CHAPTER XXXVIII 

INEFFECTUAL WOOING 

"At last!" Wrayson said to himself, almost under his breath. "Shall we have a hansom, Louise, or do you care for a walk?" 

"A walk, by all means," she answered hurriedly. 

"It is not far, is it?" 

"A mile--a little more perhaps," he answered. 

"You are sure that you are not tired?" 

"Tired only of sitting still," she answered. "We had a delightful crossing. This way, isn't it?" 

They left the Grosvenor Hotel, where Louise, with Madame de Melbain, had arrived about an hour ago, and turned towards Battersea. Louise began to talk, nervously, and with a very obvious desire to keep the conversation to indifferent subjects. Wrayson humoured her for some time. They spoke of the journey, suddenly determined upon by Madame de Melbain on receipt of his telegram, of the beauty of St. Étarpe, of the wonderful reappearance of her brother. 

"I can scarcely realize even now," she said, "that he is really alive. He is so altered. He seems a different person altogether." 

"He has gone through a good deal," Wrayson remarked. 

She sighed. 

"Poor Duncan!" she murmured. 

"He is very much to be pitied," Wrayson said seriously. "I, at any rate, can feel for him." 

He turned towards her as he spoke, and his words were charged with meaning. She began quickly to speak of something else, but he interrupted her. 

"Louise," he said, "is London so far from St. Étarpe?" 

"What do you mean?" she asked. 

"I think that you know very well," he answered. "I am sure that you do. At St. Étarpe you were content to accept what, believe me, is quite inevitable. Here--well, you have been doing all you can to avoid me, haven't you?" 
Where are they headed?
How far away is it?
How are they going to get there?
Who are the people walking?
Where are they starting from?
Was Louise there all day?
How long had she been there?
Do she travel to get there?
With who?
Who's idea was the trip?
Battersea
Battersea
A mile away
"A mile--a little more perhaps," he answered. 
By walking
"A walk
Wrayson and Louise
"At last!" Wrayson said to himself, almost under his breath. "Shall we have a hansom, Louise, or do you care for a walk?" 

Grosvenor Hote
 Grosvenor Hote
no
about an hour ago
about an hour
 about an hour
yes
with Madame de Melbain, had arrived about an hour ago, and turned towards Battersea
with Madame de Melbain
with Madame de Melbain
Wrayson
Wrayson