登陆注册
15518500000039

第39章

They passed up the stairway and within a few feet of where Sir Henry was standing. He appeared absorbed, however, in conversation with his companion, and did not even turn around. Philippa's little face seemed to have hardened as she took her seat. Only her eyes were still unnaturally bright.

"I am so sorry if this has annoyed you," Lessingham regretted. "You would not care to go elsewhere?"

"I? Go anywhere else?" she exclaimed scornfully. "Thank you, I am perfectly satisfied here. And with my companion," she added, with a brilliant little smile. "Now tell me about New York. Have you ever been there?"

"Twice," he told her. "At present the dream of my life is to go there with you."

She looked at him a little wonderingly.

"I wonder if you really care," she said. "Men get so much into the habit of saying that sort of thing to women. Sometimes it seems to me they must do a great deal of mischief. But you - Is that really your wish?"

"I would sacrifice everything that I have ever held dear in life," he declared, with his face aglow, "for its realization."

"But you would be a deserter from your country," she pointed out.

"You would never be able to return. Your estates would be confiscated. You would be homeless."

"Home," he said softly, "is where one's heart takes one. Home is just where love is."

Her eyes, as they met his, were for a moment suspiciously soft.

Then she began to talk very quickly of other things, to compare notes of countries which they had both visited, even of people whom they had met. They were obliged to leave early to catch their train. As they passed down the crowded restaurant they once more found themselves within a few feet of Sir Henry. His back was turned to them, and he was apparently ignorant of their near presence. The party had become a partie Carr=A1e, another man, and a still younger and more beautiful woman having joined it.

"Of course," Philippa said, as they descended the stairs, "I am behaving like an idiot. I ought to go and tell Henry exactly what I think of him, or pull him away in the approved Whitechapel fashion.

We lose so much, don't we, by stifling our instincts."

"For the next few minutes," he replied, glancing at his watch, "I think we had better concentrate our attention upon catching our train."

They reached King's Cross with only a few minutes to spare. Grover, however, had already secured a carriage, and Helen was waiting for them, ensconced in a corner. She accepted the news of Lessingham's return with resignation. Philippa became thoughtful as they drew towards the close of their journey and the slow, frosty twilight began to creep down upon the land.

"I suppose we don't really know what war is," she observed, looking out of the window at a comfortable little village tucked away with a background of trees and guarded by a weather-beaten old church.

"The people are safe in their homes. You must appreciate what that means, Mr. Lessingham."

"Indeed I do," he answered gravely. "I have seen the earth torn and dismembered as though by the plough of some destroying angel.

A few blackened ruins where, an hour or so before, a peaceful village stood; men and women running about like lunatics stricken with a mortal fear. And all the time a red glow on the horizon, a blood-red glow, and little specks of grey or brown lying all over the fields; even the cattle racing round in terror. And every now and then the cry of Death! You are fortunate in England."

Philippa leaned forward.

"Do you believe that our turn will come?" she asked. "Do you believe that the wave will break over our country?"

"Who can tell?"

"Ah, no, but answer me," she begged. "Is it possible for you to land an army here?"

"I think," he replied, "that all things are possible to the military genius of Germany. The only question is whether it is worth while.

Germans are supposed to be sentimentalists, you know. I rather doubt it. There is nothing would set the joybells of Berlin clanging so much as the news of a German invasion of Great Britain. On the other hand, there is a great party in Germany, and a very far-seeing one, which is continually reminding the Government that, without Great Britain as a market, Germany would never recover from the financial strain of the war."

"This is all too impersonal," Philippa objected. "Do you, in your heart, believe that the time might come when in the night we should hear the guns booming in Dreymarsh Bay, and see your grey-clad soldiers forming up on the beach and scaling our cliffs? "

"That will not be yet," he pronounced. "It has been thought of.

Once it was almost attempted. Just at present, no."

Philippa drew a sigh of relief.

"Then your mission in Dreymarsh has nothing to do with an attempted landing?"

"Nothing," he assured her. "I can even go a little further. I can tell you that if ever we do try to land, it will be in an unsuspected place, in an unexpected fashion."

