A Woman's Will Part 15

"You must say it here, then."

The rope was thrown and caught, and every one aboard received the violent jolt that attends some boat-landings. Rosina was thrown against her companion and he was thrown against the stair-rail.

"Can you hear if I speak now," he whispered.

"Yes."

"You will see that I really interest myself in you."

Just then some one in front trod on a dog, which yelped violently for three minutes; for a brief s.p.a.ce speech was impossible, and then they were on the gang-plank, and he bent above her once more.

"I want to ask you something; will you do it if I ask you?"

"What is it?"

"Will you promise me to do it?"

They were now squeezing past the ticket _kiosque_.

"But what is it?"

"It is this--"

A man behind stepped on Rosina's skirt and nearly pulled her over backward; something ripped violently and she gave a low cry. The man said, "_Mille pardons_," and Von Ibn looked ready to murder him.

"Are you undone?" he asked her solicitously.

"No, I'm only badly torn."

"Do you want a pin?"

"Yes; have you one?"

"_Malheureus.e.m.e.nt que non._"

"I think that I can hold it up," she said bravely.

"It is unpardonable--a such man!"

He turned to scowl again at the offender. They were now in the Promenade.

"He couldn't see in the dark, I suppose," she murmured.

"But why was he come so near? If it was I who had torn from being too near, that would be quite different."

"If you don't take care it will be exactly the same thing."

He laughed, and gave way three inches.

"You have not yet promise," he said then.

"Promised what?"

"To do what I ask."

"Tell me what it is; if I can do it I will."

He took her arm to cross towards the hotel.

"You can do it if you will," he said; "it is this--"

The Schweizerhof shone before them, great and white and sparkling; every window was lighted, every table on the terrace was full. Rosina quickened her steps.

"Oh, I'm so late," she cried, "and I have _such_ a toilette to make!"

Von Ibn had his hand upon her arm still.

"It is this," he said emphatically, "promise me that you will go to the Victoria Hotel at Zurich; yes?"

Later in her own room, as Ottillie dressed her hair, she closed her eyes and tried to reduce her thoughts to a rational basis. But she gave up in despair.

"From the 'Souvenir' to the Victoria," she murmured; "oh, he is most certainly a genius!" then she sighed a little. "I'm sorry that we shall probably never meet again," she added sadly.

Chapter Five

Rosina fairly flung herself off of the train and into the arms of Molly, and then and there they kissed one another with the warmth born of a long interval apart.

"Well, my dear," began the Irish girl, when they found themselves five minutes later being rolled away in one of the villainous Zurich cabs, "begin away back in the early days of our sad separation and tell me everything that has happened to you since."

"Not much has happened," Rosina replied. "I crossed in May and got some clothes in Paris, and then came Lucerne, and this is June. Before I came over _nothing_ happened. How could things happen while I had to wear a c.r.a.pe veil?"

"To be sure!" said Molly wisely; "and yet they do sometimes,--I know it for a fact. And anyway the veil is off now, and you look so well that I should think perhaps--lately?"

"Oh, _dear_, no," said Rosina, turning quickly scarlet; "don't harbor such an idea for a second. Nothing of that sort will ever happen to me again. A burnt child dreads the fire, and I can a.s.sure you I'm cinders to the last atom. But never mind me, tell me about yourself. That is much more interesting."

"'About myself is it you're inquiring'?" laughed the Irish girl; "'tis easy told. Last winter, like a fool, I engaged myself to a sweet young Russian colonel, and this spring he died--"

"Oh, Molly!"

"Never mind, my dear, because I can a.s.sure you that _I_ didn't. Russians are so furiously made up that he couldn't stand any of the other men that I was engaged to. My life was too broad a burden in consequence, and I was well satisfied at his funeral."

"Is it his mother that you are travelling with?"