Across the open window a couple of bars of sunset glowed red and gold,
and a tall palm of the garden cut all its fronds sharply against the
light.
"Well?" said Alicia, when the door was shut.
Captain Filbert put out a deprecating hand.
"I intended to ask if you had any objection, miss, but you had gone out.
And the nurse was in the room; I couldn't get to her. There was nobody
but the servants about."
"Objection to what?"
"To my being there. I came to pray for Mr. Lindsay."
"Did you make any noise?"
Miss Filbert looked professionally touched. "It was silent prayer, of
course," she said.
Alicia, standing with one hand upon the toilet table, had an air of
eagerness, of successful capture. The yellow sky in the window behind
her made filmy lights round her hair and outlined her tall figure in the
gracefulness of which there was a curious crisped effect, like a
conventional pose taken easily, from habit. Laura Filbert thought she
looked like a princess.
"I seem to hear of nothing but petitions," she said. "Isn't somebody
praying for you?"
The blood of any saint would have risen in false testimony at such a
suggestion. Laura blushed so violently that for an instant the space
between them seemed full of the sound of her protest.
Pages:
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207