"Well, it's really very comforting to hear these things at first-hand," Philippa declared, with some return to her usual manner.

"I suppose we are really two disgraceful women, Helen and I - traitors and all the rest of it. Here we sit talking to an enemy as though he were one of our best friends."

"I refuse to be called an enemy," Lessingham protested. "There are times when individuality is a far greater thing than nationality.

I am just a human being, born into the same world and warmed by the same sun as you. Nothing can alter the fact that we are fellow creatures."

"Dreymarsh once more," Philippa announced, looking out of the window.

"And you're a terribly plausible person, Mr. Lessingham. Come round and see us after dinner - if it doesn't interfere with your work."

"On the contrary," he murmured under his breath. "Thank you very much."

同类推荐
  • WASHINGTON SQUARE

    WASHINGTON SQUARE

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 全台游记

    全台游记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 草堂诗话

    草堂诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • King Richard III

    King Richard III

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太上洞渊神咒经

    太上洞渊神咒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 圣灵帝君

    圣灵帝君

    仙门圣地的灵丹奇珍为何频频失盗?圣灵大陆的坏人为何鬼哭狼嚎?连续的天才陨落案,究竟是何人所为?一个又一个纯洁圣女得了相思病,究竟为谁?曾经群魔乱舞之景再现的背后又隐藏着什么?这一切的一切,是因为黑暗势力的崛起还是救世主的到来?敬请关注新人新作《圣灵帝君》,让我们跟随黑火苗的描述走进这个玄奇的世界!
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 岩下放言

    岩下放言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 神农架野人传奇

    神农架野人传奇

    故事发生在清朝道光年间,干旱的年景,百姓饥寒交迫。县令横征暴敛。钱大杀死官兵,带着长工、娟子、女儿钱小小逃亡到神农架原始森林,又误闯入到神农架原始森林里还是唐朝社会的唐家营,同虎、豹狼、豺、为伍。战胜千难万险,摆脱官府的追捕,同大自然融为一体,成为名副其实的野人。
  • 萌妻来袭,亲亲老公等接招

    萌妻来袭,亲亲老公等接招

    一对一宠文,小打小闹,无虐,女强,男更强,强强联手,打倒小怪再打大怪,嘿嘿她半夜归来,救下了某只“病猫”却当晚被吃干抹净她古灵精怪,事事出人意料他宠她在怀,处处包让她迷糊虫一个,他却只顾在一旁收拾烂摊子
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 没钱也任性

    没钱也任性

    “我”,是朵奇葩,出身豪门,却成为了孤儿,在现代都市的钢筋水泥森林和荒蛮沙漠大海的惊涛骇浪中自由穿行。纵横全球,穿梭古今,思维天马行空,知识博古通今。你如果认为这是小说就大错特错了,那么是什么呢?好值得期待啊。其实就是一部小说。
  • 黑客王中王

    黑客王中王

    他是一名天才黑客,只要跟网络有关,就没有什么能挡得住他!没钱了?可以通过网络银行去取钱嘛……调查人?现在还有谁是无法被网查的……打游戏?游戏规则对自己形同虚设啊……去读书?他似乎比老师知道的还多呢……但最重要的是他有一颗爱国之心,牺牲自己的利益甘愿为国家效忠。其实他最大心愿就是国家昌盛……世界和平……
  • 快穿:执念不再

    快穿:执念不再

    其实素九星一直不相信,自己一个沉睡了千万年的星使,会被一个不知道哪里来的系统给契约了,然而事实很可怕。但是她在做任务的过程中,慢慢的也体验到了一个星使体验不到的东西,每一个人死后还存留着的心愿和执念。好吧,你们的执念,我来完成。
  • 幽幽的紫云英

    幽幽的紫云英

    “天地有正气,杂然赋流形。下则为河岳,上则为日星。于人曰浩然,沛乎塞苍冥。”每当吟诵这首千古传颂的《正气歌》时,浑身总是有一种不可征服的凛然之气在回荡,眼前也就会浮现出七百多年前的民族英雄文天祥那威武不屈的高大身影。