"Don't tell me," he said, "that you're foolish enough to have any
feeling beyond caprice. That would be too much!" And he laughed.
Fleur, who had never heard him laugh like that, thought: 'Then it is
deep! Oh! what is it?' And putting her hand through his arm she said
lightly:
"No, of course; caprice. Only, I like my caprices and I don't like
yours, dear."
"Mine!" said Soames bitterly, and turned away.
The light outside had chilled, and threw a chalky whiteness on the
river. The trees had lost all gaiety of colour. She felt a sudden hunger
for Jon's face, for his hands, and the feel of his lips again on hers.
And pressing her arms tight across her breast she forced out a little
light laugh.
"O la! la! What a small fuss! as Profond would say. Father, I don't like
that man."
She saw him stop, and take something out of his breast pocket.
"You don't?" he said. "Why?"
"Nothing," murmured Fleur; "just caprice!"
"No," said Soames; "not caprice!" And he tore what was in his hands
across. "You're right. I don't like him either!"
"Look!" said Fleur softly. "There he goes! I hate his shoes; they don't
make any noise."
Down in the failing light Prosper Profond moved, his hands in his side
pockets, whistling softly in his beard; he stopped, and glanced up at
the sky, as if saying: "I don't think much of that small moon."
Fleur drew back. "Isn't he a great cat?" she whispered; and the sharp
click of the billiard-balls rose, as if Jack Cardigan had capped the
cat, the moon, caprice, and tragedy with: "In off the red!"
Monsieur Profond had resumed his stroll, to a teasing little tune in his
beard. What was it? Oh! yes, from "Rigoletto": "Donna a mobile." Just
what he would think! She squeezed her father's arm.
"Prowling!" she muttered, as he turned the corner of the house. It was
past that disillusioned moment which divides the day and night-still and
lingering and warm, with hawthorn scent and lilac scent clinging on the
riverside air. A blackbird suddenly burst out. Jon would be in London
by now; in the Park perhaps, crossing the Serpentine, thinking of her!
A little sound beside her made her turn her eyes; her father was again
tearing the paper in his hands. Fleur saw it was a cheque.
"I shan't sell him my Gauguin," he said. "I don't know what your aunt
and Imogen see in him."
"Or Mother."
"Your mother!" said Soames.
'Poor Father!' she thought. 'He never looks happy--not really happy. I
don't want to make him worse, but of course I shall have to, when Jon
comes back. Oh! well, sufficient unto the night!'