“Partly; but you need not be anxious about that. He is in no danger. Leave me to fight it 佛山桑拿按摩论坛交流区 out with Van Zwieten. I shall get the better of him yet. No, no, Brenda, don’t ask me any more questions; you cannot help me; I must go through with this matter alone. Trust me if you love me.”
“I ask you to do that with me,” said Brenda, sadly, “and you refuse.”
“I don’t refuse. I cannot tell you now; I will tell you when you are my wife. Listen! we must get married quietly.”
“Why quietly?”
“Because I am afraid of Van Zwieten. Yes, you may well look astonished. I, who have never known fear before, fear him. He knows too much, and if he plots against me I cannot counterplot him–at all events for the present. We must marry!”
“When and where you please, darling.”
“You trust me?”
“Yes, on the understanding that when I am your wife you tell me everything–everything!”
Burton nodded again. “I will tell you before if I can, 佛山桑拿会所按摩全套 Brenda. It is good of you, and like your dear self, to trust me. We can be married at St. Chad’s, at Brighton. I’ll get a special license. Down there we shall be free from interference by Van Zwieten.”
“He would not dare—-”
“Oh, yes, he would–if he knew. He would take some means of preventing our marriage.”
“And you would let him do that?”
“I–I might, and I might not.” Captain Burton sighed wearily. “If it were only myself I would not mind, but–but there are others whom I must consider.”
“Harold, you are shielding some one!”
“Yes–no. Brenda, dearest, for Heaven’s sake don’t question me.”
She was perplexed by his indecision–annoyed by his reticence. But she had given her promise, and she would abide by it. “You will not let me help you?” she said plaintively.
“You cannot help me, dear; I must go through with this matter 佛山桑拿飞机网0757d alone–unaided.”
“But I can help you,” she insisted. “Van Zwieten is our enemy. Well, then, Lady Jenny can help me to crush him.”
He started nervously. “What are you saying? Lady Jenny can do nothing.”
“Indeed she can, Harold. She told me that if Van Zwieten ever proved troublesome I was to see her, and that she would thwart him.”
Harold made no reply, but looked more than ever puzzled and perplexed. Then a light broke in upon Brenda.
“Harold! it is Lady Jenny herself you are shielding?”
“I won’t–I cannot tell you,” he replied desperately. “Brenda, I’ll see Lady Jenny myself at once. If she knows anything about Van Zwieten, I may be able to make use of her knowledge. Come, say good-bye.”
“When shall I see you again?”
“In three or four days. Promise me, Brenda, you won’t see Jenny until I do.”
“I promise. But if you 广佛桑拿飞机网 fail with her, then I must see her.”
“Yes, if I fail, but I won’t fail. You have put a weapon into my hand. After I have seen her, I will tell you the whole miserable business. We will get the better of Van Zwieten yet, my darling.”
Captain Burton was picking up his spirits. He went away in a more cheerful frame of mind. Brenda felt certain that his refusal to speak was in the interest of Lady Jenny. Could she have fired the shot? But that seemed impossible. If she herself were guilty, how could she silence and thwart Van Zwieten, who appeared to know so much about the crime? What with her father’s denials, Harold’s silence, and Van Zwieten’s threats, Brenda was quite bewildered. What would be the outcome of it all? she wondered.
Having promised Harold not to see Lady Jenny, Miss Scarse cast about in her mind as to who else could 佛山桑拿体验 assist her in thwarting Van Zwieten. From her father no help could be obtained. He was wholly on the Dutchman’s side, and, it would appear, under his thumb. Then she thought of Wilfred and his openly-expressed hatred of Van Zwieten. Could she not make use of that? In the present state of popular feeling a Boer spy would
have a bad time if found in London. If Wilfred could discover that Van Zwieten really was on the Secret Service Staff of the Transvaal, he could force the Dutchman to leave England under threat of denouncing him to the authorities.
No sooner had she come to this conclusion than she acted upon it, and wrote a note to Wilfred’s London address asking him to call. Having posted it, she returned to the drawing-room to make tea for Aunt Judy, who had just got back from her shopping. The colonel was still absent, so 佛山桑拿按摩图 the two ladies settled themselves down to the discussion of chiffons. If there was one thing Mrs. St. Leger was fond of it was dress. As for Brenda, her mind was too much preoccupied with her own troubles to care much for fashions or bargains. But strive as she might to hide her indifference, it did not take her
aunt long to see that her interest was assumed. But that she put down to her lover’s visit.
“Why didn’t he stay to tea?” she asked, putting away her purchases.
“Because he had to get back to Aldershot,” replied Brenda, pouring out the tea. “They are very busy down there.”
“Oh, Brenda, do you think there will be war? How glad I am that William has retired.”
“That is not the speech of a true soldier’s wife, Aunt Judy.”
“My dear, it’s all very well talking,” replied Mrs. St. Leger, testily, “but you don’t know what war is. I don’t mean these little frontier skirmishes, but a real war–that is truly terrible. I remember the Crimea.”
“I don’t think this will be so bad, 佛山夜生活桑拿论坛 auntie. The Transvaal is not Russia.”
“All the same I fancy they are better prepared than, we think. William says so. He has heard all kinds of rumors at the club. Well, if it’s got to be it’s got to be. You will have to lose your Harold for a time, dear.”
“In a good hour be it spoken,” cried Brenda, hastily, to avert the omen. “Don’t say I’ll lose him, aunt. Of course he will go to the front; but don’t speak of losing him.”
“Well, you never know, my dear. Oh, Brenda, I do wish your father were not going to speak at this mass meeting. There is sure to be trouble.”
“I don’t think he’ll mind that,” said the girl. “My father and those who think with him are doing all they can to bring about the war by confirming Kruger in his obstinacy.”