Page:Herbert Jenkins - The Rain Girl.djvu/156

 he done with his father when he found him? Did he actually find him?

In spite of the feeling of exhilaration at the successful issue of his quest, he was conscious that he had come to a mile-stone, and that there was no sign-post to indicate his future course. Hitherto he had given no thought to the future, had never seemed to be able to see beyond the second meeting with the Rain-Girl. Now he found his mind a seething whirl of questions. Where was it all going to end, and what was he to do when his money was exhausted? He reproached himself as an impulsive fool for—for—oh, everything. What was his object? The whole thing was nothing short of a midsummer-madness. What would Tallis say? What would Aunt Caroline think, or say, if she knew? They were not imbued with the same reticence as Drewitt. They would comment, the one laughingly, the other with the caustic worldliness of a Mrs. Grundy.

Still he had met the Rain-Girl, and she had seemed to pick up the thread where they had left it in the smoking-room of "The Two Dragons." At least he had before him further meetings. There was that compensation, unless What if she were to leave early in the morning? What if he should be ill again? What a fool he had been not to give instructions as to when he was to be called. Surely she would not go without assuring herself that he was better.

Then with a strange revulsion of feeling he