"Where did you find
it, Pen?" She caught the plea in his eye and responded loyally.
"You dropped it, I daresay, in pursuing Mr. Shaw."
The positive radiance which followed dismay in his watery eyes
convinced her beyond all doubt that her brother's encounter with
the tall Mr. Shaw was not quite creditable to Bazelhurst arms. She
listened with pensive indifference to the oft-repeated story of how
he had routed the "insufferable cad," encouraged by the support of
champagne and the solicited approval of two eye-witnesses. She could
not repress the mixed feelings of scorn, shame, and pity, as she
surveyed the array of men who so mercilessly flayed the healthy,
fair-faced young man with the gentle strength.
The house party had been augmented during the day by the arrival of
half a dozen men and women from, the city brain-fagged, listless, and
smart. The big cottage now was full, the company complete for
three weeks at least. She looked ahead, this fresh, vigorous young
Englishwoman, and wondered how she was to endure the staleness of
life.
There was some relief in the thought that the men would make love
to the good-looking young married women--at least part of the
time--and--but it depressed her in turn to think of the left-over
husbands who would make love to her.
"Why is it that Evelyn doesn't have real men here--like this Mr.
Shaw?" she found herself wondering vaguely as the night wore on.
CHAPTER III
IN WHICH A DOG TRESPASSES
Penelope was a perverse and calculating young person.
Pages:
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346