THE GOLDFISH POND
sand pounds. Think of it—twenty thousand beautiful pounds."
Blunt looked surprised.
"Does it mean so much to you?"
"Mean much to me? Why, it's everything. Freedom—life—no more scheming and scraping and lying———"
"Lying?" said Blunt, sharply interrupting.
Flora seemed taken aback for a minute.
"You know what I mean," she said uncertainly. "Pretending to be thankful for all the nasty castoff things rich relations give you. Last year's coats and skirts and hats."
"Don't know much about ladies' clothes; should have said you were always very well turned out."
"It's cost me something, though," said Flora in a low voice. "Don't let's talk of horrid things. I'm so happy. I'm free. Free to do what I like. Free not to———"
She stopped suddenly.
"Not to what?" asked Blunt quickly.
"I forget now. Nothing important."
Blunt had a stick in his hand, and he thrust it into the pond, poking at something.
"What are you doing, Major Blunt?"
"There's something bright down there. Wondered what it was—looks like a gold brooch. Now I've stirred up the mud and it's gone."
"Perhaps it's a crown," suggested Flora. "Like the one Mélisande saw in the water."
"Mélisande," said Blunt reflectively—"she's in an opera, isn't she?"
[111]
