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

Mind, But Conscious Of A Little Ironical Amusement.  There Was No Doubt

That Sylvia Had Cleverly Deluded Him, But He Admitted That He Had Done

Much The Same Thing To Her.  Had He Realized The True State Of Her

Affairs At The Beginning He Would Have Withdrawn; But He Had No Thought

Of Doing So Now.  It Was Obvious That Sylvia's Principles Were Not Very

High, And He Regretted It, Although He Could Not Claim Much Superiority

In This Respect.  He Was Tolerant And, After All, She Had A Charm That

Atoned For Many Failings.

It Was Three Or Four Days Later When He Arrived At Mrs. Kettering's

House One Evening And Found Sylvia Awaiting Him In A Room Reserved For

Her Hostess's Use.  She Was Very Becomingly Dressed And Looked, He

Thought, Even More Attractive Than Usual.  She Submitted To His Caress

With An Air Of Resignation, But He Augured A Good Deal From The Fact

That She Did Not Repulse Him.  As It Happened, Sylvia Had Carefully

Thought Over The Situation.

"Sit Down," She Said; "I Want To Talk With You."

"I Think I'll Stand.  It's More Difficult To Feel Penitent In A

Comfortable Position.  It Looks As If You Had Seen Herbert Lansing."

"I Have." Sylvia's Tone Was Harsh.  "What Have You To Say For Yourself?"

"Not A Great Deal, Which Is Fortunate, Because I Haven't Much Time To

Say It In," Bland Told Her With A Smile.  "To Begin With, I'll State

The Unflattering Truth--It Strikes Me That, In One Way, We're Each As

Bad As The Other.  I Suppose It's One Of My Privileges To Mention Such

Facts To You, Though I'd Never Think Of Admitting Them To Anybody Else."

"It's A Husband's Privilege," Sylvia Rejoined Pointedly.  "Don't Be

Premature."

"Well," Said Bland, "I Can Only Make One Defense, But I Think You Ought

To Realize How Strong It Is.  We Were Thrown Into Each Other's Society,

And It Isn't In The Least Surprising That I Lost My Head And Was

Carried Away.  My Power Of Reasoning Went When I Fell In Love With You."

"That Sounds Pretty, But It's Unfortunate You Didn't Think Of Me A

Little More," Pouted Sylvia.

"Think Of You?" Bland Broke Out.  "I Thought Of Nothing Else!"

"Then It Wasn't To Much Purpose.  Don't You See What You Want To Bring

Me To?  Can't You Realize What I Should Have To Give Up?  How Could We

Ever Manage On The Little We Have?"

The Man Frowned.  He Was Sorry For Her And Somewhat Ashamed, But She

Jarred On Him In Her Present Mood.

"I Believe People Who Were Sufficiently Fond Of Each Other Have Often

Got Along Pretty Satisfactorily On Less, Even In The Service.  It's A

Matter Of Keen Regret To Me That You Will Have To Make A Sacrifice, But

Things Are Not Quite So Bad As They Look, And There's Reason For

Believing They May Get Better.  You Will Have As Pleasant Society As

You Enjoy Now; My Friends Will Stand By My Wife."  A Look Of Pride

Crept Into His Face.  "I Dare Say They Have Their Failings, But They'll

Only Expect Charm From You, And You Can Give It To Them.  They Won't

Value You By The Display You Make Or Your Possessions.  We're Free From

That Taint."

"But Have You Considered What You Must Give Up?"

Bland Had Hardly Expected This, But He Smiled.

"Oh, Yes.  I Spent An Evening Over It And I Was A Little Surprised To

Find How Many Things There Were I Could Readily Do Without.  In Fact,

It Was A Most Instructive Evening.  The Next Day I Wrote A Bundle Of

Letters, Resigning From Clubs I Rarely Went To, And Canceling Orders

For Odds And Ends I Hadn't The Least Real Use For.  But I'll Confess

That I've Derived A Good Deal More Pleasure From Thinking Of How Much I

Shall Get."

Sylvia Was Touched, But She Did Not Mean To Yield Too Readily.

"It Would Be Dreadfully Imprudent."

"Just So; One Has Often To Take A Risk.  It's Rather Exciting To Fling

Prudence Overboard.  I Want To Fix My Whole Attention On The Fact That

We Love Each Other!"  Bland Glanced At His Watch.  "Now It Strikes Me

That We Have Been Sufficiently Practical, And As I Must Start Back

To-Night, I Haven't Much Time Left.  Don't You Think It Would Be A Pity

To Waste It?"

