Free electronic library

"It's what the doctors say," I replied, "but whether it's true or not is
another matter."
Again he looked queerly from me to Lola and from Lola back to me. His
first impression of our attitude had been a shock from which he found it
difficult to recover. I smiled, and, although perfectly innocent, felt a
villain.
"Madame Brandt is good enough to be soft-hearted and to take a tragic
view of a most commonplace contingency."
"But it isn't commonplace. By God, it's horrible!" cried the boy, the
arrested love for me suddenly gushing into his heart. "I had no idea of
it. In Heaven's name, Simon, why didn't you tell me? My dear old Simon."
Tears rushed into his eyes and he gripped my hand until I winced. I put
my other hand on his shoulder and laughed with a contorted visage.
"My good Dale, the moribund are fragile."
"Oh, Lord, man, how can you make a jest of it?"
"Would you have me drive about in a hearse, instead of a cab, by way of
preparation?"
"But what have the doctors told you?" asked Lola.


Pages:
153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177