I am absolutely certain that my father is not."
"It is no life for a young girl."
"It has been my life."
The professor felt uncomfortable. There was that in her tone which
forbade all comment. She had given him this tiny glimpse and quite
evidently intended to give no more. But Spence, upon occasion, could
be a persistent man.
"Miss Desire," he said gravely, "do you absolutely decline my
friendship?" If she wanted directness, she was getting it now.
"How can I do otherwise?" Her face was turned from him and her low
voice was muffled by her hair. But for the first time she had cast
away her guard of light indifference. "Friendship is impossible for
me. I thought you would see--and go away. Nothing that you can do
would be any real help. I have tried before to free myself. But I
could not. Nor, in the little flights of freedom which I had, did I
find anything that I wanted. I am as well here as anywhere. Unless--
"
She was silent, looking into the fire.
"Unless I were really free," she added softly.
He could not see her face. But she looked very young sitting there
with her unbound hair and hands clasped childishly about her knees.
"You have wondered about me--in a psychological way--ever since you
came." She went on, her voice taking on a harsher note. "You have
been trying to 'place' me. Well, since you are curious I will tell
you what I am. When I was younger and we lived in towns I used to
wander off by myself down the main streets to gaze in the windows.
Pages:
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68