He could see
the woman's small firm hands that lay on the railing of the bridge. They
were, he thought, like everything connected with her person, shapely and
beautiful, just as everything connected with his own person was unshapely
and ugly.
Clara aroused herself from the meditative mood that had taken possession of
her, and after shaking Hugh's hand and explaining that she did not want him
to go further went away. When he thought she had quite gone she came back.
"You'll hear I was engaged to that Alfred Buckley who has got into trouble
and has been arrested," she said. Hugh did not reply and her voice became
sharp and a little challenging. "You'll hear we were going to be married.
I don't know what you'll hear. It's a lie," she said and turning, hurried
away.
CHAPTER XV
Hugh and Clara were married in less than a week after their first walk
together. A chain of circumstances touching their two lives hurled them
into marriage, and the opportunity for the intimacy with a woman for which
Hugh so longed came to him with a swiftness that made him fairly dizzy.
It was a Wednesday evening and cloudy. After dining in silence with his
landlady, Hugh started along Turner's Pike toward Bidwell, but when he had
got almost into town, turned back. He had left the house intending to go
through town to the Medina Road and to the woman who now occupied so large
a place in his thoughts, but hadn't the courage.
Pages:
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301