A Star Looks Down Part 19

'" "Thomas Hardy," she said mechanically. "I didn't think you were like that." Her pansy eyes searched his face and she made no attempt to explain what she meant, but he understood, for he said gently: "But you do not know me, Beth." "No. Do you know what you mean to do?"

"Oh, yes, but it needed a star to point the way, as it were--a man gets a little set in his ways, you know." She was going to have to go over this conversation very carefully later on; it could mean something or nothing at all, but it seemed suddenly very important that she should know which it was. She would have liked to have asked him a great deal more, but she guessed that he wanted to talk to Dirk, and if he was leaving after dinner, there wasn't much time.

"I haven't thanked you yet," she said, 'and I should like to do that.

I--we were so glad to see you--you'll never know.

' "Shan't I?

I was rather hoping you would tell me about that.

' But he made no attempt to delay her as she reached the door.

She was busy after that, getting Alberdina ready for bed and then seeing to the children's supper.

There was no sign of Dirk and she made no attempt to find him; the less said about his interview with his uncle the better.

He turned up when the meal was half finished, and ate silently amidst his sisters' and brother's chatter, and when the dressing138 A STAR LOOKS DOWN gowned Alberdina and Hubert had gone to say good night to their mother and Marineka was getting ready for bed, Beth ventured to ask: "Your uncle wasn't cross.

Dirk?

' She was quite shocked at the look he gave her; childish rage she could understand, but this was something more; dislike, contempt.

"Why should you want to know?

So that you can feel pleased with yourself?

' She gaped at him.

"Dirk, what a funny thing to say!

Why should I be pleased?

And after our dreadful fright this afternoon.

' She had said the wrong thing, for he told her in a furious voice that he hadn't been in the least frightened.

He hunched his shoulders in a manner which reminded her forcibly of William in his younger days when he had been caught out in some naughtiness, and asked if he might leave the table.

"I shall go to bed," he informed her, and wished her a cold good night.

Beth piled the plates on to a tray, ready for Mrs Burge to carry away.

"Good night, Dirk," she said cheerfully.

"We'll go riding tomorrow.

' He didn't answer, and his mouth was set in such a stubborn line that she hardly expected one.

She saw all the children into their beds presently and bade them good night, then went along to her room to change her dress.

The green one, she decided, and brushed her hair until it gleamed like copper and did her face with special care.

A great waste of time, actually, because when she went into the sitting-room the profess or was on the point of going.

Mevrouw Thor becke was lying on one of the sofas and they were speaking Dutch, although they switched at once to English as he wished his sister good-bye, gave her a brotherly peck on her cheek, then took a businesslike leave of Beth.

She was conscious of disappointment as she heard the door close behind him, and this turned to peevishness when her companion, over their dinner, told her that he had decided to leave a few hours earlier so that he could call on friends on his way.

Friends, thought Beth, crossly, he had been riding with a friend, hadn't he--another girl, most likely, someone he couldn't bear to tear himself away from.

She frowned so fiercely at her soup that Mevrouw Thor becke asked her if she didn't like it.

After that she didn't think about him any more but laid herself out to be a pleasant companion; she was beginning to think too much about the man.

The week went by, too fast.

No one had said anything to her, but the agreed time had been two weeks and Sat.u.r.day would be the last day; on Friday evening Beth packed her case and when she had put the children to bed, went down to join their mother for dinner.

Something would surely be said during the meal, and if it wasn't she would give a little prompting; Mevrouw Thor becke was chamnir-nnir-ig and she liked her, but she had, Beth guessecfc^ecS, been looked after and cherished all her life al-fe :; probably the profess or had made all her decisions for her before she got married, and he 3neir husband doubtless did the same.

It was lik ;>IHk-ely that she took it for granted that the matter i--r of Beth's departure would be taken care oftool^" by someone, and that the necessary arranges^ age--ments would be made without bothering her i^ei" TheyY3"e>-s/ were beginning on Mrs Burge's excellent watercress soup when they heard the gentle ae swish of the Citroen's tyres, and a minute or so later the profess or's step in the halllfaaal:].

