cabinet, brought Lisa a lime an d soda splashed with gin, and sat down with his whisky. There was a tranquility about this cabin which lulled Lisa into believing that nothing painful could happen here. The only sounds were the flapping of the curtain at the window and the perpetual wash of the sea. One might be on a houseboat in one of the lovelier parts of the Thames. On a houseboat ... with Mark.
Her throat went dry and her eyes became soft and bright. She didn’t want him to talk, and even Mark, now that they were settled, seemed disinclined to hasten the moment of approaching the point .
CHAPTER FOUR
At length he set down his glass and opened a box of cigarettes. When their two were lighted he hitched his trousers and crossed his ankles, he narrowed his eyes at her through the smoke.
“Do you mind my being personal?”
“Would it make any difference if I did?”
“Possibly not.” A pause. “What exactly is your connection with Carne?” he asked.
“We’re friends of two days and a bit,” she answered lightly.
“On a ship that’s equivalent to a month’s ordinary acquaintance; by now you must know all the fellow’s hopes and despairs. Not growing fond of him, are you?”
“I like him. He’s good company,” she said frankly. “What are you getting at?”
“Nothing complicated. I think you should realize that if y o u try to set Carne against Astra you’ll be awfully sorry. For one thing he isn’t worth the trouble, and for another it would be a losing battle. Astra’s bound to get what she wants.”
“You talk as if Jeremy hadn’t a will of his own.”
“ Has he one?” he queried sarcastically. “I’ve seen his type so often,, philandering with every women they meet but always looki n g out for themselves. I could even give you an exact description of what he’ll be like at my age; dissipated, charming and maybe married to a disillusioned woman. Outwardly, his sort have the blithe spirit so admired by young women, but underneath they’re cowards. They want a lot more from life than, they have the pluck to get, so they batten on someone else’s courage—usually a woman’s. The fair Jeremy is desperately anxious that you shall back up this new ambition of his.”
“Isn’t that natural? He hasn’t bothered to make friends with anyone else.”
“That’s what I’ve been pointing out,” he replied patiently. Then with a trace of sharpness, “You’re dead against his teaming up with Astra, aren’t you?”
Lisa tapped ash into the beaten metal tray. Irrelevantly she noticed the formal Indian pattern and wondered if he had bought it in the land of its origin. He must have been to many countries, seen many exotic sights; h ad he s een them alone? She had to stir herself to reply.
“It hasn’t anything to do with me.”
“You’re right; it hasn’t,” he said abruptly. “Then why make it your business? During those two or three minutes up on deck I could see that Carne is caught up in this brilliant plan. He can, visualize himself in a series of romantic predicaments with Astra; the idol of the gallery, the handsome glamor-boy.” His tone became shrewd. “Is that what gets you—the fact that he’ll have to make -stage-love to Astra Carmichael, and maybe practise in private?”
“No, it isn’t,” she told him firmly. “Seeing that you’ve learned so much about Jeremy, you’ll be aware that he’s b een studying engineering at his parents’ expense. He’s not a real actor . ”
“How can you be sure of that? Astra says .he’s a remarkably good pupil.”
Quite fiercely, she pressed out the cigarette. “So would any man be, who was promised the male lead without any of the donkey-work and strain which normally go to the making of an actor. In a roundabout way, Astra’s making a fool of him ! ”
“I can assure you she has no such intention,” he said coolly. “Ca rne was a playboy and something of a fool before he met Astra—before he met you !
Her throat went dry and her eyes became soft and bright. She didn’t want him to talk, and even Mark, now that they were settled, seemed disinclined to hasten the moment of approaching the point .
CHAPTER FOUR
At length he set down his glass and opened a box of cigarettes. When their two were lighted he hitched his trousers and crossed his ankles, he narrowed his eyes at her through the smoke.
“Do you mind my being personal?”
“Would it make any difference if I did?”
“Possibly not.” A pause. “What exactly is your connection with Carne?” he asked.
“We’re friends of two days and a bit,” she answered lightly.
“On a ship that’s equivalent to a month’s ordinary acquaintance; by now you must know all the fellow’s hopes and despairs. Not growing fond of him, are you?”
“I like him. He’s good company,” she said frankly. “What are you getting at?”
“Nothing complicated. I think you should realize that if y o u try to set Carne against Astra you’ll be awfully sorry. For one thing he isn’t worth the trouble, and for another it would be a losing battle. Astra’s bound to get what she wants.”
“You talk as if Jeremy hadn’t a will of his own.”
“ Has he one?” he queried sarcastically. “I’ve seen his type so often,, philandering with every women they meet but always looki n g out for themselves. I could even give you an exact description of what he’ll be like at my age; dissipated, charming and maybe married to a disillusioned woman. Outwardly, his sort have the blithe spirit so admired by young women, but underneath they’re cowards. They want a lot more from life than, they have the pluck to get, so they batten on someone else’s courage—usually a woman’s. The fair Jeremy is desperately anxious that you shall back up this new ambition of his.”
“Isn’t that natural? He hasn’t bothered to make friends with anyone else.”
“That’s what I’ve been pointing out,” he replied patiently. Then with a trace of sharpness, “You’re dead against his teaming up with Astra, aren’t you?”
Lisa tapped ash into the beaten metal tray. Irrelevantly she noticed the formal Indian pattern and wondered if he had bought it in the land of its origin. He must have been to many countries, seen many exotic sights; h ad he s een them alone? She had to stir herself to reply.
“It hasn’t anything to do with me.”
“You’re right; it hasn’t,” he said abruptly. “Then why make it your business? During those two or three minutes up on deck I could see that Carne is caught up in this brilliant plan. He can, visualize himself in a series of romantic predicaments with Astra; the idol of the gallery, the handsome glamor-boy.” His tone became shrewd. “Is that what gets you—the fact that he’ll have to make -stage-love to Astra Carmichael, and maybe practise in private?”
“No, it isn’t,” she told him firmly. “Seeing that you’ve learned so much about Jeremy, you’ll be aware that he’s b een studying engineering at his parents’ expense. He’s not a real actor . ”
“How can you be sure of that? Astra says .he’s a remarkably good pupil.”
Quite fiercely, she pressed out the cigarette. “So would any man be, who was promised the male lead without any of the donkey-work and strain which normally go to the making of an actor. In a roundabout way, Astra’s making a fool of him ! ”
“I can assure you she has no such intention,” he said coolly. “Ca rne was a playboy and something of a fool before he met Astra—before he met you !
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