The Partnership Read Online Free PDF

have done Louise, for the disappointments and disillusionments of the day. The holiday home, as a matter of fact, was not a great success so far, from Lydia’s point of view. The young people there had rapidly arranged themselves into couples and did not want to be organized; the older people sat about placidly and did not seem to want to be organized either. Lydia had somehow not succeeded in attaching herself to either group; she felt lonely and unwanted, and heartily wished herself back home again, where the need for her, in the unavoidable absence of the maid, was genuine. She sighed a little, and stared rather blankly at tire heaped pebbles and the sullen sea.
    â€œGood evening,” said a voice in her ear.
    Lydia started; then, thinking the voice belonged to someone from the Tower—it certainly had a familiar ring—she replied distastefully: “Good evening.” Immediately she reproached herself for her lack of cordiality, and turning towards the speaker to make it good, found that, as far as the dim and infrequent lights of the promenade permitted her to see, he appeared to be wearing a uniform of some kind. “Oh!” she exclaimed, taken aback.
    â€œBeg pardon, miss,” said the voice at once. “I thought you was somebody else.”
    The innocent Lydia accepted this at its face value, and said in her simple and candid tones: “It doesn’t matter.” She thought it necessary, however, to quicken her pace somewhat; and began to walk rapidly away along the promenade towards the Tower. Unfortunately the owner of the voice did not remain behind as Lydia intended he should, but kept pace with her fluttering steps, and edged her gradually out of the light towards the wall.
    â€œYou’re in a great hurry,” he said in a low voice, half-joking, half-caressing. “What are you in such a hurry for? You’re in a great hurry, aren’t you?” Lydia gave an inarticulate murmur and tried to walk faster. “Have you to be in by ten?” inquired the soldier sympathetically.
    â€œIn by ten!” exclaimed Lydia, startled out of her discretion. “Of course not.”
    â€œWell, that’s good,” said her companion with a satisfaction which alarmed Lydia. “It’s a lovely night for a walk, isn’t it?” As Lydia said nothing he pressed her: “Isn’t it? What do you think? Eh?” Lydia’s continued silence seemed to wound him, for he continued in an aggrieved tone: “Well, you might say
something
to me. You talked to me plenty in the train coming down. Didn’t you now?”
    Lydia, who had long since realized his identity, replied abruptly: “Yes.”
    Her curt and angry tone was meant to discouragehim, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, for he pursued eagerly: “Well, why shouldn’t we have a little chat now? Eh? Why shouldn’t we? I don’t see why we shouldn’t. I should like,” he added in a wistful tone, “to have a little chat with you. I don’t see why we shouldn’t have a little chat.”
    Lydia, who had inherited some of the Reverend Charles’s inconvenient humour, could not forbear the observation that he seemed to be having the chat he so urgently desired.
    â€œYou think I’m talking too much, eh?” said the soldier, appreciating the joke. “Well,
you
talk then. Can’t you talk? I dare say you can talk well enough when you like. Most girls can talk,” he announced, evidently intending to make a joke to match Lydia’s. “Not that I like them when they talk too much,” he added hastily. “There’s reason in all things.” As Lydia was silent, he pursued: “Well, it’s a lovely night for a walk. What do you think?” He hesitated, then said boldly: “Will you come for a walk with me?”
    â€œNo,” said Lydia with emphasis.
    â€œWhy not?” inquired the lad in a cheerful