A Woman's Will Part 30

He took out his cigarette case and contemplated its bas-relief of two silver nymphs for several seconds.

"You may," said his companion, smiling.

"May what?"

"May smoke."

"But I am going to, anyway."

"Oh."

He looked at her with an air of remonstrance.

"This is not your parlor," he reminded her.

"No," she said meekly; "I stand corrected."

He lit the cigarette and threw the match into a rose-bush.

"I think that I will go and find Molly," she suggested presently.

"Why?"

"I think that she would be able to leave madame by this time."

"But if she can leave her then she will come to us, and I do not want her; do you?"

"I always want her."

"That is absurd. Why do you want her? I never want another man when we speak together."

"But I am very fond of Molly."

"So am I most affectionate of my professor in Leipsic, but I never once have wished for him when I was with you."

"That's different."

"No, it is quite one. Do not go for mademoiselle; I have something to say to you, and there is only to-night to say it."

"What is it?"

"It is that I have really to go away. This time I must. I go to-morrow morning without fail."

"I am so glad," she exclaimed.

"Yes," he said, with a quick glance; "is it really so that my going makes you pleasure? Truly I only come in return for your kindness of last night--when you send for me, you know. I think that I wish to repay. But now, if we are quite friends, I must go very early to-morrow in the morning."

"I am glad that you are going," she said quietly, "and you know why. And I shall be glad when we meet again," she added in a lighter tone.

Then a long silence fell between them, while to their ears came the famous symphony of a famous composer. When the music ceased he spoke again.

"You will write to me?"

"I am not a letter writer."

"But you will send me a few lines sometimes?"

"Are you going to write me?"

"_Si vous voulez de mes nouvelles._"

"Yes, I do."

"I will tell you," he said, tossing his cigarette into the lake; "I will send you a post-card, as I tell you before--you recall? yes."

"No," said Rosina, with decision, "I don't want post-cards; you can write me in an envelope or not at all."

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"I have some very small paper," he said at last, "I can use that; I use it to write my family on."

She almost laughed.

"That will be all right," she said, "and I will answer on my correspondence-cards. They only hold half a dozen lines, and they have my monogram on them and are really very pretty."

"You can write on the back too," he suggested.

"I shan't have any more to say than will go easily on the front, though."

"And I shall see you next in August in Munich?"

"_Esperons!_" with a smile.

He stood up suddenly.

"Let us walk to the Garten," he suggested; "it is good to walk after dinner a little."

She rose too, very willingly, and they went towards the bridge that connects the Insel with the mainland.

"Did you love your husband?" he asked as they pa.s.sed above the moat-like stream.

"Tremendously."

"For long?"

"Until after we were married."

He halted short at that.