Ranching For Sylvia Volume-554 by Harold Bindloss (chrome ebook reader .TXT) 📕

It.  The Father Of The Girl He Mentioned Seems To Be A Leader In The

Movement."

Sylvia Carefully Suppressed Any Sign Of The Annoyance She Felt.  It

Was, Of Course, Impossible That George Should Be Seriously Attracted By

Flora, But His Action Implied That He And The Grants Must Be Good

Friends.  No Doubt, He Met The Girl Every Now And Then, And They Had

Much In Common.  Sylvia Did Not Mean To Marry George; But It Was

Pleasant To Feel That She Could Count On His Devotion, And She Resented

The Idea Of His Falling Under The Influence Of Anybody Else.  She Had

Never Thought Of Flora As Dangerous--George Was So Steadfast--But She

Now Realized That There Might, Perhaps, Be Some Slight Risk.  A Girl

Situated As Flora Was Would, No Doubt, Make The Most Of Her

Opportunities.  Sylvia Grew Somewhat Angry; She Felt She Was Being

Badly Treated.

"After All," She Said Calmly, "I Suppose There's No Reason Why George

Shouldn't Set Up As A Reformer If It Pleases Him.  It Must, However, Be

Rather A Novelty For Your Brother."

Ethel Laughed.

"I Believe It's The Excitement That Has Tempted Him, Still, If George

Is Taking Any Active Part In The Matter, Edgar Will Probably Find It

More Than A Light Diversion."  Then She Changed The Subject.  "Did I

Tell You That We Expect Captain Bland To-Night?"

Sylvia Started Slightly.  She Was Aware That Ethel Took What Could Best

Be Described As An Unsympathetic Interest In Her Affairs, But The

Sudden Reference To Bland Threw Her Off Her Guard.

"No," She Said.  "Though You Have Met Him, I Didn't Think You Knew Him

Well."

"I Believe It's Chiefly A Business Visit.  Stephen, You Know, Has Some

Reputation As A Commercial Lawyer, And Bland Couldn't Arrange To See

Him In Town.  Anyway, He Should Be Here Soon."

Bland Arrived Half An Hour Later, But Was Unable To Do More Than Shake

Hands With Sylvia Before West Took Him Away To Another Room.  It Was

Some Time Before They Returned; And Then West Kept The Party Engaged In

General Conversation Until It Broke Up.

"I'll Walk Down The Road With You," He Said To Mrs. Lansing, And

Afterward Turned To Bland.  "How Are You Going To Get Back?"

Bland Said That The Man Who Had Driven Him From The Station Was Waiting

In The Neighboring Village, And When They Left The House He Walked On

With Sylvia, Leaving Mrs. Lansing And West To Follow.  It Was A Clear

Night, With A Chill Of Frost In The Air.  A Bright Half-Moon Hung Above

The Shadowy Hills, And The Higher Boughs Of The Bare Trees Cut In Sharp

Tracery Against The Sky.  Dead Leaves Lay Thick Upon The Road And Here

And There A Belt Of Mist Trailed Across A Meadow.  Sylvia, However, Did

Not Respond When Her Companion Said Something About The Charm Of The

Walk.

"Why Didn't You Send Me Word You Were Coming?" She Asked.

"I Didn't Know Until This Morning, When I Got A Note From West, And I

Must Be Back In Time For Tomorrow's Parade.  Besides, You Told Me At

The Junction That I Was Not To Be Allowed To Meet You Again For Some

Time."

Sylvia Smiled At Him.

"Haven't You Found Out That You Needn't Take Everything I Say Too

Literally?"

Bland Stopped, Pressing The Hand On His Arm.

"Does That Apply To All You Said On The Evening When We Sat Outside The

Inn?"

"No," Answered Sylvia Firmly.  "It Does Not; Please Understand That.  I

Must Stick To What I Told You Then."  She Paused, And They Heard The

Soft Fall Of Approaching Feet Before She Resumed With A Laugh: "Go On,

If You Don't Want The Others To Think We Are Waiting For Them."

Bland Obeyed, A Little Soothed, Though He Saw She Was Not Yet Ready To

Allow A Renewal Of His Pleading.  Sylvia Had Obviously Meant That She

Wished To Be Left Alone With Him.

"Why Did You Call On Stephen West?" She Asked, Presently.

"I'd Meant To Tell You.  But, First Of All, Is Lansing Still Connected

With The Rubber Company?  West Didn't Seem Very Well Informed Upon The

Point."

"Neither Am I," Replied Sylvia Thoughtfully.  "I Only Know He Hasn't

The Large Interest In It That He Had."

"Then I'll Have To Explain, Because I Don't Know What To Do.  Lansing

Gave Me A Tip To Buy Some Shares, And When Some Friends Said I'd Got A

Good Thing, I Went To Him Again.  I Must Say He Was Pretty Guarded, But

I Got A Hint And Acted On It, With The Result That I Have Dropped A

Good Deal Of Money.  This," He Added Deprecatingly, "Is Not The Kind Of

Thing I Should Talk To You About, But I Was Told That Lansing Couldn't

Receive Any Callers, And You'll See Why You Should Know."

"I'm Beginning To Understand."

