The Slayer Of souls Part 20

One of her gloves lay across her lap, and on it rested a slender hand.

And on one finger was his ring.

But Victor Cleves could not bring himself to believe that this brand-new ring really signified anything to him,--that it had altered his own life in any way. But always his incredulous eyes returned to that slim finger resting there, unstirring, banded with a narrow circlet of virgin gold.

In the apartment they did not seem to know exactly what to do or say--what att.i.tude to a.s.sume--what effort to make.

Tressa went into her own room, removed her hat and furs, and came slowly back into the living-room, where Cleves still stood gazing absently out of the window.

A fine rain was falling.

They seated themselves. There seemed nothing better to do.

He said, politely: "In regard to going away for a rest, you wouldn't care for the North Woods, I fancy, unless you like winter sports. Do you?"

"I like sunlight and green leaves," she said in that odd, still voice.

"Then, if it would please you to go South for a few weeks' rest----"

"Would it inconvenience you?"

Her manner touched him.

"My dear Miss Norne," he began, and checked himself, flushing painfully.

The girl blushed, too; then, when he began to laugh, her lovely, bashful smile glimmered for the first time.

"I really can't bring myself to realise that you and I are married," he explained, still embarra.s.sed, though smiling.

Her smile became an endeavour. "I can't believe it either, Mr. Cleves,"

she said. "I feel rather stunned."

"Hadn't you better call me Victor--under the circ.u.mstances?" he suggested, striving to speak lightly.

"Yes.... It will not be very easy to say it--not for some time, I think."

"Tressa?"

"Yes."

"Yes--_what_?"

"Yes--Victor."

"That's the idea," he insisted with forced gaiety.

"The thing to do is to face this rather funny situation and take it amiably and with good humour. You'll have your freedom some day, you know."

"Yes--I--know."

"And we're already on very good terms. We find each other interesting, don't we?"

"Yes."

"It even seems to me," he ventured, "it certainly seems to me, at times, as though we are approaching a common basis of--of mutual--er--esteem."

"Yes. I--I do esteem you, Mr. Cleves."

"In point of fact," he concluded, surprised, "we _are_ friends--in a way. Wouldn't you call it--friendship?"

"I think so, I think I'd call it that," she admitted.

"I think so, too. And that is lucky for us. That makes this crazy situation more comfortable--less--well, perhaps less ponderous."

The girl a.s.sented with a vague smile, but her eyes remained lowered.

"You see," he went on, "when two people are as oddly situated as we are, they're likely to be afraid of being in each other's way. But they ought to get on without being unhappy as long as they are quite confident of each other's friendly consideration. Don't you think so, Tressa?"

Her lowered eyes rested steadily on her ring-finger. "Yes," she said.

"And I am not--unhappy, or--afraid."

She lifted her blue gaze to his; and, somehow, he thought of her barbaric name, Keuke,--and its Yezidee significance, "heavenly--azure."

"Are we really going away together?" she asked timidly.

"Certainly, if you wish."

"If you, also, wish it, Mr. Cleves."

He found himself saying with emphasis that he always wished to do what she desired. And he added, more gently:

"You _are_ tired, Tressa--tired and lonely and unhappy."

"Tired, but not the--others."

"Not unhappy?"

"No."

"Aren't you lonely?"

"Not with you."

The answer came so naturally, so calmly, that the slight sensation of pleasure it gave him arrived only as an agreeable afterglow.

"We'll go South," he said.... "I'm so glad that you don't feel lonely with me."

"Will it be warmer where we are going, Mr. Cleves?"

"Yes--you poor child! You need warmth and sunshine, don't you? Was it warm in Yian, where you lived so many years?"