Mew vs^rouw Thor becke looked pleased.

"That is nice," she observed.

"Alexander did no-ono .

t think that he would get here until tomorr -rI-rr--ow, now he will be able to see how well t-I the children have progressed with their rwi ri ding.

' She a e lifted her face for his kiss as he joined them a axnd Beth answered his greeting with a relieveo3^e.

d smile; now perhaps she would hear something definite about going back.

If she stayed b d just long enough to put the children througH Ag i their paces on Sugar and Beauty, she would = b < p="">

The prospect didn't appeal; she didn't ^ 1~ t -want to go back.

She was contemplating the idea sourly in her rnind's eye when the profess or's voice disturbed her unhappy train of thought.

"Mar tina has spoken to you about going back?

' he wanted to know.

"Well, no not yet.

I thought, that is, I expected that we might talk about it this evening.

I have packed.

' She faltered to a halt because of the surprise on his face.

"We did say two weeks," she pointed out.

He sat back to allow Mrs Burge to remove his soup plate.

"So we did.

Tell me, Beth, are you so anxious to return to your hospital duties?

' "No, I'm not," she was quite certain about it.

"It's been absolutely super here, but I have to go back and that's that.

' Sadness at leaving compounded of a mixture of the old house, the children, their mother.

Sugar and Beauty, and last but by no means least, the profess or, almost choked her.

"You have told the children that you are going?

' He was carving the saddle of lamb with negligent skill and wasn't looking at her.

"No, as a matter of fact, I haven't.

I thought I'd tell them after they had had their riding lesson in the morning.

If I caught the train to Yeovil directly after lunch they wouldn't have time to to think about it.

' "Never mind the train.

Mar tina wants you to go to Holland with her and the children for charming and she liked her, but she had, Beth guessed, been looked after and cherished all her life; probably the profess or had made all her decisions for her before she got married, and her husband doubtless did the same.

It was likely that she took it for granted that the matter of Beth's departure would be taken care of by someone, and that the necessary arrangements would be made without bothering her.

They were beginning on Mrs Burge's excellent watercress soup when they heard the gentle swish of the Citroen's tyres, and a minute or so later the profess or's step in the hall.

Mevrouw Thor becke looked pleased.

"That is nice," she observed.

"Alexander did not think that he would get here until tomorrow, now he will be able to see how well the children have progressed with their riding.

' She lifted her face for his kiss as he joined them and Beth answered his greeting with a relieved smile; now perhaps she would hear something definite about going back.

If she stayed just long enough to put the children through their paces on Sugar and Beauty, she would still be able to catch the early afternoon train to Yeovil; she could be at St Elmer's by the evening and back at the flat in time to get the supper.

The prospect didn't appeal; she didn't want to go back.

She was contemplating the idea sourly in her mind's eye when the profess or's voice disturbed her unhappy train of thought.

"Mar tina has spoken to you about going back?

' he wanted to know.

"Well, no not yet.

I thought, that is, I expected that we might talk about it this evening.

I have packed.

' She faltered to a halt because of the surprise on his face.

"We did say two weeks," she pointed out.

He sat back to allow Mrs Burge to remove his soup plate.

"So we did.

Tell me, Beth, are you so anxious to return to your hospital duties?

' "No, I'm not," she was quite certain about it.

"It's been absolutely super here, but I have to go back and that's that.

' Sadness at leaving compounded of a mixture of the old house, the children, their mother.

Sugar and Beauty, and last but by no means least, the profess or, almost choked her.

"You have told the children that you are going?

' He was carving the saddle of lamb with negligent skill and wasn't looking at her.

"No, as a matter of fact, I haven't.

I thought I'd tell them after they had had their riding lesson in the morning.

If I caught the train to Yeovil directly after lunch they wouldn't have time to to think about it.

' "Never mind the train.