"Well," Said Bland, "Shortly After Lansing's Accident, I Wrote To The

Secretary, Asking Some Questions, And He Doesn't Seem To Have Been

Cautious Enough In His Answer--I Have It Here.  There Has Been Trouble

About The Company, And I Attended A Meeting Of Some Disgusted People

Who Had Put Their Money Into It.  They Think They Might Get Part Of It

Back By Attacking The Promoters, And I'm Told That My Letter Would Help

Them Materially."

"Do You Want To Help Them?"

"In A Way, It's Natural," Said Bland With Signs Of Warmth.  "I Don't

See Why Those Fellows Should Be Allowed To Get Off After Tricking

People Out Of The Money They've Painfully Earned."

"How Much Money Have You Ever Earned?"

Bland Laughed.

"You Have Me There; I Haven't Been Able To Buy Shares Out Of My Pay.

But I Made A Pot By Taking Long Chances When I Backed An Outside Horse.

It Comes To Much The Same Thing."

"I Don't Think It Does," Said Sylvia, With A Smile.  "But It Strikes Me

That Your Explanation Isn't Quite Complete."

"I Went To West, Instead Of To Another Lawyer, Because I Thought He

Would Be Acquainted With Lansing's Present Position; But, While He

Agreed That The Letter Might Be Valuable To The Objectors, He Couldn't

Help Me.  The End Of It Is That I Don't Want To Do Anything That Might

Hurt Lansing."

Sylvia Reflected.  She Hardly Thought His Loss Would Seriously

Embarrass Bland; She Owed Herbert Something And Might Need His Aid, And

She Did Not Wish Any Discredit To Be Cast Upon A Connection Of Hers.

"Well," She Said, "I Believe Herbert Is Still To Some Extent Connected

With The Company; He Can Hardly Have Withdrawn Altogether.  Anyway, He

Had A Large Interest In It, And I Think Its Management Was In His

Hands.  He Might Suffer, So To Speak, Retrospectively."

"Yes," Said Bland, "That Didn't Strike Me.  You're Right; There's Only

One Course Open."  He Took A Paper From His Pocket And Handed It To

Her.  "Give That To Lansing, And Tell Him He May Do What He Thinks Fit

With It."

"You're Very Generous," Said Sylvia, Coloring As She Took The Letter.

"I'm Afraid I've Behaved Badly In Not Keeping The Thing From You; But

You See How I Was Situated, And You'll Have To Forgive Me."

"That Isn't Difficult," Sylvia Told Him.

They Walked On In Silence For A While; And Then Bland Looked Around At

Her.

"There's A Thing I Must Mention.  I've Had A Hint To Ask For A Certain

Post Abroad.  It Is Not A Very Desirable One In Some Respects, But The

Pay's Pretty Good, And It Would Bring The Man Who Took It Under The

Notice Of People Who Arrange The Better Government Appointments.  I

Should Have To Stay Out At Least Two Years."

Sylvia Was Startled, And Annoyed.  Now That The Man Owned Her Sway, She

Did Not Mean To Accede To His Wishes Too Readily.  Some Obscure Reason

Made Her Shrink From Definitely Binding Herself To Him, But His

Intimation Had Forced On Something Of The Nature Of A Crisis.

"Do You Wish To Go?" She Asked.

"No," He Said Hotly; "You Know That."

"Then," Said Sylvia Softly, "I Think You Had Better Stay At Home."

He Stopped Again And Faced Her.

"You Must Tell Me What You Mean!"

"It Ought To Be Clear," She Murmured, "Don't You Think I Should Miss

You?"

With Restrained Quietness He Laid His Hand On Her Shoulder.

"You Must Listen For A Minute, Sylvia.  Up To The Present, I've Been

Passed Over By The Authorities; But Now I've Been Given My Chance.  If

I Can Hammer The Raw Native Levies Into Shape And Keep Order Along A

Disturbed Frontier, It Will Lead To Something Better.  Now, I'm Neither

A Military Genius Nor Altogether A Careless Idler--I Believe I Can Do

This Work; But, Coming Rather Late, It Has Less Attraction For Me.

Well, I Would Let The Chance Slip, For One Reason Only; But If I'm To

Go On Continually Repressing Myself And Only Allowed To See You At Long

Intervals, I Might As Well Go Away.  You Must Clearly Understand On

What Terms I Remain."

She Made A Little Appealing Gesture.

"Yes," She Said; "But You Must Wait And Not Press Me Too Hard.  I Am So

Fenced In By Conventions; So Many People's Susceptibilities Have To Be

Considered.  I Haven't A Girl's Liberty."

Bland Supposed This Was As Far As She Ventured In Allusion To Her

Widowed State; But, Stirred As He Was By Her Implied Submission, It

Struck Him As Significant That She Should So Clearly Recognize The

Restrictions Conventionality Imposed On Her.

"I Think," He Returned, "The Two People Who Deserve Most Consideration

Are You And Myself."

"Ah!" Said Sylvia, "You Deserve It Most.  You Have Been Very

Forbearing; You Have Done All I Asked.  That Is Why I Know You Will

Bear With A Little Delay, When It's Needful."

He Made A Sign Of Reluctant Assent; And Then, To His Annoyance, Two

Figures Emerged From The Shadow Of The Trees Not Far Away.  There Was

Nothing To Do Except To Move On, But He Thrilled At The Slight,

Grateful Pressure Of Sylvia's Hand