Read Nothing Venture for Free Online

yet.”
    Jervis was not interested in Cynthia. He frowned and said,
    â€œI think we must talk first.”
    â€œNan said, “Why?” and got a hard look.
    â€œOne talks because one has things to say. I’ve got things to say, and I don’t propose to say them here. If you’ll come over to the house—”
    They crossed the square in silence. Nan wondered what he was going to say to her. She had got hold of herself again. There was a blue sky overhead and a light fresh wind; the sun shone. She wished that they could have talked to one another under this clear sky.
    Jervis’s room was not dark like the church, and the two windows were open to the garden. The air that flowed in had been warmed by the sun. She went and stood by the window so as to get as near to the garden as possible. Nan was always friends with a garden.
    â€œWhat did you want to talk to me about?” she said, looking across to where he stood on the hearth, one foot on the fender and an arm lying along the mantelshelf.
    â€œI wanted to tell you that Mr Page is seeing about that two thousand pounds. Have you a banking account?”
    He saw her smile for the first time.
    â€œOh no,” she said.
    â€œYou will have to have one. You’d better see Mr Page about it, and when you have opened the account he will pay the money in. Then, as regards yourself, I have signed a settlement which gives you five hundred a year.”
    The colour flamed into Nan’s face.
    â€œOh, you mustn’t!”
    â€œDid you imagine that I shouldn’t make you an allowance?”
    â€œI don’t want you to. I can get a job.”
    Mr Jervis Weare assumed a lordly tone.
    â€œAs to that, you can please yourself. A hundred and twenty-five pounds a quarter will be paid into your account.”
    The colour flamed higher. Women are strange creatures. She would take two thousand pounds for Cynthia without a qualm—it seemed a very right and just arrangement—but to take an allowance for herself was a thing that shamed her through and through.
    â€œI can’t take it,” she said in a voice whose distress pierced Jervis Weare’s self-absorption.
    He reacted with a feeling of acute annoyance.
    â€œDo you mind considering my position for a moment? Do you really expect me to marry a girl and leave her penniless? For heaven’s sake be rational! Why should you have married me if you were going to take up a position like this?”
    Why! Nan could have laughed and wept at the question. If they had been in the Palace of Truth, she would have said, “Oh, my dear! Why? To save you from being robbed. To save you from the sort of girl you might have married. To save you from picking someone up off the streets.” But since these were things to be hidden at any cost, she frowned, looked at him gravely, and said,
    â€œI hadn’t thought of it like that.”
    He jerked an impatient shoulder.
    Nan looked away. Such a large creature. And how many years older than herself? Eight at least. But that jerk had put him back into the nursery before her eyes—a hurt, angry child; hurt and angry past his power of concealment. Her heart went out to him with a rush, and she looked away for fear he would see what was in her eyes. Her heart said, “Oh, my dear !” Her lips spoke quickly,
    â€œI quite see your point of view; but it is too much— really .”
    The hurt, angry child disappeared. A rather lofty stranger said in tones of icy politeness,
    â€œThe deed is already signed. I would prefer not to discuss the matter any more.”
    Nan looked up with a sparkle in her eyes. And then the sparkle died, because she saw him suddenly so tired, so done. She could guess that he had not slept for nights, and, because she loved him very much, she could guess how his anger had ridden him at this fence of marriage and now had left him bogged upon its farther side. He had had one aim—to defeat