Page:Honore Willsie--Judith of the godless valley.djvu/161

 old vicar who would have set me straight on the things you are talking about, if I'd have let him."

"Couldn't you believe what he said?" asked Douglas.

"I never went to him. I preferred my own rotten ideas. I—" He drew himself up with a sudden expression of disgust. "Faugh! How like a fool I'm talking!" He stalked out, this time closing the door of the room behind him.

"I wonder who Peter really is?" said Judith in a low voice.

Douglas shook his head. "Dad says he's seen better days. He sure has suffered a lot over something or other."

"I wish I knew all about life that he does!" exclaimed Judith.

"I don't wish either of us did," said Douglas. Then he put out his hand to touch Judith's knee with infinite tenderness. "Couldn't you manage to fall in love with me, Jude dear? I'd stay your lover all my life."

Judith put her hand over Douglas' and her fine eyes were all that was womanly and soft as she answered, "O my dear, you don't know what you are talking about. What you promise is impossible."

"But how do you know, Judith? I am an unchanging sort of a chap. You realize that, don't you?" Judith shook her head. "You don't know what you are promising. You can't force love to stay, once it has begun to fade."

"Try me, Judith! Try me, dear!"

Judith looked at him, lips parted, eyes sad. "Douglas, I'm afraid!" she whispered.

And again the sense of loneliness flooded Doug's heart. There was a look of remoteness in Judith's expression,