"Can you understand why?" Beatrice demanded.
"I think that I can," he replied. "If one can rely upon one's
perception, she is surrounded by people whom she might find
agreeable companions but whom she is scarcely likely to have much
confidence in. Perhaps she realized that I wasn't like them."
"And you want very much to take this money?" she said, half to
herself.
"I want to very much indeed," Tavernake admitted. "I was on my
way to see her this morning and to ask her to let me have it a
day or two before the time, but I felt, somehow, that there
seemed to be a certain amount of deceit in going to her and
taking it without saying a word to you. I felt that I had to
come here first. But Beatrice, don't ask me to give it up. It
means such a long time before I can move again. It's the first
step that's so difficult, and I must--I must make a start. It's
such a chance, this. I have spent so many hours thinking about
it. I have planned and worked and sketched it all out as no one
else could do. I must have that money."
They walked on in silence until they reached the stage door.
Beatrice was thinking of her companion as she had seen him so
often, poring over his plans, busy with ruler and india-rubber,
absolutely absorbed in the interest of his task. She remembered
the first time he had talked about this scheme of his, how his
whole face had changed, the almost passionate interest with which
he had worked the thing out even to its smallest details.
Pages:
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238