第10部分(第2/8 頁)

What　made　you　suddenly　decide　to　travel？〃

〃Money；〃　said　Katherine。　〃For　ten　years　I　have　been　a　paid　panion　with　just　enough　money　of　my　own　to　buy　myself　strong　country　shoes；　now　I　have　been　left　what　seems　to　me　a　fortune；　though　I　dare　say　it　would　not　seem　so　to　you。〃

〃Now　I　wonder　why　you　say　that　…　that　it　would　not　seem　so　to　me。〃

Katherine　laughed。　〃I　don't　really　know。　I　suppose　one　forms　impressions　without　thinking　of　it。　I　put　you　down　in　my　own　mind　as　one　of　the　very　rich　of　the　earth。　It　was　just　an　impression。　I　dare　say　I　am　wrong。〃

〃No；〃　said　Ruth；　〃you　are　not　wrong。〃

She　had　suddenly　bee　very　grave。　〃I　wish　you　would　tell　me　what　other　impressions　you　formed　about　me？〃

〃I　…〃

Ruth　swept　on　disregarding　the　other's　embarrassment。

〃Oh；　please；　don't　be　conventional。　I　want　to　know。　As　we　left　Victoria　I　looked　across　at　you；　and　I　had　the　sort　of　feeling　that　you　…　well；　understood　what　was　going　on　in　my　mind。〃

〃I　can　assure　you　I　am　not　a　mind　reader；〃　said　Katherine；　smiling。

〃No；　but　will　you　tell　me；　please；　just　what　you　thought。〃　Ruth's　eagerness　was　so　intense　and　so　sincere　that　she　carried　her　point。

〃I　will　tell　you　if　you　like；　but　you　must　not　think　me　impertinent。　I　thought　that　for　some　reason　you　were　in　great　distress　of　mind；　and　I　was　sorry　for　you。〃

〃You　are　right。　You　are　quite　right。　I　am　in　terrible　trouble。　I　…　I　should　like　to　tell　you　something　about