Part 6 (1/2)

”Thank you,” she interrupted ”I will not ask you to explain further

Good night”

He left at once, iarded his share of the intervieith this young wo the stone staircase, growing fainter and fainter Then Courtlaw looked across at her with a white puzzled face

”Why did you lie to that man?” he asked fiercely ”How dared you do yourself this injustice?”

”I did it for her sake,” she answered ”It may be her salvation I believe that he will --all that you know?”

”Why not? She iselse Perhaps if I had watched over her s would have been different”

”You! Why, you have been an angel to her,” he exclaimed impatiently

”You know very well that she is selfish and pleasure-loving to the backbone You have h sacrifices for her surely without this

Besides, you cannot tell where it will end You have taken upon your shoulders the burden of her er than you think Oh, it is unbearable”

The h he were personally aggrieved His tone was rough, alirl only smiled at him serenely, but she laid her hand for a moment quietly upon his

”Dear friend,” she said, ”this is a matter which you must leave to me to do as I think best Annabel is my only sister, you know, almost my only relative If I do not look after her, she has no one And she is very young, younger than her years”

It was significant of her influence over hihts were struggling for expression within him

”Look after her! Why not? But you have done it all your life You have been her guardian angel But even you cannot alter her character

Annabel was born soulless, a human butterfly, if ever there was one

The pursuit of pleasure, self-gratification, is an original instinct with her Blood and bone, body and spirit, she is selfish through and through Even you have not been able to hold her back I speak no harm of her She is your sister, and God knoish her none But----”

A look checked him

”I know,” she said quietly, ”that Paris, where she has been so lad that she has gone to London”

He rose from his chair, and walked restlessly up and down the room

The passion of pent-up speech compelled action of some sort There was a black fear in his heart He stopped before her suddenly

”You, too,” he said abruptly ”You o to London?”

”It is necessary,” she answered ”You yourself have decided that--apart from the question of Annabel”

He was suddenly calm

”It is part of the irony of life,” he said ”One is always playing the surgeon, one kills always the thing one loves best I meant to lie to you Would to God I had”