The simple truth is that Irene has never spoken to me
about it--never once. When it happened, she came suddenly to
Paris, to a hotel, and from there wrote me a letter, just saying
that her marriage was off; no word of explanation. Of course I
fetched her at once to my house, and from that moment to this I have
heard not one reference from her to the matter. You would like to
know something about the hero? He has been away a good deal--
building up the Empire, as they say; which means, of course, looking
after his own and other people's dividends."
"Thank you. Now let us talk about the Castle."
But Mrs. Borisoff was not in a good humour to-day, and Piers very
soon took his leave. Her hand felt rather hot; he noticed this
particularly, as she let it lie in his longer than usual--part of
her absent-mindedness.
Piers had often resented, as a weakness, his susceptibility to the
influence of others' moods; he did so to-day, when having gone to
Mrs. Borisoff in an unusually cheerful frame of mind, he came away
languid and despondent. But his scheme of life permitted no such
idle brooding as used to waste his days; self-discipline sent him to
his work, as usual, through the afternoon, and in the evening he
walked ten miles.
The weather was brilliant. As he stood, far away in rural stillness,
watching a noble sunset, he repeated to himself words which had of
late become his motto, "Enjoy now! This moment will never come
again.
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