Page:Herbert Jenkins - The Rain Girl.djvu/304

 Mrs. Crisp. What had actually taken place Lola would not tell him; but he was aware that he had been the bone of contention. He was already beginning to make discoveries about Lola. She could keep her own counsel. What had happened at her interview with Lady Drewitt he could not discover. His most subtle and persistent questions she met either with a smile or an obvious evasion. All he could gather was that the interview had, from Lola's point of view, been eminently satisfactory, and that he, Beresford, had been forgiven.

"I don't understand you, Lola," he said, digging his stick into the turf at his feet; they were sitting under the trees in the Park opposite the Stanhope Gate.

"I'm afraid you'll find that you have married a very curious person," she said wistfully; then with a sudden change of mood, "You won't mind my being myself, Jerry, will you?" She looked up at him, anxiety in her voice. "I'm an awful baby really," she continued. "I wonder if you'll like me when you know the real me."

"Beggars mustn't be choosers," he said lightly.

For a moment she looked at him gravely.

"Jerry," she said, "that hurts just a weeny, little bit."

"My darling, forgive me," he whispered as he bent towards her. "I shall get accustomed to it in time." There was just a suspicion of bitterness in his tone.

"I've—I've got a confession to make," she