One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

George Meredith
head was acute to work in the direction of the casuistries and
the sensational webs and films. Facing Victor, it was a block.
But the thought came: how could she meet those people
about Lakelands, without support of the recent guilty whispers!
She said coldly, her heart shaking her: ‘You think there
has been a recovery?’
‘Invalids are up and down. They are—well, no; I should
think she dreads the …’ he kept ‘surgeon’ out of hearing.
‘Or else she means this for the final stroke: “though I’m lying
here, I can still make him feel.” That, or—poor woman—
she has her notions of right and wrong.’
‘Could we not now travel for a few weeks, Victor?’
‘Certainly, dear; we will, after we have kept our engagements
to dine—I accepted—with the Blathenoys, the
Blachingtons, Beaver Urmsing.’
Nataly’s vision of the peaceful lost little dairy cottage swelled
to brilliance, like the large tear at the fall; darkening under
her present effort to comprehend the necessity it was for him
to mix and be foremost with the world. Unable to grasp it
perfectly in mind, her compassionate love embraced it: she
blamed herself, for being the obstruction to him.
‘Very well,’ she said on a sigh. ‘Then we shall not have to
let our girl go from us?’
‘Just a few weeks. In the middle of dinner, I scribbled a
telegram to the Duvidneys, for Skepsey to take.’
‘Speaking of Nesta?’
‘Of my coming to-morrow. They won’t stop me. I dine
with them, sleep at the Wells; hotel for a night. We are to be
separated for a night.’
She laid her hand in his and gave him a passing view of her
face: ‘For two, dear. I am … that man’s visit—rather shaken:
I shall have a better chance of sleeping if I know I am not
disturbing you.’
She was firm; and they kissed and parted. Each had an
unphrased speculation upon the power of Mrs. Burman to
put division between them.
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