The Foot of Time: A Novel of Australia and the South Seas: (1933)

14
THE FOOT OF TIME
"You most lovely thing," he said, and crushed
her to him.
But Clare was all nerves to-day. She clung to
him. Some awful, terrible intuition of impending
disaster was upon the bride of a year.
"I had hoped you would have been free to come
in sooner, my husband," she said. "Busy old thing,
aren't you?"
Clare was in the habit of hiding her overwhelming
love for him by prosaic remarks of that nature,
for if once she became sentimental she might give
herself away too much. There were other occasions
for that.
"We have been busy in the factory, sweetheart,"
he told her, "sieving out the different grades. I'm
shipping home the most flavoury lot of Fannings
London has tasted for many a day. It should catch
the next Clan boat."
And then for no reason Clare gave a slight shiver.
"Bruce, darling," she said, "promise me you'll
never let anything blow you away from me. Promise
me."
"Why, Clare," he said, "you poor little darling.
Why, you're a bundle of nerves. What a brute I
am. You must have a change. I must send you
away to new sights. Now, what about a couple of
weeks at Simla, or down to the plains? How about
a trip to Calcutta, Clare?"
"I couldn't bear it, Bruce," she told him, "not
unless you could get away, too."
"I can't do that just at the moment, my dear."
Clare clung to him. Told him that nothing
THE FOOT OF TIME
moment.
"That'sher leave him, even for a single
"That's all right, then," he assured her. "You
gave me quite a scare, Clare. Thought you might
have a touch of fever coming on."
"Oh, no, Bruce. I'm quite all right. Really I
am."
"That's good, then," he said. "I'm sure I should
be wretched without you." Then, following his
tireless habit, Bruce picked Clare up like any baby,
and kissing her softly as he walked, carried her unprotesting
into their home.
And so to dinner, with Abdul resplendently arrayed
in an enormous white turban standing quietly
at the back of them, anticipating their every wish.
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