'
'I shall do that as soon as ever I can.'
He had something else to say.
'Perhaps Mrs. Westlake might ask her to come, whilst you are there.'
'Very likely, I think,' Adela replied, with an attempt at
confidence.
It was only her second visit to London: the first had been in winter
time, and under conditions which had not allowed her to attend to
anything she saw. But for Stella's presence there she would have
feared London; her memory of it was like that of an ill dream long
past; her mind only reverted to it in darkest hours, and then she
shuddered. But now she thought only of Stella; Stella was light and
joy, a fountain of magic waters. Her arrival at the house in Avenue
Road was one of the most blissful moments she had ever known. The
servant led her upstairs to a small room, where the veiled sun made
warmth on rich hangings, on beautiful furniture, on books and
pictures, on ferns and flowers. The goddess of this sanctuary was
alone; as the door opened the notes of a zither trembled into
silence, and Adela saw a light-robed loveliness rise and stand
before her. Stella took both her hands very gently, then looked into
her face with eyes which seemed to be new from some high vision,
then drew her within the paradise of an embrace. The kiss was once
more like that first touch of lips which had come to Adela on the
verge of sleep; she quivered through her frame.
Pages:
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506