool,' she says angrily, 'you've got to face facts, my dear. And a possible.' Charming without a bean in the world isn't a fact--it's a farce. ”

“ She spends the day there, and when she's leaving, the man she calls 'Dad' puts his hand on her arm. He just looks at her--that's all, and she smiles back at him. For there's no worry now on his face, no business trouble to cut lines on his brow. But sometimes--he wonders; and then she just smiles at him, and his doubts vanish. They never put it into words those two, and perhaps it is as well. . . . A smile is so easy, it conceals so much. ”

“ In another room in the house she sees her father, worrying, wondering whether anything can be done, or whether the glory that has been theirs for hundreds of years must pass into the hands of a stranger. ”

“ Then he turned round, and stood for a while watching the girl as she made herself comfortable amongst the cushions. . . . "There was once upon a time," he prompted, "a man. . . ."
"Possessed," said Joan, "of great wealth. Gold and silver and precious stones were his for the asking. . . ."
"It's to be assumed that the fortunate maiden who was destined to become his wife would join in the chorus with average success," commented Vane judicially.
"The assumption is perfectly correct. Is not the leading lady worthy of her hire?" ”

“ Just casually she wondered whether it was worth while to buy money at the cost of a rusk diet; then she turned to the man next her. . . . Let's see--he was a warrior, snatching a spell of rest from the scrap round the corner. And she didn't even hear the man of great wealth choke as the half-chewed rusk went down wallop."
The girl looked at Vane for a moment. "But you are really rather a dear," she remarked thoughtfully. ”

“ He sat down facing her and started to refill his pipe. . . . "What was this one thing he lacked?"
"Don't interrupt. It is the duty of all listeners to control their impatience. Only the uninitiated skip."
"I abase myself," murmured Vane. "Proceed, I pray you."
"So the man of great wealth during the rare intervals which he could snatch from amassing more--continued to commune with himself. 'I will look around,' he said to himself, 'and select me a damsel from amongst the daughters of the people. Peradventure, she may be rich- peradventure she may be poor ”

“ And though for nine holes neither of them has sliced, at the tenth they both do. And if by chance one of them doesn't, that one loses the hole. You see it's the most dreadful bunker, and somehow they've got to get to the bottom of it. Well--it would be quite unfair if only one of them went there--so the non-slicer loses the hole."
The girl's face was dimpling gloriously. . . .
"Then when they've got there--he just takes her in his arms and kisses her; and she kisses him. Just now and then she'll whisper, 'My dear, my dear--but it's good to be alive,' but most times they just kiss. ”

“ But some people seem to think it's fast. I made quite a lot of money once dancing at a restaurant with a man, you know--in between the tables. Of course we wore masks, because it might have embarrassed some of the diners to recognise me." The oars had dropped unheeded from her hands, and she leaned forward, looking at Vane with mocking eyes. ”