He Drew Her Down Beside Him On A Lounge And Sylvia Surrendered.  After

All, The Man Had Made A Good Defense And, As Far As Her Nature

Permitted, She Had Grown Fond Of Him.

Dusk Was Closing In When George And Edgar Alighted At A Little English

Station.  Casting An Eager Glance About, George Was Disappointed To See

Nobody From His Cousin's House Waiting To Meet Him.  In Another Moment,

However, He Was Warmly Greeted By Ethel West.

"A Very Hearty Welcome, George," She Said.  "You're Looking Very Fit,

But Thinner Than You Were When You Left Us.  Stephen's Waiting Outside.

He Told Muriel We Would Drive You Over; Herbert's Away Somewhere."

"How's Everybody?" George Inquired.

"Sylvia Looked As Charming As Ever When I Last Saw Her A Few Days Ago,"

Ethel Answered With A Smile, Which George Was Too Eager To Notice Was

Somewhat Forced.  "The Rest Of Us, Are Much As Usual.  But Come Along;

We'll Send Over Afterward For Your Heavy Things."

They Turned Toward The Outlet, And Found Stephen Having Some Trouble

With A Horse That Was Startled By The Roar Of Steam.  Edgar Got Up In

Front Of The High Trap, George Helped Ethel To The Seat Behind, And

They Set Off The Next Moment, Flying Down The Wet Road Amid A Cheerful

Hammer Of Hoofs And A Rattle Of Wheels.  For The First Few Minutes

George Said Little As He Looked About.  On One Side Great Oaks And

Ashes Raised Their Naked Boughs In Sharp Tracery Against The Pale

Saffron Glow In The Western Sky.  Ahead, Across A Deep Valley, Which

Was Streaked With Trains Of Mist, Wide Moors And Hills Rolled Away,

Gray And Darkly Blue.  Down The Long Slope To The Hollow Ran Small

Fields With Great Trees Breaking The Lines Of Hedgerows; And The

Brawling Of A River Swollen By Recent Rain Came Sharply Up To Him.

It Was All Good To Look Upon, A Beautiful, Well-Cared-For Land, And He

Felt A Thrill Of Pride And Satisfaction.  This Was Home, And He Had

Come Back To It With His Work Done.  A Roseate Future Stretched Away

Before Him, Its Peaceful Duties Brightened By Love, And The Contrast

Between It And The Stress And Struggle Of The Past Two Years Added To

Its Charm.  Still, To His Astonishment, He Thought Of The Sterner And

More Strenuous Life He Had Led On The Western Plains With A Faint,

Half-Tender Regret.

By And By Edgar's Laugh Rang Out.

"The Change In My Brother Is Remarkable," Ethel Declared.  "It Was A

Very Happy Thought That Made Us Let Him Go With You."

"I'm Not Responsible," George Rejoined.  "You Have The Country To

Thank.  In Some Way, It's A Hard Land; But It's A Good One."

"Perhaps Something Is Due To Miss Taunton's Influence."

Edgar Leaned Over The Back Of The Seat.

"That," He Said, "Is A Subject Of Which I've A Monopoly; And I've

Volumes To Say Upon It As Soon As There's A Chance Of Doing It Justice.

George, I Hear That Singleton, Who Told Us About The Wheat, Is Home On

A Visit.  Stephen Has Asked Him Over; You Must Meet Him."

George Said He Would Be Glad To Do So, And Turned To Ethel When Edgar

Resumed His Conversation With His Brother.

"I Wired Herbert To Have Everything Ready At My Place, Though I Shall

Spend The Night At Brantholme."

"The Lodge Is Let.  Didn't You Know?"

"I Understood That The Man's Tenancy Ran Out A Few Weeks Ago."

"He Renewed It.  Herbert Didn't Know You Were Coming Over; The Terms

Were Good."

"Then I'm Homeless For A Time."

"Oh, No!" Said Ethel.  "Stephen Wanted Me To Insist On Your Coming With

Us Now, But I Know You Will Want To See Muriel And Have A Talk With

Her.  However, We'll Expect You To Come And Take Up Your Quarters With

Us To-Morrow."

George Looked At Her In Some Surprise.

"I'd Be Delighted, But Herbert Will Expect Me To Stay With Him, And, Of

Course--"

"Sylvia Hadn't Arrived This Afternoon; She Was At Mrs. Kettering's,"

Ethel Told Him.  "But Remember That You Must Stay With Us Until You

Make Your Arrangements.  We Should Find It Hard To Forgive You If You

Went To