TEMPTATION.
Kathleen O'Connor was walking slowly in the deep shadow of the avenue
with Gerard beside her. There was a stillness everywhere save for the
droning of flying beetles as they hurried past, apparently careless as
to where they might go. Beyond the avenue lawns, gardens, and trees were
distinctly outlined in the bright moonlight. From the pines and from
shrubs and flowers a sweet perfume arose, enervating, intoxicating, but
this was as nothing to the intoxicating power in the words of Gerard.
Never before had he or any man spoken to Kathleen as he did on this
night; never had she felt the same strange thrill as now. Not that his
words were evil or suggestive of evil; they were merely a powerful
appeal to the girl's affections. They appeared to come straight from his
heart, and they had a compelling effect upon her.
"I am going away from Grey Town to-morrow, Kathleen," he began.
Her heart sank at these words, for already his visits had come to assume
an important part in her scheme of life.
"For a long time?" she asked him.
"For six months. Will you come with me?"
"I can't leave Mrs. Quirk," she faltered. "Not yet. Wait until you
return."
"I may never come back," he urged.
"Surely you cannot expect me to come with you, like this, at a moment's
notice?" she pleaded.
He put his arm around her, the first time he had touched her, and she
did not shrink from him.
"You love me, Kathleen. I am sure of it. I cannot wait until I return.
Come with me to Melbourne--now, at once. We shall be married there," he
said, in a low voice.
"But I can't leave Mrs. Quirk like this. It would be so horribly
ungrateful," she protested.
"You must!" His arm was more firmly around her. She had the feeling that
she was in his power, that he was exercising some influence over her,
hitherto unknown to her. "I need you more than she."
"I can't," she answered, more faintly. "Why should we steal away
clandestinely, without telling Mrs. Quirk?"
"Because I am compelled to go, and I cannot go without you. I will take
you to America, and give you a chance of seeing the world. We shall be
happy together, you and I. Come, Kathleen!"
They had strolled back along the avenue, and were not far from the
house.
"Kathleen! Honey!"
Kathleen could hear Mrs. Quirk's voice calling to her from the house.
"I must go inside," she urged.
"No! You must come with me, now, to-night! There is the night express,
and I have a cab waiting for us outside the gate," he answered. There
was mastery in his voice, and she felt that she could not resist.
"Kathleen! Honey!" cried the voice again. Looking up at the window, she
saw Mrs. Quirk framed in the light as she peered out.
"I must go! I will!" she said.
"Come with me," he answered, and began to lead her towards the gate. As
she went the voice became fainter and fainter: her resisting power
weaker.
They were half-way down the avenue when they heard a man's steps, rapid
and firm. A moment later they could see the figure, though indistinctly,
in the shadow. For one moment Gerard hesitated, then with an oath he
sprang behind a thick shrub, leaving her free. Immediately she was
running towards the house, her heart palpitating, her breath coming and
going in gasps. She felt that she must get away from the temptation.
In the drawing-room she found Mrs. Quirk still peering anxiously out
into the garden. The old lady did not hear the girl's entry, nor did she
know that Kathleen was present, until the latter went and touched her on
the shoulder; then she turned quickly.
"I had a dream, honey, a fearsome dream," she said, "that someone was
taking you away from me. Sure, I thought it was," she added, lowering
her voice to a whisper, "the devil! I could see him leading you down the
avenue there, and I awoke calling out to you in terror. When you did
not answer me I went to the window to peer out."
"No one shall take me away from you," said the girl. "I will stay with
you while you need me."
She led Mrs. Quirk back to her chair, and placed a cushion behind her.
Then she remained beside her, gently stroking the old lady's hand and
singing to her in a low voice. Thus did Denis Quirk find them when he
entered.
Little did he know how closely she had approached to destruction. Nor
was he aware that a man crouching behind the shrubs had viewed him with
the acute hatred of disappointment in his heart. Gerard had clenched his
fist in impotent rage, and cursed the man he regarded as an enemy. "I
will be even with you for this, Denis Quirk!" he had muttered to himself
as he went down the dark avenue, after waiting in the vain hope that
Kathleen might return to him.
Of all this Denis Quirk was ignorant. He had fancied he saw figures as
he came up the avenue, but even of this he was doubtful. Entering the
room, and seeing Kathleen occupied with his mother, his voice became
almost gentle as he said:
"Miss O'Connor, you are very nearly an angel."
Kathleen appreciated the kindness of his words and tone, but she did not
look up nor answer him. She had not yet recovered from the scene in the
garden; to speak at this moment might have proved too much for her.
