Valerie French (1923) Read Online Free Page A

fought its way out....
    The girl flung down her cigarette, buried her face in her hands, and bowed before the storm.
    Perhaps five hundred eyes saw Valerie step to her side, put an arm about her, and lead her away. She went like a lamb. Lady Touchstone followed, snivelling and praising God. The gallant came last, feeling his position and savaging a young moustache....
    As they came to the doors—
    "We'll take her home, Aunt Harriet. She says that she’d like to come."
    The car was sent for.
    As the girl took her seat—
    "Don't you come," she jerked out, addressing her squire. "Tell th' others I met some friends."
    The youth uncovered relievedly. The last thing he wanted to do was to enter that car.
    Then the door slammed, and he was left standing, headgear in hand.
    He stared at his hat before replacing it.
    "André!" he said. "André of all women!..." He sighed profoundly. "My word, what a show!" He clapped his hat on his head and sought for a drink.
    So far as that search was concerned, his lady beat him. While he was still wobbling between a vermouth, which he disliked, and a whiskey, which he mistrusted, she was seated in a salon of the Villa Narcisse, sipping a brandy-and-soda of a very fair strength.
    The liquor steadied her nerves. After a minute or two she accepted a cigarette.
    Once she began to stammer some gratitude.
    Valerie checked her at once.
    "We'll talk when you're better," she said.
    Then she turned her back and picked up a book....
    André Strongi'th'arm was English and an attractive lady. Tears, of course, will make havoc of any countenance. They could not hide, however, her exquisite complexion, nor could they alter the shape of her maddening mouth. Pearls looked dull against the white of her throat, while her auburn hair alone made her remarkable. Enough and to spare for two women was crowning her pretty head. The lights that flashed from this glory beggar description. Her fine green frock became her mightily. This was none too long, but the shape of the slim silk stockings and little shining feet turned the shortcoming into a virtue.
    Perhaps five minutes slipped by.
    Then—
    "You must think me a fool," faltered André. "A soppy, half-bred fool."
    The other closed her book and rose to her feet, smiling.
    "I don't at all," she said quickly, turning about. "As a matter of fact, I should think you could stand more than most people."
    "I can," came the reply. "You're perfectly right. That music to-night caught me bending. I'd been thinking all day ... thinking ... letting myself remember ... sticking a knife in my heart. Then that duet came along and drove it home." She snuffed out a sob with a laugh. "Serves me right," she added, "for being a fool."
    "I wish," said Valerie French, "you’d teach me to cry."
    The other stared at her.
    "What on earth for?" She gave a hard laugh. "'Teach you to cry?' My dear, you wait.... Yes, and thank your stars. When your hour comes, you won't want any teaching."
    "It's come," said Valerie. "It came a fortnight ago."
    Miss Strongi'th'arm shook her bright head.
    "No, it hasn't," she said. "Don't think I mean to be rude, but I know what I'm talking about. You think it has, but it hasn't. I know the symptoms too well."
    "And I haven't got them?" smiled Valerie. "I know. That's just my trouble.... Supposing you're deadly ill, with a temperature of a hundred and four. All the time you look perfectly well, and the thermometer says 'normal.' Yet the fever's there— raging. Raging all the more because it's suppressed...."
    "You’d die," said André.
    "I don't," said Valerie. "I wish I could. But that's where the body's so much better off than the mind. Symptoms or none, it can take to its bed and die. The mind can't. It just carries on and on." She sat on the arm of a chair and crossed her knees. "Death and tears are denied me. What's worse, I can't even care."
    "Then why on earth worry?" said André bitterly. "My God, I wish I couldn't!"
    "I don't worry," said Valerie,