The Sword of Fate Read Online Free PDF Page B

out from behind the clouds. It was shining on her face, and as she stood in front of me I thought her more lovely than ever.
    “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I hurried on. “I’m simply crazy about you!” And to lend force to my words I seized one of her hands and pressed it in both of mine.
    In the past I had often said much the same sort of thing to other girls. Women always seem to expect it if you make love to them, but this time I was not acting and I think the earnestness of my voice must have carried conviction. She did not seek to draw away her hand and she smiled.
    “You only saw me for a few minutes after you had had that awful crack on the head so you can’t possibly be in love with me.”
    “But I am—desperately.”
    “That’s a pity, because we live in different worlds. Nothing could come of it.”
    “Nonsense!” I said almost rudely. “How old are you, Daphnis?”
    “Eighteen.”
    “You’re quite old enough to know your own mind and follow your own inclinations,” I said. “Tradition is all very well, and I know it’s the custom among the wealthy Greek families of Alex to keep themselves very much to themselves, but we’re living in an age when women smoke, wear trousers and drink cocktails—in fact, they do as they darn’ well please, so why shouldn’t you—er—er—form a friendship with a British officer?”
    “I’ve told you already that nothing could come of it, and I—well, I’m not certain that I want to.”
    “You knew I meant to get into this garden tonight, and you came down to meet me. If you didn’t want to be friends, why did you do that?” I asked with a smile.
    Her answer came without hesitation and its frankness was positively startling, “I couldn’t resist the temptation to see if you really were as good-looking as I thought you the other day.”
    I laughed a little awkwardly: “If I were as good-looking a man as you’re beautiful a girl, I’d be the handsomest fellow in the world.”
    It was a clumsy compliment, but for some extraordinary reason I was finding it infinitely more difficult to say the right things to this girl with whom I had fallen so genuinely in love than I ever had to women like Oonas or Deirdre, with whom I was only amusing myself. Yet, somewhat to my surprise, she took my words quite seriously, and opening her wide big eyes she said:
    “Do you really believe that I am as beautiful as all that?”
    I raised her little warm hand and kissed it as I murmured, “You’re more lovely than the Princess out of any story from
The Arabian Nights.
”
    “I think we’re both a little mad,” she said suddenly. “I certainly should be if I believed you. As it is I’m taking a crazy risk, standing here talking to you in the full moonlight. At any moment, if any of the servants happened to wake up and look out of the window they would see me.”
    “Let’s go into the shadow, then.” I quickly took her arm and drew her along one of the side-walks to where a few steps led down to the fountain. There was a stone seat in a corner there which was out of view of the house. As we sat down on it she gently removed her arm from my clasp. Producing my cigarette-case, I offered it and she took one. After I had lit it for her she said with a sigh:
    “I’d never dare to do this if Mother were at home.”
    “What, smoke?” I asked, perhaps a little stupidly.
    She laughed. “Of course not! I often smoke and I wear trousers, and no one would stop me drinking cocktails if I wanted to. I meant sit out here with you.”
    “Your mother’s away, then?”
    “Yes. She’s staying with friends in Cairo and is not due back until the day after tomorrow.”
    Silence fell between us and we just sat there, smoking nervously. Why, I can’t think, but all my
savoir faire
seemedsuddenly to have deserted me. I never remember having been tongue-tied before, but I simply could not think of a single opening to resume our conversation. Everything