Denis was, where women are concerned, quite ignorant and simple. Men he
understood, but the female mind was like a strange, unexplored
territory to him. He had a vast respect for women, a respect that
bordered on fear. To conceal this he made use of a brusquerie of speech
and manner that was merely a cloak to his real nervousness. Kathleen
O'Connor he regarded as an ideal of womanly perfection: he placed her on
a pedestal, and paid her his homage secretly. For her part, Kathleen was
beginning to realise that the rough exterior concealed a character
truthful, and not ungentle. Realising this, she had laid aside her
attitude of resentment, and adopted a friendly camaraderie such as may
exist between brother and sister.
To-night, finding his remarks unanswered, Denis turned to his mother.
"I have a plan for to-morrow, old lady," he said--"a day off. What do
you say to a boating excursion up the river?"
Mrs. Quirk was still influenced by the vivid effect of her dream. It had
been peculiarly real, and had left a marked impression on her mind.
"Will Kathleen be coming?" she asked.
"Kathleen has not been asked," said the girl in a low voice.
"Miss O'Connor was included in my plan," said Denis.
"And will you come, honey? Sure, if I must be drowned, I would like to
have you beside me," said Mrs. Quirk.
Denis laughed at the reply, and Kathleen could not forbear from a smile.
"We will all go down together, and lie twined up in the bottom of the
river. It will make the fishes smile to see us," he laughed. "Be
prepared to-morrow, ten sharp."
Kathleen was sorely tempted to ask his advice in regard to Gerard.
Indeed, she went so far as to call him back as he was leaving the room,
but, when he turned, she asked:
"Have you any news of Desmond?"
"The best," he answered. "He is doing well. Did I do right to send him
away?"
"You did," she said; "but I could not foresee. Shall I thank you now?"
"No need to do that. I am always at your service."
"Denis meant that; every word of it all," said Mrs. Quirk, when her
son's footsteps had died away. "He is true to his friends, that boy is."
"I am sure that he is," replied Kathleen.
All night she lay between waking and sleeping, the events in the garden
returning constantly to disturb her. She still regarded Gerard as
something more than a friend; to-night she had stood on the threshold of
love. But she was afraid of him; the strange influence he exerted over
her had terrified her. What should she answer when he asked her to marry
him on his return, and what would she do without his companionship while
he was away? The morning found her still wearied with her night's
combat. It brought her a note from Gerard, written prior to his
departure. In it he urged Kathleen to join him in Melbourne, but all the
desire to do this had now left her. Last night in the garden she had
struggled almost vainly against his power, now she was able to realise
the folly and danger of that which he suggested.
The quiet party up the Grey River, with Denis Quirk rowing and Mrs.
Quirk beside her, while she steered, was soothing to the girl's tired
spirit.
As they wound in and out of the river bends, now between the frowning
grey rocks that jutted out on each side of the river, and now through
green meadows, where the cows were contentedly browsing, the quiet and
stillness of the day was a sedative to her. Here and there they would
pause to explore a cave, its interior, moist and covered with moss,
extending far into the rocky hill, away out towards the ocean. Now and
again they could obtain a distant view of Grey Town, a blue smoke
hanging about its roofs and church towers.
Denis Quirk rowed steadily, but without undue exertion, and Kathleen
allowed one hand to trail in the water as she steered with the other. It
was a still day, and the river reflected the sky and the rocks as they
passed; even the cattle standing to drink in places knee deep in the
water were reduplicated. In silence the girl drank in the peacefulness
of the scene, while Denis Quirk cast an occasional remark at his mother
and her.
About mid-day they drew the boat up on a patch of sand, while they
picnicked on a piece of green meadow land. When that was ended they
drifted slowly down the stream, and returned in the motor to "Layton."
"Now," cried Denis, when he had assisted his mother and Kathleen out of
the car, "after a day of peace to return to war and strife. Don't you
feel better for the day off. Miss O'Connor?"
"Much better. Why is not every day like to-day?" Kathleen asked.
"We should not appreciate it properly. Work and play in thin slices
makes life an appetising sandwich. Good-night, and pleasant dreams."
He turned to the chauffeur and told him to drive him to the "Mercury"
office. There he flung off his coat, and directed the staff with an
energy that was almost superhuman. With Denis Quirk and Cairns to
control the paper, it was not to be marvelled at if the Grey Town people
boasted of their daily paper.
Sometimes Ebenezer Brown, smarting over an exceptionally vigorous
attack, vowed that he would start his old paper in opposition; but a
short reflection showed him the hopelessness of such an undertaking.
"Wait until Gerard returns!" he said, rubbing his thin hands together.
"Then we shall see Quirk crumble up and fall into pieces. Take away a
man's reputation and you destroy him here in Grey Town."