"Do you ever write--I mean write on your own?"
"Sometimes."
"What sort of things?"
She hesitated for a moment and then said as though she regretted having
to speak the truth.-"I write a journal."
I could not prevent myself from replying too eagerly--.
"Oh! I should like to see it!--er--I write one too!"-She was silent. I felt nervous again--.
"Do you put down your impressions of people--and things?"
"I suppose so--."
"Why does one write a journal?--" I wanted to hear what she would
answer.
"One writes journals if one is lonely."
"Yes, that is true. Then you are lonely?"
Again she conveyed to me the impression that I had shown bad taste in
asking a personal question--and I felt this to be unjust, because in
justice, she would have been forced to admit that her words were a
challenge.
"You explain to me why one writes journals, and then when I presume upon
the inference you snub me--You are not fair, Miss Sharp--"
"It would be better to stick to business," was all she answered--"will
you dictate, please?"
I was utterly exasperated--.
"No, I won't!--If you only admit by inference that you are lonely, I say
it right out--I am abominably lonely this morning and I want to talk to
you.--Did I see you at the Duchesse de Courville-Hautevine's on
Wednesday last?"
"Possibly."
I literally had not the pluck to ask her what she was doing there.
However, she went on--.
"There are still many wounded who require bandages--."
That was it! of course--she was bringing bandages!
"She is a splendid woman, the Duchesse, she was a friend of my
mother's--" I said.
Miss Sharp looked down suddenly--she had her head turned towards the
window.
"There are many splendid women in France--but you don't see them--the
poor are too wonderful, they lose their nearest and dearest and never
complain, they only say it is 'la Guerre!'."
"Have you any near relations fighting?"-"Yes"-It was too stupid having to drag information out of her like this--I
gave it up--and then I was haunted by the desire to know what relations
they were?--If she has a father he must be at least fifty--and he must
be in the English Army--why then does she seem so poor?--It can't be a
brother--her's is only thirteen--would a cousin count as a near
relation?--or--can she have a fiancé--?!